~”So you’re saying they have to be baptized before God will let them enter Heaven?”~
We believe that baptism is a necessary ordinance that must be completed for an individual to return to God. This is different than Paradise. If you’d like, we can get into this discussion.
~”They came home one Sunday all upset because they were told that their dad and new wife were going to hell because they weren’t married in the Mormon church.”~
Then they had an unfortunate experience. What can I say? Kids say mean things sometimes. That doesn’t make it true.
~”They’ve also been baptized for the dead and the oldest one now is only 13.”~
Nobody under the age of 12 participates. It’s a hard and fast rule. I’d recheck.
~”This religion puts up a facade of being christian but they don’t have a clue about it.”~
This has been, until now, a rather pleasant conversation. I suggest we keep it that way.
I am a Mormon. I am a Christian. Period. You are not qualified to judge differently - only One is. The fact that we disagree on the interpretations of some scriptures hardly gives you that qualification.
~”Yes, most of them are moral people, but you’re missing the True Message of Christ.”~
Please, what is the True Message of Christ that I’m missing? I’ll bet we have much more in common in this area than you suspect.
~”How it sticks in my craw that J. Smith has elevated himself above Christ.”~
He did not. There is a quote, often taken out of context, that our detractors try to use to claim this; but the charge is untrue.
~”This world has false prophets a plenty.”~
Indeed. “You shall know them by their fruits.” I’d say that a religious system where it can be said of its members that “most of them are moral people” is a pretty good fruit, for example.
~”You can all have organized religion, I don’t need it. Trying to live a christian life is enough for me.”~
OK, God bless you.
~”I’ve read some of the Book of Mormon, and all I can say is I will pray that God takes the blinders off your eyes.”~
I appreciate your concern. I do wish there were, however, some way that I could explain exactly what the Book of Mormon has given to me. The words fail me miserably.
~”How easily some are deceived.”~
That’s true; that’s why I asked the Lord if it was the truth. The answer is why I stay.
I would rather you’d said something along the lines of what the Bible has given you. But, oh well.
You’re right, it’s not my place to judge, for that I’m sorry. But why do Mormons cling to the Book of Mormon, when the Bible should be sufficient?
Joseph Smith had some stones, they call them seer stones. Doesn’t the Bible warn us not to dabble in the occult? Now don’t get me wrong, I’m just asking. But what was his purpose in doing that? Actually the Bible is very explicitly against those practices. It draws us farther away from God, not closer.
Acts 15:11-32
11. No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
12. The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
13. When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me.
14. Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself.
15. The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16. "`After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
17. that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things'
18. that have been known for ages.
19. "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
20. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
21. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."
22. Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers.
23. With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.
24. We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.
25. So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul--
26. men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.
28. It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:
29. You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
30. The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.
31. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.