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Question

 

Gramps,

What do you do when science clearly contradicts the advice you are inclined to believe, like sexual orientation is a matter of choice?

What do you do when faced with a self proclaimed representative of God, Joseph Smith, who is clearly documented to have lied about so many important things so consistently for so long, that it makes no sense to trust him?

How do you distinguish your case from that of Catholics faced with their religion’s history of deception? Specifically, if they should not trust their leaders because they were wrong about so many important things, why should Mormons trust theirs in similar situations?

And the feelings that faithful Catholics (not to mention JWs, SDAs, Young Earth Creationists, etc.) have toward their beliefs and leaders seem identical to those of Mormons. It seems that the strength or certainty of belief is a poor test for truth. How do you explain that?

Bob

 

Answer

 

Dear Bob,

Let me take your questions one at a time.

What do you do when science clearly contradicts the advice you are inclined to believe, like sexual orientation is a matter of choice?I don’t understand how science has any input on gender preference. The society of today certainly has dogmatic preferences, but that is not science. Now if you believe that sexual orientation is a matter of choice, then you have a little self examination to do. It’s true that you have the choice, for instance, of a transgender operation. But the growing concept in today’s society that homosexual and lesbian relations are appropriate norms of social behavior does not make such actions or attitudes right in the sight of God. We are fast approaching (if we have not already arrived) at the same condition that existed in the city of Sodom that resulted in its entire destruction by God. (The word, sodomy, of course, comes from the actions of the citizens of the city of Sodom).

I don’t understand how science has any input on gender preference. The society of today certainly has dogmatic preferences, but that is not science. Now if you believe that sexual orientation is a matter of choice, then you have a little self examination to do. It’s true that you have the choice, for instance, of a transgender operation. But the growing concept in today’s society that homosexual and lesbian relations are appropriate norms of social behavior does not make such actions or attitudes right in the sight of God. We are fast approaching (if we have not already arrived) at the same condition that existed in the city of Sodom that resulted in its entire destruction by God. (The word, sodomy, of course, comes from the actions of the citizens of the city of Sodom).What do you do when faced with a self proclaimed representative of God, Joseph Smith, who is clearly documented to have lied about so many important things so consistently for so long, that it makes no sense to trust him?It is hard to imagine the vast background of ignorance that you come from in order to make such wholly and completely erroneous statements! You undoubtedly have accepted at face value the vicious lying statements of those whose agendum is to try to destroy the work of God. Please let me enlighten you on one or two pertinent things. More malicious lies have been spread about the Mormon Church than about any other current religion. Why do you suppose such is the case? If you knew anything about the Mormon people you would understand that there may be no other comparable group in the world with greater honesty, higher moral values and deeper beliefs in and obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Since the Mormon Church, rightly and officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is God’s Kingdom restored to the earth in April of 1830, which is the only organization on the earth that holds the keys of the holy priesthood that are necessary to elevate man to the highest glory in the celestial kingdom, the arch enemy of the Mormon Church is Satan himself. He fights against it as against no other church. It is undoubtedly from that source that you have obtained your damningly false information.

It is hard to imagine the vast background of ignorance that you come from in order to make such wholly and completely erroneous statements! You undoubtedly have accepted at face value the vicious lying statements of those whose agenda is to try to destroy the work of God. Please let me enlighten you on one or two pertinent things. More malicious lies have been spread about the Mormon Church than about any other current religion. Why do you suppose such is the case? If you knew anything about the Mormon people you would understand that there may be no other comparable group in the world with greater honesty, higher moral values and deeper beliefs in and obedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Since the Mormon Church, rightly and officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is God’s Kingdom restored to the earth in April of 1830, which is the only organization on the earth that holds the keys of the holy priesthood that are necessary to elevate man to the highest glory in the celestial kingdom, the arch enemy of the Mormon Church is Satan himself. He fights against it as against no other church. It is undoubtedly from that source that you have obtained your damningly false information.Now, you state that Joseph Smith is a self proclaimed representative of God. You are therefore undoubtedly ignorant of the fact God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, both appeared in person to Joseph Smith and called him to be the prophet that he is and commissioned him to restore to the earth again the true gospel of Jesus Christ and to organize again God’s church upon the earth. Joseph was repeatedly visited by heavenly messengers and given particular instructions on what he should do to carry out his sacred assignment. And you call that a self proclaimed representative of God??? Give me a break!!! It has been said of Joseph Smith that he has done more for the salvation of mankind than any other man who has ever lived on the earth, save Jesus Christ himself.

How do you distinguish your case from that of Catholics faced with their religion’s history of deception? Specifically, if they should not trust their leaders because they were wrong about so many important things, why should Mormons trust theirs in similar situations?The above statements pretty well answer this question also. I know of no similar situations in the Mormon Church that would lead its members to distrust their leaders as have occurred among the Catholic hierarchy during its long history of nearly two millennia.

The above statements pretty well answer this question also. I know of no similar situations in the Mormon Church that would lead its members to distrust their leaders as have occurred among the Catholic hierarchy during its long history of nearly two millennia.And the feelings that faithful Catholics (not to mention JWs, SDAs, Young Earth Creationists, etc.) have toward their beliefs and leaders seem identical to those of Mormons. It seems that the strength or certainty of belief is a poor test for truth. How do you explain that?All is not as it seems on the surface. The feelings of belief of the sincere followers of the various sectarian churches are not comparable to the living testimonies of the truthfulness of the Mormon Church held by its faithful believers. Good people see the good that is done in their own churches and believe the doctrine that they are taught by their priests and ministers. There is nothing wrong with that as far as it goes. The added factor of faith and belief in the Mormon Church is that when a person is baptized into the Mormon Church he receives immediately thereafter by the ordinance of the laying on of hands by those who possess the holy Melchizedek Priesthood the GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST. This great gift is not available to people in general, but is reserved by God to be bestowed on those who accept in its fulness the gospel of Jesus Christ, who repent of all their sins and are baptized by immersion for the remission of their sins by one having the requisite authority. Then, clean from sin and full of faith, they receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

All is not as it seems on the surface. The feelings of belief of the sincere followers of the various sectarian churches are not comparable to the living testimonies of the truthfulness of the Mormon Church held by its faithful believers. Good people see the good that is done in their own churches and believe the doctrine that they are taught by their priests and ministers. There is nothing wrong with that as far as it goes. The added factor of faith and belief in the Mormon Church is that when a person is baptized into the Mormon Church he receives immediately thereafter by the ordinance of the laying on of hands by those who possess the holy Melchizedek Priesthood the GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST. This great gift is not available to people in general, but is reserved by God to be bestowed on those who accept in its fulness the gospel of Jesus Christ, who repent of all their sins and are baptized by immersion for the remission of their sins by one having the requisite authority. Then, clean from sin and full of faith, they receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost.This great gift has the function of revealing truth to the mind and heart of the recipient. Thus, through that gift the person may know of a surety, rather than just have a belief, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, that he took upon himself the sins of all mankind and submitted himself to an infinite suffering to pay to the demands of justice the full price for all the sins committed by all our Father’s children; that after withstanding that infinite suffering He permitted his life to be taken on the cross, and after three days was resurrected and came out of that tomb a living, perfect, immortal, glorified being.

So powerful was that great atoning sacrifice that every soul who ever lived through all the ages of time will also be resurrected and rise from the grave an immortal being; and the sins of all those who have loved the Lord and have kept his commandments will be forgiven them, and they will be Christ’s, and Christ is God’s, and their salvation and exaltation in the celestial kingdom of God will be their reward.

 

Gramps

 

 

 

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