Is this a fair question for Romney? What are your vows, promises and duties as Mormon bishop?

February 6, 2012 | Ralph Mitchell

[mitchell001]

If Gingrich, Santorum or Paul were deacons or ministers of Catholic or Protestant churches, they would certainly be asked what their vows, promises and duties were and will they conflict with the oath of President of the US. I am asking the readers first if this is a fair question for Romney, second has it been asked and answered before, and third if it hasn't been asked who will most likely have the opportunity to ask this question during the GOP primary process?

[LukeSW]

Stopped reading here: The Church itself stays completely out of party politics.

Sarcasm noted. Nevertheless, it is true. Every election season, a letter is read in our Church meetings reiterating the Church's neutrality on political parties and campaigns. In addition, any member who is a political candidate is advised to keep Church and politics separate.

Obviously, people tend to vote for so-called "affinity" candidates. But that is true across the political spectrum. That is why education needs to be vastly improved in this country so that all citizens become better informed and better able to assess their own political preferences critically and accurately.

[Utah Binger]

Jim Robinson's Important Link

[svcw]

I disagree, regardless of the “letter”.
Would you be willing to show me one article published by the SLC lds that has ever been critical of Romney?

I have a huge lds family, everyone is supporting Romney because he is lds. My uncle tells me that the "church" is encouraging the support. Can't say it is overt, but it's there.

My oldest aunt has stared referring to Romney as Moses. Everyone of them that I have talked to believe Romney is the fulfillment of the White Horse prophesy. These two both say that this line is being pushed by the SLC lds.

I realize that every ward is different to some extent, my lds family is in the upper levels of lds, so maybe their frame of reference is different than yours.

You may wonder why they are so open about this, well one of my uncles said I am a "primitive", I am taking that as "you are just to stupid to understand lds". (I actually find it amusing.)

[palmer]

I have a huge lds family, everyone is supporting Romney because he is lds.

My sample size is only one, but he keeps supporting Romney yet admits practically every day that Romney is not conservative.

[Elsie]

Is this a fair question for Romney? What are your vows, promises and duties as Mormon bishop?

No.

First; a statement:

You have, I've heard, as a Faithful - I mean a Temple Worthy - MORMON, made certain VOWS in the Temple that are secret. I'm sorry, only SECRET to NON-mormons - they are considered SACRED to you.

Second; THEN the question:

Would you be able to discuss as to whether these VOWS would conflict in any way with your ability to carry out the VOWS that you would be making when taking the Oath of Office?

[Elsie]

No Ralphy it is not

I like your well thought out reasonings here!

[Elsie]

“nothing secret”, now that’s funny.

What is funny about a LIE?

[Elsie]

But that is where Mitt seems weakest and should be moved to the right.

And where MORMONism is weakest; those facts are being shown in the Light of the pages of Free Republic.

[Elsie]

My greatest concern is that those principles are being trampled on and ignored.

I do so hate it when things get TRAMPLED!!

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Questions put to Joseph Smith: "'Do you believe the Bible?' [Smith:]'If we do, we are the only people under heaven that does, for there are none of the religious sects of the day that do'. When asked 'Will everybody be damned, but Mormons'? [Smith replied] 'Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 119).

Joseph Smith: "for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible" (from Pearl of Great Price 1:12). "What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.270).

 

 

 

Brigham Young stated this repeatedly: "When the light came to me I saw that all the so-called Christian world was grovelling in darkness" (Journal of Discourses 5:73); "The Christian world, so-called, are heathens as to the knowledge of the salvation of God" (Journal of Discourses 8:171); "With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world" (Journal of Discourses 8:199); "And who is there that acknowledges [God's] hand? ...You may wander east, west, north, and south, and you cannot find it in any church or government on the earth, except the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (Journal of Discourses , vol. 6, p.24); "Should you ask why we differ from other Christians, as they are called, it is simply because they are not Christians as the New Testament defines Christianity" (Journal of Discourses 10:230).

 

 

 

Orson Pratt proclaimed: "Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the 'whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent" (The Seer, p. 255).

 

 

 

Orson Pratt also said: "This great apostasy commenced about the close of the first century of the Christian era, and it has been waxing worse and worse from then until now" (Journal of Discourses

, vol.18, p.44) and: "But as there has been no Christian Church on the earth for a great many centuries past, until the present century, the people have lost sight of the pattern that God has given according to which the Christian Church should be established, and they have denominated a great variety of people Christian Churches, because they profess to be ...But there has been a long apostasy, during which the nations have been cursed with apostate churches in great abundance" (Journal of Discourses , 18:172).

 

 

President John Taylor stated: "Christianity...is a perfect pack of nonsense...the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century." (Journal of Discourses , vol. 6, p.167); "Where shall we look for the true order or authority of God? It cannot be found in any nation of Christendom." (Journal of Discourses , 10:127).

 

 

 

James Talmage said: "A self-suggesting interpretation of history indicates that there has been a great departure from the way of salvation as laid down by the Savior, a universal apostasy from the Church of Christ". (A Study of the Articles of Faith, p.182).

 

 

 

President Joseph Fielding Smith said: "Doctrines were corrupted, authority lost, and a false order of religion took the place of the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as it had been the case in former dispensations, and the people were left in spiritual darkness." (Doctrines of Salvation, p.266). "For hundreds of years the world was wrapped in a veil of spiritual darkness, until there was not one fundamental truth belonging to the place of salvation ...Joseph Smith declared that in the year 1820 the Lord revealed to him that all the 'Christian' churches were in error, teaching for commandments the doctrines of men" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p.282).

 

 

 

More recent statements by apostle Bruce McConkie are also very clear: "Apostasy was universal...And this darkness still prevails except among those who have come to a knowledge of the restored gospel" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol 3, p.265); "Thus the signs of the times include the prevailing apostate darkness in the sects of Christendom and in the religious world in general" (The Millennial Messiah, p.403); "a perverted Christianity holds sway among the so-called Christians of apostate Christendom" (Mormon Doctrine, p.132); "virtually all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ whom they vainly suppose to be a spirit essence who is incorporeal uncreated, immaterial and three-in-one with the Father and Holy Spirit" (Mormon Doctrine, p.269); "Gnosticism is one of the great pagan philosophies which antedated Christ and the Christian Era and which was later commingled with pure Christianity to form the apostate religion that has prevailed in the world since the early days of that era." (Mormon Doctrine, p.316).

 

 

 

President George Q. Cannon said: "After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, there were only two churches upon the earth. They were known respectively as the Church of the Lamb of God and Babylon. The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christendom, though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common origin. They all belong to Babylon" (Gospel Truth, p.324).

 

 

President Wilford Woodruff stated: "the Gospel of modern Christendom shuts up the Lord, and stops all communication with Him. I want nothing to do with such a Gospel, I would rather prefer the Gospel of the dark ages, so called" (Journal of Discourses , vol. 2, p.196).

[Elsie]

My greatest concern is that those principles are being trampled on and ignored.

I wonder if EMMA ever felt like SHE was getting TRAMPLED upon???

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THE
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

SECTION 132

 

  51–57, Emma Smith is counseled (commanded) to be faithful and true; 58–66, Laws governing the plurality of wives are set forth.

 

 

  51 Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to ^aprove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice.

  52 And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, ^areceive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.

  53 For I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he hath been ^afaithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him.

  54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and ^acleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be ^bdestroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.

  55 But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an ^ahundredfold in this world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns of ^beternal lives in the eternal worlds.

  56 And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid ^aforgive my servant Joseph his trespasses; and then shall she be forgiven her trespasses, wherein she has trespassed against me; and I, the Lord thy God, will bless her, and multiply her, and make her heart to ^brejoice. 

 

 

 

 

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Whatever HAPPENED to Emma???

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Eliza was a devout Mormon. At age 38, she became Joseph Smith's 14th plural wife (in addition to Smith's lawful wife, Emma). In 1842, after learning Eliza was pregnant, Emma Smith beat Eliza with a broomstick and knocked her down a flight of stairs, causing Eliza to miscarry Smith's baby.

 

 

Wow!!

 

 

I guess ol' Emma got VAPORIZED by GOD!!!

 

 

We know that multiply him thing sure didn't work out!

[Elsie]

You must be living in an alternate universe. My experience is completely opposite of what you are suggesting.

SOMEone sure is!

[Elsie]

In addition, any member who is a political candidate is advised to keep Church and politics separate.

I see...

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Ezra Taft Benson

Ezra Taft Benson (August 4, 1899 – May 30, 1994) was the thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1985 until his death and was United States Secretary of Agriculture for both terms of the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
 

In 1953, Benson was appointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by President Eisenhower. Benson accepted this position with the permission of Church President David O. McKay and therefore served simultaneously in the United States Cabinet and in the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

 

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra_Taft_Benson

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I guess ol' Ezra had PLENTY of 'time' to get all of HIS work done!

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“...and should be moved to the right.”

You are dreaming about moving him.
This is a man who has no core commitment to conservative ideals.
This is a man who appointed Democrat judges, instituted gay marriages
and agreed to instituting a healthcare mandate, etc.

Once he had the Presidency, the only movement will be to compromise
with Democrats.

He is a bad choice.

[Elsie]

That is why education needs to be vastly improved in this country so that all citizens become better informed and better able to assess their own political preferences critically and accurately.

I agree whole heartedly with you here!

That is why we Flying Inmen are taking SO much of OUR time (without pay: just like a BISHOP), educating the unknowing about the lesser revealed things of MORMONism.

Things the Faith Building Posters seem to always leave out of their replys on FR.

[Loud Mime]

When John Kerry was running for president, the Orange County Catholic Paper had a big front page spread “The Catholic Candidate.”

A church will always back its members.

Other churches will always criticize the “other religions.”

Anybody read “Common Sense” lately? I recommend that 200+ year old pamphlet. We are missing it.

[Normandy]

I don’t think you will be able to find any official letter coming from Church HQ critical of any politician, whatever the party. The LDS church does sometimes get involved in the political realm if it considers an important moral issue is at stake (e.g. Proposition 8 in CA), but won’t take an official position when party politics or individual candidates are involved.

[Elsie]

The truth shall make you free!

I thought it was WORK?

[Elsie]

Other churches will always criticize the “other religions.”

And there is ONE that is fully built upon that foundation.

[Elsie]

I don’t think you will be able to find any official letter coming from Church HQ critical of any politician, whatever the party.

Why the reticence?

They do not seem to mine beiong 'critical' of CHRISTIANITY!

Seems as I recollect something about Hirelings of Satan...

[Elsie]

I don’t think you will be able to find any official letter coming from Church HQ critical of any politician, whatever the party.

Why the reticence?

They do not seem to mind being 'critical' of CHRISTIANITY!

Seems as I recollect something about Hirelings of Satan...