(Highfives all around!)
Posted on 10/08/2007 7:49:32 AM PDT by 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."
Thank you James, for your testimony of the truthfulness of the word of God, of salvation through Christ....and the differences in the LDS Church and Christian belief.
You are blessed to have found saving faith by age 12 after coming out of Mormonism. It took me many years more than that. Many others are lost to disbelief entirely. Mormonism does such an adequate job of attacking the inerrancy of the Bible and the omnipotence, and unchanging nature of God, that many who leave Mormonism turn into atheists or agnostics.
This type of argument is ultimately vain, as you well know. So long as the definition of a Christian is controlled by extra-Biblical philosophies or sources, there is no standard on which to measure each side of the debate. Mormons use an extra-Biblical standard based on what they claim is modern-day revelation. Most others base their definition on ecumenical councils centuries after the death of the Savior. If each holds to its definition, then all others are ipso facto “non-Christian”. (BibChr holds to the definition, apparently, of solely grace, solely Bible, which would seem to exclude the Catholic Church which believes in works and tradition. See how this kind of debate gets us nowhere.)
It seems a more worthy argument is to accept the standard of the discipleship that one follows the teachings of their professed master. However, this kind of argument hits many “acceptable” Christians full in the face because of the great diversity among practices such as baptism, priesthood authority, church organization, offices in the church, confession, treatment of homosexuality and extra-marital sexual relations, tithing, etc., etc. So that is also ultimately a difficult argument.
Best yet, let’s leave the definition to the Savior who will recognize all His people when He comes to reign on the earth again.
Color Country, regarding your tag line, consider Isaiah 55:8-9. Just a suggestion.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Agreed - at least with this scripture. But really, what does that have to do with my tagline.
I suppose you think it wise to follow the so-called Prophet, Joseph Smith because God’s ways might be higher than you understand and so the provable heresies of his teachings should thus be ignored. If so, then my common sense would tell me that you believe in nonsense. Have a good day. :-D
We will never be gods.
Than you better edit out those scriptures!
My point is that there are many other non-Christian heresies among us masquerading as churches, and some of them are worse than the Mormons, by a long stretch.
And I didn’t even get into the “Prosperity Gospel” folks.
P.S. I was raised as an Episcopalian, but like most Christians in that church, have fled.
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.”
See how EASY it is!?
You've just been diverted from an analysis of the MORMON doctrines to having to explain Historical Christanity.
Well; they're ALL wrong!!
EVERYone knows that the Jehovah Witness Organization is the only one doing it right!
“Out-of-Context Snippets!” ... is it time to coin a new phrase? ‘Drive-by Snippetry’
Call me one!
No... wait... call me TWO!
President Lincoln once got into an argument with a man who insisted that if they re-framed the issue by calling it another name, there would be no disagreement.
The exasperated President is said to have replied, “Look here. If you call a dog’s tail a leg, how many legs would it have?”
“Why, five”, said the man.
“Wrong!” said Lincoln. “Four. You can call it a leg, but it’s still a tail.”
And what ever happened to them Heaven’s Gate folks??
The Catholics and the Protestants have more in common than not.
they are BOTH in agreement that JS' religion is an aberation.
(Highfives all around!)
Hours of research??
If you've a problem with the definitions in either column, feel free to post the corrections here.
On FR, accuracy is highly desired.
Acts 11:25-2625. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,
26. and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
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.”
Answer - "Yes it is."
Voice - "Is it true that you save young girls?"
Answer - "Why yes it is."
Voice - "Would you save me one for the Saturday night prom?"
There you have it in a nutshell!
Shout it from the roof!!!
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