Mormons and Catholics blend unite in Christmas program on Mesa Arizona Temple grounds

LDS Church News ^ | Dec. 15, 2009 | Mark Sullivan

[Colofornian]

Twelve years ago, the president of the Gilbert Arizona Stake thought that the Gilbert community would be benefited and community relationships strengthened if his stake and the local parish of the Catholic Church could interact and build a bridge of friendship using an interest common to both, music.

The first three years of this relationship saw each congregation prepare separate choral numbers and sing at the other's building. After shedding concerns and apprehensions, the choir directors for the parish and the stake combined their efforts to create a joint choir comprised of both faiths. They chose to prepare numbers to sing during the Christmas season to emphasize their common beliefs and values. One performance would be held at St. Anne's Catholic Church and the other at the Mesa Arizona Temple during the annual Christmas lights display.

For the past nine years, this tradition and relationship has flourished. The combined choir has evolved to include a bell choir and small ensemble to add to the full complement beautiful music to celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The bells used by the choir are loaned to them by St. Anne's Parish while the rehearsals take place at the Gilbert Arizona Stake Center.

The choir concluded this year's event by singing outside the Mesa Arizona Temple Visitors Center, Sunday evening, Dec. 13. Under direction of Jan Gilyeat, the musical numbers included Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus," the "Carol of the Bells," the latter of which had the bell choir as its accompaniment. The concert concluded with the choir's annual finale of "Peace, Peace," which symbolizes the choir's effort to bring peace and harmony to the Gilbert community regardless of religious affiliation.

As a result of this endeavor, a greater understanding and acceptance of each community has taken place. Friendships have been shaped and other joint community service projects have arisen.

[Colofornian]

Well, I'm all for spending time together...
...building friendships,
...service projects? (oh sure),
...Catholics inviting Mormons over for Christmas parties and vise versa...
...but...
"Welcome to the RoMorman Catholic Church" anyone?

[I guess my thought is, "Hey, this is a worship service, after all..."
"...a worship service in in which Lds acknowledge the jesus christ whose a 'saved being' -- someone they believed needing 'saving' before advancing to Saviorhood..." (not the Christ of the Bible at all);
"...so I guess I have to ask, how can Catholics directly worship Jesus alongside some Mormons who may not? (Note: I do not know these Mesa Mormons at all; but SOME Mormons -- not all -- follow the Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie's admonition on this):

We do not worship the Son, and we do not worship the Holy Ghost. I know perfectly well what the scriptures say about worshipping Christ and Jehovah, but they are speaking in an entirely different sense--the sense of standing in awe and being reverentially grateful to him who has redeemed us. Worship in the true and saving sense is reserved for God the first, the Creator. (March 2, 1982, BYU devotional, "Our Relationship With the Lord").]

Beyond that, Lds leaders like apostle Orson Pratt, brother to Mitt Romney's ancestor, have come a long way in the past 150 years: "Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the 'whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent" (Not that any Lds leaders have ever apologized for Pratt's writings in The Seer -- this comment from p. 255).

[Nosterrex]

What in the Hell is wrong with these people?

[reaganaut]

bttt

[Elsie]

What in the Hell is wrong with these people?

Which ones?

The ones that say that THEIR organization is the ONLY one that has AUTHORITY on earth?

Oh... Wait...

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The ones that say "We put the Bible together" or the ones that say, "Your bible ain't complete."

[Elsie]

Too bad that all them MORMONs who took part in this will be losing their Temple Recommends!

(Unless there's been YARFG that the Sustain and Support thing has been removed.)

[Nosterrex]

Let me be clear. I found the Mormons to be very nice people, but the theological differences between Roman Catholics and Mormons is huge. Anything that would give the impression that there is theological agreement would be deceiving the people.

[Elsie]

Amen!

Anything that would give the impression that there is theological agreement would be deceiving the people.

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Romans 16:17
   I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

 

 

1 Corinthians 4:17
   For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.

 

 

1 Corinthians 11:2
 2.  I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings,  just as I passed them on to you.

 

 

Ephesians 4:14-15
 14.  Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
 15.  Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

 

 

2 Thessalonians 2:15
   So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings  we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.

 

 

2 Thessalonians 3:6
  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching  you received from us.

 

 

1 Timothy 1:3-4
 3.  As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer
 4.  nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work--which is by faith.

 

 

1 Timothy 2:7
   And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle--I am telling the truth, I am not lying--and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.

 

 

1 Timothy 4:1-2
 1.  The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
 2.  Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

 

 

1 Timothy 4:6
   If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

 

 

1 Timothy 4:11
  Command and teach these things.

 

 

1 Timothy 6:3-5
 3.  If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching,
 4.  he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions 
 5.  and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

 

 

 2 Timothy 1:13
  What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.

 

 

 2 Timothy 2:15-17
 15.  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
 16.  Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
 17.  Their teaching will spread like gangrene.

 

 

2 Timothy 3:16-17
 16.  All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
 17.  so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

 

 

 2 Timothy 4:3-4
  3.  For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
  4.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

 

 

Titus 1:11
   They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach--and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

 

 

Titus 2:1
  You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

 

 

Titus 2:15
  These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

 

 

 Hebrews 13:9
 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.

 

 

 2 Peter 2:1-3
 1.  But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them--bringing swift destruction on themselves.
 2.  Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
 3.  In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

 

 

2 John 1:10
  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.

[Gamecock]

What in the Hell is wrong with these people?

The Catholics or the Mormons?

[reaganaut]

he theological differences between Roman Catholics and Mormons is huge. Anything that would give the impression that there is theological agreement would be deceiving the people.

- - - - - - - -
Agreed. Like Black and White huge.

[reaganaut]

I don’t get what is behind this. The LDS think the Catholics are the “whore of babylon” or the “great and abominable Church” and the Catholics do not accept LDS baptism if someone wants to convert to the RC Church.

Sounds like misdirected ecumenism on the part of the Catholics and another “we are Christians, too!” tactic on the part of the LDS.

Although, I bet the music is great.