July 4, 2004
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In response to a comment left on the previous entry:
Halfempty, You'd be surprised at how much I know about my Church. I have done a lot of research on it, and read many things both positive and negative.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is anything but destructive. It provides Humanitarian Aid (link) to millions all over the world. Its congregations serve local areas. On the first Sunday of every month members of Church fast for 24 hours, donating the money they would have spent on food (and more) to the poor and needy. I cannot even begin to explain the amount of good things the Church does.
We teach our children to love and honor God. We teach them that they may be saved as they have faith in Jesus Christ, are baptized in His name, and follow His commandments. These things are a reflection of our love for Him, responding to He who said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15)
We believe that we all learn "line upon line" and "precept upon precept." Let me speak from my experiences. I am an artist. I had to learn that blue and yellow made green before I could ever learn that blue and yellow and little red make a different, duller shade of green. The same is true with the Church. Having said that, know that we do not teach our Children anything that is wrong, nor do we teach them anything that is deceptive or contrary to what we ourselves believe.
As for the establishment of truth. I'm not going to enter this debate. I have done so many times before, and, quite frankly, it is getting old. I can not convince you of anything. As much as I would like to, I won't.
The opportunity is there for everyone to find out for themselves. Don't take my word for it, find out for yourself. I know the Book of Mormon is true. God has established that fact to me. Have you read the Book of Mormon? If not, than you can't say it isn't good because you haven't read it. If you don't want to read, then fine. Stay out of our business then and let us live our lives according to what Jesus Christ has taught us.
The truth of the Book of Mormon is established the same way God reveals all his truth, through the Holy Spirit. When Peter testified that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus told him, "Blessed art thou, . . . for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matt 16:17). That same Christ said "Ask, and it shall be given you." (Matt 7:7).
I have asked. I have asked God if the Book of Mormon is true, and He established that truth to me fulfilling His promise that "if ye shall ask [if the Book of Mormon is true] with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost" (Moroni 10:3-4). No man can talk me out of believing in that Book. Flesh and blood hath not revealed its truth to me, but my Father, which is in heaven, has, and will to all people who read the Book of Mormon and ask in faith.
If it seems strange to you that God would work through direct revelation, marvel not, for as we read in the scriptures God has always worked through revelation. I testify of this, and of the divinity of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I testify that Jesus is the Christ, and that He lives. I leave you with that in His name, Amen.
Comments (16)
All I have to say to your wonderful testimony is Amen brother, the truth will prevail!!!
I was at EFY this past week, and i was able to learn the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, it's an amazing set of scripture, and i love it so much.
you have an amazing testimony.
--Mark
yeah, the Biblical truth will prevail. Proverbs 30:6. that's all the truth i need. your book is a lie according to the Bible, don't believe me, take the Bible at it's most basic form, the Greek. joseph smith was a polygamist and destroyed people he didn't like, such as the press saying bad things about him. that's the prophet you want to rely on? history doesn't lie about joseph smith, but mormonism does.
hey DBE thanks for sticking up for the Church.
Proverbs 30:6
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
So anything written after Proverbs is a lie?
Or are you saying that anyone who adds to the words of God is a liar? Who are you to say that The Book of Mormon is not also the word of God?
Please remember that the Bible wasn't put together until hundreds of years after Jesus Christ. History doesn't lie about that. Many words were added to Proverbs. Like the New Testament. The fact that these new doctrines were introduced doesn't mean they are lies, it means that God was continuing to teach His people. God can add to His own words, can't He? And if He did then, why is it so hard to believe that He did in 1830?
Sometimes I wonder what some people worship, the Bible, or God.
Anyway, if there was a newspaper saying lies about me, I would destroy it too, by way of a lawsuit for liable.
So Joseph Smith was a polygamist? So was Abraham. And Issac. And Jacob . . .
"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:16-17).
Since you seem to be rejecting the notion of modern day revelation, there is another way to discover divine truth. If you live the Gospel, you will know that it is of God.
I have kept the Commandments of God as presented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They have brought me joy, fulfilment, peace, comfort, and a steadfast knowledge that they are of God.
It's totally awesome to see someone who's so strong in the gospel and willing to defend it!! You are totally a cool person in my book now! I've spent a lot of time thinking about things, and if I could find a guy around here w/ your testimony and willingness to share it, I would be totally in love w/ that guy!!
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Hey, I'm not sure how I first started coming to your site, or if you came to mine or something, but I have taken interest in your last little exchange.
If you don't mind, I'd like to post bits of it on my Xanga. (and if you do I will gladly take it off as soon as you say). My freinds just get tired of hearing this from me
It gives a little more credibiblity to the things I say a lot.
I have faced situations like this before. And I'm sure this isn't your first either. But you're doing a good thing. The Bible-add arguement, the Joseph-Smith-lies arguement, all the others and a billion more, they will always surface, but its okay, because there will be people like the mormon.org kid in your last entry, and others who have read and not commented, and all the LDS people that you've seemed to touch with this, and that makes up for it, at least a little.
Looks like you'll be a good missionary. That's really awesome to hear. Keep it up, you're a stud.
~daniel
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good job
halfempty may not have read the book of mormon, but I have. I have some questions for you (and I don't mean to enter in any debates because I agree that meaningless fringe issues won't convert, but hopefully doctrine will):
does God (elohiem) have:
a body?
Fingers?
toes?
is He married?
does He have pearents?
is He changing?
is their more than one God?
since He is an exalted man, was He ever not God?
sorry, I forgot the last one: do you beleive this statement:
"as man is, God once was; as God is, man may become"?
hey mormongirl2006, the Gospel is Jesus Christ coming to earth to die for our sins, so that if we repent, we are eternally saved by the sacrifice of His blood. that's the Bible, not the book of mormon.
faith without works is dead, halfempty, you can read that in James 2.
Just so you can't accuse me of using something out of context, you can also find in the bible about how Christ criticizes the fig tree for bearing no fruit. The only way you can bear fruit is through works.
Everyone is a partaker of salvation, the book of Mormon preaches that. BUT
In the new testament the Savior said: Not everyone that saith into me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 7:21.
and in case you accuse me of taking things out of context, read verses 17-20 in Matthew 7.
We mormons know a little more about the Bible than you think empty. We believe the Bible to be the word of God also.
Does God have a body?
Absolutely. Moses talked with him face to face.
Does he have fingers?
The ten commandments were written with the finger of God.
Does he have toes?
Yes, and I try to follow in his footsteps.
As for the rest of your questions, I would like to refer you to a previous post in which these questions were answered:
May 9, 2004 contains wise words and a doctrine that I believe with all the emotions in my heart and all the reason in my mind.
Here's a few questions for you.
When you were a little boy, did your dad want you to grow up an be like him?
What does a chick become when it grows up, a chicken or a cow?
Are you a child of God?
Have you ever known a father to begat a son without a mother?
Is God your father?
Are you a child of God?
Have you ever loved something so dearly, something that was so sacred that you wanted to protect it as much as you could?
Is one way to protect this sacred, beautiful thing to keep it quiet?
Are you a child of God?
I love hearing your testimony! You are so strong in what you say, it really is an example to me!
"He who attempts to reason with anti-mormons plows the sea..."
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