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The Book of Mormon Challenge
Joseph Smith America Prophet ^ | 2006

Posted on 04/27/2006 3:03:34 PM PDT by restornu

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To: A.J.Armitage

The Great grandson of St John the Apostle (Hippolytus) wrote books refuting some of the heresies he saw entering the church, His works were mostly lost due to the Heresies winning!
1) Hippolytus was not related to John. ~ A.J.Armitage wrote

***

To begin with, Hippolytus was a "great-grandson" of St. John the Apostle. That is, we can trace his line of apostolic succession directly to John. He was commissioned by St. Irenaeus who was commissioned by Polycarp who was commissioned by (or at least knew) St. John himself. So there can be no question about his legitimacy as a bishop.

http://chi.gospelcom.net/DAILYF/2002/08/daily-08-13-2002.shtml


621 posted on 05/10/2006 8:17:02 AM PDT by restornu (Earnestly it is impossible for man to walk with God, and also maintain the humor of a reprobate!)
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To: colorcountry; restornu

His answer was and always had been "NO."

He said “YES” to me, well, I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree, but do we have to be disagreeable?

So, You don’t think the Church is True, You have nothing better to do than to “Warn” others off. OK, I understand, since I see this from another angle, I hope you can understand that I am not going to appreciate one who would “Warn” others to stay away from the Truth, no matter how ineffective they are.

Is there not something useful you could do instead?

>>I had refused to listen because all these supposed "men of God" stood between me and my Father God.

That would be a problem, but the church encourages personal revelation from God (that is how peole join after all).

By your posts here you do not understand (or are purposefully twisting) the Gospel. I have had many friends, and some family, who have changed religions sometimes from one protestant faith to another. They, not being mormons, all just moved on, and started doing things with their new church. Some times when a member leaves the LDS church, they feel “compelled” to do something about “That Church”. That is why it is said, they can leave the church, but they just can’t leave the church alone. I have never seen this with any other church. (Anecdotal evidence is like that.)

>>Your Church fails the test, it fails the Word of God, it fails as a "social experiment in mind control.

Said like someone who truly has lost all touch with objectivity.

>>"Millions of ex-mormons, inactive-mormons, born-again Christians like me can't be wrong!

Sadly my “Millions” comment was a joke, yours appears to actually be what you believe.

It is the Height of arrogance to lecture on a faith you do not believe in, an arrogance I and many other Christians find incompatible with the humility a true Christian is supposed to have.

“When they kick the church, they kick it up the stairs, because the lord God so orders it” - Brigham Young.

I have found that when an Anti Mormons gets as shrill and unreasonable as this thread has been, those who are looking will ask members what is going on, and soon, we have converts (they pray, feel the spirit’s confirmation and join). Keep it up; you only drive those who are ready to us.


622 posted on 05/10/2006 8:32:03 AM PDT by DelphiUser ("You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can't make him think")
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To: bonfire
Mormon's spend alot of time praying that their church is "true".

Good point. It is mind programming plain and simple. If you tell yourself something over, and over, and over again, eventually you may come to believe it.

Thank the Lord, that my mind and emotions could not be fooled. He led me to green pastures, He walks beside me, He restores me. The Lord is my shepherd, not the Godhead, not the Prophet. He sent me the Bible so I could know Him.

623 posted on 05/10/2006 8:36:25 AM PDT by colorcountry (He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.)
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To: DelphiUser
“When they kick the church, they kick it up the stairs, because the lord God so orders it” - Brigham Young.

I have found that when an Anti Mormons gets as shrill and unreasonable as this thread has been, those who are looking will ask members what is going on, and soon, we have converts (they pray, feel the spirit’s confirmation and join). Keep it up; you only drive those who are ready to us.

It is so true every time we get negative press folks come to see for themselves and say you are nothing what others are saying and many join the Church!

624 posted on 05/10/2006 8:39:53 AM PDT by restornu (Earnestly it is impossible for man to walk with God, and also maintain the humor of a reprobate!)
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To: DelphiUser

Hey that was my line to Bonfire...

>>Is it not true many of your questions as well as others are not couched in double entendre?


625 posted on 05/10/2006 8:43:03 AM PDT by restornu (Earnestly it is impossible for man to walk with God, and also maintain the humor of a reprobate!)
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To: bonfire

Still waiting for an answered Please?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/1622778/posts?page=619#619


626 posted on 05/10/2006 8:46:42 AM PDT by restornu (Earnestly it is impossible for man to walk with God, and also maintain the humor of a reprobate!)
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To: DelphiUser
Keep it up; you only drive those who are ready to us.

Oh really, name them. Give us their Freep names, there is no danger in exposing them since everyone here is incognito. Or is this another example of "lying for the lord?"

You can have them freep-mail me if they aren't proud enough to come out publically.

627 posted on 05/10/2006 8:50:33 AM PDT by colorcountry (He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.)
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To: DelphiUser
Fortunately it doesn't refute a thing ... because it was never a part of the scriptures.

It was just another writing in the collection of writings which were generated during the days of the early church. Some of these writings were inspired by God ... and some of them weren't.


Why wasn’t it included in the Bible if all the authors of the time agreed as you said? That was my point, you missed it. As you will no doubt, miss this plainly stated refutation of the Compilation of the Bible.


All of the writers of scripture agree ... that's (8) writers in the NT alone.

Why would Judas (the betrayer) ... agree with the other disciples ?

God did (the selection of the NT writings) ... working through the church.

A church that Paul said was already falling away from the teachings ...


Paul never said that the Church was falling away from Christ's teachings.

Paul said that the Church was fighting heresy that was attempting to infiltrate the Church ... from the outside.

Understand something ... your logic is off.

You're making all this fuss about who chose the NT scriptures ... all written within less than 100 years after Christ's ministry ... in a God-led process involving the original Apostles, the early Fathers, hundreds of scholars, etc.

And ... at the same time ... you accept the single testimony of one young man ... of questionable character ... and who admits to being confused.

According to their own statements, Mormons don't doubt the validity of the Bible.

And why shouldn't they ... if they can accept the testimony of one Joseph Smith for the BOM, ... they should readily accept the overwhelmingly more solid evidence for the Bible.


The Spirit simply hasn't led us to embrace the Book of Mormon.

Well, it led me to. Why not try again? You might learn something, what have you got to lose anyway? No answer, no harm, answer you learned some thing important.


I pray to God nearly everyday. I continue to pray to Him concerning the Mormon claim, among other things. When He gives me the nod, ... I'll let you know.

No, I have God’s word, but you won’t accept my testimony that I have received a witness from him. Your refusal to accept testimony does not mean it did not happen nor does it mean I am deceived. Satan does not testify of Christ, nor does he teach men to call on Christ’s name.

Joseph Smith would not be the first to attempt to use Christ's name ... for his own purposes.

Millions of Mormons can’t be wrong. (Grin)

Why not ? ... millions of Moslems are.

628 posted on 05/10/2006 8:58:36 AM PDT by Quester
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To: A.J.Armitage; restornu

Performing a real quick search through the links on your page, the word trinity (which should return trinity, Trinitarian,, etc) does not appear in any of his books

A quick reading reveals how he refutes the Gaia, God is only a spirit, four and five gods, that God was created by the earth, that God was created by angels (Loved that one), that Christ was fathered by Joseph…

I liked this piece:

“And this heretic also alleges that the Father is unbegotten when He is not generated, but begotten when He is born of a virgin; as also that He is not subject to suffering, and is immortal when He does not suffer or die. When, however, His passion came upon Him, Noetus allows that the Father suffers and dies. And the Noetians suppose that this Father Himself is called Son, (and vice versa,) in reference to the events which at their own proper periods happen to them severally.”

And this one:

“CHAP. XXVIII.--THE DOCTRINE OF THE TRUTH.
The first and only (one God), both Creator and Lord of all, had nothing coeval with Himself; not infinite chaos, nor measureless water, nor solid earth, nor dense air, not warm fire, nor refined spirit, nor the azure canopy of the stupendous firmament. But He was One, alone in Himself. By an exercise of His will He created things that are, which antecedently had no existence, except that He willed to make them. For He is fully acquainted with whatever is about to take place, for foreknowledge also is present to Him. The different principles, however, of what will come into existence, He first fabricated, viz., fire and spirit, water and earth, from which diverse elements He proceeded to form His own creation. And some objects He formed of one essence, but others He compounded from two, and others from three, and others from four. And those formed of one substance were immortal, for in their case dissolution does not follow, for what is one will never be dissolved. Those, on the other hand, which are formed out of two, or three, or four substances, are dissoluble; wherefore also are they named mortal. For this has been denominated death; namely, the dissolution of substances connected. I now therefore think that I have sufficiently answered those endued with a sound mind, who, if they are desirous of additional instruction, and are disposed accurately to investigate the substances of these things, and the causes of the entire creation, will become acquainted with these points should they peruse a work of ours comprised (under the title), Concerning the Substance of the Universe. I consider, however, that at present it is enough to elucidate those causes of which the Greeks, not being aware, glorified, in pompous phraseology, the parts of creation, while they remained ignorant of the Creator. And from these the heresiarchs have taken occasion, and have transformed the statements previously made by those Greeks into similar doctrines, and thus have framed ridiculous heresies.”

And This:

“You shall escape the boiling flood of hell's eternal lake of fire and the eye ever fixed in menacing glare of fallen angels chained in Tartarus as punishment for their sins; and you shall escape the worm that ceaselessly coils for food around the body whose scum has bred it. Now such (torments) as these shall thou avoid by being instructed in a knowledge of the true God. And thou shalt possess an immortal body, even one placed beyond the possibility of corruption, just like the soul. And thou shalt receive the kingdom of heaven, thou who, whilst thou didst sojourn in this life, didst know the Celestial King. And thou shalt be a companion of the Deity, and a co-heir with Christ, no longer enslaved by lusts or passions, and never again wasted by disease. For thou hast become God: for whatever sufferings thou didst undergo while being a man, these He gave to thee, because thou wast of mortal mould, but whatever it is consistent with God to impart, these God has promised to bestow upon thee, because thou hast been deified, and begotten unto immortality. This constitutes the import of the proverb, "Know thyself;" i.e., discover God within thyself, for He has formed thee after His own image. For with the knowledge of self is conjoined the being an object of God's knowledge, for thou art called by the Deity Himself. Be not therefore inflamed, O ye men, with enmity one towards another, nor hesitate to retrace with all speed your steps. For Christ is the God above all, and He has arranged to wash away sin from human beings, rendering regenerate the old man. And God called man His likeness from the beginning, and has evinced in a figure His love towards thee. And provided thou obeyest His solemn injunctions, and becomest a faithful follower of Him who is good, thou shall resemble Him, inasmuch as thou shall have honour conferred upon thee by Him. “

Now for the really good stuff:

“these shall thou avoid by being instructed in a knowledge of the true God. And thou shalt possess an immortal body, even one placed beyond the possibility of corruption, just like the soul. And thou shalt receive the kingdom of heaven, thou who, whilst thou didst sojourn in this life, didst know the Celestial King. And thou shalt be a companion of the Deity, and a co-heir with Christ, no longer enslaved by lusts or passions, and never again wasted by disease. For thou hast become God”

So, man becomes a God (not the God, a God) This section is from the Author’s concluding address. I only had the time to do a quick search, and read book X I’ll have to read the rest later, thanks for the link! (bookmarked!)

restornu, you'll love this!


629 posted on 05/10/2006 9:03:18 AM PDT by DelphiUser ("You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can't make him think")
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To: DelphiUser
On post #571 ColorCountry spent a lot of time telling me God is one not two or three personages, care to straighten CC out for me ?

I think that you need to take a look at post 571 again. I don't see where CC mentions anything about personages.

In fact ... she mostly just quotes scripture.

630 posted on 05/10/2006 9:10:15 AM PDT by Quester
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To: DelphiUser

thank you I will enjoy reading soon!


631 posted on 05/10/2006 9:16:23 AM PDT by restornu (Earnestly it is impossible for man to walk with God, and also maintain the humor of a reprobate!)
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To: Quester

It seems the Mormon claim that there were important or "plain and precious" parts of the Bible that were removed or left out.

Has there ever been one shred of evidence that the writings in existence (that were left out of the New Testament) contained any of the Mormon dogma?

Any evidence that early Christians practiced.

1. Marriage for eternity.

2. Polygamy

3. 10% tithing

4. abstinence from alcohol, hot beverages, grains or "meat out of season."

5. A single "head" of the Church like the current Prophet and President of the LDS Church Gordon B. Hinckley. I understand there is an understanding that though art Peter, the rock, and on this rock I shall build my Church, etc., but we clearly see that the apostles were not subject to his control, or prophesy.

6. Attendence to a temple in order to perform rituals or ordinances outside the traditional Jewish ones

7. Being baptised in order to become a "member" in a denomination. (the Corintians were never baptised into the Corithian Church, they were baptised into the body of Christ.)

Those are just some of the questions that come to mind.


632 posted on 05/10/2006 9:17:15 AM PDT by colorcountry (He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.)
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To: colorcountry

>>>>Keep it up; you only drive those who are ready to us.
>>Oh really, name them. Give us their Freep names, there is no danger in exposing them
>>since everyone here is incognito. Or is this another example of "lying for the lord?"

I had a friend in High school who came to me to ask questions after seeing "The God Makers" (I saw it, no stars).

She is not a freeper, She joined as soon as she was 18. Then while I was on my mission I got a letter from an acquaintance in High school (I had a hard time even remembering who he was). He had run into some anti’s, he knew me, and asked my mom how to write me, I told him how to get a hold of the missionaries after answering his questions, he was a member when I came back.

I could come up with more, but I’ve proven my point.

I am not aware of any on this forum, but the day is young, and the last thing I would do, is give you names and emails if I had them.

I have never “Lied for the Lord”, he would not approve even if I were willing to.

This is a strange accusation when you (It was you, Right?) have told me you believed me when I said “I would keep my word even to the very Devil himself.” Since you are a member (who left but didn’t leave) who is breaking covenants to the lord, I understand why you might think Lying for the Lord is a good idea. Ask him sometime, OK?


633 posted on 05/10/2006 9:23:57 AM PDT by DelphiUser ("You can lead a man to knowledge, but you can't make him think")
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To: visually_augmented
The sinful nature of man is evidenced by his desire to be his own God - this is the very nature of man.

A little off topic, but since you mentioned it...

Since Satan tempted Eve with the following words: "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." And she succumbed to that temptation, believing the fruit was "also desirable for gaining wisdom."

Therefore, would you consider Eve's desire to be "[her] own God" as evidence of her sinful nature?

If not, why not? If so, then from whom did Eve inherit her sinful nature?

The first man and woman had a free will nature and a behavioral problem. They did not have a nature problem.

634 posted on 05/10/2006 9:34:00 AM PDT by sinatorhellary
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To: DelphiUser

You bring up an interesting point here

how can one lie about having a testamony so many times for so many years than deny they ever had a testamony!

How can one speak with such knowledge which in some cases only comes from having a personal revelation to bear a testamony and then in the same breath deny that the Holy Spirit ever witness to them!

Wonder how many Fast and Testimony Sundays did one stand before the saints and beared witness to personal revelation or blessings they have received in their lives and now deny it!


635 posted on 05/10/2006 10:09:01 AM PDT by restornu (Earnestly it is impossible for man to walk with God, and also maintain the humor of a reprobate!)
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To: colorcountry
Thank the Lord, that my mind and emotions could not be fooled. He led me to green pastures, He walks beside me, He restores me. The Lord is my shepherd, not the Godhead, not the Prophet. He sent me the Bible so I could know Him.

Rom. 1:
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Col. 2:
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

636 posted on 05/10/2006 10:14:41 AM PDT by restornu (Earnestly it is impossible for man to walk with God, and also maintain the humor of a reprobate!)
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To: DelphiUser
Keep it up; you only drive those who are ready to us.

I thought you were insinuating that I had personally driven someone your way. I never asked you for their real name or e-mail address. If they are truly converted to your way of thinking, then I would be no threat. I only ask that individuals be given adequate information in order to make an informed decision.

Google the phrase "lying for the lord," and see how many of the responses point to the Mormons...at least 15 of the top 20 making that over 75% of those posts pointing toward Mormonism. That is amazing when only 2% of the population is Mormon.

Granted they are all ex-mormon or anti-mormon sites, but you would expect the other 98% of the population to have 98% of those who have become disenchanted and angry at their former religions. You would expect some of those people would accuse their former religions of lying to them. Wouldn't you?

637 posted on 05/10/2006 10:23:44 AM PDT by colorcountry (He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.)
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To: restornu; A.A. Cunningham; Quester; Revelation 911; Dr. Eckleburg; xzins; Corin Stormhands; ...
Ping

Are there any experts in the Greek on FreeRepublic?

The term “Godhead” is found three times in the King James Version of the Bible (Acts 17:29; Rom. 1:20; Col. 2:9). In Acts 17:29 the Greek term is theion, signifying “divinity” or “the Deity” (with the definite article) - a perfect way to express the concept of the true God as opposed to the conflicting gods of Greek paganism. The kindred word in Romans 1:20 is theiotes, which refers to the Creator’s “Divine nature.” In Colossians 2:9 the Greek theotes carries the meaning of “Deity” or “Divinity.” This text affirms that the fullness of the Divine nature is manifest in the person of Jesus Christ.

I have never studied Greek, perhaps there are others on FR that have. I don't see that the words "theion," "theiotes," "theotes" would describe the Godhead of which Latter-day Saints believe in God the Father; his Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost (A of F 1). These three Gods form the Godhead, which holds the keys of power over the universe. Each member of the Godhead is an independent personage, separate and distinct from the other two, the three being in perfect unity and harmony with each other (AF, chap. 2)." Encyclopedia of Mormonism.

638 posted on 05/10/2006 10:52:17 AM PDT by colorcountry (He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.)
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To: colorcountry

Godhead Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godhead


639 posted on 05/10/2006 11:09:25 AM PDT by restornu (Earnestly it is impossible for man to walk with God, and also maintain the humor of a reprobate!)
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To: colorcountry
Godhead Wikipedia

Godhead (Christianity)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search In Christianity, the Godhead is a term denoting deity or divinity. It is a unity comprised of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit.

Though often used interchangeably with the concept of Trinity, the word Godhead is itself a word that simply means "godhood"[1] and, thus, it is erroneous to use it as synonymous with the English word "trinity."

In those English translations of the Bible that use "Godhead," such as the King James Bible, there are only three passages of scripture where it is used, and each time it translates a different Greek word: Acts 17:29 (θεῖον theion, an adjective meaning "divinity, deity"[2]); Romans 1:20 (θειότης theiotēs, a noun meaning "divinity, divine nature"[3]); and Colossians 2:9 (θεότητος theotētos, a noun meaning "deity"[4]).

640 posted on 05/10/2006 11:12:32 AM PDT by restornu (Earnestly it is impossible for man to walk with God, and also maintain the humor of a reprobate!)
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