JoshuaFKon

I'll tell you, if you tell me why the pic I uploaded "nearly killed" you? Should I change it? Josh B)

many people do get that impression...but I have made a couple mistakes here and there (mostly spelling errors) You don't like my pic?! It kinda got messed-up when I uploaded it..... Josh B)

Well Ben, Looking at the verse, The New Birth 1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? 11 Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.[a] 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.” Off the top of my head, I would say it means...unless you are born "spiritually" as well as physically you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. I don't know about Mormons but I believe that humans are both physical and spiritual. When Adam sinned, I believe he "died" spiritually...so I think Jesus is saying is...you need to be born-again spirtually. “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit I think Jesus clarifys verse five with verse six....he is talking about.....flesh and spirit If he was talking about baptism Jesus would have said: "unless one is baptised of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." Notice that Nicodemus says: “How can these things be?” if Jesus was saying you need to be baptised, I think he would have understood that. Sorry if my post is not clear, I would be happy to try again if I was not clear enough... This link explains the "official" Christian position...but I like mine better. http://www.carm.org/doctrine/John_3_5.htm

decentants from the Book of Mormon people? everyone who has temple work done for them you mean..... I didn't think so.... Josh B)

#1 I am not "trying to confues" anyone #2 If it will be done in the millenium if its not done here....why waste your time, and risk turning people away from Mormonism by doing it now? Josh B)

Oh.....well I agree with you there! Josh B)

I completely dissagree with you. The Bible is clear, extremly clear that we are saved by grace...not through works! Baptism is a work! "that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:8-9 I don't see anything about baptism.... This is a vaild question though...some verses do seem to say you must be baptised. This link expains my position better than I can.... http://www.carm.org/questions/baptnec.htm Josh B)

Without a temple? Josh B)

are you saying I'm not cute?! Josh B) P.S. I agree with you Maureen, BSG is a great show!

so what you're saying is...Prophets don't need temple work? Josh B)

I prefer to think of myself as more of a nerd than a geek..... Josh B)

So....you don't need temple work to be saved? Josh B)

I remember when I was little one of my concerns was that the rapture would happen before all the Star Wars movies came out..... Josh B)

I guess I don't think "staying active" in the church is a need, as for being strong in your faith, how about Abraham? Was he "active" in the church? Josh B) He was a prophet. Did he need to be? Was there one? #1 what did Abraham prophecy? What would make you think he was a "prophet" #2 I would say no....Mormons would say yes (I think) #3 No...there wasn't one. God did not set up a temple untill Moses.... Josh B)

Well...for one thing its never mentioned that they preformed any temple work. If you mean...someone did it by proxy....#1 I doubt many desentents of Abraham are Mormon, #2 there is no way you could trace your ansestory back that far. Josh B)

I guess I don't think "staying active" in the church is a need, as for being strong in your faith, how about Abraham? Was he "active" in the church? Josh B)

I don't understand what you're saying... Moses, Jacob, etc...don't need temple work....everybody else does? Josh B)

Josh

Spiritual experiances can happen at church when a truth is declared. It helps testimony when you feel the spirit.I'm not saying you shouldn't go to church....just that you don't have to. Josh B)

I never said that if you never hear the gospel then you go to hell....I consider the possiblitiy that there is a "paridise" where Jesus preached to people who never heard the gospel, but you talk about a "fair and loving" God...how fair is it if two people are in "paridse" and one is "baptised" by proxy but the other isn't so he goes to hell automatically? No....if there is a "paridse" then everyone should have an equal chance. Josh B)

Strangely enough...I have to agree with Brother Dorsey, Like Brother Dorsey said, we (christians) try to live as best we can...but no one is perfect! we have all sinned! and as James said "For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10 of course you should try and keep all the commands but no one is perfect. It's all about grace. Again, If you agree that "Joseph Smith saw God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ in the Grove and the Book of Mormon is real, if you believe that Gordon B. Hinkley is a Prophet of God and recieves direct revelation from the Lord to direct his church upon the Earth. Then you shouldn't leave your faith. Or stop trying to do God's will... Of course I personally don't see that you need to go to church, if it makes you that uncomoftable...stay home and read your Bible. Josh B)

Josh, use the spell check - it is at the top of the screen, it is ABC with a check mark under it. Thanks Mrs. S, I'll do that...(although sometimes I'm so far of it dosn't work) On the bright side It gives me a better vocabulary...gotta think of words that mean the same thing but are easier to spell Josh Yeah, I guess if I made that mistake I can't be perfect............oh well Josh To get back to Dr. T's topic...what about Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Moses, etc people who were born before there was a temple?

no?! what about Star Wars? everybody likes Star Wars Josh B)

It's really an interesting series... Josh B) "As written fiction, Kobol is an anagram of the Mormon "Kolob", a celestial body named in the Book of Abraham and identified as being near the home or origin of God. Many connections between Mormon beliefs and the story of the original Battlestar Galactica have been pointed out by observant fans. Glen A. Larson, the writer of the original series, is himself a Mormon and articulated some of his religious beliefs through this science fiction metaphor. "Kobol" and its name is part of the mythopoetic fabric of "Battlestar Galactica" that borrows from theology. The Mormon hymn If you could hie to Kolob touches on themes related both to the original and the reimagined series." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobol

You are surprised? I'm in shock ......(I've never made a mistake before you see) Josh