Monday, December 10, 2007

Do you REALLY want to know the TRUTH about the Mormons? Part ll

Here are probably my two favorite web sites on REALLY getting to know what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints truthfully believes in.

The first is my favorite: http://www.fairlds.org/webguide.html

This is the headline found on the home page of FAIR :

FAIR is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing well-documented answers to criticisms of LDS doctrine, belief and practice.

So what does FAIR stand for?

 FAIR is an acronym for Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research. Since most people can't remember that name because it is so long and difficult, they just call it FAIR. There is a media organization also known as FAIR but they are not related to us in any way.

What does the word "apologetic" mean?

The word literally means "in defense of the faith." It is not talking about apologizing to anyone or being sorry for something.

Is FAIR part of the LDS Church?

While FAIR is supportive of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is not affiliated with the Church in any way.

If the Church doesn't respond to the anti-Mormons, then why do you?

The Church is busy trying to bring people to Jesus Christ. It doesn't need to use its time and resources responding to every crackpot and yahoo that brings up an old rehashed anti-Mormon argument. We, on the other hand, are volunteers that like doing this stuff. We hope it is helpful to you.

This web site answers a lot of questions.......clicking on "Topical Guide" on the left of the page, for example, will bring you to a ton of information.

They even have books that you can purchase..... this is a book that I recently purchased:

Guess Who Wants to Have You For Lunch? A Missionary Guide to Anti-Mormon Tactics & Strategies

by Alan Denison, D.L. Barksdale

If you have attended a General Conference, you've probably seen them. If you have ever attended a temple dedication or Open House, you've probably seen them. If you've ever served a full-time mission, you've probably run into them. Some think they're the Boogeyman incarnate. What do we do with them? How do we handle our investigators or loved ones when they come into contact with anti-Mormon materials? What do we do? What do we say? How do we find ansewrs to the myriad of accusations leveled against the Church? If you have ever asked any of these questions, then this book was written just for you. In it, we will show you the 5 main reasons why anti-Mormons do what they do, and how they go about doing it. We will explain some of the logical fallacies used to deceive Latter-day Saints, and why their writings are not even accepted by their own scholars. We will teach you how to defend the faith with love to those who are in danger of losing theirs.

I can spend literally hours on this wonderful site!

My other favorite site is this one: http://www.farmsresearch.com/

The head line on the top of this page is a quote by Neal A. Maxwell:

“We may never become accustomed to untrue and unjust criticism of us but we ought not to be immobilized by it.”

What is the Neal A. Maxwell Institute?

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship exists to:
  • Describe and defend the Restoration through highest quality scholarship
  • Provide critically edited, primary resources (ancient religious texts) to scholars and lay persons around the world
  • Build bridges of understanding and goodwill to Muslim scholars by providing superior editions of primary texts
  • Provide an anchor of faith in a sea of LDS Studies

Be sure to visit the "Answers to your Questions" on the left side of the page.....one could spend hours reading everything located here!

Another of my favorites is also found on the left side entitled "Browse our Research".

Between these two above mentioned web sites you can find most of the answers to the critics of Mormonism. The critics can also find the answers here to many of their own questions.....and I suspect many have....but they refuse to believe the truth for many varied reasons, with, I believe, pride being one of the most prevalent. IMHO
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Sunday, December 9, 2007

Do you REALLY want to know the TRUTH about the Mormons?

If one is really sincere in wanting to know more about the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or the Mormons as they are nicknamed, then one need go no further than www.lds.org , or www.mormon.org .

While visiting www.lds.org, click on the link at the top called : "About the Church". Here you will find information on basic doctrine of the Church, Church history, answers to questions, and the newsroom. This is the official Church web site. This is where one will find the truth about what Mormons believe in. You will not find out the truth by listening to others who are not of the Mormon faith. Or visiting non-members web sites. Or visiting their blogs. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I can honestly say that what non-members are saying negatively about the Mormons is not true. If you were seeking knowledge, say, about rocket science, would you go to a English professor for this information? Of course not, so why believe someone who is not of the Mormon faith who professes to know all the answers concerning the Mormon religion? If your family pet needs medical attention, do you take them to a used car salesman? Of course not..... for the obvious reasons. So think about this the next time a non-member tries to tell you what the Mormons believe in. It just makes common sense.

The following is a talk that was given by an Apostle of the Church that lists some facts and beliefs of the Church:

The following was excerpted from:

Liahona » 2007 » November

Faith, Family, Facts, and Fruits

Elder M. Russell Ballard
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Facts

Some facts might include:

  • • First, “Mormon” is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Members are often referred to as “Mormons,” “Latter-day Saints,” or “LDS.” The term “Saint” means “member.”

  • • Second, the Church was restored in 1830 in upstate New York with Joseph Smith as its first prophet and president. Today it is headquartered in Salt Lake City, with President Gordon B. Hinckley as the present prophet.

  • • Third, there are now over 13 million members in 176 countries and territories. About 6 million of these are in the United States, making us the fourth largest Christian denomination in America. As one of the fastest growing Christian faiths in the world, we complete a new chapel every working day. Members pay a tithe, which is 10 percent of their income, making this and other programs possible.

  • • Fourth, local congregations are led by volunteer, unpaid members. Both men and women serve in assigned leadership positions.

  • • And fifth, Mormons are well represented in politics and government. (In the United States, for example, there are 16 members in Congress, from both political parties.) Members also serve in high and trusted positions throughout the world in business, medicine, law, education, media, sports, and entertainment.

Faith

Next, people need to know something of our faith as committed Christians with strong traditional values. Along with the Articles of Faith we need to emphasize that:

  • • We believe in the eternity of the soul, that God is the Father of our spirits, and that we can return to Him after death.

  • • We believe that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior, and we try to model our lives after Him and His teachings. We commemorate Christ’s atoning sacrifice in our Sunday worship services, similar to taking communion in other churches. We accept as fellow Christians all who believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind. Many Christians do not understand that we have much common ground with them. Joseph Smith taught that Jesus Christ is the core of our belief, and everything else is an appendage to it (see Elders’ Journal, July 1838, 44). The name of the Church is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

  • • We believe the original church that Jesus established was lost and has been restored again in our day. The priesthood, the authority given to man to act in the name of God, with apostles and a prophet to lead us, has been restored as have all necessary ordinances of salvation.

  • • We believe in and we use the Holy Bible, both the Old and New Testaments.

  • • And we believe in the Book of Mormon and other books of scripture which support and authenticate the Bible and testify of the ministry and divinity of Christ and of God’s ongoing revelation to man. Indeed, the Book of Mormon is “Another Testament of Jesus Christ.”

Family

The next thing it is good for people to know is how family-centered our theology and our lifestyles are. Once again, simple statements are helpful to someone who is uninformed but curious about the importance we place on families.

  • • Mormons place particularly strong emphasis on family as the basic unit of the Church and of society. We have a deep commitment to marriage (defined as a union between one man and one woman). Polygamy, a limited practice in the early pioneer days of the Church, was discontinued in 1890, some 117 years ago.

  • • Families and individuals, whether members of our faith or not, can attend Sunday services in our chapels. Here we worship together, instructing one another from the scriptures.

  • • Latter-day Saint families are encouraged to hold family home evenings weekly, usually on Monday nights. This provides a regular and predictable time for parents to teach values to their children and to have fun together. We invite those not of our faith to adopt this practice with their own families.

  • • The Church has auxiliary programs for women, youth, and children as a support to the family. These programs provide such things as religious instruction, opportunities for Christian service, sports, drama, music, and Scouting.

  • • And there is also much focus on extended family, genealogy, and personal family history, providing young and old with a stronger sense of roots, identity, and belonging. The highest and most sacred ordinances of our faith relate to our families, both living and dead, and some of these ordinances take place in our temples.

Fruits

Now, even as someone begins to understand a few facts about us and comes to know us more accurately by our faith and the importance of family, it was the Savior who said “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20; emphasis added). A church, or any way of life, should be judged by the fruits or the results that it generates. Here are a few examples based on United States statistics. But these would be similar throughout the world among practicing Mormons (by which we mean those who attend church and the temple regularly):

  • • One of the fruits is a longer life. Studies show that practicing Mormons are healthier and therefore live longer than the national average. In 1833 the Lord revealed to Joseph Smith the Word of Wisdom, which is the way to live in order to enjoy a long and healthy life.

  • • Second, those who are married in and attend the temple regularly have a divorce rate far below the national and world average.

  • • Third, we achieve an educational level that is higher than the national average.

  • • Fourth, over 70,000 members volunteer at their own expense to serve for 18 to 24 months in humanitarian efforts, Church service assignments, and full-time missionary service throughout the world.

  • • And fifth, we place strong emphasis on self-reliance and a solid work ethic. We encourage active involvement in our communities and in providing service to others. The Church continues to donate substantial money, goods, and services to humanitarian causes around the globe, including untold hours of labor donated by members to assist in disaster cleanup and relief.

Again, the above are the facts about the LDS Church, by a member of the Church, and not by someone who is not of the Church. The above is reliable and credible....a non-members blog or web page is not. So you choose.......the vet or the used car salesman for your beloved family pet. IMHO
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Friday, December 7, 2007

Religious Affiliations of Past Presidents..

The following list is taken from:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Presidential_religious_affiliations

List of Presidential religious affiliations (by religion)

Baptist
Catholic
Congregationalist
Disciples of Christ
Dutch Reformed
Episcopal
The first seven presidents listed below were all from Virginia. Until 1786, the Episcopal Church was the "state church" of Virginia. See above for more detail on each.
Jehovah's Witnesses
Methodist
Presbyterian
Quaker
No denominational affiliation
Deist
Unitarian
Unitarian Universalism is the religion generally associated today with those whose ideology developed from deism.
Disputed


I found this interesting also:



DenominationNumber of
Presidents		Percent of
Presidents		Percent of
Current
U.S. Pop.		Ratio:
% of Pres.
to % of Pop.
Episcopalian 11 26.2% 1.7% 15.4
Presbyterian 10 23.8% 2.8% 5.1
Methodist 5 11.9% 8.0% 1.5
Baptist 4 9.5% 18.0% 0.5
Unitarian 4 9.5% 0.2% 47.5
Disciples of Christ 3 7.1% 0.4% 18.7
Dutch Reformed 2 4.8% 0.1% 48.0
Quaker 2 4.8% 0.7% 6.9
Congregationalist 2 2.4% 0.6% 4.0
Catholic 1 2.4% 24.5% 0.1
Jehovah's Witness 1 2.4% 0.6% 6.0
TOTAL 42 100% 57.0%

Keep in mind that in the table above, the % of the U.S. population for religious groups are current figures. Religious groups have had much different proportions at various time in U.S. history.

One of the most over-represented religious groups among U.S. presidents is Unitarianism. Despite merging with Universalism in the 1960s, the combined proportion of Unitarian Universalists in the U.S. population is just 0.2% of the population (one in every 500 Americans). Yet there have been 4 Unitarian presidents.

Another over-represented religious group among U.S. presidents is Dutch Reformed, by virtue of having two U.S. presidents, yet having only a small number of people left in the country who identify themselves as Reformed. The contemporary heir to the Dutch Reformed churches is the "Reformed Church in America," which has about 300,000 members in the U.S. and Canada. (Alternatively, one might count only a single president as Dutch Reformed, if Theodore Roosevelt is counted as an Episcopalian -- sources differ on this subject. Even just one Dutch Reformed president would constitute statistical over-representation.)

After that, Disciples of Christ, Episcopalians, and Quakers have also had representation in the White House far outstripping their proportion of the U.S. population.

On the other end of the scale, the most under-represented religious group is Catholicism, which has had only one U.S. president (John F. Kennedy), despite making up 25% of the current U.S. population. Also under-represented are Baptists, whose proportion of the U.S. population (18%) is twice their proportion of U.S. presidents (9.5%).

Major religious groups in the U.S. which have never had a U.S. president include: Lutherans (about 5% of the U.S. population); Jews (about 2% of the U.S. population); Latter-day Saints (2%); Pentecostals (about 1.8 %); Muslims (approx. 1 to 1.5%); Eastern Orthodox (approx. 0.5%); and Churches of Christ (1%).

The above was taken from: http://www.adherents.com/adh_presidents.html



It is amazing to me that we have elected two Quaker presidents, (Many Quakers feel their faith does not fit within traditional Christian categories of Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant, but is an expression of another way of experiencing God.), a Jehovah's Witness as president, (Jehovah's Witnesses are politically neutral. They feel that their allegiance belongs to God's Kingdom, which is viewed as an actual government. Thus they refrain from saluting the flag of any country or singing nationalistic songs. They believe that such an act would be tantamount to worshipping an idol. Members are expected to obey all laws, including the paying of taxes, of the country in which they reside, so long as these do not violate what they view as God's law. The political neutrality of Jehovah's Witnesses is also expressed by their refusal to participate in military service, even when such is of a compulsory nature, and by their detachment from secular politics. Since 1999, Jehovah's Witnesses are discouraged, but no longer prohibited, from voting in elections. Excerp taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah%27s_Witnesses), two Dutch Reformed presidents, several with no affiliation, and several that changed their religious affiliation, and we STILL have the issue with Mitt Romney running for president as a "Mormon". Obviously, we just have far to much time on our hands today. ;-) IMHO
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Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Definitions of a Christian...........

I have an interest lately in the definition of just what is a "Christian". The definition of a Christian according to Merriam- Webster Online is : 1 a: one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ b (1): disciple 2 (2): a member of one of the Churches of Christ separating from the Disciples of Christ in 1906 (3): a member of the Christian denomination having part in the union of the United Church of Christ concluded in 19612: the hero in Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress

Here is yet another definition of "Christian" : Christian \Chris"tian\, n. [L. christianus, Gr. ?; cf. AS. cristen. See Christ.]1. One who believes, or professes or is assumed to believe, in Jesus Christ, and the truth as taught by Him; especially, one whose inward and outward life is conformed to the doctrines of Christ.
The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. --Acts xi. 26.
2. One born in a Christian country or of Christian parents, and who has not definitely becomes an adherent of an opposing system.
3. (Eccl.) (a) One of a Christian denomination which rejects human creeds as bases of fellowship, and sectarian names. They are congregational in church government, and baptize by immersion. They are also called Disciples of Christ, and Campbellites. (b) One of a sect (called Christian Connection) of open-communion immersionists. The Bible is their only authoritative rule of faith and practice.
Note: In this sense, often pronounced, but not by the members of the sects, kr[=i]s"chan.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

And from another source, another definition of "Christian" :

Wikipedia English

Christian
For other uses of the term Christian, see Christian (disambiguation).A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as the Christ. Christians believe Jesus to be the Son of God, who lived a life befitting that of the creator of the universe, free of sin and full of love, who at the end of his earthly life was crucified, and then on the third day, rose from the dead, and later ascended into heaven. These beliefs are held by the vast majority of Christian denominations.
See more at Wikipedia.org...


Wikipedia also says this about who is a "Christian":

The definition of who is a "Christian" varies among different Christian groups. Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and many Protestants define a Christian as one who has become a member of the Church through the sacrament of baptism. In these churches, infants who are baptized may be considered Christians, although they are expected to make a personal affirmation of faith when old enough to decide for themselves.
Evangelical and fundamentalist denominations do not practice infant baptism and do not believe that baptism is connected with salvation (a sacrament). Rather, they consider it to be a public voluntary act of identifying oneself with Jesus Christ. They encourage youth and adults to "become Christians" by personally "accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior," and to follow that decision with Believer's Baptism. These groups also use the phrase "born-again" (John 3:3) to describe becoming a Christian.
A few denominations and sects teach that Believer's baptism is necessary for salvation — the transition from non-Christian to Christian (see Baptismal regeneration). They define a Christian as one who has been baptized as a repenting adult.
Within countries where Christianity is the historical majority religion, the term is also used by some in a casual generic sense to indicate that they are not members of nor affiliated with any other religion – therefore considering themselves Christians by default.[4]

And finally, this definition from : http://www.religioustolerance.org/christ.htm

There are probably thousands of different definitions of the word "Christian." We have chosen the same inclusive definition as is used by public opinion pollsters and government census offices: A "Christian" includes any group or individual who seriously, devoutly, prayerfully describes themselves as Christian. Under this definition, Christianity includes: Roman Catholics, Southern Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, United Church members, even a small minority of Unitarian Universalists, etc.

Wow. It is simply amazing at how many different definitions of "Christian" are floating around these days. But the one common thread in all of these definitions is this : one who professes belief in, or is a follower of, Jesus Christ, or one who describes themselves as "Christian". Wow. That sounds to me like those members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are indeed "Christian" as defined by the numerous sources cited above. IMHO
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Another interesting blog..............

http://mormonsarechristian.blogspot.com
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Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Interesting blog.............

http://rossdouthat.theatlantic.com/archives/2007/12/mormonism_and_its_enemies.php
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Monday, December 3, 2007

False Gods...........

The first commandment of the Ten Commandments is: "Thou shalt have no other God's before me." I have read this passage many, many, times and each time I thought that it referred to the many god's being created out of man's own hands. God's of stone or wood; god's like our TV's, automobiles, homes....anything that we possessed that we loved almost to the point of worship

In Deuteronomy 4:28 we read "And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell." It is easy to see where I came about believing this to mean gods created by man's hand, of wood or stone.

But......I overlooked the last part of that verse "....which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell." I believe that the above verse is referring to the gods being worshipped this day by the various churches of today. The various churches today do not believe that our Father and His Begotten Son have a body.

The Catholic Church, for example, teaches that God is a supreme intelligence with neither body nor figure, and cannot be seen. See the definition of the Catholic God here:

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06612a.htm

Just reading about the Catholic God makes my head spin with confusion.

The Methodist Church is not much different than the Catholic Church in trying to define who God is. Though the Methodist Church's definition doesn't make my head spin quite as much as the Catholics definitions simply because they, the Methodists, have trouble even giving a definition of God's nature! As evidenced here: http://www.ammethch.org/frstlssn.html

And finally, one last church of today and their beliefs about God - the Presbyterian Church.

This is what they believe: http://www.pcanet.org/general/cof_chapi-v.htm#chapii

"There is but one only, living, and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection, a most pure spirit, invisible, without body, parts, or passions; immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty, most wise, most holy, most free, most absolute; "

The above paragraph is taken from the Presbyterian web site above, but it is in context pretty much what the Catholic Church and the Methodist Church believe in also, just stated in a different way. Notice that the God of other religions are without body parts or passions? Notice then that the God of other religions cannot hear, nor see, nor smell, nor eat? How could a God without body parts or passions be expected to hear, see, smell, or eat? How could a child of God, created in His own image, be expected to comprehend an incomprehensible God? Again, my head spins just reading what other religions say when they try to explain God. My God IS NOT "invisible, without body, parts, or passions......incomprehensible." I was created in God's own image. (See Genesis 1:26-27.)

If you believe that the Bible is the word of God, then turn to Exodus 33:11: And the Lord spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend.... I think that verse is pretty clear and no explanation is necessary. Moses spoke to God face to face.

In Hebrews 1:3, we read about Christ sitting down on the right hand of the Majesty on high. How could that be if He had no form to have a right hand?

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is about John the Baptist and what a great man he was. We read in Matthew 3:16 - 17: "And Jesus, when He was baptized, went straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: And lo a voice from heaven saying, This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased". From this I glean a couple of things. First, my God must have a mouth for He spoke, and second, this is evidence of three separate and distinct Beings; The voice of the Father, the Son being baptized, and the Holy Ghost descending upon Jesus in the form of a dove. Now could someone explain how these three can be one (other than in purpose) and be without body parts or form? I find other religions definitions of God incomprehensible.

I have one other question for those of another religion: If God and Jesus don't have bodies, what did Jesus do with his body after He was resurrected from the dead? After He was crucified and sealed in a tomb, He was resurrected and He showed Himself to many, including His apostles. He even ate with His apostles. His apostles witnessed him ascending into heaven. So again the question, what did Jesus do with His body if He is now suppose to be without body or form?

Joseph Smith as a boy was as confused in his day as many are confused in this day. Which church is correct? Which church was he to join? Joseph Smith read in the Bible in James 1:5 : If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." Joseph then went as suggested and asked of God. Joseph was then privileged to see both the Father and the Son, and had the honor of being the first prophet of this last dispensation and to restore the original church once again on earth. Joseph, then, is another testifier that both the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have a body, and that we are truly created in Their image.

The strange Gods of the other Christian religions are indeed incomprehensible to me. Again in Deuteronomy 4:28 we read "And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell." So, the question remains; are the other religions worshipping false Gods? Think about it. IMHO
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