I am interested in the parchment "St. Peter's bind." With his magic world view Joseph Smith could bind treasure-guarding spirits, so- going one step further- why not bind God? I was pondering how unique LDS are- they have a scripture that says: "I God am bound when you do what I say." (D&C 82:10) Joseph Smith seems to have either bought into this, or realized it made a great stick to control followers with. Binding God seems almost pagan, but when people buy into it, it is very powerful.1844, March 10, Sun.-- Joseph /W.W. Journal: Again the doctrine or sealing power of Elijah is as follows: if you have power to seal on earth & in heaven then we should be crafty. (changed to wise in HC:6, p. 253) The first thing you do go & seal on earth your sons & your daughters unto yourself and yourself unto your fathers in eternal glory & go ahead and not go back but use a little craftiness and seal all you can and when you get to heaven tell your father what you seal on earth should be sealed in heaven. I will walk through the gate of heaven and Claim what I seal and those that follow me and my counsel.
The Lord once told me that what I should ask for I should have. I have been afraid to ask God to kill my enemies lest peradventure some of them should repent. I asked a short time since for the Lord to deliver me out of the hands of the governor of Missouri & if it must needs be to accomplish to take him away & the next news that came pouring down from their was Governor Reynolds had shot himself. And I would now say beware O earth how you fight against the saints of God & and shed innocent blood, for in the days of Elijah his enemies came upon him & fire was called down from heaven & destroyed them. (Wilford Woodruff Journal, v. 2, March 10)
I'm thinking the idea of binding God is quite unique to Christianity, although not totally unheard of. This could call for a new thread, if anyone else is interested in exploring it.
