Christians in Belief and Action Mormon (OPEN)

Joseph B. Wirthlin, “Christians in Belief and Action,” Ensign, Nov 1996, 70

How We Live Our Lives

To repeat, by definition a Christian not only professes belief in the Savior, but a Christian lives and acts according to the teachings and commandments of Jesus Christ. He taught, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father.” 23 Jesus also said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” 24 He commanded us to pattern our lives after His. 25 True disciples of the Lord must be “doers of the word, and not hearers only.” 26

Our faith in the Lord moves us to the second principle of the gospel: repentance. 27 We develop a desire to purify and sanctify ourselves so that we might be worthy to return to God’s presence. We learn of the great plan of happiness that our Father has designed for His children, and we seek the blessings of peace and joy that are linked irrevocably to obedience to the laws of God. 28 Through the marvelous power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, a power activated by our obedience to His commandments, we can be washed clean of our sins. His infinite “mercy can satisfy the demands of justice” 29 for everyone who will repent. One of the great truths restored to the earth through modern revelation is that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is universal! The saving power of the gospel spans all generations of time and extends to all nations, kindreds, tongues, and peoples. Through humble repentance, we offer the sacrifice of a broken heart and a contrite spirit that the Lord requires of us before we can enter the waters of baptism. 30

Our faith in the Lord moves us to the third principle of the gospel, which is “baptism by immersion for the remission of sins” by one who has priesthood authority. 31 The Savior commanded that we all must be born again: “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” 32 Latter-day Saints accept baptism as an essential saving ordinance that is required of all people. Through baptism we covenant to take upon us the Lord’s name and honor it by keeping His commandments. He, in turn, promises us the guiding and enlightening presence of His Spirit. The fourth principle of the gospel is the “laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.” 33

As we take His name upon us, we most certainly are Christians, for we bear the name of Christ. Each week as we partake of the emblems of bread and water, we do it in remembrance of Him. We renew our covenant that we “are willing to take upon [us] the name of [the] Son [of God], and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given [us].” 34

Through faith in the Lord, repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, we are born anew. We experience “a mighty change … in our hearts” 35 and become “quickened in the inner man.” 36 If we are faithful and obedient, this mighty change will cause that “we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually.” 37

By obeying God’s commands, we deny ourselves of all ungodliness. Through obedience motivated by a wholehearted love of God, we come fully unto Christ and allow His grace, through the Atonement, to lead us into perfection. 38

Latter-day Saints covenant to keep the Lord’s commandments. Though we may fall short, our hearts are committed to striving earnestly to be obedient. We follow the teachings of the Savior. We try always to go the extra mile, to fast, to pray for our enemies, to care for the poor, and to do our acts of charity in private. We try to follow the example He gave in the parable of the good Samaritan. We avoid profanity. We avoid finding fault, we keep the Sabbath day holy and strive to be reconciled to our brother. With patience and forgiveness, we try to turn the other cheek, knowing that we will be judged as we judge others. We are aware of the dangers of materialism and debt. We seek to put the kingdom of God and His righteousness first in our lives because we know that our hearts will follow what we treasure. We know that the gate is strait and the way is narrow, so we labor to develop self-discipline to follow in His footsteps.

We love our neighbors. We strive to treat others with courtesy and respect, to treat them as we would want to be treated, both in public settings and in our homes. We strive to show concern for others and courtesy in all that we do—even as we drive in a traffic jam. We know that “out of small things proceedeth that which is great.” 39 Because we find joy in what we know and in how we live, we like to share the gospel with others.

Can anyone doubt that Latter-day Saints profess a profound belief in Jesus Christ or doubt that we follow a religion based on the life and teachings of the Savior? He is, without question, “the author and finisher of our faith.” 40 President Hinckley gave this powerful testimony of our Redeemer: “Towering above all mankind stands Jesus the Christ, the King of glory, the unblemished Messiah, the Lord Emmanuel. … He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His Father. He lives! He lives, resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God.” 41

From the article: Latter-day Saints covenant to keep the Lord’s commandments. Though we may fall short, our hearts are committed to striving earnestly to be obedient.

Well, Luci (as in Lucifer) fell short in God's presence, and any post-"striving" for obedience would not have pre-empted the Great Ejection.

Holiness and the pride of "striving" to be a god -- the latter something Mormons have in common with Luci -- cannot coincide. God's holiness does not tolerate sin; His mercy does. Nor does His holiness tolerate pride. In His Presence, where Holiness Resides, no sin can enter there.

If Jesus' sweat blood in Gethsemane would have been enough for Mormons (as they claim), then the cross would have been redundant. It wasn't. Our sin and the wrath of God poured out upon His Son on the cross toward our sin and our pride is very serious stuff.

Sin had to be dealt with before the reconciliation could take place between sinful man and God. And those who are trusting in pride-filled bootstraps are NOT trusting in the Lord Jesus' blood shed on the cross for their sin.

(The Great Downplay of the cross by Mormons is courtroom evidence enough)

After 150 years of mormon leaders and members denigrating Christians, the mormon leaders have decided to co-opt the very name of "Christian". Joseph Smith founded his sect on his debasement of ALL Christian creeds but now that is to be swept away and the Christian Community is expected to accept the sect as being equal, even while Mormonism not only demands a "seat at the Christian banquet table", it demands to set the menu, control the guest list, collect the funds from the ticket sales, and choose its own non-Biblical unedited and false message from its chosen speaker, all the while whining about being persecuted. Mormon leaders are allying the church with the Islamic community The Muslim Mormon Connection One has to wonder how friendly the "muslim-mormon" connection would be if the mormon church decided to co-opt the name of Islam.

Correction Greyfox: There was no debasement from Joseph...only that the Lord said all you other churches were an "ABOMINATION." And I can certainly see in these threads why the Lord said it. The angst and disdain shown Mormons here do not resemble any Christ-like behavior to which I am accustomed to see within the people of my faith. The antics and bullhooey here is one of many reasons I told the PROTEST-ants to take a flying hike 25 years ago.

And you failed to mention, in your attempt to castigate Mormons for reaching out to Muslims, is that we do the same for everyone...even the "abominable" churches.

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