Stand on the Rock of Revelation Part 4

Viewpoint is to examine the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a viewpoint when Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect.

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What are the primary questions as opposed to the secondary questions welcome to this edition of viewpoint on Mormonism. I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry and with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM this week we've been looking at an article in the October 2020 edition of inside magazine titled stand on the rock of revelation. It was originally a devotional that was given by Mormon Elder Lawrence E Corps bridge. He gave this devotional back in January 2019. Now it's been turned into an article and as I mentioned, it's in the October 2020 addition of enzyme is basically doing is giving members some guidelines as to how they can determine what is right what is wrong what questions should be asked, as opposed to some that probably are not all that important, at least not to Elder Corps bridge. That's what were going to look at today in his article under the section primary questions and secondary questions. He writes there are primary questions and there are secondary questions begin by answering the primary questions first.

The primary questions are the most important. There are only a few primary questions I mentioned for number one. Is there a God who is our father.

Number two is Jesus Christ the son of God, the Savior of the world. Number three was Joseph Smith, a prophet number four is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the kingdom of God on earth now. I think those are fair questions but I think we have to also understand what does Mr. Corps bridge mean in questions number one and two. This is why I asked that number one says is there a God who is our father.

If he means that in a Mormon context. In other words, that the God the father of Mormonism is the literal father of not only every human being on earth, born in a preexistence as his spirit children then yes I would say three and four are probably important in connection with that. If that's not how we meant that then I don't see the relationship between one and two and three and four because if Joseph Smith is not a prophet. How would that change the biblical teaching that we as believers have a God who is our father. Christians believe that we may not believe the definitions that are included in Mormonism. Certainly we wouldn't agree with those but certainly we can say that we believe in God the father. The same would go to point number two. We certainly believe is New Testament Christians that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

Now does he mean though, literally, the son of God, as some Mormon leaders have taught it, such as God, who has a body of flesh and bones coming down and having physical sexual relationships with Mary and that's how we get the incarnated Mormon Jesus, if that's what he's thinking, then yes two, three and four would all be related. If these meaning that in a generic way that Jesus is the son of God that a Christian could agree with that wording and I Inc. I can then I don't see the relationship between three and four and one into that becomes important because if in fact God is our father. If in fact Jesus Christ is the son of God, the Savior of the world as he says in point number two it's irrelevant whether or not Joseph Smith is a prophet or if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the kingdom of God on earth. They're not related. He seems to think they are. Which makes me wonder and I can't prove it because he doesn't give those details in this article that maybe he is looking at points one and two.

Is there a God who is our father into his Jesus Christ, the son of God, the Savior of the world in a Mormon context. I think you would have to say it is in a Mormon context and that's one of the hard things for many people who don't know much about Mormonism as Christians as they talk to their Latter Day Saints friends because we do use the same terms, but we have different meanings.

But if you're going to accept this article written by a former 70 as being from a Mormon perspective I think you're going have to say God who is our father is referring to a literal father as man is God once was, as God's man may become.

And so the idea that God is our father. Today in the same way that he had a father in a previous world and how Mormons think that someday they hope to be able to become gods in their own right with their families and so we have.

I think very clearly. I think it's a literal father is what is talk about number one and number two, when a latter-day St. use the term son of God.

They mean in a literal sense, not in the sense that the Christian would use in other words the way they describe. He's the son of God in the flashlight the phrase they always use which certainly makes a distinction between what they are thinking as opposed to what we is New Testament Christians would be thinking, and when he says Savior of the world. I believe he's referring specifically to the atonement and grace and the other terms that are used by Latter Day Saints to explain how there is a general salvation available to everybody because of our obedience in this preexistence state, and so for the Christian we would say the Savior of the world is reserved only for a specific group of people. The Christian, the person who has belief. And yet Latter Day Saints believe that Jesus is the Savior for everybody because by being that he can now allow anybody to go to one of the three kingdoms of glory and the He says, by contrast, the secondary questions are on ending. They include questions about church history plural marriage, people of African descent in the priesthood, women in the priesthood.

The translation of the book of Mormon, the pearl of great price DNA in the book of Mormon gay marriage different accounts of the first vision and on and on.

It's interesting that that list of secondary questions in many ways sounds very close to the list of gospel topics, essays why do you think the church had to come out with those gospel topics essays because too many of the members.

These secondary questions were really primary questions for them. So the church felt compelled to respond to these questions because people were leaving because of these questions they were finding information from outside sources, meaning sources that were not connected to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It cause them problems which made them question I would say points three and four in his primary questions in the This is what is said if you answer the primary questions the secondary questions get answered to or they pale in significance, answer the primary questions and you can deal with things you understand and things you don't and with things you agree with and things you don't without jumping ship though.

I'm going to suggest that these secondary questions play much more of a significant role in being able to determine the first four questions than what he seems to be showing here because from what this article says he wants to minimize these questions about the secondary issues of church history plural marriage, etc. I'm going to say that these secondary questions definitely relate very much, especially to numbers three and four to help us to be able to see was Joseph Smith the Prophet and is this church, the kingdom of God on earth because of Joseph Smith was not a prophet, then how can the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints be the kingdom of God on earth. It seems to nullify it and if it isn't the kingdom of God on earth. Then Joseph Smith's claim that it is becomes problematic. But what about Joseph Smith is a prophet. Let's take one of these primary questions how would we, as a Christian make a judgment call on that if you asked most Latter Day Saints. How did you come to the conclusion that Joseph Smith was a prophet. Many times they will tell you will. I prayed about it. It's something again very subjective. I would say that's a bad way of answering that question and I would argue that we need to go back to special revelation and that would be the Bible. Deuteronomy 13 Deuteronomy 13 one says this if there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams and gives you a sign or wonder in the sign of the wonder comes to pass, whereof he spoke unto you, saying, let us go after other gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them. You shall not hearken into the words of that Prophet or that dreamer of dreams now think about this. Joseph Smith comes on the scene.

He's hailed as a prophet of God, but yet he introduces an understanding of God, which is completely foreign to what the Jews believed as well as what the Christians believe nowhere will you find that the Jews or the Christians were believing in a God who had a body of flesh and bones as tangible as man's know where will you find they believed in a God who was once a man who revolved to the person in position that he now holds.

Certainly this is not the God of Christianity.

I would say that by Deuteronomy 13 Joseph Smith is disqualified as being a true prophet of God by the very fact that he introduces a false understanding of who God is what you just gave us is that objective or subjective truth. Would you say that is something that the facts state or is it just your mere opinion.

Clearly, this is our objective because I'm going first of all to a source outside of myself. I'm going to the revealed word of God which Mormons are supposed to believe also Deuteronomy is a part of their canon as it is a part of our canon that we don't have to stop.

Deuteronomy 13.

We can also go to Deuteronomy 18 which also tells us in verse 22 that when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord. If the thing follows not and it does not come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken, but the prophet has spoken it presumptuously.

And here's the kicker, you shall not be afraid of him. Smith did in fact incorrectly prophesy certain events.

Therefore, I am not to be afraid of him. He is not a true prophet of God. I can have complete confidence in rejecting him and that alleged calling that Latter Day Saints thinks he has and that is being a latter-day prophet.

So what by taking care of number three insane was Joseph Smith the Prophet and by showing that he was not a true prophet would a false prophet will then that would negate number four because then his church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is not the kingdom of God on earth and numbers one and two would also be eliminated because then the God that Joseph Smith preached about is a false god and the Jesus Christ that Jesse Smith taught is a false Jesus a second Corinthians 11 for talks about. I think you'd be absolutely correct. So it becomes very important. I'm not against his points one through four I just disagree with Mr. core bridge and saying that we can't look at the secondary questions is having a lot of importance as well.

Now he may be right when he says, by contrast, the secondary questions are on ending. Yep, Mormonism tends to do that.

There are a lot of ending questions that cause many of us to have doubts about this organization but it doesn't mean that we ignore them and I get the impression that Mr. core bridge is wanting to.

As we said earlier he wants to poison the well stay away from those issues because those issues are not only unending that could bring you a lot of doom and gloom that he talks about earlier in the article and why many people see facts that go against what they believe is causing them a lot of concern and that I think is what's happening in the lives of a lot of Latter Day Saints. They read this information. They see things that bother them see things that contradict what they were led to believe earlier on in their Latter Day Saints experience and they realize something's wrong here and they want to find out what's wrong and make an appropriate decision. Thank you for listening you would like more information regarding this research ministry.

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