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To: restornu

and here i thought Catholicism was off base. I’ve always looked at Mormonism as more of a cult than anything, like Jehova’s Witnesses. I dont claim to know much of Mormon doctrine, but if this post is even remotely accurate then Mormonism is a far cry from Christianity, yet they amazingly are portrayed as very similiar.


6 posted on 07/18/2010 4:45:36 PM PDT by eak3
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To: eak3; colorcountry; Colofornian; Elsie; FastCoyote; svcw; Zakeet; SkyPilot; rightazrain; ...

NOT

Ezra Taft Benson

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims that Jesus Christ is the Son of God in the most literal sense. The body in which He performed His mission in the flesh was sired by that same Holy Being we worship as God, our Eternal Father. Jesus was not the son of Joseph, nor was He begotten by the Holy Ghost" (The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 7; cf. Come unto Christ, p. 4).

Joseph Fielding Smith

"Christ Not Begotten of Holy Ghost... Christ was begotten of God. He was not born without the aid of Man, and that Man was God!" (Doctrines of Salvation, Joseph Fielding Smith, 1954, 1:18).

James Talmage

"We belong to the Church of Jesus Christ, and much has been said concerning His proprietorship, His mastership, in the Church, the Church that bears His name. I take it to be a plain and simple principle that we cannot worship intelligently, and therefore acceptably unto the Lord, unless we know something of the attributes and of the will of Him whom we profess to worship. The relationship of the Christ to the Eternal Father has been set forth in such plainness that I do not think any wayfaring man amongst us can fail to understand. We recognize in Jesus Christ the Son of the Eternal Father, both in spirit and in body. There is no other meaning to attach to that expression, as used by the Eternal Father Himself---'Mine Only Begotten Son.' Christ combined within His own person and nature the attributes of His mortal mother, and just as truly the attributes of His immortal Sire. By that fixed and inexorable law of nature, that every living organism shall follow after his kind, Jesus the Christ had the power to die, for He was the offspring of a mortal woman; and He had the power to withstand death indefinitely, for He was the son of an immortal Father. This simplicity of doctrine has shocked many, but the truth is frequently shocking just because of its simplicity and consequent grandeur." (Conference Report, April 1915, p. 121)

Notice that the following Talmage quote is in currently used CES Institute manuals (official Church curriculum):

"That Child to be born of Mary was begotten of Elohim, the Eternal Father, not in violation of natural law but in accordance with a higher manifestation thereof; and, the offspring from that association of supreme sanctity, celestial Sireship, and pure through mortal maternity, was of right to be called the 'Son of the Highest'" (James Talmage, Jesus the Christ, 23rd ed., p. 81; quoted in Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual: Religion 231-232, p. 9; quoted in The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles [New Testament Student Manual: Religion 211–212], p. 24) (This link is still good)

Melvin J. Ballard

The contemporary of Talmage, Mormon apostle, and grandfather of M. Russell Ballard wrote:

"One of the great questions that I have referred to that the world is concerned about, and is in confusion over, is as to whether or not his was a virgin birth, a birth wherein divine power interceded. Joseph Smith made it perfectly clear that Jesus Christ told the absolute truth, as did those who testify concerning him, the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, wherein he is declared to be the very Son of God. And if God the Eternal Father is not the real Father of Jesus Christ, then are we in confusion; then is he not in reality the Son of God. But we declare that he is the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh.

"Mary told the story most beautifully when she said that an angel of the Lord came to her and told her that she had found favor in the sight of God, and had come to be worthy of the fulfilment of the promises heretofore made, to become the virgin mother of the Redeemer of the world. She afterwards, referring to the event, said: 'God hath done wonderful things unto me.' 'And the Holy Ghost came upon her,' is the story, 'and she came into the presence of the highest.' No man or woman can live in mortality and survive the presence of the Highest except by the sustaining power of the Holy Ghost. So it came upon her to prepare her for admittance into the divine presence, and the power of the Highest, who is the Father, was present, and overshadowed her, and the holy Child that was born of her was called the Son of God.

Men who deny this, or who think that it degrades our Father, have no true conception of the sacredness of the most marvelous power with which God has endowed mortal men---the power of creation. Even though that power may be abused and may become a mere harp of pleasure to the wicked, nevertheless it is the most sacred and holy and divine function with which God has endowed man. Made holy, it is retained by the Father of us all, and in his exercise of that great and marvelous creative power and function, he did not debase himself, degrade himself, nor debauch his daughter. Thus Christ became the literal Son of a divine Father, and no one else was worthy to be his father." (Sermons and Missionary Services of Melvin J. Ballard, p. 167)


8 posted on 07/18/2010 4:50:35 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 (If voters follow the democrat method of 2004 Obama will be named the worst president in history.)
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To: eak3

“I dont claim to know much of Mormon doctrine, but if this post is even remotely accurate then Mormonism is a far cry from Christianity, yet they amazingly are portrayed as very similiar.”

It is both accurate and so is your conclusion.

ampu


18 posted on 07/18/2010 5:10:48 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion
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To: eak3
"I dont claim to know much of Mormon doctrine, but if this post is even remotely accurate then Mormonism is a far cry from Christianity, yet they amazingly are portrayed as very similiar."

This has the same sort of accuracy as describing Christians as ritual cannibals. Or like believing what Osama Bin Laden says about the USA. To find out what Mormons believe, you need to read what they (we) teach and believe. Roman Catholics and Mormons differ on a LOT of things, but we agree that Jesus is the Christ. Is he entirely spirit, entirely man, or a combination of the two? Most Catholics would say, I think, entirely spirit. I say "most" because some folks who claim they're Catholics also support abortion "rights" despite their church's teachings on that subject. We have Mormons like that, as well. Harry Reid comes to my mind, in that respect. Most Mormons believe he has both human and spirit components. Read the Book of Mormon, compare it to the Bible. Pray about it. See what you get. This is, IIRC, one area where Catholics and Baptists agree. Back in the days before the Protestant Reformation, Catholics declared any deviation from their doctrine as heresy, and they killed people for it. I'm sure you've heard the same about Mormons, and some of it may even be true. See what I said about Harry Reid, above. And kindly note that I'm not an official representative of the Church. This is my opinion, based on what I know, and bear in mind that I am 55 years old, and have been a Mormon for only about 15 years.

This is from the Douay-Rheims version: James 1:5

But if any of you want wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all men abundantly, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

The King James version, which Mormons also use is very close:

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Either way, sure looks like "giving in to feelings" to me.

If you really would like to know what Mormons believe, our scriptures are online at http://scriptures.lds.org/

This is a pretty concise statement of what we believe about Jesus Christ:

http://www.lds.org/languages/proclamations/livingchrist/start_here_0.pdf

This is where most of the rest of the material we use for Sunday School is located. None of this is secret, or hidden.

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&vgnextoid=2b6f3c7ff44f2010VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRD

Hope this helps you make up your mind about what you want to believe about Mormons.

42 posted on 07/18/2010 5:50:46 PM PDT by Old Student
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To: eak3; aMorePerfectUnion

It is VERY accurate. I was 16 and lied to about LDS doctrine and beliefs only to find out a WHOLE NEW SET of beliefs when I was ‘dunked’ (I won’t use the term baptized) LDS right after my 18th Birthday.

I studied what I was given and thought I knew it well, and did know more than MOST converts (the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great price), but it was STILL a shock to find out what they REALLY believed.

The pattern AMPU listed is EXACTLY what they do. That is part of why I speak out against Mormonism as strongly as I do.

Courtesy ping, AMPU.


43 posted on 07/18/2010 5:51:01 PM PDT by reaganaut (ex-mormon, now Christian - "I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see")
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To: eak3; restornu
... Mormonism is a far cry from Christianity, ...

Resty: you've gained another convert...

102 posted on 07/18/2010 7:30:01 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: eak3

“if this post is even remotely accurate then Mormonism is a far cry from Christianity”

It is not “remotely accurate” but rather twisted and tweeked to the point of nonsense.

Take some time and go to the source: www.lds.org or www.mormon.org


292 posted on 07/19/2010 2:26:30 PM PDT by Saundra Duffy (For victory & freedom!!!)
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