Title credit to Thomas Paine
Showing posts with label book of Mormon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book of Mormon. Show all posts

Monday, July 3, 2017

A PERSPECTIVE

President Barack Hussein Obama gave his last speech to the United Nations.  During his speech he,
·         warned Americans against ultra-nationalism.
·         stated, “we can choose to press forward with a better model…”
·         or “we can retreat into a world sharply divided… along age-old lines of nation and tribe and race and religion.”  http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/20/politics/barack-obama-un-diplomacy/index.html.

73 B.C.
The people in America had become complacent in their wealth, and would not listen to their leaders.  So, Moroni took a pole, and placed his rent coat upon it calling the Title of Liberty.  He then prayed to his God for the blessings of liberty… as long as… Christians remained on the Land.

Summer.  1776
Thomas Jefferson began to pen the Declaration of Independence.  Within its prose, he spoke of God, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  And that governments are instituted by men to guarantee these rights given by God.

Oct. 12, 1816
John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America stated, “Providence has given our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty, as well as privilege and interest, of a Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.”


During the 27 years of the Bush’s, Clinton, and Obama in the White House, religion in America has been in a great decline.  It started earlier in the 60’s, and then began to decline rapidly in the 90’s.  http://religionnews.com/2014/01/27/great-decline-religion-united-states-one-graph/

This loss of religion is coupled with a loss in economic freedom.  There is a parallel.

THURS. Oct 11, 1798
John Adams, the first Vice-President, and second President of the United States of America stated in a letter to the Massachusetts Militia, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”  https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/99-02-02-3102

About 600 B.C.
Jared, his brother, and his people travel to America, and as decreed by God, it is a choice land, but those who possess it must serve God, or be swept off. 

American Presidential election 2016.
The lead up, and aftermath of this has shown that corruption is rampant in both political parties, and is nearly complete.  Only a handful remain who understand the Constitution, and are faithful to it.

This is also true for the major media outlets who have abandoned investigative journalism for political persuasion, lies, and obfuscation.  This is evil, whatever your political persuasion may be.

About 92 B.C.
Alma the younger had a religious conversion, and no longer went about trying to destroy the Church.  He then became a great defender of it.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alma_the_Younger

Tue. Nov. 8, 2016
As election night of 2016 ended, Donald Trump had won 39 States to Hilary Clinton’s 11.  He also won over 2500 counties across our Country compared to her 500.  Something had awakened in America!

Friday, Jan. 20, 2017
Donald J. Trump, a man who has not showed much Christian faith previously, became the 45th President of the United States of America.  In his inaugural address, he stated:

·         We are now joined in a great effort to rebuild our country and to restore its promise for all of our people.
·         We are transferring power from Washington, D.C. back to the people.
·         For too long, a small group in our nation’s Capital has reaped the rewards of government while the people have borne the cost.
·         A new national pride will stir our souls, lift our sights, and heal our divisions.
·         The Bible tells us, “how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.”
·         And whether a child is born in the urban sprawl of Detroit or the windswept plains of Nebraska, they look up at the same night sky, they fill their heart with the same dreams, and they are infused with the breath of life by the same almighty Creator.
·         God Bless America.

Since then he has,
·         Called on God to bless the world after launching military strikes in Syria.
·         Asked God to bless the new Supreme Court Justice.
·         Invoked the Lord’s help in the war on opioids.
·         Pushed socially conservative positions.
·         Felt an increased faith in God, and an increased need to pray since becoming President.

Trump is not a Republican.  Trump is not a Democrat.  Trump is not a politician.

Why would a rich Billionaire give up his lifestyle to be vilified and maliciously attacked by the media and existing power structure in Washington?  There is no money trail to follow.  There is no power trail to follow.  Is it all an act to achieve some unknown end? 

Or has he raised the Title of Liberty to save our Country?

Thursday, September 29, 2016

A CHRISTIAN RELIGION?

Tonight's thoughts deal with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormons.

Many Christians do not feel that Mormonism is a Christian religion.  There are two primary reasons for this.  First, they feel that Mormons don't interpret in the Bible the "right way."  And secondly, the Mormons believe in continuing revelation from God which is considered by many to be blasphemous.

I find these mainstream beliefs very interesting!  Starting with the second, Christians believe that after Christ died, the heavens were closed and God quit speaking to his Children.  This belief by the way, is not in the Bible, nor was it taught by the apostles.

Imagine if you will, we on Earth, God's children, telling Him when He can and when He cannot speak to us.  Imagine God in all His omnipotence being told what he can and cannot do by His son's and daughter's!  Imagine a young child telling his/her parents to "be quiet," and "I will tell you when you can speak!"  I struggle with this theological reasoning!

Now to the matter of interpreting the Bible the "right" way:  My intention is not to try and prove anything, but invite thought.  So following is a typical Christian belief contrasted with the Mormon belief, and than a few appropriate questions and comments.

Mainstream Christians believe God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are all the same being.  John 10:30 is used as a supporting scripture for this which states, "I and my Father are one."  There are others, but this gives us a good idea.  Mormon's on the other hand, believe they are separate and distinct individuals, but one in purpose.

If the typical Christian belief is true, why does God, a singular being, state, "Let us make man in our image (Genesis 1:29), which is plural?  In Acts 7:55 Stephen looked into heaven and saw Jesus standing on the right hand of God.  Again, plural beings.  And lastly when Jesus was baptized as recorded in Matthew 3:17, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Clearly two persons here.  And like the aforementioned belief, these are but a few examples.

So you see the dilemma.  We have some scriptures stating God and Christ are the same being, and some scriptures stating they are separate.  Which is it?  Using logic, which do we believe literally and which are not to be believed, or have a different meaning assigned?  And more importantly, who gets to make this choice?

I believe the answer to this (which is the Mormon belief) lies within the great intercessory prayer in the 17th chapter of John.  These verses by the way, also seem to indicate God and Jesus are not the same individual as Christ is praying to God, rather than himself.

In the 21st verse, Christ indicates how the Father and He are one by stating, "That they all may be one (the people); as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us..."

Does this not suggest that Jesus and the Father are separate beings, yet one in purpose?  Accepting this allows the other contradictory verses to all be correct rather than forcing a situation where one has to choose which scriptures to believe and which to ignore!

I would maintain that the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints follows the bible more literally and more completely than any other religion, with the bible itself supporting this.  But like most things theological, the Holy Spirit must be relied upon to discern truth.

As the bible states the being of God two different ways, I don't see how mainstream Christianity can assume the Mormon church is wrong and they are right.  You see, the only thing they  have to go on are guesses as to which scriptures are to be taken literally and which are not.

Since the bible contradicts itself on many points, it makes one wish someone with a pure knowledge could tell us the truth.  Anciently, someone with this ability was known as a prophet.  Hmmm.