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Abominable Creed
Mormon Coffee ^ | September 7, 2007 | Sharon Lindbloom

Posted on 05/26/2008 3:47:41 PM PDT by delacoert

One of the oldest Christian creeds known today is the Apostles’ Creed. The Apostles of the early church didn’t formulate the creed; rather, the Apostles’ Creed, compiled later, is comprised of a brief summary of the Apostles’ teachings. This creed, as well as other Christian creeds, is sometimes recited as a formal statement of belief. The Apostles’ Creed reads,

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.

Mormonism is an anti-creedal system of belief. Joseph Smith, Mormonism’s first prophet, began the formulation of his church based on a claimed vision and command from God the Father and Jesus Christ. According to the canonized account of Joseph’s First Vision, when the two Divine Personages appeared to Joseph he asked them which Christian church was correct, which one he should join. Joseph said,

An “abomination” is defined in the dictionary as “a thing that causes disgust, hatred or loathing.”

My question is, specifically what teachings in the Apostles’ Creed do Mormons think God finds loathsome or disgusting? Don’t Mormons claim to also believe all the points of the Apostles’ Creed?

LDS author Stephen Robinson says they do. In 1997 he co-wrote a book in which he endeavored to promote a better understanding among evangelicals regarding some key doctrinal issues of Mormonism. Dr. Robinson, then a BYU professor, claimed he was “fairly representative of contemporary LDS orthodoxy. I am not aware of any rift between myself and Joseph Smith, Brigham Young or Gordon B. Hinckley…” Given that, Dr. Robinson’s remark about the Apostles’ Creed was surprising. He said,

“I should probably make exception here for the Apostles’ Creed, which Latter-day Saints could affirm if allowed to define ‘holy catholic church’ as ‘true Christianity,’ as I believe Evangelicals also define it.” (How Wide the Divide, 219, fn. #8)

So help me understand this. According to Mormonism, is the Apostles’ Creed an abomination to God or isn’t it? And if it is, how could–and why would–Latter-day Saints affirm it?


TOPICS: Theology
KEYWORDS: creeds; lds
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To: Tennessee Nana

Me, too, Nana.


21 posted on 05/26/2008 5:24:35 PM PDT by Marysecretary (.GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL)
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To: Petronski

catholic, small c, means universal. It does NOT mean the Roman Catholic church. I thought you knew the difference.


22 posted on 05/26/2008 5:25:26 PM PDT by Marysecretary (.GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL)
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To: Godzilla

They don’t believe that Jesus is God. They view “Lord” differently than Christians do. This is why Christians are called Christians - they believe that Jesus is A full member of the God-head (an old fashioned term for the Trinity).

So, like Islam, United Pentecostals, and several other religions with millions of members in America, they don’t believe in the Trinity.

Also, Mormonism’s temple ceremonies are borrowed from freemasonry. Mormonism is a religion constructed by men (albeit slightly less obvious to th e initiate than scientology).


23 posted on 05/26/2008 5:26:08 PM PDT by BereanBrain
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To: dayglored

You’re right. It does mean universal.


24 posted on 05/26/2008 5:27:53 PM PDT by Marysecretary (.GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL)
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To: greyfoxx39

Add me too, please.


25 posted on 05/26/2008 5:32:25 PM PDT by colorcountry (To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: colorcountry

Done!


26 posted on 05/26/2008 5:33:24 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Protected species legislation enacted May 2008.)
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To: Godzilla
So just what is so abominal if mormons say they believe nearly all of it?

It isn't what is IN it that's the problem with mormons, it's what ISN'T in it.

You left out the three degrees of "exaltation", the restoration of the gospel by giving the priesthood "authority" along with the "keys" to Joseph Smith, the baptism for the dead, the "celestial" marriage which is for eternity, (and polygamous after death), the sacred temple rites that are secret, the sacred garments, the "word of wisdom" that prohibits cofee and tea, the return of Jesus to Missouri, Adam God....and on...and on....ESPECIALLY, "you are saved AFTER ALL YOU CAN DO"...no saving by grace alone.

THAT is what is abominable.

27 posted on 05/26/2008 5:42:37 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Protected species legislation enacted May 2008.)
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To: BereanBrain
They don’t believe that Jesus is God.

You would have caught that I agree with you, read the post a little slower. However, for a group that wants to claim so strongly that they are Christian and by their usage of words of Christianity, they shouldn't have a problem with the creed. But you are correct, they recognize the true definitions behind the words of the creed - therefore they must reject it a priori.

28 posted on 05/26/2008 5:43:59 PM PDT by Godzilla (Decaffeinated coffee is like faith without works.)
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To: greyfoxx39; Utah Binger
This is absolutely hillarious. Have you seen it. I had to laugh because my home town in prominently featured, as is the town I currently live in.

WARNING - DO NOT view unless you have a sense of humor.

What Celebrities Would Look Like If They Moved To Utah.

29 posted on 05/26/2008 5:46:13 PM PDT by colorcountry (To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: GourmetDan

1 Paul, an aapostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;)
2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:
3 Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,
4 Who agave himself for our sins, that he might bdeliver us from this present evil world, according to the cwill of God and our Father:
5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
6 I marvel that ye are so soon aremoved from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another bgospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that atrouble you, and would bpervert the cgospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an aangel from heaven, preach any bother cgospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be daccursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other agospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be baccursed.
10 For do I now apersuade men, or God? or do I seek to bplease men? for if I yet cpleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11 But I acertify you, brethren, that the gospel which was bpreached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it aof man, neither was I taught it, but bby the crevelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For ye have heard of my aconversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I bpersecuted the church of God, and cwasted it:
14 And aprofited in the Jews’ religion above many bmy equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly czealous of the dtraditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his agrace,
16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the aheathen; immediately I conferred not with bflesh and blood:
17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to aJerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
19 But other of the aapostles saw I none, save bJames the Lord’s cbrother.
20 Now the things which I awrite unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.
21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia;
22 And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ:
23 But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.
24 And they glorified God in me.


30 posted on 05/26/2008 5:47:30 PM PDT by BlueMoose
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To: Godzilla

I agree - it depends on the meaning you pour into the words “Lord”.

Interesting though that most Christians think that the Trinity is impossible to understand....I guess pastors are just tickling people’s ears rather than teaching doctrine nowadays.

When I hear people say you can’t comprehend the Trinity, I refer them to Romans 1:20......


31 posted on 05/26/2008 5:47:30 PM PDT by BereanBrain
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To: colorcountry

ROTFL....Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise!!! LOL.


32 posted on 05/26/2008 5:49:15 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Protected species legislation enacted May 2008.)
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To: greyfoxx39

The photoshopper did a great job. I wish I was that talented, it would be fun. They actually look like people I know.


33 posted on 05/26/2008 5:52:21 PM PDT by colorcountry (To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: colorcountry

Carmen really did.


34 posted on 05/26/2008 5:54:06 PM PDT by greyfoxx39 (Protected species legislation enacted May 2008.)
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To: delacoert

LDS have always found the Apostles’ Creed closes to the belief!

You might to know that Apostles’ Creed is no longer acceptable on the http://christianforums.com/

Only the Nicene Creed


35 posted on 05/26/2008 5:55:24 PM PDT by restornu ( Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1 John 11)
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To: delacoert

Another creed ALL Christians should memorize.

To be honest, I havent memorized them yet.


36 posted on 05/26/2008 6:16:05 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar
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To: delacoert; All
Mormonism is an anti-creedal system of belief.

Yes and no:

Yes, in that it has opposed historic Christianity, thereby rejecting the faith of the early church.

No, in that all Joseph Smith & Co. did was to set up their own new creedal system which they called "The Articles of Faith." (which they changed even within what was their own original article, by the way)

37 posted on 05/26/2008 6:35:40 PM PDT by Colofornian (As the fLDS is now, the LDS once was. As the fLDS is now, the LDS will become)
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To: delacoert; All
So help me understand this. According to Mormonism, is the Apostles’ Creed an abomination to God or isn’t it?

According to Joseph Smith's "first vision" pronouncements which ensuing Mormon generations canonized as LDS "Scripture," it has to reject The Apostles Creed as an "abomination" according to its lead "personage."

And if it is, how could–and why would–Latter-day Saints affirm it?

Pure PRism. LDS are often split as wanting to appear unoffensive vs. realizing that their very foundation is built upon the alleged graveyard that Joseph Smith built for Christianity. No Christian graveyard, no Mormon restoration necessary.

So often LDS are torn between building the case for the supposed graveyard vs. trying to appear accepting & tolerant.

38 posted on 05/26/2008 7:06:22 PM PDT by Colofornian (As the fLDS is now, the LDS once was. As the fLDS is now, the LDS will become)
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To: colorcountry

My neighbors!!! You better quit makin fun uf thum you beegut.


39 posted on 05/26/2008 7:10:48 PM PDT by Utah Binger (Southern Utah, where you go to forget the way to San Jose)
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To: BereanBrain

I prefer John 17. :-)


40 posted on 05/26/2008 7:16:33 PM PDT by TheDon
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