theplains

Before we start with all your other questions, you still did not answer if you believe all the Book of Mormon is a history of actual events. If all of it is not true history , what do you believe are false historical accounts therein? Jim

I believe Adam and Eve worshipped God with joy, enjoyed each other companionship, and the beauty of God's creation in the Garden of Eden before the Fall. Do you agree? You seem to believe an experience of sorrow comes before an experience of joy. So what experience of sorrow do you believe you experienced in the pre-mortal life before you experienced your first joy when you supposedly lived with your heavenly parents in some celestial paradise? Jim

What about the Book of Mormon do you believe reflects false history? Jim

You didn't mention any of the emotions that Adam and Eve were created with before the Fall. For example, did they worship God with or without joy in the Garden before the Fall? What emotions do you believe they experienced with each other in their marriage relationship, with nature, and the created animals? Thanks, Jim

If the Book of Mormon is not a historical record of the Nephites and Jaredites, would you consider LDS leaders as deceitful teachers or spiritually blinded by the devil? Jim

What emotions were Adam and Eve created with in the Garden of Eden? Jim

When Adam and Eve were created in the 'image of God', do you believe this 'image of God' includes 'in the moral character of God (like honesty, loving, not a liar, not a thief, etc)?' Or does 'image' only refer to having similar body parts? Thanks, Jim

Do you believe Adam and Eve existed in a physical earth (our Earth) without blood in their veins before the Fall? Thanks, Jim

My mistake. The actual quote from page 24 of the 1997 Gospel Principles is the following: "The earth and everything on it were created spiritually before they were created physically (see Moses 3:5). In planning to create the physical earth, Christ ... said to those who were with him, We will go down, for there is space there ... Then he created the animals - fish, cattle, insects, and birds of all kinds. These animals had the ability to reproduce their own kind." Ok. So it appears you believe the animals had the ability to procreate, much like Adam and Eve but I'm unclear on your timing. Gospel Principles says Adam and Eve did not have the ability to procreate before the Fall. "After the Fall, Eve said, “Were it not for our transgression we never should have had seed [children], and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient” (Moses 5:11). The prophet Lehi explained: “And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen [been cut off from the presence of God], but he would have remained in the Garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were after they were created.... “And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin." I hope I understand your beliefs correctly. Do you believe they still had ability to have children before the Fall after reading the above passages? Thanks, Jim

Page 28 says, "The earth and everything on it were created spiritually before they were created physically (see Moses 3:5). In planning to create the physical earth, Christ ... said to those who were with him, We will go down, for there is space there ... Then he created the animals - fish, cattle, insects, and birds of all kinds. These animals had the ability to reproduce their own kind." Does a spirit earth consume space like a physical earth consumes space? Since the earth was created spiritually first, why did Jesus supposedly have to go somewhere where there was space to make a physical earth? Did the spiritual earth and physical earth occupy two separate spaces so there would be enough space to create the physical version? What about being created physically allowed the animals to procreate before the Fall? The next paragraph continues as "Now the earth was ready for the greatest creation of all - mankind. Our spirits would be given bodies of flesh and blood so they could live on earth." Why did mankind need bodies of flesh and blood to live on earth when Adam and Eve were already living in the Garden of Eden without blood in their veins before the Fall? Thanks, Jim

What is God's double-command to Adam not to eat from the forbidden tree (Genesis 2:17,Moses 3:17) symbolic of? Thanks, Jim

Besides the "Tree of Life" and the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil", what do you believe all the other trees in the garden are symbolic of? What is God's double-command to Adam not to eat from the forbidden tree (Genesis 2:17, Moses 3:17) symbolic of? Thanks, Jim

An LDS manual says Jesus reached a pinnacle of intelligence which ranked him as a God. In simple terms, he became a God when he reached some level of intelligence (Religion 430-431- Doctrines of the Gospel - Student Manual). Jim

Hello Semi, The apostles did not believe or teach Heavenly Father and Jesus became Gods. Jim

It's a question of whether I want to believe God's word or believe in LDS teachings that I can become a God like Heavenly Father and Jesus became Gods. Isaiah 43:10 says, "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me." Thanks, Jim

I read this commentary by Adam Clarke - "The Jews were not able to look on the face of Moses, the mediator of the old covenant, and therefore he was obliged to veil it; but all we Christians, with face uncovered, behold, as clearly as we can see our own natural face in a mirror, the glorious promises and privileges of the Gospel of Christ; and while we contemplate, we anticipate them by desire and hope, and apprehend them by faith, and are changed from the glory there represented to the enjoyment of the thing which is represented, even the glorious image - righteousness and true holiness - of the God of glory.The Jews were not able to look on the face of Moses, the mediator of the old covenant, and therefore he was obliged to veil it; but all we Christians, with face uncovered, behold, as clearly as we can see our own natural face in a mirror, the glorious promises and privileges of the Gospel of Christ; and while we contemplate, we anticipate them by desire and hope, and apprehend them by faith, and are changed from the glory there represented to the enjoyment of the thing which is represented, even the glorious image - righteousness and true holiness - of the God of glory. The LDS' "New Testament Teacher's Manual" has a reference to exaltation - "The Apostle Paul wrote that as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we “are changed into the same image” as the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18) and we grow closer to Him. The word “changed” (metamorphoō) in 2 Corinthians 3:18 is the same word translated as “transfigured” in Matthew 17:2 and Mark 9:2 and as “transformed” in Romans 12:2. It indicates a dramatic, fundamental transformation—a metamorphosis. The Spirit is the means by which God gradually transforms us into glorious beings like Him. Alma similarly taught that when we are spiritually born of God, we receive His image in our countenances (see Alma 5:14; the commentary for Romans 8:29). The phrase “glory to glory” could also be translated “with increasing glory” or “to higher degrees of glory,” thus suggesting man’s potential to gradually become like Heavenly Father. Furthermore, when we become the children of Christ we begin to take on the image, countenance, and characteristics of our spiritual Father, Jesus Christ (see Mosiah 5:7). Jim

Do you believe Joseph Smith's teaching (and the church's continuance) that Heavenly Father was once a man who became a God is the truth? Jim

I saw this posted on the Internet: How old is the oldest dinosaur ever found? Answer: Recent prosauropods from Madagascar are the oldest, about 230 million years old. Until recently, the oldest dinosaur found was Eoraptor (from Argentina) - it is about 228 million years old. For more information on Eoraptor, It's amazing how they can speculate it was about 230 million years old instead of 225 million. Jim

How do you explain the child phase known as "the terrible twos," when they display episodes of temper tantrums and selfishness to name a few? Thanks, Jim

When do you believe Adam first became a "The Natural Man" and would you identify his first sin? Thanks, Jim

I believe the source of all our sin is our fallen human nature, which we inherited. This spiritual separation from God occurred for Adam and Eve when they disobeyed Him in the Garden of Eden. All their children were born in this state where their relationship with God was dramatically different from what Adam and Eve enjoyed in the Garden before they chose to follow Satan instead of God. Even a new born child has this inherited fallen nature. This become much more evident as the child grows into what some have referred to as the "terrible twos" (ie. selfish, angry, etc 'brat-type' behaviour). So what do you think the weakness is that Gospel Principles talks about at this Council? Jim

On page 15 of Gospel Principles it says, "At this council we also learned that because of our weakness all of us would sin." Is fallen human nature the weakness which enables a child to commit his or her first sin? Thanks, Jim

You should read "A Bridge to Light" by Rex. R. Hutchens, available at Amazon. It's the 2006 version, hopefully very similar to the 1995 version I have. It doesn't depict the rituals as 'secret' since it is available to anyone willing to purchase. Then you can decide if it's harmless or harmful to a Christian's spiritual life. I think I saw another poster on the forum say that it was Freemasons who killed Joseph Smith. Maybe he figured out the truth and tried to warn his followers. https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-Light-Masonic-Ritual-Philosophy/dp/B000ND58BA https://www.scottishritestore.org/a-bridge-to-light-2010-edition.html.html Jim

The Religion 430-431 Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual says Jesus became a God: "As far as man is concerned, all things center in Christ. He is the Firstborn of the Father. By obedience and devotion to the truth he attained that pinnacle of intelligence which ranked him as a God, as the Lord Omnipotent, while yet in his pre-existent state." This shouldn't come as a surprise to you since Joseph Smith also taught Heavenly Father was a man who became a God. Jim

What LDS teachings identify who these Lamanites are? Thanks, Jim