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.
Hey where are you ???
Out feeding the goats or sumping ???
We’ll never get to the number at the rate youre going...
:)
28 to go...
You’ve a wide open shot at it, as no one else seems to be posting here right now!
Its lonely at the top
624
Tell me!
He speaks in amazingly deep Hebraic metaphors and chooses his words carefully, purposefully and specifically.
But you have to understand his writings in context. Who is his audience? What is his mission?
Let's start with: Isaiah 43
Read the entire verse. What is the context? Who is the audience? What is Isaiah's specific mission?
Who is Jacob? Who is Israel? Who is Isaiah addressing?
Next read: Isaiah 44
Ask and answer the same questions as above.
Now take a careful look at Isaiah 45
To whom is Isaiah speaking? To whom is this tract addressed? Why? What's the message?
Once you've digested this let's continue on clarifying Isaiah's critical message.
If you can't be upfront about who you are and where you practice your faith then why should we even begin to learn from you. How are we to trust the answers?
Otherwise you are just playing games.
Which by the way we are quite used to from folks like you.
So be different, be the honest one.
We don’t even have that much honesty from this one.
Isa 43:1010“You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.
Isaiah 44: 6-23 God is telling Israel He alone is the True God and what others worship are false gods.
Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:8* Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.
And Isa 45 God is declaring He is Sovereign over Israel as the only True God with no equal and promising Israel a return to the land.
Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:
Isa 45:14* Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
Isa 45:21* Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.
Wonderful selections indicating that God is the One and ONLY God in the past, present and future. A powerful statement of God who is over all.
Doubt you have the skills to explain the context any better - particularly since you didn't to begin with.
One must have a grasp of the context themselves BEFORE challenging others on the context. Our dear little friend still hasn’t realized that yet. And for one who claimed to be a fundamentalist Christian, clearly needs more bible time.
I left it off in humility. I didn’t want you to think I was proud. ;-]
If one believes Joe is a real honest to goodness prophet of god, as well as believing that LDS doctrine is true THEY HAVE TO BE LDS, PERIOD.
Smith clearly tells the world that through the word of god, the Latter Day Saints ARE THE ONLY TRUE CHURCH.
So if one believes all that and is not LDS or is unwilling to admit they do not have the courage of their own convictions or worse are dishonest and deceitful even beyond the actions of the average LDS apologist.
Either way neither of this action is one one a person even remotely meriting the title of Christian, and it fully undermines their creditability on ANYTHING beyond repair.
At best I will expect some cute coy yet non answer response to further prove my point...
MATTHEW, CHAPTER 16
13. When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
14. And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; some Elijah; others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."
15. He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16. And Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God "
17. And Jesus responded, "Simon, son of Jonah, blessed are you, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father which is in heaven."
You needn't ask me as the Bible is clear. Christ's own words state it.
NB: there is an apparent conflict here between what we read in Isaiah 43, 44, & 45 (addressed not to Israel, but to Cyrus as posted earlier by Godzilla.
This very conflict is noted by the Jews and Pharisees. It is the reason Jesus is arrested for blasphemy (attested as treason to the Romans). Jesus' own words are clear, though. He himself knew he was the Son of the living God (His Father in heaven).
Fascinating stuff.
Now comes the post-Ascension world in which the Jews are aggressively pursuing the Jewish cult of Christianity to the point of killing dissenters (heretics - note this theme continues and picks up when Christianity goes mainstream as the official religion of Rome (who uses murder as a tool of policy - Christians or...?).
Greek philosophy also attacked this same theme as polytheistic and a return to archaic thinking. Ideal things are spiritual, not physical. The Resurrection, Jesus' deification, etc. all were contrary to the pop philosophy of the day as well as Jewish tradition.
Early Christians accepted that there were more than one God. As Christianity got hi-jacked that had to be reconciled with Greek philosophy - hence the creation of the Trinity, which used an enforced monotheism - acceptable to all parties in power.
Can Matthew 16:15 be reconciled with the words of Isaiah?
Until that is establish trying to “instruct us” who Jesus is is rather pointless.
If you are willing to be misleading about yourself, what do we say about your answers to who Jesus is?
Furthermore, the LDS are not Arians.
The LDS consider Jesus along with all human beings or children of Heavenly Father as eternal.
Which is uncannily Biblical or is it becoming the norm?
Was with God - This expression denotes friendship or intimacy. Compare Mark 9:19. John affirms that he was "with God" in the beginning - that is, before the world was made. It implies, therefore, that he was partaker of the divine glory; that he was blessed and happy with God. It proves that he was intimately united with the Father, so as to partake of his glory and to be appropriately called by the name God. He has himself explained it. See John 17:5; "And now, O Father, glorify thou we with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." See also John 1:18; "No man hath seen God at any time; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." See also John 3:13; "The Son of man, which is in heaven." Compare Philippians 2:6-7.
That's an interesting way to put it, no?
Yet, the Trinity is not a fundamental doctrine. It is not a doctrine of salvation, nor does the Bible ever state it is.
One should conclude then that believing in it or not is not essential to one's salvation.
Who is Mr. 10?
If you are referring to me, then you are a XXXX.
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