I don’t understand how this site has become a place to bash Mormons
Neither do I!
I don’t understand how this site has become a place to bash Mormons, I say that because no matter how you look at this “theologic” article, it is just put out there as a negative comment on the religion of millions of people, most of which are “conservatives” which means they are on the same side as people on this site. It sickens me. As for what Joseph Smith meant? That seems plain to anyone who follows his teachings. Why does he talk about Christ and God as one person one time and as separate beings another? Well, Mormons believe that God and Jesus are separate beings, however they are one in purpose. Jesus always refers to himself as God because he follows God’s will exactly, his word is the same as God’s, his purpose is the same as God’s in that way you can say they are one, which he does. Seems kind of simple when you don’t use a bunch of fancy pseudo scientific jargon to spew a bunch of negative information about a religion which believes in and attempts to follow Christ’s teachings. Hard to believe that other “Christians” are so negative.
***Hard to believe that other “Christians” are so negative.***
We ‘other “Christians”’ are not the ones who started this fight back in 1820’s when a backwoods rube walked out of the woods and declared all other churches wrong and he had talked to God and seen angels and had found a gold book that only he could translate and if you didn’t believe every word HE said you would be sorry because HE would stand at the door of Heaven and keep everyone out who didn’t believe what HE said.
Whew!
“I don’t understand how this site has become a place to bash Mormons,”
Anger, fear, hatred, it all makes people do ugly things. And why would they have those feelings towards us if they were secure and confident in the truth of their own faith? I am glad to have people who act like that opposed to my faith rather than part of it.
As for the article, is a HUGE straw man. Modalism was not ever part of our theology. It appears the author has taken a hazy understanding of LDS theology on the Godhead and done his best to hammer it around to fit into the categories he is familiar with rather than deal with what it really is.
OK, how many billions of people who've ever lived -- or angelic/demonic entities -- does that describe? How many of them could say, "Yup, I've been 'one in purpose' with this demon or with this angel or with this person." That hardly makes any of them "one" the way God the Father and Jesus are.
Jesus always refers to himself as God because he follows God’s will exactly...
More shallow logic. How many angels -- and even the demons themselves -- could have pointed to a perfect track record? At one point in their "angelic career," every demon could say, "So far, I've followed God's will exactly." And the same could still be said about angels.
...his word is the same as God’s...
Take Daniel. Take Isaiah. Which of their words that you know they spoke were their own?
...his purpose is the same as God’s in that way you can say they are one, which he does.
And pray tell, tell us how angelic purposes are distinct than Jesus?
Seems kind of simple when you don’t use a bunch of fancy pseudo scientific jargon to spew a bunch of negative information about a religion which believes in and attempts to follow Christ’s teachings. Hard to believe that other “Christians” are so negative.
(Yeah, it's hard to believe Mormons are so negative about Christians -- like you are here...that Mormons go about spouting to this very day -- daily -- that we Christians had a universal apostasy that has continued...One of the top three Mormon missionary lessons -- now referenced as points for "dialogue" -- for the past 45 years has been the supposed 100% Christian apostasy & LDS restoration. No 100% apostasy; no need for any Joe Smith.)
As far as I know, you weren’t there in the 1820s. I’m talking now. I wouldn’t EVER say anything bad about your religion.
Oh, give me a break. You do tithe to the LDS Church? Does it currently publish the Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith verses 18-20 in umpteen different languages?
Do you support LDS missionaries in any way? Do they currently go around talking about a 100% Christian apostasy that's been in effect from around the 4th century and were it not for your precious "only complete truth" church, there wouldn't be a true church on earth?
Does not the Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 14:9-10, teach that there are really only two churches -- the church of the Lamb and Satan's church? (And we all know who Mormons regard as the church of the Lamb is and who they regard as "Satan's" church)
And don't LDS leaders like Kent Jackson still have out in print books on the so-called 100% Christian apostasy? Doesn't Ensign occasionally publish some of these articles?
I just expect the same from the people, I consider follow my beliefs since we visit the same site.
Listen. Get this straight: No 100% Christian apostasy; there's no need for Jos. Smith as a "restorer." No Christian spiritual graveyard; no need for a Mormon church foundation built upon that graveyard.
Mormons are in a position where they've had to try to maintain the Christian graveyard. Because if there's evidence of resurrected Christians outside of Mormonism, then Mormonism is irrelevant as God's complete kingdom. And if there were spiritually resurrected people in Christ at the time of Smith, that won't do, either. (It makes Smith out to be a complete liar)
That's why LDS need to speak so negatively -- at least in their published materials and their missionary door to door conversations...because if Christianity was only the tiniest bit alive in 1820 or 1830...Joseph Smith was superflous and irrelevant as a builder of THE church from scratch.
D&C 7 says the apostle John never died. 3 Nephi 28 says three Nephite disciples never died. Apparently, they're all roaming the earth somewhere. Therefore, Smith WAS irrelevant!
So, we have a choice. Do we take a 14 yo boy's word...or do we take the apostle Paul's? Paul said very explicitly in Eph. 3:21 that the church would give glory to God through "ALL ages." That was a direct prophecy! What kind of problems did Smith have, or Mormons have today, that they can't understand the plain meaning of a word like ALL?
Jesus Christ Himself prophesied that He WOULD build the church...and the gates of Hell would not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18). Yet Smith says it did prevail...and that Jesus lied as a false prophet. What utter blasphemy! (While Smith boasted that he was the ONLY man who ever knew how to keep a church together...that Jesus and Paul never did it...what gall!)
1 Tim. 4:1 the apostle Paul says that the Holy Spirit explicitly said only SOME would depart from the faith in the latter days. Not all! How long have Mormons had this major problem in their failure to understand the difference between the words "ALL" and "SOME?"
Neither do I!
Well: you can START here--->
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http://scriptures.lds.org/en/js_h/1/19#19
17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him! 18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join. 19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” 20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” |
Quite right; FR is a CONSERVATIVE site - which means, by very definition, that it is a site for TRUTH.
The TRUTH is that Joseph Smith was DECEIVED by two demons as an ignornant, 14yo farm boy - the rest is history.
“I don’t understand how this site has become a place to bash Mormons”
I noticed it when every critic of RINO Romney was knee-jerk labeled “anti-Mormon.”
Once so-labeled, people actually did become anti-mormon.