Criticism of Mormonism/Books/Passing the Heavenly Gift

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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift



A FAIR Analysis of: Passing the Heavenly Gift, a work by author: Denver C. Snuffer
 		Introduction to the volume's claims

Response to claims made in Passing the Heavenly Gift by Denver C. Snuffer

Summary: This account of Church history contains numerous inaccuracies, distortions, and misrepresentations of the data.


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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Introduction to the volume's claims


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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Claims about priesthood ordination


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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Claims about Brigham Young and apostles not being witnesses of Christ


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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Claims regarding source of Brigham Young and apostles' authority after Joseph Smith's death


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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Claims regarding when Joseph Smith received priesthood authority


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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Claims that authority could only be transmitted in a completed temple


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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Claims that Joseph Smith had to offer his life because the Saints sinned


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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Claims that the Saints did not build the Nauvoo Temple quickly enough


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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Claims that the Saints in Nauvoo were punished because they were slothful in building the temple


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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Response to claims made in Conclusion


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Response to Passing the Heavenly Gift: Appendix 1 & 2—Comparing the size and cost of the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples


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Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, "Passing Up The Heavenly Gift (Part One of Two)"

Gregory L. Smith,  Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, (2013)
Denver C. Snuffer, Jr. claims to have had a vision of the resurrected Jesus Christ.2 A convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he is the author of eight books (509). The thesis of the most recent—Passing the Heavenly Gift—is summarized by his book’s cover photo: a snuffed out candle, smoke curling upward, with a dim ember persisting at the tip of the wick.


Snuffer claims that Joseph Smith was an inspired prophet, but Joseph’s commands and revelations were not heeded adequately. As a result, Joseph was betrayed by Church members and murdered prior to the completion of the Nauvoo Temple (104). This made it impossible, in Snuffer’s view, for Joseph to pass on all the necessary ordinances and doctrines, notwithstanding the endowment and other ordinances given to the Twelve prior to Joseph’s death (105–110). Brigham Young, the Twelve, and their ecclesiastical heirs did not, therefore, perpetuate the fullness of Joseph’s mission (87–89, 268, 272–276, 283). Some of their acts, and the changes that Snuffer believes they have made to Church doctrine, practice, or administration, were not sanctioned by God, and constitute the “passing of the heavenly gift” (287, 400). This loss was, in Snuffer’s telling, predicted by Joseph Smith, and the time is now ripe for members of the Church to reclaim these blessings (315–317, 400–402, 447–499).

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Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, "Passing Up The Heavenly Gift (Part Two of Two)"

Gregory L. Smith,  Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, (2013)
Snuffer writes of the apostolic succession:

In 1847, Brigham Young publicly explained his understanding of the keys he obtained in these words: “an apostle is the Highest office and authority that there is in the Church and Kingdom [of] God on the earth. From whom did Joseph receive his authority? From just such men as sit around me here (pointing to the Twelve Apostles that sat with him.) Peter, James and John were Apostles, and there was no noise about their being seers and revelators though those gifts were among them. Joseph Smith gave unto me and my brethren (the Twelve) all the Priesthood keys, power and authority which he had and those are the powers which belong to the Apostleship” (87).

Snuffer then delivers his killing stroke: “This explanation is misleading because Brigham Young was not ordained an Apostle by Joseph Smith” (87). A few pages later, he writes that “Brigham Young’s claim to have received the sealing power when he was ordained an Apostle is completely dependent on the Three Witnesses’ ordination in 1835. That ordination came a year prior to the 1836 visit of Elijah” (91).

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