tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713155573435910795.post9165026374083507862..comments2023-05-02T09:59:13.181-04:00Comments on Study and Faith: An Appreciation of Shared BeliefsJBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13108158469007498050noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713155573435910795.post-52151148875058093712010-12-27T20:23:29.561-05:002010-12-27T20:23:29.561-05:00Latter-day Saints also believe that our spirits ex...Latter-day Saints also believe that our spirits existed long before the physical universe was made, and in fact that we in some way are as eternal as God himself. There's a big emphasis in LDS circles on the idea that our spirits were the children of God the Father before the world was created, and that the goal is to return to him and be exalted so that we can make eternal progress and growth to become like him (which is frequently thought to involve becoming Gods like him).<br /><br />So those are a few of the things that make Latter-day Saints stand out from historic Christianity, although they do share many core beliefs with traditional Christians (and, in fact, probably share a lot of beliefs with traditional Christians that many in the so-called 'mainline' denominations have rejected).JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13108158469007498050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713155573435910795.post-31257176206726173792010-12-27T20:23:05.711-05:002010-12-27T20:23:05.711-05:00Hello, STT. If the ex-LDS man indeed said that, t...Hello, STT. If the ex-LDS man indeed said that, then he was either lying or else was just not paying attention to anything during the entire time he was a Latter-day Saint. In the Articles of Faith, which are included in one of the LDS books of scripture, the first article of faith says, "We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." The fourth article of faith likewise says that the first principle of the Gospel is "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ".<br /><br />Now, as for what divides us, that's a more complicated issue, and I intend to do a series of posts on it sometime. One major difference is on the nature of God. Latter-day Saints have traditionally taught, and mostly still believe, that gods, angels, and humans are all of the same basic species, the same kind of thing, just as adult humans and infant humans are the same species. Hence, Joseph Smith believed that God the Father was an exalted human being who had at some point attained his position and who had other gods before him. Now, some Latter-day Saints do believe - in contrast to their tradition - that God the Father was always God and that there are no other earlier gods, but they do still believe that God the Father is human and has a resurrected and glorified human body. They also believe that there's a sense in which the Father and the Son are separate gods, so in that sense they deny the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity by rejecting the sort of monotheism that Christians have historically espoused.<br /><br />Another issue has to do with their approach to church history and scripture and religious authority. Latter-day Saints believe that no valid baptism or other sacrament can be performed without a special sort of authorization that is passed down from one person to another. They believe that near the end of the first century, Christians rebelled against what the apostles had been teaching, and when the apostles died and couldn't get together to appoint new apostles, the church became apostate and lost the line of authority that the apostles had. Only in the nineteenth century was this restored when Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery received the Aaronic Priesthood to baptize each other, and later on the Melchizedek Priesthood that is held by most LDS men (but not women, who are not allowed to hold either). So for this reason, Latter-day Saints reject all other baptisms as invalid (and they believe that baptism is necessary for salvation, which is why they perform proxy baptisms on behalf of the dead so that the dead have opportunities in the spirit-world to accept the LDS restored gospel). Latter-day Saints also believe that, since the Restoration, the Church has been led by a prophet who can reveal new scripture. Hence, Latter-day Saints accept more than just the Bible (which they regard as somewhat corrupt); they also accept the Book of Mormon (which Joseph Smith is supposed to have translated from golden plates that an angel showed him where to find in New York); the Pearl of Great Price (which contains a number of pieces - the Book of Moses is a revisited Genesis; the Book of Abraham was supposedly produced by Joseph Smith from some Egyptian papyri; Joseph Smith - History, which is Joseph Smith's account of his early life and his encounters with God, Jesus, and angels; Joseph Smith - Matthew, which is part of Joseph Smith's attempt to restore the Bible to what he believed it was supposed to be; and the Articles of Faith, which briefly encapsulate LDS belief); and the Doctrine and Covenants, which consist of various revelations given mostly to or through Joseph Smith and some things to later LDS leaders. So that's something else that distinguishes Latter-day Saints from mainstream Christians.JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13108158469007498050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713155573435910795.post-32876193570356405762010-12-27T18:58:01.827-05:002010-12-27T18:58:01.827-05:00I have parents that strongly believe that LDS beli...I have parents that strongly believe that LDS believers are NOT Chrisitans at all! Yet, as I read this post, I see that we do have much in common; much more than I expected myself. I don't know if my parents think their should be proof in their own doctrines (not including the Bible) that claim that they are indeed Chrisitan or not. The one thing I do know is, for instance, several several years ago, a man that was a former LDS that they met in school told them that Mormons don't believe in Christ as the Messiah and Lord and Savior of us all. By reading this post, I would think that person would be just pulling some kind of sceme. Either you believe in Christ or you don't! Also, you have me itching to know more, and in particular, WHAT divides us as Christians mostly alike?Seeking The Truthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03063920698253831342noreply@blogger.com