LDS defend the faith as Christian

The Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 10/07/07 | By Peggy Fletcher Stack

[colorcountry]

Not only is Mormonism a Christian faith, it is the truest form of Christianity, said speaker after speaker on the first day of the 177th Semiannual LDS General Conference. LDS authorities were responding to the allegation that Mormonism isn't part of Christianity. Made by different mainline Protestant and Catholic churches and repeated constantly during coverage of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, the claim is based on Mormonism's beliefs about God, its rejection of ancient ideas about the Trinity still widely accepted, and the LDS Church's extra-biblical scriptures. "It is not our purpose to demean any person's belief nor the doctrine of any religion," said Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland in the afternoon session. "But if one says we are not Christians because we do not hold a fourth- or fifth-century view of the Godhead, then what of those first [Christians], many of whom were eye-witnesses of the living Christ, who did not hold such a view either?"

{snip}

The day's sermons included many familiar themes, including the importance of faith, the need for pure thoughts and actions, avoiding pornography reaching out to neighbors and eliminating spiritual procrastination. Hinckley talked about the destructive nature of anger in marriages, on the road, and in life, urging Mormons to "control your tempers, to put a smile upon your faces, which will erase anger; speak with words of love and peace, appreciation and respect."

[fproy2222]

They are all His.
I got that part:

According to LDS organization doctrine; just which LEVEL of Heaven is Jesus going to inhabit?

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Any He wants to.

[fproy2222]

You’ve still not addressed your statement.

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Please restate your question because here is what you said

“You guys can’t have it both ways...You want to be called Christians ( included with all Christian Churches..), but you also believe and are taught that the MORMON Church is the ONLY Church that God speaks to....!! You’ve said it..and MANY of your founders have expressed the exact same thing. And you wonder why you get opposition?”

Is it the opposition part you want answered. Then I need to know if anyone, besides “mormons”, who does not believe like you, are Christians, according to you?

[fproy2222]

To: Elsie
Celestial Kingdom, of course. You should have known that. Paul taught the doctrine of the three levels of exaltation in the new testament, don’t forget.

1,139 posted on 10/31/2007 1:50:24 PM MDT by Old Mountain man (Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1118 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

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To: Old Mountain man
Celestial Kingdom, of course.
Is this the place the TR folks go or the place the other 80% go??

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Hay Old Mountain man, did you notice she chose not to reply to what is in the bible?

[fproy2222]

“If this church and others are wrong, which church should I join?”

Join the Catholics, the Lutherans, many fundamentalist churches, Baptists, even Methodists and Presbyterians if they aren’t too far fetched. There are many churches that will fill the bill, or you could even be a church of one. Just ditch the stuff JS concocted and you’ll be most of the way there.

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so, anything but the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is part of the correct religion? How do you get past the differences they have in what God is and how we should worship him?

[fproy2222]

You see, I still question my church’s claim to be the one true church, but people like you only make me want to defend where I am and not look for why you might be right.
Baloney. ROFLOL!!...That’s not what you said in this post of yours.....#1102.

After studying the many churches, I come to find the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints to be the church God leads, Through Jesus, then through his prophet.

Those were your words...not mine.

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I can see how you might be confused, but nowhere did I say I stopped studying or questioning. Faith is built on knowledge, and the more I know, the greater my faith becomes.

[fproy2222]

So; you’re comflicted about it.

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The conflict is how to control my anger at the WAY you speak of my church, not of what you finally get around to saying.

[fproy2222]

You see, I still question my church’s claim to be the one true church, but people like you only make me want to defend where I am and not look for why you might be right.

I’m sure you’ll now get FREEPmail from your buddies telling you not to express thoughts like this in public

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For me, questions lead to study, study leads to knowledge, knowledge replaces faith and faith grows stronger, even if the direction of that faith is different.

It has happened before and it will happen again.

[fproy2222]

By your beliefs, did God create the Christ part of himself, or was Christ a part of God all along?

[fproy2222]

There are no “Mormon haters” here. We challenge the false doctrines of Mormonism, and confront Mormons with the truth verses the false doctrines of your religion, so please refrain from playing the victim card, when those challenges and confrontations are perfectly allowable in a debating forum and in the marketplace of ideas. It really makes Mormons look petty when playing the victim card.

They have also said that I should leave the LDS church.

They are right. You SHOULD leave the false religion of Mormonism, for the false jesus of Mormonism cannot save you. Only the True Christ of the Bible and the historic Christian faith can.

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Then I will see if your way of responding is better then Elsie's. So I do not go toward another wrong church, which church(s) should I be looking at?

[Elsie]

Temple Recommend

[Elsie]

No, I lost you when you claim to know so much about the Church and you could not identify who said what.

HUH?

You are rambling; forgotten the point you were trying to make.

[Elsie]

 I teach only sound doctrine.

 

It seems that JACOB did too, but JS chose to ignore it.

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THE BOOK OF JACOB
THE BROTHER OF NEPHI

CHAPTER 2

 

  24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.
  25 Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph.
  26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.
  27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
  28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.
  29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.
  30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.
  31 For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands.
  32 And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts.

[Elsie]

When will you accept those that I have posted?

Which ones?

You posted lots of stuff.

[Elsie]

Lots of so-called Christians don’t get who said it.

SO CALLED???

Just what are YOUR requirements to be a TRUE 'christian'??

[Elsie]

It is my belief that being a prophet of God is the hardest job any human being can have.

Why do you 'believe' that??

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Fully 6,000 of them were Mormons.

That means fully 7,000 of them were NOT LDS organization members.

Why were you not 'attracted' to them?

Why did you reject them??

[Elsie]

Let’s put it this way: When the Lord left us “this new commandment” to “love one another”, do you tend to agree that “love” is used in the scripture as a verb and Jesus did not couch it in terms of a suggestion?

No; let's put it this way:

Why are you rejecting all the NT verses I posted at #1158?

[Elsie]

Which of the religious groups should I go toward?

Any that do NOT have scripture from some fellow who threatens his wife into accepting his fooling around with other women or GOD will zap her!

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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.

 

 

[Elsie]

According to LDS organization doctrine; just which LEVEL of Heaven is Jesus going to inhabit?

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Any He wants to.

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You've got to do better than this, for the Scriptures say...

John 14

 1.  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
 2.  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
 3.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
 4.  And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
 5.  Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
 6.  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
 7.  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
 8.  Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
 9.  Jesus saith unto him, have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

 

Your headquarters claims that there is MORE than 'a place'.

Is Jesus going to be timeshared in your theology??
 

[Elsie]

How do you get past the differences they have in what God is ...

So you have a vast knowledge of these groups and what they consider GOD is like, or are you just listening to what some ANTI-Presbyterian has informed you about??

[Elsie]

The conflict is how to control my anger at the WAY you speak of my church....

 

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/js_h/1/19#19

  17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself ^adelivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I ^bsaw two ^cPersonages, whose brightness and ^dglory defy all description, ^estanding above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My ^fBeloved ^gSon. Hear Him!

  18 My object in going to ^ainquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.

  19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all ^awrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those ^bprofessors were all ^ccorrupt; that: “they ^ddraw near to me with their lips, but their ^ehearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the ^fcommandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the ^gpower thereof.”

  20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself ^alying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, ^bmother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” 

 

 

I feel your pain!!!