Posted on 11/14/2012 10:44:44 PM PST by reaganaut
Members of the LDS Church are familiar with the charge that Mormonism isn't a Christian faith. They hear it often enough, but they really don't understand why people think that. "We are Christians," Mormon President Gordon B. Hinckley insisted. "We have the name of Jesus Christ right in the name of our Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We follow Christ. We worship Him. We love Him. He is the center of all we do"("Inspirational Thoughts," Liahona, June 1999, 3; 2 Nephi 25:24-29).
In the summer of 2005 we asked Mormons in Nauvoo, Illinois to take a quiz we called "Guess Who?" The quiz consisted of 15 relatively recent statements made by LDS leaders; we asked the participants to see if they could determine who their Church leaders were talking about. We invite you to take the same quiz. The answers will be at the end; see if you can do this without scrolling down for the answers.
His teachings "are the foundation of our faith. Everything we have is a lengthened shadow of [him]."
"I pray we may learn from his example, that we might incorporate into our lives the great principles which he so beautifully taught; that we ourselves might emulate him;..."
"I honor and revere [his] name... I delight to hear it; I love it. I love his doctrine... I am his witness."
"He died for those he loved. He reigns in the realms above."
"The more I learn of him, the more I love and revere him."
"I look to him. I love him. I seek to follow him."
"He not only gave us joy, happiness and opportunity here, but also a great hope in the life to come."
"Today, this Sabbath day, in many thousands of congregations, perhaps as many as twenty-one thousand, in many areas of the earth, our people have sung or will sing the praises of [him]."
"Of noble seed, of heavenly birth, he came to bless the sons of earth."
He was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief."
"Church members are interested in learning more about [him] because they love him and they love the gospel he brought forth."
"How great indeed is our debt to him. ...Great is his glory,... We stand in reverence before him... Let us not forget him. Let not his memory be forgotten in the celebration of Christmas."
"...and he shall stand in due time on the earth, in the flesh, and fulfill that to which he is appointed."
"The light, provided to the world by [him], illuminates the confusion, clarifies the principles of the gospel, and helps lead men and women to their own eternal reward, if they will but endure to the end."
The "work that has been carried out by President Young and his brethren [of the Twelve] has been in accordance with the plans, and designs, and Spirit, and instructions of [him]."
How did you do?
If you thought these statements were about Jesus—the One Mormons claim to worship and adore, the One they say is the center of all they do—you are incorrect. In each statement above, the speaker was talking about Joseph Smith.
Quotes with References
His teachings "are the foundation of our faith. Everything we have is a lengthened shadow of [him]." (15th President Gordon B. Hinckley, Church News, 3/19/2005, p.3.)
"I pray we may learn from his example, that we might incorporate into our lives the great principles which he so beautifully taught; that we ourselves might emulate him;..." (Thomas Monson (First Presidency), Ensign, 6/1994, p.7.)
"I honor and revere [his] name... I delight to hear it; I love it. I love his doctrine... I am his witness." (2nd President Brigham Young, quoted in Ensign, 1/1996, p.7.)
"He died for those he loved. He reigns in the realms above." (3rd President John Taylor, Hymns #296, "The Seer, Joseph, The Seer." While this hymn was written in the 18th century, it is still in use as evidenced by its performance by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during the 175th Semi-Annual General Conference of the LDS Church in October, 2005.)
"The more I learn of him, the more I love and revere him." (Apostle Joseph B. Wirthlin, Church News, 2/19/2005, p.5.)
"I look to him. I love him. I seek to follow him." (15th Gordon B. Hinckley, Church News, 12/13/2003, p.3.)
"He not only gave us joy, happiness and opportunity here, but also a great hope in the life to come." (Apostle L. Tom Perry, Church News, 7/3/1993, p.4.)
"Today, this Sabbath day, in many thousands of congregations, perhaps as many as twenty-one thousand, in many areas of the earth, our people have sung or will sing the praises of [him]." (15th President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, 9/1994, p.62.)
"Of noble seed, of heavenly birth, he came to bless the sons of earth." (John Taylor, Hymns #296, "The Seer, Joseph, The Seer.")
He was "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." (BYU Professor Robert Millet, Ensign, 9/1994, p.19.)
"Church members are interested in learning more about [him] because they love him and they love the gospel he brought forth." (LDS Church Historian Glen M. Leonard, Church News, 12/6/1997, p.4.)
"How great indeed is our debt to him. ...Great is his glory,... We stand in reverence before him... Let us not forget him. Let not his memory be forgotten in the celebration of Christmas." (15th President Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, 12/1997, p.2.)
"...and he shall stand in due time on the earth, in the flesh, and fulfill that to which he is appointed." (Church News, 7/19/1994, p.5.)
"The light, provided to the world by [him], illuminates the confusion, clarifies the principles of the gospel, and helps lead men and women to their own eternal reward, if they will but endure to the end." (Church News, 12/13/1997, p.16.)
The "work that has been carried out by President Young and his brethren [of the Twelve] has been in accordance with the plans, and designs, and Spirit, and instructions of [him]." (George A. Smith (First Presidency), quoted in Church News, 12/20/1997, p.7.)
Well, I made a’s in my college history courses, and the teacher that I had for American History was the hardest teacher I’ve ever had for any subject at all.
But you know what, they weren’t there and they don’t know, not for 100% certain pure fact. I don’t know if you know this, but man has a tendency to change facts to suit his own purposes, he makes honest mistakes, he has a tendency to embellish, and sometimes he is just flat out dishonest.
Would you rather have been taught American history in the 1970’s and 1980’s or today? The subject matter is not the same, now why do you suppose that is?
(Then you didn't readily say to them what you told me...Zilla was right: You waver all over...just depending on how you feel @ any given moment)
There was no need to, it’s pretty much obvious, and no I am pretty consistent, but if it makes you feel better to insult me, then knock yourself out.
oh, Of course you do, otherwise you wouldn’t’ keep posting to me.
So go run along and do what you need to do, as you have already stated where your heart is.
toot a loo
Most times I post to you because you post to me. It’s called a response. Occasionally I initiate a post to you, usually it’s a result of me seeing you doing you’re usual Mormon bashing.
I’m not that hard to figure out, really.
And yeah, I’ve stated where my heart is, it’s with Jesus. It isn’t with your or whomever’s crusade against whatever.
First, I have never bashed mormons.
And second, you have stated you will never be a Christian, therefore your heart is not with Jesus.
I suggested a way around the dilemma of you seeing the religion forum posts, you already knew about it, yet won't utilize it, because J.R. set it up for us to see all forums. I doubt very much whether Jim gives a hoot if you choose to opt out of seeing "everything" and wouldn't have any way of knowing if you did that.
Oh. okay.
And yes, my heart is with Jesus, and no I’m not going to join your religion or any other religion, and it doesn’t matter if you criticize me as a result. You cannot control me, and that is all there is to it.
(Are you still bashing svcw over allegations of bashing? When are you going to stop bashing & slandering?)
Is that like absolutely rejecting that there are absolutes, and condemning those who hold there are as being intolerant?
You know, I am bored as Hell of you now.
I guess I’ll see you again in your next Mormon bashing thread. Shouldn’t be too awful long, I imagine.
‘Til then.
I'm sorry, I could have but thought you were smarter.
Oh well, what you think doesn’t matter to me.
huh? I do not belong to a religion.
I have no desire to control you, you have free will, I simple restated what you said....’I will never be a Christian’ - that is clear you have publicly stated you deny Jesus.
Well, if that’s how you interpret what I said, then that’s how you interpret it I suppose.
Thanks for sharing.
It must since you keep replying to me
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You're the one who said you were not going to become a Christian. If you don't want to be a follower of Christ, then that's the destination because Jesus is THE only way to God and if that offends you, you'll have to take that up with Him. He's the one who said that He was the only way to God.
Mhmm, ok.
Don’t be so petty as to mistake courtesy for concern.
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