Mormonism And Christianity


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Hello! I just joined, and I had a few questions that I would love answers to.

Let me preface by explaining my situation. I am a young college-bound Christian (a 'non-denominational protestant' specifically) who has grown tired of the dissention between the different sects of Christianity. Up until very recently, I had not thought to include the Mormon church as one of thse sects -- particular members of the church that I attend had told me things about Mormonism that I now believe gave me an untrue and unfair idea of what Mormonism really is..

And so, while I am quite firm on my own beliefs, and therefore not particularly interested in conversion, I wish to learn as much as I can about traditional Mormon doctrine so that I may be rid of ignorance and intolerance, and so that I may fully understand and respect those who I know fully deserve it.

My questions are the following (and I apologize if they are blunt, but I think it necessarry for my situation).

I. Mormonism Doctrine as it compares to 'Traditional Chrisitan Doctrine". (Namely...what exactly do each see Jesus as?)

a.) In Mormon tradition, is Jesus 'a part of God?' In other words, while I understand that Mormonism does not agree with the Trinity doctrine (which, to be honest, I do not know if I fully agree with myself), does it beleive that Jesus is one with God? Or, are Jesus and God two separate, distinct entities? (Or is there another way of looking at it that I haven't mentioned?) If so, if Jesus at all equal to God, or is he lesser?

b.)Traditional Protestantism holds the belief that one must hold a 'personal relationship' with Christ. I know this is a rather ambiguous concept, but nevertheless is is wideley held and preached in protestant churches. When I was searching this site, I did not see any reference to personal relationships, and was wondering what was the Mormon church's ideas about such relationships? Are they necessary? Are they possible?

c.) Was Jesus ever married? And, not to bring the discussion to the Da Vinci, code, but if he was, was it to Mary Magdalene?

II. Regarding 'Salvation'

a). Does Mormonism hold that only Mormons are able to be saved? Are the writings and revelations of Smith crucial to one's salvation, or does Mormonism more identify with the " If you Believe in Christ, do your best to adhere to his teachings, you are saved."

B). (Forgive my ignorance on this question, I am in no way trying to be disrespectful) What is it to be saved? I have heard of the belief that, in Mormonism, when one dies (assuming one is saved), one will inheret a planet. I vaguely remember hearing of farming, but if I remember correctly, this is where the idea that families will remain together for eternity. So, is this an accurate description of what Mormons beleive heaven is? Or, let me phrase it in a more direct manner: What is heaven? I would appreciate as many details as possible.

c).Does Mormonism have any similarities to traditional protestantism in what it believes about Heaven? Or is this part of what Smith clarifies in the Restoration?

d.) (this sort of goes along with question a. ) Is church membership a requirement for salvation? Does excommunication imply that one is no longer saved? (and...if whoever reads this knows, is this what catholics believe to be true as well?)

III. Miscellaneous

a.) I have heard rumors of what happens in the ceremonies for a temple reccommend mormon. Can you give me any insight into any of these ceremonies, the purposes of them, or any other information? This does not really apply to my overall quest, but rather is just a matter I am curious of.

b.) I heard, and again please excuse me if I am way off or sound blatantly ignorant, that in Mormonism, one of the lesser known doctrines even among many devout Mormons) is that God (or Jehova) is from the planet Kolob. Is this a widely held beleif? Is this a correct statement?

c) Finally, I know that the Mormon community is fighting more and more to be recognized as a Christian sect. Doctrinal differences aside, does the Mormon church believe that Mormons, catholics, and protestants are all brothers and sisters in Christ? Is this a move to gain more acceptance from the rest of the CHristian community? Do Mormons WANT to be accepted by the rest of the Christian Community? And finally, do Mormons accept other non-mormons who are members of the rest of the christian community?

I know this was a lot, and I thank you so much for taking the time to read and (hopefully) answer my queries. I am sure that I will have many more questions in the future, but I hope and pray that these answers will shed much light onto a subject that has been very dark to me.

Feel free to e-mail me any responses you do not wish to post.

Sincerely,

CuriousChristian

[email protected]

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Dear CuriousChristian and Friend,

I love to talk about the gospel, about the Savior and about the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, this website is just a gathering site to chat. It is not sponsored by the church, although the owners of this site make that LDS standards are maintained. So, you may get a lot of different opinions here from people that love the Lord that may not really be doctrine of the church. If you want to know about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, you should study the following resources: The Old Testament, The New Testament (if you like, you can find the Bible as published by the LDS church; the content will be the same, but the cross-reference material and the bible dictionary included, among other things, may be of interest to you); The Book of Mormon; www.lds.org, www.josephsmith.net, www.mormon.org. If you study these things thoroughly and still have questions, then I'm sure you could come back here and ask. There is also a several volume "Encyclopedia of Mormonism" published by Macmillan Publishing Company in 1992. Going on from there you could read a favorite volume of the LDS called "Jesus the Christ" by James E. Talmadge. You can subscribe to the Church's magazine, "The Ensign". You can get ahold of the Church's hymn book and the song book for children, to see what we sing about (which is Jesus!). Last weekend was held the World Conference and the prophet and apostles and other leaders spoke. You can find the text of those things they taught us online (www.lds.org, I think).

I will try to make a brief reply to each of your specific questions, however, but perhaps you should take what I say with a grain of salt until you get a chance to study all of the above.

Happy learning.

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I. Mormonism Doctrine as it compares to 'Traditional Chrisitan Doctrine". (Namely...what exactly do each see Jesus as?) I am not conversant in any other sect of Christianity, nor of any other religion. I would have to let each speak for itself as to where it came from, what it believes and why it believes as it does. However, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has the following heritage: The gospel was given to Adam as well as to each of the Old Testament prophets. Then, as we know, Jesus was born of Mary and lived his perfect life and gave his sacrificial atonement, so was our Savior, and then was resurrected and IS STILL LIVING TODAY. Jesus Apostle's led the church for as long as they were able, but eventually the truth and authority they had was lost. Emperor Constantine was the one who commissioned the council of Nicea for these group of men to decide what God was and what the doctrine was. Later in history, Martin Luther and others, under the influence of the spirit, tried to create a religion that better reflected what the Savior had done. However, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not rely on what was done at Nicea, nor do they rely on other honorable men who nevertheless did not have the complete truth (Martin Luther, etc). Jesus Christ directly organized his church on the earth again with authority straight from heaven, and he did this by calling a prophet again on the earth: Joseph Smith. This is a very truncated version, but it will get you started thinking.

I will add that the Church of Jesus Christ has NEVER said we have a 'different' Jesus than the rest of Christianity. Jesus Christ is who he is -- God and Savior. It is the rest of Christianity who has insisted on terming this 'difference' -- why do they do that, that is what I would like to know?

a.) In Mormon tradition, is Jesus 'a part of God?' In other words, while I understand that Mormonism does not agree with the Trinity doctrine (which, to be honest, I do not know if I fully agree with myself), does it beleive that Jesus is one with God? Or, are Jesus and God two separate, distinct entities? (Or is there another way of looking at it that I haven't mentioned?) If so, if Jesus at all equal to God, or is he lesser?

This is almost impossible to answer because the question isn't even the right question. Heavenly Father is a glorified, exalted man. He sent his son (the Son of God) to be born on earth and to be our Savior. The Savior, since his resurrection, is also a glorified, exalted man. The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. Our first article of faith (there are 13 of them) says: "We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." The Book of Mormon speaks of Jesus being One with his Father, but the scriptures also invite all of US human beings to be ONE with THEM. It's not a doctrine so much as it is a mystery that requires constant pondering and believing and living through one's whole life. We pray to our Father in Heaven in the name of Jesus Christ. We make our covenants with the Godhead (all three). Jesus Christ, our God, administers all that happens on this earth in the name of his Father. There is so much more -- but I would have to quote the entire Bible and Book of Mormon to you! lol

b.)Traditional Protestantism holds the belief that one must hold a 'personal relationship' with Christ. I know this is a rather ambiguous concept, but nevertheless is is wideley held and preached in protestant churches. When I was searching this site, I did not see any reference to personal relationships, and was wondering what was the Mormon church's ideas about such relationships? Are they necessary? Are they possible?

Often enough, you will hear someone speak in church of a 'personal relationship' with Christ. We know Jesus knows us, that he loves us, that we must love him, and that we are his children. So I suppose that is quite a bit of personal relationship. Loving God is always necessary. We are to come to know our Father in heaven and his Son.

c.) Was Jesus ever married? And, not to bring the discussion to the Da Vinci, code, but if he was, was it to Mary Magdalene?

There is no doctrine in the church that states that Jesus Christ was or is married. Every lds person you ask will likely have a different answer. It is something that lds people like to discuss and come to a conclusion regarding, but it is all study and faith, not certainty, at this point. If you want to look among the previous threads on this site, I think you will see we discussed it thoroughly here, and you can see what people's different viewpoints were.

More answers coming up.

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II. Regarding 'Salvation'

a). Does Mormonism hold that only Mormons are able to be saved? Are the writings and revelations of Smith crucial to one's salvation, or does Mormonism more identify with the " If you Believe in Christ, do your best to adhere to his teachings, you are saved."

The fourth article of faith says: "The first principles and ordinances of the gospel are: first, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost." The third article of faith states: "We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel."

The things that are necessary to enter the kingdom of God are faith, repentence, baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. We do believe that baptism and confirmation (gift of the Holy Ghost) must be done by those who hold power and authority directly from God (the priesthood), and that the only place that that authority can be found is in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- it was given to Joseph Smith by Peter, James and John (resurrected), and of course, we know that Jesus gave the apostleship and priesthood to Peter, James and John. My husband held the priesthood, and therefore had the authority, under the direction of the bishop of our ward, to baptize our children when they turned 8 years of age.

Having said this, no one who is unbaptized is going to hell. There are at least three reasons for this: 1. Eventually every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ. Every one in any time or age, past and future, will have a chance to know and accept the truth, and really, every one eventually will come to understand and believe. 2. Little children, of course, do not need baptism and are saved without baptism. 3. Individuals will receive the eternal reward they desire and prepare for. Even if they were to insist never to be baptized in this grand 'eventually', God still has a reward for them of peace and glory, although they might have had greater if they had desired and prepared for it. There are many good people not and never baptized -- would God punish them to hell for this? I don't think so. There are many people who are baptized who do terrible things -- will God exalt them? I don't think so. 4. LDS search out their ancestors (family history or geneology) and if they were unbaptized, we perform a baptismal ordinance for them, or in behalf of them, in the temples. We call this 'baptism for the dead'. So, everyone can be baptized!

Again, study the scriptures and the words of the current prophet for more.

B). (Forgive my ignorance on this question, I am in no way trying to be disrespectful) What is it to be saved? I have heard of the belief that, in Mormonism, when one dies (assuming one is saved), one will inheret a planet. I vaguely remember hearing of farming, but if I remember correctly, this is where the idea that families will remain together for eternity. So, is this an accurate description of what Mormons beleive heaven is? Or, let me phrase it in a more direct manner: What is heaven? I would appreciate as many details as possible.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not have complete details of 'heaven' any more than any other religion does. Every one in the whole earth of any religion has only a vague idea of what the details of heaven will be for them -- and yet we all like to contemplate it. We imagine joy and peace, the same as everyone else does. And yes, families will (or can) be together eternally, particularly husband and wife, in an eternal bond. I don't know about 'inheriting a planet' -- I suppose that is something someone thought about once, but there is no stated doctrine. However, we do believe that we shall be joint heirs with Christ and will eventually enjoy all that the Father has, and to most every lds who thinks about this, we believe that we will participate in the work of Creation (i.e. planets) in a continued universe and eternity of God's unending works. Once again -- an answer that requires study on the part of even the LDS to be able to be taught by the Spirit and to understand the scriptures, so that we know what is in store for us in eternity.

c).Does Mormonism have any similarities to traditional protestantism in what it believes about Heaven? Or is this part of what Smith clarifies in the Restoration?

I don't know what traditional protestantism actually believes, I figure they believe in the scriptures, and so do we -- so see my above reply. Yes, there were many truths restored and clarified by Jesus Christ, through Joseph Smith and further prophets (currently Gordon B. Hinckley).

d.) (this sort of goes along with question a. ) Is church membership a requirement for salvation? Does excommunication imply that one is no longer saved? (and...if whoever reads this knows, is this what catholics believe to be true as well?)

Baptism is membership in the Church of Jesus Christ., so see my answer to "a)" above, as far as being a requirement of salvation.

If a member of the Church is excommunicated, yes, their baptism is no longer in effect. Most persons who are excommunicated, however, if they are truly sincere, can prepare themselves and repent and be baptized again. In my understanding, I'm not looking at any statistics, but I believe that the main reason a person would be excommunicated from the church would be for committing adultery.

one more post!

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a.) I have heard rumors of what happens in the ceremonies for a temple reccommend mormon. Can you give me any insight into any of these ceremonies, the purposes of them, or any other information? This does not really apply to my overall quest, but rather is just a matter I am curious of.

You know, there are publications in the church that give a good overview of what to expect from the temple and temple ceremony. Many things, while not secret, are sacred, and should be discussed in a sacred setting (which I'm not sure a forum is! lol). The name of the publication I don't know right off the top of my head, but if you search out the LDS websites I mentioned, you might come across it. A couple of things to say about the temple, yes, we do make further covenants with God, and yes, these covenants are necessary if one wishes to enter the celestial kingdom (the highest heaven).

b.) I heard, and again please excuse me if I am way off or sound blatantly ignorant, that in Mormonism, one of the lesser known doctrines even among many devout Mormons) is that God (or Jehova) is from the planet Kolob. Is this a widely held beleif? Is this a correct statement?

You know, I don't think a lot of non-mormons understand that a lot of statements have been made over the years by leaders and by teachers who have done studying that cannot meet the test of being called DOCTRINE. DOCTRINE is in: The Old Testament, The New Testament, The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. Also things the current prophet says, such as at the World Conferences. Also The Proclamation on the Family is doctrine. I'm sure all devout Christians take their scriptures, read them, think about them, pray about them, to try to understand what they truly mean, and may come to new conclusions they never thought about before. LDS people do the same -- we take the scriptures and study them personally and hope that God through the Spirit will reveal his will and his truth to them. It is NOT doctrine that God is from anywhere in particular. DOCTRINE is faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, the Ten commandments, tithing, the Golden Rule, etc. There are some verses in the Pearl of Great Price that name some heavenly bodies in the universe and Kolob is one of them. This is exactly what it says there: "Kolob is set nigh unto the throne of God . . . it is nearest unto me." So LDS read this and think about what it means, and have learned a peaceable thing from it, but it isn't DOCTRINE, per say; it isn't necessary for one's salvation; you could live your whole life without ever hearing about Kolob, die, meet the Savior, and still be told "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Make sense?

c) Finally, I know that the Mormon community is fighting more and more to be recognized as a Christian sect. Doctrinal differences aside, does the Mormon church believe that Mormons, catholics, and protestants are all brothers and sisters in Christ? Is this a move to gain more acceptance from the rest of the CHristian community? Do Mormons WANT to be accepted by the rest of the Christian Community? And finally, do Mormons accept other non-mormons who are members of the rest of the christian community?

I don't know if I would say that mormons are fighting more to be recognized as a Christian sect. My question to you is -- when were we ever not a Christian church?? Who said we weren't??? WE never said that -- many non -mormons and other Christian churches are the ones who have 'fought' to insist that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not Christian. And not only are all catholics, protestants, seventh day adventists, jehovah's witnesses all brothers and sisters, also all muslims, buddhists, atheists, hindus, etc. are all brothers and sisters LITERALLY. We are all spirit sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. He loves us all and is doing all he can do to save each of us through the atonement and continued work of the Savior and of the kingdom of God. I guess if you are asking, do other Christian churches require a baptism as administered by the proper authority (The Church of Jesus Christ), then yes, baptism is still necessary for every one. Our current prophet has told us over and over again to accept and work with individuals, and churches collectively, of all faiths. There is much wrong in contention. In my town where I live, the Methodist church did not have enough money to finish building their church. The mormons got together and did some fundraising. We WANT to live in peace with all faiths, while still telling the joyful truth of the Living Christ and the restored gospel. I'm sure there are some mormons who do not have an accepting attitude, but mormons are humans and make mistakes, also. I don't know about 'wanting to be accepted in the Christian community' -- that would be nice -- but I DO know that we want peace over the whole earth, even with everyone's differences. We are all God's children. He wants to bless every one.

Thanks for giving me a chance to talk of Christ, something I love to do! God bless you, Curious Christian, I hope you have a peaceful, happy life and get the answers you are looking for.

Happy Easter.

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Xhenli-

Thank you very much for your answers. I will continue to search and learn what I can. Unfortunately, with school in full session and loads of extracurriculars to add to my already busy schedual, it is hard to make time to read and understand my own faith, not to mention that of others.

I really enjoyed many of the things you brought up, and definately found (at least tentatively) many of the answers I am looking for. One particular thing that I had not heard about before was the idea that corporeal death is not the final, irreversable moment of judgement.

And, I should have anticipated that many of the questions were ones that naturally yielded ambiguous answers. I know that ther are so many things within my faith that I do not yet comprehend or have total grasp of, so of course there will be those things as well in Mormonism.

And as far as the "fight" by mainstream Christianity discrediting Mormonism as non-christian, I wish it were not so. And, if it were up to me to be able to apologize for it, I would. It pains me to see the dissention, whether it be between Protestants and Mormons, Catholics and Anglicans, or Baptists and Methodists. I am only one soul, and I hold ideas and beliefs that differ very much from the mainstream...so it is hard to have a loud voice amidst all the chaos.

Again, I really thank you for all of your time and input.

And Happy Easter to you too!

-Curious Christian

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huge topic! And I won't likely have time to respond to it until Wednesday (kids home tomorrow from school = busy day and then Tuesday is also a very busy day for me -- I can only just check in here and post a bit, but not as fully as I'd like to respond to this one!)

I appreciate your questions and the way you frame them. Sometimes we get bashers or anti-Mormons on this forum who pretend to be seekers or curious, but who really just want to argue and stir things up. You seem genuine and nice. Thanks!

I'll be posting longer later in the week and have time to read others' posts as well.

Welcome to LDSTalk!

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LDS do not officially say Jesus was married. Jesus in John 2 was seemingly in charge of the wine which was the husbands duty. Though early on in John 2 unless a scribe who didn't like the idea of a married Jesus has him as an invited guest. Jesus was called rabbi and spoke in the Synagogue which was only permitted of married men. In John 11 Jesus calls out a woman in mourning which only a husband could do. Certain women came to anoint Jesus dead body with spices which was the duty of the widow or widows.

All the above trivia may, or may not prove Jesus was married. But the idea of a married Jesus certainly is interesting to discuss.

Orthodox Jews and Moslems have considered the Trinity poly-theistic. Those who wrote the creeds had to dodge the charge via adopting the latin word persona. When we talk of three persons we typically mean three persons. Of course that would contradict absolute mono-theism as three Gods are three Gods. So the creedal writers explained that God is like an actor and his face mask with the persons he plays in a play. The persons the same actor plays brought atleast to the creedal writers out from under the stigma of believing in three Gods. If the word is just a dodge then the New Testament mixes dare we say poly-theism and mono-theism. I define persons as persons myself.

Grace alone was not the earliest doctrine. The early Christian church clearly believed obedience effected salvation. The only group believeing grace alone I have heard of was the heretical gnostics.

I don't believe the game of Christianity verses Mormonism is an honest game. Evangelicals claim to be a preservation of the historic Christian church, but they arn't. Because it's my belief they falsely claim to be exclusive Christian I operate under a broader definition of Christian. Even though Anti-Restoration attackers don't act very Christian I define them as Christian.

As an example of the garbage Evangelicals throw Book of Mormon believers the new Joseph/Jesus DVD is a prime example. A good response is online through FAIR at http://www.fairlds.org

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mom_of_jcchlsm-

I look forward to your response, and I thank you in advance for your time and input. I am not at all trying to stir up trouble, just trying to learn, grow and understand. And, I hope that I am coming off as wholly respectful and kind.

Dale-

Those are some interesting tidbits regarding Jewish tradition and the possibility of Jesus being married. I'll have to look into those further (although, the topic, even though interesting to discuss, is not the main focus for me at the moment.) Just out of curiosity, do you happen to know where I may find sources that support what you said? I'm rather poorly versed in ancient Hebrew tradition, so it is hard for me to know whether or not to agree.

There is, however, Paul to consider. Paul was a Pharisee, either a member of, or closely connected with the Sanhedrin. We know from his epistolary texts that he was not married.

As far as the Evangelical versus Mormonism is concerned, I agree whole heartedly. I tend not to label myself as Evangelical for quite a few reasons...intolerance being one of them. Though I think, just as in any other movement, the extreme voices tend to be heard over the "silent majorities," and I know that not all or even most Evangelicals are intolerant or in any battle against Mormonism.

Again, my purpose in asking questions is not at all to debate the validity of the beliefs of Mormons, but rather, to come to learn and understand what exactly those beliefs are so I can get a more accurate picture of a religion and those who follow it. And, as my first post suggested, I really wish to fully learn and understand because I have grown weary with the dissension.

-Curious Christian

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The questions raised in the OP were quite interesting and good. Beyond the traditional, official, and proper directions towards lds.org, The Standard Works, etc., if our new poster is interested in the opinions of those at this site, an investigation of previous strings in the Gospel Discussion section may prove useful. Most of the questions have been bantered about. Personally, I enjoy hearing members give practical, off-the-cuff answers. I can check them with official ones, but it is also useful to hear how people explain their faith.

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The only source I know of to back up the idea of a married Jesus was itself without documentation. The book was entitled the Gainsayers by Derrick Troy Evenson. It had some dialogues to counter critic's of the LDs Church that mocked the early LDS idea of a married Jesus. I havn't run into anything on it just yet. I am not actually LDS, but Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). We have never suggested Christ was married. But as an individual if Jesus was married I am hesitant to mock the idea.

Was Jesus married? http://www.hartsem.edu/events/TruthbehindtheDaVinciCode5.htm

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A note about the "personal relationship" with the LORD. LDS terminology is deeply rooted in the language of the Book of Mormon and the writings and speach of Joseph Smith and the early Church Leaders. When you hear LDS referring to a "testimony" this is virtually synonymous with a "personal relationship" with the LORD.

We say: "I have a testimony of the LORD Jesus Christ." This means that we not only believe in Him, but that we have obtained and continue to receive a personal, spiritual, witness, or manifestation from God concerning His will and love for us through our prayers and dealings with the LORD. This would signify a personal relationship.

In addition to this, a unique and vital precept of the Restored Gospel is "The Gift of the Holy Ghost". LDS doctrine is that after repentance and baptism, the follower of Christ receives the laying on of hands of those in authority for the Gift of the Holy Ghost. If the receiver of such is worthy, they have a special Gift from God which is the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit.

This special arrangement is the blessing bestowed by the LORD through the covenant of Baptism that "they may always have His Spirit to be with them". A more powerful personal relationship with God is possible through this Gift than in any such relationship without the Gift of the Holy Ghost. SALVATION FROM SIN IS NOT ATTAINABLE WITHOUT THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST.

This Gift is the cleansing power of the LORD's Spirit that is signified by a "baptism of fire" and is only attainable through the covenant of baptism. LDS boldly declare that through Joseph Smith the power to perform the laying on of the hands to bestow this Gift has been Restored to the earth after having been taken from it for centuries.

I can personally attest to having received this power and gift as described. It is a possession greater than any worldly boon. We not only believe that a personal relationship with God is essential to salvation, but that further advances in that relationship have been given to us and we do invite the rest of the world to partake of it also.

-a-train

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Thanks a-train, that was a very helpful post.

While my church practices baptism, I think that there is a little bit of a difference in the specific roles which the Holy Spirit plays within the two beliefs. (Sorry..I'm just trying to make sense of this, and writing it seems to help me out). In what I have learned about my own faith, it too believes that the holy spirit comes after bapism and is here to be God's literal presence and companionship within our lives. Where (I think) I see it differing - where the Restored belief comes into play - is in the laying on of hands by those granted authority.

To everyone, I really want to thank you for all of the kindness and willingness to answer my persistant questions. I have, in the last few days alone, learned so much about this faith that I knew very little of before.

I look forward to any more answers people can provide. :)

-Curious Christian

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You have a lot of good and deep questions. Most could fill up volumes so these answers are by no means all inclusive and are based on my own knowledge, learning and experiences. Let me strongly encourage you to continue to read, pray, learn and seek out.

My questions are the following (and I apologize if they are blunt, but I think it necessarry for my situation).

I. Mormonism Doctrine as it compares to 'Traditional Chrisitan Doctrine". (Namely...what exactly do each see Jesus as?)

a.) In Mormon tradition, is Jesus 'a part of God?' In other words, while I understand that Mormonism does not agree with the Trinity doctrine (which, to be honest, I do not know if I fully agree with myself), does it beleive that Jesus is one with God? Or, are Jesus and God two separate, distinct entities? (Or is there another way of looking at it that I haven't mentioned?) If so, if Jesus at all equal to God, or is he lesser? This is an area that can fill volumes. There have been some really good posts already on the trinity here on this site, I don't want to redo whats already been said there. Let me encourage you to do a topic search. It is such an important LDS doctrine that you really should look furthur into it. In a tiny nutshell, the LDS believes that they are seperate and distinct entities working towards one common purpose. Jesus Christ did the will of His Father. We are called to do the same and to be one.

b.)Traditional Protestantism holds the belief that one must hold a 'personal relationship' with Christ. I know this is a rather ambiguous concept, but nevertheless is is wideley held and preached in protestant churches. When I was searching this site, I did not see any reference to personal relationships, and was wondering what was the Mormon church's ideas about such relationships? Are they necessary? Are they possible? LDS do believe in having a personal relationship with God. Relationships are the basis of the faith. We pray to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ. We trust that He will hear our prayers and will communicate to us via the Holy Ghost. We follow the example of christ and follow Gods will. God is not this supernatural entity that we can not know. We are created in His image. As stated in above posts we can have our own testimony (aka working relationship) with God. We have deepened relationships with others here on earth too. There is the church leaders who God has put into place to help us. We have strengthened family relationships because of gospel knowledge.

We treat people as brothers and sisters. Have eternal marriages, baptisms and sealings which carry our relationships into the eternal realms.

LDs is all about relationships given and ordained by God. We just need to tune in:)

c.) Was Jesus ever married? And, not to bring the discussion to the Da Vinci, code, but if he was, was it to Mary Magdalene? Was he? Scriptures do not really speak of this. Opinions vary on it. Is it important to our salvation right now? Somehow I think if it was we would know for sure the answer to this. As a female it would be interesting if He was and to see the dynamic between his wife/ves and see how they handled their relationship. To see a marriage role model. I think the marriage Christ had that is most importantly emphasized though is his marriage to the church. That is the model that we are to pay attention to know and should be following. All the other stuff right now is just curiosity.

II. Regarding 'Salvation'

a). Does Mormonism hold that only Mormons are able to be saved? Are the writings and revelations of Smith crucial to one's salvation, or does Mormonism more identify with the " If you Believe in Christ, do your best to adhere to his teachings, you are saved."

"For it is by grace ye are saved after all that you can do. " We are called to do the will of our Father in Heaven (God). Our shortcomings and weaknesses will be taken into account. LDS believe in living the gospel and coming knowing God here on earth. To follow and obey. Salvation is not a one time prayer but a learning and growing in the grace of God. "Throwing off sins that so easily beset us"

B). (Forgive my ignorance on this question, I am in no way trying to be disrespectful) What is it to be saved? I have heard of the belief that, in Mormonism, when one dies (assuming one is saved), one will inheret a planet. I vaguely remember hearing of farming, but if I remember correctly, this is where the idea that families will remain together for eternity. So, is this an accurate description of what Mormons beleive heaven is? Or, let me phrase it in a more direct manner: What is heaven? I would appreciate as many details as possible. I think the focus is not so much on after death but now. What are we doing now. No one really knows for sure all the details of what will happen in the after life. It is beyond our full comprehension. We are told that families can be together and sealed for eternity. In the New Testament we are told that Christ is going to help prepare mansions. As far as the afterlife the verse in Corinthians says "Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard all the Lord hath prepared for those that love him applies. I don't know for sure how all the details will be worked out but I do know that God has made many promises. It will be something that will be good and worth going through all the trials that this life throws our way.

c).Does Mormonism have any similarities to traditional protestantism in what it believes about Heaven? Or is this part of what Smith clarifies in the Restoration? Details are scarce about heaven/Celestial kingdom but there are some similarities between other faiths. Heaven will be wonderful and holy. A place where we really want to go and will be miserable if we don't make it. I think the most profound part of what Smith clarified about afterlife is the restoration of baptisms for the dead, the knowledge that families can be together, and that the family unit is important. By seeing our family as an eternal unit we can strengthen our ties here on earth and bind ourselves to relatives who have passed on. It also shows us the need to diligently shape our lives to the will of God and to accept His Son. To follow the example set or we cannot return. The way is narrow. There is a deep commitment that goes along with being a follower of God/christ. But that commitment will not go unrewarded.

d.) (this sort of goes along with question a. ) Is church membership a requirement for salvation? Does excommunication imply that one is no longer saved? (and...if whoever reads this knows, is this what catholics believe to be true as well?)

Church membership a requirement for salvation? This is a complex answer to explain to someone with limited LDS understandings. I guess if your an LDS believer for the most part the direct answer would be yes. The church is the restored church of Christ and has the most truth compiled into one place. It is believed to be Christ's church so to reject his church would be to reject christ. On the other hand everyone will have adequate opportunity to hear, learn and understand. There may be those who have led good lives who have never really had the chance to learn and understand. They will be taught and will ultimately accept or reject. Everyone will go where they choose.

Nowdays you have to do something serious to get excommunicated. Some of the early church leaders were excommunicated and returned. Excommunication can actually be a good thing and just temporary. It does not have to be final unless you choose it to be. God cannot let people continue in their sin or look upon it with the least bit of allowance. It is believed the church as a whole represents Gods establishment here on earth. So the leaders have to come down on things that may hurt people or turn them to harmful things. Excommunication can let people see where they are at and give them an opportunity to repent. While I've never seen it to happen, if there was to occur excommunication due to unrighteous leadership I'm certain all that will be worked out at the final judgement. God will not send someone to a place they do not belong just because there was unrighteous judgement passed.

III. Miscellaneous

a.) I have heard rumors of what happens in the ceremonies for a temple reccommend mormon. Can you give me any insight into any of these ceremonies, the purposes of them, or any other information? This does not really apply to my overall quest, but rather is just a matter I am curious of.

The specifics of what goes on inside the temple are not discussed outside by LDS. Temples are a good outward symbol of LDS inward faith. They give us a holy place to go to worship God away from the world. One must spiritually prepare themselves to go and commit themselves to greater live the teachings of Christ. In order to go inside you need a temple recommend. This is done to help us assess where we are at and our commitment. Being "temple worthy" provides a personal ruler to measure our personal growth and commitment. This is important because not only will we be drawing closer to God certain ordinances are performed such as baptisms of the dead, eternal marriages and sealings. These are not to be taken lightly but rather with great diligent concern. This is why temple specifics aren't discussed to keep the temples holy unto the Lord. If you want to find out what goes inside the best thing to do would be to go and see for yourself:)

b.) I heard, and again please excuse me if I am way off or sound blatantly ignorant, that in Mormonism, one of the lesser known doctrines even among many devout Mormons) is that God (or Jehova) is from the planet Kolob. Is this a widely held beleif? Is this a correct statement? Pearl of Great Price.

c) Finally, I know that the Mormon community is fighting more and more to be recognized as a Christian sect. Doctrinal differences aside, does the Mormon church believe that Mormons, catholics, and protestants are all brothers and sisters in Christ? Is this a move to gain more acceptance from the rest of the CHristian community? Do Mormons WANT to be accepted by the rest of the Christian Community? And finally, do Mormons accept other non-mormons who are members of the rest of the christian community?

Another loaded question :) :P LDS is christian. It believes in Christ and seeks to follow Him. Many non LDS faiths teach and practice many great things and do a lot of good. Mormons love to see Christian principles practiced.

It is believed we are all brothers and sisters. Most non-LDS christian faiths say that Mormons are not christian and therefore attack it. I think LDS want to stand up and get the truth out there that they do believe in Christ. He is their Lord and Saviour. He loved us enough to die for us, rise again and set His righteous example.

A lot of controversy has come from the origional revelations Joseph Smith had to join no other church for they were all wrong and also the fact that LDS have isolated themselves from others because of the believe of being the true church. If LDS church has the most truth on earth today why would you join another? The LDS church has the structure and organization as Christ set up and doctrines of God as has been revealed throughout history. So the LDS does not need to turn to other faiths for that acceptance. This can be offensive to other faiths and leaves them probably feeling very snubbed. LDS are trying to build understanding.

So yes LDS want to be known as Christian because its teachings revolve around Christ and it bears its name. But it cannot go and say that the doctrines and organization of the others is true even though they do many good things. They were not restored by Christ. They only have "pieces" of the truth. The LDS is either just another denomination or it is true.

Hope this helps a little

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II. Regarding 'Salvation'

a). Does Mormonism hold that only Mormons are able to be saved? Are the writings and revelations of Smith crucial to one's salvation, or does Mormonism more identify with the " If you Believe in Christ, do your best to adhere to his teachings, you are saved."

Ultimately, I guess from the perpective you would be coming from the answer would be considered yes. There are some key doctrines that LDS know that make it more complicated then just that three letter word though. .

1st only mormons able to be saved? Well ultimately only those who do the will of the Father and follow Christ will be saved. So if the LDS contains the most truth as restored through God then yes. If there are ordinances needed like baptism etc that need to be done through the proper authority, Gods and His established priesthood , then yes. Where else would you get that? I'm certain though that not everyone that is LDS will be saved though. There will be many who will probably be very surprised in the last days.

On the other hand, it is believed that everyone will come to know. So many ood, non LDS people will be made aware of all the truths and will have every opportunity. All will be worked out there if it really is true.

If you're not LDS looking at good, strong LDS members you probably would see them just as another christian believer with some eccentric ways.

2nd writings and revelations of smith cruical to Salvation. Once again yes. Joseph Smith was just an instrument in the hand of the Lord to restore lost truths.

"For this is eternal life to know God the Eternal Father and His Son Jesus Christ". The teachings as restored via Joseph Smith really show us more of God and His Son. They help to clarify who they are and are necessary for us to really follow God and obey Him. They clear up a lot of differing views on some key doctrinal points.

Some of the important restored doctrines Joseph Smith taught.

God- view on trinity ( three seperate entities yet one)

God- we are created in His Image

Salvation-do the will of the father

Personal revelation

Priesthood Authority

Organization- prophets........

Temple ordinances- the eternal nature of families

Binding of generations together

Gathering of 12 tribes of Israel............................................

..........................................................................................

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Does Mormonism hold that only Mormons are able to be saved?

'Will everybody be damned, but Mormons?' Joseph Smith's answer was this: 'Yes, and a great portion of them, unless they repent, and work righteousness.' (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith p 119)

Is this judgemental? Is this hateful? Does this mean the Church is an exclusive club? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

As Rosie mentioned, the LDS perception of the world is not that they are superior or are in an exclusive exalted Heaven Bound position. We take to heart that 'He that is greatest among you shall be your servant.' (Matt. 23:11) We are duty bound to serve the LORD by being 'in the service of [our] fellow beings'. (Mosiah 2:17)

As LDS, we believe that God doesn't intend to save only a few, but that as Lehi 'thought he saw God sitting upon his throne, surrounded with numberless concourses of angels in the attitude of singing and praising their God' (1 Nephi 1:8), even so shall there be numberless concourses of the saved.

Lehi later saw 'numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood.' (1 Nephi 8:21)

Joseph Smith saw that in the Celestial Kingdom of God, those who take part in the first resurrection 'have come to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn.' (D&C 76:67)

God does not intend to save only a few of His children, and each and every child of every race, language, and nation are literal spirit children of God sent from His Presence to earth. This is our declaration.

God Bless

-a-train

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