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Core Beliefs and Doctrines Part 2

Viewpoint on Mormonism / Bill McKeever
The Cross Radio
March 17, 2021 9:06 pm

Core Beliefs and Doctrines Part 2

Viewpoint on Mormonism / Bill McKeever

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March 17, 2021 9:06 pm

Go to churchofjesuschrist.org and type in “Beliefs” or “Doctrines.” The articles you will find don’t really explain the intricacies of Mormon teaching, so Bill and Eric take a closer look at the articles and help fill in some of the missing information.

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.1 examines the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective 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. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism welcome to this edition viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson my colleague RM core beliefs and doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

We began in yesterday's program going through a PDF article that you can find on the official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

That's Church of Jesus Christ.Lord it's very easy to get to simply type in their search box core beliefs and doctrines and the reason why we wanted to discuss this is we gave a hypothetical yesterday. Let's say you've talked to some Mormon missionaries about their faith or let's say your neighbor who is LDS decided to share what they believe with you and you sound a little bit intrigue so by their suggestion. You go to the official website run by their church, and you want to know what they really believe so. You type in let's say basic beliefs or core beliefs in their search box. This article would be one of the links that pops up. There are other articles as well. But one thing that we find many of these articles a talk about the core beliefs of the LDS church are very brief and are very vague. It's not that you can't find deeper things about what the church wants its people to believe but how would you know where to look. You wouldn't so most people would just put in the search box, basic beliefs or leafs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints yesterday show as we said this PDF would be one of the links that pops up, but as we demonstrated in yesterday's program.

The first paragraph that deals with the nature of God says some things that could be very confusing and I would even say Eric misleading when it comes to what the church actually teaches especially the portion as we discussed yesterday where it talks about God the father, his son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost constitute the Godhead or Trinity for Mormons. A person who doesn't know anything about the LDS church wouldn't know that that word Mormons is not supposed to be a word used by Latter Day Saints any longer.

But this PDF was produced in 2016.

In fact, if you were to print it out on the back it would say. For more information about the worldwide church visit Mormon newsroom.org will that link has been changed because as we mentioned yesterday, when Russell M.

Nelson became the president of the church in 2018. He told members that they were no longer supposed to use the word Mormon when referring to members. They were not supposed to use the letters LDS to describe the church and they were not to call the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The Mormon church.

He went so far as to say that that upsets Jesus. When you do that and it actually gives Satan a victory when you refer to the church in such a manner.

This PDF was put together before Nelson said that apparently it was okay before 2018 but hate now it upsets Jesus and it gives Satan a victory when you use the term Mormon church after 2018. One of the things Bill that you had mention fair is that there are many places throughout the entire Church of Jesus Christ.or website that include the word Mormon and I'm not going to think they're going to get that out of there in the next two years. This could take decades for them to find all these places including this PDF article recovering right now that would be a great question to ask a Latter Day Saints if those terms really upset Jesus and they really gives Satan a victory is the LDS church still doing that because all those expressions are still found on its official website. I mean, let's be serious.

How many times we kind of chided Latter Day Saints who go under their official website still using the old URL LDS.org I know I do. Does that mean I'm taken off Jesus. Every time I do that my given Satan a victory, because I type in LDS.org. I'd like to know how many Latter Day Saints listening to this show still do that. I would venture to say most of them do well, let's continue with what we were discussing yesterday Eric about the word Trinity because this is misleading and as I mentioned there's another article on newsroom.Church of Jesus Christ.org, another official website of the LDS church that says under the title Trinity among the most important differences with other Christian churches are those concerning the nature of God in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Together these form what is commonly referred to as the holy Trinity in many churches and as the Godhead by Latter Day Saints. So here it looks like a distinction is being made between the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and all other churches who use that word Trinity but they use the word Manny and I would say that whether you're a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox or Protestant Christian all of us are going to be very adamant about the importance of the Trinity, so I would say in all churches calling themselves Christian the holy Trinity is a vital doctrine as we were showing yesterday. There have been statements made by some Mormon leaders of the past that use the word Trinity but they do not define it in the historical manner. Historically, the Trinity is been understood as one God, eternally existing in three persons, father, son and Holy Spirit. Instead, they are described as being three separate gods. That's not the teaching of the Christian church so this is why say using the word Trinity in this paper.

Core beliefs and doctrines the way it's used could be very confusing to someone who was interested in wanting to know what their LDS neighbor really believes let me give you a quote from former BYU professor Robert Millet in a book that he wrote called a different Jesus. The church of the Latter Day Saints page 171. He said if an acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity makes one a Christian then of course Latter Day Saints are not Christians, for they believe the doctrine of the Trinity is expressed in modern Protestant, Catholic theology is the product of the reconciliation of Christian theology with Greek philosophy will Mormon might say well that's Robert Millet. He was just a BYU professor, he doesn't really speak for the church and BYU professors don't speak for the church, but then you have Jeffrey R.

Holland, Jeffrey R. Holland as an apostle gave a talk titled the one true God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent this was in a conference message that he gave in October can be found in the November 2007 edition of inside on page 40 when speaking of the father son and Holy Ghost as they described him. Holland says they are one in every significant and eternal aspect imaginable, except believing them to be three persons combined in one substance, a Trinitarian notion never set forth in the Scriptures because it is not true that you would think if Jeffrey Holland really believes that statement and I'm sure he does that most Latter Day Saints would be very guarded in using the word Trinity because it does have a historical definition. That certainly would not fit the way Mormons today understand as they say, the Godhead, so why do they use it like this. I don't know to me that sounds confusing, though I think there probably are some listeners who are saying okay so what is the Trinity. Well, this is a short series. We don't have time to get into that topic and we have covered it before but if you want to go to our website. We have a series of 14 articles on different aspects of the Trinity called the biblical doctrine of the Trinity. found@mrm.org/Trinity-index.

We also have what's called crash course Mormonism and if you go to MRM.org/Trinity-doctrine we have a whole article on that that in a brief way explains what we as Christians believe about the Trinity in this PDF core beliefs and doctrines found on the official website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It goes on to have a subheading Christian and it says the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a Christian church that is neither Catholic nor Protestant. Now I want to take that a little bit further because Gordon B. Hinckley in a book that he wrote in 1947 Gordon B. Hinckley of course was the 15th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. But before he became president. He writes this book and in this book.

In the first chapter he has a subheading Protestants or Catholics, and this is what Gordon B. Hinckley said they are generally classed as Protestants since they are not Catholics. Now who are that they well if you go to the paragraph preceding the one that I'm reading.

He says for the Mormons regard themselves as saints only in the sense that they are believers in Jesus Christ and members of his church. Again we have Gordon B.

Hinckley using the word Mormons because this was prior to 2018 when that word became forbidden. According to the dictates of 17th president Russell M Nelson but let me go on. Hinckley says they are generally classed as Protestants since they are not Catholics.

Actually, they are no closer to Protestantism than they are to Catholicism neither historically nor on the basis of modern Association theology or practice can they be grouped with either. I would almost think, since Gordon B.

Hinckley was very good. It making that statement so concise that probably should have been quoted in this paper.

Core beliefs and doctrines.

Why didn't they go that into that kind of depth to make it very clear to the reader that neither historically nor on the basis of modern Association theology or practice can they be grouped with either clearly Gordon B. Hinckley is making a distinction between what the LDS church believes and what Protestants or Catholics would believe in this regard, the section goes on build essay, rather it is a restoration of the church of Jesus Christ as originally established by the Savior of the New Testament of the Bible.

Latter Day Saints believe God sent his son Jesus Christ to save all mankind from death and their individual sins. Jesus Christ is central to the lies of church members. They seek to follow his example by being baptized, praying in his holy name. Partaking of the sacrament doing good to others and bearing witness of him through both word and deed. The only way to salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. Another so many things that can be discussed in that paragraph alone but let's try to dissect this notice when it says, rather it is a restoration of the church of Jesus Christ as originally established by the Savior in the New Testament of the Bible. This word restoration is also used under the heading modern prophets and continuing revelation where it says members believe the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a restoration of the church, originally established by Jesus Christ during his mortal lifetime, but the question I would ask is if it's indeed a restoration as this paper implies. Why is that we do not find in Christian history.

Early Christians believing the things that modern Latter Day Saints believe today, even when it comes to the nature of God. We have LDS leaders admitting there's a difference that early Christians believe what Mormons believe today regarding what they called the Godhead that they believe that there's three separate gods within the Godhead. I challenge you as a latter-day St. to defend that. Do they believe that men can become God says Mormons believe today that they believe that if they were faithful in their Christianity that they would eventually inherit a world or earth that they could become a God over and start this process all over again. Did they really practice baptism for the dead as Mormons practice it today. Did they believe that you would be married in heaven.

I challenge you latter-day St., if you're going to tell us that your church is a restoration then you have to show us where the early Christian church believes such things that I've just given you a very short list. Thank you for listening you would like more information regarding his research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website at www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research.

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