The Face of Mormonism?

We hear from Harry Reid that Mitt Romney should not be the face of Mormonism.  First off most members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints don’t usually refer to themselves as Mormons.  It is a term that is tinged with unpleasant and unflattering associations and it is confusing for the general public.  “Mormons” don’t worship the prophet Mormon from the book of the same name, nor do we elevate the Book of Mormon over the Bible. The actual name of the church more closely expresses the beliefs and doctrines of the church and it’s 14,000,000 plus adherents throughout the world.  We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, in His Father (our eternal father) and in the Holy Spirit.  We believe in the commandments and doctrine contained in both the Old an New Testaments and those in the Book of Mormon (another testament of Jesus Christ) and the other books of scripture.

That said, which of the members of  the “Mormon” church is more deeply aligned with the scriptures, commandments and doctrines contained within the Christian Scriptures? Would that be the one who belongs to a political party that favors the murder of innocents who have yet to be born ( or if Pres. Obama had his wish even those who were born after their mothers had consented to have them assassinated)?  Would it be the party of same sex marriage in complete disregard of the doctrine contained in the scriptures forbidding such practices?  Would that be the party of tax and spend -stealing from those who have to give to those who refuse to work?  Would that be the party of dimmitude that seeks to suppress the rights of followers of Christ while they advance the rights of atheist, agnostics and followers of Allah over everyone else?  Would it be the party who sees nothing wrong with the adoption of Sharia law, a law like unto the one fulfilled by the death of Jesus Christ, which occurred so that we could live a higher law (maybe that wasn’t such a good idea, seems a lot of people need to be told how many steps to walk and what to do every minute of the day)?  Maybe it’s the party of it’s OK to lie about someone as long as you’re doing it for the good of the country?  Or perhaps it’s the party of “we can’t even find integrity in the dictionary” because we’ve been publicly educated and can’t spell, read or think in a logical fashion, but we an tell you how we “feel”?

I for one am tired of Harry Reid pretending he knows something about being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and then standing on the floor of the Senate and lying about another member of the Church for political gain.  And then when he’s been proven wrong (as with Gov. Romney’s tax return which Reid agitated for month for) he doubles down, tries to distract attention by thinking up new lies and innuendos, and refusing to apologize or even acknowledge he was wrong.

So while I agree Mitt Romney should not be the “face” of Mormonism, neither should Harry Reid.  Reid should also stop throwing the Church  under the bus every time it’s convenient for him.  He has done and does today a really good job of pretending he’s not even a member most of the time.  He should go back to doing that because as an example of what “Mormons” believe and how they act he’s pretty pitiful and I feel truly sorrow for him.  May God have mercy on his soul.

Read Full Post »

Charity never faileth

Candidate Romney gave 30 % of his income in 2011 to charity.  Ten percent is the tithe he paid to the LDS church but he probably paid more than that, just like he paid more in taxes then he owed.  Just thought I’d insert a little reality into this discussion, because you know that people who don’t belong to the LDS (Mormon) church know so much more about it than people who’ve actually been members for 30, 40, 50 years.

First Tithing is a commandment and just like any other commandment, it is up to the individual whether or not they are obedient to it.  No one comes to your door with guns or a warrant for your arrest if you don’t pay tithing.  It won’t get you thrown out of the church or shunned (which Mormons don’t do, that would be the Amish – very fine, upstanding folks as well).  True there are things you can’t do but you couldn’t do them if you were disobeying other commandments as well. They’re commandments not suggestions.  So giving to your church is a choice just like giving to Planned Parenthood, PETA, MoveOn.org and Acorn.  All of these groups have agendas.  Makes no difference whether they’re religious or secular (and some might argue that all of them are religious in nature as people choose which god to worship whether they admit it or not) and some people have engaged in uncivilized behavior in behalf of all sorts of causes on the left and on the right.

As for what constitutes a charity, those who don’t give at all don’t get to decide who’s eligible to receive someone’s money.  PETA to me is a political entity not a charity and I wouldn’t give them a moldy sock.  There are plenty of scams out there to take peoples  money for things they didn’t plan to give to. That said the main difference between the Romneys of the world and the Obamas of the world is one thinks giving should be up to the individual, un-mandated.  The other thinks giving should be not only mandated but that the individual doesn’t get to decide who gets their money.

Remember while the Mormons don’t come to your door to extort money from you (just to share their message, which takes a few moments and when you say thanks but you’re not interested, they go away) the government doesn’t even bother to contact you directly.  They simply access your paycheck and take whatever they want for whatever reason they deem necessary.

I don’t know choice versus compulsion? It seems like I’ve heard that argument before.

Revelations 12:7 , 17

7  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,…………

17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the COMMANDMENTS of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Same war different battlefield.

Read Full Post »

I guess this means Christianity is going to crumble?

This just in from the Drudge report…… Faded Piece of Papyrus Refers to Jesus’ Wife (and a female disciple).   I suppose those of an anti-Christ persuasion think this will bring Christianity to it’s collective knees.  Christians will leave their faiths in droves they will think.  This is just the crack in the wall they can exploit.  I can just see some of the most ardent detractors of religion rubbing their hands in glee.  I hate to urinate on your Wheaties, but I’m reasonably sure that most Christians aren’t floored by this “new” line of thinking.

In the New Testament we’re told that there was a group of women who followed Jesus. They were in various and sundry locations but for sure they were there at the Crucifixion and some were there at the tomb.  Some of them were probably family of both Jesus and his Apostles, some were just followers (and that makes them disciples ie followers of the doctrines of a teacher or a school of thought.  In this case a personal follower of Christ (including his 12 apostles) during his life, and I would add any one who follows the doctrine of Jesus Christ to this day.

Anyone who calls himself a Christian is indeed a disciple.  Some of us are good disciples who try to follow the doctrines laid out in the New Testament.  Some of us are not as good.  We’ve allowed the world to dictate to us the perimeters of our discipleship.  Still men, women, children, rich, poor, educated or not if you claim a relationship to or with God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ you are a disciple.  So women even then could be disciples.  They couldn’t be priest in the Temple because that was not a role assigned to them.  If the “scholar” who has unearthed this find thinks that this will buttress the argument that women should hold the priesthood (to beat up the Catholics and Mormons -with members running for president/vice president) they’ll need to think again.  There is no special training, not qualifiers for being a disciple save a belief in and on Jesus Christ as the Savior of Mankind.

As for the idea that Jesus was married.  Personally I don’t care if he was or not.  It would explain some things to me though.

1. Why did the early church find it necessary to suppress the importance of Mary Magdalene and emphasize the role of Mary the mother of Jesus.

2. In a time when single men and women didn’t travel together why was Mary (Magdalene or Lazarus’ sister) traveling with the Apostles.

3. Christ came to earth, was born in the common way, was presented at the temple, was Baptized, all things he shouldn’t have had to do.  He was the Son of God.  Sinless.  Why should he have had to do these things?  Well if He came here to fulfill all righteousness then why shouldn’t he fulfill ALL of the Sacraments including marriage.  It is not right for man to be alone. If it’s not right then ……………

4. Whether or not Jesus was married has no impact on my faith,

 ” faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true.” Alma 32:21 (Book of Mormon)

I have faith because I have had the truth seared in my heart by the Holy Spirit.  I know because I asked.

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” James 1:5.

So, I guess what I’m saying in 1.000 words or less is, this is a non story.  It doesn’t make a difference in the message, nor does it make a difference in how I live my life.  It doesn’t bring me closer to Christ nor does it put an impediment in the relationship I have with him.  If, as I believe, he suffered for me in the Garden, he suffered for not just the sins of commission, he suffered for the sins of omission, he suffered for the offenses, the hurt feelings, the broken hearts, the mistakes, the failures, the inadequacies, the insecurities and all other “feelings” Satan can use to destroy faith.  Before we come to him in agony he has already been there, he has already felt what we feel, he’s suffered what we suffer only he did it for everyone, disciple or not.  It is truly humbling to know that one being was willing to lay down his life for us all. The debt we are to pay? Do the things God asks us to do, so that we will be happy, healthy and filled with joy.

It’s so very hard to do?  That’s what the world would have us believe.  I wonder just whose message we’re listening to.

 

Read Full Post »