Posted on 03/17/2011 4:58:35 AM PDT by Paragon Defender
In a day when many scholars have reduced Christ to a historical or purely figurative being, this seven-part documentary series stands to affirm His divinity by reconciling the historical Christ with the Christ of religious tradition.
Filmed in part on location in the Holy Land and in conjunction with the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Messiah: Behold the Lamb of God is the first documentary that covers all phases of the Savior's life - spanning His premortal existence to the resurrection and restoration of the gospel - all told from a Latter-day Saint perspective.
http://byutv.org/messiah/
Is that the same Jesus that lives on the planet Kolob and is coming back to revisit Independence Missouri real soon now?
Jesus the man who became one of many gods. Like his father who also was a man with a body of flesh who became a God...... according to Brigham Young - Prophet.
Any chance of a real estate play? Now’s the time to buy!
Thank you, I’ve believed in Jesus without Mormon!
J.S.
TESTING THE LDS DOCTRINE OF JESUS CHRIST
“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached.…” —2 Corinthians 11:3-4
In this Biblical passage, one can see the seriousness of falling into the deception of Satan by placing faith in a counterfeit Jesus. Since Jesus is the sole source of salvation (John 14:6), merely affirming “belief in Christ” while clinging to a distorted view of His identity will lead to spiritual destruction, for a counterfeit Jesus cannot save anyone.
In the same way that Mormonism distorts the nature of the God the Father, Mormonism distorts the identity of Jesus Christ and thus falls under the condemnation of proclaiming “another Jesus” than the one “preached” in the Bible.
Distorting the Incarnation
Because Mormonism teaches that God was quite literally the father of Jesus Christ—not only in the spiritual realm but in the physical realm as well, it proclaims that Jesus was not begotten in the flesh by the Holy Ghost, but by the exalted man Heavenly Father.
“When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by the Holy Ghost.”—Brigham Young, 1852, Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p. 50
“Christ Not Begotten of Holy Ghost.…he was not born without the aid of Man, and that Man was God!”—Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p. 18
Thus, according to Mormonism, the “Virgin Mary” wasn’t truly a virgin in purity as we know it, but was the “lawful wife of God the Father.”
“The fleshly body of Jesus required a Mother as well as a Father. Therefore, the Father and Mother of Jesus, according to the flesh, must have been associated together in the capacity of Husband and Wife; hence the Virgin Mary must have been, for the time being, the lawful wife of God the Father.…”—Orson Pratt, The Seer, p. 158
“The man Joseph, the husband of Mary, did not, that we know of, have more than one wife, but Mary the wife of Joseph had another husband.”—Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 1866, vol. 11, p. 268
How can the Jesus of Mormonism be the same Jesus of the Bible when the Bible clearly articulates how the “virgin” Mary “was found with child of the Holy Ghost” and not by a so-called “exalted Man”?
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost....Behold, a virgin shall be with child....”—Matthew 1:18, 23
Distorting the Eternal Nature of Christ
In the same way that Mormonism perverts the Biblical concept of the incarnation of Christ, Mormonism distorts the eternal nature of Christ. Far from the Jesus of the Bible who in His very nature is the “Father”/Possessor of eternity (Isaiah 9:6) and who created “all” things including the “principalities” of Lucifer and his angels, Mormon doctrine relegates Christ to being the mere created “spirit brother” of “Lucifer.” Thus, in Mormon doctrine, Jesus’ “appointment” to being the “Savior of the world” was “contested” by his rival brother Lucifer who also wanted to be chosen as “the Savior of Mankind.”
“The appointment of Jesus to be the Savior of the world was contested by one of the other sons of God. He was called Lucifer, son of the morning.…this spirit-brother of Jesus desperately tried to become the Savior of mankind.”—Milton R. Hunter, The Gospel Through the Ages, p. 15
Does this sound like the Jesus of the Bible who possesses eternity and who never had to rival for the position “Savior” with Lucifer whom He created?
“For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.” —Colossians 1:16
“All things were made by him: and without him was not any thing made that was made.”—John 1:3
“For unto us a child is born…and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”—Isaiah 9:6
“Without father, without Mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God.…”—Hebrews 7:3
As if distorting the eternal nature of Christ and perverting the Biblical concept of the incarnation wasn’t enough, Mormon leaders have continued the blasphemy by additionally proclaiming that both God the Father and Jesus Christ have more than one wife. Therefore, according to Mormonism, far from being the guest who was merely invited to the “marriage in Cana of Galilee,” 15. the soon imminent Mormon polygamist (Jesus Christ) married “Mary, Martha, and the other Mary.”
“…there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee…no less a person than Jesus Christ was married on that occasion. If he was never married, his intimacy with Mary and Martha, and the other Mary also whom Jesus loved, must have been highly unbecoming and improper to say the best of it.”—Orson Hyde, 1857, Journal of Discourses, vol. 4, p. 259
BLOOD ATONEMENT DOCTRINE
- Limiting the Atonement
A lesser-known LDS principle prominently taught in the early years of Mormonism but still affirmed today is the “blood atonement” doctrine which states that there are “serious sins for which the cleansing of Christ does not operate and the law of God is that men must then have their own blood shed to atone for their sins.”—Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 92
Because this doctrine is so embarrassing to Mormonism and is one of the clearest examples of Mormon perversion of Christianity, LDS Apostle Bruce McConkie endeavors to down-play this teaching in the writings of early Mormon leaders by stating:
“…wicked and evilly-disposed persons have fabricated false and slanderous stories to the effect that the Church, in the early days of this dispensation, engaged in a practice of blood atonement.…By taking one sentence on one page and another from a succeeding page and even by taking a part of a sentence on one page and a part of another found several pages away—all wholly torn from context—dishonest persons have attempted to make it appear that Brigham Young and others taught things just the opposite of what they really believed and taught.”—Mormon Doctrine, p. 92
While Mormonism endeavors to silence its critics by accusing them of deception and taking statements out of context, the actual documented evidence proves otherwise. Note the following statements made by Brigham Young regarding this doctrine. As you will see in these quotations, no sentences are taken apart or construed from different pages:
“There are sins that men commit for which they cannot receive forgiveness in this world, or in that which is to come, and if they had their eyes open to see their true condition, they would be perfectly willing to have their blood spilt upon the ground, that the smoke thereof might ascend to heaven as an offering for their sins; and the smoking incense would atone for their sins, whereas, if such is not the case, they would stick to them and remain upon them in the spirit world. I know, when you hear my brethren telling about cutting people off from the earth, that you consider it a strong doctrine; but it is to save them, not to destroy them.”—Brigham Young, 1856, Journal of Discourses, vol 4, p. 53
“I say, rather than that apostates should flourish here, I will unsheath my bowie knife, and conquer or die. [Great commotion in the congregation, and a simultaneous burst of feeling, assenting to the declaration.] Now, you nasty apostates, clear out, or judgment will be put to the line, and righteousness to the plummet. [Voices, generally, ‘go it, go it.’] If you say it is right, raise your hands. [All hands up.] Let us call upon the Lord to assist us in this, and every good work.”—Brigham Young, 1853, Journal of Discourses, vol 1, p. 83 (Brackets in the original)
As one can clearly see, none of these statements are taken out of context. Ironically, while McConkie accuses critics of fabricating “false” stories regarding this doctrine, he affirms it as a “true doctrine:”
“…the true doctrine of blood atonement is simply this.…under certain circumstances there are some serious sins for which the cleansing of Christ does not operate, and the law of God is that men must then have their own blood shed to atone for their sins. Murder, for instance, is one of these sins; hence we find the Lord commanding capital punishment.…President Joseph Fielding Smith has written: ‘Men may commit certain grievous sins…that will place him beyond the reach of the atoning blood of Christ.…for the blood of Christ alone under certain circumstances will not avail.…Therefore their only hope is to have their own blood shed to atone, as far as possible, in their behalf.” —Mormon Doctrine, pp. 92-93
While Mormonism endeavors to validate their “blood atonement” doctrine by citing the Biblical penalty of “capital punishment” for murders, such argumentation totally ignores the basis behind this injunction and is fatally flawed on three accounts.
1) Ignoring the Context: The principle of capital punishment for murders was given to Noah and his family right after the occurrence of the Flood (see Genesis 9:6). Biblical scholars affirm that this is the place where government was first instituted. Therefore, in our time, this principle is not to rest in the hands of individuals who desire revenge (or in the hands of a religion that wants to “clear out” so-called “apostates” from their domain), but in the hands of the appointed government.
2) Denying the Sufficiency of the Blood of Christ: While Mormonism is quick to point to the fact that in the Old Testament, capital punishment was the penalty for murder, it overlooks the fact that according to the Bible, the penalty of all sin (not just murder) is death. (Romans 6:23) Thus, to argue that murder is not covered under the blood of Jesus is to accuse Jesus of not completing His work.
“When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” —John 19:30
3) Overlooking the Example of Paul: The Apostle Paul considered himself the “chief” of “sinners,” 16. because he had “persecuted the church of God.” 17. He was the one who was behind the brutal murder of Stephen and imprisonment of Christians in the early church. 18. Since the Apostle Paul found Jesus’ blood sufficient to cleans him of murder, why should there ever be any instance in which “men must then have their own blood shed to atone for their sins”?
Instead of trusting in the Jesus of Mormonism who is a polygamist, the “spirit-brother” of Lucifer, and who may not be able to forgive all of your sins, why not trust in the Jesus of the Bible who claims:
“…Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver?...Behold the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save.…” —Isaiah 50:2; 59:1
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross....For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” —Colossians 2:13-14; 3:3
“...the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin....If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesses.” —1 John 1:9
“For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” —Psalm 103:11-12
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”—1 Timothy 1:15
http://4mormon.org/mormon-church-true.php
You need to look here. You are being misled as is obvious by your worn out propaganda.
Here’s a few links to get your started from a different viewpoint. I have found that the vast majority of the “issues” brought up in the anti-Mormon propaganda can be found and addressed at http://www.fairlds.org/ but here’s more:
http://scriptures.lds.org/
http://www.lds.org
http://www.fairlds.org/
http://www.mormonapologetics.org/
http://www.mormonwiki.com/Main_Page
http://www.lightplanet.com/response/index.html
http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDS_Intro.shtml
http://www.answeringantimormons.com/index.htm
http://promormon.blogspot.com/
Thanks. I might have to watch this - I enjoy good fiction.
Tell us PD - did the Apostle Paul teach the preaching of the garden is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God? Did he suffer persecution for the garden of Christ?
Step up to the bar, or stay on the porch.
Do we really need to keep playing this stupid game of yours every week.
Well, given that mormon apologists he cites are stuck on stupid. . .
And the people say AMEN!
Um, PD, I think Zilla has, like me, instructed you numerous times that he has “looked” here in regards to the information at your links.
Do we really need to keep playing this stupid game of yours every week.
I play no stupid game. But as long as your gang keeps playing your stupid game, I will continue, as long as I am able, to give you the sources for the truth. When you are ready, you will REALLY read them.
ah, playing the great kreskin again. Give it up, your mind reading abilities are numb and you speak falsely. I've REALLY read them, almost a poorly written as the bom itself and less exciting than a snail race.
Read your post to Zilla, it implies by omission of your prior knowledge given to you by myself and Zilla, that he has not read them. When caught you go to the next mind reading game “REALLY READ” them.
I have pointed this out to you as well.
You spread false information about other Freepers by doing this.
Anyone who has REALLY READ them, intellectually and earnestly, using the mind god gave man to reason and learn with, knows Mormonism is false.
ah, playing the great kreskin again. Give it up, your mind reading abilities are numb and you speak falsely. I’ve REALLY read them, almost a poorly written as the bom itself and less exciting than a snail race.
lol I find it almost impossible to believe you’ve ever read the Book of Mormon after that laughable comment.
Anyway, no sorry no mind reading required. I have already explained as simplistically as possible what I mean by really read.
Actually, Anyone who has REALLY READ them, intellectually and earnestly, using the mind and heart God gave man to reason and learn with, knows Mormonism is true.
Oh dear PD. You really need to tell yourself that don’t you?
I was a sixth generation Mormon, raised in a town that my ancestors (who were Mormon pioneers) settled. I wanted, more than anything in the world, for Mormonism to be true. My life depended on it. I studied, I read, I prayed, I followed the Prophet, I paid tithing, obeyed the Word of Wisdom, attended the Temple.
Eventually I listened to God and examined the facts. The LDS religion is entirely false and it leads people to hell.
LOL. PD, I find it almost impossible to believe that you've ever read the Book of Mormon after that laughable comment. That statement is a two-way street.
It is apparent that Mark Twain really read of BOM: "Chloroform in print"; "drop 'and it came to pass' and the BOM would be a pamphlet". It is one of the most tedious books I have ever read.
You go ahead and convince yourself of that cc if that makes you feel better. We’ll keep a light on for you.
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