I still rejoice in the wonderful spirit we felt as we sang together this morning:Posted on 02/10/2008 11:25:15 AM PST by Reaganesque
This is a joyful religion, one of hope, strength, and deliverance.
I still rejoice in the wonderful spirit we felt as we sang together this morning:
Now let us rejoice in the day of salvation.
No longer as strangers on earth need we roam.Good tidings are sounding to us and each nation.
(“Now Let Us Rejoice,” Hymns, no. 3)
These words by Brother William W. Phelps are quite a contrast to the world’s tendency to focus on bad news. It is true, we live in a time foretold in the scriptures as a day of “wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places” (Mormon 8:30), when “the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them” (D&C 45:26).
But how does this affect us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Are we living with apprehension, fear, and worry? Or have we, amidst all of our challenges, not reason to rejoice?
We all go through different life experiences. Some are filled with joy, and others with sorrow and uncertainty.
I remember a time when things didn’t look good for our family when I was a child. It was in the winter of 1944, one of the coldest during World War II. The war front was approaching our town, and my mother had to take us four children, leave all our possessions behind, and join the millions of fleeing refugees in a desperate search for a place to survive. Our father was still in the military, but he and Mother had agreed that if they were ever separated during the war, they would try to reunite at the hometown of my grandparents. They felt this place offered the greatest hope for shelter and safety.
With bombing raids during the night and air attacks during the day, it took us many days to reach my grandparents. My memories of those days are of darkness and coldness.
My father returned to us unharmed, but our future looked extremely bleak. We were living in the rubble of postwar Germany with a devastating feeling of hopelessness and darkness about our future.
In the middle of this despair, my family learned about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the healing message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. This message made all the difference; it lifted us above our daily misery. Life was still thorny and the circumstances still horrible, but the gospel brought light, hope, and joy into our lives. The plain and simple truths of the gospel warmed our hearts and enlightened our minds. They helped us look at ourselves and the world around us with different eyes and from an elevated viewpoint.
My dear brothers and sisters, aren’t the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and our membership in His Church great reasons to rejoice?
Wherever you live on this earth and whatever your life’s situation may be, I testify to you that the gospel of Jesus Christ has the divine power to lift you to great heights from what appears at times to be an unbearable burden or weakness. The Lord knows your circumstances and your challenges. He said to Paul and to all of us, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” And like Paul we can answer: “My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ, we may claim the blessings promised in the covenants and the ordinances we received when we accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.
What Is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news, glad tidings, and much more. It is the message of salvation as repeatedly announced by Jesus Christ and His apostles and prophets. It is my firm belief that all truth and light originating with God is embraced in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
God, our loving Father in Heaven, has said that it is His work and glory “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). God the Father is the author of the gospel; it is a key part of God’s plan of salvation, or plan of redemption. It is called the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is the Atonement of Jesus Christ that makes redemption and salvation possible. Through the Atonement all men, women, and children are unconditionally redeemed from physical death, and all will be redeemed from their own sins on the condition of accepting and obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ (see D&C 20:17–25; 76:40–42, 50–53; Moses 6:62).
Christ’s gospel is the only true gospel, and “there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ” (Mosiah 3:17; see also Acts 4:12).
The core elements of the gospel message are found in all the holy scriptures but are most clearly given to us in the Book of Mormon and in the revelations to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Here Jesus Himself plainly declares His doctrine and His gospel, with which God’s children must comply to “have eternal life” (D&C 14:7; see also 3 Nephi 11:31–39; 27:13–21; D&C 33:11–12).
The gospel is clear and plain. It answers the most complex questions in life, yet even a young child can comprehend and apply it. As Nephi said: “My soul delighteth in plainness; for after this manner doth the Lord God work among the children of men. For the Lord God giveth light unto the understanding; for he speaketh unto men according to their language, unto their understanding” (2 Nephi 31:3).
The Prophet Joseph Smith followed the same pattern of clarity and plainness when he explained to the world in a very concise way “the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel” (Articles of Faith 1:4), which we must accept to receive the eternal blessings of the gospel:
First, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—believing in the Redeemer, the Son of God, “with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save” and then “[pressing] forward with a steadfastness in Christ, . . . feasting upon the word of Christ” (2 Nephi 31:19–20).
Second, repentance, which includes a change of mind, offering up “a sacrifice . . . [of] a broken heart and a contrite spirit”; giving up sin and becoming meek and humble “as a little child” (3 Nephi 9:20, 22).
Third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and as a covenant to keep the commandments of God and take upon us the name of Christ.
Fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, also known as baptism by fire, which sanctifies us and makes us “new creatures,” born of God (Mosiah 27:26; see also 1 Peter 1:23).
The gift of the Holy Ghost, given to us by our Heavenly Father and administered by one having authority, includes the merciful promise: “If ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do” (2 Nephi 32:5). Through the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, every member of the Church can receive “the words of Christ” directly (2 Nephi 32:3), at any time or place. This personal divine guidance helps us to remain valiant in the testimony of Jesus Christ and endure to the end of our days. Isn’t this wonderful!
Have we not reason to rejoice?
What Does It Mean to Endure to the End?
The scriptures teach us that once we have received the ordinances of baptism and confirmation, our task then is to “endure to the end” (2 Nephi 31:20).
When I was a young boy, “endure to the end” meant to me mainly that I had to try harder to stay awake until the end of our Church meetings. Later as a teenager I progressed only slightly in my understanding of this scriptural phrase. I linked it with youthful empathy to the efforts of our dear elderly members to hang in there until the end of their lives.
Enduring to the end, or remaining faithful to the laws and ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout our life, is a fundamental requirement for salvation in the kingdom of God. This belief distinguishes Latter-day Saints from many other Christian denominations that teach that salvation is given to all who simply believe and confess that Jesus is the Christ. The Lord clearly declared, “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7).
Therefore, enduring to the end is not just a matter of passively tolerating life’s difficult circumstances or “hanging in there.” Ours is an active religion, helping God’s children along the strait and narrow path to develop their full potential during this life and return to Him one day. Viewed from this perspective, enduring to the end is exalting and glorious, not grim and gloomy. This is a joyful religion, one of hope, strength, and deliverance. “Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Nephi 2:25).
Enduring to the end is a process filling every minute of our life, every hour, every day, from sunrise to sunrise. It is accomplished through personal discipline following the commandments of God.
The restored gospel of Jesus Christ is a way of life. It is not for Sunday only. It is not something we can do only as a habit or a tradition if we expect to harvest all of its promised blessings. “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians 6:7).
Enduring to the end implies “patient continuance in well doing” (Romans 2:7), striving to keep the commandments (see 2 Nephi 31:10), and doing the works of righteousness (see D&C 59:23). It requires sacrifice and hard work. To endure to the end, we need to trust our Father in Heaven and make wise choices, including paying our tithes and offerings, honoring our temple covenants, and serving the Lord and one another willingly and faithfully in our Church callings and responsibilities. It means strength of character, selflessness, and humility; it means integrity and honesty to the Lord and our fellowmen. It means making our homes strong places of defense and a refuge against worldly evils; it means loving and honoring our spouses and children.
By doing our best to endure to the end, a beautiful refinement will come into our lives. We will learn to “do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us]” (Matthew 5:44). The blessings that come to us from enduring to the end in this life are real and very significant, and for the life to come they are beyond our comprehension.
Jesus Christ Wants You to Succeed
My dear brothers and sisters, there will be days and nights when you feel overwhelmed, when your hearts are heavy and your heads hang down. Then, please remember, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, is the Head of this Church. It is His gospel. He wants you to succeed. He gave His life for just this purpose. He is the Son of the living God. He has promised:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).
“For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee” (3 Nephi 22:10). “I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer” (3 Nephi 22:8).
My dear friends, the Savior heals the broken heart and binds up your wounds (see Psalm 147:3). Whatever your challenges may be, wherever you live on this earth, your faithful membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the divine powers of the gospel of Jesus Christ will bless you to endure joyfully to the end.
Of this I bear witness with all my heart and mind in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
What do you know of Mormonism. How can you judge that this letter is not telling you truth. Does the Catholic Church tell you if you should judge a particular denomination as following the same God of Christianity?
Are you to overlook such things as multiple Gods, pre-existence, that Mormons look at you as a fallen Church?
These things are true and evident. Are you supposed to overlook them in an effort to avoid bigotry? Would you overlook the claims of the abortion rights groups so as not to appear bigoted?
Perhaps you should take some time to educate yourself regarding Mormonism and why it is that the Pope doesn't recognize them as a Christian Church.
From this link: http://www.apologeticsindex.org/m04.html
Delegates to the United Methodists’ national convention meeting in Cleveland on Wednesday said the LDS Church “does not fit within the bounds of the historic, apostolic tradition of Christian faith,” and that Mormons who convert to Methodism need to be re-baptized.
The convention approved a study document written by two Salt Lake City ministers, the Rev. Brian Hare-Diggs of First United Methodist Church and the Rev. Jennifer Hare-Diggs of Centenary United Methodist Church.
The nine-page paper, passed by the Methodist General Conference without floor discussion, spells out theological differences between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the United Methodist Church.
It says Mormonism has “some radically differing doctrine on such matters of belief as the nature and being of God; the nature, origin, and purpose of Jesus Christ; and the nature and way of salvation.”
The Methodists said Mormonism incorporates a “gendered, married and procreating god” with “a body of flesh and bones,” and has a theology that “more closely resembles a tri-theistic or possibly a polytheistic faith” than monotheism — worship of the one God.
The Methodists also objected that “the Jesus of Mormonism is not co-eternal with the Father and of one substance with the Father” and that Mormons add other scriptures to the Bible.
The Presbyterian Church (USA) and Southern Baptist Convention have issued similar assessments of Mormon doctrine.
Source: Methodists Say LDS Doctrine Not Christian, Salt Lake Tribune, May 11, 2000
The Roman Catholic Church declared Thursday that Mormon converts must be rebaptized, a setback to the Mormon Church’s effort to characterize itself as a Christian denomination.
The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith declared that baptisms in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are “not the baptism that Christ instituted.”
The ruling was a departure from the Catholic Church’s usual practice of recognizing the baptisms of converts from most other churches. The Vatican held that the Mormon view of the nature of God was too different from Catholicism’s.
It was the second time in as many years that a major Christian church had ruled that Mormon converts must be rebaptized. Last year, the United Methodist Church, the nation’s second-largest Protestant denomination, took a similar stand.
Dan Wotherspoon, editor of Sunstone Magazine, an independent journal of Mormon life and issues published in Salt Lake City, said, “Clearly, the LDS church still has their work cut out for them in this effort to be known as a Christian church.”
In Salt Lake City, Latter-day Saints spokesmen sought to minimize the importance of the Catholic decision, or its possible effect on efforts by the church to present itself as a Christian church.
In Rome, the Vatican congregation indicated that radically different theological views of God and Jesus Christ necessitated the rebaptism of Mormon converts.
The congregation said that the Catholic Church could not accept Mormon belief that “God the father had a wife, the Celestial Mother, with whom he procreated Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.”
Source: Vatican Will Not Accept Mormon Baptisms, Los Angeles
Says the definition of the word. I’ve documented this to colorcountry. And can do it again if it’s REALLY necessary.
To deny that the LDS Church is not part of Christianity requires you to change the definition used in English.
>This email is bigotry.
Thank you. And I don’t think that the Catholic Church would support it one bit. It has far more class than the bigots of the religious right.
If this was so (recognition of Catholics as Christians), we wouldn't see so many Catholic homes hit up by LDS missionaries. The fact is (admittedly the last stat I saw on this was 1993), approximately 75% of LDS "converts" were from Christian backgrounds.
IF LDS truly believed that...
(a) ...Catholics/Protestants were Christians;
(b) ...Catholics/Protestants weren't "apostates";
(c) ...Catholics/Protestants were part of the Lord's Church (instead LDS believe IT is the ONE true Church)...
...then we would see a more "refocused" LDS missionary movement...(they would be primarly be targeting those minus Christian ties)...we wouldn't be seeing entire Mormon-published books on a solo topic like the Christian apostasy show up in the nation's largest retail stores...we wouldn't be having BYU profs like Kent Jackson publish harsh-sounding articles in Ensign Magazine in the past 25 years describing Christian churches as apostates...etc.
My claim was regarding Catholicism. I don't care what Mormon's believe. Their faith is a matter of concern for them, not me. I care about their actions. From what I have seen, most appear to live upright and charitable lives. Similarly, it is not for what Muslim's believe that I condemn them, it is for their actions.
I consider "Evangelicals" to be my fellow Christians. I believe that their rejection of Romney, and embrace of Huckabee have bought us eight years of socialist Hell on earth.
“To deny that the LDS Church is not part of Christianity requires you to change the definition used in English.”
“Christianity” is not fundamentally, originally, or primarily an English word.
The fact is that the Christian bodies representing the overwhelming number of Christians in the world do not accept the LDS organization as a Christian body.
And that includes the Catholic Church.
sitetest
“And I don’t think that the Catholic Church would support it one bit.”
The e-mail came from a website that has a whole series of articles on Mormonism from which the substance of the e-mail is drawn. Many of these articles have both the imprimatur and nihil obstat of a Catholic bishop.
This is generally a sign that the material contained within is consonant with authoritative Catholic teaching.
As well, the substance of these articles is consistent with the answer to the dubium to the Vatican cited above.
sitetest
Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recounted in the New Testament.[2]
Pretty much eliminates LDS.
They are not monotheistic and are not centered on the teaching of Jesus but of Joe Smith.
Two questions:
1) Are you religious?
2) Are you part of the "right"?
1) Are you religious?
2) Are you part of the "right"?
Yes & yes. However, I am not a bigot. Are you?
I am religious and am on the right. But I am not a bigot. Doesn’t mean that there are not bigots in the religious right. There appear to be a lot of them, and confirmed by the press reports.
By tortdog's definition, we all are.
Would you vote for a committed Scientologist for president?
If so, then you might not be a bigot, but you would be an idiot?
First, what is your source for the definition of Christianity?
Second, the LDS Church teaches that the Godhead is one and we worship God the Father. We teach that we should worship no other gods then the God of Abraham. Sounds montheistic to me.
Have you ever heard the LDS worship or pray to any other gods?
Second, the LDS Church teaches that the Godhead is one and we worship God the Father. We teach that we should worship no other gods then the God of Abraham. Sounds montheistic to me.
Have you ever heard the LDS worship or pray to any other gods?
Everyone carries their own bigotries.
To deny that you are a bigot is to admit that you are a liar.
Why don’t you tell me how I define bigot?
Hint: consider consulting a dictionary before you answer.
Why don’t you tell me how I define bigot?
Hint: consider consulting a dictionary before you answer.
You are really stretching here. I don’t believe that I am either an idiot or a bigot. But I am certain that both idiots and bigots would reject the label. You and I would both accept the label “conservative.” Next time, maybe we can work together.
I provided you with a definition and you still depute it.
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