Church rejects Mormon couple as Cub leaders

NewJersey.com ^ | Thursday, October 21, 2010

[Gamecock]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In shopping around for a Cub Scout program for their two sons, ages 6 and 8, Jeremy and Jodi Stokes decided on the one at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, N.C.

The Stokeses, also of Matthews, weren't members of the evangelical megachurch, but they had many friends who were. And unlike the Cub Scout pack at their own church, which doesn't have a program for 6-year-old Tiger Scouts, Christ Covenant's was big enough to accommodate both of their boys.

The couple even signed up to be Scout leaders when they discovered the church needed adult help. And when the Scouting officials at Christ Covenant found out Jeremy Stokes was an Eagle Scout, they were thrilled.

So why did Christ Covenant reject the Stokeses' application to be Scout leaders?

Because they're Mormons. And, therefore, not real Christians, church officials told the couple.

"I can't believe they had the audacity to say, 'You can't be leaders, but we want your boys,' " Jodi Stokes said. "Are you kidding me?"

The Rev. Gabe Sylvia, Christ Covenant's staff liaison to the Scouting program, confirmed the Stokeses' account. He called them to apologize but defends the church's decision.

"When it became clear that they were Mormons, they could not become leaders in our pack. Mormonism is not consistent with historical Christianity," he said.

That view — that Mormons, whose church is formally titled the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are not Christians — is shared by other Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christian churches, as well.

"It was so offensive," said Jodi Stokes, who was raised Catholic, then became a Mormon. "I have a picture of Jesus in my living room."

Members of the Salt Lake City-based church believe salvation is possible because of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But significant theological differences separate Mormons from most Christian churches.

The LDS church treats as holy scripture the Book of Mormon, which isn't recognized by other churches, but which it believes was divinely revealed to Joseph Smith in the 1820s.

Mormons also disavow belief in the core Christian doctrine of the Trinity — that the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are one — instead believing the three to be individuals united in a single purpose.

Mormons believe the original Christian church vanished 100 years after Jesus' death and resurrection. The authentic church, they believe, was restored by Smith.

[Ripliancum]

That's an excellent point.

While the rift in the PCUSA is recent, within the last year, it's still a definite change about belief among groups.

As the polygamy issue goes back over a hundred years ago, I hope the usual FR suspects who post all the "fLDS" stuff are taking note.

[Elsie]

Is it a slow day in Mormon-bashing land and we had to drag this out again?

Give us some TRUTH to cling to; instead of our BIBLES and our GUNS!

 

 

 

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http://scriptures.lds.org/en/js_h/1/17#17

  17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
  18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.
  19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
  20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother,

“I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.”

 

 

And, continuing thru the years, the high ranking leaders of that Organization have done the same!

 

Joseph Smith continues: "for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible" (from Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith-History 1:12). "What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.270).

 

Questions put to Joseph Smith: "'Do you believe the Bible?' [Smith:]'If we do, we are the only people under heaven that does, for there are none of the religious sects of the day that do'. When asked 'Will everybody be damned, but Mormons'? [Smith replied] 'Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 119).

 

Brigham Young stated this repeatedly: "When the light came to me I saw that all the so-called Christian world was grovelling in darkness" (Journal of Discourses 5:73); "The Christian world, so-called, are heathens as to the knowledge of the salvation of God" (Journal of Discourses 8:171); "With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world" (Journal of Discourses 8:199); "And who is there that acknowledges [God's] hand? ...You may wander east, west, north, and south, and you cannot find it in any church or government on the earth, except the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" (Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p.24); "Should you ask why we differ from other Christians, as they are called, it is simply because they are not Christians as the New Testament defines Christianity" (Journal of Discourses 10:230).

 

Orson Pratt proclaimed: "Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the 'whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent" (The Seer, p. 255).

 

Pratt also said: "This great apostasy commenced about the close of the first century of the Christian era, and it has been waxing worse and worse from then until now" (Journal of Discourses, vol.18, p.44) and: "But as there has been no Christian Church on the earth for a great many centuries past, until the present century, the people have lost sight of the pattern that God has given according to which the Christian Church should be established, and they have denominated a great variety of people Christian Churches, because they profess to be ...But there has been a long apostasy, during which the nations have been cursed with apostate churches in great abundance" (Journal of Discourses, 18:172).

 

President John Taylor stated: "Christianity...is a perfect pack of nonsense...the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p.167); "Where shall we look for the true order or authority of God? It cannot be found in any nation of Christendom." (Journal of Discourses, 10:127).

James Talmage said: "A self-suggesting interpretation of history indicates that there has been a great departure from the way of salvation as laid down by the Savior, a universal apostasy from the Church of Christ". (A Study of the Articles of Faith, p.182).

 

President Joseph Fielding Smith said: "Doctrines were corrupted, authority lost, and a false order of religion took the place of the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as it had been the case in former dispensations, and the people were left in spiritual darkness." (Doctrines of Salvation, p.266). "For hundreds of years the world was wrapped in a veil of spiritual darkness, until there was not one fundamental truth belonging to the place of salvation ...Joseph Smith declared that in the year 1820 the Lord revealed to him that all the 'Christian' churches were in error, teaching for commandments the doctrines of men" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p.282).

 

More recent statements by apostle Bruce McConkie are also very clear: "Apostasy was universal...And this darkness still prevails except among those who have come to a knowledge of the restored gospel" (Doctrines of Salvation, vol 3, p.265); "Thus the signs of the times include the prevailing apostate darkness in the sects of Christendom and in the religious world in general" (The Millennial Messiah, p.403); "a perverted Christianity holds sway among the so-called Christians of apostate Christendom" (Mormon Doctrine, p.132); "virtually all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ whom they vainly suppose to be a spirit essence who is incorporeal uncreated, immaterial and three-in-one with the Father and Holy Spirit" (Mormon Doctrine, p.269); "Gnosticism is one of the great pagan philosophies which antedated Christ and the Christian Era and which was later commingled with pure Christianity to form the apostate religion that has prevailed in the world since the early days of that era." (Mormon Doctrine, p.316).

 

President George Q. Cannon said: "After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, there were only two churches upon the earth. They were known respectively as the Church of the Lamb of God and Babylon. The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christendom, though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common origin. They all belong to Babylon" (Gospel Truth, p.324).

 

President Wilford Woodruff stated: "the Gospel of modern Christendom shuts up the Lord, and stops all communication with Him. I want nothing to do with such a Gospel, I would rather prefer the Gospel of the dark ages, so called" (Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p.196).

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Is it a slow day in Mormon-bashing land and we had to drag this out again?

 

Things is NEVER slow out here on the front lines!!!

 

[P-Marlowe]

So a mormon is a buddist is a moslem is a shintoist is a druid.

There is a common theme there.

[Godzilla]

There is a common theme there.

Hehehehe.

[Godzilla]

As the polygamy issue goes back over a hundred years ago, I hope the usual FR suspects who post all the "fLDS" stuff are taking note.

Yes, and D&C 132 - the 'revelation' that sanctioned polygamy is still valid doctrine for lds, flds and other D&C accepting 'x-lds' groups.

[Elsie]

...Mr. Stokes, being the "best family oriented folk" he is, proceeds to confuse the hell out of any 'Scout within hearing range that he believes his marriage with Mrs. Stokes will be forever... ...

OOps!!

Romans 7:1-3

 Do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to men who know the law—that the law has authority over a man only as long as he lives?

For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man.

[Elsie]

As for this church, even if they are allowed to decide on who is a leader, this move makes them look like cowards.

To you MORMONS it would; but to the rest of us normal folks; it looks like some people with BACKBONE have taken a stand on their VALUES and do not want to give the appearence that MORMONism is an ok thing, when it is a heresy built upon the Christian foundation.

[GSWarrior]

Is every Cub Scout troop associated with a church? When I was a kid our troop met at the Odd Fellows Hall.

Can't this couple find another troop that doesn't give the finger to Mormons?

[Elsie]

Graven would be sculpted; would it not?

[Paragon Defender]

Generally what is cut and pasted are statements from Mormon prophets and Apostles. When Mormons see those statements on a thread they have a tendency to “cut and run”.

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False. Generally what is cut and pasted by the Anti-Mormon gang is misrepresentations and straw man arguments.

[Elsie]

It is obvious the the BSA has NO qualms about the LDS church.

It is also obvious that the BSA has no problems ALLOWING the Sponsoring Agency from setting a few ‘rules’ of it’s own.

Ergo; ruffled feathers is ALL that will come from these ‘discussions’ on FR.

[Elsie]

There is nothing in Mormonism that is not shared by religion in general. A belief in the metaphysical.

Sorry; but this statement is in correct.

"There is SOMETHING in Mormonism that IS shared by religion in general. A belief in the metaphysical.", is true.

There are MANY THINGS in Mormonism that are not shared by religion in general!

[Elsie]

Gotta watch them double negatives...

[Raider Sam]

If they had what you call backbone, they wouldnt let the kids join either. If they had what you call backbone, they would keep out all of the un-pure, because they could turn the children.

Also, Im not a mormon. We’ve had this conversation many times.

[Elsie]

“colorcountry; reaganaut; greyfoxx39; Colofornian; P-Marlowe”

Yup, call in the cut an paste queens.

What am I??

Chopped LIVER???

[Raider Sam]

If they have a sports team and allow players from other churches to be on the team but wont allow parents of other churches to be coaches or administrators, then yes, they would be cowards.

[Elsie]

Generally what is cut and pasted are statements from Mormon prophets and Apostles.

PD; it is time for you to post yer haystack of TRUTH for the Lurkers to rummage in!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Actually, Pan_Yan posted it. Our son is in scouts and Pan_Yan is an assistant scout master.

[Elsie]

... I hope the usual FR suspects who post all the "fLDS" stuff are taking note.

Oh?

Is it time to point out SLC's HYPOCRACY now?

[Elsie]

 

There is a common theme there.

 

Do NOT jump the gun!

 

 

That is reserved for NOVEMBER!!!

 

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Office of First President & Living Prophet®:

September 15th, 2010

The phrase for OCTOBER is -

It just fits the pattern.