Multiple Mortal Probations, Eternal Progression, Joshua the Jewish Minister, and the Doctrine of the Devil

Multiple Mortal Probations (MMP) is a variation of reincarnation. The distinction is that a human being is always a human being. You don't come back as a mosquito if you were bad in your last life.

You probably won't hear much about it from within the mainstream LDS Church. Nevertheless, this doctrine sees popularity among a diverse array of dissident Mormons, practicing their own forms of Mormonism apart from the church. You'll find polygamists teaching it, it's foundational to Julie Rowe and others with a highly mystical focus, and sadly, in newer movements that hold that Brigham Young led the church astray, (a place I now call my spiritual home), people are more likely to believe it than not.

MMP believers are usually aware that Joseph Smith told reincarnaton advocate / con man "Joshua the Jewish Minister" that his doctrine was of the devil, but they try to justify saying joseph was only condemning this one man's particular views.

I denounce MMP as rank heresy.

Furthermore, I have come to realize something that was not immediately apparent. Multiple mortal probations is the product of a doctrine featured prominently in the mainstream church, and in many if not most of the other branches of the Restoration. It is referred to as Eternal Progression.

MMP makes sense *if* you believe you have come to this world to perfect yourself. Becoming perfect would require more than just one trip. But I have to ask, where is Jesus in this process? Someone who believes that clearly does not believe human beings are hopeless, and we need Jesus to come save us from ourselves.

Balderdash! Human beings will never be perfected. Not after one lifetime, not after one thousand. The belief we can get better and better each time is folly. Additional lives would only mean additional sins Jesus needs to atone for.

The end result is not to for us to become gods, creating, populating, and ruling over worlds of our own. Even if our God was once a mortal man, who became God, that does not mean that is the general plan for everyone. The general plan was for us to be given free will and choice, but there was one choice we were not allowed to make. That choice was to immediately give them back. We have our independence, apart from our Heavenly Parents, for +/- 90 years. Afterward, we will be able to keep them, if we so desire. Continuing forever to live apart from our Heavenly Parents.

But the correct choice, after gaining through experience a thorough knowledge of what free will and choice are all about, is to give them back. To tell our Heavenly Parents that we don't want them.

The end result is to get back to where we once belonged. To return to a helpless state of infancy, cared for and protected by loving parents forever. Never again having any responsibilities, never again having to make any decisions, and never again having to do any form of work. Earth is toil, that is heaven!