Is there more that binds LDS & Evangelicals than divides?

[McLainDow]

I feel my role is not to tell anyone they are wrong but to try to be a conduit for Christ's love. If people ask what my beliefs are I tell them. If they don't I just try to be their friend. I suppose this is a different way to look at "Preaching the gospel" but, it seems to work from my experience.

[jbeggs]

I think there are significant differences between LDS and protestants. I don't really see the point of the restoration if we can all just be unitarian universalists. I thought that God revealed that all churches upon the earth in the time of Joseph Smith were "abominations," so the kumbayaing and all the warm fuzzy stuff the LDS church is pushing makes little sense to me.

Sorry Leah, if I am in error. Though my point was only that Latter-day Saints and other Christians have not enjoyed a very good history:

“What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world.” - Joseph Smith (President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Section Five 1842-1843, page 270, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith

“We talk about Christianity, but it is a perfect pack of nonsense... Myself and hundreds of the Elders around me have seen its pomp, parade, and glory; and what is it? It is a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol; it is as corrupt as hell; and the Devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century” - John Taylor (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles), Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, 1858, p. 167

“The Christian world, so-called, are heathens as to the knowledge of the salvation of God" - Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 8:171

“With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world" - Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 8:199

“Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the 'whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent" - Orson Pratt, The Seer, p. 255

"all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” - History 1:19

"And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth" (1 Nephi 14:10).

[Traveler]

Because we've become a thin-skinned, self-indulgent, intellectually weak culture. Dare to say, "I'm not so sure that's right," and far too many immediately don the mantle of victimhood, and declare loudly that you are against them.

Or, they may seethe within, an simply say, "Who are you to judge?" "Nobody's perfect." etc.

I don't think I'm old, but I grew when debate was considered a sport, and opposing ideas were weighed in the court of public opinion, based on who could put forward the best case. Republicans and Democrats watched the same news stations, read the same papers, and where Ronald Reagan and Tip O'neill would fight like crazy during the day and enjoy a meal together at night.

Today, you watch "the other side's" sources, read their writings, or worse yet, socialize with them, and you are immediately suspect. Political campaigns often result in boycotts, and even anonymous death threats.

Why is mere disagreement automatically impolite in today's culture? All I can say is that it's not my fault. I hate this reality. However, this is where I perceive that we find ourselves.

I guess it is (without giving one or the other a specific symbol) that we are the ancient equivalent of Jews and Samaritans.

The Traveler