"We have almost 19,000 chapels scattered around the world, 53,000 full-time missionaries...
53,000 missionaries? I recall 2 years ago when the Lds church says it had 60,000. Perhaps the economy has pushed a near 12% decline in missionaries.
From the article: "You remember Mr. (Mike) Huckabee (who was also vying to be the Republican candidate for president), who among other things said that Mormons believe that Jesus and the devil were brothers?" Ballard asked students. "Remember that? It went all over the media. "Well they are!" Ballard exclaimed to a laughing student body.
Here, we have an Lds general authority conceding that -- to quote him "Well they are!" in reference to the issue of whether "Jesus and the devil are brothers."
Now in case someone views that this information needs to be suppressed...not let it become aired out...or they think that we are overriding realities in our assessments of Mormonism, Elder Ballard concedes at this fireside chatm adding: "But they (the media and nonmembers) don't understand that, because they don't have the (LDS gospel) restoration. They don't understand the spiritual relationship that ... we are all sons and daughters of God, and that Lucifer was one of those and (that) he chose to use his agency in an unrighteous way."
(And here I recall how so many Mormons were expressing offense over Huckabee's comments...yet a general authority concedes they were true...that either means some Lds don't know what their church teaches, or some Lds were feigning offense when there was none)
From the article: One question that Ballard says reporters frequently ask is "Why aren't Mormons Christian?" He said evangelicals have criticized that church for not being a Christian faith because the LDS Church does not consider the 4th century Nicene Creed as religious doctrine. Rather, it believes in a modern restoration.
#1, this is a pretty simplistic assessment of what the Christian church has said about Mormonism. #2, chronologically the Mormons declared the Christian church was "apostate" long before any comments came out about the Mormon church from Christians.
So the first Q that needs to be raised is to ask Mormons why they don't think Christians are true Christians? And then, why do Mormons want to replace Christians as the only true Christian church? (Lds Doctrine & Covenants 1:30 says the Lds church is "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth"...by implication, Lds condemns then every other church as false & dead...can people then understand why the Christian church just might want to defend ourselves against this kind of charge?
From the article: "(We) explain to (reporters) who our Heavenly Father is, who the Lord Jesus Christ is, and who the Holy Ghost is, as revealed to us through the restoration of the gospel through the prophet Joseph Smith," said Ballard. "It always bothered (reporters) when we would say that we just don't believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was praying to himself when he often prayed to his Heavenly Father for guidance."
Strawman. Mischaracterization of what Christians believe. Christians have not said that Jesus and the Father are the same "Person" or "personality."
I mean, in some cultures & even our own at times, a family is defined more by that name identity than are the individual members of it. It's one family. One unity. If that's true with a tight-knit human family, then imagine how "tight-knit" God can be!
Elder Ballard implies Christians believe in ancient modalism -- meaning that it's the same one "Person" of God revealing Himself thru different modes. In other words, Father God became the Son for 33 years on earth and then became the Holy Ghost. That's modalism. And Christians have long condemned it as a heresy.
I often wonder abut this
He explained that the secretive stigma had to do with church restrictions on who can enter LDS temples.
“The world has no concept of what a temple is ... they see our temples and think our temples are like a cathedral (and because) they can’t go into that cathedral ... therefore we are a secret society.
“We take great joy in explaining to them the purpose of the temple. The temple is not a meetinghouse — the temple is a house dedicated to the Lord where his children come to make sacred covenants.”
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Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
That still doesnt explain it...
And ya know whatelse it odd ???
Jesus didnt build Himself a “temple” in order “to make sacred covenants” (whatever those secret things are)
Jesus went out into the desert and spoke to God..
How many of the mormon profits have walked out into the desert without their expensive air conditioned Cadillacs and fasted for 40 days all alone ???
How many have hugged a guy with AIDS ???
I’m told they all think they are too good to speak to their own mem,bers...
Nobody dare go up and talk to Dallin Hoaxes hes too far above them ..
So what are the “temples” really for ???
Other than outrageously priced real estate representing funds for a rainy “belonging” to the Morg and brought and built with funds scammed out of the gullible members, who go without to give to their lying swinderling masters, “tithes” teeth and all..
"Well they are!" Ballard exclaimed to a laughing student body.
Oh my, and the mormonism apologists worked so hard to cover up their belief on this issue, even claiming their religion doesn't teach this heresy ... yes, heresy, because since Jesus is God that would put Satan prior to the advent of Jesus on earth as a 'brother god'.
Oh! Sorry, not supposed to connect the dots on this cult. I'll get back on the porch now and get out of the way of the big dogs ...
"Well they are!" Ballard exclaimed to a laughing student body.
Oh my, and the mormonism apologists worked so hard to cover up their belief on this issue, even claiming their religion doesn't teach this heresy ... yes, heresy, because since Jesus is God that would put Satan prior to the advent of Jesus on earth as a 'brother god'.
Oh! Sorry, not supposed to connect the dots on this cult. I'll get back on the porch now and get out of the way of the big dogs ...
Imagine the odds. Your Mormon obsession continues.