fatima

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Everything posted by fatima

  1. I read that Moroni was a man, a prophet (?) and son of another prophet, Mormon. What I read said that when Moroni died he became the angel whom Joseph Smith saw. It is my understanding that upon death a man becomes an exalted man, like Heavenly Father (or that he continues to work towards that exaltation). Do LDS consider angel different beings than men? How/why did Moroni become a different being all-together?
  2. If I understand you correctly, that sameness throughout the wards is part of the steadiness and consistency that you like? I would say that is true of the Catholic Church as well. The liturgy will be the same, if the language is not, throughout the world. And before Vatican II, the language was the same (Latin) worldwide. Even if one didn't speak/understand Latin in day to day life, the translations were available and everyone knew what they were saying. I lived in St. Mary's County, MD for years and the Catholic culture is still strong there.
  3. I appreciate this, and recognize that the LDS Church, like the Catholic Church is subject to laws. Throughout its 2000 year history, I wonder if some events involving the CC that we see through 21st century eyes were really a result of the time and place of said event.
  4. Wow! Hmmm....follow on question...your church does seem to ask a lot of members in terms of financial sacrifice...and I don't necessarily disagree because I think we (Catholics) are stingy with our church. But is this monetary donation from this fast in addition to the tithing already required to receive a temple recommend? Or is it included in that reconciling?
  5. It is good to see that our LDS brothers and sisters offered up fasting on Good Friday for the world. My question is...what happens now? Does the LDS church recommend fasting on a regular basis, and theologically, what is the purpose? As a practicing Catholic, and I try to make sacrifices a regular part of life in order to detach from this world and more fully attach myself to God. Will the LDS continue with this encouragement, do you think?
  6. The LDS people at Mormon hub are much more respectful to other faiths than the CAF people are to LDS posters. However, I think that the admins are less tolerant here of Catholics explaining and teaching about their faith than the admins are at CAF. Just my opinion.
  7. I am not LDS, and I really don't understand what a "prompting" is, but I am guessing by this thread that it is the idea that God is somehow speaking directly to you about something. Once again, not knowing LDS doctrine, I would say this: if a prompting is in some way out-of-line with some other element of faith, it probably isn't from God. Example: (remember that I am Catholic) if I thought I had a 'prompting' to have an abortion, that would clearly violate known doctrine, so it wouldn't be a prompting from God. In the situation with your mother, the prompting sounds like some manner of seeing into the future ( I suspect all Christianity frowns upon it, as the future is only God's to know). Maybe a more obvious example would be if LDS had a prompting to share details of the Temple with a non-LDS, that would clearly violate LDS doctrine, so it cannot be from God. It's hard, hard, hard to deal with aging parents. My prayers are with you.
  8. I know this part, thank you; I have read this before. What I'm looking for is if, following this (or any other) vision, that Smith outlines specifics that were detailed to him. Not to say that God should have/would have, because even in the Catholic Church, there were things that, while true, were not formally pronounced and defined until later years. A follow up question that just occurred to me...if Christ established the ordinances, sacraments, leadership, etc. while on Earth, are there any writings from early leaders warning the faithful that the leaders were going astray?
  9. Yes, I've read that much. I'm wondering if there are specifics written anywhere. But, thank you anyway.
  10. Thanks for the reply. I'm curious, for instance, if God through Smith said that veneration of Mary and the Saints is a false doctrine. And the reason I ask is because it seems LDS share something similar with Catholics with respect to our ancestors in the faith (so to speak). I've been at a Mormon ward and there are images of the prophets, relief society women (I'm guessing the foundress of RS?) I read in another post that a Temple has murals of Adam and Eve. So, while I realize you do not pray to them or ask for their intercession with God as we do, you still look to them as examples of a faithful life, right?
  11. It is my understanding that when Joseph Smith spoke to God, God told him that all the churches were an abomination (or something like that) Is there anything in Smith's writing that outlines what the offensive doctrines or practices were? As a Catholic, I am more interested in what specific Catholic practices were condemned. Or, perhaps God didn't go over specifics of any denomination, but rather just told Smith was to do from that point forward?
  12. Once again, I am not comparing the Lord's Supper in the Catholic Church to the requirements of becoming an LDS priest, or the LDS Lord's Supper. I am comparing what Catholics view as most sacred (Eucharist) to what LDS view as most sacred (visiting/participating in the Temple). Just as LDS are supposed to be 'worthy' to enter the Temple, a Catholic is supposed to be 'worthy' to receive the Eucharist. In Catholic language we might say 'worthy', or we might say that one must be 'in a state of grace'. My additional observation was that for LDS, the bishop determines if a person is worthy of the Temple by means of an interview. Catholics have no such interview process, and they do not present anything like a 'recommend' in order to receive the Eucharist. It was not a criticism as @anatess suggested. In fact, I can't say I would mind if Catholics were turned away from the Eucharist more often (disclaimer: it does happen that a priest can sometimes withhold the Eucharist, but I won't get into that here) I can't say that I understand the word 'ordinance' properly with respect to the LDS faith. Are the things in the Temple 'ordinances', or sealings, or something else? I always thought the only LDS ordinance was the Lord's Supper in the wards. I thought the Temple was for sealings and endowments.
  13. I did not criticize, I observed. This IS an LDS beliefs board, so I don't expect LDS posters to agree with Catholic teaching on points x, y and z. However, that inter-faith respect we all claim to want has to have a place on an LDS board and a Catholic board. I have absolutely no dispute with the LDS requirements for entering the Temple. While I disagree with LDS theology, I love and respect any individual who seeks the Will of God and does His Will as they honestly believe it to be.
  14. I didn't compare Lord's Supper to Lord's Supper. I compared the greatest gift/experience in the Catholic faith to the greatest gift/experience in the LDS faith, the Temple.
  15. The comparison I was trying to make was participation in the most sacred experience in each of our respective faiths: the Eucharist and the Temple. Whether one of us calls it a sacrament or an ordinance was not my point. Catholic should be examining themselves before presenting themselves to receive Jesus in the Eucharist, LDS (from what I understand) cannot go into the Temple under certain circumstances. I am not comparing Catholic Communion to LDS Communion.
  16. LDS present need a recommend for the temple. I'm sure you knew what I meant. Earlier in the thread LDS were firm in the distinction between the role of the Catholic priest and the role of an LDS bishop.
  17. a person should go to the bishop and confess the sin, as part of the repentance process. The bishop is not a "person in Christ" as Catholic believe (pardon me, I know I'm totally forgetting the actual proper phrasing here) and cannot forgive sins as Christ would. Rather, the bishop is to counsel the person, and guides them through seeking repentance with Christ. Man cannot forgive sins because man is not God, and only God can forgive sins. God did not -- indeed, in my opinion, God cannot -- authorize men to forgive sins. By the very nature of our mortal being and sinful state, such a thing is utterly beyond us. @Anatess-if I have misunderstood LDS teaching, I expect you'll forgive me as I am getting mixed messages from LDS posters on this board.
  18. LDS in this thread have said that the LDS bishop does not forgive sins, so my statement is based on that. Catholics do not present a 'recommend' when they approach the Eucharist, so that is what I mean when I say that the priest doesn't withhold the most precious and sacred thing in the Catholic faith. In the Catholic Church, the individual is supposed to examine themselves before receiving the Sacrament.
  19. I don't think I'm reading your post correctly. What part of the Catholic Confession do you think needs a whole lot of improvement? Personal relationships with the priests for better guidance? If so, I just want to say that priests are very willing to offer spiritual direction on a regular basis, and I have had monthly SD for years and years. He knows my strengths and weaknesses and helps me to constantly grow closer to God. If Catholic individuals do not take advantage of the priests' help, ...well, that's another kettle of fish. I do find it interesting that LDS bishops have no authority to offer assurance of forgiveness for sins, but can still judge a person to be 'not worthy' of the temple. By contrast, a priest can offer assurance of forgiveness, but they do not (as a rule, and only under extreme situations) judge that an individual cannot receive the Eucharist. Catholic priests can assure us of God's Mercy, but LDS bishops cannot. Catholic priest withhold judgement in participation in the sum and summit of the Catholic faith (the Eucharist) while the LDS bishop does (necessarily) pass judgement in withholding an individual from participation in the sum and summit of the LDS faith.
  20. I think, and I could be wrong on this point, but I think that a Catholic priest is only in persona Christi at the Consecration of the Eucharist and in the Confessional. He is not in persona Christi at all times.
  21. I've always felt that the priest standing in for Christ and offering those beautiful words of absolution are meant as an assurance to me, the penitent. It is Jesus Himself that says, "I absolve you from your sin", through the priest. It is for our benefit, our peace of mind that Our Lord offers us the gift of the Sacrament of Confession.
  22. That is definitely news to me. I have heard speculation that they might be in Purgatory until the end of time, but no definitive statements at all.