Posted on 08/15/2007 7:39:31 AM PDT by Gamecock
Apologist James White continues to answer the question “Are Mormons just another kind of Christians?” using LDS sources:
How can men become gods? This is answered in probably the most famous portion of the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132. This portion, put to paper on July 12th, 1843, speaks directly to the issue by introducing the covenant of eternal marriage. This concept is vitally important to Mormons, and while plural marriage (which was intimately connected with the eternal covenant of marriage) is not currently practiced in official Mormonism (many Mormons looking forward to the day when it is re-instituted, honestly believing it is God’s highest will for marriage), it is still central to understanding the means by which the LDS Church teaches men can be called gods. Here is the key passage, verses 19-20:
19 And again, verily I say unto you, if a man marry a wife by my word, which is my law, and by the new and everlasting covenant, and it is sealed unto them by the Holy Spirit of promise, by him who is anointed, unto whom I have appointed this power and the keys of this priesthood; and it shall be said unto them—Ye shall come forth in the first resurrection; and if it be after the first resurrection, in the next resurrection; and shall inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths—then shall it be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, that he shall commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, and if ye abide in my covenant, and commit no murder whereby to shed innocent blood, it shall be done unto them in all things whatsoever my servant hath put upon them, in time, and through all eternity; and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.
20 Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.
Later the same passage says, “Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children; and it was accounted unto him for righteousness” (v. 37), and in the same verse, we are told that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods.
Many sermons have been delivered by the General Authorities of the LDS Church on this passage and what it means, but we will have to look at those comments later, as they fall into a different category of authority. For the moment, we note that these scriptural passages assert that men can become gods by abiding in the covenant, and that as a result, they will be gods, being from everlasting to everlasting, and that they will have all power and that the angels are subject unto them. When we combine these statements with the previous ones, we can see the general outline of LDS theology today regarding God, the Gods (from the Book of Abraham), the idea that God the Father has a physical body, and that man may become a “god” and have “all power.”
But if these were all the passages we had, we would be hard put to come up with a very clear concept of the Mormon doctrine of God. But, Mormonism is not limited to merely these passages. The concept of continuing revelation, which gave rise to these passages in the first place, throws much light on what is meant in these sections. But before we move to second level statements, we briefly note the words of the current living Prophet of the LDS Church.
The Living Prophet
At the General Relief Society Meeting, held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, President Gordon B. Hinckley, the current LDS Prophet, read the following pronouncement. Since it was read by the Prophet, and specifically names the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve as making a “solemn proclamation,” we can safely view it as representing the viewpoint and teaching of the current Prophet:
We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.
All human beings–male and female–are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.
In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.
I note the use of the phrase heavenly parents in asserting that we are all created in the image of God. This results in our having a divine nature and destiny. Such terminology will become more important when we encounter even clearer official explanations of what this involves.
John 10
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
I have a litmus test.
Will he cut my head off?
Mat 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
An appropriate quote from the Savior, considering your use of his other words out of context.
And how, precisely, is the scripture “out-of-context”?
Good heavens, no.
We are a special kind of Christians.
The heretical kind? ;-)
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic Ping List:
Please ping me to all note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.
If you like.
But one man's heresy is another man's orthodoxy. Indeed, there is probably no branch, sect, denomination, or cult in Christianity that has not been declared heretical at one time or another. If we are heretics, we are in good company.
Yup.
You and the JWs, Gnostics, etc.
Very good company indeed.
Not to mention Lutherans, Calvanists, Anabaptists, Baptists, both the Roman Catholic AND the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Be fair here, all of these have been called heretical.
One question: how does this post advance the cause of conservatism?
Don't forget the Protestants, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and so on. Be sure to include your own church, denomination, or sect—odds are, someone somewhere considers you a heretic.
The point is, heretic has little objective meaning anymore (if it ever did). The word is intended more to defame than to describe; but it has lost its sting now that the self-described "orthodox" no longer burn heretics at the stake.
These guys surely are not LDS!
http://www.reformedevangelist.com/images/mormon_evangelists.jpg
Part 4
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1881511/posts
We are a peculiar people.
We are Christians on steroids.
Latter Day Saints believe in the New Testament teachings that we are children of God, and “if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ.” Romans 8:16-17. A central promise of the Gospel is that the righteous can be joint-heirs with Christ, whom God the Father hath appointed heir of all things.” Hebrews 1:2; John 16:15.
I don’t know about you but I like the idea of being joint heir with my Savior, Christ Jesus, as promised in the New Tesatment.
I am have challenges with the natural man and you folks keep dwelling on things that only enter my mind when you guys talk about!
If it is mention in Sunday school it is presented a lot different than your concept I hardly recognized your version!
You are family with
Luke 12
31 ¶ But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.
32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
33 Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.
39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.
D&C 29
1 Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, the Great I Am, whose arm of mercy hath atoned for your sins;
2 Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me, and call upon me in mighty prayer.
3 Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that at this time your sins are forgiven you, therefore ye receive these things; but remember to sin no more, lest perils shall come upon you.
4 Verily, I say unto you that ye are chosen out of the world to declare my gospel with the sound of rejoicing, as with the voice of a trump.
5 Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom.
6 And, as it is written—Whatsoever ye shall ask in faith, being united in prayer according to my command, ye shall receive.
7 And ye are called to bring to pass the gathering of mine elect; for mine elect hear my voice and harden not their hearts;
8 Wherefore the decree hath gone forth from the Father that they shall be gathered in unto one place upon the face of this land, to prepare their hearts and be prepared in all things against the day when tribulation and desolation are sent forth upon the wicked.
9 For the hour is nigh and the day soon at hand when the earth is ripe; and all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth;
10 For the hour is nigh, and that which was spoken by mine apostles must be fulfilled; for as they spoke so shall it come to pass;
11 For I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand.
“I have a litmus test. Will he cut my head off?”
You made me LOL! But seriously:
2 Nephi 25:26 from the Book of Mormon:
“And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”
Why is that verse controversial? The anti Mormons have told me that the Jesus I worship is not the same Jesus they worship - as if to say Jesus died for them but not for me. As far as I’m concerned - and Scriptures back me up on this - Jesus died once and for ALL including me. Jesus Christ is my personal Savior.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
