Evangelists visit BYU, Temple Square [Say They'll Compromise Scripture]

BYU NewsNet ^ | 1/21/05 | Emilie Foss

[ZGuy]

Eighteen Bible students from the evangelical Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Biola, visited BYU campus Tuesday to build friendships, develop relationships and clarify doctrine.

“It’s important that other organizations understand each other, get a basic understanding and be willing to listen to each other,” said Julie Ann Johnson, 23, a BYU linguistics major, from Denver, Colo.

Evangelists broadly define themselves as those in the Christian religion who strongly believe in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Bible.

“This trip is based on talking about differences and more importantly getting to know what you believe,” said Arnold Sergstad, 20, a student at Biola.

The Biola group has been traveling around Utah, attending different evangelical churches.

Before the group came to BYU, they helped sandbag in the St. George flood, took a tour of Temple Square, ate lunch with Elder Robert S. Wood of the Second Quorum of the Seventy and saw “The Testaments” movie at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building.

On Tuesday, the Biola group attended classes at BYU, such as LDS Marriage and Family and Book of Mormon. They also had the opportunity to hear President and Sister Samuelson speak in the Devotional. In the evening, they attended a dinner and discussion at a lodge in Aspen Grove.

After a history of contention and Bible bashing in the past, the Evangelicals and Latter-day Saints have decided to rebuild the bridges which had burned down.

“It’s time to put away the sticks and stones and do some serious talking,” said Robert Millet, an ancient scripture professor.

The group had studied a bit about the LDS faith and read the Book of Mormon prior to coming to Utah.

“There is only so much you can learn in books,” said Stephanie Linn, 22, who graduated from Biola in music. “We want to interact with LDS here and understand why they believe what they do.”

Serigstad became interested in learning about the LDS faith while in high school after seeing many of his LDS friends treated poorly by the evangelical youth groups. He knew there had to be a better way of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ rather than Bible bashing.

The relationship between the two schools has not always been friendly.

“We knew we had to change,” said Jason Lekas, 24, a Biola humanities graduate. “We were digging up potholes and not fixing the road, and then Utah had to deal with the backlash. We had to change our approach. We would like the LDS to know that we love them and seek to understand and pursue truth together.”

Millet and Pastor Greg Johnson, director of Standing Together Ministries in Utah, are trying to develop relationships between the two groups in a new way.

“We are trying to show the upcoming generation that we don’t have to be confrontational on truth,” Johnson said. “There is a lot of room for us to build on our compromise of scriptures.”

[ZGuy]

“There is a lot of room for us to build on our compromise of scriptures.”

Houston, we have a problem.

[GarySpFc]

According to these Biola students it really doesn't matter "which Jesus" one believes died for our sins and rose again.

[Dominick]

On Tuesday, the Biola group attended classes at BYU, such as LDS Marriage and Family and Book of Mormon. They also had the opportunity to hear President and Sister Samuelson speak in the Devotional. In the evening, they attended a dinner and discussion at a lodge in Aspen Grove.

Note, the discussion is one way...

[newheart]

You really have to wonder why it is that only the orthodox Christians are the ones who are asked to compromise their beliefs in any encounter with other faiths.

[newheart]

And why so many are so willing to do just that.

[Logophile]

According to these Biola students it really doesn't matter "which Jesus" one believes died for our sins and rose again.

Of course, there is only one Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of mankind. That is one thing that evangelicals and "Mormons" can agree on.

[GarySpFc]

Of course, there is only one Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of mankind. That is one thing that evangelicals and "Mormons" can agree on.

Sorry, but the Jesus Christ in the Scriptures and of Mormonism are totally different.

[Logophile]

Sorry, but the Jesus Christ in the Scriptures and of Mormonism are totally different.

Sorry, but you are mistaken.

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

ping!

[GarySpFc]

Sorry, but the Jesus Christ in the Scriptures and of Mormonism are totally different.

Sorry, but you are mistaken.

No, you are wrong. Mormonism is just the old heretical Arianism error rehashed. Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox Churches all believe the Jesus Christ of Scriptures is both fully God and fully man. They do not believe man can ever attain to be exactly like God. Mormons believe man can become God.

[Gamecock]

GAryspfc: Sorry, but the Jesus Christ in the Scriptures and of Mormonism are totally different.

Logophile: Sorry, but you are mistaken.

Hmmm, the Christ I know wasn't the sibling of Satan.

[Landhunter]

I don't understand? I thought that we are all created by God, wouldn't that make Christ and Satan brothers, along with all of us?

The Christ you know is not a sibling of Satan? Who created Christ, Satan and us? How did it all begin?

[Gamecock]

Easy.

God is three persons in one. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

To say that Satan and Jesus are brothers is to elevate Satan to the level of God.

While God created Angels, we are on another level than angels.

[Logophile]

No, you are wrong. Mormonism is just the old heretical Arianism error rehashed. Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Orthodox Churches all believe the Jesus Christ of Scriptures is both fully God and fully man. They do not believe man can ever attain to be exactly like God. Mormons believe man can become God.

Do us all a favor and drop it. This "Mormons-believe-in-a-completely-different-Jesus" silliness has been rehashed ad nauseam on FreeRepublic.

[GarySpFc]

Do us all a favor and drop it. This "Mormons-believe-in-a-completely-different-Jesus" silliness has been rehashed ad nauseam on FreeRepublic.

I spent many years earning a doctorate of theology, and so I know my Christology throughly. Maybe I should relate how Sidney Rigdon influenced the founding of the Mormon Church. Oh well, that's treasure for another day.

[Logophile]

To say that Satan and Jesus are brothers is to elevate Satan to the level of God.

Now I see the problem. You are offended by a doctrine that you believe puts Satan on the same plane as God. That would be offensive to me too.

However, Mormonism does not teach that Satan is on the level of God. We believe that Satan did once live with God, as we all did. But Satan and his angels rebelled against God, and were expelled from heaven for their rebellion. They are wholly evil and forever miserable; they have no glory whatsoever.

[Gamecock]

Is Jesus at the same as God, in fact, is he God?

[Logophile]

I spent many years earning a doctorate of theology, and so I know my Christology throughly. Maybe I should relate how Sidney Rigdon influenced the founding of the Mormon Church. Oh well, that's treasure for another day.

Well, my doctorate is in Engineering, so my knowledge of theology is undoubtedly inferior to yours. However, I have been a "Mormon" for many years, and I am the world's expert on what I believe. I can say with confidence that you have not accurately represented Mormonism as I understand it.

If you had said something like "Mormons hold beliefs about Jesus that I cannot accept" or "Mormons believe things about God that are out of the mainstream", then I could hardly disagree.

But you said that the Jesus Christ of the Scriptures and the Jesus Christ of Mormonism are "totally different." From that I conclude that either you are prone to exaggeration, or you don't understand what "Mormons" believe about Jesus.

In any case, this issue has been flogged to death on Free Republic.

[Logophile]

Is Jesus at the same as God, in fact, is he God?

The short answer: Yes and yes.

Of course, there is more to it than that. If you really want the long answer, I would be happy to discuss it with you.

However, if the purpose of your question is to establish that Mormonism does not teach traditional Trinitarianism, as do most Christian churches, then I will save you the trouble: it does not.

[RnMomof7]

Luk 6:39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?