Posted on 08/15/2010 2:44:17 PM PDT by greyfoxx39
One of the noteworthy examples of the Latter-day Saint commitment to treasure up true principles and cultivate affirmative gratitude is the admiration that Church leaders have expressed over the years for the spiritual contributions of Muhammad.
As early as 1855, at a time when Christian literature generally ridiculed Muhammad as the Antichrist and the archenemy of Western civilization, Elders George A. Smith (1817–75) and Parley P. Pratt (1807–57) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles delivered lengthy sermons demonstrating an accurate and balanced understanding of Islamic history and speaking highly of Muhammad’s leadership. Elder Smith observed that Muhammad was “descended from Abraham and was no doubt raised up by God on purpose” to preach against idolatry. He sympathized with the plight of Muslims, who, like Latter-day Saints, found it difficult “to get an honest history” written about them. Speaking next, Elder Pratt went on to express his admiration for Muhammad’s teachings, asserting that “upon the whole, … [Muslims] have better morals and better institutions than many Christian nations.” 9
Latter-day Saint appreciation of Muhammad’s role in history can also be found in the 1978 First Presidency statement regarding God’s love for all mankind. This declaration specifically mentions Muhammad as one of “the great religious leaders of the world” who received “a portion of God’s light” and affirms that “moral truths were given to [these leaders] by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals.” 10
In recent years, respect for the spiritual legacy of Muhammad and for the religious values of the Islamic community has led to increasing contact and cooperation between Latter-day Saints and Muslims around the world. This is due in part to the presence of Latter-day Saint congregations in areas such as the Levant, North Africa, the Persian Gulf, and Southeast Asia. The Church has sought to respect Islamic laws and traditions that prohibit conversion of Muslims to other faiths by adopting a policy of nonproselyting in Islamic countries of the Middle East. Yet examples of dialogue and cooperation abound, including visits of Muslim dignitaries at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City; Muslim use of Church canning facilities to produce halal (ritually clean) food products; Church humanitarian aid and disaster relief sent to predominantly Muslim areas including Jordan, Kosovo, and Turkey; academic agreements between Brigham Young University and various educational and governmental institutions in the Islamic world; the existence of the Muslim Student Association at BYU; and expanding collaboration between the Church and Islamic organizations to safeguard traditional family values worldwide. 11 The recent initiation of the Islamic Translation Series, cosponsored by BYU and the Church, has resulted in several significant exchanges between Muslim officials and Latter-day Saint Church leaders. A Muslim ambassador to the United Nations predicted that this translation series “will play a positive role in the West’s quest for a better understanding of Islam.” 12
A cabinet minister in Egypt, aware of the common ground shared by Muslims and Latter-day Saints, once remarked to Elder Howard W. Hunter of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that “if a bridge is ever built between Christianity and Islam it must be built by the Mormon Church.” 13 The examples of Latter-day Saint–Muslim interaction mentioned above, together with the Church’s establishment in 1989 of two major centers for educational and cultural exchange in the Middle East (Jerusalem and Amman), reflect the traditional attitude of respect for Islam that Church leaders have exhibited from earliest times. These activities represent tangible evidence of Latter-day Saint commitment to promote greater understanding of the Muslim world and witness an emerging role for the Church in helping to bridge the gap that has existed historically between Muslims and Christians.
“Neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man in the Lord”
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The Prophet Joseph Smith explained that this continuation of “the seeds” forever and ever, meant the power of procreation; in other words, the power to beget spirit children on the same principle as we were born to our Heavenly Parents, God the Eternal Father and our Eternal Mother. Therefore, a man cannot receive the highest exaltation without a woman, his wife, nor can a woman be exalted without her husband. That is the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the plan of salvation.
(Milton R. Hunter, LDS Conference Report, April 1949, p.71)
OK Norm
1. Do women pull their husbands through the veil in the temp[le ordinances ???
2. Do women get the seret name of their husband(s) so they can call them out of the grave ???
3. Do women belong to the Mormon Malcheezenick group or the mormon pesthood ???
4. Do women go to the secret pesthood holders meetings ???
5. can women have their own planet complete with lots of young “husbands” ???
Hmmmm, are yo now claiming that Jesus was married in a temple.
Well here it is after recess and no teacher...
Maybe we need a sub...
“So from official lds teaching sources you are not correct - Any man or any woman who is faithful to the Lord and obeys the gospel are assured of exaltation - is not the truth”
I’m not sure how you come to this conclusion, Godzilla. That is not what we believe.
We believe that anyone who is faithful to God and obeys the gospel will be exalted. If there are circumstances outside that person’s control that prevent them from receiving all the ordinances of gospel (e.g. being sealed to a faithful spouse) in this life, they will not be denied by God any blessing they were deserving of.
God is a merciful and compassionate judge and will not penalize a person for something they were not responsible for.
Apparently lds ...... placemark
Cite for me from your doctrines justification for this belief. I've cited mormon sources to the contrary norm, that's how I came to this conclusion.
God is a merciful and compassionate judge and will not penalize a person for something they were not responsible for.
Again, prove it to me from your doctrine sources, it is not what I read in them.
If there are circumstances outside that person’s control that prevent them from receiving all the ordinances of gospel (e.g. being sealed to a faithful spouse) in this life, they will not be denied by God any blessing they were deserving of.
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So even though Joey Smith committede adultery 40+ times and cheated on Emma like a dog
so that Emma was not sealed to a FAITHFUL SPOUSE, she “will not be denied by God any blessing (she was) were deserving of.”...
OK good for Emma..
“circumstances outside that person’s control”
we know that Emma did her best to stop Joey Smith from philandering, because he abused her and threatened her life for trying to stop him
D&C 132
So the mormon god will bless Emma...
Its a good thing...
Hi Godzilla,
Check out Doctrine and Covenants section 137:
http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/137/
Normandy
How was Alvin Celestialized when he hadn’t received the Temple ordinances. And if you can acheive the Celestial Kingdom without your saving ordinances - then why does anyone take the time and effort to do them?
Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., Doctrines of Salvation, Vol.2, p.44:
Parents will have eternal claim upon their posterity and will have the gift of eternal increase, if they obtain the exaltation. This is the crowning glory in the kingdom of God, and they will have no end. When the Lord says they will have no end, he means that all who attain to this glory will have the blessing of the continuation of the “seeds” forever. Those who fail to obtain this blessing come to the “deaths,” which means that they will have no increase, forever. All who obtain this exaltation will have the privilege of completing the full measure of their existence, and they will have a posterity that will be as innumerable as the stars of heaven.
If you want salvation in the fullest, that is exaltation in the kingdom of God, so that you may become his sons and his daughters, you have got to go into the temple of the Lord and receive these holy ordinances which belong to that house, which cannot be had elsewhere.
Hi CC,
That’s the whole purpose of temple ordinances, to make the blessings of the gospel available to all.
This vision was of the future — Joseph Smith’s parents who he mentions seeing in vision in the celestial kingdom — were alive on earth at the time of this revelation.
The vision was given before the principles of baptism for the dead were revealed by the Lord — which no doubt was why Joseph Smith reports that he “marveled”, not understand how Alvin could be there without having been baptized on earth.
Best,
Normandy
Agreed, TN, and if you are not able to receive them while in this life, they will need to be performed for you by proxy in the temple.
Norm-
All you’ve done is point out the doctrine of ‘salvation’ for the dead and children. These are in contradiction to what you’ve already been saying - it has no bearing of a mormon wife of a gentile husband, nor single man, nor single woman.
Further you stated all those who are faithful to the gospel will be exalted - 137 address those without knowledge of the gospel.
I think you need to reevaluate your foundational principles. Mormonism (and you admit) requires that you perform specified works here to be exalted, one of which is marriage and sealing in the temple. Next you tell me that those things are not required, but that God is nice and will not penalize them. Yet your own doctrine is quite explicit in that God cannot save them in their sins - especially if they die in sin. Further there is nothing for single women or men - its got to be both or nothing.
You also ignore D&C 132, just a few sections before norm, which states -
“. . . he that abideth not this law (polygamy) can in no wise enter into my glory, but shall be damned, saith the Lord.” (D & C, 132:27)
“Go ye, therefore, and do the works of Abraham; enter ye into my law (polygamy) and ye shall be saved.” (D & C, 132:32)
It is not just one wife, but many that are required.
As I said before, other mormon leaders repudate your statements -
“If one is going to be . . . where God dwells in all his glory, one will be there as a husband or a wife and not otherwise. Regardless of his virtues, the single person, or the one married for this life only, cannot be exalted.” (S. W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 245)
Now, I believe it is safe to assume that Kimball is well versed in mormon doctrine and would have been able to articulate if single mormons could be exalted - in his broader understanding of mormon doctrine the answer is no.
So once again, who should I believe, Kimball or you on this point?
Obviously Joseph Smith took too many magic mushrooms, or was crazy enough to hallucinate....maybe his rye bread was a bit moldy.
Joseph Smith was a character that believed that anything he "wished" for would be granted in some way by his heavenly father. He wanted eternal life for Alvin....Voila! the Temple ordinance. He wanted to have sex with women other than his wife...Voila! Eternal marriage.
The sad part is his lies are as old as Satan. The Bible warns us about him.
HEY !!! Norm !!!
Joseph Fielding Smith denied dead dunking..
Aint nobody can go for you.
(Joseph F Smith)
HEY !!! Norm !!!
While you’re waiting for FAITR, FARMS or lsd .org to get back to you with the cut and paste
and/or
tryinbg to come up with something else to try and trump me...
Heres what the LORD Jesus Christ of the Chrsitian bible says about becoming sons of God...
“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” John 1:12:
“For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:26
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