They are distinguished by a sharply intolerant attitude towards the Orthodox Church. They recognize the Catholic Church with all its institutions, hierarchy and dogmas. However, they themselves develop the teaching of the Paracletic Church of the New Testament. Since, they assert, the traditional forms of confession have become a thing of the past and have been "sealed," it is in Russia that a new great movement for the glory of the Mother of God will be revived. The true Church has passed "into the seclusion of the heart," so woe will be to those who, even for a short time, hold on to Orthodoxy. They do not call the Orthodox Church anything other than a harlot, a priestess, or a false church. Their own "Center" is designated as the "Mystery Church". Moreover, the Theotokos themselves belong to the membership of the "World Catholic Movement of Priests of the Mother of God". Thus, the church as such is absent among the Theotokos – they have no succession (although the priesthood, as Bereslavsky claims, he received from the TOC, but his further hierarchical growth is shrouded in darkness), therefore, there can be no sacraments. "Ordination" through a subjective charismatic experience leaves no illusions about hierarchy. As for the sacraments, in the opinion of the Mother of God, baptism in the Orthodox Church has degenerated into a formal rite and in general does not mean anything. There is one detail in the teaching of water baptism that is absent in other sectarian formations. They teach about the inadequacy of baptism performed during life. It is also necessary to baptize the soul after its separation from the body. Here we can trace something close in teaching to the Mormons. Moreover, in their opinion, there are three types of baptism: the first is performed in heaven before the incarnation (the Mormon doctrine of the pre-existence of souls); the second is baptism on earth, and, finally, the third is heavenly baptism after earthly life. With the first, which is carried out in heaven, the Theotokos cannot explain anything intelligible – this is God's work and is hidden from us. But in the second, earthly, baptism with water, there are three important points. These elements are as follows. The first point is the water font, it protects the body from diseases. The second moment is the baptism of the Spirit, i.e. the acceptance of faith and repentance. The third moment is the fiery baptism for the "elect", where there is "a crisis, a riot of faith, a sacrifice of life" (20:19). During the sacrament of repentance, the Theotokos assert that sins are forgiven all at once or none, and with insincere repentance, only 377 sins are forgiven (?). In the sacrament of marriage, it should be noted that it is forbidden to marry in the community. Bereslavsky teaches: "God forbid that we unite carnally! You think to delight and give birth, but you are like two bulls in a slaughterhouse..." If you are married, it is recommended to live as brother and sister. But, soberly speaking, not everyone can bear such a feat, and even in marriage the consent of the other party is necessary for this. Otherwise, it will be a desecration of marriage, and the party who dares to do so will be guilty of incontinence of the opposite. Here it is necessary to remind the Theotokos of a passage from St. Scriptures: "In the last times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceitful spirits... forbidding marriage..." And in Apostolic Canon 51 it is said: "If anyone ... he shuns marriage and wine and meat, not for the sake of the feat of abstinence, but because of abhorrence, forgetting that all good things are evil and that God, creating man, husband and wife, created them, and thus, blasphemy, slanders the creation, either let it be corrected, or let it be expelled from the holy order and rejected from the Church. The same is true of the layman." I will not dwell the reader's attention on other absurdities that accompany the so-called "sacraments" of the Mother of God, for we have before us that surrogate of heresies, when, hiding behind Christian phraseology, they speculate on the reverent attitude of the faithful to the Mother of God; preaching a sermon about mutual love with their lips, they destroy family relationships; Distorting Orthodox teaching, they resort to open blasphemy of clergy and bishops. Let us dwell only on the unusual elements of their Eucharist. An integral part of the Liturgy of the Theotokos is the so-called rite of sprinkling the blood of the Mother of God. Such blood, according to their teaching, is pre-consecrated water, dissolved by the Holy Gifts. (Question: Where did the Theotokos get them?) In the picture, you just see this moment of the sprinkling of the faithful from a bucket by the "Bishop of Moscow" Peter from the stage in the hall. There is also the teaching about communion with the tears of the Mother of God. There are also significant differences in vestments from legitimate clergymen. Their cassocks, as a rule, are blue, on the left side of each has the emblem of a prostrate dove-Spirit, enclosed in a cross embroidered with lurex. The vestments contain capes, scarves, homemade emblems, etc. Prayers, for the most part, are improvised, similar to Baptist ones.

Moon Unification Church

Sun Myung Moon was born in 1920 in Korea. From a young age, he was interested in religious issues. In 1936, he had a vision when he explained to his household that Christ had appeared and told Moon about His unfinished work of saving mankind. Moon must take on this mission. Before the outbreak of World War II, Moon attended the university and soon married. He leaves his wife and goes to North Korea in search of the truth. Under the influence of a certain Park Moon Kim, who then proclaimed himself the new messiah, Moon built his religious doctrine and his first temple from empty beer cans. This contributed to his excommunication from the Presbyterian Church, to which Moon formally belonged. In 1948, Moon was imprisoned during the communist showdown in North Korea, but escaped from it, which later brought him moral dividends when he claimed that his imprisonment was due to religious activity. It is difficult to judge now whether this is true or not, but in periodicals there are materials in a certain rite of "blood purification" associated with the sin of a sect with followers of the teaching. Soon Sun Myung Moon adopted and added the title "Reverend" to his name, and in 1954 he established the "Society of the Holy Spirit for the Unification of World Christianity". In 1955, he was arrested again on charges of immoral behavior. Sun Moon is a very sociable person and a master of establishing the necessary connections. In addition, he is a successful businessman. He personally developed a method for his followers to work with new people, especially students. On the streets, members of the sect sell postcards, souvenirs, ginseng tea, but this is not the main income of the organization. Moon invites scientists, politicians, public figures to special conferences on scientific and social issues; at the same time, the "Unification Church" spends colossal funds on this, paying for the travel of those invited in both directions, covers all the costs of accommodation in fashionable hotels and the obligatory souvenirs as a keepsake. By doing so, the Moonies hope to build a reputation for themselves as a respected philanthropic society. The cult of Moon himself in the organization is so high that whatever he uses and touches is then divided among his adherents who served him. These things in their eyes became sacred relics, they tried to preserve them for their offspring. One former follower of the Korean mission recalled: "Moon had something majestic in his bearing. When he entered the room, we felt as if we were blown by the wind against the wall. He spread an invisible force around him, it was felt that if someone shot him, the bullet would turn to the side. He had some kind of mystical power." Moon's basic doctrine is set forth in two books in Korean (which is why many of his followers tend to learn Korean in order to read Moon in the original): Explanation of the Principle (1957) and Explanation of the Principle (1966) A principle is a teaching that is supposedly transmitted to Moon from above from God. The main goal is to unite all world religions in order to build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. What, in the final analysis, do the doctrinal concepts of the Moonies boil down to? In a cursory enumeration they are as follows: Doctrine of the Trinity. St. The Trinity does not exist, but God is one. Teaching about Christ. Nor is the Creator equal in dignity to His Father. The teaching on the Holy Scriptures. Spirit. Feminine or Mother Spirit. The birth of Jesus by the Virgin. Jesus was the perfect embodiment of the ideal of creation. The meaning of Christ's atoning blood. Jesus did not come to die on the cross. His death was not God's will. Salvation. Your deeds can save you and others who have died before. Resurrection. Jesus was not resurrected physically. In the spiritual world, He lives as a spiritual man. The Second Coming of Christ. The followers of Sun Moon point out that he is the Lord of the Second Coming. Heaven and hell. Ultimately, all of humanity will be saved. Bible. The period of time of the New Testament mission expired with the advent of Moon. Now we see that this is a typical cult. The term is used to refer to groups that call themselves Christians but whose basic tenets differ from true Christianity in that they deny the Trinity and the divinity of Christ and recognize salvation through good works. They are also characterized by the deification of leaders, which, however, is also observed in a number of mystical sects. So, in Moon's opinion, Christ was not able to fulfill His mission to the end, because He did not have children. Therefore, salvation lies through the creation of a new "ideal family", the beginning of which was laid by Sun Moon and his dearest wife. In addition to the numerous direct descendants of Moon, he personally selects couples and then "marries" them 600-700 couples at a time at the stadium, and who are also representatives of the new "ideal families". Until recently, Moon only hinted at his special mission on earth, fearing to scare people away by directly revealing his cards. Hints pointed to Korea, from where a new messiah would appear (Rev. 7:2-4), and the main enemy of all religions – communism – was also indicated, on which, in fact, the new Führer of religion made the main bet and grew. In Moon's opinion, Jesus was supposed to destroy the sinful world and force the devil to surrender voluntarily. But who then will populate the planet, if the whole world, "which lies in evil", is destroyed? After all, Jesus had no heirs left in the flesh with pure holy blood. In doing so, He supposedly introduced dissonance into God's plan of salvation. God left Him and He, dying, spoke about His new, but only symbolic Second Coming to earth, meaning by this the coming of Moon himself. Christ was not resurrected among the Moonies, and could not have been resurrected by a just God, because he failed to cope with his main task – to destroy the world of Satan and restore it in purity by direct heirs. The "Principle" therefore teaches that Moon is the promised second Christ (the Second Coming has already come to pass; and even the first goal has been defeated: communism as a satanic value system has been destroyed on the planet, with the exception of North Korea and Cuba, which will not be in the clutches of Satan for long). Moon, as it were, helps the discouraged and confused Creator to defeat the forces of evil. We quote: "God lives in loneliness and despair, feeling the incompleteness of creation and watching how generation after generation of people destroy their lives and the lives of descendants. This is because we do not know the heart of God at all" (God and We, Sun Myung Moon. 1992. p. 246). The principle states: "By humbling ourselves before Moon, serving Moon, obeying Moon, and loving Moon, we achieve salvation through him." Salvation in the sect is understood as domination over Satan in the material world. Over time, the followers of the Korean rise to the position of "ideal individuals", i.e. they undergo initiation into Moon's army in order to marry at the age of 24 to create an "ideal family". The children of such a marriage will be the glorious material that will take upon themselves the battle with Satan and his servants. All this is achieved through complete submission to Moon and the rules of his paramilitary organization with iron discipline. The Moonies claim that the Third World War with the forces of Satan is also inevitable, after which an ideal order with heavenly laws will be established on the planet. Money plays a big role in the Unification Church. Moon fundamentally asserts that Christ should not have given up earthly power and should have turned not to poor semi-literate fishermen, but to kings and magnates, to convert them, if necessary, by miracle and persuasion, to collect capital, to establish himself as King of the Jews and to destroy by force the Roman Empire, the center of evil and paganism. Therefore, Moon does not renounce capital, financial power (he has factories, shipyards, hotels, banks, roads, industrial infrastructure, where Moonies work for a nominal fee and civilian workers for good wages). In addition, at the first stage of initiation, the neophyte must undergo a course of begging (to break pride and replenish the sect's treasury) in fundraising teams, young men and women begging or selling postcards on the streets. After three years, the "schools of poverty" or "fundraising" receive the first "blessing" and permission to start a family, followed by promotion. Now Moon's adepts become full members of the sect. In Russia, the Moonies have chosen St. Petersburg. In Moscow, their adaptation was more difficult. Therefore, a fundraising group of about a hundred people settled in St. Petersburg in 1993. The guys work for the Korean on the street for 12 hours a day (trade), where they collect proceeds of 150 thousand rubles each per day. Neophyte constantly lives in the Center, does not visit his family, refuses to study at universities and technical schools. Moon has a term called "love bombing". A person who comes to a meeting out of curiosity or by invitation hears the flattery of others: what an extraordinary, wonderful person he is, what smart eyes he has. And few people will not like it, because everything is taken at face value - and the bait is almost swallowed. It's nice when nice neat young people - your age, including girls, quite sincerely say compliments and smile. The atmosphere itself is conducive to further contacts. Coming back to the community gives more grounded hope. It is proposed to go to a country residence for a few days in order to live there for free in comfort and isolation from this vain and cruel world, listen to lectures, pray together, sing... If you like it, you can stay for a while. The organization takes care of all bills for meals, service, lectures. It is alarming that now the Moonies are buying suburban plots, building houses (near Kiev in the Koncha-Zaspa district), where they are creating children's health camps for children of financially insolvent parents. The children of such parents live free of charge from 1 to 3 summer months on the full board of the organization and where, accordingly, the doctrinal basics of Moon's doctrines are taught. What future awaits these children? So, the climax has come – you are in the Moonie Center. A relaxed atmosphere, muffled music of religious hymns, an abundance of flowers, smiles, cordiality, compliments with a few cups of good coffee and cakes. You have gradually become one of your own people here, but no one is yet demanding that you change your worldview system of values – you are it... You change it yourself. A person suddenly realizes that he really misses these nice people, and the person gradually cuts off ties with the outside world and turns into a moonie. Brainwashing is almost irreversible: lectures, conversations, hymns, work for the good of the sect, prayers, fasts, minimal sleep. And again all over again. This is the danger of totalitarianism. It is possible in reality only in closed religious sects, where a person does not belong to himself. His will will be suppressed methodically and systematically, day after day. Even if such a person is forcibly torn out of the sect, he will not listen to any arguments and arguments, but will look for an opportunity to return to his usual circle, as drug addicts return to their own – "to the needle". There are also punishments for offenses in the sect: cold showers, hunger strikes for up to 4 days, or sleep deprivation for up to 3. Girls and boys live in the same Center, but in different rooms. Intimate relations are excluded - otherwise expulsion from the organization. Couples for creating families are made by a computer according to only Moon's known characteristics. The family is the nucleus for the creation of new Moon soldiers. Moonism at one time seriously claimed to become the state religion of Russia. Kalmykia adopted this idea closer than other autonomous regions. And already in 1993, in 80 St. Petersburg schools, the course "My World and Me", completely built on the Moon doctrine, was included in the curriculum. In 1992, Sun Moon declared: "In three of the fifteen republics of the former Soviet Union, a movement is now developing to proclaim the religion of Unification as the state religion" (Document 6: Moon, Textbook of World Peace, p. 50). He met with M.S. Gorbachev, then the first President of the Union, with many influential persons of the state to push through his educational program and strengthen his position in the economically ruined sick country. At the same time, any meeting between Moon and a manager of any level always ends with an expensive gift from a guest. This is Moon's tactics and style of work for the Soul Market. Indeed, what is there to regret - an entertaining expensive trinket, a Rolex watch in a gold case, or even a brand new Toyota - if this is the key to the stability of its position and support in this country. Moonism opposes any state borders, national and religious characteristics (couples are often made up of representatives of different countries of the world), seeks to exhaust and abolish any individuality, history, stereotypes — because this is what makes the army strong. Future pastors of the Orthodox Church, in case of problems that have arisen related to the activities of totalitarian sects, should know the following (and, accordingly, give advice to those who ask): Under no circumstances should you buy postcards, sweets, tea from the Moonies when you meet, so as not to provoke the recruiter to systematically deal with you. Do not give their adherents money (everything to the penny will be spent on the intended purpose of the organization), for this will be regarded as a weighty confirmation of the truth of the doctrines of the "reverend". Having expressed your principled rejection of Moon's ideology, nevertheless, be friendly, gentle with the adept of the sect, knowing that you are dealing with a lost person who does not even know how to assess the desperation of his situation. In a polite way, refuse to visit their Center, even out of simple curiosity. Out of curiosity, many people began... The processes of your psyche will gradually become poorly controlled by will and consciousness. As there are a number of mantras in Krishnaism, from the chanting of which, even in jest, it is extremely difficult to free oneself later. This obsession is surprising and rationally inexplicable. Write down all the names, addresses, phone numbers associated with the involvement of your parishioners or acquaintances in the "Moon family". This will help to identify the problem more comprehensively and meaningfully, if necessary, to a consultant or law enforcement agencies.

Mormons

Sun Myung Moon was born in 1920 in Korea. From a young age, he was interested in religious issues. In 1936, he had a vision when he explained to his household that Christ had appeared and told Moon about His unfinished work of saving mankind. Moon must take on this mission. Before the outbreak of World War II, Moon attended the university and soon married. He leaves his wife and goes to North Korea in search of the truth. Under the influence of a certain Park Moon Kim, who then proclaimed himself the new messiah, Moon built his religious doctrine and his first temple from empty beer cans. This contributed to his excommunication from the Presbyterian Church, to which Moon formally belonged. In 1948, Moon was imprisoned during the communist showdown in North Korea, but escaped from it, which later brought him moral dividends when he claimed that his imprisonment was due to religious activity. It is difficult to judge now whether this is true or not, but in periodicals there are materials in a certain rite of "blood purification" associated with the sin of a sect with followers of the teaching. Soon Sun Myung Moon adopted and added the title "Reverend" to his name, and in 1954 he established the "Society of the Holy Spirit for the Unification of World Christianity". In 1955, he was arrested again on charges of immoral behavior. Sun Moon is a very sociable person and a master of establishing the necessary connections. In addition, he is a successful businessman. He personally developed a method for his followers to work with new people, especially students. On the streets, members of the sect sell postcards, souvenirs, ginseng tea, but this is not the main income of the organization. Moon invites scientists, politicians, public figures to special conferences on scientific and social issues; at the same time, the "Unification Church" spends colossal funds on this, paying for the travel of those invited in both directions, covers all the costs of accommodation in fashionable hotels and the obligatory souvenirs as a keepsake. By doing so, the Moonies hope to build a reputation for themselves as a respected philanthropic society. The cult of Moon himself in the organization is so high that whatever he uses and touches is then divided among his adherents who served him. These things in their eyes became sacred relics, they tried to preserve them for their offspring. One former follower of the Korean mission recalled: "Moon had something majestic in his bearing. When he entered the room, we felt as if we were blown by the wind against the wall. He spread an invisible force around him, it was felt that if someone shot him, the bullet would turn to the side. He had some kind of mystical power." Moon's basic doctrine is set forth in two books in Korean (which is why many of his followers tend to learn Korean in order to read Moon in the original): Explanation of the Principle (1957) and Explanation of the Principle (1966) A principle is a teaching that is supposedly transmitted to Moon from above from God. The main goal is to unite all world religions in order to build the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. What, in the final analysis, do the doctrinal concepts of the Moonies boil down to? In a cursory enumeration they are as follows: Doctrine of the Trinity. St. The Trinity does not exist, but God is one. Teaching about Christ. Nor is the Creator equal in dignity to His Father. The teaching on the Holy Scriptures. Spirit. Feminine or Mother Spirit. The birth of Jesus by the Virgin. Jesus was the perfect embodiment of the ideal of creation. The meaning of Christ's atoning blood. Jesus did not come to die on the cross. His death was not God's will. Salvation. Your deeds can save you and others who have died before. Resurrection. Jesus was not resurrected physically. In the spiritual world, He lives as a spiritual man. The Second Coming of Christ. The followers of Sun Moon point out that he is the Lord of the Second Coming. Heaven and hell. Ultimately, all of humanity will be saved. Bible. The period of time of the New Testament mission expired with the advent of Moon. Now we see that this is a typical cult. The term is used to refer to groups that call themselves Christians but whose basic tenets differ from true Christianity in that they deny the Trinity and the divinity of Christ and recognize salvation through good works. They are also characterized by the deification of leaders, which, however, is also observed in a number of mystical sects. So, in Moon's opinion, Christ was not able to fulfill His mission to the end, because He did not have children. Therefore, salvation lies through the creation of a new "ideal family", the beginning of which was laid by Sun Moon and his dearest wife. In addition to the numerous direct descendants of Moon, he personally selects couples and then "marries" them 600-700 couples at a time at the stadium, and who are also representatives of the new "ideal families". Until recently, Moon only hinted at his special mission on earth, fearing to scare people away by directly revealing his cards. Hints pointed to Korea, from where a new messiah would appear (Rev. 7:2-4), and the main enemy of all religions – communism – was also indicated, on which, in fact, the new Führer of religion made the main bet and grew. In Moon's opinion, Jesus was supposed to destroy the sinful world and force the devil to surrender voluntarily. But who then will populate the planet, if the whole world, "which lies in evil", is destroyed? After all, Jesus had no heirs left in the flesh with pure holy blood. In doing so, He supposedly introduced dissonance into God's plan of salvation. God left Him and He, dying, spoke about His new, but only symbolic Second Coming to earth, meaning by this the coming of Moon himself. Christ was not resurrected among the Moonies, and could not have been resurrected by a just God, because he failed to cope with his main task – to destroy the world of Satan and restore it in purity by direct heirs. The "Principle" therefore teaches that Moon is the promised second Christ (the Second Coming has already come to pass; and even the first goal has been defeated: communism as a satanic value system has been destroyed on the planet, with the exception of North Korea and Cuba, which will not be in the clutches of Satan for long). Moon, as it were, helps the discouraged and confused Creator to defeat the forces of evil. We quote: "God lives in loneliness and despair, feeling the incompleteness of creation and watching how generation after generation of people destroy their lives and the lives of descendants. This is because we do not know the heart of God at all" (God and We, Sun Myung Moon. 1992. p. 246). The principle states: "By humbling ourselves before Moon, serving Moon, obeying Moon, and loving Moon, we achieve salvation through him." Salvation in the sect is understood as domination over Satan in the material world. Over time, the followers of the Korean rise to the position of "ideal individuals", i.e. they undergo initiation into Moon's army in order to marry at the age of 24 to create an "ideal family". The children of such a marriage will be the glorious material that will take upon themselves the battle with Satan and his servants. All this is achieved through complete submission to Moon and the rules of his paramilitary organization with iron discipline. The Moonies claim that the Third World War with the forces of Satan is also inevitable, after which an ideal order with heavenly laws will be established on the planet. Money plays a big role in the Unification Church. Moon fundamentally asserts that Christ should not have given up earthly power and should have turned not to poor semi-literate fishermen, but to kings and magnates, to convert them, if necessary, by miracle and persuasion, to collect capital, to establish himself as King of the Jews and to destroy by force the Roman Empire, the center of evil and paganism. Therefore, Moon does not renounce capital, financial power (he has factories, shipyards, hotels, banks, roads, industrial infrastructure, where Moonies work for a nominal fee and civilian workers for good wages). In addition, at the first stage of initiation, the neophyte must undergo a course of begging (to break pride and replenish the sect's treasury) in fundraising teams, young men and women begging or selling postcards on the streets. After three years, the "schools of poverty" or "fundraising" receive the first "blessing" and permission to start a family, followed by promotion. Now Moon's adepts become full members of the sect. In Russia, the Moonies have chosen St. Petersburg. In Moscow, their adaptation was more difficult. Therefore, a fundraising group of about a hundred people settled in St. Petersburg in 1993. The guys work for the Korean on the street for 12 hours a day (trade), where they collect proceeds of 150 thousand rubles each per day. Neophyte constantly lives in the Center, does not visit his family, refuses to study at universities and technical schools. Moon has a term called "love bombing". A person who comes to a meeting out of curiosity or by invitation hears the flattery of others: what an extraordinary, wonderful person he is, what smart eyes he has. And few people will not like it, because everything is taken at face value - and the bait is almost swallowed. It's nice when nice neat young people - your age, including girls, quite sincerely say compliments and smile. The atmosphere itself is conducive to further contacts. Coming back to the community gives more grounded hope. It is proposed to go to a country residence for a few days in order to live there for free in comfort and isolation from this vain and cruel world, listen to lectures, pray together, sing... If you like it, you can stay for a while. The organization takes care of all bills for meals, service, lectures. It is alarming that now the Moonies are buying suburban plots, building houses (near Kiev in the Koncha-Zaspa district), where they are creating children's health camps for children of financially insolvent parents. The children of such parents live free of charge from 1 to 3 summer months on the full board of the organization and where, accordingly, the doctrinal basics of Moon's doctrines are taught. What future awaits these children? So, the climax has come – you are in the Moonie Center. A relaxed atmosphere, muffled music of religious hymns, an abundance of flowers, smiles, cordiality, compliments with a few cups of good coffee and cakes. You have gradually become one of your own people here, but no one is yet demanding that you change your worldview system of values – you are it... You change it yourself. A person suddenly realizes that he really misses these nice people, and the person gradually cuts off ties with the outside world and turns into a moonie. Brainwashing is almost irreversible: lectures, conversations, hymns, work for the good of the sect, prayers, fasts, minimal sleep. And again all over again. This is the danger of totalitarianism. It is possible in reality only in closed religious sects, where a person does not belong to himself. His will will be suppressed methodically and systematically, day after day. Even if such a person is forcibly torn out of the sect, he will not listen to any arguments and arguments, but will look for an opportunity to return to his usual circle, as drug addicts return to their own – "to the needle". There are also punishments for offenses in the sect: cold showers, hunger strikes for up to 4 days, or sleep deprivation for up to 3. Girls and boys live in the same Center, but in different rooms. Intimate relations are excluded - otherwise expulsion from the organization. Couples for creating families are made by a computer according to only Moon's known characteristics. The family is the nucleus for the creation of new Moon soldiers. Moonism at one time seriously claimed to become the state religion of Russia. Kalmykia adopted this idea closer than other autonomous regions. And already in 1993, in 80 St. Petersburg schools, the course "My World and Me", completely built on the Moon doctrine, was included in the curriculum. In 1992, Sun Moon declared: "In three of the fifteen republics of the former Soviet Union, a movement is now developing to proclaim the religion of Unification as the state religion" (Document 6: Moon, Textbook of World Peace, p. 50). He met with M.S. Gorbachev, then the first President of the Union, with many influential persons of the state to push through his educational program and strengthen his position in the economically ruined sick country. At the same time, any meeting between Moon and a manager of any level always ends with an expensive gift from a guest. This is Moon's tactics and style of work for the Soul Market. Indeed, what is there to regret - an entertaining expensive trinket, a Rolex watch in a gold case, or even a brand new Toyota - if this is the key to the stability of its position and support in this country. Moonism opposes any state borders, national and religious characteristics (couples are often made up of representatives of different countries of the world), seeks to exhaust and abolish any individuality, history, stereotypes — because this is what makes the army strong. Future pastors of the Orthodox Church, in case of problems that have arisen related to the activities of totalitarian sects, should know the following (and, accordingly, give advice to those who ask): Under no circumstances should you buy postcards, sweets, tea from the Moonies when you meet, so as not to provoke the recruiter to systematically deal with you. Do not give their adherents money (everything to the penny will be spent on the intended purpose of the organization), for this will be regarded as a weighty confirmation of the truth of the doctrines of the "reverend". Having expressed your principled rejection of Moon's ideology, nevertheless, be friendly, gentle with the adept of the sect, knowing that you are dealing with a lost person who does not even know how to assess the desperation of his situation. In a polite way, refuse to visit their Center, even out of simple curiosity. Out of curiosity, many people began... The processes of your psyche will gradually become poorly controlled by will and consciousness. As there are a number of mantras in Krishnaism, from the chanting of which, even in jest, it is extremely difficult to free oneself later. This obsession is surprising and rationally inexplicable. Write down all the names, addresses, phone numbers associated with the involvement of your parishioners or acquaintances in the "Moon family". This will help to identify the problem more comprehensively and meaningfully, if necessary, to a consultant or law enforcement agencies.

From the history of the emergence

In 1805, Joseph Smith was born in Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont, USA. In 1815-1820, great religious unrest began to occur throughout the continent. Beginning in the Methodist sect, they soon spread to other religious sects. Some supported the Methodists, others defended the Prosbyterians, and still others argued that only the Baptists would be saved. As a teenager, I. Smith observed such a situation in the religious life of parishioners. Who to join? Which of them is right? As he later described this period of time, the period of inner torments and doubts, was for him also a period of turning to the Holy Scriptures, in particular, to verse 5 of chapter 1 of the Epistle of Ap. St. James, where it is said: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all simply and without reproach, and it will be given to him." Subsequently, this quotation from the Holy Scriptures. Scripture became the most popular in the Mormon sect and the most popular in their sermons. And so, the young man began to seclude himself in order to comprehend the will of God in this chaos of religious confrontation. One day he retired to the forest to once again ask God about the question that tormented him. At the same time, he experienced an extraordinary state of spiritual uplift and prayerful ecstasy. This state, however, was accompanied by fear. This is how he himself described this state: "As soon as I opened my mouth, suddenly some force, having seized and completely weakened me, produced such a striking effect on me that my tongue became numb, and I could not speak. A terrible darkness enveloped me, and it seemed to me that I was doomed to eternal death..." (The Narrative of the Prophet Joseph Smith, Church of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah). Then in the forest, according to Smith, it was said that he should not join any of the religious communities, because they are all in error. The young man mentally compares his vision with the vision of the Apostle Paul, about which the latter told King Agrippa (Acts 26:13). In 1823, Joseph Smith had a second vision in which the heavenly messenger Moroni informed him that he was God's chosen one and that he would be entrusted with a great mystery and his name would be known throughout the world, but it would be proclaimed to some for evil and for good to others. Further in this vision Joseph was informed of a certain hidden book, written on gold plates, containing the history of the former inhabitants of this continent and the source of their origin. The messenger also reported that the fullness of the eternal Gospel is contained in this hidden book, since it was given by the Savior Himself to the ancient inhabitants of this land. But together with the book, it was further said, two stones in silver frames were also hidden, and that it was these stones, once attached to the breastplate, that constituted what is called in the Old Testament the Urim and Thummim (See note on p. 283). And since the ancient Jewish high priests used these stones to be "seers," God prepared these stones in order to translate the secret writings from the book. Then, in a vision, Moroni (that was the name of the heavenly messenger) began to quote prophecies from the Old Testament, quoting the following passages from the Bible: Malachi 3:5, although he read the verse differently than in the book: "Behold, I will reveal unto you the priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet, until the great and dreadful day of the Lord comes." Then the 3rd chapter of the Book of Acts, the 11th chapter of Isaiah, the 2nd chapter of the prophet Joel were read. In addition, Moroni explained in the vision that only upon receipt of the plates he mentioned would stones be obtained, but neither was to be shown to the people on pain of death, except in a small circle of persons to whom Moroni himself would point. And so, happy with his chosenness and stunned by the vision, Smith told his father about it. Joseph's father believed and commanded him to fulfill Moroni's words, and recognized the vision itself as a divine revelation. Thus, his first followers were close relatives. Not far from the village of Manchester, in the county of Ontario, New York, rises a large mountain - the highest in the surrounding area. "On the western side, not far from the top of the mountain, under a rather large stone, lay sheets laid in a stone box," the Mormon chronicle says about the location of the future source of their faith. As a result of the translation from these plates, the Book of Mormon was born. The translation was made by Smith with the help of the Urim and Thummim, as he later asserted. The Book of Mormon. The first English edition was published in 1830 and the Russian edition in 1980. A book was written to the Lamanites, the remnant of the house of Israel, and also "to the Jew and to the Gentiles." Here is also an abridged chronicle, taken from the Book of Ether, which contains the history of the people of Jared, who were scattered at the time when the Lord confused the language of the people during the construction of the Tower of Babel. The record was written on gold leaves by the hand of Mormon, who was the last leader of the people. The book consists of 15 main parts. These records span from 600 B.C. to 421 A.D. About the last year, Moroni, the last of the Nephite historians, recorded the Sacred Record and hid it for the purposes of the Lord. In 1827, this same Moroni, then raised from the dead, gave the engraved plates to Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon consists of the following books: First Book of Nephi, Second Book of Nephi, Book of Jacob, Book of Enos, Book of Jarom, Book of Omni, Words of Mormon, Book of Mosiah, Book of Alma, Book of Helaman, Third Book of Nephi, Fourth Book of Nephi, Book of Mormon, Book of Ether, Book of Moroni. Of the other doctrinal books, in addition to the Book of Mormon, there are two more: the Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price.

Features of the sect's doctrine

About the spirit and the soul. "Whether people rise from the dead first, second, or third, it doesn't matter; for God knows all these things; but it is enough for me to know that it is so, that a time has been appointed at which all will rise from the dead. But there must be a period of time between death and resurrection. And now I ask, what happens to the soul of a person after death and before resurrection? Whether there is more than one time for a person's resurrection is irrelevant, for all do not die at the same time, and it does not matter; with God everything is like one day, and only man has time. Therefore the time has been appointed for man when all will rise from the dead; And there is a gap of time between death and resurrection. And what is done to the souls of men concerning this interval of time, I have earnestly tried to learn from the Lord; and this is exactly what I learned. When the time comes for all to be resurrected, then they too will know that God knows all the times appointed for man. As for the state of the soul between death and resurrection, it was revealed to me by an angel that the spirits of men, immediately after they leave this mortal flesh, good or evil, return home to the God who gave them life. And then it will be that the spirits of the righteous will be received into a joyful state called paradise, a place of rest, a place of rest, where they will rest from all their troubles, cares and sorrows. And then it shall come to pass that the spirits of the wicked, the evil spirits, for behold, they have not one grain of the Spirit of the Lord; for, behold, they have chosen evil deeds instead of good ones; wherefore the spirit of the devil entered into them and took possession of their abode, and they will be cast out into outer darkness, where there will be weeping, weeping, and gnashing of teeth, and it is because of their wickedness that they have been led into captivity by the will of the devil. And behold, such is the condition of the soul of the wicked, yes, in darkness, in a terrible and terrible state, they behold the fierce wrath of God upon them; And so they are in this position, just as the righteous are in paradise, waiting for their resurrection. And there are those who understood that this happy or sad state of mind before the resurrection was the first resurrection" (Alma 40). Next comes the testimony that the second resurrection will be at the coming of Jesus Christ. Thus, Mormons recognize that there is a gap in time between death and the universal resurrection of the flesh, and that the soul remains in a happy or painful state until the time appointed by God, when the dead shall arise, soul and body "shall be reunited, and being brought up, they shall stand before God to be judged for their works" (Alma 40:21). Interpretation and understanding of God. "Behold, I am He who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem My people. Here I am, Jesus Christ. I am the seven Father and the Son. In me all mankind will have life..." (Ephesians 3:14). Mormon theology is far from Christian theology. God is made of flesh and blood and lives on the planet Tron. People initially have the opportunity to become gods, because, in their opinion, God "was once like us, but perfected and exalted", and therefore it depends on everyone through personal perfection to deify him, in order to then have his own planet with its inhabitants and be a god on it. Any idea of the incomprehensibility of God by man is denied, but there are many worlds, each of which is governed by its own god. Jesus Christ was created by the God of our universe. He was "the spiritual brother of Lucifer," but then Christ was incarnated in human form and after the crucifixion ascended to the "level of divinity." Therefore, the difference between Christ and Mormons is only a matter of time, not nature. The doctrine of redemption. Christ's death, according to Mormons, atoned only for people's past sins, not future ones. The justification of man by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Christ is rejected. In order to be saved, it is not enough to believe in Christ, but it is necessary to have baptism with water, repentance, unquestioning obedience to the elders of the community, the presence of good works, and the baptism of the Spirit (similar to the Pentecostal one, but the laying on of hands). Nor do they take into account the importance of original sin. Adam did not sin, otherwise he would not have been able to fulfill the commandment — "be fruitful and multiply." Therefore, to this day, children are born innocent. Salvation for Mormons is the attempt of everyone to reach the divine state in order to then create their own worlds, to inhabit them, and this process continues indefinitely. Having mentioned baptism here, it should be noted that Mormons, based on the doctrine of the absence of original sin, do not baptize children. "Behold, I say unto thee, that ye shall teach repentance and baptism to those who are responsible for themselves, and are able to sin... And their little children do not need either repentance or baptism. Behold, baptism is for repentance, for the fulfillment of the commandments, for the remission of sins. But little children are alive in Christ from the very foundation of the world; otherwise God is a partial God, as well as a changeable God and a respecter of persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!" "Behold, I say unto you, that he that thinketh that little children are in need of baptism, is filled with the bitterness of gall, and in the bonds of iniquity, for he hath neither faith, nor hope, nor mercy..." (Moroni 8:11-14).

The Mormon Creed

We believe in the Eternal God the Father, in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit. We believe that people will be punished for their own sins, not for Adam's transgressions. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind can be saved by following the laws and ordinances of the gospel. We believe that the fundamental principles and ceremonies of the gospel are: first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; the second is repentance; the third is immersion in water for baptism and remission of sins; the fourth is ordination for the gift of the Holy Spirit. We believe that man must be called of God through the revelation and ordination of those in authority to preach the gospel and to perform its ceremonies. We believe in the same arrangement that existed in the early Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, evangelists, and so on. We believe in the gift of tongues, in prophecies, revelations, visions, healings, in the interpretation of tongues. We believe that the Bible is the word of God, insofar as it is translated correctly; we also believe that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God. We believe in all that God has revealed, in all that He now reveals, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things concerning the kingdom of God. We believe in the true reunification of Israel and in the restoration of the ten tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) would be founded on the American continent; that Christ will personally reign on earth, and that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal beauty. We claim the right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of our conscience, and we grant all men the same right: let them worship as they please, wherever and to whomsoever they please. We believe in obedience to sovereigns, presidents, rulers, civil servants, observing, honoring and upholding the law. We believe that we should be honest, truthful, blameless, benevolent, highly moral, and do good to all people; indeed, we can say that we follow the admonition of the Apostle Paul: "We believe all things, we hope in all things, we have endured many things, and we hope that we can endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, beautiful, worthy of respect or praise, we strive for all this." (Joseph Smith). Mormon priesthood. In contrast to other sectarian associations, the need for succession among ministers through the laying on of hands is recognized. But the restoration of the priesthood occurred among the Mormons in a very peculiar way. This is how it is described in the "Narrative of the Prophet Joseph Smith". "In the following month (May 1829) while we were still translating from the sheets, we went one day to the forest to pray and ask God about baptism for the remission of sins, to which we found a reference in the translation of the plates. While we were praying and crying out to the Lord, a heavenly messenger descended in a cloud of light and, laying his hands on us, ordained us (Smith and Oliver Cowdery) to the priesthood, saying, "Upon you, my ministering brethren, in the name of the Messiah I confer the Aaronic Priesthood, which contains the keys of the gospel of repentance and baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, which will not be taken from the earth again, until "the sons of Levi shall bring again a gift to the Lord in righteousness." This messenger went on to say that the Aaronic priesthood did not have the power to be set apart to bestow the Holy Ghost, but that they would be worthy of that power later. He then commanded them to be baptized on the spot, telling Smith to baptize Oliver, and then vice versa – Oliver to baptize Smith. Joseph Smith goes on to write, "Following this, we went and were baptized. First I baptized him, and then he baptized me. After that, I laid my hands on his head and ordained him to the Aaronic Priesthood, and then he laid his hands on me and ordained me to the same Priesthood—for we had been instructed to do so. The messenger who visited us on this occasion and conferred the Priesthood upon us said that his name was John, that he was the one who is called John the Baptist in the New Testament, and that he acted under the direction of Peter, James, John, who had the keys to the Melchizedek Priesthood, and he said that this priesthood would be conferred upon us in due time, and that I would be called the first Elder of the Church, and Oliver Cowdery second." This occurred on May 15, 1829, when, through the laying on of hands by this messenger, they were ordained and baptized at the same time on the banks of the Sasquehanna River, between Harmony, the Susquehanna Area, Pennsylvania, and Coleville, the Broome Area, New York.

Further Establishment of the Sect

While the Book of Mormon began to be printed, the founders of the sect continued their active missionary work in the state, urging their followers to unite in a community under the leadership of Elder Joseph Smith. Accordingly, they gathered at the home of Peter Whitmer Sr., six in number, and held prayer meetings. Already on April 6, 1830, having opened the meeting with a solemn prayer service, the six elected directly asked the audience whether they agreed to accept them as teachers of the law. To which everyone unanimously agreed. We read: "Then I ordained Oliver Cowdery a Elder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; after which he ordained me to the rank of Presbyter of this Church. Then, having taken the bread and blessed it, we broke it with those present; Then we took the wine and blessed it, and drank it with them. Then we laid hands on every one of those who were present, that they might receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and be strengthened as members of the Church of Christ. The Holy Ghost has been poured out upon us so abundantly, till some have prophesied... Now we have begun to call and ordain certain brethren to various offices of the Priesthood as the Spirit has given us" ("A.C. Narrative," p. 34). Soon after the founding of the community, Smith and his followers moved from New York to Kirtland. Ohio, near Cleveland. A large church was built there and extensive missionary work was launched, so that the community acquired a significant flock. Among the missions founded, one was established in Missouri, where the entire community later moved. It was a time of religious intolerance. Antagonism with followers of other faiths grew day by day, although the Mormon Creed declared complete religious tolerance. In the end, mobs attacked them, ransacked their homes, and they were forced to defend themselves and their families with weapons in their hands. As a result of the heavy losses in such clashes of the male population in the community, polygamy was allowed in order to restore offspring. Gradually, the Mormons learned the art of war well: they knew how to take up a comfortable defense, shoot accurately, and use mounts. Gradually migrating from area to area, they came to the state of Illinois, where they found refuge, it would seem, already thoroughly. In a desolate place, off the banks of the Mississippi, they bought a large strip of marshy land and, draining it, built the city of Nauvoo. Missionary labors, both in America and in England, greatly increased the number of their adherents, and they flourished for a time. But peace in Nauvoo did not last long. Joseph and his brother Hyrum were imprisoned by the slanders of their enemies, and during their stay in custody in June 1844 they were both shot by unknown persons. Brigham Yong took the place of President of the Church. Under his leadership, the Latter-day Saints left Illinois and went to the rugged mountains of the western United States, where they established a large colony of Mormons. This state was called Utah, and the Mormons settled in it according to the principle of a theocratic state. Its capital is Salt Lake City.

The Emergence of the Sect as Interpreted by the Book of Mormon