Why does Mormonism want to be Associated with Christianity?

[TheBarrd]

I take it you haven't heard of henotheism?

henotheism

noun heno·the·ism \ˈhe-nə-(&#716thē-ˌi-zəm\

Definition of HENOTHEISM


: the worship of one god without denying the existence of other gods


So, if you accept that other gods exist, even though you don't worship them, you deny that God is the only God that exists.
God says that no other Gods exist.

Either you are right...or God is.

Hmmm....I think I will choose God...

Henotheism is not a Christian belief.
Period.

 

[katerinah1947]

Yes, I hear what you are saying. Hypothetically speaking, it is possible—because I am human—that strong, true words may be spoken to me here in the forum that I misunderstand to be unkind or mean. But while I am human, I am also not a fool, and know when a person is mocking or saying words only with the intent to incite or inflame or injure. Don't worry, though. My spirit has not been mortally wounded here. I simply lament, on occasion, that Christians treat other Christians as enemies.

Hi,
Two things please. One I hope you are wrong. If you would like, I wll look, and then feel bad with you and for you, if indeed you have been attacked.
This though fascinates me. You seem to totally believe, in your religion. I actually am dying to ask you this, and just for me, if that is posilble here. Why, honeslty, openly and objectively? Please. And if you answer this, I hope everyone else leaves you alone, in your opening up to me.
LOVE,
...Katherina., .... .

 

[TheBarrd]

Hi,
Two things please. One I hope you are wrong. If you would like, I wll look, and then feel bad with you and for you, if indeed you have been attacked.
This though fascinates me. You seem to totally believe, in your religion. I actually am dying to ask you this, and just for me, if that is posilble here. Why, honeslty, openly and objectively? Please. And if you answer this, I hope everyone else leaves you alone, in your opening up to me.
LOVE,
...Katherina., .... .

It might be better, Katie, love, to contact him by private message to ask him, lest you open him up to what he feels is an attack.
But if you feel uncomfortable about it, then please, do not do so. Do not.
Do what is good for you.

LOVE,
TheBarrd

 

[TheBarrd]

Sometimes we forget that this is the internet...and all we have are the words we see.
No facial expressions, no voice inflections...just the words we type.
Perhaps that is one reason we sometimes misunderstand.

 

[TasteForTruth]

Hi,
Two things please. One I hope you are wrong. If you would like, I wll look, and then feel bad with you and for you, if indeed you have been attacked.
This though fascinates me. You seem to totally believe, in your religion. I actually am dying to ask you this, and just for me, if that is posilble here. Why, honeslty, openly and objectively? Please. And if you answer this, I hope everyone else leaves you alone, in your opening up to me.
LOVE,
...Katherina., .... .

Why do I totally believe in my religion? I appreciate that you ask! It seems that most people just want to interrogate me about the "controversial" doctrines of my religion. Few are those who seem interested in why I would, or do, believe. Thank you.

Without going into detail that i simply refuse to share in an open forum like this (in fact, this forum, particularly!), the reasons I believe in my religion are (in no particular order)...

• I have a witness, borne of the Holy Ghost, that it is Christ's church once more on the earth
• I have found that the promises made by God in the Gospel it teaches are fulfilled in my life, consistently
• in a very direct and personal way, it has brought me to a knowledge that God is real and that He knows and loves me
• it has been the instrument through which God made known to me important, personal information about my life on earth
• the doctrines of the Gospel it teaches bring complete peace to my soul and reconcile with perfection the questions I would raise about my origin, the general purpose of my life and trials, and the meaning of my very existence
• it is always listening—through a living prophet—for more of God's word, always expectant that He has yet more to say for my benefit, and that of my family
• the Gospel it teaches gives me useful, practical guidance and anchoring in the stormy seas of mortality
• I have seen the hand of God made manifest, firsthand, through the priesthood power it claims to wield for God's purposes, including, and primarily, in my own life and in the life of my immediate family
• I have seen the works of God made manifest in its doings
• the Gospel it teaches yokes me to Christ in real, meaningful ways, not sparing personal sacrifice

Among other things I might list, these are the general reasons that I believe so wholeheartedly.

 

[Rescued One]

IMO, henotheism doesn't even fit. I used to think it did, but I realize now that that was a mistake.


2 Nephi 25:
And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out."

God the Father is the Supreme Being in whom we believe and whom we worship. He is the ultimate Creator, Ruler, and Preserver of all things. He is perfect, has all power, and knows all things. He "has a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's" (D&C 130:22).
Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual, (2000)

LDS teach that Jesus was Jehovah in the Old Testament. The Israelites were told to worship Jehovah.

When confronted with this, the Mormon will try to lead critics down a rabbit trail asking them about the meaning of worship.

 

[TheBarrd]

At my age I am pleased and flattered when younger women (usually waitresses) call me terms of endearment. Actually, I enjoy it when any woman of any age calls me Hon or Sweetie. So, feel free to address me in that way, Lovie.

Darling man, I will be most honored to always address you as Hon or Sweetie...and I will thoroughly enjoy being addressed in kind by you.
And you don't even have to leave me a tip...just a smile, or maybe a hug...will do.

Oh...and before I forget...I am very pleased and flattered that you think I am a "younger woman". I am actually 64 years old, and a great grandmother. But thank you for making me feel 20 again.

 

[TheBarrd]

They were more than closed-minded. They were murderous and diabolical in their hearts. They hated Jesus for His truth—the simplicity and utter unimpeachable nature of it. Their hearts were firmly set on themselves. A person so disposed will discern the light...and hate it.

I would respectfully submit that what we think of as our hearts...not the little organ in our chest that pumps our blood and keeps us alive...is, at least in part, our mind. In other words, a closed mind and a hard heart are pretty much the same thing.
A man who looks to becoming a god one day...well, isn't it fair to say that he has his heart firmly set upon himself? To aspire to the throne of god...well, that's a tad more than simple ambition. It is what got Satan and his crew tossed out of heaven...isn't it?
I disagree that such a one will discern the light. How can he, when his mind is occupied with imaging the glory of god that may one day be his own?

And don't forget...Satan is able to appear as an angel of light...

 

[bbbbbbb]

We're not talking about "someone." They were the Savior's words. But if the Savior feels obliged to speak to someone like that, then there's a very good chance that the person's heart is so hard, it would take a herculean effort on the person's part to not be offended, seeing as his heart must be as hard as those of the Pharisees!

If Jesus Christ were to speak these words to me at the Judgement I would be deeply offended, not to mention shocked. These are not kind and tender words at all.

 

[bbbbbbb]

The Savior I know does not say "nasty" things to people. He does not say "unkind" things to people. He speaks the truth and the wicked take it to be hard (nasty, unkind, etc.).

So, the truth is always kind and loving even when it is hard (nasty, unkind, etc.)?

 

[bbbbbbb]

Darling man, I will be most honored to always address you as Hon or Sweetie...and I will thoroughly enjoy being addressed in kind by you.
And you don't even have to leave me a tip...just a smile, or maybe a hug...will do.

Oh...and before I forget...I am very pleased and flattered that you think I am a "younger woman". I am actually 64 years old, and a great grandmother. But thank you for making me feel 20 again.

Thanks, dear, for the kind reply. I get the same feeling when others make me feel young again.

 

[TasteForTruth]

So, the truth is always kind and loving even when it is hard (nasty, unkind, etc.)?

No, I wouldn't say that. Delivery does factor in. There are rude, even hurtful, ways of delivering the truth.

 

[TasteForTruth]

I would respectfully submit that what we think of as our hearts...not the little organ in our chest that pumps our blood and keeps us alive...is, at least in part, our mind. In other words, a closed mind and a hard heart are pretty much the same thing.

You're right... it's all interconnected.

A man who looks to becoming a god one day...well, isn't it fair to say that he has his heart firmly set upon himself? To aspire to the throne of god...well, that's a tad more than simple ambition. It is what got Satan and his crew tossed out of heaven...isn't it?
I disagree that such a one will discern the light. How can he, when his mind is occupied with imaging the glory of god that may one day be his own?

And don't forget...Satan is able to appear as an angel of light...

How did we get from the Pharisees to this straw man interpretation of LDS theology?

 

[TasteForTruth]

If Jesus Christ were to speak these words to me at the Judgement I would be deeply offended, not to mention shocked. These are not kind and tender words at all.

The person to whom Jesus Christ feels compelled to speak those words is not the kind of person who will not be offended by them.

 

[katerinah1947]

Why do I totally believe in my religion? I appreciate that you ask! It seems that most people just want to interrogate me about the "controversial" doctrines of my religion. Few are those who seem interested in why I would, or do, believe. Thank you.

Without going into detail that i simply refuse to share in an open forum like this (in fact, this forum, particularly!), the reasons I believe in my religion are (in no particular order)...

• I have a witness, borne of the Holy Ghost, that it is Christ's church once more on the earth
• I have found that the promises made by God in the Gospel it teaches are fulfilled in my life, consistently
• in a very direct and personal way, it has brought me to a knowledge that God is real and that He knows and loves me
• it has been the instrument through which God made known to me important, personal information about my life on earth
• the doctrines of the Gospel it teaches bring complete peace to my soul and reconcile with perfection the questions I would raise about my origin, the general purpose of my life and trials, and the meaning of my very existence
• it is always listening—through a living prophet—for more of God's word, always expectant that He has yet more to say for my benefit, and that of my family
• the Gospel it teaches gives me useful, practical guidance and anchoring in the stormy seas of mortality
• I have seen the hand of God made manifest, firsthand, through the priesthood power it claims to wield for God's purposes, including, and primarily, in my own life and in the life of my immediate family
• I have seen the works of God made manifest in its doings
• the Gospel it teaches yokes me to Christ in real, meaningful ways, not sparing personal sacrifice

Among other things I might list, these are the general reasons that I believe so wholeheartedly.

Hi,
So, in general, it is the truth you see in God, and it is the unanswered questions in your mind that were answered, that cause you to believe.

And it is the hope in all?????, questions being answered by the living prophet on earth now, that keep you delighted?

Is that correct on my part?
LOVE,
...Katherina., .... .

 

[TheBarrd]

You're right... it's all interconnected.

How did we get from the Pharisees to this straw man interpretation of LDS theology?

Do you remember this post of mine to you?

Jesus had some unkind things to say to people who had perverted the faith that God had given to the Israelites, as I recall.
He didn't seem to care much for folks who did such things then...and it is highly unlikely that He has since changed His mind.
We believe with all of our hearts that the notion that God was once a man is, at the very least, a perversion of our faith given to us by the Lord, Himself, if not actual blasphemy.
Perhaps defending our Christianity from those who would introduce this teaching is "Christian conduct".
I guess it depends upon your point of view.

And you told me that Jesus never said anything "unkind".

I maintain that telling you that you are not worshiping the same God as most of the rest of Christendom, even if you are calling your god by the same name as The One True God is no more "unkind" than Jesus' words to the scribes and Pharisees. The words we use may be strong, and true, and even pitiful...and the people we say them to may not like hearing them.
Defending our faith against what we perceive to be heresy is reasonable Christian conduct.

When I say to you that God was never a man, or that Jesus did not have to be "exalted" because He was always God to begin with...He is not stepping up to God's throne, He stepped down from it for our sakes...I do not tell you this in a spirit of mockery. I tell you in the spirit of love. (edit: or as my friend Katie would say, LOVE)
You are in error, and I weep for you...
If you want to call that a "strawman"...oh, well. I can't do anything about that.

ADDED:

And once again, a warning to you....do not forget, Satan has transformed himself to appear as an angel of light.

 

[TasteForTruth]

Do you remember this post of mine to you?



And you told me that Jesus never said anything "unkind".

I maintain that telling you that you are not worshiping the same God as most of the rest of Christendom, even if you are calling your god by the same name as The One True God is no more "unkind" than Jesus' words to the scribes and Pharisees. The words we use may be strong, and true, and even pitiful...and the people we say them to may not like hearing them.
Defending our faith against what we perceive to be heresy is reasonable Christian conduct.

When I say to you that God was never a man, or that Jesus did not have to be "exalted" because He was always God to begin with...He is not stepping up to God's throne, He stepped down from it for our sakes...I do not tell you this in a spirit of mockery. I tell you in the spirit of love.
You are in error, and I weep for you...

No, I've never interpreted any comments like this to be insulting or anything like that. Other comments, which clearly having a mocking tone, or which attack my intellect or question my ability to reason properly... those are inappropriate, unnecessary, and wholly counterproductive if the speaker's intent is "helping" the hearer.

If you want to call that a "strawman"...oh, well. I can't do anything about that.

When I cry "straw man," it's because you (speaking generally) are not addressing the thing you think you're addressing. And if you're trying to help me, beating straw man assertions won't help at all.

ADDED:

And once again, a warning to you....do not forget, Satan has transformed himself to appear as an angel of light.

No angel of light has ever appeared to me, so I'm good there. If you're referring to Joseph Smith's experiences, I refer you to this post.

 

[TasteForTruth]

Hi,
So, in general, it is the truth you see in God,

Yes, but not just "God" in a general sense. It is the truth I see in God as taught in the Restored Gospel, as opposed to the Gospel taught in Nicene Christianity.

and it is the unanswered questions in your mind that were answered, that cause you to believe.

That's a part of it, as my previous response should have shown.

And it is the hope in all?????, questions being answered by the living prophet on earth now, that keep you delighted?

Again, that is part of it.

Basically, the Restored Gospel and those things which have grown and/or extended from it into my life—things both temporal and supernatural—give me every reason to believe it, and no reason to disbelieve it. I have heard many other gospels, but they haven't even breached the first great barrier to belief—answering the basic, but weighty, questions with satisfactory, believable doctrine—giving me no reason to consider them at all.

 

[katerinah1947]

Yes, but not just "God" in a general sense. It is the truth I see in God as taught in the Restored Gospel, as opposed to the Gospel taught in Nicene Christianity.
That's a part of it, as my previous response should have shown.
Again, that is part of it.

Basically, the Restored Gospel and those things which have grown and/or extended from it into my life—things both temporal and supernatural—give me every reason to believe it, and no reason to disbelieve it. I have heard many other gospels, but they haven't even breached the first great barrier to belief—answering the basic, but weighty, questions with satisfactory, believable doctrine—giving me no reason to consider them at all.

Hi,
I am going out to Brownsville for another great hamburger. Last week's trip was more than wonderful, in the food, the museum and that place that serves wonderful home made cinamon roles. Saturday is my play day, and if I don't, God gets involveced and causes it to happen with me.
This is still personal and as private as this can be to me, and hopefully to you. Could you help my curiousity a little more???? Please.
What was your first great barrier to belief, in what I would like now between you and I to call the LDS, gospel, if that is okay. I do not mean for everyone, but for you and I as, Restored Gospel is too esoteric for me, right now.
What were the weighty questions. Again between you and I.
LOVE,
...Katie., .... .

 

[Rescued One]

...When I say to you that God was never a man, or that Jesus did not have to be "exalted" because He was always God to begin with...He is not stepping up to God's throne, He stepped down from it for our sakes...

So true and many verses support that truth.

John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 17:5
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.