The rants of Brigham Young are pitiful. They are the resulf of an ill-educated character who failed to understand the true message of the Bible. The hate and vile in his message speak of a troubled man captive in his own narcissism.
You will find faults with many of the world’s cults and, those of us who are Christian, have a big job to set our fellow man on the right path. We should not condemn, like Brigham Young, but love everyone; even when they fail to know the good word of Christ. It is those who know the truth that have a responsibility to tell the truth in a way that will lift up our fellow man; not put him down. We should show the light of our lives, warn those who do not know what they are doing that there is danger, and tell all that there is a better way. The good news is Christ’s love which all people can enjoy—even Willard Romney who is being deceived by a cult religion!
OK, Jesus commended in one or two places the actions of the Pharisees, while roundly & soundly condemning them inwardly -- to the point He called them "whitewashed sepulcres" -- filthily and wormily dead on the inside.
You wouldn't be implying that Jesus was somehow unloving, would you be?
Isn't one form of love -- for say a parent of spouse of an addicted love one -- tough love? (Vs. enabling them in their addiction by "loving" them (your version) -- vs. not telling them the truth?
Doesn't one of the greater chapters of love in the New Testament speak of how "love rejoices in the truth"? (1 Cor. 13:6)
Is not then one form of love -- telling people the truth...not wanting them to wind up in hell? Or do you attempt to be somehow "neutral" toward hell as a destination?
It is those who know the truth that have a responsibility to tell the truth in a way that will lift up our fellow man; not put him down.
So when Jesus referenced the Pharisees as "children of the devil," you condemn Him? Are you consistent here? Or when the apostle Paul referenced the false wolves who would come into devour the sheep (Acts 20:28-31), you condemn this apostle for using a derogatory animalistic application?
I could on & on from the Scriptures.
The problem is you have had an epic fail here.
Jesus and our Lord's prophets and apostles tended to comfort the afflicted; and afflict the comfortable.
You my friend, have failed miserably to practice discernment on who needs both LAW and Gospel and who needs to more immediately hear about the grace, compassion, mercy and love of God. Yes, we all need that...but as Jesus said, he didn't come to attend as a physician those who don't think they need a doctor...
Where you have flunked here is that we have a large body of religious people who think that membership in a given man-made organization is what qualifies them for heaven or some degree of heaven...that, coupled with meritorious good deeds that will earn a spot for them...Jesus was quite harsh for this reason upon religious hypocrites...
They don't realize they have a cancerous sin of self-pride -- a pride that encourages them to think they can build their own stairway to heaven.
Just as a man who won't concede he has cancer won't seek a cure, a person who won't concede their darkness, their slavery to sin nature, etc. won't seek Our Lord in an eternal relationship as Savior...
Posters like you love to quote John 3:16, but somehow never get around to citing what Jesus said two verses later:
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Is this then an unloving assessment by Jesus?
We should show the light of our lives, warn those who do not know what they are doing that there is danger, and tell all that there is a better way.
OK...you finally got around to trying to offer a bit of counterbalance...that, yes, people need warnings about a danger.
If you back up to my Acts 20:28-31 reference, how often did Paul warn the Ephesian church about these false wolves. Now & then? Once in a while? Occasionally?
Would you believe DAILY for three years...Night and day???
The problem is you present this caveat of issuing "warnings" almost as a minor afterthought; for the APOSTLE Paul, this was something he did -- if we take him literally -- over 2,000 times in three years' time...and all as he also made it a goal to proclaim the "whole counsel" of God...says Acts 20.
So, it's not like he was only conducting seminars on the cults & heretics.
And that is why I just LOVE to post MORMON teachings and writings; showing how their OWN leaders CONDEMN them!
It would NOT be very loving to keep them in the dark about the less PUBLISIZED things of MORMONism; would it?
The TRUTH shall set them free indeed!
JS did pretty good on his own.
But of course, MORMON apologists will blame GOD for this message:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Joseph_Smith,_Jr.
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTSSECTION 13251–57, Emma Smith is counseled (commanded) to be faithful and true; 58–66, Laws governing the plurality of wives are set forth.51 Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to aprove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice.52 And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, areceive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.53 For I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he hath been afaithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him.55 But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an ahundredfold in this world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns of beternal lives in the eternal worlds.
Whatever HAPPENED to Emma???Eliza was a devout Mormon.At age 38, she became Joseph Smith's 14th plural wife (in addition to Smith's lawful wife, Emma).In 1842, after learning Eliza was pregnant, Emma Smith beat Eliza with a broomstick andknocked her down a flight of stairs, causing Eliza to miscarry Smith's baby.Wow!!I guess ol' Emma got VAPORIZED by GOD!!!We know that multiply him thing sure didn't work out!
We should show the light of our lives, warn those who do not know what they are doing that there is danger, and tell all that there is a better way.
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I agree, that works well with non-Christians in general. However, after 20 years witnessing to the LDS and being an ex-Mormon myself, it is hard to break through their ‘we are Christians too’ shell. That usually involves really tough love.
The Christians who thought they could just ‘love me to the Lord’ I got along with, but I didn’t respect them or listen to them. I saw them as weak in their faith. The ones who got through to me, who got me mad enough to ‘prove them wrong’ and Mormonism ‘true’ were those who challenged me, made me mad, angry even, those who were bold and even a little hostile.
I have pinged other ex-mormon freepers who had similar experiences. We are all now Christians saved by grace.