Accusation: Mormons don't understand the Spirit or the Atonement

Following are some random accusations towards Mormon beliefs on the ministry of the Spirit and how the Atonement works accompanied by my responses. This is a continuation of the same correspondence mentioned in the posts on 9/30/08 and 10/05/08.

Accusation:
We were born in sin and have a natural instinct or desire to sin but He also gave us a conscience and when we do something wrong He “reminds us” or “tells us” in that little voice. The closer we are to Him the louder that voice is. It’s not a feeling because feelings are not the voice of God but a true knowledge.

Response:
-I assume that you will agree with me that the fruits of the spirit are granted to those who are close to God. I also assume that you believe the Spirit is a teacher (John 14:26).
Paul defines the “fruits of the spirit” as “love, joy, peace, longsuffering...” -Gal. 5:22. I don’t know what your particular experiences have been, but when I learn something from the Spirit (who is a teacher), and experience the fruits of the spirit, I experience love, joy, peace, etc.; which, are feelings. I do not think you believe love, joy, and peace aren’t feelings.
So, often when the Spirit teaches something, there are feelings involved.


Accusation:
When we sin we need to confess it and ask for forgiveness. Not like a revolving door like “I’ll sin now and confess later and everything will be alright.” God knows our hearts.

Response:
-I absolutely agree. One of my favorite biblical verses on this subject is Heb. 6:1 - “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection (*there’s that “perfection” word again); not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God...”


Accusation:
The “restored gospel” is full of do’s and don’ts. Mostly do’s. You can’t “buy your way into heaven” by going to church, paying tithing, and doing temple work. You can’t get a better seat in heaven by having lots of children, becoming a missionary, or being a bishop.

Response:
-The Church of Jesus Christ does not teach that people can buy their way into heaven. The only “buying” that ever happened in the gospel is Christ buying us with his sacrifice (1 Cor. 6:20, 7:23, 2 Pet 2:1). People who have not studied the truths that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints teaches do not realize that the Book of Mormon harmonizes with the Bible in stating-

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.” - 2 Nephi 10:24

We know that if we believe the Lord, we strive to keep his commandments, and he will reward us as He sees fit. Without the atonement of Jesus Christ, we would all be lost, no matter how righteous we were.

“yea, all are fallen and are lost, and must perish except it be through the atonement...”
-Alma 34:9


Accusation:
God loves all of us and desires a true relationship with us. He is a great friend, and wonderful father. You can get to heaven if you accept Him as your personal savior.

Response:
-I absolutely believe if we accept God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and do what he asks us to do, we can return to live with Him in heaven.


Best Wishes,
Rusty

Accusation: Marriage is not a commandment

Accusation:
I'm sorry but Gen. 1:28 says nothing about marriage being a comandment. It says to be fruitful and increase in number and to rule over the earth and the fish in the sea, etc. Yes, procreating does seem to reference marriage but it doesn't actually say that one needs to be married and no where does it say that doing anything that was mentioned was a commandment.

Response:
I appreciate that you care enough about this subject to take the time to express your opinions.
“God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it”
-Gen1:28
I think we can all agree that when God says to do something, that constitutes a commandment. He commanded man to have children. How could he have children without having sexual relations? Having sexual relations outside of marriage is called fornication, which is a very serious sin.
It would appear to me that in order to keep God’s commandment (be fruitful, and multiply), man would need to have sexual relations with his wife (who he was married to), otherwise it would be fornication.


Accusation:
God does not say that people HAVE to be fruitful and multiply, let alone be married.

Response:
As we just established, when God says “do this,” or, “do that,” or, “be fruitful, and multiply,” it is a commandment. A command is to “give an authoritative order” (Oxford American Dictionary), hence, it is something you “have” to do. If you do not, it is sin that needs to be repented of.
“Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
-James 4:17
I can see that this subject is one that you care about, so the most helpful thing might be to turn the page of our bible (from Gen 1:28) and read Gen. 2:22-25-

22 And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

I don’t think the Lord could be more clear than this. This is obviously not a commandment to only Adam and Eve because Adam and Eve were the first of the human family, therefore they could not leave their father and mother. It is a commandment to all of us, in every age.
In fact, one of the signs of the “latter times” is that “doctrines of devils” would be taught, including “forbidding to marry” (1 Tim. 4:3). So the devil doesn’t want us to get married. Why is that?


Accusation:
If he did, then what happens to people who are infertile and cannot have children? Are they not keeping God's commandments because they cannot have children? This argument just simply does not work.

Response:
Ahh.... This is another beautiful truth that the true gospel of Jesus Christ simply explains. If we are physically unable to keep a commandment, how could a just God condemn us for not doing so? He doesn’t. It’s the heart and the motive that count.
I think Paul’s words will work here: “for where no law is, there is no transgression” (Rom. 4:15).
Another scripture I like (which does not necessarily refer to marriage) will fit nicely here as well:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, that when I give a commandment to any of the sons of men to do a work unto my name, and those sons of men go with all their might and with all they have to perform that work, and cease not their diligence, and their enemies come upon them and hinder them from performing that work, behold, it behooveth me to require that work no more at the hands of those sons of men, but to accept of their offerings.” -Doctrine & Covenants 124:49

I do agree that God punishing those who could not keep his commandments would not be a good argument. But people cannot use this as a cop-out to half-heartedly “try” to keep a commandment and then quit because they think they can’t do it or don’t want to make the necessary sacrifices.


I hope that helped answer your comments/questions. I promise you, from personal experience, that following the Lord’s plan is where true happiness is found.

Best Wishes,
Rusty

Question: How could God take the gospel from the earth?

I received an interesting email recently from someone who had many questions about the Church. In order to best answer her questions, and share the responses with all of you, I broke apart her email and will post her specific questions/comments accompanied with my responses.

Question:
I would like to ask why a loving god would remove the gospel from the earth for so many years and then have it restored?

Response:
It might seem wrong for a loving God to take away the gospel and leave his children in darkness -I agree. His children, however, are often ungrateful and forgetful, and sometimes downright spiteful.
Without going into much detail, it was man that corrupted the Church and caused the Lord’s spirit and guidance to be withdrawn from the early Church. All that was left was a shell of the divinely inspired organization that the Lord himself set up. Many of the original apostles expressed concerns about what would happen to the Church and it’s teachings after their departure (Acts 20:28-30, Gal 1:6, 3:1, 2 Thes. 2:1-3, etc.). I especially appreciate the writings of Peter (who was the appointed leader of the early Church):

2 Peter 2:1 -
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”

Also, you can find interesting writings of Peter in “The Apocalypse of Peter,” found in the Nag Hammadi Library. -This was a volume of early religious writings (similar to the Dead Sea Scrolls, but date in the first two centuries) found in Egypt in the 1940’s. *Note that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints does not uphold the Dead Sea Scrolls, Nag Hammadi Library, or other apocryphal writings as part of our offical canon. Interesting things can be discovered in them, however. In the Apocalypse of Peter, Peter speaks about many who would set themselves up as leaders of the early church and oppress those who try to follow the correct path and teach incorrect doctrines. These “pure ones” (those that follow in the correct paths) will look forward to a “restoration,” in the future. Peter spends a fair amount of time identifying how the false priests and teachers would usurp power over the early church. If you are familiar with the Bible, you will recall how Jeremiah laments frequently over how the leaders of Israel caused the people to stray and deny themselves of the blessings of heaven.

The Illustration to the right is a depiction of the crucifixion of Peter, who, according to legend, was crucified upside-down because he felt unworthy to be martyred in the same way that his Lord was. The fledgling Church was left not long after without any of the original apostles to guide it. Leadership was diluted and different factions arose in attempts to seize control and governance of the church. The confusion only increased until the Day the Lord saw fit to restore the truth.

Question: Was Jesus Married?

QUESTION:

Dear Rusty,

I have a question do mormons believe Jesus was married? I was also wondering about their thoughts on the virgin Mary. If they believe Jesus was married do they believe he had more than one wife. Thank You so much for taking the time to answer my questions.


RESPONSE:

Sorry it took a couple days for me to get back to you. I actually wrote a short article on this topic on my site truthisrestored.blogspot.com.

My answer is my own opinion from my own study over the years. I have no problem believing that Christ was married. As a matter of fact, I am more disturbed by the belief that he was not.

Marriage is and always has been a commandment of God (Gen 1:28). Christ was perfect in every way, including keeping every commandment of God. Therefore, if someone professes that Christ was not married, they're also saying he did not keep the commandments, which would make him not perfect. See what I'm saying?
As far as him having more than one wife, it would not surprise me one way or the other. Polygamy was a common practice then and was approved by God (Think of Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David (2 Sam 12:8), etc...)

Mary, the mother of Jesus was one of the most righteous of Heavenly Father's daughters. How many others would be trusted with the role of being the Mother of the Son of God? the exact details of Christ's conception are not nearly as important as the fact that he was conceived by miraculous means and was literally the Son of God. Some people unwisely get hung up on the means of his conception instead of the reason for it.

"We believe in God the eternal father, and in his son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost" -Articles of Faith, Joseph Smith: 1

"There shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." -Mosiah 3:17 (in the Book of Mormon)

I hope I've been able to answer your questions satisfactorily.

Best Wishes,
Rusty

Accusation: Mormons follow the devil. They even sing it in their hymns

ACCUSATION:
Mormons deny that they follow the devil. In their hymn book, on page 116, they declare that they do: “Is it enough alone to know that we must follow him below.” How can any Mormon deny that they follow the devil when it is in their very so-called “hymn book?”


RESPONSE:
Yet again, another marvelously misinterpreted passage, taken royally out of context. Well, I have come to expect no less from nay-sayers.

I believe quoting the rest of the verses would help shed some light on the real meaning of this hymn.

1. “Come, follow me,” the Savior said.
Then let us in his footsteps tread,
For thus alone can we be one
With God’s own loved, begotten Son.

2. “Come, follow me,” a simple phrase,
Yet truth’s sublime, effulgent rays
Are in these simple words combined
To urge, inspire the human mind.

3. Is it enough alone to know
That we must follow him below,
While trav’ling thru this vale of tears?
No, this extends to holier spheres.

4. Not only shall we emulate
His course while in this earthly state,
But when we’re freed from present cares,
If with our Lord we would be heirs.

It appears that, if our friend had read (or at least acknowledged he had) the rest of the verses, we might not have had to address this subject. It is obvious the hymn is praising Jesus Christ and expressing the importance of following the Lord (Jesus Christ) below (on earth) throughout this life.

It would well behoove our friend to take a few moments and read the March Ensign (Church Publication) as well. That might better inform him of our beliefs about Jesus Christ.

I hope to get back to my normal posting schedules (1-2/week). Suggestions for new topics are welcome.

Till next time…

Best Wishes,
Rusty
truthisrestored.blogspot.com

Question: Why don’t I feel the “burning” of the Spirit anymore?

I’ve also pondered this question in the past. It seems like you’re basically doing everything you’re supposed to be doing (going to Church, reading your scriptures, praying morning and night, etc…) and yet, you don’t feel that same burning of the bosom, or spiritual high that you’ve experienced before. I don’t think there is necessarily one universal answer for this question, but I will present one reason I think applies to many, if not most, in this situation.

Every week in Church, members of the Church make solemn covenants to take upon them the name of Christ, keep his commandments, and remember him. In accordance to those covenants, the faithful are promised to “always” have His Spirit to be with them. So… if we are promised we’ll always have the Spirit, and we’re doing what we can to keep our side of the covenant, why do we sometimes feel that we don’t have the Spirit with us?

I’m suggesting the answer is often that we are simply used to it. If we are really living the way we should be, and doing the things we’re supposed to, and have been for a descent amount of time, we are so accustomed to the companionship of the Spirit that it is not so striking or noticeable to us anymore. When I first joined the Church, I felt on fire every time I read the scriptures. Now, I occasionally feel a more powerful presence when I have one of those “Ah ha!” moments. Normally I just feel confident and peaceful. –What the scriptures refer to as the “rest of the Lord.”

A more poignant example comes from the experiences of Joseph Smith. When “The Vision” (D&C 76) was given to Brother Joseph and Sidney Rigdon, brother Rigdon was overcome with the Spirit and power of the manifestation. Brother Joseph smiled and said “Sidney is not used to it as I am” (Philo Dibble Recollections, Juvenile Instructor 27, 303-304). Brother Joseph was able to endure the vision calmly and collectedly, though obviously feeling the power of God.

What I tend to notice more distinctly is the absence of the spirit. A long time ago my best friend pointed out something in his family’s scripture study. Many think when we don’t feel the Spirit it is because He has left us. King Benjamin remarks that those who to contrary to the will of God withdraw themselves from the Spirit (Mosiah 2:36). At the beginning of my conversion (which all must go through) the strong presence of Spirit was striking and unusual whereas acting the way I had previously felt normal. Nine years later with a little bit of seasoning has altered things so that when I am in the wrong, the withdrawal or decreasing of the Spirit’s influence is more striking and unusual.

As we strive to live the right way, our natures change. We become “new creatures in Christ,” as Paul says (2 Cor 5:17-18). I pray that the long-suffering and loving-kindness of Heavenly Father, and the patience and refining nature of my wife will help stay me on the course.

Best Wishes,
Rusty
truthisrestored.blogspot.com

What is "Blood Atonement?"

Question:
Did Brigham Young preach blood atonement? -Christ’s blood was not enough?

Response:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or “Mormons,” are often slandered because of a misunderstanding concerning statements made by early church leaders, particularly Brigham Young. As a matter of fact, they never even used the term “blood atonement.” The true meaning of Blood Atonement (If we are to use this term) refers to the atoning powers of Christ’s blood and sacrifice. Through this act man may be cleansed “through the blood of the lamb.” Some have twisted the words of early, and recent church leaders to say all sorts of inaccurate things and brassly proclaim that that’s what Mormons believe.

What God (and the early church leaders) did teach, is a form of capital punishment for grevious crimes (such as murder murder). The teaching states if a person has been received into the Church and received a fullness of truth, if they shall sin against this greater light by murdering, the atonement of Christ alone will not “absolve the person of the consequences of the sin.” -Encyclopedia of Mormonism: Blood Atonement The offender would need to voluntarily suffer the will of the Lord will the atonement take effect upon the offender. The doctrine is found in the Old Testament:

“Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man”
-Genesis 9:6

Some believe that this is a wicked teaching. Those who believe the Bible to be the word of God accept this teaching as divinely inspired. This was a commandment given before the Law of Moses, hence, when the law of Moses was fulfilled, this commandment was not nullified.

It is important to note that the Church does not, and has never enforced this law on their own accord. Offenders are delivered up to the courts of our country to be judged according to their crimes.

I hope this answered your questions.

Best Wishes,
Rusty
Truthisrestored.blogspot

What is salvation, and how do we achieve it?

This post is the second part of a correspondence. The first part is under the post, “What is the difference between conversion and salvation?”

Question:
If the only heaven worth striving for is the one where we enjoy full fellowship with the Father, then what does it really take to live the kind of life where we can have the expectation of going there?

Response:
I think the key here is an understanding of what our whole purpose is for our existence. Why is it that God created us in his image? Why did he care about us so much that he sent his son to suffer beyond mortal comprehension for us. Why does he offer us all that he has if we are faithful (Rom 8:16-17, Heb 1:2)? These are BIG investments.

I believe it is because we are His children, literally. He loves us more than we know. He wants us to progress to our full potential, just as any of us would want our children to.

I mentioned before how salvation seems to be a pass/fail thing for many people. The saints tend to view it (from my experience) more like grade school. Everyone in the same school has the same opportunities to succeed as the next person. What they become in life depends on what they want to be, and the choices they make to get there. If someone just wants to pass and get through so they can get a decent job that pays the bills, it is their choice and they are welcome to it. If someone aspires to grad school and wants to keep learning and progressing and become the best they can possibly be, they are free to do so and can take the steps and make the decisions to get there. It is all about agency.

The LDS doctrine teaches that this life is a learning experience. We are trying to become more like our Heavenly Father. This is where eternal perspective comes in. If our final destination is to strum a harp and sing hymns for eternity, why all the commandments and trials? Shouldn’t we just take music and singing lessons? –I’m being a little facetious here obviously.

We are given agency and are presented with commandments. We are free to follow them, or take another path. We do not keep these commandments just to pass the test in this life, but they teach us the skills we need to succeed in our eternal career. -Accountability, responsibility, humility to listen to the Lord’s counsel and DO IT, etc…. We are trying to become like our Father. That’s what the commandments are (His book of etiquette, per se). We have a book we consider scripture called the Doctrine and Covenants. In it, the Lord explains why he gives commandments:
“8 I give unto you a new commandment, that you may understand my will concerning you;
9 Or, in other words, I give unto you directions how you may act before me, that it may turn to you for your salvation.”
-D&C 92:8-9

I assume you know that LDS doctrine teaches there are three main degrees of heaven. It’s not about what religion someone belongs to that gets you into one of these degrees, but the choices we make with God.

That’s what the temple is all about (some non-Mormons get upset and freaked out about rumors they hear about what goes on inside). Temple ceremonies partly consist of making promises and commitments to God and returning frequently to remind ourselves of them. We also receive instruction on how to better live a better life. There is nothing dark or ominous in he temple, just fortifying and inspiring.

If in life someone wants to get better, they make a commitment, they keep the commitment, they are rewarded. Then they want to keep getting better, so they make bigger commitments, etc….
It’s a perpetual upward cycle.

Some take issue with the idea of different degrees of heaven. They say it’s not fair. I would ask them if they would consider it fair for someone who lives a horrible life, beats his family, and never helps anyone, who, if he “accepts Christ as his savior” two days before he dies, to receive the same rewards as faithful Abraham? In Christ’s Father’s house “there are many mansions” (John 14:2). Those who strive to live up to the highest of God’s standards will be worthy to continue on to eternal progression. –ONLY through the grace of Christ (this is important, most people don’t realize Mormon’s believe in being saved by grace -2 Nephi 10:24, 2 Nephi 25:23-).
This is the “third heaven” (2 Cor. 12:2) mentioned by Paul.

Those who are good, but do not desire to reach this same degree will still be rewarded, but they will not continue to eternal progression. Have you ever wondered what the word “damn” means? Think of a river. A damn stops the progression of a river.
In the gospel context, being damned is the stopping of one’s progression because of their own choices. They have not proved themselves responsible enough to continue down the path of eternal progression. They are damned. You work with prisoners. You know that if someone does not act responsibly, they have privileges taken away.

In summary, this life is about making choices. Where we go depends on the choices we make. If we want to “pass,” we make the choices to get us there. If we want to go to grad school and become the best we can be, we make the choices, and follow through, to get there.

Best Wishes,
Rusty
Truthisrestored.blogspot.com

Did Jesus and Lucifer present different Plans of Salvation?

Question:
Did God pick Jesus’ plan of salvation over Lucifer’s plan?

Response:
Another great question, Ken. First off, there were not two plans presented in the pre-mortal council. God the Father (Elohim) presented the plan of salvation (that’s what we call the overall plan and purpose of our existence). Jesus offered to fulfill the plan by being the savior of mankind in the Father’s plan. Satan also volunteered, but demanded the throne of the Father in return. He also wanted to pollute Father’s plan by taking away the agency (ability to choose) of mankind. This way no one could sin and none would be lost.

This might sound like a good thing, until one truly recognizes the importance of agency. Our omniscient Heavenly Father did. Father chose our elder Brother Jesus Christ to fulfill the plan. Satan rebelled and convinced a third of the hosts of heaven to do the same. This was the foundation for the “war in heaven.” Most of the account can be found in Moses 1:1-4 (Found in the Pearl of Great Price, additional scripture revealed by the Lord to Joseph Smith):

“1 And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, 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.
2 But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me—Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.
3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down;
4 And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice.”

Best Wishes,
Rusty

Truthisrestored.blogspot.com

What is the Adam God Theory?

Hello everyone. I hope everything finds you well. I got a great message (in my lds.net account – it’s great) from a new friend from Pennsylvania named Ken. Ken has a sister that converted to the Church, and he now has some questions about the Church. He asked some good, honest questions about the church’s history and teachings. My next four posts will consist of his questions, and my responses.

Ken’s Question:
What do you know about the Adam-God theory? Was Adam a God? Will he become a god in heaven?

This whole fiasco comes from one misquoted Brigham Young statement found in the Journal of Discourses (a 26 volume collection containing discourses of some of the early leaders of the Church). I’ll quote it for you so you can see exactly what I’m talking about:

“When our father Adam came into the garden of Eden, he came into it with a celestial body…. He helped to make and organize this world. He is MICHAEL, the Archangel, the ANCIENT OF DAYS! About whom holy men have written and spoken—HE is our FATHER and our GOD, and the only God with whom WE have to do.”
-Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, pg. 50

So that’s the quote, Ken. What many “anti’s” have said regarding this passage is that Mormons believe Adam is God the Father. Absurd, right? Yes, it is. These nay-sayers don’t bother quoting anything else Brigham Young intentionally, or out of ignorance. And honestly, how many average people will go out and read a 26 volume series to put everything in context? Here is the very next paragraph following this last statement:

“It is true that the earth was organized by three distinct characters, namely, Eloheim, Yahovah, and Michael….”

Here, in the very next verse Brigham identifies these individuals as separate. –Meaning that Heavenly Father and Michael/Adam were not the same being. President Young was not dumb. -Through his leadership most of the western states were settled and developed.
President Young is simply saying that Adam is the Father of our race, he has become a God (I discuss this topic here: Do Mormons teach that we can become gods?), and he is whom we will be familiar with instead of those from other of God the Father’s creations (we believe Heavenly Father has created many other worlds besides ours).

To summarize: Adam (or Michael) is not Eloheim. Eloheim is God, our Heavenly Father. Adam is the father of the human race, not our spirits, and has become a God.

Best Wishes,
Rusty
truthisrestored.blogspot.com

Was Jesus married?

Why was Jesus not able to commit to a marriage relationship with a woman?
Weren't unmarried bachelors 24 years of age and older in Judaism deemed to be over the hill?
Like weren't Joseph and Mary married as young teenagers, maybe at age 15 or 16?


Response:

Most likely.
Christ was perfect not only because he was the son of God, but because he kept ALL of his Father's commandments. -That's the reason why he was able to die for us and it be efficacious for our salvation (lamb without blemish). What's the first commandment God gave to man? "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it...." -Gen 1:26
Obviously, that requires marriage (Gen 2:24) because God wouldn't command them to fornicate.
Christ was perfectly obedient to Heavenly Father, hence he kept every commandment. If he was not married, then he did not obey all his Father's commandments and hence was not perfect. For all those who said Jesus was not married, you also say that he was not perfect.
It was also a commandment to have children (be fruitful, multiply).
For the life of me I don't know why this is so offensive to some people?

Best Wishes,
Rusty

Question: Does God no longer care about me?

Question: Does God no longer care about me?

I feel as if God no longer cares about me. I have been a Christian for most of my adult life. I have always felt like God was with me and watching over me, protecting me. Last December I lost my job. I now have a job, but it is barely enough to pay my rent and utilities. I have nothing left over for food even though I work ten hour days. All attempts to find either a better job or a second job have failed. I am struggling with the feeling that God has abandoned me. I stayed faithful and trusting for a long time, but now cannot even bring myself to go to church. I feel as if God has given up on me and no longer cares if I survive in this world. I've trusted God to see me through this, but every time my hopes crumble to nothing. How can I get that hope back? How can I trust God when he leaves me hungry? I feel as if he is holding me back from getting anywhere. Does God really want me to live in poverty?


Response:

That's a tough one.
I feel your pain brother! I have felt as you have in the past.
Life is not a plateau, it continues to lift you up and drop you. The important part is that you fight the good fight, finish your course, and keep the faith. -2 Tim 4:7 If you can do this, your life should be an upward trend, even if there are big dips.
I think the Lord has many reasons that he allows certain things to happen to us in life which we can't always understand (Isaiah 55:8-9).
Even though it is not always comforting, we do know that the Lord chastens those he loves:
"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
'If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?
'But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons." -Heb 12:6-8

It's during the hard times, like the one your dealing with, why it's important to remember what Christ said: "he that ENDURETH to the end shall be saved." -Matt 10:22, 24:13

It's REALLY hard sometimes. You probably want to crawl under a rock and die sometimes. My experience is that the darker the night is, the brighter the day will be. Stay strong and you will come out ahead of those who did not have to pass through what you did.

Remember, "we know that all things work together for good to them that love God...." -Rom 8:28

In the LDS Church, we often quote from a passage in the Doctrine and Covenants, which is part of our canon of scripture. The passage refers to Joseph Smith pleading with the Lord and asking why he and the members of the church at the time were being so viciously maligned at molested, and why he (the Lord) was not preventing it.
The Lord said,
"My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
'And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high...." -D&C 121:7-8
Also,
"and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." -D&C 122:8

It's tough, but the Lord will help you through it. You're a son (or daughter) of God. Remember that.

Best Wishes,
Rusty

Why does the LDS Church teach there was an apostasy?

Question:

Why does the LDS Church teach there was an apostasy?
"And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall, not prevail against it."
Matthew 16:18

So if you believe there was an apostasy than one of the following must be true. (1) Jesus' words in the passages just cited were misreported; (2) Jesus did in fact say these things but didn't really mean them--at least not in the way they had been understood by Christians for the first eighteen centuries; (3) Jesus was a liar, or (4) Joseph Smith was wrong and Jesus meant what he said.

Matthew 24:4-12; Mark 13:21-23; Luke 21:7-8; Acts 20:29-30; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; 2 Timothy 3:1-7, 4:1-4; 2 Peter 2:1-3; and Jude 17-19. Passages that say that "many" will fall away. This refers to apostasy in an individual sense. Not a complete apostasy of the entire Church.

The Lord established the position of Bishop to ensure that the church continued. There was no Great Apostacy. There is apostacy of individuals, and there is corruption in all man made institutions but the Church continued through the position of the Bishop.


Response:

Great Question!
It’s refreshing to see actual scriptures quoted. Let’s tackle this question together.

First, Peter comes from “petros,” which means “a piece of rock.” When you look at the Greek text (the best that is available because we have no original) you will find that when Christ says “upon this rock I will build my church,” that rock in this instance is “petra,” which means “a mass of rock.” –You can find this in a Greek lexicon and/or early greek manuscripts. Readily available prints of these are Strong’s Concordance and any Greek-English New Testament Translation. Now, it is a play on words (as was stated earlier) but it really draws a distinction. It reads "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter (petros-a piece of a rock), and upon this rock (petra-a mass of rock) I will build my church….”
So, Peter is not the rock (petra) upon which Christ was to build his Church. What was the petra (mass of rock) then? Well, what is the antecedent of this last statement? It had just been REVEALED to Peter that Jesus was the Christ (v.16-17). Hence, Peter (who had just experienced personal revelation testifying of the divinity of Christ) was told that revelation (like he just experienced), was to be what the Church was built upon.
No discredit to Peter! He was an amazing man. He was the one willing to fight to protect Christ when he was taken to court (John 18:10). I personally don’t feel that Peter denied Christ “thrice” because he was scared, but because he knew that he was needed to carry on the Lord’s work and was not supposed to die at that time.

Now, as to your other scripture references, I found it interesting that you chose to quote some of them.

Acts 20:29-30 – Paul knew that after his departing (note: did not say “last days”) “grievous wolves” would enter in, and “many disciples” would be drawn away. This happened after Paul’s departure, 1900+ years ago.

As for the rest of them, we actually use those same verses to prove the apostasy and general falling away from the truth.

You also stated that, “The Lord established the position of Bishop to ensure that the church continued.” The Bishop was a shepherd that watched over “A” flock.
Now, which office was appointed to be the foundation for the entire Church? Let’s keep quoting Paul, he’s doing great.
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
‘And are built upon the FOUNDATION of the APOSTLES and PROPHETS, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
‘In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
‘In whom YE ALSO ARE BUILDED together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” –Ephesians 2:19-22

If the foundation of Christ’s Church was to be apostles and prophets, which church has them today?

Some nay-sayers will say “Nay… hold on a moment. The office of apostle was only necessary for the founding of the Church and was not supposed to continue.”

Paul states that Christ gave “some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers…

Until when?

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” –Eph 4:11,13

When “we ALL come in the unity of the faith,” and every “Christian” quits quibbling about their differences we won’t need apostles anymore. Until then, we’re all trying to come to that unity of faith. Where is that? I believe it is the Church that has apostles and prophets and that is built upon the “petra” of revelation.

Best Wishes,
Rusty

What are mormon garments and why do they wear them?

Great question. I'll do my best to answer you're question briefly. To start, I will mention that my dad is Jewish, I have a great friend that was jewish who converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I myself am I convert to the Church (though I was not Jewish) and have studied Hebrew.
The wearing of symbolic garments has been a practice in Jewish culture for a very long time. Orthodox Jews today still wear "tzit tzit" (pronounced tseet tseet). These are frays or tassels that are attached to a tallit gadol, which is a garment Jews wear that have tzit tzit on the corners (Numbers 15:38, Deuteronomy 22:12).
Now here is the commandment God gave to Israel, the covenant people:
"Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their GARMENTS throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:
‘And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and REMEMBER all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring:
‘That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.” –Numbers 15:38-40
Wearing of the garments serves as a reminder to faithful Latter-Day Saints to keep the commandments and promises they make to God.
Wearing of these garments was a commandment, and wearing/seeing them was a reminder to do the commandments (or mitzvot).
We know that Jesus was perfect and kept ALL of the commandments. We just read that wearing these garments was a commandment. *So to those of you who mocked the garments are mocking a commandment that the Lord gave AND kept.
Nowhere in the New Testament, is this commandment revoked, but to the contrary, it is reinforced (See Matt 22:11-12, Rev 7:9, 13-14 –referred to as robes, also called raiment). The garments are sacred and symbolic, and not magical in and of themselves. Blessings are given to those who keep the commandments, follow the savior, and keep their garments spotless (spiritually). Again, they are not to be treated lightly.
As for those who commented on Masons, you should know that the masons copied the temple ceremonies from the temple of Solomon.
The temple ceremonies were practiced in ancient Israel by commandment. Yes Joseph Smith was a mason. He corrected (by inspiration) their corrupted form of the temple rites. Again, if anyone mocks them, they are mocking the Lord.
Washings and anointings took place at the ancient temple also (Exodus 29:4-7). Anointing with oil was still in effect after Christ’s resurrection (Matt. 6:17, James 5:14). Also, Christ MEANS anointed one. The Lord restored these sacred things in their purity today

Best Wishes,
Rusty

will someone go to hell if they were never tought christianity?

Tough question, huh?
Many people struggle with this one.
Fortunately, truth has been restored on earth. Many religions will claim that if a person who has never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus or his gospel will got to hell. That does not sound like a just God, does it?
It is true that
"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” –Mark 16:16
Also, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” –John 3:5

Just as you asked, what DOES become of those who have never heard the gospel and hence, never had an opportunity to accept or reject it?

Simply put, everyone will have an opportunity to hear the gospel and choose for themselves, whether or not to believe it. Thus, everyone will be judged fairly. Paul said “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law….” –Romans 2:12
Now, this does not mean that someone who has not had the gospel will not be accountable for anything they have done, it just means that provisions are made.
I’m about to reference a lot of scriptures, so please be patient with me and follow along.
After the death of Christ, he went and visited the spirits of those who had already died, but had not been resurrected yet.
“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
‘By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” -1 Peter 3:18-19
“For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” -1 Peter 4:6 (dead in this verse comes from the Greek Nekros, which means corpse, or dead-it does not mean alive and spiritually dead).
Christ essentially opened up missionary work to those who had not had an opportunity to hear the gospel yet.
So, when did Jesus have an opportunity to go preach to these spirits? Well, when he was dead is the answer. We know that Christ’s body was in the tomb for 3 days, but where was his spirit? He was not in heaven for those whole three days. After Christ’s resurrection, Mary ran up to him and was going to touch the savior, but he said, “Touch me not; for I am NOT YET ascended to my Father.” –John 20:17
This doctrine is not discussed much these days, simply because most churches and or believers don’t understand or believe it. It was a common belief amongst Christians. If you look at history, you can even find paintings depicting Christ opening the gates of those kept in captivity who had not heard the gospel (example above-this is a catholic depiction of Limbo, but it's close enough to suit this entry's purpose).

In conclusion, every person will be accountable for their actions, and all will have the opportunity to accept or reject the gospel, and thus all will be judged fairly. It’s a beautiful doctrine and shows how just and loving our Heavenly Father is.

Best Wishes,
Rusty

Why am I getting no answers to my prayers? Is there no God?

This is a paraphrased question asked on Yahoo Answers:
"So I guess I don't really have a strong testimony. I would pray to ask if god really exists and get no answer. I prayed so many times, with no feeling or anything. What could this be? I'm healthy, normal, and I'm not on any meds or anything; I'm just normal. I read scriptures and engage my mind before praying, so what am I doing wrong? why are there no answers to my prayers? Is there no God? I mean I did everything right. I'm so confused. Please help!

Response:

I'm a convert myself. Answers are received in so many different ways. For me, reading the scriptures, specifically the Book of Mormon, is where I felt my Heavenly Father's love and concern.
Alma talks about planting the seed, which is "the word," and continuing to nourish it. -Alma 32 You've probably heard the adage, "If you want to talk to the Lord, pray. If you want to hear from the Lord, read your scriptures."
True conversion and faith come from frequent and deep study, and the spirit bearing witness of the truthfulness of what you read/hear. Remember, "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." -Romans 10:17
Once you have had the witness of the spirit (and even before), commit to continue down the path you have commenced (2 Ne 31:20) and follow the promptings of the spirit. Moroni emphasized that we must ask with "real intent." -Moroni 10:4
You will have confidence in your life and will see through the ignorance in the world, especially many answers given on Yahoo Answers by people who don't know what they're talking about.

Best Wishes,
Rusty

It can be a struggle. Remember what Thomas Paine said "The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly...."

Do Mormons belive that Jesus rose from the dead in a physical body?

-I have never heard or been asked, before I responded to this question, if Mormons believed in the literal resurrection of Christ. We have been criticized for believing that he was literally resurrected.
After Christ’s resurrection he appeared to his disciples and they were afraid. He said, “handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” –Luke 24:39
Christ appeared to the ancient Americans shortly after his resurrection and commanded them to touch him (similar to Thomas, John 20:27).
“And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.” -3rd Nephi 11:15
We absolutely believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Do Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is the creator of the Universe?

I assume that if something is written in the Book of Mormon, most will accept that that is what we believe.
A group of Nephites (an ancient branch of the Israelites) declared this, “O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who CREATED heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.” –Mosiah 4:2 (right out of the Book of Mormon).
There are MANY verses similar to this throughout the Book of Mormon, which is a great read if you ever have the time. I’m reading it through for the 23rd time myself.
We believe that Jesus is “the Word” that was WITH God, and the Word was God… and all things were made by him. –John 1:1-3

Do Mormons believe that Jesus and satan are spirit brothers?

Do Mormons believe that Jesus and satan are spirit brothers? Doesn't the bible say they are not?

We believe that we all lived with our Heavenly Father before we came to earth. So, here is what the Bible says. There was a great war in heaven in which satan (Lucifer) and 1/3 of the hosts of heaven were cast out of heaven down to earth (Rev 12:1-9).
Satan, or Lucifer, was a son of the morning (Isaiah 14:12). This denotes that he was once respected and beloved. Jesus, us, and Satan and his followers were all spirit brothers and sisters in the pre-mortal realms because we were all created by God. That is why his fall from heaven was so shocking and terrible. His flaw was not wanting to eventually become like God, but wanting to usurp his thrown from him, and take his glory (Isaiah 14:13-14).

Do Mormons teach that we can become Gods?

Do Mormons teach that we can become Gods? Doesn't the bible say we cannot.

-We absolutely do teach that doctrine. Do you really think if you go to heaven to live with God (who is your literal Father) that all you do is strum a harp and sing hymns, forever? –I’m obviously being a little facetious here, but seriously, think about it.
Now here’s what the Bible does say:
Paul, speaking to the Romans, said,
“The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
‘And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” –Romans 8:16-17
Now, if we really are “children of God,” when we eternally grow up, who do we become like? Our Father. Also, if we are joint-heirs with Christ, what do we jointly inherit? Well, Christ said “All things that the Father hath are mine.” –John 16:15
So, if we are children of God, live forever in heaven, and jointly inherit all things that the father hath, what does that make you?
Jesus actually answered this question when speaking to the Jews:
“Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?
‘If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
‘Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?” –John 10:34 (Christ quoted Ps 82:6: “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.”)
The scripture cannot be broken.