Politically there is probably much that I share with conservative commentator Glenn Beck. The problems he sees plaguing our country I also see, and much like him, I want America to open its eyes to see the dangerous path down which we are heading. Beck is also an entertainer, an erudite one, and for me, this is what sets him apart from many of the less-than-stellar entertainer pundits I hear coming out of Hollywood. It is no secret that Beck is unabashedly Mormon, and while I can agree with him on political and social issues, when he calls on me to join hands with him to invoke the Almighty, I have to draw the line. It isn’t because I don’t like Glenn Beck, it is just that my biblical worldview prevents me from uniting with him spiritually. Despite his LDS membership, experience tells me to be cautious regarding what he might personally believe. For me, Glenn Beck is still much of an enigma, and because of this I have many questions I wish he could answer for me.
Perhaps you can list some concerns you may have as well.
cont.
Brigham Young taught concernng HF , he "…. created man as we create our children for
there is no other process of creation in heaven, on the earth, in the earth…..or in all the
eternities…" [ JofD v11 p122 ]
Orson Pratt said of HF ' he "….had a plurality of wives one or more being in eternity
by whom He begat our spirits….." [The Seer,p173, also in a sermon in the tabernacle
S.L.C. 11-12-1876 ]
Another Apostle, Parley Pratt said that to repress the natural affections of the marriage
relationship was not true religion. He contined to say that these affections will be
continued for all eternity as husband and wife will produce spirit children.
F Melo
2 Corinthians 9:10 What are the "fruits of your righteousness" that are supposed to increase?
I certainly would like to know what you consider properly believing in Jesus Christ. Is it the words that you use to draw near to him?
1 John 3:15 says "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. " Further more the rest of the section talks about loving in deed and not shutting those out who are in need. So this is quite the charge don't you think? Love your brother, don't just say you love them act like you love them, give to them when they are in need if you don't you are not loving them you are in fact hating them and if you hate someone you have committed murder in your heart. So by this token I'd say everyone is a murderer at some point in their lives.
I don't think that a deathbed confession is automatic evidence of someone's insincerity. Also it's not for me to decide. If someone tells me as they are dying that they are a sinner, that they deserve death, that they believe that Christ came to earth fully man and fully God, lived the life that they themselves should have lived and died the death that they themselves should die, then I would rejoice in their confession. If they didn't really mean it but just wanted to have their 'bases covered' that's not my business because I do not know their hearts. And since I'm not writing a recommendation for them to get into heaven I don't think it matters what I think. Salvation is about a correct understanding of man's sinfulness, God's Holiness, and Jesus having done what we couldn't do (paying our debt; because payment is death/eternal seperation from God, and conquering death; so that we can have life after this world) Sanctification is the purifying WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT in our lives to continue to grow us as Christians but it happens after salvation not as a prerequisite for it.
You used the example of a child's apology meaning less if it is after getting caught. I don't think it matters when the apology comes if it is sincere. Is that child just trying to get out of trouble or has that child be truly feeling guilty and would take their punishment because they know they deserve it and still express remorse for what they've done?
As far as Alvin was concerned, the Gospel was had in spirit prison well before Joseph Smith restored it to the earth. That is how he could be seen in paradise. Alvin loved his brother and obviously would have accepted the gospel as it would have been taught to him upon his death and entrance into the spirit world.
cont.
Church curriculim , " Achieving a celestial marriage " student manual ( 1976) teaches
that only through celestial marriage will man and wife be able to continue the produce
children after death . To procreate ("propagate" ) , " giving birth to spirit children" for
all eternity. p. 5, 132
Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith taught that your human body after death , as a celestial
body, will have different functions than those bodies on the terrestrial and telestial worlds.
The power of procreation will be removed from the bodies of those men and women on
those other two worlds.
Jim, as you can see by this, your spirit was produced by a union of a male body with a
female body , that of your HF and HM. You personaly don't have to accept all of this, but
that is Mormon doctrine and it comes from those who are authorized to decare it.
Remember that Mormon prophets /apostles' calling is to interpret the Scriptures
( Gospel Principles 1997, p.47 ) and this they have done.
And this is why it will be God who will judge our acts. He will know if it is a sincere apology or not. Just as a parent may have a history and a background with their child to have a better understanding of their child's apology. I know I received a far less severe punishment (usually just rectifying or replaceing what may have been damaged or lost) when I fessed up immediately than when I either lied or held out hoping not to get caught until I finally did (this usually ment the inclusion of wooden spoon or a brush to the hindquarters). But again it wasn't my neighbors who meted out my justice or anybody else, but my parents, just as it will be God who will judge.
And that's a wrap. Good night all.
cont. lastly, your response to your ulimate " goal " was interesting. I'll take
your word on it , but it sure was'nt as direct as I read from your leaders.
If worthy, every Mormon male will receive All power and therefore become
an Almighty God, just as your HF has attained that position so will Mormons.
Perhaps Mormons can't admit to non-mormons that one day as the result
of eternal progression that they'll be worshipped. Being silent about it is one
thing,but denying it has been taught by Mormon leaders is another.
ww
"what happened to Ananias and Sapphira when they withheld part of the money for selling their land?"
It wasn´t a great commandment at all – they lied to God, because they promised something and then they cheated the Apostles. It wasn´t a law, not all churches did that, if you read the Bible.
"With Communism, they take, you don't have a choice. With the Law of Consecration, you give, you do have a choice."
Me and Bill have answered this clear enough already, no need to go on exposing this deception, that members of the church actually had a choice, or will have a choice someday for that matter.
To believe in Him is to trust in Him, trust in His word, in the words of His servants, the prophets and apostles of old.
Galatians 6:6-7 – "Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham."
That´s the difference between law and gospel. The law says if you do this, than you deserve this. We all have broken the law, therefore we deserve the punishment of Hell. The Gospel says, nothing you can do will save you, except trust in Christ and His blood, and the fact that he was raised from the dead.
1 Peter 1:9-10 – "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:"
After that comes the good works, or the fruits of righteousness – those are the works of God.
Titus 3:8 – "This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good aworks. These things are good and profitable unto men."
Does that mean our good works save us? Not at all – but those who believe in God will do good works.
Alvin wasn´t in paradise, Joseph cleared said he had obtained an inheritance in that Kingdom(celestial Kingdom)
Then you need to answer who performed his ordinances for him, if none of those things were restored yet as Joseph notes?
The problem is, what if you have destroyed someone´s self-esteem? How can you repair it?
What if one night you got very drunk and decided to drive home anyways and ended up causing an accident and killing someone – how can you repair that?
That whole idea of restitution is the right thing to do, but to base your repentance on that is to make the atoning sacrifice useless…
rvales, remember, in mormonism you have to earn everything – including forgiveness(even though you´re probably going to screw things up again not too long after). Regardless of that they have the illusion they can please God…
You have to see when one of those faithful mormons fall, how their heart changes about forgiveness of sin, and they feel desperate for it, afraid they might die during their probation time and lose it all…
Don´t forget also that once you´ve repented of a particular sin, if you committed that same sin again, all of your past sins become once again "active" in God´s memory, and all pile up against you – what a cruel, heartless system.
Bill,
I think it curious that you accuse me of hypocrisy on the same thread wherein you also criticize me for demonstrating "disdain for what many… believe and hold sacred." Are you serious? What is the basis of your ministry?
Do you answer questions?
I have attempted to simply answer a few of yours. Yet you make no attempt to return the favor. But that is fine. In doing so (or not doing so), you only discredit yourself.
I AM JUSTIFIED BEFORE GOD BY THE ATONING SACRIFICE OF JESUS CHRIST.
YES, I AM A SINNER.
And Moroni 10 is perfectly consistent with my faith and view of salvation. You are incorporating only a one-time-repentance concept to this passage, adding reason for my claim about your view on grace and repentance.
I insist that you and others do not understand the Church of Jesus Christ because you misstate our doctrine and theology consistently. I am being generous in making that claim.
For example, I heard you say recently that the role of grace for LDS is limited to the universal resurrection and that our salvation from sin is entirely a function of our works, not the grace of God.
This certainly seems contradictory to your representation of our view on the atonement. You say we are wrong for believing the atonement took place in part in the Garden of Gethsemane.
So which is it? If we limit the atoning grace of Christ to His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection, what do we think was going on in the Garden? Why His suffering in the garden if we are not saved by grace? If it is all a function of our works, what was the purpose of His infinite suffering?
But this is the case with almost all your arguments. If a person steps back and looks at what you argue, it just doesn't make sense.
Jim, you're not listening very carefully, Many Christians have attempted to answer your questions. I included. But you still maintain that no one understands Mormonism. I am giving you a platform to clarify the issues for us. This means I ask the questions and you get to answer them.
As for grace being "limited" to universal resurrection, I don't believe I said that, and if I did, I most certainly misspoke. I have often stated that salvation by grace ALONE has been described by LDS leaders as universal resurrection. I have always understood that in a Mormon context grace is coupled with an individual's works.
You said you are justified by the atonement of Christ, yet page 77 of True to the Faith, states,“Through grace, made available by the Savior’s atoning sacrifice, all people will be resurrected and receive immortality (see 2 Nephi 9:6-13). But resurrection alone does not qualify us for eternal life in the presence of God. Our sins make us unclean and unfit to dwell in God’s presence, and we need His grace to purify and perfect us ‘after all we can do’ (2 Nephi 25:23)."
You say you are a sinner. I am too. But Alma 11:37 says God cannot save us in our sins. We both admit we need grace, but Mormons here have stated that works come before grace. How many works must a Mormon like you do to receive the grace that purifies? Have you personally done enough to receive it or are you still classified as "unclean" according to the above quote? IOW, are you justified right now?
Bill,
Thanks for clarifying your question.
Salvation by grace and the requirement to repent and obey are not mutually exclusive concepts.
I have tried to explain this countless times to critics like yourself, but have yet to have any of them acknowledge understanding of it.
Consider an heir. A wealthy man who has created an empire worth billions chooses one child out of many whom he believes is honest, humble, industrious, and charitable to bestow the inheritance upon.
The heir has no causal relationship to the wealth- he has done nothing to create that wealth. Its existence has nothing to do with him. Yet, motivated by grace, the grandfather gives the empire to the most honorable child.
This is a very feasible, biblical, and logical balance of grace and works. It is undeniable that the heir was blessed by pure grace. The fact that the heir's characteristics and trustworthiness have a relationship to the father's decision does not diminish the fact that ultimately, he acted through grace to bestow such an empire upon one who had not "earned" it.
I am justified by Christ AS I repent, forsake sin and obey. It is a lifelong process. I know that makes EVs uncomfortable.
I have moments of sin and uncleanness. These are interspersed with moments and times of repentance, forsaking, obedience, and forgiveness. And as I strive to become better at the process and closer to Christ, I am blessed with grace from God to do what I cannot do myself- whether it is having hope for myself, faith that Christ's power is greater than my sins, or the determination to obey. Grace is received in the beginning of the process, throughout the process, and the ultimate bestowal of grace at judgement.
You really seem to have a problem with verses that speak of grace and include the word "then." I think those verses likely refer to the great judgement- the ultimate and final bestowal of grace. That is given after the long process I have described above.
This concept fits every Bible verse that speaks of grace, faith, works, endurance, repentance, obedience, perfection, etc.
IMO, that cannot be said of any other paradigm or explanation.
Jim, it is not that I have a problem with Mormon verses that speak of grace and include the word "then." My problem is I believe words have meaning. I can cite numerous LDS leaders who make it very clear that there is a condition and a result of meeting the condition. When you say you are justified by Christ only AS you repent, forsake sin, and obey, then it makes sense that you are not justified when you fail to repent, forsake sin, or obey. This is not at all the definition of grace, since grace, by its very essence, must be unmerited.
Am I bothered by the word "then" as you say? As a person who is genuinely concerned for Mormons, yes I am, but I would think it should bother you even more because you really have no faith or assurance that the atonement is working for you at a given moment. You may be cognizant of your sins of commission, but what about sins of omission? They are still sins nonetheless. This explains perfectly why you can't give me a definite yes when I ask you "if you were to die right now, do you have the assurance if your sins are forgiven?" Now, without giving me a long run-around,
1) "How many works must a Mormon like you do to receive the grace that purifies?
2) Have you personally done enough to receive it or are you still classified as "unclean" according to the above quote? IOW, are you justified right now? "
BTW, as I explained, right now this is between you and me. I am giving you a chance to explain yourself and I will do my best to reply in a timely manner. Do not post anywhere else on Mormon Coffee until I am satisfied that you have answered my questions completely and honestly. If you do post elsewhere, they will be deleted. If you persist, you will be blocked.
Jacob, their sin was that they had promised to give the proceeds from the sale of their land to the "church" for the use by all. It was a voluntary selling.
They were put to death by God the Holy Spirit for lying to Peter by telling him that the money they gave was all that was obtained in the sale. In reality they had kept some for themselves. Had they wisely promised a certain portion of the proceeds instead of all of it, and kept their promise, then they would not have lied to God. D&C 104 commands that all of the people's money needs to be cast in. It is not voluntary giving if the giving is commanded. Kind of the like the spiritual coercion that goes on with current LDS tithing. Pay a full tithe, or lose a chance for exaltation.
Can anybody say abuse of power?
Jim, you are exactly right. God's sovereignty is at odds with American freedom, because we do not have a Sovereign in our form of government. We believe in fair and equitable treatment based upon our form of government. But there is nothing "fair" about salvation. "Fairness" is also an American concept. This is why Mormons don't understand grace and the vicarious propitiation of Jesus Christ. It is an American religion. If God treated all men according to our American standard of "fairness" then He would have to either forgive every man their sins without regard to His just nature, or He would have to punish all men for their sins because of His just nature. Because God is both Holy and Just He cannot let sinners just go free without punishing them for their sins. In order to demonstrate His glorious grace God sovereignly chose to save some out of the entire race of man that deserve to die for their sins. But in order to save them He had to be propitiated, which means His standard of justice had to be satisfied. This was accomplished by the death of Jesus Christ on behalf of those God (in Triune Unity) chose to save before the foundation of the world, before they had done good or bad, or chose to accept His sacrifice. This is a demonstration of God's love, mercy, and "grace". The rest he has left to judgment and the punishment they justly deserve for their sins. It is the same justice and punishment that those who were saved by Jesus' atonement deserve apart from faith in Him. This is a demonstration of God's justice and wrath. God is glorified by demonstrating his attributes. But here's the good news Jim, if you understand that you deserve God's justice, repent, and place your faith and trust in Christ's sacrifice on your behalf, and cry out for mercy, God will save you! But you have to give up your idea of who God must be first, and come to a realization of who the Bible says God is. Try reading Romans 1-3 and Ephesians 1 and 2 from the perspective that I just explained. That's the "good news". Not the LDS fake it 'til you make it plan of salvation.
Abuse of power? Why Jim, I'm just giving you a dose of Mormon grace. You obey the commands and I give you the grace to stay. You of all people should understand that. So please, don't waste my time. Answer the questions I've posed. Since I'll be away from Internet connection for a few days, take your time.
So Jim, have you repented of all of your sins? Every day? Remember, your Jesus paid your heavenly father for your debt. He is now the collection agency to whom you are indebted. You just transferred a debt from Visa to Mastercard at a reduced interest rate. You can say that Jesus paid for you sins, but you owe him in full. Where are you going to get the funds to pay him back? Do you know that you have truly repented and continue to repent? Have you committed the same sin again once you have asked for forgiveness and "repented"? If you have, remember, all of your former sins get placed back on your account. Not only are you bankrupt, but you continue to pile debt onto your account.
Jim said, "God loves a person no less or no more as a result of which system of government he or she happens to be governed by. Even which religion a person belongs to. "
Really Jim? Are you sure you don't want to qualify that statement? Did God love the Canaanites the same way he loved the Israelites? Did God love the priests of Molech and Baal the same way He loved the Aaronic Priests (real Aaronic Priests, not pubescent LDS boys) that truly loved Him and served Him? Does God love Muslims and Hindus the same way He loves the Christians who are martyred by them? Does God love the Muslim Shaheed who blows him or herself up in the middle of a classroom, a train station, an outdoor market, a wedding, or took dozens of children hostage in Beslan and raped and murdered them the same way He loved those Christians who died at their hands?
Do not see how dangerous your universalism is? This is the same nonsense Beck is preaching as he stands on the stage with hundreds of practitioners of various religions. God loves those who are His children in a different way than he loves those who are His enemies.
Who are the true children of God? Only those who receive Him and believe on His name and are born of God. It's in plain black and white. There is only One True Light, Jesus Christ, who is God the Son incarnate. The darkness hates the light. All those outside of Christ are in darkness, including you. Grace and peace with God are available to you if you lay down your false faith and run to the cross. Confess your sins, repent, turn to the True Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and The Life, and beg God for mercy. No one comes to the Father but through the true Jesus Christ, and those who come to Him He will not cast out. You want choice? There it is, Jim. Choose the Truth, or reject it. Either way, God will be glorified in the end. Please, I'm begging you, glorify Him as He bestows His glorious grace upon you (Ephesians 1:5-6)! Do not wait until He glorifies Himself by casting you into Hell for being the rebel sinner that you are.
I hope that people here can see what is going on. Bill is deleting any of my posts to other people until I bow before him.
I have made several attempts to answer his question about how I am justified and afforded grace,even offering a parable of sorts to clarify my position.
Yet he has answered none of my questions.
Is this somebody who feels threatened by open discussion? Seriously, this is a first for me.
This behavior is about as unethical as any I have seen in posting on different blogs.
Are there any other moderators watching this?
There is nothing unethical about it, Jim. This is not your blog site. You've made some brash statements and I am giving you an opportunity to make your positions clear. You obviously don't want to answer some simple yes/no questions I have provided. If the circumstances were reversed I am confident that no LDS blog site would have been as patient with you as we have.
Part 1
Jim, you go off on Bill like he did something wrong. Have you ever seen how LDS treat us non LDS for asking questions on sites like FairLDS? Bill is really kind to you compared to how LDS treat us on sites like that, and the Mods on those sites only remove us Non LDS, Not the LDS that are hateful. Plus if your honest with yourself and us, you have not answered Bill's questions, you keep going around the subject. Funny how you talk about Christians and howe they cannot answer LDS, Yet Isee it with you guys all the Time. My Challange will never go away. Any LDS who feels us Christians are less than honest and Dodge questions, Please come to my house, I will have MM's come over or I will go to a local LDS church and ask normal questions, Watch the hate I get or the dodging of questions.
Part 2
Then honestly tell me LDS dont do that and it's just Christians. And let me remind you once again, Yes Christians do, do the things you claim they do, I have confronted many a believer, even friends about the way they treat LDS. But it goes Both ways, not just us to you as you seem to imply. I'm at least honest enough to admit Christians have been less than honest in how they treat mormons, I just wish you guys could admit the same about yourselves.