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.
And yet God is called the Savior in the Old Testament...
Declare what is to be, present it—let them take counsel together. Who foretold this long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD? And there is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me Isaiah 45:21
Truly, O God of Israel, our Savior, you work in mysterious ways. Isaiah 45:15
But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7
He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his savior Psalm 24:5
yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:18
“But I am the LORD your God, [who brought you] out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me.” Hosea 13:4
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah Psalm 68:19
The LORD lives! Praise be to my Rock! Exalted be God my Savior! Psalm 18:46
“The LORD lives! Praise to my Rock! May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!” 2 Samuel 22:47
He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.’ Psalm 89:26
For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior Isaiah 43:3
Cry out, “Save us, O God our Savior; gather us and deliver us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name, that we may glory in your praise.” 1 Chronicles 16:35
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2
And how do you twist the first passages of John’s Gospel, which tell us that in the beginning The Word was with God and was God?... But we are told that in the end times, voices such as yours will be more numerous. You are not alone in your blasphemy.
I would agree, Nana.
Latter-day Saint belief is that The God of Israel was the premortal Jesus Christ.
Saundra, I never mentioned divorce. I mentioned that CC had to have her EX-husbands permission to be sealed in the temple.
SHE HAD NO SAY IN IT! She was already remarried to her current husband, but she couldn’t be sealed for eternity because her ex said NO and the leadership went with him.
That is unrighteous use of authority.
If we wanted to, we could pick all the churches apart - plenty of ammo - but you seem to want to pick pick pick at the LDS Church for some unknown strange evil reason.
- - - -
Pick away, I got nothing to hide. For Christians it isn’t about our churches, it is about OUR JESUS!
But the LDS already, pick, pick, pick at Him.
And I have made my reasons clear for why I fight Mormonism. It is their evil not mine.
Joey Smith said that he went to “inquire of”
He never did record any actual question...
So we dont know if a question was ever asked...
or what the question was giong to be...
or indeed who was the recepient of any question...
As Joey Smith claimed it happened that way about a decade later, and there is no record at the time he was 14, (1820) and given
Joey Smith’s reputation for tall tales,
his reputation as a liar,
his record as a jailed vagrant and swindler,
his lack of formal education and reading skills,
his infrequent interest in church attendance,
his lack of Bible tutorage and Christian influences,
and his family habit of criminal money digging, and fortune telling
and his own obsession with the occult,
it is doubtful that Joey Smith had delved so deeply into the Bible on such a scholarly level as to develop such an advanced interest in Christianity...
Personally I havent “picked apart” a Christian Church in my life...
I was thinking about you the other night. We don’t have desert often but I made this really great strawberry one. I marinated strawberries in white zin, then made a reduction just sweeten so, and spooned the berry’s and reduction over fresh made lady fingers with a small side of vanilla bean ice cream. My goodness it was good.
Ok, now I am starting to sound like a reviewer on the Food Network.
,-)
Latter-day Saint belief is that The God of Israel was the premortal Jesus Christ.
_________________________________________
Fine but thats not a Christian belief...
Exactly. I did not understand the writing and what the chief subject was, from the article.
Yes the Holy Ghost is the same Holy Ghost in a girl or boy of 3 or 14 or whatever age...
My daughter was just 3 when the Holy Ghost taught her to recognize Him...
He was so funny He would tickle her ...”on my back bone” “in the inside” Tee Hee Hee...
LOL
I would weep watching her...
I learned a lot about the Holy Ghost just watching Him with my daughter...
The Holy Ghost is so sweet and such a gentleman...
He loves little kids...
and since young children have the same Holy Ghost He opersates through them ...they can receive a word from God and also have the 1 or 2 other witnesses verify...
When someone gives you a word it should not be a surprise...
It should as you said “verify” what God has already told you...
It may be a bit more but it should fit...
If God has told you to stay put and someone suddenly “speaks” great words over you and tells you to go to China...no you havent missed God...
if you KNOW that you are hearing from God..its not you ...its the person trying to do their own thing and make an impression on people...
A word from God should leave you feeling peaceful...If you feel an IRK in your spirit there is something wrong..
Watch yourself with seeking “words” from others....
They may be sincere...but sincerely wrong...
Each of us hears from God for ourselves...
The curtain has been torn...there is no longer a need for an intersessor with God, no need for a “priesthood”
God is talking to us ALL the time...
We have to get in the right “spot” to hear Him...
(This is for someone out there)
Nana
“Can you give me a definition of a word defining someone who believes in many Gods but only worships one God?”
Henotheist - believing in many gods, but worshipping one.
mormonism is henotheistic, believing in an infinite number of gods in the mormon pantheon, but claiming they just worship one of the three they believe in for our earth.
In other words, a false religion.
So true.
I remember once I was at a clinic and a woman walked over to me and said “I would like to welcome you to church on Sunday”. I smiled and said, “I don’t live here I live in Boulder Creek (about 40 miles away)”. She smiled and said “I know that’s where the church is”. Now that’s the Holy Spirit!!!
“Jesus Christ is our wonderful Savior.”
Ah yes, the same old Sandra claim!
But please add that your weak jesus is the mormon jesus:
- Created Being, like every angel and person (not God)
- came to earth as an ordinary man (and not God)
- Didn’t have an infinite life to lay down for anyone (since he was simply a man)
- Couldn’t therefore be a Savior to anyone
- worked his way up to mormon godhood, to join the billions of other gods in the mormon pantheon of gods
The Biblical Jesus Christ is a different Person entirely!
Thankfully!
Here is the Biblical Jesus Christ:
- Never created or made
- God from eternity to eternity
- Came to earth, never losing his eternal Godhood
- Had an infinite, perfect, sinless life on earth
- Laid down His perfect, infinite life to pay for the sins of mankind
- Is Savior, therefore, to all who place faith in His Gracious Gift (the gospel)
- Ascended back to heaven after rising from the dead and sits at the right hand of God the Father
Your claim to believe in “or wonderful Savior Jesus Christ”
is a distortion of the words.
ampu
That is the same for the male too I knew of a man who remarried and his x wife was holding the situation but who really knows the details.
it is not one sided when their are children involved these things take times and these thing can stuck when there is a change in the Bichopbric or even changing of the stake president to review and this would be one of the many duties a new office would have to get familar with.
There is more too this which those not involved are not privy too.
This is so wrong and even Jesus would not defend this kind of behavior for he has said many times...
Matthew 5
43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
I know many who are anti LDS have trouble with verse 48 which they deem impossible!
Yet the Lord admonishes and those that are really His should strive to do His will!
I see you got those creatived juices going svcw some times the simplest ingredients can make the best deserts and they are not over powering..
of course the magic touch is needed!:)
LOL resty, you need a do-over on this one ;)
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.