LDS What is the reward?

[withwonderingawe]

What is it that you can't do?

I can't 24 hours a day feed the poor, I need to sleep. I can't give money to every beggar I see or start a soup kitchen or donate huge amounts of money to build a new school. The Lord has not bless me with that kind of money.

What I can do is donate to my Church's fast offering fund to help the poor. I can grab a food bag on the way out of the store and donate it to the food pantry. I can run a dinner over to a sick neighbor. I have a handicapped foster son who I care for by washing his clothes, feeding him and just his general care. I have a family I serve and service beginnings in the home. Every day there are things each of us can do which is in the service of Christ.

"...when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" Mosiah 2

I can start learning to forgive others, I can ask the Lord to help me overcome the sin of gossiping. If I have a fault or weakness I can ask Christ to help me over come it, I can walk more as Jesus asked me to.

 

[Rescued One]

I can't 24 hours a day feed the poor, I need to sleep. I can't give money to every beggar I see or start a soup kitchen or donate huge amounts of money to build a new school.

Those are not commandments. And you can keep every commandment according to "Nephi."

You didn't mention temple attendance or researching your family tree, or fulfilling church callings. You can be asked to be ward organist, relief society president, a teacher in one of the organizations (children or adults), visiting teaching, inviting people to church, etc. And you know there are more. In some wards, the wife is companion to her husband when he does his home teaching.

 

[JacksBratt]

My reply is what you think the Bible says in based on the ideas of men who lived hundreds of years after the death of Christ and have very little to do with what the Bible actually says.

The Bible was written by men that walked with Christ. Only one of them didn't know Christ as a man but saw Him in a blinding light and turned from killing Christians, to being one of the most powerful teachers of the concepts of Christ.

The transcripts of the Bible were written in shorter time frame from the actual events than any of the accepted philosophical works of any other great teacher and there are more manuscripts of perfect copies than for any other great work of mere men.

Just google it. Short times from event to recorded
More manuscripts by far..... Equals more validation.

Yet, people will hold Socrates, Da Vinci and Aristotle and other works to be solid valid copies of the concepts of these people and reject the written word of God, which has more support for validation.

 

[JacksBratt]

Don't you think perhaps some Jewish leaders said the same thing about Paul and the other Apostles. The Jews were the establishment, they were the orthodox ones. Jesus was the rebel calling them to repentance and turning their world upside down. He told them how they were interpreting the scriptures and they knew not the Father and they tried to stone him for it.

Of course they did. They objected to the point of killing Jesus due to blasphemy, although, they really couldn't prove it. As, it didn't happen.

Everything that Paul and the Apostles said and was written, meshed perfectly with the words of Jesus and the whole NT meshes with the OT.

What Christ and the Apostles were teaching went against the errors and arrogance of the high priests and leaders.

What Joseph Smith, Bill Sadler and others say is against what Christ said....

I'll stick to what Christ said.

As for the rest, saying Ezra was talking about Joseph Smith is a myth and a pipe dream. Like I said, the back story ends that concept.

 

[withwonderingawe]

The Bible was written by men that walked with Christ. Only one of them didn't know Christ as a man but saw Him in a blinding light and turned from killing Christians, to being one of the most powerful teachers of the concepts of Christ.

The transcripts of the Bible were written in shorter time frame from the actual events than any of the accepted philosophical works of any other great teacher and there are more manuscripts of perfect copies than for any other great work of mere men.

Just google it. Short times from event to recorded
More manuscripts by far..... Equals more validation.

Yet, people will hold Socrates, Da Vinci and Aristotle and other works to be solid valid copies of the concepts of these people and reject the written word of God, which has more support for validation.

Here's a point, the Bible calls God a 'he' and a 'Father' yet Christian today teach that God is an 'it' with no gender at all. Christians today say that God is invisible or unseeable yet the Bible says "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Stephen saw the heavens open and Jesus standing on the right hand of God but Christians today do not believe God has a right hand.

Christians today do not believe what the Bible says but their own creeds which were made up by men.

 

[withwonderingawe]

As for the rest, saying Ezra was talking about Joseph Smith is a myth and a pipe dream

How so, there are millions people who believe Joseph was a prophet and the Book of Mormon is from God and we would like you to show us why.

 

[JacksBratt]

How so, there are millions people who believe Joseph was a prophet and the Book of Mormon is from God and we would like you to show us why.

I don't need to show you why he isn't, you need to show why he is.
The why he isn't is because it the back story talks of a man who lived long ago, coming back as an angel... not biblical. There are other things but it is up to you to prove that this Joseph out of hundreds of thousands is the one.

 

[Jane_Doe]

I don't need to show you why he isn't, you need to show why he is.

It is the Holy Spirit which testifies of that Truth, not WithWonderingAwe or me.

The why he isn't is because it the back story talks of a man who lived long ago, coming back as an angel... not biblical. There are other things but it is up to you to prove that this Joseph out of hundreds of thousands is the one.

The Book of Mormon is a collection of God's words and dealings with the ancient people of North America. Yes, God dwelt with the ancient people of North America. The prophesied of Christ and taught the words which God gave. Words like--

" 11 And he [Christ] shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictionsand temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

" 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

" 13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me."

coming back as an angel... not biblical.

A angel is merely a messenger (that's what the word literally means). God may send whichever messenger He wants.

 

[fatboys]

The Bible was written by men that walked with Christ. Only one of them didn't know Christ as a man but saw Him in a blinding light and turned from killing Christians, to being one of the most powerful teachers of the concepts of Christ.

The transcripts of the Bible were written in shorter time frame from the actual events than any of the accepted philosophical works of any other great teacher and there are more manuscripts of perfect copies than for any other great work of mere men.

Just google it. Short times from event to recorded
More manuscripts by far..... Equals more validation.

Yet, people will hold Socrates, Da Vinci and Aristotle and other works to be solid valid copies of the concepts of these people and reject the written word of God, which has more support for validation.

The earliest writingS were 40 years after the event written but unknown authors. Those who did write what we have had no idea it would be considered perfect or scriptures as the Old Testament was considered which was written by prophets. You can think that they are perfect and I understand why you have to think this way. This is the only way you can have authority to preach your sermons. As I said the problem is interpreting it correctly. You may fell you got it right but thousands of other preachers feel they have it right. You can't all be right.

 

[JacksBratt]

It is the Holy Spirit which testifies of that Truth, not WithWonderingAwe or me.

Still, nothing to support that Joe Smith was this Joseph you speak of.

The Book of Mormon is a collection of God's words and dealings with the ancient people of North America. Yes, God dwelt with the ancient people of North America. The prophesied of Christ and taught the words which God gave. Words like--

" 11 And he [Christ] shall go forth, suffering pains and affliction sand temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

" 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

" 13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me."

This is not supporting your "collection of God's words and dealings with the ancient people of North America."

A angel is merely a messenger (that's what the word literally means). God may send whichever messenger He wants.

I am clear on what an angel is. The backstory speaks of a man who came back as an angel....

See the problem there? Men are men, created to be men in God's image. Angels come in many classes, ranks and forms.... never do men change into angels.

 

[JacksBratt]

The earliest writingS were 40 years after the event written but unknown authors. Those who did write what we have had no idea it would be considered perfect or scriptures as the Old Testament was considered which was written by prophets. You can think that they are perfect and I understand why you have to think this way. This is the only way you can have authority to preach your sermons. As I said the problem is interpreting it correctly. You may fell you got it right but thousands of other preachers feel they have it right. You can't all be right.

If you don't believe both the old and new testaments to be the Holy Spirit inspired, God breathed word of God.... what do you base your beliefs on?

 

[Jane_Doe]

This is not supporting your "collection of God's words and dealings with the ancient people of North America."

??? I pasted a section of such dealings: one of many prophesies regarding Christ's coming and power. These are words given by God.

I am clear on what an angel is. The backstory speaks of a man who came back as an angel....

See the problem there? Men are men, created to be men in God's image. Angels come in many classes, ranks and forms.... never do men change into angels.

An angel is merely a messenger. God can send whomever to be a messenger He'd like. The idea that messengers must be are entirely different species of aliens is foreign to scripture.

 

[Jane_Doe]

If you don't believe both the old and new testaments to be the Holy Spirit inspired, God breathed word of God.... what do you base your beliefs on?

LDS do believe that ALL scripture (including the OT & NT) are God inspired. God still speaks and continues to authority/revelation. When there is a difficult matter, God is appealed to directly.

 

[fatboys]

If you don't believe both the old and new testaments to be the Holy Spirit inspired, God breathed word of God.... what do you base your beliefs on?

When you say God breathed you want it to mean that God whispered directly face to face with every word written in the Bible. God did not do this or there would be no mistakes in the Bible with the exception of it being handled by man which brought another layer of imperfection. Again from your position it has to be infallible because you don't believe in prophets or apostles or more if Gods word. You think that God is done speaking to man. What's funny is that there were prophets before during and after the life of Christ. In each of those periods of time there were those who scoffed at their prophets saying we have all of gods words and we need no more very short sighted.

 

[JacksBratt]

When you say God breathed you want it to mean that God whispered directly face to face with every word written in the Bible. God did not do this or there would be no mistakes in the Bible with the exception of it being handled by man which brought another layer of imperfection. Again from your position it has to be infallible because you don't believe in prophets or apostles or more if Gods word. You think that God is done speaking to man. What's funny is that there were prophets before during and after the life of Christ. In each of those periods of time there were those who scoffed at their prophets saying we have all of gods words and we need no more very short sighted.

You are right. After the time of Christ and His teaching was recorded along with His revelation to John on the Island of Patmos...... there have not been and will not be any writings that are at par with what was recorded in the Holy Bible.

There will be great men of God, great teachers, great evangelists, great preachers, great musicians and great servants of God. But.....never will there be additions to the word of God.

Anything written after the revelation is considered as words and opinions of men and men only, and must be tried by the fire of it's contents being parallel reinforced by and in conjunction with the holy scriptures, before it is acceptable to be presented as any sort of truth.

 

[Jane_Doe]

Anything written after the revelation is considered as words and opinions of men and men only, and must be tried by the fire of it's contents being parallel reinforced by and in conjunction with the holy scriptures, before it is acceptable to be presented as any sort of truth.

Where does it say that in the Bible?

And do you realize that about half the NT was written after Revelation, such as the Gospel of John?

 

[withwonderingawe]

Those are not commandments. And you can keep every commandment according to "Nephi."

You didn't mention temple attendance or researching your family tree, or fulfilling church callings. You can be asked to be ward organist, relief society president, a teacher in one of the organizations (children or adults), visiting teaching, inviting people to church, etc. And you know there are more. In some wards, the wife is companion to her husband when he does his home teaching.

Nephi didn't say I have to everything but only those things that I can. Playing the organ for the Lord would be wonderful but he created me with dyslexia and so playing the piano let alone an organ is beyond my ability to do. Besides I've never read a commandment which says thou shalt play the organ nor be Relief Society President.

I have read

Rom 12
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

But this isn't give by way of commandment but as an admonishment to serve each other in the capacity which we have. If we refuse to serve, to feed the sheep then we are in the area of sinning for;

"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James 4

 

[withwonderingawe]

I don't need to show you why he isn't, you need to show why he is.
The why he isn't is because it the back story talks of a man who lived long ago, coming back as an angel... not biblical. There are other things but it is up to you to prove that this Joseph out of hundreds of thousands is the one.

What do you think an angel is?

*In Heb 1 he says "14 angels .... Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?"

Do we not have a spirit within each of us?

This is from the last chapter of Revelations

8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

This angel/prophet goes on speaking as if he is reading a letter from Jesus to John."I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.... I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches."

*In Mal 4 he tells us "
5 ¶Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:
6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

If a man can not come back as a messenger from God then how can he send Elijah.

 

[Rescued One]

Your bishop calls you to serve in a specific way. He doesn't call non-musicians to be musicians.

"Your call has eternal consequences for others and for you. In the world to come, thousands may call your name blessed, even more than the people you serve here. They will be the ancestors and the descendants of those who chose eternal life because of something you said or did, or even what you were. If someone rejects the Savior’s invitation because you did not do all you could have done, their sorrow will be yours. You see, there are no small callings to represent the Lord. Your call carries grave responsibility. But you need not fear, because with your call come great promises.

"One of those promises is the second thing you need to know. It is that the Lord will guide you by revelation just as He called you. You must ask in faith for revelation to know what you are to do. With your call comes the promise that answers will come. But that guidance will come only when the Lord is sure you will obey. To know His will you must be committed to do it. The words 'Thy will be done,' written in the heart, are the window to revelation.

"The answer comes by the Holy Spirit. You will need that guidance often. To have the Holy Ghost as your companion you must be worthy, cleansed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. So, your obedience to the commandments, your desire to do His will, and your asking in faith will determine how clearly the Master can guide you by answers to your prayers.

"Often the answers will come as you study the scriptures. They contain accounts of what the Lord did in His mortal ministry and the guidance He has given His servants. They have doctrine in them which will apply in every time and every situation. Pondering the scriptures will lead you to ask the right questions in prayer. And just as surely as the heavens were opened to Joseph Smith after he pondered the scriptures in faith, God will answer your prayers and He will lead you by the hand."

• Henry B. Eyring, Rise to Your Call, General Conference, October 2002

I don't believe that the bishop is called of God or inspired to call others, but Mormons are expected to accept the calling as if it came from God.

You said:

Rom 12
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

But this isn't give by way of commandment but as an admonishment to serve each other in the capacity which we have. If we refuse to serve, to feed the sheep then we are in the area of sinning for;

"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." James 4

Yes.

 

[JacksBratt]

Where does it say that in the Bible?

And do you realize that about half the NT was written after Revelation, such as the Gospel of John?

So, the Bible should say that? Show me anything that is justifiably, provable to be the word of God, written after the Holy Bible. The only thing I can find, close to what you want is this....

Revelation 22:18-19King James Version (KJV)

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:


19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
There are arguments as to fact that this meant just this particular book, Revelation, or the whole Bible.

The books of the Bible had to meet strict criteria in order to become canonized. The book of Mormon, and the Urantia Book, hardly do.
Like I said, their back stories rule them out before you crack them open. They have just enough truth to hide their deception.