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To: Zakeet

How can Christ’s greatest promise have no meaning to you?

Re-read the scriptures because the presence of the Holy Ghost and a witness of Jesus Christ go hand in hand.

It’s not a warm fuzy .... it is the essence of Christianity itself.


9 posted on 03/24/2013 9:12:19 PM PDT by teppe (... for my God ... for my Family ... for my Country ....)
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To: teppe; Colofornian; District13; ejonesie22; aMorePerfectUnion; All
[The] presence of the Holy Ghost and a witness of Jesus Christ go hand in hand. ... It’s not a warm fuzy .... it is the essence of Christianity itself.

The presence of the Holy Spirit did indeed inspire Holy Scripture. But we are commanded to: do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. [1 John 4:1]. The reasons are clearly stated in the passage; there are false prophets and false feelings of inspiration. Further, we are instructed to test the spirits against the Word of God (i.e. the Bible). A teaching is not true if it contradicts the Bible.

Turning to my original point that a person cannot know they are saved by praying to receive revelation ... something that Mormons refer to as a testimony ... I still maintain that this method is not valid. I base this on three reasons.

REASON #1: It can result in false answers.

As noted above, Muslims and Jehovah's Witnesses believe they receive confirmation their faith is true through prayer and revelation. Are they not just as convinced they are right as you are? And as a Mormon, don't you reject their faiths? And doesn't this prove praying for revelation can result in false answers?

REASON #2: Mormon Church Leaders instructed me to examine the evidence, and to do this before I pray for revelation.

I say to the whole world, receive the truth, no matter who presents it to you. Take up the Bible, compare the religion of the Latter-day Saints with it, and see if it will stand the test … I am more afraid that this people have so much confidence in their leaders that they will not inquire for themselves of God whether they are led by Him … let every man and woman know themselves, whether their leaders are walking in the path the Lord dictates or not. This has been my exhortation continually. (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 16:46, as cited by Harold B. Lee, Conference Report, October 1950, pp. 129-130).

We are not so much concerned whether your thoughts are orthodox or heterodox as we are that you shall have thoughts … while all members should respect, support, and heed the teaching of the Authorities of the Church, no one should accept a statement and base his testimony upon it, no matter who makes it, until he has, under mature examination found it to be true and worthwhile; then his logical deductions may be confirmed by the spirit of revelation to his spirit because real conversion must come from within." (President Hugh B. Brown, a member of the LDS First Presidency, Dialog, Summer 1984, p. 15).

REASON #3: Praying for revelation is not valid is when we already have reliable information that answers a question.

For example, do you need to pray to find out how tall Mt. Everest is, or discover St. Louis is not the capital of the United States?

What can be accomplished in these cases through prayer? Is it possible for prayer to somehow invalidate the facts?

In consideration of the above, I maintain Mormon leaders have indeed given wise advice. I therefore prefer to examine evidence in lieu of praying in the hope of receiving a warm fuzzy feeling.
45 posted on 03/24/2013 10:54:39 PM PDT by Zakeet (Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage - Mencken)
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To: teppe
Re-read the scriptures because the presence of the Holy Ghost and a witness of Jesus Christ go hand in hand.

Re-read your OWN 'scriptures'!!

You MORMONism are DAMNED for not having multiple wivers these days!


"Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned;

and I will go still further and say, take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given,

and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned.

Brigham Young - JoD 3:266 (July 14, 1855)


The Doctrine and Covenants

Section 132

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Nauvoo, Illinois, recorded 12 July 1843, relating to the new and everlasting covenant, including the eternity of the marriage covenant, and also the plurality of wives (see History of the Church, 5:501–7). Although the revelation was recorded in 1843, it is evident from the historical records that the doctrines and principles involved in this revelation had been known by the Prophet since 1831.
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58–66, Laws governing the plurality of wives are set forth.


 

58 Now, as touching the law of the apriesthood, there are many things pertaining thereunto.

59 Verily, if a man be called of my Father, as was aAaron, by mine own voice, and by the voice of him that bsent me, and I have endowed him with the ckeys of the power of this priesthood, if he do anything in my name, and according to my law and by my word, he will not commit dsin, and I will justify him.

60 Let no one, therefore, set on my servant Joseph; for I will justify him; for he shall do the sacrifice which I require at his hands for his transgressions, saith the Lord your God.

61 And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse aanother, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else.

62 And if he have aten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified.

63 But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused, shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed; for they are given unto him to amultiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be bglorified.

64 And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man have a wife, who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto her the law of my priesthood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she believe and administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for I will destroy her; for I will magnify my name upon all those who receive and abide in my law.

65 Therefore, it shall be lawful in me, if she receive not this law, for him to receive all things whatsoever I, the Lord his God, will give unto him, because she did not believe and administer unto him according to my word; and she then becomes the transgressor; and he is exempt from the law of Sarah, who administered unto Abraham according to the law when I commanded Abraham to take aHagar to wife.

66 And now, as pertaining to this law, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will reveal more unto you, hereafter; therefore, let this suffice for the present. Behold, I am Alpha and Omega. Amen.


70 posted on 03/25/2013 4:24:52 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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