Blueskye2

Angels are: - Attendants to God's throne; Daniel 7:9-10, Psalm 96:7, Psalm 102.20. The six-winged Seraphim who minster at God's throne. Isaiah 6. A special group of 7 angels who's function is to stand before the throne of God; Rev 8:2-5 - God's assistants; Job 1:6, 2:1 These are special glimpses into heaven. Generally, humans interact with angels in their role as messengers, personal guardians, defenders of the faithful, executing miracles while acting as divine agents, representing and in some cases, putting into execution God's will. To the topic of the OP, there is a hierarchy of angels; ranks in the heavenly army, if you will. Cherubim who are clearly God's ministers. The special group of 7 who surround God's throne. Seraphim. Archangels (1 Thes 4:15). And then St. Paul's description of "principality, and power, and virtue, and dominion" in Ephesians 1:21. And in Col 1:16 where he describes a hierarchy of angels as part of creation. "In Him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominations, or principalities or powers." St Paul also warns of following unlawful angels. First describing them as defeated by Jesus. "and the dominions and powers he robbed of their prey, put them to an open shame, led them away in triumph, through him" (Col 2:15) Followed in verse 18 with an admonition to not worship them. All in all, there are 9 orders in the host of Heaven. Angels, Archangels, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Dominations, Throne, Cherubim and Seraphim.

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Thumbs up! Fifteen years or so ago, I looked up LDS info on the internet, for the first time. Revisiting, wondering if it was something I'd want to return to. Nope. There's just too much I don't believe in regards to Mormon teaching, which, isn't a dig or anything. I don't believe a lot of things that other people believe, and vice versa.

Yes I know! Both I'm old and sociological norms. The shock was hearing a scientific explanation that didn't match to what I was being taught in religious settings. The thing is my best friend was Navajo, and I believed absolutely everything I was taught, including about her. I didn't believe absolutely and without question after that point! And I didn't believe at all what I was taught about "Lamanites". Other than that, I was a quiet shy kid, barely spoke to anyone not family. I observed in my silence and kept what I observed to myself, because in my family....there was no questioning without stern reproach. Ha! The good ole days.

I agree. But my point was, when I was LDS decades ago, we weren't following the teachings of some prophet from 100 years prior. We were following the teachings in our time. I understand that to some, pre-1978 seems like 100 years ago. ? But I'm not THAT old.

Due to technical difficulties, aka I forgot my password and couldn't figure out how to reset it....blueskye=blueskye2.

I read the forums of other religions because I enjoy reading about people's faith, no matter what religion they are. Particular to Mormonism I like to keep up with what is going on because all of my family are LDS. I read at this forum, once a week or so, usually peruse the topic titles in general, current events and Christian beliefs. I rarely post mainly because I am not LDS and don't have an opinion on LDS topics...and people here are generally untrusting of former Mormons. I'm not interested in stirring things up or freaking people out, so I lurk 99.9 percent of the time I spend here, reading. There are LDS members actively posting on Catholic forums. Which is good, I think.

Eh, I was primary age when I was taught that African and Native Americans had dark skin because of curses. I was taught this in primary, at Sunday school and at home. It was taught in General Conference, I read it in the Friend magazine. The church spoke out publicly, against mixed race marriages. Then at school I was taught about melanin and that was the first time, I remember very clearly, I had any idea that what I was being taught at church just wasn't up to par, as far as facts go. I was about 10 years old at the time. I didn't accept anything I was taught at church, after that, at face value. By the time I was in my mid teens I didn't believe anything that was being taught at church. When I moved out of my parents house, I stopped going to anything church related. It was, I found, the best time to make a break from "the ward", as no one knew me. By the time I was in my early 20s, I was an atheist I didn't remain an atheist. Some 20+ years later I was baptized Roman Catholic. But overall the reason I left Mormonism is I don't believe its teachings.

I participated with the UUs for about two years. I knew Christian, pagan and atheist participants. I don't say "member" because while you can formally join the UUs as a member, there are some who participate with the UUs who are adverse to "membership". Anyway for UUs you SELF identify. So if one UU says they are Christian, they are Christian, if another says they are pagan, then they are pagan, etc. Pretty much it's about not being an inconvenience to anyone else.

The Catholic Church has always held, practiced and taught seven Holy Mysteries. Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Holy Oil, Repentance, Holy Crowning (marriage), Holy Orders (Priesthood). In the early Church, people kept these secret because to reveal you were a Christian, and practicing these Holy Mysteries, meant a death sentence, seeing has how being a Christian was illegal. A new convert to Christianity was kept separate from the secret meetings of the main body, for a long amount of time, until it was known for certain that the person was not out to expose the whole group. A Catechumen (someone interested in being received into the Catholic church) was not allowed to participate in any way with these Mysteries. And even today, a Catechumen is asked to retreat from the sanctuary during the season of lent, during the liturgy of the Eucharist. (Most Catholic adult converts are all received into the Catholic Church during Easter.) Today, an adult being received into the Catholic Church is required to have a year of instruction of all Catholic doctrines and dogmas. Shortly after Christmas adults go through the Rite of Acceptance, at which point they are considered Catechumens. It isn't until a person is a Catechumen that the Holy Mysteries are taught to them. Of course, in the early Church people didn't have readily available material, if they were even literate, to educate themselves on these Holy Mysteries prior to receiving them. After Christianity was legalized, it was no longer necessary for Christians to hide themselves or their beliefs. And to the definition of Mystery, the Holy Mysteries are considered by Catholics how God is encountered by His creation, us. They are mysteries because encounters with the Divine can only be explained and understood via Faith. Sacramentum is the Latin translation of the Greek Musterion. Sacrament is the anglicized word of Sacramentum. Often Catholics will refer to the Holy Mysteries as the Holy Sacraments.