In Mormonism, a general conference is a meeting meant for instruction of all members of the Latter Day Saint faith. General conferences have been a regular part of the Latter Day Saint movement since June 9, 1830, when Joseph Smith, Jr. organized the first general conference in Fayette, New York. It included a gathering of only 27 members of the two-month-old Church of Christ.
bttt
I guess this is not a caucus thread, right?
Ok, well assuming it isn't then I'd like someone to explain just how the 4th/5th century understanding of the Trinity was in any substantial way different from that of the 1st.
Gosh, that’s silly. Elementary theology: a religion that insists in only one true God is not the same as a religion that insists that there are many true gods.
Duh.
Glossary on other church bodies bearing the “Church of Christ” name
1.
“mainstream” or “mainline” Churches of Christ: Fundamentalist, conservative group of autonomous congregations. Major universities affiliated with them are Abilene Christian
U., David Lipscomb U., Pepperdine U., etc.
2.
International Churches of Christ:
An offshoot of the mainline Churches of Christ; more intense about
“discipling”; has had to face “cultic” charges at some colleges/universities
where the church members often recruit members.
3.
United Churches of Christ: a MUCH more liberal church body as compared
to those above. Obama is probably their most visible church member at
this time.
Trying to figure out who falls into what category of Christian is made even more confusing by the fact at most Christians of all denominations consider themselves the one true catholic (universal) and orthodox (correct) church - though many of them admit to not being apostolic.
I am thinking maybe we Christians should come up with a new way of identifying each other's beliefs - our commonalities and differences - I am talking about the ecumenical councils - churches can identify themselves as to how many of the ecumenical councils they uphold as part of their faith.
The Orthodox recognize 7 ecumenical councils and so do the Catholics - but the Catholics have added more ecumenical councils since then (21 in all!!) that the Orthodox do not recognize so the Catholic church would be Church of the 21 councils and so on.
I think the Mormons would be the Church of zero councils since they accept none of the declarations of those councils on the nature of Christ and his teachings as far as I know.
The Bible makes the claim that it is Truth (whether this is true or not I put entirely up to the individual reader to decide, but I affirm that it has proven itself thus to me). The Book of Mormon contains many historically impossible claims (even after the reportedly 4000+ revisions that have been made to it since 1830), including an iron, steel, and horse using civilization that stretched from sea to sea circa 600 BC.
"It can be stated definitely that there is no connection between the archeology of the New World and the subject matter of the Book of Mormon. There is no correspondence whatever between archaeological sites and cultures as revealed by scientific investigations and as recorded in the Book of Mormon, hence the book cannot be regarded as having any historical value from the standpoint of the aboriginal peoples of the New World." (F.H.H. Roberts, Jr, Smithsonian Institution, 1951)
From a theological standpoint, Mormonism also claims that
a) God was a man
“I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see. He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did.” (Joseph Smith, quoted in 'LDS History of the Church', Vol. 6, p. 305)
b) Mormons will become Gods and populate their own planets with ‘spirit children’.
“...thus a man and his wife when glorified will have spirit children who eventually will go on an earth like this one we are on and pass through the same kind of experiences, being subject to mortal conditions, and if faithful, then they also will receive the fullness of exaltation and partake of the same blessings. There is no end to this development; it will go on forever. We will become gods and have jurisdiction over the world, and the world will be peopled by our own offspring. We will have an endless eternity for this” (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 2, p. 48)
This is far from a complete analysis of the differences between Mormonism and Biblical Christianity. Other noteworthy areas include a view of being Black as punishment for earlier spiritual neutrality on another world, a view that Christ's sacrifice was not fully sufficient for salvation, and that Satan, demons and Christ are actually all 'spirit brothers'.
I do not seek to defame or slander Mormonism in any way, and invite any LDS to correct me on any point I have presented inaccurately. Mormons have every right to believe as they choose, but to claim that they are 'Christian' (meaning 'followers of Christ') is not factual.
There are far too many differences between Mormonism and what is taught to us by Jesus Christ.
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. (John 8:12)
Now is saying that Mormonism is the "truest form of Christianity"...would that be kind of like anti-cult leaders saying @ some other conference that Mormonism is the "falsified form of Christianity?"
I sometimes call myself a Mormon Christian because I also believe in the Book of Mormon.
Recently, Mormonism has sought legitimacy by claiming to be “Christian”, and following the Jesus of the Bible, but this is a very recent phenomena in it's history. Fortunately, it’s current president/leader has admitted that Mormons do not in point of fact follow the traditional Christ of the Bible, or of biblical Christianity::
The current president of the Mormon Church, Gordon B. Hinckley, made a very telling comment about Jesus Christ in a talk in Geneva, Switzerland, June 6, 1998. The Deseret News reported:
In bearing testimony of Jesus Christ, President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints "do not believe in the traditional Christ. No, I don't. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times.
He together with His Father, appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in the year 1820, and when Joseph left the grove that day, he knew more of the nature of God than all the learned ministers of the gospel of the ages." (Deseret News, Church News section, Salt Lake City, Utah, week ending June 20, 1998, p. 7)
President. Hinckley, the leader of Mormonism, was being totally honest and told the truth; Mormons do not worship the traditional Jesus Christ who is described in the Bible, the Holy Word of God. They worship a false christ as proclaimed and taught by Joseph Smith, who, according to Hinckley “knew more of the nature of God than all the learned ministers of the gospel of the ages"... if you believe that, there is a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell you.
It should be noted that, from its inception Mormonism has been deemed a cult and NEVER been recognized as being a part of “Christianity or Christendom because it’s core doctrines are in total opposition to the Word of God, the doctrine of salvation, the Christ of the Bible, and the Christ of Christianity.
Mormonism is a religious cult that believes that “the Bible is full of errors”, that the ludicrous Book of Mormon has supplanted the Bible and is “god’s” latest revelation to mankind, that their so-called leader/president speaks new/divine revelation from “god”, that Jesus Christ is Satan’s brother, that “god” was once a man and that men, by following the doctrines and dictates of Mormonism can become “gods” ruling over their own planets, propagating these new worlds by having sex with the wives they have married here on earth. Holy underwear, that Jesus Christ came to America, that the Indians were Jews, that god has a physical body and the virgin birth was the direct result of “god” having sex with Mary. These doctrines and teachings are completely different from and opposed to "traditional/biblical" Christianity.
I, along with others who have mentioned these facts concerning Mormonism are telling the truth about the CULT in order to educate the public at large. Whether people wish to acknowledge it or not, the fact of the matter is this: what one believes and follows has a direct bearing and impact upon how they live their lives and how they view the world and their place in it and in the case of politicians, …how they govern (The "president" of Iran is a good example of the reailty behind this principle). Therefore, stating what Mormonism teaches, believes and practices is not “Mormon bashing", it is presenting reality.
I used to receive annual visits from the local mormon boys.
One year I got tired of the same old feeling we really were not speaking the same language or using the same definitions concerning basic concepts, so I decided to be better prepared for the next visit.
When the came they immediately got into the “Great Apostasy” and how the true faith died out upon the death of the last apostle.
I pointed this simply is not true, and that claim alone is enough to reject their faith.
The earliest christians left behind a great deal of evidence of their existence and beliefs, and they in no way resembled today’s mormonism.
We then locked horns concerning the virgin birth, and the nature of God and Christ.
Again - they do not share the faith of the Apostles concerning these issues, so they cannot make claim of “restoration”.
I don’t think mormons fully appreciate how blasphemous a belief it is to claim God was like us - a man - and that we can become like Him.
This is completely incompatible with christianity and reminds me of the great lie Satan sold to Eve.
The notion that mormonism is “christian” is about equivalent with Tom Cruise’s ridiculous statement that one can be catholic and a scientologist at the same time.
I place mormonism and scientology in the same category.
Both “faiths” were invented by con men.
ping
I would consider Episcopalianism a worse heresy than Mormonism. Episcopalian beliefs:
There is no sin.
All are saved.
Jesus is not the only way to salvation; there are many ways that are equally worthy.
The Bible is not authoritative.
Humans wrote the Bible, the Episcopal Church can re-write the Bible.
The Bible is a product of a chauvinistic, male-dominated homophobic culture.
The New Testament scriptures on moral purity are not binding.
You are a Christian purely by baptism, not by repentance or by faith or by manner of living.
God’s commands are not authoritative.
There are no absolute truths, you have to live into the tension of both-and, not either-or, to find spiritual enlightenment.
God is Love, Love is God.
It is fine to pray to Mother Jesus.
Jesus is fine with sin.
God accepts you just as you are, and everything’s ok with him.
The goal of Christians is to implement the United Nations’ Millenium Development Goals.
Heresy is always better than schism.
Given a choice, I’ll take the Mormons.
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.”
>> “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?” <<
“We have to be correct, because we’re correct.” It’s true that if early Christians did hold beliefs consistent with Mormonism, then Mormons would be properly known as Christians. But the assertion that early Christians had a Mormon-like belief in the Godhead is absolutely baseless. Unless you believe in the Book of Mormon. And that requires simply an act of faith, because Joe Smith’s story would inspire giggles in even little children. Mormonism survives because Mormons are nice, not because the story is sensible.
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Jehovah's Witnesses say the same thing.
The fact is that key doctrines that define Christianity are not adhered to by Mormons (or Jehovah's Witnesses).
Mormons can call themselves Christians, I guess. After all, the splinter groups that still practice polygamy (including forcibly marrying off 14 year old girls to their cousins) call themselves Mormons. People can call themselves whatever they want.
“Not only is Mormonism a Christian faith, it is the truest form of Christianity”
If you are going to attempt to force feed the Christian base this complete bunk along with the Romney candidacy, they won’t buy either.
Hmmm.....Does the LDS Church place “family” ahead of God, or not?