From the article:
...A frequently cited passage in LDS scripture identifies The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth(...Doctrine and Covenants 1:30). What does this mean? asked Elder Tad R. Callister of the churchs Presidency of the Seventy during a devotional for college-age church members Sunday evening....this is THE ONLY CHURCH that has all the truth that has been revealed thus far in this dispensation THE ONLY CHURCH that has the ordinances necessary for exaltation, and the only church that has the priesthood of God to perform those ordinances with divine validity.
IoW: All other churches performing "ordinances" ("sacraments" is what some churches also go by) are invalid except the Mormon Church!
Even worse, when this Mormon general authority says the Mormon church is "THE ONLY CHURCH that has the ordinances necessary for exaltation...", he is actually making a claim that only certain Mormons have a gateway to living forever with Heavenly Father!
The "key to the Mormon code" here is understanding how Mormonism defines "exaltation"; yes, Mormons teach a near universal "salvation" of heaven -- but for most, it would be a Heavenly Fatherless "heaven"...
Documentation for Lds definition of "exaltation":
Posted on FR as a thread in July 2012: THE TOP TEN MOST SURPRISING 'MORMON TEACHINGS' ABOUT MORMON HEAVEN and AFTER-LIFE [Vanity]
What's especially relevant to THIS thread is the 1st, 4th and 5th items I listed in the chart at the above link...
And the key one is this: Mormonism teaches the ONLY temple Mormons (about 15-20% of all LDS) get to live forever in the presence of Heavenly Father.
If you're forever single, too bad. Even Lds & single! If you're NOT a temple Mormon, too bad.
What Lds don't seem to understand is, if Heavenly Father isn't there -- it isn't heaven!
They somehow think that a Fatherless 'heaven' is heaven!
5. | "Eternal life" is redefined to be an exclusive term that applies to temple Mormons ONLY! "Eternal life" is thus reserved for legalistically abiding Mormons ONLY. "Eternal life" does NOT = ALL living forever with Heavenly Father; 'tis ONLY applies for those who EARN exaltation...and "exaltation" is a Mormon by-word for becoming a god!Hence, to the Mormon, resurrection alone does not = eternal life. | Yes, Mormons believe that just about all people become immortal due to the resurrection. But "eternal life" is ONLY for those who live in the presence of Heavenly Father -- and become "gods" themselves (what Mormons call "exaltation"...To Mormons, "exaltation" and "eternal life" are interchangeable terms...but "eternal life" and heaven-as-a-residence for non-Mormons are not interchangeable terms..."eternal life" is ONLY for Mormons! * Eternal life is a term which always means exaltation, when used in the Scriptures (John 3:15; Romans 6:23; 1 John 1:2; 2 Nephi 2:28; D&C 5:22; 18:8; 131:5; 138:51; Moses 1:39). (David R. Ridges, Mormon Beliefs and Doctrines Made Easier, p. 88) Sub-title: WHAT IS EXALTATION? Exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life that God lives. (Older 1970s version, p. 289) * Exaltation is a synonym for eternal life. Exaltation comes only to those who inherit the highest degree within the celestial kingdom it consists in the continuation of the family unit throughout eternity; it is the type of life that is lived by our Heavenly Father. (Daniel H. Ludlow, A Companion to Your Study of the Doctrines and Covenants, 2:85) * Exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life God lives. He lives in great glory. He is perfect. He possesses all knowledge, and all wisdom. He is the Father of spirit children. He is a creator. We can become like our Heavenly Father. This is exaltation. (Gospel Principles, 1997, p. 302) * Eternal life In fact means exaltation. He who receives the greatest portion of eternal life becomes a God. (Milton R. Hunter, an LDS Seventy, The Gospel Through the Ages, p. 11) * Exaltation means godhood, creatorship. As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 53) * Exaltation is the greatest of all the gifts and attainments possible. It is available only in the highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom and is reserved for members of the Church of the Firstborn. This exalted status, called eternal life, is available to be received by a man and a wife. It means not only living in Gods presence, but receiving power to do as God does, including the power to bear children after the resurrection. (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 2:479 Quote for resurrection alone not = 'eternal life': * resurrection alone does not qualify us for eternal life in the presence of God we need His grace to purify and perfect us after all we can do (2 Nephi 25:23). (Truth to the Faith: A Gospel Reference, Intellectual Reserve, 2004, p. 77) |
Please note this was not only given as a devotional to college-age young adults, but was broadcast by satellite around the Lds world!
"Watch and Remember": The New Testament and the Great Apostasy [Non-Lds worship 'church of...devil']
“the only church that has the ordinances necessary for exaltation”
Doesn’t matter how many ordinances they think they have. There’s not a single handshake in the world that will ever make you a god of your own planet.
The initial three paragraphs of this piece are as follows:
a. gift of indwelling Holy Spirit to be found NOWHERE outside of Mormonism;
b. It ALONE is the "one living & true church on the face of the earth" (Lds scripture D&C 1:30
c. "...all systems of worship outside of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would be classified as 'the church of the devil'" (See "Watch and Remember": The New Testament and the Great Apostasy [Non-Lds worship 'church of...devil']
d. Marriages performed by priesthood (or ministry) outside of the Mormon church is "presumptuous and blasphemous" (See last book listed here by lds.org: The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. by Edward L. Kimball. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982, page 494)
e. All baptisms and communion/Lord's Supper/Eucharist served outside of the Mormon church is both "presumptuous and blasphemous" (Lds "prophet" Spencer W. Kimball, the man who approved black priesthood in the Mormon church) and "will highly offend God" (Lds "apostle" Orson Pratt, the man who set the chapter-and-verse divisions in the 1879 Book of Mormon still in use today) [See: Last book listed here by lds.org: The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. by Edward L. Kimball. Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982, page 494 and Lds "apostle" Orson Pratt's The Seer, page 255, column 2 [Please note, Pratt had such authority in the Mormon church that Pratt's 1879 chapter and verse divisions in the Book of Mormon is what Mormons still use today]
e. No missionary work outside of Mormonism is recognized as divinely authorized
f. No spiritual gifts outside of Mormonism is recognized as divinely given Lds "apostle" Parley P. Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, pp. 67-68
g. Although the apostle Paul wrote about prophetic gifts to the Corinthians (which is distinct from any official "OFFICE" of prophet as we find in the Old Testament), Mormonism claims no one but their top etchelon speaks prophetically any more as guided by the Holy Spirit. [Ironically, many Mormon apologists and writers have attempted to belittle Christianity for saying God doesn't reveal revelations any more; yet, these very advocates of Mormonism have "bottled up" God from speaking to anyone beyond a few who happen to live in Salt Lake City!]
Since 1952, the Lds church has sent out about a million missionaries...[Lds has boasted of over a million in its entire history; the largest swath have come in the last 60 years]. They work 70-hour weeks. That's a LOT of "apostasy" mongering...especially given the 80,000 Lds missionaries out & about daily.
And that doesn't include their 24/7 online accusations...
...their books published in who knows how many languages...
...their curricula...
...their published articles...
...their broadcasts...
Snapshot of Joseph Smiths Slanderous Invectives vs. Christian Sects |
Mormon Source[Note: Most of these are Mormon scriptures'. In fact, First three rows below are Lds 'scripture' & therefore cannot be rug-swept any more than a Jew might try to take three commandments off of the very tablets of stone Moses brought down from the mountain] |
...which of all the sects was right must join NONE of them, for they were ALL WRONG those professors were ALL CORRUPT | Joseph Smith History vv. 18-19. Lds "scripture" Pearl of Great Price |
...which of all the sects was right ALL their CREEDS were an ABOMINATION in his sight they teach for doctrines the commandments of MEN | Joseph Smith History vv. 18-19. Lds "scripture" Pearl of Great Price |
Mormon church the only Christ-sanctioned church on earth: the foundation of this [Mormon] church the ONLY true and living church on the face of the whole earth [Obvious scorched earth implication: All other churches are false and dead] | Lds scripture Doctrines & Covenants 1:30 |
Direct question asked of Joseph Smith: 'Will everybody be damned, but Mormons?" Answer from Lds "prophet" Joseph Smith: 'Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness." | Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 119 [Not scripture but still publicly spoken by the Mormon living prophet and published by a later Mormon living prophet, Joseph Fielding Smith via a publisher owned by the Mormon church Deseret News Press, 1938] |
In 1952 the first official proselyting plan was sent to missionaries throughout the world It included seven missionary discussions that emphasized [four topics, one of them being] THE APOSTASY and Restoration [This makes it 60 years that Mormon church missionaries, soon to number 85,000, have formally emphasized in its training & door to door saturation a priority in bashing the worldwide Christian church as apostates (100% AWOL)] | Our Heritage: A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints p. 116, 1996 |
“follow blue prints”, Well, that explains all the engendering change orders.
CAUTION!! RELIGION BASHING THREAD!!
This thread does not praise God, it weakens faith.
Beware wolves in sheep's clothing.
Mormons believe that after you die you become God and eventually get your own planet.
So my question would be this: Do you get to choose your planet? There are planets and then there are planets. And some galaxies, well, let’s just say the have a hint of “trailer park” about them.
So suppose you move into your new planet and you realize the entire solar system looks like an episode of Honey Boo-Boo?
Christs blueprint...is very specific regarding ordinances that are to be performed...particularly baptism. Once someone crosses the doctrinal bridge and acknowledges that baptism is essential for salvation (which it is), then logically he is led to believe in baptism for the dead there is no escaping it, Elder Callister said. Otherwise, how does one answer the difficult question: What about those who died without the opportunity to be baptized?...
Tell me, Elder Callister:
Note: In place of what Christians believe about those outside of Christ, Peterson offered the supposed Mormon view -- Baptism of the dead -- which allegedly offers "a fair chance" for such a "medieval Chinese peasant". Peterson ended his commentary by claiming that the Mormon belief "in the vicarious redemption of the dead" is somehow "a fair and solid solution to" this "problem."
First of all, what is Peterson the Mormon apologist presuming about this "medieval Chinese peasant" -- from a Mormon baptism of dead perspective, anyway?
Well, Lds don't baptize nameless phantoms of the past en masse. No, that's what their massive genealogical enterprise is all about: Capturing govt records; capturing church history rosters; capturing names & dates off of tombstones.
So Peterson makes up this spotlight about some medieval Chinese peasant. Yet how many birthnames & birth-death dates does the Mormon church really have about medieval Chinese peasants -- many/most of whom were likely either illiterate or highly illiterate???
Several years ago on a thread, one FREEPER pointed out that: "Very few of the humans who have inhabited this earth were buried in graves - with head stones or plinths" -- so even recovering such names from the pre-Gutenberg era becomes a major challenge for anybody, especially the Mormon genealogical enterprise.
Lds apologist Peterson's problem goes beyond the tombstoneless dead of history. I mean, the Lds church can't even tell you everybody who's alive on the planet now -- even 100 years from now, they won't be able to name even close to all those who lived in the year 2013 on Planet Earth.
Yet, Mormons claim proxy baptism is universal (or will be).
Have Mormons bothered to ever do the math?
Let's go with a young earth math theory for the moment -- that the earth is only 6,000 years old.
#1 A few experts have concluded that if this is the case, we may have had still 30-60 billion people who have ever lived on the earth.
#2, Now, if the Earth suffers few major catastrophes over the next almost 1,000 years, how many people could the earth have by the year 3,000? (One estimate from WikiAnswers suggests 80-110 billion).
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_people_will_there_be_in_the_year_3000
#3 Now, toss in perhaps another 400-450 billion people who will have lived and died in the year 2000, 2100, 2200, etc. before the year 3,000 comes upon us.
My point? By the year 3000 Mormons may have to smoke their computer genealogical war machine room to accommodate 500-600 billion plus people who lived from 4,000 B.C. to 3,000 A.D.
Now, since Lds believe that such baptisms aren't done other than by proxy, please, Mr. Peterson, provide for us a "mathematical breakdown" of how this is supposedly "fair."
For example, tell us: How many proxy baptisms will the average Mormon teen-ager have to perform in the temple over the next 13 generations (keep in mind the exact % of Mormon teens even involved in this process) to crank up the Mormon necro-baptism number to an eventual 500-600 billion?
You see, Mr. Peterson, this is what happens when you let incredulity rule even basic logic. Mormons are "sold" on the "fairness" & "Justness" & "equality" argument that the door is (or eventually will be) "open" to "all."
But when you start asking them to define "all," they slouch away.
By "all," do you mean the pre-Gutenberg billions? (Uh...)
By "all," do you mean the "no records exist" for those who lived in the teen A.D. centuries? (Uh...)
By "all," do you mean the lack of worldwide temples & manpower mandated to even meet the current Lds fastfood Necro baptism machine need? (Never mind that no matter how many volunteers they grind up in their computer appetite clamoring for "More food...More food," it'll never ever catch up)
So, do tell Mr. Peterson of your "math formula" for necro-baptizing the billions and billions and billions of known people ... never even mind the 30-60 billion who have already lived & whom you can't find any extant records for!
Bottom-line: You, see...in Mormonism, Christ as THE Savior gets diluted by sheer ritualism...genealogy...an unhealthy obsession with the dead...and then usurped as THE Savior!
***Otherwise, how does one answer the difficult question: What about those who died without the opportunity to be baptized?...***
Wasn’t an issue until Mormons made it one.