Posted on 04/05/2013 4:38:51 PM PDT by Colofornian
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Young women, their mothers and leaders recently participated in the annual Young Women meeting in the Conference Center and in thousands of meetinghouses across the world. The Church’s Young Women organization provides instruction, encouragement and support in living the gospel of Jesus Christ for teenage girls ages 12 to 17.
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The Young Women program emphasizes eight values — faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, integrity and virtue — each represented by a different color, as in these flags...
(Excerpt) Read more at mormonnewsroom.org ...
“All of you are children of the most High.” (Ps. 82:6.)
“We are the offspring of God.” (Acts 17:29.)
Ya know, whatever we ARE according to these two verses, it says absolutely NOTHING about what we will BECOME.
ALL: This is where Mormon proof-texting & wrestling sentences out of context is downright dangerous, misleading, deceptive & depicts a lack of integrity by the Mormon church.
Here, Mormons reserve "becoming divine" for only
MARRIED,
lds
temple-priesthood holders,
...and what do they have to resort to in order to try to prove that?
Well, since BOTH the Bible AND the Book of Mormon says NOTHING about men becoming gods, Mormons have to try to wrestle & twist Psalm 82 & Acts 17 out of context.
CYTD, who is Psalm 82 & Acts 17 addressed to?
Are they addressed to marvelous just & righteous priesthood holders?
Ps. 82:2 shows it is addressed to unjust judges who show partiality to the wicked.
The Acts 17 portion you cite is on Mars Hill where the apostle Paul addressed polytheistic pagans. Is that who you are claiming become gods?
This is shameful out-of-context distortion, CYTD!!! You should repent before the Holy Spirit who inspired these verses! Repent!
BTW, CYTD, even one of your apologetics' sources -- FAIR -- conceded:
...one of Mormonism’s most respected scholars, Apostle James Talmage... [said] In his book “Jesus The Christ,”...agreed that Jesus was referring to divinely appointed judges when he wrote, “Divinely Appointed Judges Called ‘gods.’ In Psalm 82:6, judges invested by divine appointment are called ‘gods.’ To this the Savior referred in His reply to the Jews in Solomon’s Porch. Judges so authorized officiated as the representatives of God and are honored by the exalted title ‘gods’” (pg. 501).
http://www.fairlds.org/authors/mcguire-ben/reconsidering-psalms-826
So, one of your "apostles" says this has to do with divinely-appointed judges, who, as Ps. 82:2 points out -- were "unjust" & hardly "candidates" for godhood!
Well, which is it, District? Were you an "adopted" child of God, or were you a child of God from the pre-existence?
(You Mormons always try to have it BOTH ways!)
That’s rich. You’re calling me to repentance on an anonymous message board. That’s cute.
I have plenty of which to repent (as I’m sure you do), but the Gospel is not one of them. I put my whole faith in my Lord Jesus Christ, and I trust in His judgment and mercy.
You are free to have a blessed, joyous day, if you so choose.
“Yes, but unlike you, I believe it.”
I believe the Holy Bible; in fact I believe it literally. Thank you for your kind Christian-like response.
Polygamy will get you ex-communicated in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - for over 100 years. Posting that photo of the FLDS women is a cheap shot.
Hi Colofornian,
According to Peter, we are encouraged to be partakers of the divine nature:
2 Peter 1:4 — “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”
I am deeply thankful for the LDS Young Women’s organization for encouraging the youth of our church to focus on spiritual values and and teaching the to escape the corruption of this world — of which there is much.
We encourage the young men and women of the church to put their faith in Jesus Christ, to repent of sin and follow His teachings.
Best,
Normandy
I do not know what you mean by “a spark of the divine.” That is most assuredly not a phrase to be found in the Bible, either Old or New Testament. So, I have no idea what you are asking, much less if we even agree on terminology (something good to do before a discussion begins, unless one is simply looking for a fight). If you would clarify, I might be able to answer your question.
From the tone of your reply, however, I am inclined to think that you feel I said something which you think is wrong. More than that I cannot extract from your reply.
“I believe the Holy Bible; in fact I believe it literally. “
If that were true, you wouldn’t be a pagan who disbelieves the Bible about hell, sin, salvation, eternity and God. And you wouldn’t keep replying to me with these assertions without addressing the scripture.
Isa_43:10 ... before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
The Baha’i who believe their dead honcho was the second coming of Jesus Christ literally spend more time than you do trying to find ways to make the Christian scripture match their fantasies.
I’m sorry, but as a Christian I delight in assertions and in absolute facts. Your relativism and emotional appeals are alien and hateful to me.
“According to Peter, we are encouraged to be partakers of the divine nature:”
Sorry, but Peter is also a monotheist:
Isa_43:10 ... before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
He did not disbelieve in the existence of everlasting punishment in hell, and he did not believe the central point of the Gospel was just to become worthy enough to become a polygamist god of your own planet, while those who miss out just dwell in lower heavens in eternal envy of the white and delightsome Mormons.
“Polygamy will get you ex-communicated in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - for over 100 years. “
According to your second Prophet, denying the practice of polygamy will result in your damnation.
“Now if any of you will deny the plurality of wives, and continue to do so, I promise that you will be damned;
and I will go still further and say, take this revelation, or any other revelation that the Lord has given,
and deny it in your feelings, and I promise that you will be damned.
Brigham Young - JoD 3:266 (July 14, 1855)
So, is Brigham Young a false prophet, or is the LDS in rebellion against the everlasting covenant established by the Mormon-God for the past 100 years?
Normandy, I have respect for you; please don't do what Choose Ye This Day was doing -- wrestling verses out of context.
To hear Choose Ye This Day tell it in post #21, pagan polytheists (Acts 17) were ALREADY "gods" on this earth! (Along with unjust judges in David's time!...See Ps. 82:1-2, 6)
See my next post, please.
Why I don't agree with everything about Craig Blomberg's presentation -- or what he oft "let go" re: BYU prof's Stephen Robinson's comments in their combined book, How Wide the Divide: A Mormon & an Evangelical in Conversation, Blomberg took the time to explain 2 Peter 1:4 in context:
"But IN CONTEXT 2 Peter 1:4 is clearly talking about becoming like God MORALLY, not metaphysically."
Source: Book title mentioned above, p. 101, Inter-Varsity Press, 1997
I wanted to go on with Blomberg's quote there, but before I do, I need to ask you a direct question, Normandy (& other Lds).
IF you think that Peter is talking metaphysically here -- what is -- and ontologically ... then are you saying that Peter was a polytheist? Are you really claiming that the dozen disciples (including Judas' replacement) became 12 additional gods?
Is that what you believe? That the universe(s) is/are full of untold number of gods? (A simple "yes" or "no" will do here)
If you DO really believe Peter was a polytheist, then just say so...and yes, you Catholics reading Normandy's response can weigh in here on this Mormon claim about your "first pope"
Blomberg excerpt cont'd: "The previous verse" [2 Peter 1:3] "declares that God's divine power has given us everything we need for life AND GODLINESS. Verse 4 itself links participating in the divine nature with escaping the corruption of the evil world. And verse 5 continues with the encouragement to add to one's faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness and love. The context never blurs the ontological distinction between Creator and creature."
Source: Book title mentioned above, p. 101, Inter-Varsity Press, 1997
Here's the NIV Version of 2 Peter 1:3-4: 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
IoW, if the Mormons were to interpret 2 Pet. 1:3-4 literally as "becoming EVENTUAL gods," then they would HAVE to concede that v. 3 claims that God has ALREADY "GIVEN us EVERYTHING we need" to be gods...RIGHT NOW!
But Mormons don't teach that, do they, Normandy, about earning the celestial kingdom?
Furthermore, they would have to honor 2 Peter 1:3 that this "everything" God has "given us for...godliness" would = 100% pure gift...but Mormons don't teach that, do they, Normandy, in regard to reaching the celestial kingdom? [They don't teach that reaching the celestial kingdom is pure gift]
Verse 5 talks about "making every EFFORT" to add a whole host of things to our faith ON THIS SIDE OF DEATH. Clearly, then, the ENTIRE CONTEXT of what Peter is talking about...
...life (v.3),
...godliness (v. 3),
...escaping this world (v. 4),
...temperance (self-control) mentioned in v. 6....
...is WHO WE ARE...and WHAT WE DO ("make every effort" -- v. 5) in THIS WORLD RIGHT NOW!
As Blomberg says, verse 3 highlights...
..."everything we need for LIFE"
...and v. 4 discusses how we need His fleshed-out promises -- including, btw, Jesus' promise of the divine Holy Spirit given to us -- in order to escape the corruption of the evil life in the world!
2 Peter 1, then, is discussing all of these aspects as it relates to THIS world! And how God offers participation with Him -- union with Him -- the same thing Jesus talked about in John 17...as we IN THIS WORLD become fit for immortal life.
And, yes, angels have immortal life, too...yet that doesn't make them automatic "gods," does it????
Summary: Peter is saying that as we become godly and share in Christlikeness we become "Christified" -- anointed. God, thru His Holy Spirit living in us, His temple, lives out godly virtues thru us as we participate with Him. This is indeed an experiential living together -- a participation -- in union with Him.
But then who gets the credit for doing that? (God the Holy Spirit does!] WE are NOT to set ourselves us to competitive rivals to God's worship, God's glory, God's adoration, etc.!!
And, as Blomberg reminds us, this in-context interpretation doesn't confuse Creator vs. creature...which Mormons do in their theology/anthropology!
If you expect it in the afterlife, it means you agree with it. The lds only 'officially' dropped it to get statehood.
For example, Willard McBush WANTS polygamy in the afterlife. It makes him no different from practicing it NOW.
Oh, please. Your graphic is just someone’s opinion. It is not Gospel. Anyway, many of the Old Testament men had more than one wife and Solomon - well, for a guy who was supposed to be so wise - you know.
placemark for reply.
An opinion? This graphic is a timeline of the direct line from Joseph Smith to Warren Jeffs.
Your "gospel" is full of lies.
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