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  1. Heather: I have read the rules. I think this is no more controversial than some of what Joseph said himself. Please judge. I will accept your verdict. Sorry if it is too long. When 14 year old Joseph Smith went to the grove to ask which church to join, all Christian churches (and all major churches on earth) believed (and still believe) that: 1) God is a spirit without body, parts, or passions; and, 2) The Christian rite of baptism denoting entrance into the Christian Faith is symbolic. It is not a required ordinance of God. If God is spirit only, then the resurrected Jesus cannot be the same personage as God the Father as demanded by the Trinitarian Doctrine that The Father and the Son are one God. They cannot be the same God if the Son has a body and God the Father is a spirit only. [The claim that God the Son is the physical manifestation of God the Father is difficult to accept since the resurrected body of Jesus plays such a prominent role in Christianity and since we are all to be resurrected]. Jesus’ teaching of Mk: 16:16: “believe and be baptized and be saved; believe not and be damned” could not have been more explicit. It is a requirement. And, if a properly administered physical baptism is a requirement to enter heaven (for reasons unknown), then a loving and just god must provide a method for baptism for those already dead. Otherwise, heaven would be limited to those hearing the churches’ missionaries. If, instead, these words mean baptism is a just a symbol of membership in the Christian Church, as many Christian believe today, then any ritual called “Baptism” can provide the key to heaven. Mankind will gradually drift away from the baptism done in the correct form - just as the Reformed LDS Church has drifted away from the Doctrine of Baptism of the Dead. In Acts, Chapter 19: 1-7, Paul showed us that baptism is not merely a symbol of the Christian faith. He re-baptized those who thought themselves Christians. He also showed us that we can examine doctrine to determine whether a particular church is true or false. Logic plays a role in selection of a religion. "By their fruits you shall know them" also means there can be no significant counterfeits. Thus, Joseph Smith was told not to join any church since every church on earth at the time was wrong on at least these two points: the Trinity and the nature of baptism. A belief that God is a pure spirit does not really matter except for the logical error – an error not to be expected in the doctrine of a “True Church”. But a belief that baptism is a symbol and not a physical requirement matters greatly. A symbol can be modified with the times, de-emphasized, and even eliminated in a burst of ecumenical fervor (as is happening now). A physical requirement must be satisfied with the proper authority (the Priesthood) and in the proper form. It doesn't matter what you think, or what you think you do. It only matters what you do. In Luke 4:6, Satan said “that [the world] is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it”. The world today worships a god of spirit without body, parts or passion. As Latter Day Saints, we are taught that The Father and The Son, Jesus, both have a body, that Satan is only a spirit and that baptism is a requirement not just a symbol of acceptance. Thus, to the world, LDS seem to be the cult of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Christian world, while to LDS we are the True Church in a world of the Church of Satan - AKA the “Great and Abominable Church”, AKA the “Whore of Babylon” (as Joseph said). These other churches also think us to be polytheists. It is notable that we are the only church in the world with these rather obvious doctrines. It seems that “By their fruit you shall know them.” also means that no counterfeit churches are allowed. You can tell the “True Church” by its doctrine. I believe that all mankind is in every way eligible to enter heaven since LDS provides the proper baptism for them. They will be judged as we are judged - by the goodness of their souls. But, since their churches have no priesthood, they cannot participate in God’s ordinances. Their members are spiritually satisfied but they are sterile. Furthermore, their church organizations can and are being used against us as we fulfill our spiritual tasks using the Priesthood restored through Joseph Smith. Why do they do this? Why should they care? This makes no sense to me unless it is a sign that we are the “True” Church. If it were only the choice of which church to join, I would join the LDS church. For me, the existence of God itself is the issue. Scientists view spiritual things with skepticism and cannot include God in any theory. But, we do accept unseen forces by noting their effects on others. When we see that a compass points north, we derive the theory of light. When we see galaxies behaving strangely, we deduce the existence of Black Holes. When I see the insanity in the Middle East and the pain and suffering in the world, I deduce that God and Satan exist and that the Bible contains their messages. Then, selection of the LDS Church as the logical True Church of God is easy. Of course, anyone can choose to be a skeptic. I cannot.