Posted on 10/17/2011 8:03:26 AM PDT by Colofornian
Mormons believe that in 1820 a young Joseph Smith went into the woods to pray. In answer to that prayer, they believe, Joseph was visited by God the Father and Jesus Christ. Today this is called the First Vision. As Joseph reported this vision (in the version that has since been named official), he asked the Deities which sect or church was right, and which one he should join. Joseph wrote,
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 (Joseph SmithHistory 1:19)
Mormonism entered into the religious scene swinging. According to Mormonisms founding prophet, if you are not a Mormon, your church is wrong, your beliefs are abomination to God, and you and your fellow professing church members are all corrupt.
I wonder if Mormons would see this as an example of the blessings of faith [that] carry the responsibility of civil and respectful debate that Mitt Romney has been talking about recently?
Last weekend Dallas Pastor Robert Jeffress publically identified Mormonism as a theological cult. Dr. Jeffress used the term cult as a theological classification, not as a pejorative, but that point seems to be lost on Mormons and the mainstream media.
Since Dr. Jeffress comments have been made known, Mormons have been vocally decrying his bigotry, his hatred, and his fanaticism. Truthfully, this all too common knee-jerk Mormon reaction grows wearisome.
Mormonisms very existence is unseverable from the poisonous language of its founders and leaders. Why was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints established? Because all existing churches in 1820 were declared wrongthey had abominable creeds and corrupt members professing those creeds. The Mormon Church was established because (it claims) true Christianity had vanished from the earth; it had fallen into complete and total apostasy:
Every Latter-day Saint knows that following the death of the apostles, Pauls prophecy was fulfilled, for there were many grievous wolves that entered the flock, and men arose speaking perverse things, so that the doctrines were changed and the true Church of Jesus Christ ceased to be on the earth. For this reason there had to come a restoration of the Church and a new revelation and bestowal of divine authority. The Church of Jesus Christ and the Holy Scriptures are, therefore, not responsible for the changed doctrines and unscientific teachings of those times, when uninspired ecclesiastics controlled the thinking of the people. (Joseph Fielding Smith, Man, His Origin and Destiny, pp. 467)
Consider just a few of the punches Mormonism has thrown in its fight against Christianity:
Christiansthose poor, miserable priests brother Brigham was speaking aboutsome of them are the biggest whoremasters there are on the earth, and at the same time preaching righteousness to the children of men. The poor devils, they could not get up here and preach an oral discourse, to save themselves from hell; they are preaching their fathers sermonspreaching sermons that were written a hundred years before they were born. (Heber C. Kimball, July 26, 1857, Journal of Discourses 5:89-90)
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. (Brigham Young, July 8, 1863, Journal of Discourses, 10:230).
What does the Christian world know about God? Nothing Why so far as the things of God are concerned, they are the veriest of fools (John Taylor, May 6, 1870, Journal of Discourses 13:225)
I do not wish to say anything in relation to other forms of religion; I do not know that it is necessary that I should do so; but no thinking man can admit that Christianity so-calledI call it a false Christianity, untrue to its namesatisfies the wants of humanity at the present time. (George Q. Cannon, July 15, 1883, Journal of Discourses 24:185)
The false and corrupt institutions, and still more corrupt practices of Christendom, have had a downward tendency in the generations of man for many centuries. The overthrow of those ancient degenerate races is a type of that which now awaits the nations called Christian, or in other words, the great whore that sitteth upon many waters . (Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, 1978, p. 106)
A false Christ is a false system of worship, a false church, a false cult that says: Lo, here is salvation; here is the doctrine of Christ. Come and believe thus and so, and ye shall be saved. We hear the voice of false Christs when we hear the Athanasian Creed proclaim that whosoever will be saved must believe that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are incomprehensible and uncreated, that they form a Trinity of equals, who are not three Gods but one God, and not one God but three Gods, and that unless we so believe we cannot be saved, and shall perish everlastingly. (Bruce McConkie, The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man, p. 48.)
False creeds make false churches. There is no salvation in believing a lie. Every informed, inspired, and discerning person is revolted by the absurdities and scripture-defying pronouncements in the creeds of Christendom (Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary 1:30. Footnote 2)
To say that Satan sits in the place of God in Christianity after the time of the Apostles is not to say that all that is in it is satanic Still, the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16) is absent from all but the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which the Lord himself has proclaimed to be the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth (D&C 1:30). Satans goal of hindering many of Gods children from returning to their Fathers glory is thus realized. (Kent P. Jackson, Early Signs of the Apostasy, Ensign, December 1984, p. 9)
Given the statements Ive quoted above, Im astonished that Mormons cry foul when any Christian declares that Mormonism is outside the theological boundaries of Christianity. Do Mormons really believe it is reprehensibly one-sided for evangelical Christians to use strong language to define the fact that there are vast differences between Mormonism and Christianity? Apparently so; a Mormon calling himself Eichendorff went on record with this non sequitur: no Latter-day Saint makes a point of condemning the beliefs of Evangelicals.
Mormons who complain about Christians questioning the theology of Mormonismprotesting against any suggestion that Mormonism isnt Christianity with cries of bigotry, hatred, and fanaticismneed to take a look at the historical discourse found in their own church. I would like to see Mormons abandon this hypocritical name-calling and (changing sports metaphors here) step up to the plate for real, thoughtful discussion. As Bill McKeever is fond of saying, If Mormons want to be in the religious Big Leagues they need to knock it off.
L Ron Hubbard makes more sense than Joseph Smiths book of mormon.
“Many Mormons need to learn their own history”
Yes, Glenn Beck is so darn stupid; he doesn’t understand anything about history. Poor Glenn.
They can depend on the lack of historical curiosity of the American public. In the 1880s, the Government came close to shutting down the Church in Utah. But who wonders why? No just because of polygamy, but because of the political power of the Church.
He may know but he is not telling.
That would be a Mormon response.
Of course I can fly to Rome, Egypt or the Holy Land...
I don’t understand post #65
I know...
Please let me know.
"Book of Moses has only 8 "known" chapters" I'm talking First Book of Moses.
Please let me know.
"Book of Moses has only 8 "known" chapters" I'm talking First Book of Moses.
Exodus 34:27 “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Write down all these instructions, for they represents the terms of my covenant with you and with Israel.’”
Exodus = 2nd Book of Moses.
Congratulations Sandy, you finally got one right.
Why no, Ma'am; FR is NOT a good place to be learn the things we want you to know about MORMONism.
You know, I believe in freedom of religion as much as the next guy, but if Romney does run, arent the Dems going to make hay out of planet Kolob and the magic binoculars?
I like the story on how ol' Joe got a hold of the original Book of Abraham. Apparently some carnival event with an Egyptian mummy exhibit was traveling by and the exhibitor was compelled to sell to Joe the only known document in existence from the very hand of Abraham.
I wonder if Joe also bought the original Magna Carta and Code of Hammurabi then for the price of a bottle of snake oil.
The problem comes with any church saying they are the ONLY TRUE CHURCH. That is what all cults have in common.
Speak louder, I can't hear you over the voice of the Apostle Paul - who, apparently in your estimation, is a Cultist.
Galatians 1:6-9 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
So why should anyone heed your opinion?
JESUS: Hey Smith! Remember that boast you made about doing more than even I had done to hold the 'church' together?
JOSEPH SMITH: Where am I?
JESUS: Don't you remember? A few seconds ago you were in that jail.
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh; yeah; but where am I NOW?
JESUS: Don't you remember? Does bang - bang ring a bell?
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh; yeah - that crummy gun I had was about USELESS!
JESUS: I hope you left instructions on how to hold your church together.
JOSEPH SMITH: Dang! I knew there was SOMETHING I was forgetting!
JESUS: Looks like there's a power struggle going on down there.
JOSEPH SMITH: Yeah; there was always SOMEone who wanted the power that I held - especially over the LADIES - wink wink.
JESUS: No need to worry about that now; remember what my friend Matthew wrote down?
JOSEPH SMITH: This? At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven (Matthew 22:30)
JESUS: That's it.
JOSEPH SMITH: I thought that was mistranslated.
JESUS: Nah - it was right.
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh well; it was fun while it lasted. My buds will still get it on with the girls.
JESUS: Uh; I'm sorry; in just a few more years; your followers will cavein to the United States government and abandon the 'Eternal Covenant' that you came up with.
JOSEPH SMITH: ME!? YOU are the one that told me to do that!
JESUS: Sorry; but you must have mistranslated what I told you. What part of Do NOT commit ADULTERY did you not understand?
JOSEPH SMITH: mumble....
JESUS: What did you say?
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh, nothing.
JESUS: Well; it was interesting talking to you; but now I must get back to perparing a place for those who believe in Me.
JOSEPH SMITH: Oh, yeah; the Celestial Kingdom.
JESUS: No...
JOSEPH SMITH: The Telestial one?
JESUS: Nope.
JOSEPH SMITH: SUREly not the TERRESTRIAL one!!
JESUS: Nope. Didn't you read that the mind of man had NOT conceived of it? Paul wrote it down in 1 Corinthians 2:9.
JOSEPH SMITH: I thought that was mistranslated.
JESUS: No; it wasn't.
JOSEPH SMITH: You SURE?
JESUS: Yes. Now I must be going: what did you say your name was again?
JOSEPH SMITH: Joseph Smith.
JESUS: Hmmmm. According to my Heavenly FAITHbook, you didn't sign in as one of my friends - sorry, I never knew you.
JOSEPH SMITH: But....
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I guess a 'false cult' would be one who shares the TRUTH!
A 'true cult' would be one that spews LIES!
Very TRUE!
And...
Many CHRISTIANS need to learn their own history as well!
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