Posted on 04/15/2010 8:56:50 AM PDT by T Minus Four
Think of the Salt Lake Temple as a designer bottle holding a one-of-a-kind fragrance.
Think of the gardens and buildings of Temple Square as bubble wrap around that container.
Think of the City Creek Center to the south, the Church Plaza to the east, the Conference Center to the north, and the Family History Library and Church History Museum to the west as a firm, sturdy box around all of it.
When something merits that much protection, you have to figure rough bumps and bounces are coming down the road.
I get a feeling the LDS Church sees turbulence ahead -- nasty weather -- and it is making preparations.
It's not about being defensive and keeping things out.
It's about being protective and keeping precious things safe.
When the chilly winds blow, forest creatures gather all that's life-sustaining about them.
Horses in the fields cluster together to stand against the hail.
I feel the LDS Church battening down the hatches for bad weather.
The Tabernacle Choir, which was performing musical versions of Robert Frost poetry and other secular works, now releases CDs filled with songs of faith, assurance and the need to rely on the Divine.
I feel protection is the point behind the long row of sentries -- those Mormon temples -- that stand along the Wasatch -- the new Brigham City temple, new Payson temple, the new remade Ogden temple and all the others.
I feel protect precious things is the point of the new mission statements of LDS businesses, the point for books that are picked for publication and the lessons selected for manuals.
Part of the world would divide and conquer.
The church would gather and protect.
Something uneasy this way comes. Not a vilent clash as in Jerusalem -- where cultures fight openly. We won't be seeing stone throwers in the streets of Salt Lake City.
The battle here won't be about territory.
It will be about choices -- about the advent of a bolder, more self-indulgent popular culture.
The church can see the writing on the wall -- often literally.
And graffiti on the temple will never do.
It's time -- as the old hymn has it -- to "safely gather in, ere the winter storms begin."
The plan is not to force people away.
The plan is to keep what's on the inside safe from harm.
And if that means putting up ramparts and watchtowers, so be it.
Even heaven, if you believe the stories, is a gated community -- not to keep people away, but to safeguard the gentle hearts of those who dwell there.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E-mail: jerjohn@desnews.com Jerry Earl Johnston chronicles his take on the Mormon experience in his column “New Harmony,” which appears on MormonTimes.com on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Evangelical Christians appear to be going more liberal seeing so many turned out for Obama. I think it would more likely be Pentecostals, non-denominational and Catholics, that would be in their cross hairs.
Don't take any bets on that.
If nothing else, the large number of LDS supporters of Romney here on FR have shown that they are more then willing to toss conservatism under the bus to promote one of their own. Indeed they seem almost giddy about it at times.
And don't get me started about this great Mormon "conservative"...
Thanks for proving my point.
My gf has had some pretty bad experiences with the LDS church. She was a member in good standing, until she divorced her abusive husband. That’s when the church started to abuse her. She lives in UT, can’t get a job and some other things that sound more than fishy. I doubt this would happen in other states but, it doesn’t surprise me it’s happening in UT.
I assumed you were asking me, It’s so hard to tell when playground bullies shout to address everyone to bring them in for a gang style attack. :)
I need to go for now. There’ll be another thread to bump heads on later, I hope soon enough you’ll realize that I’m knowledgable enough to understand your position and disagree and that if you’d all stop lying on a thread, I’d stop refuting it. You could save us all time by just making a little list of links that say how much you hate stuff, I’ve always seen those and thought they were so concise, and so much easier to see. You could use your fancy red writing!
And that last post should read “could”...
Once again, has the first presidency revoked the first vision, portions of 1 Nephi and excised all the commentary contained in JOD as well as D&C and missionary training? To make such a statement as above, in view of all the very disparaging remarks mormonism has made (and continues to make) towards Christianity is intellectually dishonest and the very least.
Look for commonalities, not differences, . .
Polytheism (mormonism) vs monotheism (Christianity)
Salvation by works (mormonism) vs Salvation by Grace ( Christianity)
Following the leadership of false prophets (mormonism) vs the leadership of the Holy Spirit (Christianity)
We can compare an contrast all day JDW - won't make me sing kome-by-ya with you around the fire - mormonism as a religion is opposed to Christianity across the board.
I find this very hard to believe.......
Well, that may just be Utah...
The fact is, it is KNOWN and GIVEN that the current Bible is missing texts. It’s incomplete, and that’s FACT.
- - - - - -
Just because a text is not included in the cannon does not mean it is scripture and should have been.
In plain English, just because there were other documents, religious or otherwise, written at the time, does not mean that they should or were considered part of the Bible.
The LDS use this line of thinking to support the idea of the necessity of the Book of Mormon, but it doesn’t hold.
Paul quoted pagan philosophers, and those were NEVER considered scripture.
And I have NEVER seen CC not take responsibility. We all have other things that we could be doing, but we witness to the LDS and try to get throught to them because we care, we want them to come to a saving faith in Jesus and put their faith in HIM ALONE, not a church to get them back to God.
I, for one, would back off if the LDS would stop claiming to be Christians, but as long as they have the doctrines they do, the teachings they teach, and still claim my Lord and My God to the extent of believing they are the ‘only true church’ then I will fight back.
The LDS are lied to by their own church. Talk about sad, sad, sad.
Well, I’m a tenor. The intimated invitation stands. but gtg....See you later.
Seems I see a pattern here...
We found out we couldn’t ever be married righteously in the Temple since my ex-husband wouldn’t submit the necessary papers to “allow” it.
- - - - -
This is the kind of control over its members that REALLY REALLY ticks me off about the LDS.
Your EX-husband has the final say on who you are married to for eternity? That is disgusting.
It sticks out like a sore thumb that your questions have been completely ignored!
Wonderful....and I think I get it now!
Answering by silence - seems the cat has your tongue on all these points - eh? Kinda hard to sing tenor after gargling alum. Perhaps when you come back you can provide some hard facts.
Funny you should mention that....
"For hundreds of years the world was wrapped in a veil of spiritual darkness, until there was not one fundamental truth belonging to the place of salvation ...Joseph Smith declared that in the year 1820 the Lord revealed to him that all the ‘Christian' churches were in error, teaching for commandments the doctrines of men."
- Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, v. 3, p. 282
Apostle Bruce R. McConkie (1915 - 1985):
"...the Book of Mormon remains secure, unchanged and unchangeable, ...But with the Bible it was not and is not so....it was once in the sole and exclusive care and custody of an abominable organization [Christianity], founded by the devil himself, likened prophetically unto a great whore, whose great aim and purpose was to destroy the souls of men in the name of religion. In these hands it ceased to be the book it once was."
- Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, The Joseph Smith Translation, pp. 12, 13
“Believers in the doctrines of modern Christendom will reap damnation to their souls.”
- Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, see pp. 45-46
“... all the millions of apostate Christendom have abased themselves before the mythical throne of a mythical Christ.... in large part the worship of apostate Christendom is performed in ignorance, as much so as was the worship of the Athenians who bowed the Unknown Gods.”
- Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 269, 374-375
Prophet Ezra Taft Benson (1899 - 1994):
"This is not just another Church. This is not just one of a family of Christian churches. This is the Church and kingdom of God, the only true Church upon the face of the earth..."
- Prophet Ezra Taft Benson, Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 164-165
Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley (1910 - ):
“We accept that as a statement which came to him [Joseph Smith's vision in which he was told all other religions were "abominations"], which is printed, of course, and published in his history as a statement. But we go forward with a friendly relationship, with a respect for people everywhere and with an effort to accept them as we meet them and, where opportunity exists, to talk with them and explain to them what we believe.... We don’t criticize them for what they believe. We accept the good that comes of that understanding which they have, but we feel we having something to offer beyond what they have.”
- Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, interview with Richard Ostling, as quoted in Mormon America, by Richard and Joan Ostling, p. 323
Hinckley admits that the "statement" of Smith exists BUT....
Something that I oppose...
“The church can see the writing on the wall — often literally. “
Translated it says...
“You changed the Gospel of Christ for a system of man-made works! You accepted every heresy known to the Church. You changed the image of God into an exalted man. You changed my Son into a created thing! Repent today.”
It most certainly does, but not suprising having dialogued numerous mormons over the years. There is an innate response to avoid a direct answer when presented with facts that contradict their version of reality. Glad you noticed it - you are probably not the only one too.
Check out Rick Warren, I like him but, have some questions. To me he’s kind of ifie. And Jim Wallis, the self-described “progressive evangelical” leader. Seems either evangelicals are sliding to the left, or there are some sheep in wolves clothing among them.
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