First of all, every time one of the 52,000 mormon missionaries tells someone that the only way to salvation is to become mormon and take part in arcane temple rituals, that's an attack. Secondly, every time one of the 52,000 mormon missionaries claims that there is a "restored gospel" it's an attack on Christianity.....AND, how could you have missed all THIS?
Additionally, you make a personal attack in your post against a Christian church...."They fear them because Mormons stand up for what they believe and are not hypocrites. They say they are against the use of alcohol and they actually do refrain from the use, unlike Baptists.
Before I answer your rant, first answer this.
When you say mormons beleive in Christ, which Christ are you talking about?
The lds say this: “In bearing testimony of Jesus Christ, President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints ‘do not believe in the traditional Christ.’ ‘No, I don’t. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak. For the Christ of whom I speak has been revealed in this the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times. He together with His Father, appeared to the boy Joseph Smith in the year 1820, and when Joseph left the grove that day, he knew more of the nature of God than all the learned ministers of the gospel of the ages.’” (LDS Church News Week ending June 20, 1998, p. 7)
The lds chirst is a created being.
The lds christ is the brother of satan.
The lds christ is not sufficient for salvation, as the lds salvation must be earned, which includes tithing (that is forced tithing)
The lds christ was conceived by the lds god having intercourse with Mary.
The lds christ preformed his first miracle (water to wine), at his own wedding, one on many.
The lds christ paid the price in the garden, the cross is secondary.
The lds believe they will become a god, everything they do is working to that goal.
(“Intelligent beings are organized to become Gods, even the sons of God, to dwell in the presence of the Gods, and become associated with the highest intelligencies [sic] that dwell in eternity.”
- Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, v. 8, p. 160, September 2, 1860)
So John, what Christ do you beleive in the Biblical Christ or the lds christ?
Lutheran Questions and Answers
MORMON BELIEFS
I am a Lutheran, but my aunt's boyfriend is a Mormon. What are the big differences between the two religions? I just want to have a better understanding of what he believes.
Answer: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the official name for Mormonism. Their television commercials are very appealing and family oriented, but Mormonism cannot be considered a Christian denomination.
The Latter Day Saints deny the scriptural doctrine of the Trinity. They teach that there are many gods and human beings can become gods themselves through a kind of spiritual evolution. Mormons are taught "As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may become." Mormonism denies the scriptural teaching of justification by grace alone through faith in Jesus and teaches a system of salvation by works. They teach that people are born inherently good and have the freedom to make the right decisions. They believe that people progress by making wise use of this freedom.
Mormons practice "baptism for the dead." They believe that the spirits of the dead can accept Mormonism in the spirit world, but since they don't have a body they cannot be baptized. Since Mormon baptism is essential for spiritual progression, Mormons can be baptized in the place of a departed relative. This is the reason why Mormonism places such an emphasis on genealogy.
Mormons teach that there are three spirit kingdoms to which the spirits of the dead can go. The Celestial Kingdom is the highest kingdom and is reserved for faithful Mormons and those who die before the age of eight. The Terrestrial Kingdom is for moral non-Mormons and less "valiant" Mormons. The Telestial Kingdom is the place where most people will go after suffering for their sins. This is the kingdom of the least glory.
The Mormons accept the following as scripture: The Bible, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. They also consider the words of their living prophets to be scripture.
For more information about Mormonism and witnessing to Mormons visit the Speaking in Love & Truth to Mormons Web site.
Romney has endorsed the "faith" of his fathers...per Romney, how he "endeavors to live by it" and "be true" to those "beliefs."
So, since Mitt wants to inspire us Christians to vote for him...wooing us...I'm reminded of that one speed-dating commercial (actually a cell phone commercial) where a woman is able to quickly research on her speedy cell phone the guy's fave pick-up lines, etc...
IOW, what Mitt might say to you face-to-face is not what Mitt's "fathers" and "fathers in the faith" have taught him through the years about us Christians.
In the previous post, I mentioned Mormon leaders' Joseph Smith, George Q. Cannon, and Bruce McConkie...and I'll cite some same & additional quotes from them below so that people can glimpse a proper "survey" of Mormon leader opinions about us...
But please read to the end...so that you know then that these supposed "revelations from the Mormon god" aren't just applied to "yesteryear" Christians:
Joseph Smith himself:
Joseph Smith, Jr.: “…all the priests who adhere to the sectarian religions of the day with all their followers, without one exception, receive their portion with the devil and his angels.” (The Elders Journal, Joseph Smith Jr., editor, vol.1, no.4, p.60).
Late 19th century:
George Q. Cannon, member of First Presidency with four different Lds "prophets": "AFTER the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, there were only two churches upon the earth. They were known respectively as the Church of the Lamb of God and Babylon. The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christendom, though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common origin. They all belong to Babylon" (George Q. Cannon, Gospel Truth, pg.324).
Less-than-50 years ago:
Lds "apostle" Bruce R. McConkie: McConkie says all non-Mormon churches are "...the great apostate church" [that's us -- the Christian church] "as the anti-christ...This great antichrist...is the church of the devil." ("Apostle" Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine p.40)
Lds "apostle" Bruce R. McConkie: "What is the church of the devil in our day, and what is the seat of her power?…It is all the systems, BOTH Christian and non-Christian, that perverted the pure and perfect gospel…. It is communism, it is Islam; it is Buddhism; it is modern Christianity in ALL its parts. It is Germany under Hitler, Russia under Stalin, and Italy under Mussolini" (Millennial Messiah, pp. 54-55).
Lds "apostle" Bruce R. McConkie: "The church of the devil is the world; it is all the carnality and evil to which fallen man is heir; it is every unholy and wicked practice; it is every false religion, every supposed system of salvation which does not actually save and exalt man in the highest heaven of the celestial world. It is EVERY CHURCH except the true church, whether parading under a Christian or a pagan banner." (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:551)
Note, per Mormon doctrine, the "only true and living church on the face of the earth" is the Mormon church (D&C 1:30).
Q How do we know that the official Lds church approves of McConkie's interpretation given above?
A:
#1...he was an "apostle";
#2, the Doctrinal New Testament Commentary was cited by the official Mormon church as a commentary to 1 Nephi 14:10 for its widely distributed teachings of college students: The church of JC LDS: Seminaries and Institutes of Religion: Book of Mormon Student Manual: Chapter 4: 1Nephi 11–14: Notes and Commentary
* Note...McConkie's resource was also cited among study guides commonly used in the Mormon church as published by Cedar Fort out of Springville, Utah...in these two 2007 books:
* Randal S. Chase, Making Precious Things Plain: A Book of Mormon Study Guide: Volume 1: 1 Nephi-Alma 16 Cedar Fort, Springville, UT, 2007 p. 40
* K. Douglas Bassett, PhD, Doctrinal Insights to the Book of Mormon: Vol. 1: 1 Nephi through 2 Nephi Cedar Fort, Springville, UT 2007, pp. 62-63
Also, less than 30 years ago -- Official Lds church magazine, Ensign:
The “man of sin,” generally equated with Satan, would exalt himself over all that is divine and assume the place of God in the Church. Of historical and theological significance is the fact that in Paul’s prophecy the church structure survives. But God is not at its head, making that church—following the appearance in it of Satan—no longer the church of God....How appropriate, therefore, is Paul’s description of him sitting in the place of God in the church of the apostasía. Kent P. Jackson, Signs of the Early Apostasy, Ensign, December 1984 Signs of the Early Apostasy
This BYU professor is commenting on 2 Thess. 2:1-12 here...which Christian commentators reference as future. Lds leaders constantly reference 2 Thess. 2:1-12 as past tense -- evidence of the great apostasy...Jackson calls it a "drastic" apostasy. Lds doctrine is that it was total or all but a handful...and those handful were never "public."
Q What other Institute teachings are there about Christians currently taught to Mormon college students:
A:
* A universal [absolute world-wide] apostasy occurred...“...an absolute apostasy of the Church...” [Lds "apostle" James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ] {See this & similar quotes here: The Apostasy [What Lds believe re: Christians: Label us 'apostates' like Islam calls us 'infidels']}
Q And what does the Lds church officially teach its high school students...?
A The “church of the devil” does not refer to a specific church but to any person, group, organization, or philosophy that works against the Church of Jesus Christ and the salvation of the children of God.
Source: Official Mormon 'Seminary' (high school) teachings on 1 Nephi 14