The Rome Temple Dedication

One member is examining 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 so glad to be with us for this additional viewpoint on Mormonism on your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM there was an article on the church news.com official website by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was titled how Presidents Nelson Oaks and Irene explain Latter Day Saints temple work to an Italian journalist.

The context for that title. Of course had to do with the dedication of a new Mormon Temple in Rome Italy. However, I gotta tell you, Eric. I think the title is quite interesting.

How did they explain Latter Day Saints temple work to an Italian journalist when you read the article. My conclusion would be, well, they kind of explain Latter Day Saints temple work in the same vague way that they often talk about LDS temple work. They use terms that probably need to be defined to most people because what they do in the temple and the way they describe it is certainly not in a way that I think most people would be familiar but when the Mormons talk about what goes on in their temples ceremony.

How often do they really go into intricate details that would make a person stand back and go. What really that's what you do. They don't do that, they usually describe it as I said in very vague terms. But what made the content of this article, I guess you could say so special is the fact that all 15 leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The first presidency, which is composed of three men and 12 apostles all met together for a big photo obsession in the room temple. That's rare. Normally, all 15 members are not together outside of the United States so that was kind of a special portion of this event with the other special thing that happened was that Russell M. Nelson, the 17th president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had a private audience with Pope Francis is the article says in the Vatican's apostolic Palace and it says in the opening line of this article that this was a deep interest to an Italian reporter who was granted an exclusive interview with the leader of the LDS church's name was Paolo Mastro legally use the New York correspondent for the national Italian newspaper less stomp and so this article was kind of a condensed version without a lot of details as to what was asked in this particular interview.

What I found fascinating about this is, as you have Russell M Nelson having this private audience with Pope Francis and of course the photo obsession shows them, you know, with all the smiles and everything yet but Francis firmly believes that the Catholic Church is the only true church on the face of the earth. You got Russell M. Nelson, who firmly believes that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only true church on the face of the earth, so you have these two leaders of these two traditions coming together who believe they are the only one that is right.

Let's just throw in the leaders of the watchtower Society to take this. They also believe they're the only true organization on the face of the earth.

When Mastro legally starts asking some of these questions, he mentions how Rome is the center of Catholicism and why have you chosen it.

He asked of the three, the first presidency that was there for this interview, what was said. After that in the temple. We have the highest ordinances and blessings that God can give to his people.

President Nelson said, and the people of Italy are no exception. They deserve these blessings. If you just read that it would give you the impression that I guess just about any Italian can go in the temple in receive these blessings that Pres. Nelson is talking about but is that true interest anybody walk into a Mormon Temple and receive these alleged ordinances and blessings that God can give to his people. While the answer to that question. Bill is easily a know because you have to have a temple recommend to get a temple recommend. You have to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. You have to be a faithful tithe payer and follow all of the different rules and regulations when you're interviewed by your Bishop you have to be a worthy member and that's why many temple worthy members of the LDS church pride themselves in their accomplishments that they are qualified to even go into a temple that we don't see this pattern in the New Testament. In fact, the pattern we do see in the New Testament when it comes to temple worship and there was a temple in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus and the apostles. We also know that the reason why people went to the temple was because they knew they were unworthy, not because they were wordy so it's just the opposite reason that people during the New Testament, went to the temple. They felt themselves to be unworthy in Mormonism again. They have to be wordy. So there is a huge difference between the New Testament message and the message of Mormonism, though I was just recently in Italy and our guide said that 85% of everybody who lives in Italy is Roman Catholic and so I think that's an important word that was missing out of that citation the people of Italy are no exception. If Nelson had said the Latter Day Saints people of Italy are no exception thing that would've made more sense.

So I'm wondering if the reporter is catching that only certain people are going to be allowed into this new room temple. It makes you wonder again we don't have the transcript were just going by this article that was found in the church news.com but it says in the very next paragraph the dynamic changed when the topic turned to what happens inside Latter Day Saints temples, though Pres. Eyring wore the mic the three leaders began to play off each other with the mean by the dynamic changed is is master legally asking some very pointed questions that maybe he knows something about the temple ceremony and so he's asking about some of these intricate details that most Mormons are not going to give freely because are not supposed to talk about those things freely, they they make vows not to discuss the intricate details of the temple endowment ceremony outside of the temple is that maybe what he meant by that I don't know whether you call it secret or sacred. The Latter Day Saints are not allowed to talk about it there sworn to secrecy. And unless you go to YouTube and type in the words new name Noah, who has gone through the temples of the Latter Day Saints church to be able to see what goes on in there you wouldn't know really and so I think perhaps why they start to banter.

It sounds like and maybe avoid the question is because that's a little awkward. They don't want to have to talk about what goes on inside dimensions.

In this article is is then Pres. Eyring said ordinances performed in the room temple would allow people to have the expectation they can be together forever in a family. He told master. Legally he believed Latter Day Saints share that feeling with many Italians. I can only assume that what he means by that is a lot of professing Christians have this idea that heaven is going to be like one big huge family reunion kind of what Mormonism teaches, but basically if you look at what the New Testament has to say about that is yes. There's going to be a big family reunion but were talking about the family of God were talking about those who have been forgiven of their sins. Yes certainly they will all be together in the presence of God forever and ever. But the requirement to get into that very exclusive place.

You might say is you must be forgiven of your sins that is often left out of the equation when Mormons are talking about this because as this paragraph implies. It sounds like it's a it's a done deal that if you go to the temple and you do what you do in the temple that working to be with her family. Now we all know that the only way you're going to be with your family. According to Mormonism is if everybody qualifies for celestial exultation. You will not be with your family.

If you only qualify to get to. Let's say the second level of Mormon heaven known as the terrestrial kingdom you will not be with your family.

If you only qualify to get into the T celestial King of the third level of Mormon heaven being with your family forever and ever, is only going to be gained. If every single one of your family members qualifies for the celestial kingdom. That's the only way it happens. That's not brought out in this article, I don't know if maybe they brought that to master legally. I would think that if they did that that may have been something of interest that he could've written about, but we don't see anything in this article that mentions anything like that. We go on in the says president Oaks. This would be down H Oaks said temple ordinances allow Latter Day Saints to perform the essential ordinances of mortality for the benefit of those who died. It goes on to say our belief.

Pres. Irene added is that the ability to seal families reaches back into our ancestors. So the idea is that those ordinances for the dead include the ceiling of families together forever so that I can well my great great great grandpa somehow I can be with him again and his family.

Now let me explain something here because what Irene is talking about going to his great great great grandpa that person probably died before the restoration of the gospel as it's understood by members of the LDS church so in that case is great great great grandpa if he lived before the restoration before the introduction of Mormonism in the 19th century.

All he would need to do in the spirit world is except a vicarious baptism that was done on his behalf in any particular Mormon temple only if he accepted it and Mormons don't know whether or not their ancestors accepted.

There was a picture that was on the web that showed Russell M. Nelson in his white suit, which is what they wear in the temple standing next to a statue of the apostle Peter in the room temple because are statues of all the apostles. He standing next to the statue and he's got his hand down by his side, and it looks like he's grabbing the keys that are in the hand of the apostle Peter in the statue. The message of that would be very obvious because the keys of Peter found in Matthew chapter 16 according to Mormonism, the restored church would have those keys and so it almost looked like he was receiving the keys from Peter and from from the statue of Peter, but the message is very clear and of course that comes from Matthew 1619. In the in the Roman Catholic Church. Of course feels that they are the ones that have those keys so it was kind of strange.

With that picture look like he was doing it secretly off to the side and that picture though it apparently was on a website is on the LDS church news, if you type in certain keywords, you will get the link and it shows this picture but if you go to that link in the church news the pictures not there. I wonder if maybe, just maybe, it could have been taken down. Later on I don't know I think so because when I first saw it I thought maybe it was photoshopped that hit there have been some generation of another picture put together with Nelson because I would think that that is very offensive only to the Roman Catholics but also to all Christians.

The idea that Nelson is the one who holds those keys today. Let me close with this in the article it cites Delaunay jokes who said to this interviewer.

This Italian interviewer room is the capital of world Christianity.

And I thought while that's a little misleading. You would think from the context of Mormonism. Wouldn't it have been more accurate if president Oaks said Rome is the capital of apostate Christianity, because that's what Mormon leaders have taught they alone represent true Christianity. Any other organization claiming to be Christian would of course be in this category of apostate Christendom, but that's not what president Oaks said thank you for listening. If you would like more information is research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website www.mrm.org you can request a free newsletter Mormonism research. We hope you'll join us again as we look at another viewpoint is