Whom do we worship?


mikbone
 Share

Recommended Posts

14 minutes ago, mikbone said:

For example I used to be under the impression that Jesus Christ is our elder brother.  And I can see how this association can be made...  But nowhere in the holy scriptures can this be found. 

In order to reject this idea, you either have to reject the idea that we are spirit children of God the Father, or that Christ is the firstborn child of God the Father in the spirit.  But if both of those are true, then it's a no brainer deduction.

Quote

D&C 93:21 And now, verily I say unto you, I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn;

Numerous scriptures describe Christ as the Son of God.  Thus, at the very least, we have two people, one of whom is Father and one is Son.

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/tg/jesus-christ-divine-sonship?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/tg/jesus-christ-firstborn?lang=eng

And scripture teaches we are also children of God:

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/tg/man-a-spirit-child-of-heavenly-father?lang=eng

15 minutes ago, mikbone said:

Yet I can find numerous scriptures that state that Jesus is our father. 

By adoption, or figuratively because he created the earth or because he is one with the Father.

Quote

D&C 93:22 And all those who are begotten through me are partakers of the glory of the same, and are the church of the Firstborn.

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bd/adoption?lang=eng

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Vort said:

Of course not. If anything, the opposite is true. If I'm an agent representing a football player, then I act in the name of the football player -- but only when I'm negotiating with a third party. What sense would it make for me "to act in Joe Athlete's name" when I'm talking to Joe Athlete?

That's not the same thing. It says in scriptures that we cannot go to the Father without going through the Son first; it doesn't get any plainer than that.

If this wasn't true, our church wouldn't be called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I understand that we are all spirit children of Heavenly Father as as such we are all spiritual siblings.  But this association that makes us think of Jehovah as an elder brother should not supersed the scripture passages such as:

The teachings that Jehovah is the Father of Adam - Ether 3:14-15, Moses 2:27, Moses 6:22

The teachings that when we are baptized and become members of Christ's church we are spiritually begotten of him and become his spiritual adoptive sons and daughters: Mosiah 5:7, D&C 93:22

 

So, should we think of Jesus Christ as more of a brother or a father???

 

Edited by mikbone
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great topic! Abinadi got it right.

Quote

Mosiah 15:

1 And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.

2 And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—

3 The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son—

4 And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth.

5 And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people.

Jesus Christ is the very Eternal Father. When I pray to Father in Heaven, it is Jesus/Jehovah who answers. I still pray in the name of Jesus Christ. He is both the Father and the Son. He has a Father, too, who is also our Father in heaven. Both are Fathers, though one is also the Son because He came down to take upon Himself flesh. And He has commanded us to call upon His name. We know His name because He told us what it is. I spent years studying the Lectures On Faith, because this was a confusing subject for a long time. But after a lot of studying and praying, this is what the Spirit has taught me. I wrote up what I learned for a lot of friends/people who thought I was off the rails. I'm pretty used to being considered an oddball and that's okay. I hope it sheds light on the subject. Food for thought anyway:

Lectures on Faith-My Witness

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alma prayed to Jesus.

Quote

Alma 36:17 And it came to pass that as I was thus racked with torment, while I was harrowed up by the memory of my many sins, behold, I remembered also to have heard my father prophesy unto the people concerning the coming of one Jesus Christ, a Son of God, to atone for the sins of the world.

18 Now, as my mind caught hold upon this thought, I cried within my heart: O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness, and am encircled about by the everlasting chains of death.

Other scriptures:

Quote

John 14:8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake.

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Quote

Exodus 3: 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

Quote

D&C 93:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord: It shall come to pass that every soul who forsaketh his sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face and know that I am;

2 And that I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world;

3 And that I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one—

4 The Father because he gave me of his fulness, and the Son because I was in the world and made flesh my tabernacle, and dwelt among the sons of men.

Quote

Isaiah 53:8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Quote

Mosiah 15:1 And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.

2 And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—

3 The Father, because he was conceived by the power of God; and the Son, because of the flesh; thus becoming the Father and Son—

4 And they are one God, yea, the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth.

5 And thus the flesh becoming subject to the Spirit, or the Son to the Father, being one God, suffereth temptation, and yieldeth not to the temptation, but suffereth himself to be mocked, and scourged, and cast out, and disowned by his people.

6 And after all this, after working many mighty miracles among the children of men, he shall be led, yea, even as Isaiah said, as a sheep before the shearer is dumb, so he opened not his mouth.

7 Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified, and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father...

10 And now I say unto you, who shall declare his generation? Behold, I say unto you, that when his soul has been made an offering for sin he shall see his seed. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed?...

Quote

Ether 3:14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.

Quote

JSH 1:17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!

Quote

Moses 1:39 For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.

Jehovah goes on to call Moses His son. He has also called others His son(s)

Quote

D&C 39:1 Hearken and listen to the voice of him who is from all eternity to all eternity, the Great I Am, even Jesus Christ

2 The light and the life of the world; a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not;

3 The same which came in the meridian of time unto mine own, and mine own received me not;

4 But to as many as received me, gave I power to become my sons; and even so will I give unto as many as will receive me, power to become my sons.

Quote

D&C 31:1 Thomas, my son, blessed are you because of your faith in my work.

2 Behold, you have had many afflictions because of your family; nevertheless, I will bless you and your family, yea, your little ones; and the day cometh that they will believe and know the truth and be one with you in my church.

Quote

D&C 34:1 My son Orson, hearken and hear and behold what I, the Lord God, shall say unto you, even Jesus Christ your Redeemer;

2 The light and the life of the world, a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not;

3 Who so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God. Wherefore you are my son;

Quote

3 Nephi:20 Father, I thank thee that thou hast given the Holy Ghost unto these whom I have chosen; and it is because of their belief in me that I have chosen them out of the world.

21 Father, I pray thee that thou wilt give the Holy Ghost unto all them that shall believe in their words.

22 Father, thou hast given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me; and thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them, and they pray unto me; and they pray unto me because I am with them.

23 And now Father, I pray unto thee for them, and also for all those who shall believe on their words, that they may believe in me, that I may be in them as thou, Father, art in me, that we may be one.

D&C 109 where Joseph Smith prays to Jehovah as the Father in the name of the Son, Jesus Christ when dedicating the temple. The Kirtland Temple dedicatory prayer was specifically given to Joseph Smith by revelation. He did not make these words up.

Quote

D&C109:1 Thanks be to thy name, O Lord God of Israel, who keepest covenant and showest mercy unto thy servants who walk uprightly before thee, with all their hearts...

4 And now we ask thee, Holy Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of thy bosom, in whose name alone salvation can be administered to the children of men, we ask thee, O Lord, to accept of this house, the workmanship of the hands of us, thy servants, which thou didst command us to build...

10 And now, Holy Father, we ask thee to assist us, thy people, with thy grace, in calling our solemn assembly, that it may be done to thine honor and to thy divine acceptance...

42 But deliver thou, O Jehovah, we beseech thee, thy servants from their hands, and cleanse them from their blood.

43 O Lord, we delight not in the destruction of our fellow men; their souls are precious before thee;

44 But thy word must be fulfilled. Help thy servants to say, with thy grace assisting them: Thy will be done, O Lord, and not ours....

68 O Lord, remember thy servant, Joseph Smith, Jun., and all his afflictions and persecutions—how he has covenanted with Jehovah, and vowed to thee, O Mighty God of Jacob—and the commandments which thou hast given unto him, and that he hath sincerely striven to do thy will.

69 Have mercy, O Lord, upon his wife and children, that they may be exalted in thy presence, and preserved by thy fostering hand...

78 O hear, O hear, O hear us, O Lord! And answer these petitions, and accept the dedication of this house unto thee, the work of our hands, which we have built unto thy name;

79 And also this church, to put upon it thy name. And help us by the power of thy Spirit, that we may mingle our voices with those bright, shining seraphs around thy throne, with acclamations of praise, singing Hosanna to God and the Lamb!

 

Edited by skalenfehl
Not sure why the quotes didn't work right. Tried again...
Link to comment
Share on other sites

In terms of covenant relationships, I do not agree with the term "elder brother." The only context that lends any kind of weight to the term is the fact that Jesus Christ is the "Firstborn" as in church of the firstborn. Otherwise as I quoted above, there is a Father and there is a Son. We may become sons and one day, as Joseph Smith explained in his King Follet sermon, a son may become a Father when it comes to a covenant relationship, Abraham, being one example.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, mikbone said:

Elohim cannot save me.

You are mistaken. It is exactly the Father who saves you. The plan of salvation is the Father's plan. To him, to the Father, goes the glory and the praise for salvation. Christ himself proclaimed this as he accepted the eternal responsibility of being a Savior to you and to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, mikbone said:

For example I used to be under the impression that Jesus Christ is our elder brother.  And I can see how this association can be made...  But nowhere in the holy scriptures can this be found.  Yet I can find numerous scriptures that state that Jesus is our father.   I no longer think of him as my elder brother, by the way...

I do not know of specific scriptures that use this particular terminology, but modern prophets have often used it. And the scriptures teach quite clearly that we will be co-heirs with Christ in all that the Father hath. So I think it's safe to say that it's an accurate, if incomplete, descriptor for our Savior.

3 hours ago, mikbone said:

I think that we (as a group) have performed a disservice to ourselves by trying to define Jehovah and Jesus Christ by making our relationship simpler that it actually is...

I don't disagree. As Albert Einstein is supposed to have said, "Everything should be as simple as it can be, but not simpler."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Morgaine said:

That's not the same thing.

It is exactly the same thing. What do you suppose our agency consists of?

2 hours ago, Morgaine said:

It says in scriptures that we cannot go to the Father without going through the Son first; it doesn't get any plainer than that.

Nowhere in scripture does it say that.

2 hours ago, Morgaine said:

If this wasn't true, our church wouldn't be called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

You are mistaken, Morgaine. You have an incomplete understanding of the doctrines of the Church. We do not pray to Jesus, ever, unless he is physically standing in front of us. Our prayers and worship to the Father do not "go through" the Son.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Vort said:

You are mistaken. It is exactly the Father who saves you. The plan of salvation is the Father's plan. To him, to the Father, goes the glory and the praise for salvation. Christ himself proclaimed this as he accepted the eternal responsibility of being a Savior to you and to me.

It is a difference of perspective.  Please try not to use terms like you are mistaken.  

The Father allowed me to embark on a trial of mortality.  In the pre-mortal existence we all knew, walked and talked with our Heavenly Father.

While in the pre-mortal existenced Jehovah volunteered to become our Savior and I accepted him as such.  

Jesus Christ's Atonement is what allows me to become clean from sin and once again enter into the presence of the Father.  

The plan of Salvation is the Father's plan no dobut.  But Christ is the Savior.  

For clarity, last week the Gospel Doctrine lesson was on Isaiah, lesson 38

"Besides me there is no Savior"

Without the Savior we would all be lost.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, mikbone said:

It is a difference of perspective.  Please try not to use terms like you are mistaken. 

I am sorry for giving you offense, but I stand by my wording. When you say that "The Father cannot save me", you are wrong. There's no two ways about it. That is equivalent to saying, "The Father didn't create the world (or me)." It's simply a false statement, however you want to parse it. Yes, there is more subtlety involved, and Christ is the Father's agent in furthering salvation. All that is true. But the Father can and does save all who come unto him.

3 minutes ago, mikbone said:

Without the Savior we would all be lost.

True enough. But that statement, though true, does not justify the statement that "the Father cannot save me."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, mikbone said:

Can Elohim save me in my sins?

Can God make a rock so big that he can't lift it?

Can God cause you to exist at a certain point in time and space, and simultaneously cause you not to exist at that point in time and space?

Your question is meaningless. The nature of salvation is to be free from sin. It's like asking, Can God make me perfectly clean while being dirty? It's a contradiction in terms.

No, of course God cannot save you in your sins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My intention is not to lessen our perception of Heavenly Father.

I think that we should do a better job to understand the character of Jehovah / Jesus Christ.   I personally think that Jehovah is significantly greater than many give him credit.

His Father is exponentially greater.

When Moses was first introduced to Jehovah, he recognized that "man is nothing, which thing I never had supposed."  Moses 1: 10

And remember that Moses was no slouch, he was second in line to be Pharaoh.  And an extremely powerful and intelligent man.  

 

Mankind is just starting to scratch the surface of basic knowledge of the universe.  Jehovah created worlds without number under the direction of the Father.  Moses 1:33

 

Edited by mikbone
Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, mikbone said:

Can Elohim save me in my sins?

 

No.

Alma 11:34

And Zeezrom said again: Shall he save his people in their sins? And Amulek answered and said unto him: I say unto you he shall not, for it is impossible for him to deny his word.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe that it is a valid question. (Thanks SilentOne and Zeezrom)

Elohim set in motion the plan of salvation for a purpose.  

His intention is not to push all of his spirit children into perfection.

He is allowing us to prove ourselves and chose our own destination.  

When we accepted the opportunity to come to earth and experience sin we all accepted the requirement of a Savior.

Jehovah volunteered for that position.  

We are dependent upon Jehovah and his saving grace.  

After we have proved ourselves and re-enter into the Father's presence I believe that He will give us a debriefing, and then allow us to continue progressing. 

Edited by mikbone
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • pam featured this topic
5 hours ago, mikbone said:

I understand that we are all spirit children of Heavenly Father as as such we are all spiritual siblings.  But this association that makes us think of Jehovah as an elder brother should not supersed the scripture passages such as:

The teachings that Jehovah is the Father of Adam - Ether 3:14-15, Moses 2:27, Moses 6:22

The teachings that when we are baptized and become members of Christ's church we are spiritually begotten of him and become his spiritual adoptive sons and daughters: Mosiah 5:7, D&C 93:22

 

So, should we think of Jesus Christ as more of a brother or a father???

 

It's important to understand context. Heavenly Father is the father of us all including Jesus Christ who is His firstborn in spirit and only begotten in the flesh. Our spiritual family tree as far as we are concerned goes back exactly one generation to Heavenly Father to whom we are literal offspring.

Jesus Christ, who is known by other names, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Jehovah of the Old Testament is our Father not through spiritual lineage, but via adoption through covenant making. We take upon us His name and are promised blessings as part of our baptismal and sacrament covenants which build as we progress through more ordinances in the gospel.

Now what follows is my personal conjecture as to how I currently understand things, but I can't say it is an official teaching of the church:

The scriptures speak much about the importance of birthright and how it belongs to the first born by birthright and to the righteous by covenant. As a result of the Fall of man in the garden we come to mortality in a fallen state that separates us spiritually from the presence of the Father. We further this separation by our own sins, as we are not held accountable for the transgression of our first parents (Adam and Eve). Jesus Christ is the only one who came through this journey in mortality who could return to the presence of the Father according to the laws of justice and by birthright.

I would hope none of that is terribly controversial yet, but here is where I get into areas I don't fully understand and am learning...

Quote

Abraham 2:11

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee; and in thee (that is, in thy Priesthood) and in thy seed (that is, thy Priesthood), for I give unto thee a promise that this right shall continue in thee, and in thy seed after thee (that is to say, the literal seed, or the seed of the body) shall all the families of the earth be blessed, even with the blessings of the Gospel, which are the blessings of salvation, even of life eternal.

Quote

Doctrine and Covenants 84:

33 For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and the magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies.

34 They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God.

35 And also all they who receive this priesthood receive me, saith the Lord;

36 For he that receiveth my servants receiveth me;

37 And he that receiveth me receiveth my Father;

38 And he that receiveth my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.

39 And this is according to the oath and covenant which belongeth to the priesthood.

40 Therefore, all those who receive the priesthood, receive this oath and covenant of my Father, which he cannot break, neither can it be moved.

Quote

Doctrine and Covenants 132:

48 And again, verily I say unto you, my servant Joseph, that whatsoever you give on earth, and to whomsoever you give any one on earth, by my word and according to my law, it shall be visited with blessings and not cursings, and with my power, saith the Lord, and shall be without condemnation on earth and in heaven.

49 For I am the Lord thy God, and will be with thee even unto the end of the world, and through all eternity; for verily I seal upon you your exaltation, and prepare a throne for you in the kingdom of my Father, with Abraham your father.

50 Behold, I have seen your sacrifices, and will forgive all your sins; I have seen your sacrifices in obedience to that which I have told you. Go, therefore, and I make a way for your escape, as I accepted the offering of Abraham of his son Isaac.

It is my opinion that as part of the Abrahamic Covenant, Abraham secured himself a place in Heaven by being sealed to Jehovah, who again is frequently cited as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Thus the promises to become sons and daughters of Christ are contingent on being sons and daughters of Abraham by receiving the oath and covenant of the priesthood and being sealed into the covenant family of God. But, I'm thinking out loud here and reserve the right to change my mind as my understanding increases.

I would also add, that the scriptures use the word Father a little differently then we do modernly. We can find references to Abraham and Adam as our Father, but no mention of how many generations back or anything. A great grandfather does not require clarification as such, but can simply be a father. In this way as we are sealed to the great patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Adam and are adopted into the family of the Messiah we still have our Eternal father for our father with no special caveat required, and of course we are still His literal offspring.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is spot on, @SpiritDragon. Yes, Abraham claimed the right of a "father" along with all the other patriarchs prior to the flood. It is through Abraham that all generations of the earth after him are blessed. It is also why the sacrifice required of him was so extreme and how symbolic it was of the sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I don't know why Abraham's trial was so difficult compared to that of the others, but I can only speculate that his "succession" was so far out of turn, that the Lord truly tested his willingness to make that claim. Thus, Isaac and Jacob also became "fathers" and why the three are typically mentioned together in succession, Jacob (or Israel) being the father of twelve nations. A few examples:

Quote

Exodus 3:6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Quote

Acts 7:32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.

Quote

1 Nephi 6:4 For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.

Quote

D&C 136:21 Keep yourselves from evil to take the name of the Lord in vain, for I am the Lord your God, even the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, skalenfehl said:

Great topic! Abinadi got it right.

Jesus Christ is the very Eternal Father. When I pray to Father in Heaven, it is Jesus/Jehovah who answers. I still pray in the name of Jesus Christ. He is both the Father and the Son. He has a Father, too, who is also our Father in heaven. Both are Fathers, though one is also the Son because He came down to take upon Himself flesh. And He has commanded us to call upon His name. We know His name because He told us what it is. I spent years studying the Lectures On Faith, because this was a confusing subject for a long time. But after a lot of studying and praying, this is what the Spirit has taught me. I wrote up what I learned for a lot of friends/people who thought I was off the rails. I'm pretty used to being considered an oddball and that's okay. I hope it sheds light on the subject. Food for thought anyway:

Lectures on Faith-My Witness

How do you reconcile the highlighted portion with the following quotes:

1) Joseph Smith's First Vision, it was the Father who called Joseph by name and introduced his Son. The Father, not Jesus/Jehovah answered his prayer.

2) "Don’t worry about your clumsily expressed feelings. Just talk to your Father. He hears every prayer and answers it in His way." Elder Richard G. Scott

3) The title of a lesson manual, "Heavenly Father Answers Our Prayer," and the following, "Explain to your family that they can always pray to Heavenly Father, no matter when or for what reason. He will answer them."

When I pray to my Father in Heaven he is the one who answers my prayers. At times Heavenly Father will answer that through dreams. He will answer through service of another. He will answer through the voice of his Spirit. He will even answer through his Son. I can find no evidence from scripture when I am praying to the Father that the His Son answers.

What brings you to this conclusion?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/24/2018 at 2:53 PM, mikbone said:

For example I used to be under the impression that Jesus Christ is our elder brother.  And I can see how this association can be made...  But nowhere in the holy scriptures can this be found.  Yet I can find numerous scriptures that state that Jesus is our father.   I no longer think of him as my elder brother, by the way...

The concept of Christ being our "elder brother" is one area where Protestant Christianity has had some enmity toward the Church. Yet, this concept is taught in scripture; however, the term "elder brother" is not used, but has been used by the Lord's modern servants.

As others have shared, Christ is the firstborn of the Father, and like Christ, we are all sons and daughters of God. If Christ is the firstborn, and we are all sons and daughters of God, then it is logical and rational to say Jehovah is/was our elder brother; however, in light of the gospel I would say it is more proper that we refer to Him as Savior/Messaih. I would say though the association between God the Father and Jehovah who has spiritually begotten us (thus Father), this relationship is fuliginous to me at this moment (pertaining to the knowledge I now have). It was intriguing to me the first time I realized that as members of the Church in addition to believing in the Godhead, we also recognize the Trinity (not as Protestant Christianity) but that Christ represents surely the Father, the Son, and the Spirit as already shared with Abinadi's words. Which is also intriguing to me because those who are adamant on the Trinity will actually have their Trinity within the Telestial Kingdom -- their chosen heaven.

Christ taught us to pray to the Father, not to himself. So we see our Savior (which I think is the better term any way as to address Him) taught us who the Father is, and that Christ worships and glorifies the Father (not himself). He asks his Father to glorify him and his work.

Edited by Anddenex
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • pam unfeatured this topic

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share