Posted on 04/04/2009 9:42:42 PM PDT by Alex Murphy
Salt Lake City, Utah Honorable people throughout the world who are open to religious faith are often discouraged, or confused by incorrect doctrine, according to an Apostle who spoke to the 179th Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
One issue has been particularly troubling, according to Elder Quentin L. Cook, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.
"They have a difficult time reconciling the correct doctrine that we have a loving Father in Heaven and the incorrect doctrine that most of mankind would be doomed to eternal hell," Elder Cook explained to more than 20,000 Latter-day Saints (often referred to as Mormons) gathered in the Conference Center on Temple Square. The conference was broadcast live to the other 13 million members around the world.
He told the story of his great-great-grandfather Phineas Wolcott Cook who was investigating the beliefs of various religions in the early 1800s. He explained that there was one doctrine of concern to him, and that he was often criticized for questioning it.
"I could not believe that the Lord had made a part (of mankind) to be saved and a part to be damned to all eternity," said Phineas in a journal.
Elder Cook pointed out that scholars have the common teachings of many Protestant churches with respect to hell were incorrect. He said the Anglican Church leader and classic scholar, Frederick Farrar, gave lectures at Westminster Abbey and taught that the definition of hell of endless torment and everlasting damnation were wrong because of translation errors from Hebrew and Greek to English in the King James Version of the Bible.
Latter-day Saints believe that the Church of Jesus Christ was restored in 1830 by Joseph Smith, who they believe to be a modern prophet of God.
"At the time Joseph Smith received revelations and organized the Church, the vast majority of churches taught that the Savior´s atonement would not bring about the salvation of most of mankind. The common precept was that a few would be saved and the overwhelming majority would be doomed to endless tortures of the most awful and unspeakable intensity," explained Elder Cook.
"The marvelous doctrine revealed to the Prophet Joseph unveiled to us a plan of salvation that is applicable to all mankind, including those who do not hear of Christ in this life, children who die before the age of accountability and those who have no understanding," he added.
Elder Cook emphasized in his sermon that despite differences with other faiths, the Latter-day Saints refrain from criticism of other Christians who believe differently. "They do much good. They bless mankind. Many help their members learn of the Savior and His teachings," he said.
He also counseled members of the Church to be kind and loving to members of the Church regardless of their level of understanding, level of commitment, or activity. He said that the Savior made it clear that church members are not to judge one another, especially members of their own families. "Our obligation is to love and teach and never give up," he said.
Oh, the “mormon” scriptures ???
Never mind...
:)
Section 132, D & C ;) Really!
Then David is OK
:)
good point.
Resty how can you condemn King David, and say he is not worthy of the Celestial Kingdom when Joseph Smith did some of the same things?
Or does the blood of Christ just not cover Murder?
Repost of #43 (I would still like an answer)
Just as there are 3 degrees of glory in my faith there are also degrees of forgivness ones one have received the light, conversion
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Please show us degrees of forgiveness from THE BIBLE. I cant find it.
Me (post #42): Resty there are not 3 degrees of glory, when Paul is talking about the third heaven he is using a Greek idea.
In Greek thought, there were 3 heavens, but not heaven as we think of it.
The celestial, terrestrial and telestial. The telestial is the heaven we see (the lower atmosphere), the terrestrial is the realm of the moon (or the upper atmosphere), the third heaven, or celestial, is the realm of God.
It is a common misconception among Mormons that there are 3 levels to Heaven
Resty (post #45): To me the OT scriptures testify different.
Me (post #46): please share those OT scriptures then. And I have verified my findings with a friend who is a Professor of Ancient History specializing in Greek Religion (she is also a Christian).
Resty, please show me where the OT shows 3 degrees of glory.
Smith claimed the FLDS/LDS "plan of salvation" was given to him by vision from God.
If you believe this, then do you believe that Swedenborg was also a prophet of God ?
Did some research on Swedenborg, wow...creepy.
The foundations of 35 years worth of hard mormon works shattered within hours. I mean, that's the #1 thing they claim to have from a prophet over ALL OTHER CHURCHES....the answer to "Who are we, Where did we come from, and where are we going"....And it's all Plagiarized
Notice how Resty won't answer my question ?...
Don’t fret, she hasn’t answered mine either.
Good question. Why not let people believe and worship as they see fit, and quit trying to "convert" them to some other flavor.
More than 90% of the people in this country believe in God, in some fashion. So long as their beliefs don't include lopping heads off their opponents, or flying planes into skyscrapers, or any other violations of constitutional rights, then they don't need to be converted.
Those who are evangelizing seem more interested in creating chaos and confusion rather than harmony.
The creators of chaos and confusion are more often associated with evil than with good.
FLDS/LDS Prophet Brigham Young made this statement in 1846: "I ... warned those who lied and stole and followed Israel that they would have their heads cut off, for that was the law of God and it should be executed" ("Manuscript History of Brigham Young," December 20, 1846, typed copy; original in LDS church archives).
"If any miserable scoundrels come here, cut their throats." - From red hot blood atonement sermon by Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. II., page 311. At the conclusion of the injunction to "cut their throats, " "all the people said 'amen!' "
On the other hand, there are some other groups unfriendly to the US who are actually lopping off heads, some in the Middle East and some on our southern border.
Brigham Young was responsible with all his "Blood Atonement" DOCTRINES.
You will not find a Mormon who will own up to or renounce the DOCTRINES of this false prophet.
If I wake up dead without a head, I'll be sure to notify you right away.
She can't (or won't) even answer her OWN questions - such as "I wonder just what WAS untrue about PRESBYTERIANism?"
I see you've had experience with MORMON missionaries; too!
Like many others, you missed my point. I wasn't talking about the Mormon missionaries at all. I was talking about anyone who cannot separate their personal religion and their religious group from the activities of the greater society.
I was talking about everyone who brings their personal flavor of religion into political discussions, with the results being more to divide and create chaos and confusion, rather than to unite conservatives against a common political oligarchy of collectivists.
The founders had to reject the fanatics from all religious sects in order to unite the delegations from the several colonies toward political goals. They did have their plague of religious fanatics in those days, and you can read of them in Thomas Jefferson's letters.
It is common human behavior in crisis times for individuals with fanatical beliefs to exploit larger numbers of people to enlarge their own congregation. These fanatics are tools of the enemy.
God doesn't care if people pray on one knee in an opulent chapel, or stand with a group and bray at the sky, or pray quietly in a prayer closet. Whatever method of worship people choose for themselves, it is and should be their personal choice. The customs of each church are shared and understood among their members, and perhaps not so well understood by members of other congregations.
The problems arise when the more fanatical members of any congregation go out into the greater society and insist that greater society adopt the customs and language from their personal religion, to be applied in arenas that encompass the greater society, such as politics, or accounting, or medicine, or science, or business, etc., etc.
Imagine a military mission with a team comprised of fanatics from a spattering of different religions, and each of the team members insist the mission be conducted according to the practices of their personal religious belief, rather than according to tried and proven military methods. The team would have no unity and the mission would fail.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.