I’m a Latter Day Saint. It would literally take me most of the day to reply to the many misconceptions about my faith posted here. There are a lot of things that have been said that are partial truths, but you truly don’t have the whole picture. I’m just saying-—be careful with what you proclaim to be fact-—OK?
Let me tackle one thing I saw: Jesus is satan’s brother. That is ONLY phrased that way because we believe we are all spiritual brothers and sisters.
Most Christian faiths believe in a triune God-—that God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are all one being. We believe they are one in spirit and purpose-—and divinity—but that they are separate entities. In other words, we believe that Heavenly FAther is truly the father of us all——and that Jesus is his son-——as was Satan. Obviously, one rules in heaven and one resides in hell——one we worship-—one we despise.
With Jesus literally the divine son of Heavenly Father, scriptures like John 5:19 and John 17:22 make sense: “The Son can do nothing but what he seeth the Father do......and the glory that thou gavest me, I have given to them; that they may be one—— as we are one.” In other words, one is purpose but not mysteriously all one being in three parts.
It might surprise you to learn that the concept of the Trinity did not come about until 300 years after Jesus died and it was adopted by the Council of Nicea thru the Catholic church.
The main point, however, that I want to make is that I have a personal relationship with my Savior-—and I’m sure Beck does as well. All you who would condemn us to hell——might it not be better if you allow GOD to be the judge of that?
I’ve always marveled at folks who feel worthy enough to decide where they think my soul or anyone else’s soul is going to spend eternity. The scriptures are clear on that one too: “Judge not, that ye be not judged. “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Thank you for that post. I am not LDS. I have attended the United Methodist Church for the last 20 years and pretty heavily involved. Before that I attended the Presbyterian church, and before that, Southern Baptist. I am certain that there are core doctrines within each of those denominations with which I disagree, but the core belief of Jesus as Savior of the world, by grace, for those who believe in Him, is central in all. I don’t know much about the LDS except what I see by its members and how they live their lives, and that speaks highly of them, IMO. I choose not to believe the worst about people or organizations until I see it demonstrated, and I try to keep in the forefront of my beliefs that what I believe I believe by FAITH, and faith recognizes, by its very nature that it cannot be proven and ought not be dogmatic. Not sure where I am going with this, except that those of us who do believe in God and His Son need to come together, while recognizing our differences, embracing our common beliefs.
Time to get my Sunday School lesson together. Later.
I'm also a Latter Day Saint, though of the Community of Christ variety. We don't speak the phrase "Jesus is Satan's brother", although we are familiar with the scriptural statements upon which that idea is based. Here are two of those statements, as printed in our canon of scripture:
from Community of Christ Doctrine and Covenants 76:3i-m (revealed in 1832):
And this we saw also, and bear record, that an angel of God, who was in authority in the presence of God, who rebelled against the only begotten Son; whom the Father loved, and who was in the bosom of the Father; and was thrust down from the presence of God and the Son, and was called Perdition; for the heavens wept over him; he was Lucifer, a son of the morning. And we beheld, and lo, he is fallen! is fallen! even a son of the morning. And while we were yet in the Spirit, the Lord commanded us that we should write the vision; for we beheld Satan, that old serpent, even the Devil, who rebelled against God, and sought to take the kingdom of our God and his Christ; wherefore he maketh war with the saints of God, and encompasses them them round about. And we saw a vision of the sufferings of those with whom he made war and overcame ...
from Community of Christ Inspired Version, Genesis 3:1-5:
And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying, That Satan whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning; and he came before me, saying, Behold I, send me, I will be thy Son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore, give me thine honor. But behold, my beloved Son, which was my beloved and chosen from the beginning, said unto me: Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever. Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him; and also that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten I caused that he should be cast down; and he became Satan. Yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive, and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.
The words in bold type demonstrate that Jesus and Satan were never on an equal standing before God the Father. The statement "Jesus is Satan's brother" is only true in a most general sense, as you pointed out: "we are all spiritual brothers and sisters". The statement "Jesus is Satan's brother" is not a direct quote from any Latter Day Saint scripture. Those who hate everything about the Latter Day Saint movement love to quote that statement as being scriptural, when it is not.