| Author | Message | ||
| Ikilgore Registered user Username: Ikilgore Post Number: 20 Registered: 11-2006 |
Aloha guys, Ok, so I was driving home tonight thinking about religion in general. I got to thinking about the Church of Latter-Day Saints. Yes...the Mormons! I grew up with some Mormon friends and they were great upstanding people. They are respectable, loving, kind and just all around good people. When I went to Great Lakes Adventist Academy I kept a Book of Mormon on the same shelf as the EGW books. My mom had these amazing paintings that her Mormon friend gave her. They had such beautiful renditions of great Bible moments as well as pictures of Mormon beliefs. The one that I love the most is the one of Jesus coming down in the clouds at the end of time! It shows his awesome power. He is surrounded by angels on the white clouds of Heaven. It is so cool. I have always said that being a Mormon would be the religion I would choose if I wasn't a Christian. My mom has always said the same thing as well. We live about an hour and a half away from Nauvoo, Illinois. Nauvoo is such a peacefull and beautiful place. I go there to relax and regenerate every so often. We had the honor of getting a tour of the temple at Nauvoo before it was closed to the public. (They build the temples and open them for tours for about a month and then they are closed only to be used by the upstanding Saints for temple rights.) It was the most beautiful building I have ever been in! They built it exactly like the original temple that was built in 1844. Hmm...1844! Anyhow... At academy I would openly read the Book of Mormon. It drove my room mate crazy. He thought that I was reading trash. I could spend hours reading it. I read it in religion class and just about anywhere that I went in academy. People would ask me why I read it and I would tell them that if they could read EGW then I had every right to read Joseph Smith! That was my junior year and then when I went to Andrews Academy a teacher pulled me aside and asked if I was a Mormon spy!! LOL!!! Being a Mormon is like being an Adventist. They both have prophets. They both really started getting going around 1844. (My mom holds the remote idea that God used Joseph Smith for a while until he started to go off and then God used EGW after Smith) They hold thier prophets as inspired word of God acceptable to be used in teaching and on the same platform that the Bible is on. They believe that you must be part of thier church to be saved. I could list even more similarities, but you get the point. They believe about the same things in general. Mormons have some unique doctrines that Adventists don't. Mainly those would be baptizing the dead and some of temple doctrines. Some of you might be throwing up some flags on me comparing the two, but they are about the same. From a belief's standing the Mormons are easier. They have only one book. Adventists have a zillion books. I know that both churches have alot of things that are just not Biblicaly based or even close to being from the Bible. Adventists are judgemental and condemning. The Mormons on the other hand show the love of Christ the way that we as Christians should. Just wanted to share what I was thinking on the drive home... | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 395 Registered: 6-2006  |
Ikilgore, This is a link to a discussion we had a few weeks ago about the similarites between the SDA and the LDS churches. Dennis has a particularly good post that explains it if you scroll down a bit - http://rtinker.powweb.com/discus/discus/messages/11/5091.html?1168487086 There really is a common thread between these two institutions, as well as with the Jehovah's Witnesses.  Leigh Anne | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 395 Registered: 9-2006  |
You know, what amazes me is the thing that goes on behind the scenes in these cults. The similarities actually do not surprise me at all, as I read this morning of Christ temptation in the wilderness and Jesus answer to Satan (Mat 4:4 KJV) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Now today the devil says ìBelieve in Jesus, just donít confess to your salvation , here have a book.î The devil says ìBelieve atonement, just donít confess Jesus complete atonement, here, have a book.î The devil says ìGo ahead and believe that there is salvation, just confess that you have to earn it, here, have a book. The devil says ìGo ahead and believe the profits, just confess these additional profits, here, have a book.î The devil says ìJust pick the scriptures that sound good to you and confess that and by the way, here, have a book.î But Jesus said (Mat 4:4 KJV) But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. (Rom 10:10 KJV) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Here friend have a book, the word of God, The holy Bible, it doesnít mention Ellen White or Joseph Smith but it does mention Jesus many times. John the Baptist said when he seen him ìBehold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.î River | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 396 Registered: 6-2006 |
River, you're right. Jesus is never enough for these churches. The Bible is obviously never enough either judging from all the books that are "inspired". Leigh Anne | ||
| Lynne Registered user Username: Lynne Post Number: 485 Registered: 10-2005 |
I was at a book store once and a man was looking at a book and his friend said, "isn't that morman"? And the guy said, yes, I think it is. And the other guy said loudly "Ahhhhh, a lightning bolt is going to come out of the sky and blast you!!!! Blasphemy!! The other guy laughed and put it back on the shelf. Now that just stuck in my head. When I think of picking up a Mormon book or Ellen White... I think of that guy going "Ahhhhh!!!!" Then the Wiggles song "hot potato, hot potato" flashes through my mind (yes, I have kids). For me now, just reading the bible alone, particulary the NT daily and listening to Christian music is undoing a lot of the unbiblical, connect the dot teachings. In my experience, the Adventist religion has been confusing and deceptive. The church taught me the true gospel, yet there was twist. The church tries to put on a facade of BEING ALL THAT THEY ARE NOT (like other Christian Churches) and REALLY ARE what they claim they aren't, when confronted. As long as I keep Jesus close to my heart with thoughts of His Works and His Ultimate Sacrifice, a deeper spiritual bond is creating in me a more questionless person. I'm not interested in going to superbibleland. | ||
| Jonah Registered user Username: Jonah Post Number: 3 Registered: 3-2006 |
Ikilgore, Which years did you attend GLAA and AA? Jonah | ||
| Ikilgore Registered user Username: Ikilgore Post Number: 21 Registered: 11-2006 |
Aloha Jonah, I attended GLAA for one year 1999-2000. I was at AA from 2000-01 school year. I graduated from AA in 2001. I am so glad that I only went one year to GLAA! | ||
| Honestwitness Registered user Username: Honestwitness Post Number: 212 Registered: 7-2005  |
Lynne wrote: "For me now, just reading the bible alone, particulary the NT daily and listening to Christian music is undoing a lot of the unbiblical, connect the dot teachings." My response: Lynne, that confirms something the Lord has shown me many times. That is that music is very powerful in teaching doctrine. I remember many Scripture songs we sang in my Charismatic church, BEFORE I ever heard of Adventism. They would come to mind quite often later on, when I was hearing SDA doctrine that just didn't sound right. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us. By the washing of regenera..a..tion, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." "I am confident of this very thing...I am confident of this very thing...that He who began a good work in me...shall complete it until the day of Jesus Christ...He shall complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." "There is therefore...now no condemnation...to those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit...of life in Christ Jesus...has set me free...from the law of sin and death." These little ditties are VERY POWERFUL! They kept me from swallowing Adventist doctrine. And how about these hymns that I heard over and over in the little SDA church I formerly attended: "Jesus paid it ALL...all to Him I owe...sin had left a crimson stain...He washed it white as snow." "Blessed assurance...Jesus is MINE!...Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine...Heir of salvation...purchase of God...born of His Spirit...washed in His blood." I heard a sermon by Ravi Zacharias the other day. He was quoting some great philosopher. Sorry I can remember whom. But this philosopher said something like, "I don't care what a nation's laws say, tell me what their songs say. That's what teaches the people what to believe." Honestwitness | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 5294 Registered: 12-2003  |
You're right, Honestwitness. Songs are powerful, and they DO reveal people's real beliefs. Steve Green has two children's CD's called "Hide 'Em In Your Heart". They are delightful songs that set Scripture texts to music. Our boys loved them...and so do we! Colleen | ||
| Wolfgang Registered user Username: Wolfgang Post Number: 122 Registered: 10-2005 |
Ikalore did you know jake wolf I cant remember the year but I think it was then?? Your question about being mormon my first thought is why jump from one frying pan to the next? in every cult or church there are good and loving folks who offer you and show the love of Christ and then there are some you are judgmental and do condem. I have been surrounded by them all my married life when I see my husbands family I see Christ.my sister in law was fourth generation LDS and her sister was excommunicated ,and my sister in law left because of the present prophet something he said in a time magazine articile that went against something she always thought the church taught but I cant remember what it was. For me personaly it was never about the ppl I was fortuante to be around loving Christ like folk,it has always been about EGW for me. and to go to Joeseph Smith wouldnt make sense for me. If it stinks just a little dont touch it. Dawn | ||
| Loneviking Registered user Username: Loneviking Post Number: 545 Registered: 7-2000 |
I know Mormons, I like Mormons---but I can't be one. I have a beard and I ain't shaving, no matter what that prophet says! Bill | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 649 Registered: 1-2003  |
Ikilgore, The short answer to your question is NOOO ! ! ! Richard rtruitt@mac.com | ||
| Ikilgore Registered user Username: Ikilgore Post Number: 22 Registered: 11-2006 |
Aloha Dawn, You mentioned Jake Wolf. He was the person across from my room at GLAA. You know him? Curious. |
