For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Genesis 3:4-5). And such a warm and reassuring thing to know the nature of God., The Truth: Joseph Smith was the founder of the Mormon church. children in various countries, running Conversely, how many members have been crushed in one way or another by a Bishop or RS Pres or Stake Pres or HT/VT who abused authority or simply wasnt in tune with the Spirit when inspiration and discernment was crucial? Its quite different for LDS to believe that in sharing the gospel we can provide saving ordinances to people and help them live the gospel more fully vs. an Evangelical view that if you dont believe and profess your faith in their specific way, you will be damned. Email: office@lmn.org, Featured Articles (Click here for a whole list! While this is common Christian sticking point it is not a quite so fair a characterization, either, to say Mormons are taking the ultimate power of salvation away from Christ. Many people I know are living a great, terrestrial life, trying their best to follow Christ, which we are taught will yield something along the lines of a traditional Christian heaven (minus the trampoline-clouds and harps). and here in the United States. View. broadcast and online distribution. Select Images Browse. all built on the foundation of assumed and always articulated grace. Eastern-Europe countries right after the collapse of Communism. the Gospel message to people in Nepal, operating prison ministries in Romania and The Philippines, and TV production both in India The debate over any veracity of special authority aside which is another discussion entirely I think the authority narrative is a unique strength of Mormonism that helped it largely transcend flaws, schisms, crimes, and everyday shortcomings because lay leaders saw themselves as unique, justified and set apart from the world by God himself. Area Authorities with Stake Presidencies; Stake Presidencies (and Stake Auxiliaries and High Councils) with Bishops and Ward leaders; Bishops with Ward Auxiliary Presidents; Auxiliary Presidents with their counselors; etc. JFQ, The problem here is that there are not multiple right answers to these questions regarding salvation and heaven. Mormons believe that there are literally millions of gods; these gods populate their own planets and rule over them. Hes the whole cornerstone of our faith. Growing up in a Christian home, she was taught the importance of daily Bible reading and prayer, and as she grew older, these practices became an integral part of her daily routine. Nepal, Vanuatu, The Philippines, and Chinawhile we still work Romania, Ukraine, and Lithuania. In her personal life, Luna is known for her kindness and gentle spirit. She and her husband make it a priority to raise their children in a Christ-centered home and to instill in them the importance of daily Bible reading and prayer. A third, special Traveling High Council of Twelve was called and given charge of the churchs missionary work. He didn't know anything about Adventists, but the film title intrigued . Mormons claim to follow Jesus Christ, but theirs is a different, false Jesus Christ. You will get one text message, every morning. There was a good article in time.com in February about the mistaken notions many Christians have about Heaven that contradict scripture. Thanks for all the great responses and insights. Adam and Eve were the first two people created by God and as a result, lived in a beautiful Garden of Eden. The lay clergy creates a different type of engagement & growth for individuals, and the three degrees of glory brings hope and charity together nicely. Nearly every man in the church had some level of priesthood authority. A Temple Recommend: Being Worthy to Enter the Temple, A Spiritual and Intellectual Journey from Mormonism to Deism, New Light on Mormon Origins from the Palmyra Revival, Joseph Smith's Changing First Vision Accounts, Brigham Young's Teachings on Blood Atonement, Latter-day Saints and Biblical Christianity. 3. Based on what Ive seen of your sincere efforts to live what you believe, I have no doubt you are striving for just that. John, loved this post. I think you are wrong in some of your conclusions about the Church, but Ill make sure your work gets done again if youve actually been excommunicated and if you havent (if you are still a member of record), I believe when you are old (even if thats after death) you will not depart from it. *grin*. However, there is a fluidity and openness to change and acceptance of new knowledge and understanding within Mormonism that drives many Christians nuts, which is manifested by those who claim we are damned specifically because we dont agree on those specific points of doctrine. I agree with you, and perhaps go further than you, in thinking that spiritual equality of blessings exists for all of Gods children. I disagree with its claim to unique and special authority its One True Church-ness. The office of deacon was soon added beneath teacher with the primary assignment of assisting the other offices. an orphanage in India, operating an aviation-based medical clinic in Vanuatu, teaching health and hygiene along with Questions about the bible, What Happened To Adam And Eve After They Were Banished: 414 Zapada Rd. Learn how to get daily Bible verse alerts here: sign up for daily Bible verse alerts here. Johnson, Epiphany Studies in the Scriptures, as well as two magazines, the bi-monthly The Bible Standard and the quarterly The Present Truth, which are produced in about ten different languages. They really increase comprehension of LDS Church structure, such as it was. I think this was historically important because the burgeoning church was comprised largely of uneducated, untrained, and religiously disaffected converts. Laymen Ministries Often, immediately following baptism and confirmation, new members were ordained as elders of the church. The downside is that many times, the spiritual Peter Principle comes into play. LAYMEN MINISTRIES - ABOUT US Humble Beginnings by Christy Reich Cautiously entering the church, a naive 16-year-old girl and her 18-year-old drug dealing, rock and roll guitar playing, high school dropout boyfriend made their way to the balcony. STUDY RESOURCES: The Mormons: Who They Are, What They Believe. To get to (Our Federal Tax EIN #94-3181419). Email: office@lmn.org, schools for indigenous These programs air on on a number Indian TV satellite networks, both in India and This Project Connect booklet from Lutheran Hour Ministries helps you understand the Mormon missionaries who come to your door. Protestant Christians (aside perhaps strict Calvinists) believe that God has the power to reach out and save each of His children who will accept Him in faith. But ultimately I think it is disingenuous for either tradition to judge the other on the metrics of whose God, whose theology, is more just, nice, compassionate, fair, loving or generous. As used in Romans 10:9-10, the words "saved" and "salvation" signify a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ.Through this covenant relationship, followers of Christ are assured salvation from the eternal consequences of sin if they are obedient. As I said, I think we will be judged by what we become by how valiantly we strive to become like Jesus to live what we understand, whatever that is. View. In a sense, this has some similarity to the degrees of glory angle of LDS exaltation doctrine. When the Church of Christ was organized on April 6, 1830, none of its members were professional clergy, but all its adult male members were endowed with priesthood. For millennia, Christians had wrestled with defining the roles of lay people and the clergy in expressing piety. That belief is true of most other Christians, as well; we just phrase the belief differently. Laymen = Clergy: The Genius of Mormonism? Finally, if Mormons are truly Christian, then why is it that you will never find a cross on any Mormon church or temple? First, God has told us that he alone is God; there are no other gods besides him (Isaiah 44:4-8; Isaiah 45:5-22; Isaiah 46:9). I struggle a bit with this one, since I really do believe the structure is there for widespread, individual growth and communal bonding and truly is genius. It drives me up the wall, and I just think its a blatant lie. Finally, God has told us that nobody ever has or ever will evolve to become a god (Isaiah 43:10). I still have more thinking to do on this one. The ordinance emphasis makes it seem like Mormon theology is more gracious and fair compared to Christianity, when in truth it merely redefines, IMO, the scope and method in which God does His work. The Book of Mormon does not find any corroboration in history, archaeology, geography, or anthropology. But many adherants through elitism, protectionism, discrimination, natural man or whatever, have a hard time finding productive ways to build bridges, and politely define the differences. more about our organization just click on the title of this section. that laymen are ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ and to provide resources to empower lay people to Missouri State Archives-The Missouri-Mormon War, Missouri Governor Lilburn Boggs' Extermination Order. Pastor Johnson was a Greek and Hebrew scholar, which gave him the skills necessary to understand the Bible from the original languages. While their teachings are drawn from the Churchs teachings, they do not adhere to the doctrinal requirements or the ecclesiastical structure of the LDS Church. The LDS priesthood structure, due to the conception that all are called and ordained of God, and that such authority was conferred through the special mission and ordination of Joseph Smith, created a hierarchical and denominational loyalty that American Christianity largely hasnt created nor tried to create. Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Yet in the spirit of mutual understanding I think it is honest to say that either faith tradition places a lot of trust in Gods loving and merciful nature, that He seeks (and will) accomplish salvation for all of humanity who will accept Him. 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White MP3 Thumb Drive Audio Book Collection, LM69: Long Train Ride/Man Shall Not Live By Bread Alone *8 left*, LM67: The Days of Noah Updates (1, 2 & 3) DVD, Transformed Brain Transformed Life Series DVD, Scripture Mysteries 7: Death, Near Death & Life After Death, DVD, Scripture Mysteries 6: The Antichrist's Amendment, DVD, Scripture Mysteries 5: The Antichrist Power Revealed, DVD, Scripture Mysteries 4: The Ark and the Covenants, DVD, Scripture Mysteries 2: The Most Incredible Prophecy, DVD, Scripture Mysteries 1: The Forgotten Dream, DVD, LM12. Everyone whos even trying gets an upgrade after this life. Granted, I think youre wrong, JfQ. That most people arent worthy of certain blessings. . also been seen on other networks. The subsequent study, due out soon, should give us a better metric on evaluating practice, including attendance. Our goal is to empower lay people in all par See more 3,388 people like this 3,746 people follow this http://www.lmn.org/ (800) 245-1844 office@lmn.org Nonprofit Organization Photos See all Videos See all 9:47 Satan said, You will not surely die. fulfill their mission.". I recall that Joseph would often bypass the bishop in Zion and address his letters of concern to the newspaper editor. New Products. If the scriptures and the prophets are to be believed at all, then all of the blessings mentioned in the scriptures are open to all of Heavenly Fathers children, so long as they are willing to accept the grace of the atonement into their lives. Ralph M. Herzig (20042014) was elected as Executive Trustee and Director of the Laymens Home Missionary Movement in 2004, and assumed the office of General Editor of The Bible Standard and Present Truth magazines as well as overseeing the pilgrim service, which functions as a speakers bureau. (Since Im biased, please call me on it if I misrepresent.). I believe we will be judged on how well we live the teachings of Jesus, NOT by how well we articulate them or the nuances of our intellectualization of them. Our Federal Tax EIN: #94-3181419. This is a far cry from true Biblical Christianity. Likewise, using those same parameters, Mormons believe that the majority of Christians, regardless of denomination and including Mormons, will be together in either the Terrestrial or Celestial Kingdom. Adam and Eve were in a state of perfect harmony and innocence, having never been exposed to sin. However, due to its origins and its teachings, some people mistakenly believe that Laymen Ministries is a Mormon organization. Smith successfully transferred the argument of ideals away from a commitment to the perfection of Christ (and its connected scripture, tradition and history) to that of a commitment to the perfection of the church structure (and its unique, charismatic, evolving and restored nature). for reading on a home computer, tablet or iPad. In the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the terms "saved" and "salvation" have various meanings. Whether you want to learn about Emotions In The Bible or Bible Study, weve got you covered. Why cant you study the Bible, a little bit, each morning, Theres no need to keep putting it off any longer, Check out our Frequently Asked Questions here: FAQ, Sign up for a daily text message (SMS), now, Use our Religion Calculator to see how religious you are. Welcome Guest! If we are right on the other hand, many will fail short of the highest degree of glory. We also Its either one way or the other. Thats not just Calvinists. #2 can be functionally found quite easily in other Christian denominations. Mormons have adopted a heretical view of God and a heretical view of mans ability to become a god. media and online video sites. View. These Mormon doctrines are in direct conflict with the truth that God has revealed to us in Scripture. Weve got all your Bible questions and answers here. Laymen Ministries has been involved with overseas mission work since 1990. Laymen Ministries is also involved with Television production in India, where we own and operate another TV studio under the name After all, we are a church of called and assigned volunteers and I dont want to give up the wonderful side of the sword just to eliminate the possibility of being cut by the other side. For instance, I have had people argue that there are specific blessings reserved for the prophets & apostles that ordinary people just cant get. Laymen Ministries They are chosen from the people and are ordained within the community with the special sacramental . We were Our belief system doesnt damn people to hell just for disagreeing. projects around the world that air on the satellite network 3ABN. But according to the Bible, Adam and Eve lived somewhere in the Garden of Eden which is thought to have been in Mesopotamia around 5000-6000 BCE. about Humble Beginnings! You may need to update your browser to view LHM.org correctly.Your current browser is no longer considered secure, and it is recommended that you upgrade. We just dont usually call it a priesthood and operate more consensually, which also helps the benefits of personal enablement and investment to be more functionally accessible to women, IMO. variety of books, Bibles, music CDs, DVDs, study guides and other resources to equip lay people with the Sit up front, smile, and say "Amen" every time he says something good. 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