Could I ask a serious question of some Mormons? (Please?)

today | me

[Jael]

No man who rejects the testimony of Joseph Smith can enter the kingdom of God"
Doctrines of Salvation, vol. I, p. 190).

My question:
Is that what Mormons believe?
If so, how was anyone saved before 1830.

[Jael]

Thanks for all replies.

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[Jael]

Do you have a Mormon bump list?

[Jael]

Need Mormon input please.

[Jael]

Any Mormons around?

[Jael]

Ok, no Mormon answer. Do either of you know? (Question above.)

[CARepubGal]

They still believed that (did not discuss it much though) as of 1999 (the last time I set foot in an LDS building as a member).

[Jael]

Thanks very much. Are you a former Mormon?

Do you know what they say regarding how people would have been saved before 1830?

[CARepubGal]

They were not saved before 1830. That is why Mormons are fanatical about doing baptisms and other "Temple Ordinances" for the dead. http://www.utlm.org and http://www.irr.org/mit are great Christian sites for research.

[CARepubGal]

Oops! Answering your question, I am technically on the Mormon membership roles but am a former Mormon who had been temple endowed (able to do stolen Masonic rites)

[Jael]

OH!!! I see!! Wow. That makes sense. I never understood that stuff.

[CARepubGal]

I never really did either. I liked the book One Nation Under Gods by Richard Abanes, it breaks out the Mormon beliefs a bit more.

[Jael]

Thanks again. So you are not a Mormon now? Do you have any beliefs?

[RnMomof7]

I will bump it Jael..I..

[Wrigley]

Good book.

Not surprising, the Mormons here didn't really like it too much.

[Grig]

"If so, how was anyone saved before 1830."

People who are ignorant of the testimony of Joseph Smith have not rejected it. That includes everyone pre-1830 and the majority of people post 1830 as well. The statement doesn't apply to them, rejection requires knowledge.

Those who know it and make a choice to reject it will suffer the same fate as those who rejected Moses, or Noah, or any of the other prophets of God. Salvation comes from Christ, but those who reject His prophets reject Him.

You can likewise ask the question that since faith in Christ is required for salvation, what of those who lived before Christ. Are they not saved?

We believe that Christ did not limit salvation to only people who lived after his mortal ministry, salvation is available to all. If for one reason or another a person did not have a full and fair chance to learn and do all they were supposed to so that they could return to be with God, then they will get that chance between death and judgement. In the end, every person will have been given a fair and full chance, and any who do not make it will have only themselves to blame, not circumstance. http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1977.htm/ensign%20january%201977.htm/the%20spirit%20world%20our%20next%20home.htm?fn=document-frame.htm&f=templates&2.0

Some people hostile to the church attempt to take the respect we have for the prophets and twist it into an accusation that we think Joseph Smith is somehow more important than Christ. It's hard to picture anything farther from the truth than that. The reason we have respect for Joseph or any prophet is because they are called of God, they are servants of Christ, not replacements.

[CARepubGal]

I am not a Mormon now. Thank God! I am Christian but consider myself a "baby Christian" and am still trying to undo the Gordian Knot of mormon teachings.

[CARepubGal]

No surprise to me either.

[Grig]

If you haven't lurked on any of the recent LDS threads, you should know that a number of freepers (CARepubGal is one) make it their business to attack, mock, and insult my faith, and constantly misrepresent our teachings and history.

You will have to choose who you will listen to, but I would encourage you to not blindly accept anything they (or we) say. If you really want to check out what mormons believe and teach, I would recomend you start with the official sites: http://www.lds.org and http://www.mormon.org . There are also several good LDS apologetics sites like http://www.fairlds.org/apol/ and http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDS_Intro.shtml. Plus I and other LDS freepers are happy to answer any sincere questions you may have.

[restornu]

I wonder how those who were screen by St.Peter felt about it:)