Enough precious times spend here I must continue my focus towards a more worthy paths...
Posted on 01/06/2014 3:53:42 PM PST by Colofornian
In the recently released statement on lds.org on Race and the Priesthood, the modern Mormon Church disavows “that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else…” This unequivocal truth, that no race or ethnicity is superior to another, is something that Spain (1542), Quakers (1600s), Pennsylvania (1790), England (1807), Abraham Lincoln (1865), and Christians of any era who believe the Bible, know. According to the Bible, God shows no favoritism—never by skin color—and commands his people to do the same.
Lincoln, who often quoted the biblical God, was displeased with the Utah Territory for its stance as a slave territory (and for its polygamy). Finally in 1978, 113 years after Lincoln and 24 years after Brown vs. Board of Education, the Mormon Church gave black members of African ancestry (why not restrict Native Americans—they were the unrighteous dark-skinned Lamanites of the Book of Mormon?) equal access to the priesthood, ergo its Celestial kingdom, eternal life, and the potential for godhood.
As a professor at Brigham Young University (1999-2008), I taught, among other things—multiculturalism. In class, some of my generational LDS students proposed that those with black skin were blighted with something they called “the curse of Cain.” Alarmed by this belief, I began to investigate LDS scriptures on the topic and discovered scriptural support in the Book of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price corroborating students’ beliefs.
Because these scriptures still exist, are read, and revered, the lingering conundrum for the Mormon Church is this: How to explain the 20-some passages of LDS scripture that can be considered racist. So, this new attempt to state a non-biased position on race, which falls short of an apology, ignores the challenge of present-day scriptures.
As well intended as the latest words on the official church website are, they can affect no real change in policy or teachings because these scriptures remain. Why call these scriptures racist? The definition of racist is the belief that some races of people are better than others because of their race, their skin color. This is precisely what the LDS scriptures STILL teach. Here are few examples just from the Book of Mormon:
Alma 3:6 “And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren…”
3 Nephi 2:15 “And their curse was taken from them, and their skin becamewhite like unto the Nephites;”
3 Nephi 19:30 “And when Jesus had spoken these words he came again unto his disciples; and behold they did pray steadfastly, without ceasing, unto him; and he did smile upon them again; and behold they werewhite, even as Jesus.”
As these passages explain, the Lamanites (forerunners of the dark-skinned Native Americans descended from the Jews according to the Book of Mormon) were given a mark of dark skin as a curse for their transgression, not toward God, by the way, but toward their brethren, the “righteous” Nephites. Later when some Lamanites became righteous, the curse was removed and their skin became white.
This repulsion for the LDS racist scriptures I had discovered began to soften my heart toward the biblical God who, according to the Bible, is no respecter of persons and who shows no favoritism. When I read the Bible, its teachings were unmistakably clear because they were repeated over and over. One of these undeniable themes is that God is no respecter of persons and shows no favoritism, no bias.
What to do with the racist scriptures? If the LDS Church moves to remove them, then that calls into question all other things Joseph Smith wrote as scripture and said came from God. Can the Mormon Church say they’re an allegory that means something other than what they say literally? As of today, the church is still defending the four standard works on their official website as “utterly reliable” and “pure truth.”
Nope.
Wild bulls tied on each leg wouldn't get her to talk about something that she PROMISED NEVER TO TALK ABOUT. Thus, the silence when the entire fallacy of temple rituals are exposed.
This WILL lead to head exploding in the future.
And I know where YOU stand on Mormonism.
It is your Life and your Foundation.
Yet almost daily you see EVIDENCE that the whole scheme is a sham.
How long will you endure?
a day is like a thousand years...
I must admin when you caught me at the time I was on fire because I did learn new things about the Temple and I been distracted ever sense...
I had personal plans I was going to set in motion and than this weather happen.
thank you for reminding me I will try to re trace my steps on the stuff I stumble upon.
I did share with you some of the stuff but you seem to dismiss it and was frustrating to you but the knowledge was giving me exciting news of something I prayed for and at the same time you were not at the place I was in the scheme of thing, anyway there was so much more which trigger more understanding.... I need to track this down to complete the news I received for my question answered.
For me the temple is not so much of this earth as it is portal into the reverently things that the Lord has in store for his children.
What?
The inside of a mortuary?
There is NOTHING 'sacred' about your 'temple' - it is only SECRET.
So SECRET in fact that YOU have no idea where the rituals came from; for they are NOW found in any of your 'sacred' scriptures.
You know it; and the world is learning of it more and more.
Get out while you can.
Why hang around if you have no TR?
You ain't gonna get any farther in 'heaven' than we CHRISTIANS do.
What?
You evidently do NOT believe the BIBLE:
1 Corinthians 2:9
However, as it is written: "What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived" -- the things God has prepared for those who love him --
I have NO idea what you think you're observing thru your 'portal'; but the BIBLE makes it CLEAR that it AIN'T heaven!
Two thoughts here. One, "persons" make up a "people", do they not? Second, other than what I already explained about how the Jews became the chosen people, being chosen for specific purposes in God's plan doesn't mean He was showing favoritism. They really are different things.
” being chosen for specific purposes in God’s plan doesn’t mean He was showing favoritism.”
That sounds suspiciously like “Just because it is getting colder doesn’t mean there isn’t Global Warming”.
ALL: Q1: How do Mormons determine their next head "prophet"?
A: Among those eligible, a piece of PAPER printed long ago does. It's called a calendar. The age of the Mormon general authority among the candidates is what dictates to the Mormon god who gets the nod. A: Lds may talk about how they "sustain" who the "prophet" is by a show of hands...but coincidentally, no "no" votes seem to have ever been tallied. Even the Mormon holy ghost can't override the the power of calendar PAPER re: the selection process.
***
No it is the natural man who can not see and it will be like that forever until one humbly summits to the Lord and allows the Lord to elevate him, if not the word on the page will always read like a newspaper.
It is only through and by the Power of the Holy Ghost that our beings are edify in order to receive the things of the Lord.
1 Coe 2
9 But as it is written, Eye; hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared&; for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them; unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth; all things, yea, the deep things of God.
11 For what man knoweth; the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth; no man, but; the Spirit of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit; of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which shows you how accurate our god(s) is(are) for RESTORING the ancient rules!
--restornu_wanna_be(Leviticus 19:19 Keep my decrees. Do not mate different kinds of animals.)
Which shows you how useless and unneeded the Twelve Yesmen are. No OT prophet EVER needed ANYONE to second-guess what GOD told him to say!
Yes; it is the MORMON who can not see and it will be like that forever until he summits to the Lord and allows the Lord to elevate him, NOT to the MEN, high above Temple Square, that receive 'revelation' from god(s) that countermand the 'revelation' given earlier in the church's history.
In conclusion let us summarize this grand key, these “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet”, for our salvation depends on them.
1. The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
4. The prophet will never lead the church astray.
5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
6. The prophet does not have to say “Thus Saith the Lord,” to give us scripture.
7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
8. The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
9. The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.
10. The prophet may advise on civic matters.
11. The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13. The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church.
14. The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer.
I testify that these fourteen fundamentals in following the living prophet are true. If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His mortal captain—how close do our lives harmonize with the Lord’s anointed—the living Prophet—President of the Church, and with the Quorum of the First Presidency.
Ezra Taft Benson
(Address given Tuesday, February 26, 1980 at Brigham Young University) http://www.lds.org/liahona/1981/06/fourteen-fundamentals-in-following-the-prophet?lang=eng
Enough precious times spend here I must continue my focus towards a more worthy paths...
Are you WORTHY enough to enter a TEMPLE your money supports?
A simple YES or NO will do.
Kinda like Joseph Smith...
Kinda Deseret Ranch 'volunteers'.
Golly!
Nothing like THAT in the bible!
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