Can I be a non Mormon LDS?


brother01
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What a bunch of posting rules!:-) I'll do my best.

Although not Mormon, I consider myself, in principle, to be LDS in the broadest sense of the word. To date I've received witness of God, as did Joseph, that we are to hear Jesus Christ. I've done extensive study of His teachings and have my own web site about all the teachings of Jesus at

One Disciple to Another

It isn't anti anyone, but is very pro Jesus and what He taught about who He is, what He said about His teachings, through what He said about unbelievers. Jesus said if we abide in Him by doing what He said that He will abide in us and we will be one as He and the Father are one. Yet we must first know that Jesus said His doctrine was not His own, but the word of His Father in heaven.

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I know many people who I would call a "dry Mormon." They are LDS in every sense of the word but have not taken that final step in being baptized. BTW, welcome to the site.

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I feel no need to consider myself Mormon, but the term latter day saint has meaning to me, as I'm sure it does to you as well.

Having been baptized at 9 by immersion for the same reasons you believe it necessary - just not per LDS belief that it requires priesthood authority - my faith is not a 'dry' one:-)

The wife came home with info from the local Ward today about "A Procamation to the World" and "ProtectMarriage.com" . Has anyone here seen the new video being advertised called "Demographic Winter"? I think it will be a great tool to promote the foundational pattern of husband and wife and family as the foundation of society. So we ordered one (actually it was me) and hope to have opportunity to use it in this important 'battle' for secular and Christian society if we are to survive the war against the family that is going on in our State. The issue encompasses all of us on the planet really. The video talks about the population decline taking place world-wide and the far reaching impacts it will have unless it is turned back...

Which points to the LDS proclamation to re-affirm the commandment of God. You just can't ignore God's commandments without impunity.

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Well you can´t be a Mercedes driver without having a Mercedes... so in my eyes you can´t be a non-Mormon LDS.

This is what I call feeling close to the LDS or being heavily interested or even being active. But still you´re not Mormon. I don´t mean it in a negative sense.

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Well, 'LDS' is latter day saint. I also believe we are in the 'latter days' and nearing the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. "Mormon", to me, implies the following of "Mormon", as "Christian" means following Jesus Christ. There are other names too, as we find expressed in the Bible as being a member of "The Way," or "the Church of God" or the "Church of Christ" or other terms used in Scripture. According to Jesus the matter is 'abiding in Him' and then to come to see what that meant to Him, not what I think it meant.

We differ on some things of belief, such as the Proclamation says in speaking of all mankind: 'Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents.' That makes perfect sense if the heavenlies are exactly like the earthlies, but to me when Jesus said that He alone came down from heaven to declare God and His words to us, then it seems reasonable to believe it true when He said 'I am from above, you are from below.' Yet by the time we get to the end of John 17 we see Jesus declaring we are one with God and Him when we abide in Him and He abides in us - through our belief and doing (abiding) in Him. Jesus even declares that person is glorified - per His teaching we are glorified with Him. This is very similar to the teaching LDS are attacked by Evangelicals for. Yet it is by God living in and through us as we let Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit abide in us in agreement with the very words of God from Jesus Christ. Jesus didn't say it was because we came from heavenly parents - at least not that I've yet found. Do correct me if I've missed that verse.

The importance of the teachings of Jesus is even reflected in the gospel message of Genesis 5. It's truely amazing to me how God has hidden treasures in His word from so long ago!

Yet I also believe that the Revelation of Jesus Christ declares that those of the latter days will overcome by 'keeping the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ.' I'm so glad that LDS realize how important that is. If only some leading Evangelicals would agree with what God has declared!!!! They preach at LDS for having 'added to the book', yet they don't seem to have 'rightly divided the word' in that they discount or ignore the commandments of God as well as the teachings of God given through the Son of man....

With God all things are possible, but He doesn't force anyone to love Him or accept Jesus Christ and His teachings.

John 15:9,10; "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you, abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love."

Finally, we can look at a mystery contained in the names of the genealogy in Genesis 5. When the names are translated they give a message: Man (is) Appointed Mortal Sorrow; (but) The Blessed God Shall come down Teaching. His death shall bring The Despairing Comfort, Rest.

Adam = Man (is); Seth = Appointed, Enosh = Mortal; Kenan = Sorrow (but); Mahalalel = The Blessed God; Jared = Shall come down; Enoch = Teaching; Methuselah = His death shall bring; Lamech = The Despairing; Noah = Comfort, Rest.

This message should give us reason to believe we need to know what those teachings are that Jesus gave from the Father.

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brother01,

Welcome to this site. Glad you are here! I understand your feelings totally, I feel like an "honorary Mormon" too! I don't have the "official membership" card, but I'd like to. And I've been told more than once, "you are more LDS and know more about the Mormon Church than many members I know." I like that! And I love that we are all Brothers and Sisters in Christ through our discipleship, even without "the card".

God Bless!

Day of Praise

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I was a non-mormon LDS for the 4 years that I attended the church in my teens. I wanted to get Baptised but wasn't allowed to...parental permission, being a schoolgirl Roman Catholic, but I did whatever I could to be a 'member', lived the LDS lifestyle, took Sacrament and attended Seminary and other groups/MIA etc. So I think the answer is yes, you can be a non-mormon LDS, up to a point :)

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I am curious...what are your reasons for not getting the member's card?

When I first got married the wife's son was in the Bishopric in the greater LA area and I wanted to know more about the LDS Church and the reason they believe that priesthood authority is required to administer baptism. He sent me some things that were photocopies of book pages and it seemed to hinge upon belief that the authority had to come from John the Baptist. It's been years, but off hand that's what comes to mind.

Granted, Jesus taught that the apostles make disciples, teaching them whatsoever He had taught them, and that they were to baptize these disciples. That is the commandment of Jesus Christ. Then we find that in Acts that the apostles were baptizing for the forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost as an eternal promise of God to all generations. I marvel at those who just want to skip by this promise of God and want to put their future in other things...but that is them:-)

So in the pages the link was made to the restoration of the fathers to the children and children to the fathers and somehow equating that to the restored gospel by Joseph Smith. Knowing that Jesus said this was about John, when I didn't see the connection. I saw no connection for an authority of ordinance in the NT gospel record, so I saw no need to believe the restored authority from John to Joseph. I experienced the gift of God when I was baptized per the promise of God as Peter preached, so it seems perfectly faithful and logical and reasonable and faithful to leave it be as experieced instead of thinking there is a need for more than hearing, believing, repenting, confessing and being baptized for the right reasons.

As Jesus taught, we know the commandments are true because when we do them we receive witness from God that they are true.

That's my perspective anyway....

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brother01, welcome!

I have really enjoyed reading this thread. Thank you. :)

I look forward to seeing these discussions crop up on some of the gospel discussion threads!

Your questions and ideas all are very well thought out. If you are looking for more dialogue in scriptures and their meanings, I have found that Vaunhin is really good at discussing gospel doctrine through the scriptures.

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Thankyou Brother. Welcome to the forums. I know I kind of put you on the spot there, but I'm not LDS and of course I'm curious about someone who shares the commonality of being interested in the teachings but not a member. The question is stronger than my sense of tact *eeek*.

The idea that a baptism is somehow not authorised ...yes. I really felt the heavens open up after immersion...but being dunked more than once isn't an issue because of that experience...I'd love to have that happen again : ) . But will it. I understand what you are saying.

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brother01,

Welcome to this site. Glad you are here! I understand your feelings totally, I feel like an "honorary Mormon" too! I don't have the "official membership" card, but I'd like to. And I've been told more than once, "you are more LDS and know more about the Mormon Church than many members I know." I like that! And I love that we are all Brothers and Sisters in Christ through our discipleship, even without "the card".

Every religion has those people that just go through the motions.

My husband who is not a member of the Church told me that I knew more about my Church and the whys of things than any other LDS person he knew.

It's not a good thing, at all. It's Satan tricking them into complacency.

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I think that is just fine for you to call yourself LDS, although, in terms of membership you are not. I prefer being called a Latter-day Saint to being called Mormon, even though I am not quite as saintlike as I think I should be. I think the more people who try to be saintlike, the better, even if they don't accept the Book of Mormon or membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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