Posted on 01/28/2010 5:02:59 AM PST by Colofornian
"And they did fall down at the feet of Jesus, and did worship him." (3 Nephi 11:17)
The Old Testament word usually translated as "worship" has a sense of to depress, as in to prostrate, especially in homage to royalty or God; to bow down; to stoop; to fall down flat.
The New Testament word is essentially the same, with the added sense of reverence and adoration.
In English, the word "worship" means to honor or adore as divine or sacred, especially with rituals or ceremonies; to offer prayers to God; to regard with extreme respect, devotion or love; to idolize; to regard or treat a person with honor or respect, specifically, to bow down or salute (Oxford English Dictionary).
There are two aspects of worship. First, there is the more formal sense of worship, such as sacrament meetings, public prayers and temple worship. The second aspect is our own personal attitude of worship. Of course, the two are intimately linked.
Simply sitting in a worship service without a personal attitude of worship is not worship.
It is in this more personal sense that the elements of "to fall down," "to prostrate oneself" or "bow down" become more instructive. Paul, in speaking of spiritual gifts, notes that "so falling down on his face he will worship God" (1 Corinthians 14:25).
Most of the scriptural uses of worship have this sense of personal submission to the divine.
In its deepest sense, worship means the surrender of our will to God's will. We are taught "that the right way is to believe in Christ ... wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul" (2 Nephi 25:29).
The scriptures also admonish us what not to worship. Isaiah teaches that people have turned away from God when their "land is also full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made" (Isaiah 2:8).
President Gordon B. Hinckley captured the highest sense of worship when he taught about the Savior:
"He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I love Him. I speak His name in reverence and wonder. I worship Him as I worship His Father, in spirit and in truth. I thank Him and kneel before His wounded feet and hands and side, amazed at the love He offers me" (Liahona, March 1998).
The LDS have taught, and I was taught as LDS, that we are here on earth in order to gain a body of flesh and bone in order to “progress”, which is what God did:
“Mormon prophets have continuously taught the sublime truth that God the Eternal Father was once a mortal man who passed through a school of earth life similar that through which we are now passing. He became God – an exalted being – through obedience to the same eternal Gosepl truths that we are given opportunity to obey.” - Apostle Milton R. Hunter, The Gospel Through the Ages, p. 104
Spirits cannot be made perfect without a body of flesh and bones. This body and its spirit are brought to immortality and blessings of salvation through the resurrection. … In no other way, other than through birth into this life and the resurrection, can spirits become like our Eternal Father.” - Joseph Fielding Smith, quoted here: http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=ea635ef93e84b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD
So, if it is true that in order to progress to Godhood, a body of flesh and bone is needed (why we are here on earth), then why do 2 of the 3 members of the LDS Godhead violate that?
If Christ was part of the Godhead prior to His incarnation (Matthew 1:23 and Hebrews 10:5) then he became a God prior to having a body of flesh and bone. This is also taught in the Endowment ceremony.
Furthermore, if progression is an ETERNAL principle (see above) how has one person of the Godhead (the Holy Spirit) attained Godhood without getting a body (Acts 5:3,4)?
Teppe, I was seeking the truth, which is how I discovered the fraud of the LDS church and exactly WHY I finally became a Christian as opposed to a Mormon. The LDS Church is the distortion.
Does 3 Nephi 19 violate Christ’s teachings?
Does Acts 7:59 violate Christ’s teachings?
How can “every instance” somehow leave out these passages?
What? Have you taken scissors to these references & they’re no longer part of your ‘quad’?
- - - - - - - -
The new LDS party line is probably “The Book of Mormon isn’t ‘translated correctly’” :)
That is our Standard Excuse and it serves us well.)Whi got Mary pregnant in the LITERAL, normal way!
If you were a 'true' MORMON; I suspect you'd follow D&C 132 instead of what the US Government told you to do.
And TWO of them have PHYSICAL bodies!!
I seem to recall a story about some dude that tried quoting Scripture: to CHRIST!
Things won't work out for him too well in the future, I fear, even though LDSism considers him to be Christ's BROTHER!
And that same “brother” was cast out of heaven for wanting to EXALT himself to the level of GOD (just like the LDS).
Make you wonder who they REALLY follow, is certainly isn’t the Jesus of the Bible.
Jesus died for me, too. I worship, love and adore the Savior and our Heavenly Father. The Holy Ghost causes my heart to swell with love and adoration for Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I don’t know why this is controversial.
P.S. I’m a Mormon.
Trusting in and following a fictitious Christ will result in a fictitious salvation, no matter how sincere one may be.
Sandy you repeat the same lines over and over, I asked you once if you just cut and paste or is this memorized?
And in this case what is the repetitive statement in reference to?
“PUTTING THE NAME JESUS CHRIST IN THE NAME OF YOUR CHURCH DOES NOT MAKE YOU A CHRISTIAN ANY MORE THAN PUTTING ‘AUTO REPAIRS’ ON THE SIDE OF YOUR GARAGE MAKES YOU A MECHANIC!!!!”
Hey chill! I think we just proved just one of the inconsistencies of LDS.
I personally think that it is a false, pagan religion that came from the mouth of a demon!
LOL. I wasn’t shouting at you, I was shouting at all the LDS who use that argument.
I used it too when I was LDS but I was very young then, now it is just the lamest argument they make, but also the most common.
You keep cutting and pasting the same statement. interesting.
No Christian here would (or ever has) said that Jesus DIDN”T die for you. In fact, we have consistently said just the opposite, the Christ DID die for you.
However, the LDS do not put their faith in Christ alone. They put their faith in the LDS Church and their rites and rituals instead. Many believe, as the leaders have taught, “there is no salvation outside the LDS church”.
Is that worship? Yes. It is worship of a man made institution. The LDS joyfully sing “Praise to the Man”, referring to Joseph Smith. No Christian would ever sing a song like that! Ever.
Saundra, “warm fuzzies” is not “Worship”. Worship is much more akin to Thomas’ statement to Jesus, “MY LORD AND MY GOD!” It is falling down in awe and recognizing that we could NEVER be worthy in any way if it were not for the shedding of Christ’s blood on the Cross.
When I was LDS, and other LDS and ex-LDS have confirmed it, “worship” was the feeling of a “burning in the bosom” and of quiet reverence that permeates LDS meetings.
That is NOT worship. The LDS (and unfortunately many Christians) actually DISTANCE themselves from God by sitting in their meetings puffed up with pride thinking they are being so “reverent”.
Worship, REAL worship, is TOTAL abandonment to the Triune God, it is getting “lost” in worship. Praising Him and relating to Him in joy without concern how others may see it. It is like David dancing before the Ark of the Covenant. THAT is worship. Worship is SACRED, A feast, joy and total abject humility before an Omnipotent God.
There is NO Way the LDS can understand that kind of Worship, because they do not understand God or Jesus Christ or The ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Saundra, if you REALLY love Jesus, you would leave the LDS church and come to HIM alone to save you. You would abandon those things that keep you from Him such as false temple rituals stolen from the Masons, “extra scripture” that are easily disproven, a worship of Prophets and Apostles and of Joseph Smith and instead come to a very personal, very real RELATIONSHIP with Jesus Christ.
PLEASE Read this book called “born again Mormon” (it’s free):
www.bornagainmormon.com
Here is a song by a contemporary worship leader named Matt Redman:
We come to your mountain
The hill of the Lord we would ascend
And journey into your holy place
To feast in your presence
And bring our devotions to you, God
We come as a kingdom of your priests
We’re climbing up the mountain of the Lord
Towards your holy place
And every step is praise
Encountering the glory of your name
Your throne of holiness
The wonders of your grace
Come, come let us worship
Come let us recognize what a sacred thing we do
Come, let us bow down
God, as we bring our hearts
Let them please the heart of you
We enter your santuary
To minister at your holy throne
Where thousands of angels joyfully sing
And I agree with you on the demon part.
True worship involves being broken. Only once we have been broken in spirit can we see the majesty of God and the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross.
Sweetly broken - Jeremy Riddle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExLyUlj2uns
To the cross I look, to the cross I cling
Of its suffering I do drink
Of its work I do sing
For on it my Savior both bruised and crushed
Showed that God is love
And God is just
Chorus:
At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
What a priceless gift, undeserved life
Have I been given
Through Christ crucified
You’ve called me out of death
You’ve called me into life
And I was under Your wrath
Now through the cross I’m reconciled
Chorus:
In awe of the cross I must confess
How wondrous Your redeeming love and
How great is Your faithfulness
(2x’s)
Chorus:
Yes, we know, but your posts sound so CHRISTIAN!
How do you manage to avoid the obvious theological conundrums of MORMONism messing with your mind?
SURE you do!
You KNOW that the FACT that MORMONism claims that the FATHER has a physical body is directly opposite of thousands of years of Judeo-Christian teachings.
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