Embodied "Rabbinic" Mormonism (Part 1)

According to Britanica.com, "Rabbinic Judaism, the normative form of Judaism that developed after the fall of the Temple of Jerusalem (ad 70). ... it set up a mode of worship and a life discipline that were to be practiced by Jews worldwide down to modern times."

According to the article  here,  after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. Judaism shifted from a system of animal sacrifices and priests to one centered on study, prayer, and community— Rabbinic Judaism (historically succeeding Second Temple Judaism). So a "rabbinic" Mormonism is simply a similar development after the desecration of the temple by the US government in 1890 leading to a shift in the  system of plural  marriages (as sacrifices per D&C 132) and Mormon priests to one centered on study of Mormon Scripture, embodied joy, and community.

Here is a summary of my formulation for Embodied Rabbinic Mormonism, in bullet points:

Core Foundations of Embodied Rabbinic Mormonism

• 1. The "Full Circle" Restitution Theory
• Joseph Smith’s vision of the "Restitution of All Things" (Acts 3:21) re-enacted the entire trajectory of biblical history.
• Just as ancient Israel progressed from Monarchy/Kings to Temple Sacrifices/High Priesthood, early Mormonism mirrored these exact phases through Nauvoo kingship, temple endowments, and plural marriage as an altar of sacrifice.
• Consequently, the 1890 Manifesto and federal confiscation of Church property acted as Mormonism’s "70 CE Moment" (the destruction of the Temple). Rabbinic Mormonism completes the historical circle by embracing the necessary, final evolution into a home-centered, text-focused, post-temple faith.

• 2. Primary Source Textual Autonomy ("Scripturalism")
• Bypasses modern corporate correlation and institutional authority ("Nelsonite" Church) in favor of direct engagement with 19th-century primary texts—such as the 1876 Doctrine and Covenants (containing the Lectures on Faith), the Joseph Smith Papers, and secular, critical LDS history.
• Mirrors the Rabbinic tradition where deep, critical study of foundational texts replaces physical temple sacrifices as the central act of worship.

• 3. Lineage, Covenant, and Birthright (The Non-Universalist Framework)
• Rather than Pauline Christian universalism (seeded by Christ), maintains early Mormonism’s literal tribal identity—specifically the Northern European Ephraimite bloodline.
• Recognizes that Rabbinic Judaism is fundamentally an ethnic, lineage-based family identity. In the same way, a Rabbinic-Mormonism framework honors my Mormon Pioneer ancestral descent (e.g. Oliver Cowdery and Apostle Orson Hyde as relatives), establishing a personal, inherited claim to the Restoration that requires no institutional gatekeeping.

• 4. Radical Affirmation of the Body ("Embodied")
• Rejects Augustinian Original Sin, modern corporate purity culture, and body-shaming based on Joseph Smith's teaching that Adam’s Fall was necessary and glorious.
• Honors the physical body, human mastery, financial success, talent development, and bodily/relational joy as sacred pursuits toward self-deification ("learning how to be gods").
• Reclaims the 19th-century LDS critique of mandatory Roman monogamy, affirming personal relational autonomy and alternative sexual lifestyles without needing state marriage contracts or corporate ecclesiastical sanction.

• 5. Domestic Table Fellowship over Institutional Hierarchy
  • Replaces central church buildings and rigid hierarchies with home-centered table fellowships, open text discussions, and Socratic study among fellow descendants of pioneer stock, independent Mormons, and cultural Ephraimites; meeting up as friends outside the rigid mask of piety-performing or the Corporate Church's institutional control. In other words, anyone who has a claim to Mormon ancestry, simply meeting together as friends in homes or coffee shops, etc., to discuss Mormonism and bond over their shared Mormon stories.
  • Centers on Joseph Smith’s declaration that "friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism," turning table fellowships and friendships into the modern sanctuary.

Why "Embodied Rabbinic Mormonism" as the best term for me:

• "Embodied" highlights the material theology, physical progression, and radical bodily/relational freedom.
• "Rabbinic" captures the exact structural transition from Kings/Temples to Home/Table/Sages, while honoring the non-universalist, tribal nature of the Ephraimite lineage.
• "Mormonism" grounds the practice in the rich history, texts, and ancestry of the 19th century Restoration.