In Exo 18:7, we read the following:
In this text, Moses offers an act of worship to his father-in-law, Jethro (Hebrew: חוה; Greek: προσκυνεω). Imagine if something like this were to appear in, say, the Doctrine and Covenants and instead of Jethro, it was Joseph Smith! Anti-Mormons would point to this passage as further "proof" of the idolatrous nature of "Mormonism" vis-a-vis the Latter-day Saint view of the prophet Joseph Smith, and yet, when it comes to the biblical texts, more often than not, intellectual integrity is left at the door (and often times, their brains, too) by our Evangelical friends.
In reality, the Bible allows for the veneration for people God allows to be the recipients thereof, such as King Solomon (1 Chron 29:20, 23) and the glorified Christians in Rev 3:9, 21.
For more, see my lengthy article:
Joseph Smith Worship? Responding to Criticisms of the Role and Status of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Latter-day Saint Theology
And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the ten.
In this text, Moses offers an act of worship to his father-in-law, Jethro (Hebrew: חוה; Greek: προσκυνεω). Imagine if something like this were to appear in, say, the Doctrine and Covenants and instead of Jethro, it was Joseph Smith! Anti-Mormons would point to this passage as further "proof" of the idolatrous nature of "Mormonism" vis-a-vis the Latter-day Saint view of the prophet Joseph Smith, and yet, when it comes to the biblical texts, more often than not, intellectual integrity is left at the door (and often times, their brains, too) by our Evangelical friends.
In reality, the Bible allows for the veneration for people God allows to be the recipients thereof, such as King Solomon (1 Chron 29:20, 23) and the glorified Christians in Rev 3:9, 21.
For more, see my lengthy article:
Joseph Smith Worship? Responding to Criticisms of the Role and Status of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Latter-day Saint Theology
