Kevmo, you have asked how we can resolve this. You might start by acknowledging that you were in error about your claim about Romney that “He seems to have trouble with the Deity of Christ”.
***I would be glad to post that acknowledgement if it turns out to be incorrect. What I am seeking to resolve is how we can determine whether or not the LDS teaching acknowledges that Jesus Christ was Jehovah God. If Mitt can honestly admit that’s true, I have very much less of a problem with him. My experience in dealing with the mormon church and mormons is that there is a true departure from orthodoxy on this point. How can we resolve whether this is the case? What would you accept as evidence? I’m not going to go spinning my wheels only to have you say, “well, that’s how you see it”. That’s one reason why archaeological evidence is compelling to me, because we can go and look at it and read the inscriptions by ourselves, today.
I have seen no factual support for that assertion.
***I think you are trying to resolve something else, so you’re looking for factual support of something that amounts to a side issue.
Earlier I posted the excerpt from the title page to the Book of Mormon stating that its purpose is “to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God”.
***Glad to hear it. Is Jesus Jehovah?
The Book of Mormon was first published in 1830 and is binding and authoritative scripture for a believing Latter-day Saint. Its pages are filled with references to the deity of Christ.
***And it is not authoritative to mainstream christianity, so we’ll need to stick to biblical evidence in order to establish any facts.
As a Mormon missionary, and later a lay leader within the Mormon Church, Mitt Romney would have spent serious time studying the Book of Mormon’s doctrinal teachings on the deity of Christ—and he would have personally taught those doctrines.
***AND he’s a real smart guy who went to Harvard. So he’s basically smarter than me, and he should be able to see through cult teachings better than someone as pedestrian as I am.
It is inconceivable that he would “have trouble with the Deity of Christ”. Please enlighten us if you have evidence otherwise.
***As you state, Mitt buys into the mormon religion, so the issue is whether the doctrines taught by mormonism are orthodox. I’m not all that interested in all the differences between mormonism and mainstream christianity because that subject is too large for me to tackle. My interest is in Who Jesus Is, Who He claimed to be, why he was put to death, and what that means to me, us, and anyone looking at a presidential candidate.
Yes, Latter-day Saints believe that Jesus was and is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. There are countless references in authoritative teachings and sermons. Gordon B. Hinckley is the current President of the Church and is viewed by believing Latter-day Saints to be a prophetic leader. Here is a clear and unequivocal excerpt from his teachings on this subject: “Jesus is the Christ, the great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the promised Messiah of the New Testament, our King, our Lord, our Savior, our Redeemer who gave His life for each of us.” This quote is found on page 72 of the July 1999 issue of the “Ensign” (the official Church magazine for adults).
As a committed and practicing Latter-day Saint, Mitt Romney would accept and teach this doctrine. It is a central and foundational teaching of the Mormon Church. For Mitt, and all other believing Latter-day Saints, Jesus is Jehovah. Are you now ready to reconsider your claim that Mitt “seems to have trouble with the Deity of Christ”?