Reason 5
I agree with Christianity that the Bible is the complete Word of God. The Bible is the One True Book that has stood strong from the beginning of time. I believe in the scripture that says God is always with us and He will never leave us. I also believe this to mean His word will never leave us.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."
1 Kings 8:57
May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,
1 Chronicles 28:20
And David said to his son Solomon, "Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the LORD God-my God-will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.
Matthew 16:18
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
As you can see, He would not have let His church fall away. He would have mentioned at least once that the Bible was not the complete Word of God or that we would need further instruction from Him or we would need help interpreting the Bible. God has given us all the answers we need in the Bible, and modern revelation is not needed to understand the Bible. The books the LDS church has added to the Bible just make the Bible confusing since they contradict what the Bible tells us.
God does not "play favorites." I never understood what made this generation any better than the earlier generations. I never understood why we would deserve the one true church, but everyone before Joseph Smith's time did not deserve it. That's certainly not just... I am no better than anyone who lived before me, so why would God allow me the one true church with the fullness of the gospel but not those that passed away before the 1800s? I just don't buy that.
This past year and a half I have read many, many LDS books to try and understand why the LDS church is the one true church. A good friend loaned a book to me called Biblical Mormonism: Responding to an Evangelical Criticism of LDS Theology, by Richard R. Hopkins. Reading this book was even more validation that I KNOW I have made the correct decision to resign. This guy is so overly critical and he is trying way too hard to prove that Mormonism is right. These are the things I did when I was a member. He is nitpicking minute things and looking for errors in Biblical Christians' perspectives and interpretations of the Bible. He is digging so deep that he has completely missed the meaning of the scriptures that teach us even children can understand how to be saved.
Mark 10:13-15
Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them, but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."
So if you really take that book seriously, there is NO way that a child could keep up with what he is trying to prove. There is NO way a child could possibly understand how to be saved from an LDS point of view. This is exactly how I felt as a member. I just couldn't keep up with everything that I had to do to enter God's House, and I am an adult! I was SO exhausted all of the time; not just physically, but more importantly, mentally and emotionally exhausted. I was so busy trying to keep up with church stuff that I completely missed out on a relationship with Christ, as well as relationships with my husband and children.
The LDS church is missing the entire focus of Christianity. They do not focus on the Bible and the importance of Christ and His love for us. The main focus is on Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and members' testimonies. Very rarely did I turn to scriptures in the Bible and if I did, then quickly to follow, I would be turning to the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, or the Pearl of Great Price. The church forces members to interpret scriptures their way instead of God's way. The Bible is complete, period! And because I believe this, there is no way I could remain a member. The Bible is completely clear. There is nothing missing and no further revelation is needed.
Proverbs 30:5-6
Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His word, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.
2 Peter 1:3
as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue
No other writings or traditions will be given the same authority as the Bible, yet the LDS church has come up with many other books that are equal to or even override the Bible. I am not okay with that. They even push reading the Book of Mormon over reading the Bible. I am not okay with that either, but I suppose that is so testimonies do not begin to diminish.
LDS continue to change prophets' words. Just a few months ago they changed some things in the most correct book ever written, the Book of Mormon. And this was certainly not the first change in the BoM. There have been over 4,000 changes to the most correct book ever written. I mean, the Book of Mormon is from God. Don't you think God would have gotten it right the first time? HE does not change HIS mind. HE felt the same before Joseph Smith as HE felt after Joseph Smith.
LDS also cannot seem to keep their tenets intact. They are continuously amending them to keep up with public opinion of the church or to try and be considered Christianity. The Bible has never been amended or in need of revision. It has only been worded in simpler terms to increase human understanding. No doctrines have been changed, left out, eliminated, or revised, ever.
Here are a couple of websites to show a couple of changes to the BoM, but feel free to do your own search on BoM changes.
carm.org/changes-to-book-of-mormon
utlm.org/onlinebooks/3913intro.htm
saintsalive.com/significant-changes-in-the-book-of-mormon
mormoninformation.com/changes
So to sum it up...
Christianity or LDS?
Bible Only or Modern Revelation?
According to the Bible, Only the Bible is scripture.
According to LDS, the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price are all scripture, as well as words of the living prophets.
According to the Bible, the Bible is the inspired inerrant Word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
According to LDS, the Bible is correct only as far as it is correctly translated. It is the only one of the four standard works that is not considered infallible. The KJV is the official Bible of the LDS church as opposed to the Joseph Smith version of the Bible, and this is why I use the NKJV in all of my blog posts.
According to the Bible, IT is accurate.
2 Timothy 3:17
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
According to LDS, the Bible is corrupted.
8th Article of Faith
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
So why not believe the BoM to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly? Because obviously it was not translated correctly since it has had so many changes and revisions.
Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 327
"Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have committed many errors;"
Orson Pratt, The Seer, p. 213
"The Bible has been robbed of its plainness; many sacred books having been lost, others rejected..., and what few we have left, were copied and recopied so many times, that it is admitted that almost every verse has been corrupted and mutilated to that degree that scarcely any two of them read alike;"
According to the Bible, IT is sufficient.
1 John 5:13
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
According to LDS, the Bible is insufficient.
History of the Church, vol. 1, p. 245
Joseph Smith taught that "many important points touching the salvation of men, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled"
LDS Apostle Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses 2:75
"The Bible is not a sufficient guide; it is only the history of the people who lived 1800 years ago;"
According to the Bible, IT is complete.
Galatians 1:8-9
But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
According to LDS, the Bible is not complete and new revelation is needed.
9th Article of Faith
We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
According to the Bible, IT is authoritative.
1 Corinthians 14:37
If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.
According to LDS, the Bible is not authoritative and is subordinate to new revelation.
2 Nephi 29:6
"Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible..."
Gospel Principles, p. 51-52
"In addition to these four books of scripture, the inspired words of our living prophets become scripture to us. Their words come to us through conferences, Church publications, and instructions to local priesthood leaders."
What I find interesting about this is: the living prophets override the dead prophets. Why do prophets of God change their mind about God's Word when it is obvious that God Himself does not change His mind? Why would God tell one prophet one revelation and then tell a different prophet a different revelation? That is NOT how God works...
Revelation 22:18-19
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
This was a BIG issue with my family when I was considering conversion into the church. Now I know they were right. Anything added to or taken away from the Bible (or even just the Book of Revelation) is not from God. I can do without the plagues, and I will keep my part in the Book of Life.
Ephesians 2:19-20
Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,
No one has any advantage over the other. All Christians have a place in the household of God, not just Mormons. Christ is the foundation. The apostles and prophets of the New Testament laid that foundation for us. Foundations need to be laid only once and the apostles and prophets of the NT did that work for us already. No changes or revisions are necessary, ever.
As a member of the LDS church, all of your decisions are made through personal revelation, so why do you need a prophet to lead and guide you? Why is Christ and His Word not enough for you?
My unanswered questions were:
How can the LDS church be a Christian church when they have added their own scripture they believe to be equal to or more important than the Bible? Do I need modern revelation or only the Bible?
I was initially devastated when I received these answers, yet overjoyed to find the truth that the Bible is the ONLY BOOK I need and I certainly do not need modern revelation to know God and receive answers to my prayers and live with God in Heaven!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
MY SAVIOR
Reason 4
In order to understand this reason, you must first understand The Trinity. The Trinity is the main tenet of Christianity. It's not necessarily 3 in 1, meaning 3 Beings = 1 God, but that is the best way I know how to describe It. I understand The Trinity, yet I am unable to teach or explain It myself. Here are a few sources to help in understanding The Trinity. And as I mentioned before in Reason 2, God is working in three.
From www.carm.org on The Trinity (Christianity):
God is a Trinity of persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is not the same person as the Son. The Son is not the same person as the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the same person as the Father. They all are eternal, divine, and omniscient.
Objections to the Trinity are that it is not logical. Logic should not rule scripture. If it is from God, there will be things in it that are difficult to understand. Additionally, the fingerprints of God are seen all over creation. In Romans 1:20, it says that the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen in creation. Creation is made up of a trinity of trinities: time, space, and matter. Time is past, present, and future. Each "part" is different, yet they are all of the same nature: time. Space is height, width, and depth. Each "part" is different, yet they are all of the same nature: space. Matter is solid, liquid, and gas. Each "part" is different, yet they are all of the same nature: matter.
Jesus (Christianity):
Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. Jesus is both God and man. He is fully God and fully man (Col. 2:9). He was in the form of God, emptied Himself, and became a man (Phil. 2:5-8). As the God man, He is the mediator (1 Tim. 2:5). Jesus was not created (John 1:1-3), but is the creator of all things (Col. 1:16-17).
God is a Trinity, knows all things (1 John 3:20), can do all things (Jer. 32:17, 27 - except those things against His nature like lie, break His word, cheat, steal, etc.), and is everywhere all the time (Psalm 119:7-12).
See this link to JohnShore.com for the Trinity Explained in Four Sentences. John 1:1-4
johnshore.com - the-trinity-explained-in-four-sentences
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. "Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
...reality of the Trinity...God comes in three modes: Absolute and unchanging ("God"), exuberantly creative ("Word"), and personally and specifically inside of each and every man ("the light of men")...ineffable mystery of the three-in-one-God. There, in four (heartbreakingly elegant) sentences, is the basis for the entirety of Christianity...Jesus is the perfect means by which God's absolute, undifferentiated power is physically, corporeally expressed...it's how a thing moves from the world of...God, to the...human world in which God became Jesus...
Deuteronomy 4:35 and 6:4
the LORD Himself is God
The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
1 Kings 8:60
the LORD is God
Isaiah 9:6 and 43:10-11 and 45:18 and 46:9
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
...I am He...I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no Savior.
For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other."
...For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
Mark 12:29
...the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
John 10:30
Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Philippians 2:5-11
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Colossians 2:9
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
1 John 5:7
For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
Revelation 1:8
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Jesus created all spirit beings (angels) including Lucifer.
Colossians 1:16-17
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Revelation 4:11
"You are worthy, O Lord,...To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."
Jesus was Born in Bethlehem.
Matthew 2:1
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem...
Jesus is God come in the Flesh - The Lord God Almighty
John 1:14 and 8:28 and 8:58 and 17:3-5
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
Titus 2:13-14
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
So to sum it up, The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost are One. If Jesus was God, is God, and always will be God, then there is no way that He can be anything else, including the spirit brother of Satan.
God and Jesus are two completely separate Beings both with a physical body. Jesus is the literal Son of God and is a separate resurrected man with a physical body, and the Holy Ghost is a separate man with a spiritual body; meaning three completely separate Gods. (Also see Reason 3, ONE GOD). The Trinity is an office held by three separate gods: a god called the father, a god called the son, and a god called the holy spirit. The error of this is that they assume a "person" must be in a fleshly form, see
Doctrine and Covenants 130:22
The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also, but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.
LDS also teach that Jesus was Born of Mary at Jerusalem, HE Progressed to Godhood by Obeying the Laws and Ordinances of the Gospel, Jesus is the spirit brother of Satan, and all of us are literal spirit children born in a pre-existence and are the literal offspring of God the Father and His goddess wife. This is contradictory to the orthodox view of the Trinity and also teaches that there is more than one God.
D & C 93:21
And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn;
Pearl of Great Price: Abraham 3:27
And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.
Gospel Principles p. 11 and 17-18 (1992 version)
"All men and women are...literally the sons and daughters of Deity...Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared up to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal [physical] body" (Joseph F. Smith, "The Origin of Man," Improvement Era, Nov. 1901, pp. 78, 80). Every person who was ever born on earth was our spirit brother or sister in heaven. The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ, so he is literally our elder brother (see Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 26). Because we are the spiritual children of our heavenly parents, we have inherited the potential to develop their divine qualities. If we choose to do so, we can become perfect, just as they are.
We understood that we would have to leave our heavenly home for a time. We would not live in the presence of our heavenly parents. While we were away from them, all of us would sin and some of us would lose our way. Our Heavenly Father knew and loved each one of us. He knew we would need help, so he planned a way to help us.
We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father. Our Father said, "Whom shall I send?" Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, "Here am I, send me."
Jesus was willing to come to the earth, give his life for us, and take upon himself our sins. He, like our Heavenly Father, wanted us to choose whether we would obey Heavenly Father's commandments. He knew we must be free to choose in order to prove ourselves worthy of exaltation. Jesus said, "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever" (Moses 4:2).
Satan, who was called Lucifer, also came, saying "Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor" (Moses 4:1). Satan wanted to force us all to do his will. Under his plan, we would not be allowed to choose. He would take away the freedom of choice that our Father had given us. Satan wanted to have all the honor for our salvation. After hearing both sons speak, Heavenly Father said, "I will send the first." Jesus Christ was chosen and ordained to be our Savior...
Journal of Discourses (JD), Vol. 4, p. 218
When the time came that His first-born, the Saviour, should come into the world and take a tabernacle, the Father came Himself and favoured that spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting any other man do it. The Saviour was begotten by the Father of His spirit, by the same Being who is the Father of our spirits, and that is all the organic difference between Jesus Christ and you and me. And a difference there is between our Father and us consists in that he has gained His exaltation, and has obtained eternal lives... (JD 4:218, Brigham Young, February 8; 1857)
Mormon Doctrine, p. 516
How did the other Mormon Gods become Gods? In part by celestial marriage--a mandatory Mormon ordinance. Some Mormon authorities have insisted God and Jesus were both married: "This doctrine that there is a Mother in Heaven was affirmed in plainness by the First Presidency of the Church (Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund) when, in speaking of pre-existence and the origin of man, they said that 'man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father,' that man is the 'offspring of celestial parentage,' and that 'all men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity." (Mormon Doctrine, p. 516 by LDS Elder, and later LDS Apostle, Bruce R. McConkie.)
Alma 7:10
And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem.....
Bernard P. Brockbank said:
"It is true that many of the Christian churches worship a Different Jesus Christ than is worshiped by the Mormons or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." (LDS Seventy, Bernard P. Brockbank, Ensign, May 1977, p. 26)
As you can see, the entire foundation of Christianity is the doctrine of the Trinity, and any religion that teaches any doctrine other than the Trinity does not teach Christianity. The LDS church obviously teaches another gospel. I was completely devastated when I found this out. You can look at any Biblical Christian religion and find that their main tenet, usually the first one, is the Trinity and any religion that denies the Trinity denies Christianity.
From carm.org
The truth is important not because it is simply true. It is important because truth is what defines whom and what we believe. Is Jesus the brother of the devil as in Mormonism? Is he an angel who became a man? Or is He the creator of the universe, second person of the Trinity? Only one is right.
Faith is vital. But faith placed in something false is the same as having no faith at all. Faith is only as good as the object in which it is placed. That is why it is important to have the true Jesus. The one of the Bible, not the one of Mormonism.
Eternity is a long time to be wrong, especially when it is about Jesus.
Every LDS I speak to insists that there is Only One Jesus. I completely agree with them without a shadow of a doubt. However, what they do not insist on is that the LDS Jesus could possibly be different than the Biblical Jesus. Not only does Mormonism deny the Trinity, I'm not even sure the church knows the true definition of the Trinity.
In Mormonism, Man became God...In Christianity, God became Man...Only one of these can be right.
The LDS teaching of My Savior is extremely offensive to me, and I disagree with the LDS church 999% in their doctrine of who Jesus is. There is no question in my mind that who you worship exceeds how, when, or where you worship, and if you are worshiping the wrong Jesus, then everything else after that is automatically wrong, no matter how right it seems to be to you.
Most people believe that LDS worship the same God and Jesus as Christianity. However, it is clear that this is not true. Many people, especially LDS, do not realize that it is possible to follow a false Jesus; A Jesus that differs from the Actual Savior. It is clear that the LDS Jesus is completely different from the Christian Jesus. Since LDS agree that there is only One Savior, one of these two has to be false. Which one is false?
My unanswered questions were:
How can the LDS church insist that they believe in the Jesus of the Bible when they clearly believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers? Which Jesus is the right Jesus; the Jesus that IS God in human form or the Jesus that is Satan's brother?
I was initially devastated when I received these answers, yet overjoyed to find the truth that Jesus Christ IS God in human form and any other teaching is false and denies Who Jesus Christ really is!
In order to understand this reason, you must first understand The Trinity. The Trinity is the main tenet of Christianity. It's not necessarily 3 in 1, meaning 3 Beings = 1 God, but that is the best way I know how to describe It. I understand The Trinity, yet I am unable to teach or explain It myself. Here are a few sources to help in understanding The Trinity. And as I mentioned before in Reason 2, God is working in three.
From www.carm.org on The Trinity (Christianity):
God is a Trinity of persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is not the same person as the Son. The Son is not the same person as the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not the same person as the Father. They all are eternal, divine, and omniscient.
Objections to the Trinity are that it is not logical. Logic should not rule scripture. If it is from God, there will be things in it that are difficult to understand. Additionally, the fingerprints of God are seen all over creation. In Romans 1:20, it says that the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen in creation. Creation is made up of a trinity of trinities: time, space, and matter. Time is past, present, and future. Each "part" is different, yet they are all of the same nature: time. Space is height, width, and depth. Each "part" is different, yet they are all of the same nature: space. Matter is solid, liquid, and gas. Each "part" is different, yet they are all of the same nature: matter.
Jesus (Christianity):
Jesus is the second person of the Trinity. Jesus is both God and man. He is fully God and fully man (Col. 2:9). He was in the form of God, emptied Himself, and became a man (Phil. 2:5-8). As the God man, He is the mediator (1 Tim. 2:5). Jesus was not created (John 1:1-3), but is the creator of all things (Col. 1:16-17).
God is a Trinity, knows all things (1 John 3:20), can do all things (Jer. 32:17, 27 - except those things against His nature like lie, break His word, cheat, steal, etc.), and is everywhere all the time (Psalm 119:7-12).
See this link to JohnShore.com for the Trinity Explained in Four Sentences. John 1:1-4
johnshore.com - the-trinity-explained-in-four-sentences
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. "Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made. In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.
...reality of the Trinity...God comes in three modes: Absolute and unchanging ("God"), exuberantly creative ("Word"), and personally and specifically inside of each and every man ("the light of men")...ineffable mystery of the three-in-one-God. There, in four (heartbreakingly elegant) sentences, is the basis for the entirety of Christianity...Jesus is the perfect means by which God's absolute, undifferentiated power is physically, corporeally expressed...it's how a thing moves from the world of...God, to the...human world in which God became Jesus...
Deuteronomy 4:35 and 6:4
the LORD Himself is God
The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
1 Kings 8:60
the LORD is God
Isaiah 9:6 and 43:10-11 and 45:18 and 46:9
For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
...I am He...I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no Savior.
For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other."
...For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
Mark 12:29
...the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
John 10:30
Jesus answered them, "I and My Father are one."
Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Philippians 2:5-11
Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Colossians 2:9
For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
1 John 5:7
For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
Revelation 1:8
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Jesus created all spirit beings (angels) including Lucifer.
Colossians 1:16-17
For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
Revelation 4:11
"You are worthy, O Lord,...To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created."
Jesus was Born in Bethlehem.
Matthew 2:1
Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem...
Jesus is God come in the Flesh - The Lord God Almighty
John 1:14 and 8:28 and 8:58 and 17:3-5
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Then Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.
Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."
And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.
1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
Titus 2:13-14
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
So to sum it up, The Father, The Son and The Holy Ghost are One. If Jesus was God, is God, and always will be God, then there is no way that He can be anything else, including the spirit brother of Satan.
LDS doctrine of Jesus:
God and Jesus are two completely separate Beings both with a physical body. Jesus is the literal Son of God and is a separate resurrected man with a physical body, and the Holy Ghost is a separate man with a spiritual body; meaning three completely separate Gods. (Also see Reason 3, ONE GOD). The Trinity is an office held by three separate gods: a god called the father, a god called the son, and a god called the holy spirit. The error of this is that they assume a "person" must be in a fleshly form, see
Doctrine and Covenants 130:22
The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also, but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.
LDS also teach that Jesus was Born of Mary at Jerusalem, HE Progressed to Godhood by Obeying the Laws and Ordinances of the Gospel, Jesus is the spirit brother of Satan, and all of us are literal spirit children born in a pre-existence and are the literal offspring of God the Father and His goddess wife. This is contradictory to the orthodox view of the Trinity and also teaches that there is more than one God.
D & C 93:21
And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn;
Pearl of Great Price: Abraham 3:27
And the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me. And another answered and said: Here am I, send me. And the Lord said: I will send the first.
Gospel Principles p. 11 and 17-18 (1992 version)
"All men and women are...literally the sons and daughters of Deity...Man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared up to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father, prior to coming upon the earth in a temporal [physical] body" (Joseph F. Smith, "The Origin of Man," Improvement Era, Nov. 1901, pp. 78, 80). Every person who was ever born on earth was our spirit brother or sister in heaven. The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ, so he is literally our elder brother (see Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 26). Because we are the spiritual children of our heavenly parents, we have inherited the potential to develop their divine qualities. If we choose to do so, we can become perfect, just as they are.
We understood that we would have to leave our heavenly home for a time. We would not live in the presence of our heavenly parents. While we were away from them, all of us would sin and some of us would lose our way. Our Heavenly Father knew and loved each one of us. He knew we would need help, so he planned a way to help us.
We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father. Our Father said, "Whom shall I send?" Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, "Here am I, send me."
Jesus was willing to come to the earth, give his life for us, and take upon himself our sins. He, like our Heavenly Father, wanted us to choose whether we would obey Heavenly Father's commandments. He knew we must be free to choose in order to prove ourselves worthy of exaltation. Jesus said, "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever" (Moses 4:2).
Satan, who was called Lucifer, also came, saying "Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor" (Moses 4:1). Satan wanted to force us all to do his will. Under his plan, we would not be allowed to choose. He would take away the freedom of choice that our Father had given us. Satan wanted to have all the honor for our salvation. After hearing both sons speak, Heavenly Father said, "I will send the first." Jesus Christ was chosen and ordained to be our Savior...
Journal of Discourses (JD), Vol. 4, p. 218
When the time came that His first-born, the Saviour, should come into the world and take a tabernacle, the Father came Himself and favoured that spirit with a tabernacle instead of letting any other man do it. The Saviour was begotten by the Father of His spirit, by the same Being who is the Father of our spirits, and that is all the organic difference between Jesus Christ and you and me. And a difference there is between our Father and us consists in that he has gained His exaltation, and has obtained eternal lives... (JD 4:218, Brigham Young, February 8; 1857)
Mormon Doctrine, p. 516
How did the other Mormon Gods become Gods? In part by celestial marriage--a mandatory Mormon ordinance. Some Mormon authorities have insisted God and Jesus were both married: "This doctrine that there is a Mother in Heaven was affirmed in plainness by the First Presidency of the Church (Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, and Anthon H. Lund) when, in speaking of pre-existence and the origin of man, they said that 'man, as a spirit, was begotten and born of heavenly parents, and reared to maturity in the eternal mansions of the Father,' that man is the 'offspring of celestial parentage,' and that 'all men and women are in the similitude of the universal Father and Mother, and are literally the sons and daughters of Deity." (Mormon Doctrine, p. 516 by LDS Elder, and later LDS Apostle, Bruce R. McConkie.)
Alma 7:10
And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem.....
Bernard P. Brockbank said:
"It is true that many of the Christian churches worship a Different Jesus Christ than is worshiped by the Mormons or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." (LDS Seventy, Bernard P. Brockbank, Ensign, May 1977, p. 26)
As you can see, the entire foundation of Christianity is the doctrine of the Trinity, and any religion that teaches any doctrine other than the Trinity does not teach Christianity. The LDS church obviously teaches another gospel. I was completely devastated when I found this out. You can look at any Biblical Christian religion and find that their main tenet, usually the first one, is the Trinity and any religion that denies the Trinity denies Christianity.
From carm.org
The truth is important not because it is simply true. It is important because truth is what defines whom and what we believe. Is Jesus the brother of the devil as in Mormonism? Is he an angel who became a man? Or is He the creator of the universe, second person of the Trinity? Only one is right.
Faith is vital. But faith placed in something false is the same as having no faith at all. Faith is only as good as the object in which it is placed. That is why it is important to have the true Jesus. The one of the Bible, not the one of Mormonism.
Eternity is a long time to be wrong, especially when it is about Jesus.
Every LDS I speak to insists that there is Only One Jesus. I completely agree with them without a shadow of a doubt. However, what they do not insist on is that the LDS Jesus could possibly be different than the Biblical Jesus. Not only does Mormonism deny the Trinity, I'm not even sure the church knows the true definition of the Trinity.
In Mormonism, Man became God...In Christianity, God became Man...Only one of these can be right.
The LDS teaching of My Savior is extremely offensive to me, and I disagree with the LDS church 999% in their doctrine of who Jesus is. There is no question in my mind that who you worship exceeds how, when, or where you worship, and if you are worshiping the wrong Jesus, then everything else after that is automatically wrong, no matter how right it seems to be to you.
Most people believe that LDS worship the same God and Jesus as Christianity. However, it is clear that this is not true. Many people, especially LDS, do not realize that it is possible to follow a false Jesus; A Jesus that differs from the Actual Savior. It is clear that the LDS Jesus is completely different from the Christian Jesus. Since LDS agree that there is only One Savior, one of these two has to be false. Which one is false?
My unanswered questions were:
How can the LDS church insist that they believe in the Jesus of the Bible when they clearly believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers? Which Jesus is the right Jesus; the Jesus that IS God in human form or the Jesus that is Satan's brother?
I was initially devastated when I received these answers, yet overjoyed to find the truth that Jesus Christ IS God in human form and any other teaching is false and denies Who Jesus Christ really is!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
ONE GOD
Reason 3
The Bible says: (Just a couple of scriptures about One God.)
Deuteronomy 4:35 and 4:39 and 6:4
To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.
Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!"
2 Samuel 7:22
Therefore You are great, O Lord GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
1 Kings 8:60
That all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other.
Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Isaiah 42:8 and 43:10-11 and 44:6-8 and 45:5 and 45:14 and 45:18 and
45:21-22 and 46:9 and 47:8 and 47:10
I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
"You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior.
"Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, Since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and shall come, Let them show these to them. Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one."
I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
..... saying, 'Surely God is in you, And there is no other; There is no other God.'"
For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other."
..... Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
"Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, Who dwell securely, Who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me; .....
"For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, 'No one sees me'; Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; And you have said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me.'
Mark 12:29-30 and 12:32
Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.
John 10:30
1 Corinthians 8:4-6
Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
James 2:19
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!
1 John 5:7
Revelation 1:8
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
The following is from www.carm.org describing Christianity. (Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry)
True Christian doctrine is that there is only One God who has ever existed anywhere, anyplace, anytime. God is the only Supreme Being in existence in the entire universe. He is the creator of all things. He alone is God. There have never been any Gods before Him nor will there be any after Him. God is God from all eternity. Just One. God doesn't even know of any other Gods. This is called Monotheism.
So to sum it up... There is, always has been, and always will be Only One God. Biblical Christianity teaches Monotheism.
God and Jesus are two completely separate Beings. Jesus is the literal Son of God, meaning They are Two Gods. Other Gods have been formed both before and after Him. LDS God has a father, mother, grandparents, brothers, sisters, etc. Also there are other Gods for other worlds.
This practice is called Polytheism, and Polytheism is not a Biblical Christian practice.
The following is from www.carm.org describing Mormonism.
The god of earth is only one of many, many gods (Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 163). This is called polytheism. However, they worship only one of the many gods, the one called Elohim. This is called monolatry.*
*Monolatry is the belief that there is more than one God, but only one is served and worshiped. Mormonism is an excellent example of monolatry. Mormonism teaches the existence of many Gods of many worlds, yet worships only the one of this planet. Therefore, monolatry is a division of polytheism, the belief in many gods. This is a false teaching contrary to Scripture.
Elohim (as the Mormons like to call the Father) used to be a man on another planet (Mormon Doctrine, p. 321). Elohim became a God and came to this world with his goddess wife (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 443). Mormons have the potential of becoming gods of their own worlds (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pages 345-347, 354).
D&C 121:32
According to that which was ordained in the midst of the Council of the Eternal God of all other gods before this world was, that should be reserved unto the finishing and the end thereof, when every man shall enter into his eternal presence and into his immortal rest.
D&C 130:22
The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.
D&C 132:18-20 and 132:37
.....when they are out of the world it cannot be received there, because the angels and the gods are appointed there, by whom they cannot pass; ..... and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness [sic.] and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.
Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children; and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto him, and he abode in my law; as Isaac also and Jacob did none other things than that which they were commanded; and because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods.
See the link to read Joseph Smith's teachings on God from Teachings of the Prophet, Joseph Smith, p. 370-373
GODHEAD, Plurality of Gods, Joseph Smith
I will preach the plurality of Gods. ..... I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods. ..... separate and distinct personage .....these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods. ..... three Gods ..... they are plural ..... Gods many and Lords many ..... and is he authorized to say that there is only one God? He makes himself a fool if he thinks or says so ..... head God ..... heads of the Gods ..... The head one of the Gods ..... Many men say there is one God ..... I say that is a strange God anyhow--three in one, and one in three! It is a curious organization. .....
..... If Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and John discovered that God the Father of Jesus Christ had a Father, you may suppose that He had a Father also. Where was there ever a son without a father? And where was there ever a father without first being a son? Whenever did a tree or anything spring into existence without a progenitor? And everything comes in this way. Paul says that which is earthly is in the likeness of that which is heavenly, Hence if Jesus had a Father, can we not believe that He had a Father also? I despise the idea of being scared to death at such a doctrine, for the Bible is full of it. .....
It is very clear that not only did the founding prophet of the LDS church believe and preach Polytheism and Monolatry, but this teaching remains in the LDS scripture and doctrine to this day. He does not give God the Glory and Power that He deserves. He has lowered God's Name. This teaching is extremely offensive to me and it makes me extremely sad. I can no longer support this man.
A few more quotes on the subject...
Doctrines of Salvation by Joseph Fielding Smith, v1, p. 10-12
Father and Son are resurrected men with physical bodies. Holy Ghost is a separate man with a spiritual body. Three totally separate Gods. God is married. Other Gods for other worlds.
Articles of Faith, p. 421 and 466-467
"Jesus Christ is the Son of Elohim both as spiritual bodily offspring; that is to say, Elohim is literally the Father of the spirit of Jesus Christ and also of the body in which Jesus Christ performed his mission in the flesh,"
History of the Church 6:474
"I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods."
Apostle Bruce McConkie...
"...Father, Son, and Holy Ghost - comprise the Godhead... To us, speaking in the proper finite sense These are the Only Gods we worship. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 576-577)
LDS temple ceremony - Three Gods
... you will hear the voices of three persons who represent Elohim, Jehovah,
and Michael.
Elohim = God the Father
Jehovah = Jesus
(The Biblical meaning of Jehovah is God. Meaning Jehovah is LORD)
also see Reason 4
Michael = Adam
(Father of physical mankind) A.K.A. Michael the archangel
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Therefore, if He was One God, is One God and always will be One God, then that will never change no matter what anyone, including a supposed prophet of God, preaches.
My unanswered questions were:
How could Joseph Smith, in his first vision, have seen two personages when there is clearly Only One God? Why are there three Gods in the LDS temple ceremony when there is clearly Only One God?
I was initially devastated when I received these answers, yet overjoyed to find the truth that there is Only One God and there is no way that God and Jesus can be Two different Personages or Gods!
The Bible says: (Just a couple of scriptures about One God.)
Deuteronomy 4:35 and 4:39 and 6:4
To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.
Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.
"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!"
2 Samuel 7:22
Therefore You are great, O Lord GOD. For there is none like You, nor is there any God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears.
1 Kings 8:60
That all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other.
Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
Isaiah 42:8 and 43:10-11 and 44:6-8 and 45:5 and 45:14 and 45:18 and
45:21-22 and 46:9 and 47:8 and 47:10
I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images.
"You are My witnesses," says the LORD, "And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior.
"Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the First and I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it and set it in order for Me, Since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming and shall come, Let them show these to them. Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one."
I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me. I will gird you, though you have not known Me,
..... saying, 'Surely God is in you, And there is no other; There is no other God.'"
For thus says the LORD, Who created the heavens, Who is God, Who formed the earth and made it, Who has established it, Who did not create it in vain, Who formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is no other."
..... Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. "Look to Me, and be saved, All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,
"Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, Who dwell securely, Who say in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me; .....
"For you have trusted in your wickedness; You have said, 'No one sees me'; Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; And you have said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me.'
Mark 12:29-30 and 12:32
Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
So the scribe said to Him, "Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He.
John 10:30
I and My Father are one.
1 Corinthians 8:4-6
Therefore concerning the eating of things offered to idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is no other God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live.
Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
James 2:19
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!
1 John 5:7
For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
Revelation 1:8
"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
The following is from www.carm.org describing Christianity. (Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry)
True Christian doctrine is that there is only One God who has ever existed anywhere, anyplace, anytime. God is the only Supreme Being in existence in the entire universe. He is the creator of all things. He alone is God. There have never been any Gods before Him nor will there be any after Him. God is God from all eternity. Just One. God doesn't even know of any other Gods. This is called Monotheism.
So to sum it up... There is, always has been, and always will be Only One God. Biblical Christianity teaches Monotheism.
The LDS doctrine of God:
God and Jesus are two completely separate Beings. Jesus is the literal Son of God, meaning They are Two Gods. Other Gods have been formed both before and after Him. LDS God has a father, mother, grandparents, brothers, sisters, etc. Also there are other Gods for other worlds.
This practice is called Polytheism, and Polytheism is not a Biblical Christian practice.
The following is from www.carm.org describing Mormonism.
The god of earth is only one of many, many gods (Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 163). This is called polytheism. However, they worship only one of the many gods, the one called Elohim. This is called monolatry.*
*Monolatry is the belief that there is more than one God, but only one is served and worshiped. Mormonism is an excellent example of monolatry. Mormonism teaches the existence of many Gods of many worlds, yet worships only the one of this planet. Therefore, monolatry is a division of polytheism, the belief in many gods. This is a false teaching contrary to Scripture.
Elohim (as the Mormons like to call the Father) used to be a man on another planet (Mormon Doctrine, p. 321). Elohim became a God and came to this world with his goddess wife (Articles of Faith, by James Talmage, p. 443). Mormons have the potential of becoming gods of their own worlds (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pages 345-347, 354).
D&C 121:32
According to that which was ordained in the midst of the Council of the Eternal God of all other gods before this world was, that should be reserved unto the finishing and the end thereof, when every man shall enter into his eternal presence and into his immortal rest.
D&C 130:22
The Father has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's; the Son also; but the Holy Ghost has not a body of flesh and bones, but is a personage of Spirit. Were it not so, the Holy Ghost could not dwell in us.
D&C 132:18-20 and 132:37
.....when they are out of the world it cannot be received there, because the angels and the gods are appointed there, by whom they cannot pass; ..... and shall be of full force when they are out of the world; and they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness [sic.] and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.
Abraham received concubines, and they bore him children; and it was accounted unto him for righteousness, because they were given unto him, and he abode in my law; as Isaac also and Jacob did none other things than that which they were commanded; and because they did none other things than that which they were commanded, they have entered into their exaltation, according to the promises, and sit upon thrones, and are not angels but are gods.
See the link to read Joseph Smith's teachings on God from Teachings of the Prophet, Joseph Smith, p. 370-373
GODHEAD, Plurality of Gods, Joseph Smith
I will preach the plurality of Gods. ..... I wish to declare I have always and in all congregations when I have preached on the subject of the Deity, it has been the plurality of Gods. ..... separate and distinct personage .....these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods. ..... three Gods ..... they are plural ..... Gods many and Lords many ..... and is he authorized to say that there is only one God? He makes himself a fool if he thinks or says so ..... head God ..... heads of the Gods ..... The head one of the Gods ..... Many men say there is one God ..... I say that is a strange God anyhow--three in one, and one in three! It is a curious organization. .....
..... If Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and John discovered that God the Father of Jesus Christ had a Father, you may suppose that He had a Father also. Where was there ever a son without a father? And where was there ever a father without first being a son? Whenever did a tree or anything spring into existence without a progenitor? And everything comes in this way. Paul says that which is earthly is in the likeness of that which is heavenly, Hence if Jesus had a Father, can we not believe that He had a Father also? I despise the idea of being scared to death at such a doctrine, for the Bible is full of it. .....
It is very clear that not only did the founding prophet of the LDS church believe and preach Polytheism and Monolatry, but this teaching remains in the LDS scripture and doctrine to this day. He does not give God the Glory and Power that He deserves. He has lowered God's Name. This teaching is extremely offensive to me and it makes me extremely sad. I can no longer support this man.
A few more quotes on the subject...
Doctrines of Salvation by Joseph Fielding Smith, v1, p. 10-12
Father and Son are resurrected men with physical bodies. Holy Ghost is a separate man with a spiritual body. Three totally separate Gods. God is married. Other Gods for other worlds.
Articles of Faith, p. 421 and 466-467
"Jesus Christ is the Son of Elohim both as spiritual bodily offspring; that is to say, Elohim is literally the Father of the spirit of Jesus Christ and also of the body in which Jesus Christ performed his mission in the flesh,"
History of the Church 6:474
"I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and that the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods."
Apostle Bruce McConkie...
"...Father, Son, and Holy Ghost - comprise the Godhead... To us, speaking in the proper finite sense These are the Only Gods we worship. (Mormon Doctrine, p. 576-577)
LDS temple ceremony - Three Gods
... you will hear the voices of three persons who represent Elohim, Jehovah,
and Michael.
Elohim = God the Father
Jehovah = Jesus
(The Biblical meaning of Jehovah is God. Meaning Jehovah is LORD)
also see Reason 4
Michael = Adam
(Father of physical mankind) A.K.A. Michael the archangel
Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Therefore, if He was One God, is One God and always will be One God, then that will never change no matter what anyone, including a supposed prophet of God, preaches.
My unanswered questions were:
How could Joseph Smith, in his first vision, have seen two personages when there is clearly Only One God? Why are there three Gods in the LDS temple ceremony when there is clearly Only One God?
I was initially devastated when I received these answers, yet overjoyed to find the truth that there is Only One God and there is no way that God and Jesus can be Two different Personages or Gods!
Friday, May 13, 2011
ONE HEAVEN
Reason 2
I did not fully understand the LDS teaching of three levels of heaven until I had children. Now that I do have children, this tenet disturbs me beyond words. I stated most of my reasons in Reason 1, but this is about the Biblical teaching of the scriptures that the LDS church has altered the meaning of to validate their teaching of the three degrees of glory. The more I learn about God and the Bible, the more fascinated I am. It seems to me that He works in threes a lot. And when He created this world, He also worked in 3. The LDS teach that the third heaven means there are 3 levels inside the one heaven. However, that is not a Biblical or Christian teaching. God created this world into 3 heavens. I will explain further, and we can look in Genesis.
Heaven 1 = of the clouds where the birds fly
Genesis 1:8 and 20
And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. (NKJV, all Biblical quotes are from the NKJV)
Then God said, "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.
Firmament = earth
Living creatures, birds
Holy Spirit = God of Nature
Heaven 2 = atmosphere above the clouds where the sun, moon and stars are
Genesis 1:14-19
The God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Atmosphere = light in firmament of heaven
Sun, moon, stars
Jesus Christ = Redeemer of Sinners
Heaven 3 = heaven where God lives, where we will live as angels with our Father
Genesis 28:12 and 17
Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"
Ladder to heaven
Deuteronomy 10:14
Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it.
Highest heavens
1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You.
Heaven and heaven of heavens
Angels of God
God = Father, Son and Holy Spirit
LDS use the following scriptures from the Bible to alter the meaning of the third heaven.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
The Apostle Paul is speaking of the third heaven as the heaven that we all know of where God lives. He didn't know if he was dead or alive, but knew his spirit was in heaven. It was so magnificent that it was difficult for him to find the words to describe what he saw. The Bible verses are clear that heaven 1 is the clouds, heaven 2 is the atmosphere and heaven 3 is God's house, not 3 heavens inside heaven.
3 in 1 analogy... 3 creations = 1 Heaven
John 3:15-18 speak of eternal life or everlasting life, not exaltation
That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
There are literally three heavens within heaven. LDS will receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom. They will receive godhood and the ability to bear children in heaven. However, you must have a temple recommend and be sealed in the LDS Temple during your time on earth.
Telestial = where the wicked will go (why is telestial not mentioned in the Bible even once?)
Terrestrial = worthy non-Mormons, non-worthy Mormons, anyone who does not accept LDS gospel
Celestial = worthy, sealed Mormons only, gained by complete obedience on earth
Outer darkness = hell. This is where the most wicked and apostate Mormons, like me, will go.
3rd Article of Faith
We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
Doctrine and Covenants 76:70-112
lds.org Doctrine and Covenants 76
D&C 88:16-20
And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul. And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it. Therefore, it must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory; For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father; That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified.
D&C 98:31
Nevertheless, thine enemy is in thine hands; and if thou rewardest him according to his works thou are justified; if he has sought thy life, and thy life is endangered by him, thine enemy is in thine hands and thou are justified.
D&C 131:1-4
In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.
So those who never get married on earth can never make it to the celestial kingdom... ugh, what would I do if my children never got married?
Other quotes:
We are all equal and just as good as our neighbor. Why would God allow only worthy Mormons in the highest heaven if there really was one? That would not be just and God is just. No one is any better than the other no matter what religion they belong to. We are all humans and we are all sinners by nature.
Mormons do believe they are better than non-Mormons; I was one of them. I strived to make it to the celestial kingdom, yet my birth family would be in the 2nd or even 3rd heaven. I would receive exaltation, yet my birth family would not. Webster's definition of exalt: raise in rank, power, or character. The definition alone of the word exalt makes me feel completely uncomfortable and conceited. So absolutely Mormons feel they are better than non-Mormons through no fault of their own, but through the fault of their church doctrines. And most of them do not even realize this. I certainly did not think of it that way when I was a member. However, now that I am out, that is completely how I felt as a member. Due to this, I am unwilling to be taught that I will be exalted because or only if I am LDS. And I certainly am unwilling to teach my children that they will be exalted because they are LDS.
I am certainly not any better or more exalted than any other human being, and would not even wish to live in the highest heaven above many others. Spirituality is not about believing in one religion or another. It is about believing in The One Christ of the Bible who saved us all from our sins. And for that fact, I know all of my loved ones and I will spend eternity in the one heaven where God lives.
According to LDS doctrines, I will be sent to outer darkness for rejecting the LDS gospel. However, I continue to be told by some that I will be in the terrestrial kingdom when I leave this earth. I disagree with a church judging me and deciding which heaven I will be in. And it saddens my heart that the church believes it is not being judgmental by telling me I can never make it to the celestial kingdom. I completely disagree with this teaching. I would never judge another by telling them which level of heaven I believe they will be in. What is the point in a person or church doing that?
Also, if LDS believe in 3 levels of Heaven, why don't they believe in 3 levels of hell? Some sins are so much worse than others... so if we are judged according to our obedience and good works, wouldn't we need to be judged or punished according to the severity or recurrence of our sins? Why just one level of outer darkness for all of the extremely wicked and apostate Mormons? How is that just?
Sin is sin. Obedience is obedience. Good works are good works. He knows what is in our hearts. And if you're in, then you're in; certainly not better or higher than anyone else.
My unanswered questions were:
Why would my God separate families from each other according to their obedience? Why would He not allow us all to live in the same heaven with one another?
I was initially devastated when I received these answers, yet overjoyed to find the truth that there is only one heaven with Jesus Christ or one hell without Him. I will be with my entire family in the one heaven with Jesus Christ!
Matthew 25:31-46
When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. And then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of the Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in: Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and gave you a drink? When did we see you a stranger, and took you in? or naked, and clothed you? or when did we see you sick, or imprisoned, and came unto you? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was hungry, and you did not give me meat: I was thirsty, you did not give me a drink: I was a stranger, you did not take me in: I was naked, and you did not clothe me: sick, and imprisoned, and you did not visit me. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or imprisoned, and did not minister unto you? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
I did not fully understand the LDS teaching of three levels of heaven until I had children. Now that I do have children, this tenet disturbs me beyond words. I stated most of my reasons in Reason 1, but this is about the Biblical teaching of the scriptures that the LDS church has altered the meaning of to validate their teaching of the three degrees of glory. The more I learn about God and the Bible, the more fascinated I am. It seems to me that He works in threes a lot. And when He created this world, He also worked in 3. The LDS teach that the third heaven means there are 3 levels inside the one heaven. However, that is not a Biblical or Christian teaching. God created this world into 3 heavens. I will explain further, and we can look in Genesis.
Heaven 1 = of the clouds where the birds fly
Genesis 1:8 and 20
And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were the second day. (NKJV, all Biblical quotes are from the NKJV)
Then God said, "Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.
Firmament = earth
Living creatures, birds
Holy Spirit = God of Nature
Heaven 2 = atmosphere above the clouds where the sun, moon and stars are
Genesis 1:14-19
The God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
Atmosphere = light in firmament of heaven
Sun, moon, stars
Jesus Christ = Redeemer of Sinners
Heaven 3 = heaven where God lives, where we will live as angels with our Father
Genesis 28:12 and 17
Then he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and its top reached to heaven; and there the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven!"
Ladder to heaven
Deuteronomy 10:14
Indeed heaven and the highest heavens belong to the LORD your God, also the earth with all that is in it.
Highest heavens
1 Kings 8:27
But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You.
Heaven and heaven of heavens
Angels of God
God = Father, Son and Holy Spirit
LDS use the following scriptures from the Bible to alter the meaning of the third heaven.
2 Corinthians 12:2-4
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such a one caught up to the third heaven. And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) How that he was caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.
The Apostle Paul is speaking of the third heaven as the heaven that we all know of where God lives. He didn't know if he was dead or alive, but knew his spirit was in heaven. It was so magnificent that it was difficult for him to find the words to describe what he saw. The Bible verses are clear that heaven 1 is the clouds, heaven 2 is the atmosphere and heaven 3 is God's house, not 3 heavens inside heaven.
3 in 1 analogy... 3 creations = 1 Heaven
John 3:15-18 speak of eternal life or everlasting life, not exaltation
That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
The LDS doctrine:
There are literally three heavens within heaven. LDS will receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom. They will receive godhood and the ability to bear children in heaven. However, you must have a temple recommend and be sealed in the LDS Temple during your time on earth.
Telestial = where the wicked will go (why is telestial not mentioned in the Bible even once?)
Terrestrial = worthy non-Mormons, non-worthy Mormons, anyone who does not accept LDS gospel
Celestial = worthy, sealed Mormons only, gained by complete obedience on earth
Outer darkness = hell. This is where the most wicked and apostate Mormons, like me, will go.
3rd Article of Faith
We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
Doctrine and Covenants 76:70-112
lds.org Doctrine and Covenants 76
D&C 88:16-20
And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul. And the redemption of the soul is through him that quickeneth all things, in whose bosom it is decreed that the poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it. Therefore, it must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory; For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father; That bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified.
D&C 98:31
Nevertheless, thine enemy is in thine hands; and if thou rewardest him according to his works thou are justified; if he has sought thy life, and thy life is endangered by him, thine enemy is in thine hands and thou are justified.
D&C 131:1-4
In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; And in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage]; And if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom; he cannot have an increase.
So those who never get married on earth can never make it to the celestial kingdom... ugh, what would I do if my children never got married?
Other quotes:
- Thus those who gain eternal life receive exaltation... They are gods. (Mormon Doctrine, pg. 237)
- Immortality is a universal gift. The ability to go to heaven and live forever but not the same as Eternal Life. Lower level of heaven and unable to bear children. (Mormon Doctrine, pg. 376-377)
- There are some who have striven to obey all the divine commandments, who have accepted the testimony of Christ, obeyed 'the laws and ordinances of the Gospel,' and received the Holy Spirit; these are they who have overcome evil by godly works and who are therefore entitled to the highest glory. (Articles of Faith, p. 83)
We are all equal and just as good as our neighbor. Why would God allow only worthy Mormons in the highest heaven if there really was one? That would not be just and God is just. No one is any better than the other no matter what religion they belong to. We are all humans and we are all sinners by nature.
Mormons do believe they are better than non-Mormons; I was one of them. I strived to make it to the celestial kingdom, yet my birth family would be in the 2nd or even 3rd heaven. I would receive exaltation, yet my birth family would not. Webster's definition of exalt: raise in rank, power, or character. The definition alone of the word exalt makes me feel completely uncomfortable and conceited. So absolutely Mormons feel they are better than non-Mormons through no fault of their own, but through the fault of their church doctrines. And most of them do not even realize this. I certainly did not think of it that way when I was a member. However, now that I am out, that is completely how I felt as a member. Due to this, I am unwilling to be taught that I will be exalted because or only if I am LDS. And I certainly am unwilling to teach my children that they will be exalted because they are LDS.
I am certainly not any better or more exalted than any other human being, and would not even wish to live in the highest heaven above many others. Spirituality is not about believing in one religion or another. It is about believing in The One Christ of the Bible who saved us all from our sins. And for that fact, I know all of my loved ones and I will spend eternity in the one heaven where God lives.
According to LDS doctrines, I will be sent to outer darkness for rejecting the LDS gospel. However, I continue to be told by some that I will be in the terrestrial kingdom when I leave this earth. I disagree with a church judging me and deciding which heaven I will be in. And it saddens my heart that the church believes it is not being judgmental by telling me I can never make it to the celestial kingdom. I completely disagree with this teaching. I would never judge another by telling them which level of heaven I believe they will be in. What is the point in a person or church doing that?
Also, if LDS believe in 3 levels of Heaven, why don't they believe in 3 levels of hell? Some sins are so much worse than others... so if we are judged according to our obedience and good works, wouldn't we need to be judged or punished according to the severity or recurrence of our sins? Why just one level of outer darkness for all of the extremely wicked and apostate Mormons? How is that just?
Sin is sin. Obedience is obedience. Good works are good works. He knows what is in our hearts. And if you're in, then you're in; certainly not better or higher than anyone else.
My unanswered questions were:
Why would my God separate families from each other according to their obedience? Why would He not allow us all to live in the same heaven with one another?
I was initially devastated when I received these answers, yet overjoyed to find the truth that there is only one heaven with Jesus Christ or one hell without Him. I will be with my entire family in the one heaven with Jesus Christ!
Matthew 25:31-46
When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: and before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. And then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of the Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was hungry, and you gave me meat: I was thirsty, and you gave me drink: I was a stranger, and you took me in: Naked, and you clothed me: I was sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and gave you a drink? When did we see you a stranger, and took you in? or naked, and clothed you? or when did we see you sick, or imprisoned, and came unto you? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Then shall he say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was hungry, and you did not give me meat: I was thirsty, you did not give me a drink: I was a stranger, you did not take me in: I was naked, and you did not clothe me: sick, and imprisoned, and you did not visit me. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or imprisoned, and did not minister unto you? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
MY CHILDREN
Reason 1
Ken says it best; having children really puts your life into perspective.
So many questions continued eating at me:
How could I ever expect my beautiful children to do exactly as I am doing, like the Primary song, "Do As I'm Doing," conditions them?
How was I going to force my innocent children to listen and obey everything the church taught, like the Primary song, "Nephi's Courage," conditions them?
I knew that Ken and I were on the right path, but what would I do if my children ever fell off that path?
What if they did not want to get baptized at age eight or attend seminary or go on a mission, like the Primary songs, "When I Am Baptized and I Hope They Call Me On a Mission," conditions them?
What if they did not want to get sealed (married) in the temple or do temple work or choose an LDS spouse, like the Primary song, "I Love to See the Temple," conditions them?
What if they did not wear garments or pay 10% tithing?
What if they did not do their home teaching or hold callings in the church?
It finally hit me that I had no control over any of these answers, and I had no right to judge my children on their choice to follow or not.
I can teach my children right from wrong and teach them what I have learned throughout my life. But they are free to make their own choices just as everyone else. They have every right to question doctrines just as I did. What if they reject the LDS gospel and decide to resign from the church? What if they, too, receive an answer that the LDS church is not true? This would put me in a terrible position. I would have no eternal family in the celestial kingdom. I was completely uncomfortable forcing the LDS church upon my children. They are their own person and they have every right to choose for themselves what they are going to believe just as I do.
As a mother full of unconditional love, I was unable to teach my children that they would have to obey the LDS doctrines in order to live in the celestial kingdom with me, Ken, and God. I could not force myself to teach them that doctrine. That is plain and simple harshness that I cannot be any part of. I know how much I love my children, and I am certain that Christ loves them infinitely more than I do. There is no way that HE will not accept them if they are not Mormon or do not follow all of the "rules" to get to heaven. I just could not do that to my sweet, innocent children. HE expects nothing of them besides Faith and Love, and neither should I. I just could not find it in myself to tell them that they will not be in the celestial kingdom with me, Ken, and God if they fall off the LDS path. This is one of the most important reasons that I cannot promote or agree with the LDS church. I believe that is incredibly too much pressure for a child - especially a Child of God.
I have so much love for Ken and my children. My family means the world to me. It is incomprehensible to me how much Christ loves my husband and my children if I love them as much as I do. I never knew unconditional love while I was a Mormon. It took me leaving to be able to give or receive unconditional love. Now that I truly know unconditional love, I know my love does not even compare to the love that Christ has for each one of us. That fills my heart with joy!
* Incomprehensible does not mean unreachable. It means we can never comprehend God's love for us in our human capacity. Nor can we comprehend heaven or how much HE has done for us. As a Mormon, I felt like the church had HIM completely figured out. I was not comfortable feeling like I could comprehend God.
I would never expect my children to do everything as I have. If my children choose the wrong path or do not follow all of the church teachings, I would not love them any less. I would never want them to think that I would love them any less. I would always accept them into my home. I would allow them to live with me for eternity no matter what they believe.
Before children, it didn't seem to matter how often I went to the temple or how "perfect" I was. If I did make a mistake or sin, then I would ruin my chance to live in the celestial kingdom with God and my family. Then my two amazing Blessings were born into this world. I could never teach them that if they do not live up to my expectations that they will not be worthy to be in my presence. I could never allow them to think that no matter how hard they tried, they may never be good enough to live with me. This kind of expectation on a child is absolutely ridiculous and non-Biblical.
Kerri Bodie is able to express what is very clear to me, yet I seem to be having difficulty putting the words together to make any kind of sense. She describes it better in her video than I ever could.
See this link to Kerri Bodie's story on iamanexmormon.com
March 26, 2011
“Families are Together Forever. My name is Kerri Bodie and I’m an Ex Mormon.”
* I hope that works as I am a little computer illiterate...
My unanswered question was:
How could one of us live eternally in the celestial kingdom (highest heaven) while one of us could possibly live in the terrestrial kingdom (2nd level of heaven)? The reality is that could be the path one chooses, seeing as none of us have any control over what path another chooses.
This question weighed entirely too heavy on my heart. I was initially devastated when I received the answer that I could not handle the thought of not living eternally with my family, yet I am overjoyed to find the truth that we will all be together in God's presence!
Ken says it best; having children really puts your life into perspective.
So many questions continued eating at me:
How could I ever expect my beautiful children to do exactly as I am doing, like the Primary song, "Do As I'm Doing," conditions them?
How was I going to force my innocent children to listen and obey everything the church taught, like the Primary song, "Nephi's Courage," conditions them?
I knew that Ken and I were on the right path, but what would I do if my children ever fell off that path?
What if they did not want to get baptized at age eight or attend seminary or go on a mission, like the Primary songs, "When I Am Baptized and I Hope They Call Me On a Mission," conditions them?
What if they did not want to get sealed (married) in the temple or do temple work or choose an LDS spouse, like the Primary song, "I Love to See the Temple," conditions them?
What if they did not wear garments or pay 10% tithing?
What if they did not do their home teaching or hold callings in the church?
It finally hit me that I had no control over any of these answers, and I had no right to judge my children on their choice to follow or not.
I can teach my children right from wrong and teach them what I have learned throughout my life. But they are free to make their own choices just as everyone else. They have every right to question doctrines just as I did. What if they reject the LDS gospel and decide to resign from the church? What if they, too, receive an answer that the LDS church is not true? This would put me in a terrible position. I would have no eternal family in the celestial kingdom. I was completely uncomfortable forcing the LDS church upon my children. They are their own person and they have every right to choose for themselves what they are going to believe just as I do.
As a mother full of unconditional love, I was unable to teach my children that they would have to obey the LDS doctrines in order to live in the celestial kingdom with me, Ken, and God. I could not force myself to teach them that doctrine. That is plain and simple harshness that I cannot be any part of. I know how much I love my children, and I am certain that Christ loves them infinitely more than I do. There is no way that HE will not accept them if they are not Mormon or do not follow all of the "rules" to get to heaven. I just could not do that to my sweet, innocent children. HE expects nothing of them besides Faith and Love, and neither should I. I just could not find it in myself to tell them that they will not be in the celestial kingdom with me, Ken, and God if they fall off the LDS path. This is one of the most important reasons that I cannot promote or agree with the LDS church. I believe that is incredibly too much pressure for a child - especially a Child of God.
I have so much love for Ken and my children. My family means the world to me. It is incomprehensible to me how much Christ loves my husband and my children if I love them as much as I do. I never knew unconditional love while I was a Mormon. It took me leaving to be able to give or receive unconditional love. Now that I truly know unconditional love, I know my love does not even compare to the love that Christ has for each one of us. That fills my heart with joy!
* Incomprehensible does not mean unreachable. It means we can never comprehend God's love for us in our human capacity. Nor can we comprehend heaven or how much HE has done for us. As a Mormon, I felt like the church had HIM completely figured out. I was not comfortable feeling like I could comprehend God.
I would never expect my children to do everything as I have. If my children choose the wrong path or do not follow all of the church teachings, I would not love them any less. I would never want them to think that I would love them any less. I would always accept them into my home. I would allow them to live with me for eternity no matter what they believe.
Before children, it didn't seem to matter how often I went to the temple or how "perfect" I was. If I did make a mistake or sin, then I would ruin my chance to live in the celestial kingdom with God and my family. Then my two amazing Blessings were born into this world. I could never teach them that if they do not live up to my expectations that they will not be worthy to be in my presence. I could never allow them to think that no matter how hard they tried, they may never be good enough to live with me. This kind of expectation on a child is absolutely ridiculous and non-Biblical.
Kerri Bodie is able to express what is very clear to me, yet I seem to be having difficulty putting the words together to make any kind of sense. She describes it better in her video than I ever could.
See this link to Kerri Bodie's story on iamanexmormon.com
March 26, 2011
“Families are Together Forever. My name is Kerri Bodie and I’m an Ex Mormon.”
* I hope that works as I am a little computer illiterate...
Matthew 18:3
Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. (NKJV)Luke 20:34-36
Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. (NKJV)1 John 5:12-13
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. (NKJV)John 1:12
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. (NKJV)Galatians 3:26
For you are all sons of God through Faith in Christ Jesus. (NKJV)My unanswered question was:
How could one of us live eternally in the celestial kingdom (highest heaven) while one of us could possibly live in the terrestrial kingdom (2nd level of heaven)? The reality is that could be the path one chooses, seeing as none of us have any control over what path another chooses.
This question weighed entirely too heavy on my heart. I was initially devastated when I received the answer that I could not handle the thought of not living eternally with my family, yet I am overjoyed to find the truth that we will all be together in God's presence!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Mormons v. Mormon Church
I was ready to begin sharing some of my reasons for resigning, but I've had an overwhelming feeling to share a few things first.
This journey is consuming every ounce of my being. I am sharing this blog for me and no one else; not even Ken. It's for me to begin the healing process to mend my broken heart and figure out what I actually do believe in spiritually. I have to relearn my entire belief system. I have to relearn who God really is. I have to erase the teachings I disagree with to try and figure out what I actually do believe. It does hurt me to think that some people feel this road has been easy for me or that I have made any of these decisions lightly. However, I cannot and will not try to control who reads my Journey Out of LDS. I cannot and will not try to control how anyone chooses to react to it. I also cannot and will not try to know what others are expecting to hear from my story. You should take what you wish to take from it just as I should get what I wish to get out of it. It is your decision whether or not you have chosen to read it. That is your journey how you choose to react to it. This is my journey. My story. My life.
Philippians 2:13-18
For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. (NKJV)
I am certainly not sharing the way I feel about Mormons. I am sharing the way I feel about the Mormon church. I did not write the Mormon doctrines; I am just sharing how the doctrines were not working in my life. I will not bash Mormons. In general they are wonderful people who live worthy lives and they have been some of the best friends I have ever had. Your morals are desirable and I craved that during my journey into the church. Your dedication to your beliefs and to your church is admirable and I also craved that during my journey into the church. This is not about Mormons; it is about the Mormon church.
I am truly sorry if what I am sharing hurts anyone, but I cannot help that. If you honestly believe this has not hurt me, too, then you do not know me very well at all. If you honestly think I was not completely devastated to learn that the church is not true, then you are sadly mistaken. I am sorry that the truth hurts, but it has hurt me tremendously, too.
Something was wrong with me, no one else. I was incessantly beating myself up or trying to validate my decision to be a part of the church and my choice to stay in it. I wasn't going to the temple enough. I wasn't praying enough. I wasn't reading my scriptures enough. I wasn't enjoying my calling enough. I wasn't doing enough good works. I finally realized I was so tired of belonging to an organization that led me to beat myself up. I continued blaming myself for not being good enough until I decided to question what was causing me to feel this way towards myself. That is when I began questioning doctrines.
What do I believe? I have absolutely no idea. I am a lost soul looking for my path. I am putting my Faith in God, because I know He will show me the Way!
This journey is consuming every ounce of my being. I am sharing this blog for me and no one else; not even Ken. It's for me to begin the healing process to mend my broken heart and figure out what I actually do believe in spiritually. I have to relearn my entire belief system. I have to relearn who God really is. I have to erase the teachings I disagree with to try and figure out what I actually do believe. It does hurt me to think that some people feel this road has been easy for me or that I have made any of these decisions lightly. However, I cannot and will not try to control who reads my Journey Out of LDS. I cannot and will not try to control how anyone chooses to react to it. I also cannot and will not try to know what others are expecting to hear from my story. You should take what you wish to take from it just as I should get what I wish to get out of it. It is your decision whether or not you have chosen to read it. That is your journey how you choose to react to it. This is my journey. My story. My life.
Philippians 2:13-18
For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. (NKJV)
I am certainly not sharing the way I feel about Mormons. I am sharing the way I feel about the Mormon church. I did not write the Mormon doctrines; I am just sharing how the doctrines were not working in my life. I will not bash Mormons. In general they are wonderful people who live worthy lives and they have been some of the best friends I have ever had. Your morals are desirable and I craved that during my journey into the church. Your dedication to your beliefs and to your church is admirable and I also craved that during my journey into the church. This is not about Mormons; it is about the Mormon church.
I am truly sorry if what I am sharing hurts anyone, but I cannot help that. If you honestly believe this has not hurt me, too, then you do not know me very well at all. If you honestly think I was not completely devastated to learn that the church is not true, then you are sadly mistaken. I am sorry that the truth hurts, but it has hurt me tremendously, too.
Something was wrong with me, no one else. I was incessantly beating myself up or trying to validate my decision to be a part of the church and my choice to stay in it. I wasn't going to the temple enough. I wasn't praying enough. I wasn't reading my scriptures enough. I wasn't enjoying my calling enough. I wasn't doing enough good works. I finally realized I was so tired of belonging to an organization that led me to beat myself up. I continued blaming myself for not being good enough until I decided to question what was causing me to feel this way towards myself. That is when I began questioning doctrines.
What do I believe? I have absolutely no idea. I am a lost soul looking for my path. I am putting my Faith in God, because I know He will show me the Way!
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