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Do Evangelicals Go To Heaven

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Brother Dorsey

Brother Dorsey

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I'm an evangelical christian and i do not believe mormons will enter the kingdom of heaven.

Is this some type of evangelical judgement thing? I'm really curious because I remember what Christ said: "Judge not lest ye be judged". So, please enlighten me on this whole "Mormons are damned to hell" thing that evangelicals such as yourself profess. Seriously, I mean you must have some kind of secret inside info about the Almighty and how He plans on judging us poor pitiful Mormons. Or are you just assuming the Mormons will burn in hell because they don't believe exactly what you believe? Then if that's the case then you are breaking that whole "judge not" thing that Christ told us about. So, which is it...assumption or God told you so?

Do you believe the other denominations of the world will?

Absolutely! Christian or not, almost all will recieve glory in the kingdom of heaven...remember what Christ said to the dude hanging on the cross next to him; "In my Fathers house there are many mansions....I go to prepare one for you". Many mansions meaning the three glories of Heaven. You think that dude was going to Heaven with Christ because of his "deathbed" acceptance of Him? No, chances are he will achieve the lowest degree of glory reserved for the wretch of society (but still paradise compared to this world we live in). The dude wasn't going to Heaven right away...he was headed for spirit prison to await the ressurection and judgement. If you study the Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Mormon you will see that God reveiled all this to us through his Prophets.

Which brings up a couple of very important questions I would like to ask you my friend. I know evangelicals believe that only those folks that accept Christ and profess His name and all that are saved and will go to Heaven and everyone else burns....so, what about those that never hear about Christ? Is God that mean and unjust to make them burn because they never had the opportunity to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior? What about all those that lived before Christ was born? Do they Burn? How about little kids raised in the muslim countries or in communist China and the now defunct USSR who died young and never had the chance to hear about Christ? Do they burn too? Is this the God you believe in? Is this the loving Christ you believe in?

Again, through study of the Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Mormon you can learn that God really is a just God and has given all through all time the opportunity to hear and accept the Gospel. Isn't that great news? We know this truth because God speaks to us through a living Prophet and reveils these truths precept upon precept when we are ready to hear them!

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prisonchaplain

prisonchaplain

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Which brings up a couple of very important questions I would like to ask you my friend. I know evangelicals believe that only those folks that accept Christ and profess His name and all that are saved and will go to Heaven and everyone else burns....so, what about those that never hear about Christ? Is God that mean and unjust to make them burn because they never had the opportunity to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior? What about all those that lived before Christ was born? Do they Burn? How about little kids raised in the muslim countries or in communist China and the now defunct USSR who died young and never had the chance to hear about Christ? Do they burn too? Is this the God you believe in? Is this the loving Christ you believe in?

I'll take a stab at this, because it is an on-going one even within evangelicalism. IMHO, there are two answers that make sense to me. Neither one is conclusive--both are utilitarian.

1. To those skeptics and other non-evangelicals who ask: We don't know. God, by definition, is both just and merciful. And yet, Jesus clearly says he is the only way to the Father. Some speculate that people will be judged based on what they did know. We can only be certain that God is just and merciful. No guarantees of second chances or that those who do not know nevertheless bare guilt for what they've done. But, no presumption either.

2. To our fellow evangelicals: Let's make sure this doesn't happen on our watch. Romans tells us that the lost cannot here the Good News unless we send them messengers--so send we must. Tell we must. Demonstrate we must. Let us be all things to all peoples that a few might be saved.

BTW: Some will tell you that those who do not know are damned. They will have some Scripture references and arguments. I choose not to argue with them--but rather to encourage them then to give all to the missionary endeavor.

Yet, I'm not so sure God does not have his ways of judging such souls, and am more than happy to leave the matter in his hands.

Again, through study of the Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Mormon you can learn that God really is a just God and has given all through all time the opportunity to hear and accept the Gospel. Isn't that great news? We know this truth because God speaks to us through a living Prophet and reveils these truths precept upon precept when we are ready to hear them!

Joseph Smith, whatever else people say about him, offered answers to some of the burning questions of his time that many find attractive.

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prisonchaplain

prisonchaplain

Posted
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<div class='quotemain'>

Wow... If you are a representation of what evangelicals are, they don't seem very christian to me...

I don't believe evangelicals are Christians, actually. They profess to be Christian, but are they really?

TJ, I have it on good authority that "they" are. I asked PC, and he told me so. :P

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john doe

john doe

Posted
Posted

I'm an evangelical christian and i do not believe mormons will enter the kingdom of heaven. Do you believe the other denominations of the world will?

Well, I for one am glad that YOU aren't my judge. I'll let Jesus decide whether I'm worthy to hang in his 'hood. In my experience, for the most part, rabid evangelicals are among the most un-Christian people in the world. What's the phrase Jesus used? "They draw near to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me".

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sixpacktr

sixpacktr

Posted
Posted

I'm an evangelical christian and i do not believe mormons will enter the kingdom of heaven. Do you believe the other denominations of the world will?

Gibby,

Congratulations! You have now officially taken the place of Satan in standing as the chief accuser of a whole group of people. Did you know, O most knowledgeable one, that Satan's name actually means "accuser of the brethren"? How does that feel, taking some of Satan's work away from him so that he can concentrate on other things?

Putz...

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prisonchaplain

prisonchaplain

Posted
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I understand the frustration that our OP has generated. Optimistic me, s/he probably thought this was unknown stuff, and that a conversation would start, with many being shocked at the info revealed. Come to find out, most hear have heard of these "problems," and either found them unimportant, or did some searching and have found satisfactory answers.

In 1992 God called me to go to seminary--my church's graduate school--to study various aspects of ministry. The calling was specific. While my church recognizes most seminaries out there--especially those of evangelical tradition--the Spirit led me to my own movement's school.

I was discussing this in Korea with a missionary professor (evangelical, but not Assemblies of God). She was excited that I was going to do graduate work, and asked me where I was going. When I told her, she pulled me aside (so as not to ask this question in front of others and cause embarrassment): But, what about Jimmy Swaggart?

For those of you who do not know, JImmy Swaggart had been a very influential televangelist throughout the 1980s, but had fallen in a very public way (sex scandal).

The incident was four years old--but still a sore point for many evangelicals. I informed her that Swaggart had been defrocked four years ago, and was now independent. She did not know that.

Guilt by association? Unfair generalization? Yet, to the inquisitor it was a simple question--how could you go to a school even remotely associated with such scandal?

How could you be part of a church that used to practice polygamy, who's prophet purportedly said/did something untoward, etc.? The temptation is to slap down and dismiss. Ironically, many of the questioners have no idea how offensive they've been.

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the_jason

the_jason

Posted
Posted

BTW, PC, I don't put you in the 'rabid evangelical' box that presents itself here from time to time. You have shown yourself to be thoughtful and thought-provoking, unlike those who come here to sully the LDS just because they heard we believe differently than they do.

I think PC is LDS. He just doesn't know it yet. :)
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tiancum

tiancum

Posted
Posted

PC, i gotta ask...

Do you think a Mormon can go to heaven? Or does he have to change religions in order to get there.

I guess what I am asking is; do you think it's possible to be a Practicing Latter day Saint, and be a true Christian?

One of my professors, an evangelical pastor, always asked people if they have had "the baptism of fire and the holy ghost." He could actually see it in people. When he spoke of God, he glowed. He indeed, did speak with the power of the holy ghost. I know he was a man of god. He said he could see it in some LDS.

:hmmm::lol::sparklygrin:;) We're on to you though, if you don't give a direct answer, "yes i believe a Mormon can be a true Christian", or "No, you guys are frikking nuts" that you are avoiding the question. ;);)

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john doe

john doe

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hmmm...funny how some people take potshots at us and move on...no reply...no rebuttal by original poster :dontknow:

It's called a hit-and-run or trolling. People who actually want a dialogue don't usually start by insulting the group they want to converse with. "Hey, I think you're going to hell, what do you think of me?" Not the writings of a true disciple of Christ if you ask me. :hmmm::hmmm:

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prisonchaplain

prisonchaplain

Posted
Posted

BTW, PC, I don't put you in the 'rabid evangelical' box that presents itself here from time to time. You have shown yourself to be thoughtful and thought-provoking, unlike those who come here to sully the LDS just because they heard we believe differently than they do.

Thanks John. I figured as much. Unfortunately, a few boorish apples (maybe quite a few?) can make life difficult for the rest of us. By the way, the word "rabid" in your post was an excellent choice. "Rabidness" does no good for any religion.

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AnthonyB

AnthonyB

Posted
Posted

I'd consider myself an evanglelical christian, (but I'm from a faith tradition that doesn't have an exact equivalent in the US).

For me it is the convenant relationship with Jesus that saves people, he has given us things that will show that we are members of His kingdom but it is His perogative to decide who is His true subjects. There is no theological test to enter heaven, nor is membership or not of any organization(church, club or faith tradition) on earth the deciding factor.

My task on earth is not to decide who Jesus may or may not accept. My task is to present the gospel through my life and words.

So are Mormons saved? Well that is up to their individual relationship with Jesus. Given that they are actively looking to be in convenant relationship with Jesus, I had hazard a guess to say that being LDS would be probably more likely to assist in moving towards Jesus

than being someone who was deliberately not trying to be in relationship with Him.

For me the apostasy occurred when Christians started to create non biblical formulaes with words that God had not authorized. Jesus said the one unforgivable sin was to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, which for me appears to be strongly linked with attributing the work of Holy Spirit as the work of the satan. If a group decides that other people are not christians because of what they believe, it would seem to follow that they would doubt the other group could have the Holy Spirit which was promised to Jesus followers. It isn't a huge jump, if you decide that they cannot truly have the Holy Spirit, to attributing spiritual activites to another source. Doing so IMHO puts you perilously close to possibly blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

By all means warn, admonish, teach others if you think they are in error but do so in love and humility, pointing them to Jesus as best you know him. However deciding who Jesus will accept and who may be his true followers is task I'll personally leave to Jesus.

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