I'm EXLDS now bought by the blood ;-)

[Wrigley]

I am not a Mormon nor am I defending their belief system But with the comment about Joseph smith saying things were taken out that is not completely to far off base,

Between 400 AD and 1600AD the bible was not a compiled book of works and between that time many scriptures were debated as possible divine works it wasn't util the 1600 when they actually decided what to omit and what to include
Many translations were "translated" to fit the needs of the church at time and worded as to not spawn unorthodox interpretations. Our bible as it is today has only been around for not more than 400 years and MAN decided what works to place in it and what to take out of it!

Strange many Christians unwittingly give their children a picture of Jesus running around saying thou shalt and thou not and handing out bibles as he walked.

Do you believe that God didn't protect His Word?

 

[Simcha]

Just wanted to say hi.

I'm ex-LDS too. I joined the Mormons when I was 20 and served a mission in Alberta, Canada. It was while I was on my mission that I started to question what I was being sent out to teach others. With hindsight, they should never have accepted me as a missionary. I was raised Jewish and didn't even know anything about Jesus when I first met the Mormons, so everything was new. As I started searching the Bible and questioning things, I realised that I didn't believe the story of Joseph Smith. I didn't believe what had happened to him, though at the time I did believe the Mormon church was the true church, I guess because I didn't want my whole new life to be based on a lie!!

I left my mission early (after 14 months) due to medical reasons, and decided to find out what was true and what wasn't. I slid into bad ways and got excommunicated, but it was something that I actively wanted. On my way to the excommunication I prayed "If the Mormon Church is the true church, please lead me back to it. If it isn't, please lead me to the truth".

I went to Israel to work for a Mormon woman who was pregnant with her second child. I was out there to help her through the pregnancy and with her toddler. I had many, many opportunities to spend time with other Mormons there, but something always came up and I wasn't able to meet with them.

To make a long story short, I became a Believer in Israel. I would give anything to be able to find those people that I helped convert to Mormonism and show them the error of our ways. All I can do is pray for them now, but it still hurts that I let myself be so deceived.

 

[greeneyedgirl]

Could I ask your church background? Do you go to the Stake church with your husband? Were you married there?


Sorry I do not mean to be nosey but I always wonder about how a non mormon and a mormon handle the faith aspect of their relationship

I was born and raised in the Souhthern Baptist church but as a young adult I started attending different churches. I enjoy going to different churches and learning for myself what they believe . Every church has something to offer and I do not believe any demonination or religion has it all figured out. That's why there are over 37,000 different type of christian churches in the world. !7,000 of those churches are non demoninational because they cannot fit in any of the mainstream demoninations. I cannot think of a single christian demonination that I have not attended. People have fought over the bible since well before the canon of the bible and they will not stop fighting about the bible in my lifetime eithor. We all have to resolve our faith with our own personal relationship with God. God didn't make us all the same and our walk with God is special.
We were married in the Rocky Mountains and during our honeymoon we drove from Portland Oregon to Denver Colorado in the Mountains. We stopped in Salt Lake City and he showed me around. Our differences in faith is a non issue in our marriage but I do not attend the Mormon Church.

 

[rnmomof7]

I am not a Mormon nor am I defending their belief system But with the comment about Joseph smith saying things were taken out that is not completely to far off base,

The Mormons are not happy that the works and words of Joseph and Brigham are right on line now to read Also are the "edits" of new publications to play down .

If you are interested in the beliefs of the church as taught by the church I would suggest visiting

http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,11-1-13-1,00.html
God was a man and has a body

What Kind of Being Is God?

Because we are made in his image (see Moses 6:9), we know that God has a body that looks like ours. His eternal spirit is housed in a tangible body of flesh and bones (see D&C 130:22). God's body, however, is perfected and glorified, with a glory beyond all description.

Who is jesus?

A Savior and Leader Was Needed

When the plan for our salvation was presented to us in the spirit world, we were so happy that we shouted for joy (see Job 38:7).

We understood that we would have to leave our heavenly home for a time. We would not live in the presence of our heavenly parents. While we were away from them, all of us would sin and some of us would lose our way. Our Heavenly Father knew and loved each one of us. He knew we would need help, so he planned a way to help us.

We needed a Savior to pay for our sins and teach us how to return to our Heavenly Father. Our Father said, "Whom shall I send?" (Abraham 3:27). Two of our brothers offered to help. Our oldest brother, Jesus Christ, who was then called Jehovah, said, "Here am I, send me" (Abraham 3:27).

Jesus was willing to come to the earth, give his life for us, and take upon himself our sins. He, like our Heavenly Father, wanted us to choose whether we would obey Heavenly Father's commandments. He knew we must be free to choose in order to prove ourselves worthy of exaltation. Jesus said, "Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever" (Moses 4:2).

Satan, who was called Lucifer, also came, saying, "Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor" (Moses 4:1). Satan wanted to force us all to do his will. Under his plan, we would not be allowed to choose. He would take away the freedom of choice that our Father had given us. Satan wanted to have all the honor for our salvation.

After hearing both sons speak, Heavenly Father said, "I will send the first" (Abraham 3:27).

Ant then you too can be a god

Every person who was ever born on earth was our spirit brother or sister in heaven. The first spirit born to our heavenly parents was Jesus Christ (see D&C 93:21), so he is literally our elder brother (see Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 26). Because we are the spiritual children of our heavenly parents, we have inherited the potential to develop their divine qualities. If we choose to do so, we can become perfect, just as they are.

These are not Christian beliefs and i have presented them from a book used for children in the LDS church

Between 400 AD and 1600AD the bible was not a compiled book of works and between that time many scriptures were debated as possible divine works it wasn't util the 1600 when they actually decided what to omit and what to include
Many translations were "translated" to fit the needs of the church at time and worded as to not spawn unorthodox interpretations. Our bible as it is today has only been around for not more than 400 years and MAN decided what works to place in it and what to take out of it!

Strange many Christians unwittingly give their children a picture of Jesus running around saying thou shalt and thou not and handing out bibles as he walked.

I know no Christians that do that. But we know the truth of the word because it was preserved by the Holy spirit.

The current translations when examined against the earliest documents indicate that the bible is preserved from error

 

[rnmomof7]

Just wanted to say hi.

I'm ex-LDS too. I joined the Mormons when I was 20 and served a mission in Alberta, Canada. It was while I was on my mission that I started to question what I was being sent out to teach others. With hindsight, they should never have accepted me as a missionary. I was raised Jewish and didn't even know anything about Jesus when I first met the Mormons, so everything was new. As I started searching the Bible and questioning things, I realised that I didn't believe the story of Joseph Smith. I didn't believe what had happened to him, though at the time I did believe the Mormon church was the true church, I guess because I didn't want my whole new life to be based on a lie!!

I left my mission early (after 14 months) due to medical reasons, and decided to find out what was true and what wasn't. I slid into bad ways and got excommunicated, but it was something that I actively wanted. On my way to the excommunication I prayed "If the Mormon Church is the true church, please lead me back to it. If it isn't, please lead me to the truth".

I went to Israel to work for a Mormon woman who was pregnant with her second child. I was out there to help her through the pregnancy and with her toddler. I had many, many opportunities to spend time with other Mormons there, but something always came up and I wasn't able to meet with them.

To make a long story short, I became a Believer in Israel. I would give anything to be able to find those people that I helped convert to Mormonism and show them the error of our ways. All I can do is pray for them now, but it still hurts that I let myself be so deceived.

God bless you ! God will lead his sheep home. There is no reason for guilt . just pray for them

 

[rnmomof7]

I was born and raised in the Souhthern Baptist church but as a young adult I started attending different churches. I enjoy going to different churches and learning for myself what they believe . Every church has something to offer and I do not believe any demonination or religion has it all figured out. That's why there are over 37,000 different type of christian churches in the world. !7,000 of those churches are non demoninational because they cannot fit in any of the mainstream demoninations. I cannot think of a single christian demonination that I have not attended. People have fought over the bible since well before the canon of the bible and they will not stop fighting about the bible in my lifetime eithor. We all have to resolve our faith with our own personal relationship with God. God didn't make us all the same and our walk with God is special.
We were married in the Rocky Mountains and during our honeymoon we drove from Portland Oregon to Denver Colorado in the Mountains. We stopped in Salt Lake City and he showed me around. Our differences in faith is a non issue in our marriage but I do not attend the Mormon Church.

It is true there are a lot of Christian churches but we agree with about 95% of our doctrine. Usually the differences are related to the form of worship or the exact order of salvation in an individual.I have also attended many different denominations but they all hold to the things i mentioned before.

Is your husband an active mormon ? Is he "temple worthy" or is he one of the many that attend services but never completed the requirements for the priesthood?

I would think if his family were very active and observant mormons that they would not have been too pleased with him marrying outside the church.

How long have you been married? It is good that he will allow you to attend a church of your choosing

 

[greeneyedgirl]

His family has several musuems in the area showing the history of his great grandfather or was it his great great grandfather.? His family is respected in the church and they would have loved for him to fall in love with a good Mormon Girl but he didn't My husband is questioning his belief system and he isn't Temple worthy. I would be violating the trust of my hubby to express the reasons but it isn't because of any reason that has been cited on this thread. We have been married a year and 16 days and he is fully supportive of my belief.

 

[jsfrk2]

Thank you all for your replies, I am grateful for my savior and LORD Jesus Christ and how he saved me from a life of sin and from myself....

Greeneyedgirl.....If you would, or maybe you have already, I have posted some lessons at the beginning of this thread. They are from things I have studied about the Church and about the truth found in the Bible... I did at one time belong to the church as well, but through DEEP studies into the Mormon doctrine and study into the Bible, I have found the Mormon doctrine to be false and I know the LORD Jesus Christ and my personal savoir.... nothing else can replace him..... have you read my testimony as well? I think it is on the first pg.
I hope you find the truth as the LORD has given it in the Bible.

The point of this thread was to give some lessons and to show other Christians and non-Christians the truth behind the Mormon doctrine and be lead to the truth in Christ.....not to make fun of or belittle Mormons. Some in my family are still Mormons, not many, but my dad and oldest sis my brother has been a Christian longer the I and I pray for the rest of my family every night for their salvation, GBU all,your brother in Christ Jesus,jsfrk2

 

[greeneyedgirl]

Thank you all for your replies, I am grateful for my savior and LORD Jesus Christ and how he saved me from a life of sin and from myself....

Greeneyedgirl.....If you would, or maybe you have already, I have posted some lessons at the beginning of this thread. They are from things I have studied about the Church and about the truth found in the Bible... I did at one time belong to the church as well, but through DEEP studies into the Mormon doctrine and study into the Bible, I have found the Mormon doctrine to be false and I know the LORD Jesus Christ and my personal savoir.... nothing else can replace him..... have you read my testimony as well? I think it is on the first pg.
I hope you find the truth as the LORD has given it in the Bible.

The point of this thread was to give some lessons and to show other Christians and non-Christians the truth behind the Mormon doctrine and be lead to the truth in Christ.....not to make fun of or belittle Mormons. Some in my family are still Mormons, not many, but my dad and oldest sis my brother has been a Christian longer the I and I pray for the rest of my family every night for their salvation, GBU all,your brother in Christ Jesus,jsfrk2

I appreciate your post alot because the thread wasn't going in the direction of your intent. I am very happy with my belief system and define my faith as a Christian. I have learned to appreciate the Lord's supper from the United Methodist. I have learned to appreciate healing by prayer from the Assembly of God. I have learned to appreciate saved by faith from the Southern Baptist. I have learned to appreciate tolerance from the non demoninational churches. I have learned to appreciate the beauthy of praising God from the Catholic's. If I have missed your church I am sorry because I have probably learned something from it. But two of the most important and overlooked things in the Bible are:

Enoch's salvation from a pure heart and Jesus also taught " Blessed are those with a pure heart, for they will see the Kingdom of God" I really don't want to debate the meaning of any of that in this thread. It was just food for thought. God Bless you all

 

[jsfrk2]

just remember that the word is the basis of the truth and the truth is Jesus. it is not a church that saves you, it is having faith is Jesus Christ and the his blood is enough to pay the price of our sins. And by the grace of God he saves us,not of ourselves, not of works or anything we can do, but his grace is sufficent to pay the price of our sins.

If I could post a vs. that might help.....

Ephesians 2:8,9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

1) For it is by grace......by the grace that God has for his children is why he saves us.

2) saved through faith.....faith in Christ is the only way to heaven as stated in romans...Romans 3:23,24
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

3) NOT of ourselves....nothing we can do,NOTHING is good enough to gain a place in heaven.

4) IT IS A GIFT OF GOD ......a gift,a gift,a gift

If you work, don't you expect to get paid???? well if Gods gift of salvation is really a gift then you don't have to work for it

5) not of works,..... nothing we can do is good enough to gain eternal salvation.

6) so that on one may boast.....This is so, that no one may boast in his works and say,look, I did more for God then you did.

I hope this has been a help to you and inspired you to search out the word of God to have a relationship with him and not religion or a church.

Your brother in Christ Jesus,jsfrk2

 

[Wrigley]

The point of this thread was to give some lessons and to show other Christians and non-Christians the truth behind the Mormon doctrine and be lead to the truth in Christ.....not to make fun of or belittle Mormons.

Who and where has this been done? Unless you think that showing some errors of mormonism belittling.

Can you explain this?

 

[jsfrk2]

sorry maybe I didn't explain well enough,oops I don't think any one has done so but I think the main topic of the thread has gone a little off to the side. It is just a thread to learn the differences and to show them to Mormons for witnessing, yes.

God is always the focus,your brother in Christ Jesus,jsfrk2

 

[greeneyedgirl]

Matthew 7 verses 7 - 10

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Matthew 18 12 -14
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone

How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray?

And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

John 8 18
19 Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also

John 8 58
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before

Abraham was, I am.
John 10 38
But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
John 12-50
And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak.

John 14 1

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

John 14 10-11
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake


I have accepted Jesus's greatest gift which was his sacrifice on the cross for my failures. But I have learned to be tolerant of people that believe in God differently for two very important reasons.

If you are using fear as motivating factor to convert someone to your faith you are creating hate which is everything God was not, He sacrificed himself on the cross out of love and not hate. It can create ill feelings and effect many non believers in a negative way for their entire life. That isn't the message of being a good light so that others may see the way.

Another reason is the Trinity itself. We believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are one and the same. We can support that with many quotes attributed to Jesus.
But Jesus took it a step futher and stated it was impossible to know the father and not know the son. If that is a correct statement than we can conclude that It is impossible to know the Son and not the Father. Jesus has been quoted talking for God in the first party and also in the third Party. From that I can draw a conclusion that people of the Jewish faith that believe in God and accept Jesus as a great teacher are also going into heaven because how could they know the Father and not know the son ?Jesus himself said it was impossible. That is the basis of my tolerance for other religions as Jesus himself said :



John 14 23-24

Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own: they belong to the Father who sent me"

John 15 10-14

If you obey my commands, you will remian in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.


Jesus gave his life so that we may live. The lesson of the cross is love and forgiveness. Jesus as he was nearing his death commanded us to Love each other.




John 3 16-17
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever beleives in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.


Love each other can be said another way "All men are created equal" and it isn't up to you or I to judge one another. The mere fact that Jesus was found guilty and crucified shows mankind can judge someone wrong, I mean after all, they sent the Son of God to his death. Alot of people get so tied up in the fact that God sent his son to be crucified that they forget that man was a willing participant.

Matthew 7 1-2

Do not Judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measures you use, it will be measured to you

If you judge someone unfairly then Jesus is telling us he will also judge you by the same standard. God Loved us so much that he allowed his son to die on the cross for our sins. Give peace and love a chance and accept people for who they are and not for who; you think they are.

 

[Ben johnson]

All religions (including Mormonism) hold two things in common, which are separate from Christianity:
1. Jesus isn't God
2. Salvation is by good works

"There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved." Acts4:12

To deny that Jesus is "GOD-BECAME-MAN", is to say that He was only a PROPHET, or only a GOOD MAN (though either label makes Him a LIAR); which is to call Jesus ANOTHER NAME.

"I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." Jn14:6

Regardless of religious affiliation, no one who denies Jesus' MESSIAH-SHIP can expect to enter Heaven. Jesus is either GOD, or He ISN'T; if He IS, then to deny Jesus is to deny God. To claim Jesus is a SEPARATE GOD is also to deny the ONE GOD...

 

[greeneyedgirl]

...................................................................................................


(I'm not sure what went wrong on the quote part but I tried fixing it anyways)
............................................................................................



Actually someone of another faith does expect to enter heaven and what you are really saying is that you don't think they are going to heaven based on your belief. But you missed the purpose of my post Because telling someone they are not going to heaven is equated with telling them they are going to hell which is hatefull and counter productive to love.

 

[Alma]

All religions (including Mormonism) hold two things in common, which are separate from Christianity:
1. Jesus isn't God
2. Salvation is by good works

What a bunch of nonsense. According to Mormonism Jesus is God (just look at the title page of the Book of Mormon where it says that the purpose of the Book of Mormon is to convince the world that Jesus is the ETERNAL GOD). And the idea that only the obedient will be saved doesn't mean that good works save anyone. Jesus is the author of salvation to them that obey him. (Hebrews 5:9) Even though we have to obey him, he is still the author of salvation.

Alma

 

[Wrigley]

...................................................................................................


.........................................................................................

Actually someone of another faith does expect to enter heaven and what you are really saying is that you don't think they are going to heaven based on your belief. But you missed the purpose of my post Because telling someone they are not going to heaven is equated with telling them they are going to hell which is hatefull and counter productive to love.

Is pointing out and correcting error not a show of love?

 

[greeneyedgirl]

But you cannot prove your belief anymore than they can prove theirs. You can only prove what you believe and why you believe it. We have to accept that our belief is our belief and others have a belief that contradicts our belief. And that noone can prove their belief.

Belief:

1. The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another: My belief in you is as strong as ever.
2. Mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something: His explanation of what happened defies belief.
3. Something believed or accepted as true, especially a particular tenet or a body of tenets accepted by a group of persons.
believe:

1. To accept as true or real: Do you believe the news stories?
2. To credit with veracity: I believe you.
3. To expect or suppose; think: I believe they will arrive shortly.


v. intr.

1. To have firm faith, especially religious faith.
2. To have faith, confidence, or trust: I believe in your ability to solve the problem.
3. To have confidence in the truth or value of something: We believe in free speech.
4. To have an opinion; think: They have already left, I believe.

 

[greeneyedgirl]

If you want to convert someone to your faith you should show the positive reasons of why they should beleive as you do so that they may see a difference in your life , your religion, and your understanding of God. To focus on what is wrong with their religion will insult most of them and just drive a bigger wedge between the two faiths. THe biggest mistake you can make in your walk with God is to assume you understand what he wants and I can cite some really bad examples in history of how christians have given their faith a blackeye as a result of that .

 

[Wrigley]

What a bunch of nonsense. According to Mormonism Jesus is God (just look at the title page of the Book of Mormon where it says that the purpose of the Book of Mormon is to convince the world that Jesus is the ETERNAL GOD). And the idea that only the obedient will be saved doesn't mean that good works save anyone. Jesus is the author of salvation to them that obey him. (Hebrews 5:9) Even though we have to obey him, he is still the author of salvation.

Alma

Nonsense? Tell the truth Alma. Jesus is just one of the gods of mormonism. He isn't the highest god.

"by grace after all we can do" is salvation by works. There are things that you as a mormon must do in order to reach the highest of your three heavens.

Also, don't forget the doctrine of blood atonement. As your prophets have taught, there are some sins that Jesus' sacrifice does not cover. The only way to pay for those is for the sinner to lose his life.