The 13 Articles of Faith, written by Joseph Smith, are the basic beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and are located in the volume of scripture called the Pearl of Great Price. Latter-day Saints do not believe that the answer to the worlds problems is ultimately to be found in more extravagant social programs or stronger legislation. Is He God the Son? The scriptures record that He taught His gospel through word and deed as He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead ( The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles, Ensign or Liahona, Apr. [vii] Quoted in Sheri L. Dew, Go Forward With Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1996), 576. That is, one must look to the third- and fourth-century Christian church, not to the New Testament itself, to make a strong case for the Trinity. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first. But you will admit that the word spoken to Noah was not sufficient or Abraham. What do Mormons believe? | CNN The Manuscript Source of D&C 130", "I Have a Question: Is President Lorenzo Snow's oft-repeated statement'As man now is, God once was; as God now is, man may be'accepted as official doctrine by the Church? For us the Jesus of history is indeed the Christ of faith. Their evolving Jesus from being divinely human to humanly divine isnt the traditional Christian Jesus, which is the Jesus of revelation, just as their god isnt the traditional Christian God, which is the God both of revelation and of reason. For readers wishing to go deeper into the philosophical and theological understanding of the two natures of Jesus, see Millard J. Erickson, For further study on perfect being theology, see Tom Morris and David Baggett, Abraham, Isaac, and Anselm: In Defense of Greatest Being Theology,. WebThe Mormons believe that if anyone can live a righteous life like Jesus did, then they will receive eternal life and become a god. But we do not believe that the Bible contains all that God has spoken or will yet speak in the future. See the work by the late philosophy and BYU religion professor Truman G. Madsen, Robert L. Millet, We Shall Be Like Him: Explorations into the LDS Doctrine of Deification, in. We feel that the sheer preponderance of references in the Bible would lead an uninformed reader to the understanding that God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost are separate beings. Do we differ from others who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? We believe the accounts of Jesus life and ministry recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament to be historical and truthful. Mormonism wont find it problematic to claim that Jesus is fully god and fully man because god just is man, and man just is god on a single spectrum in LDS anthropotheism. A number of years ago a colleague and I traveled with two Evangelical Christian friends to another part of the country to meet with a well-known theologian, author and pastor/teacher in that area. WebThe Mormon view. [iv] Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. 40:1723, 28). To understand the major conceptual problems with the Mormon doctrine of eternal progression, see Chapter 2 in Corey Miller and Lynn K. Wilder. The Mormon view. He says that the Word was with God, was God, and that all things were made through Him. These 13 Statements Do a Nice Job of Summarizing Basic LDS Beliefs. We believe that the epistles of Paul, Peter, Jude and John suggest that the apostasy or falling away of the first-century Christian church was well underway by the close of the first century. [ii] Clark Pinnock, Richard Rice, John Sanders, William Hasker and David Basinger, The Openness of God: A Biblical Challenge to the Traditional Understanding of God (Downer Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1994), 910. They believe the two are united in their perfect love for us but that each is a distinct personage with His own perfect, glorified physical body of flesh and bone (see Doctrine and Covenants 130:22). [x] Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. This description of God represents the Mormon orthodoxy, formalized in 1915 based on earlier teachings. The Greek minds which had been ripening for Christianity had absorbed new ideas and new motives.[i]. Some great-making properties have more latitude for philosophers. You Need to Know About the Mormons John reconnects to the first words of Genesis in the origins of all things by the expression In the beginning (John 1:13). Mormon Doctrine of Jesus: A Christian Perspective - Probe Worshiping someone who is merely growing in superhuman powers obviously is different than worshiping the Supreme Being, who is worthy of worship. Mormons believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again so that all humankind could be resurrected and one day return to live with a loving Heavenly Father. BBC - Religions - Mormon: Are Mormons Christians? Unique to Latter-day Saints is the belief that after Jesus Christs death, He visited His people in the Americas (see John 10:16; 3Nephi 11). He is the Redeemer. Truly, as one Book of Mormon prophet proclaimed, We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins (2 Nephi 25:26). Some scholars have also suggested that the view of Jesus in the Book of Mormon is also consistent, or perhaps most consistent, with monotheistic Modalism.[32]. Some Mormons demur at what is aptly called perfect being theology (a theology that emerges from considering what it means to be a Supreme Being). [45] The church also teaches that its theology is consistent with the Biblical account of the baptism of Jesus which referred to signs from the Father and the Holy Spirit,[46] which the denomination interprets as an indication that these two persons have distinct substance from Jesus. The finite superman of Mormonism, with implications for the Mormon Jesus, is not worship worthy. They have always thought We may never resolve our differences on the Godhead or the Trinity, on the spiritual or corporeal nature of Deity or on the sufficiency or inerrancy of the Bible, but we can agree that there is a God; that the ultimate transformation of society will come only through the application of moral and religious solutions to pressing issues; and that the regeneration of individual hearts and souls is foundational to the restoration of virtue in our communities and nations. But we were eager to learn where the other person was coming from. WebThe Book of Mormon teaches that God the Father, and his Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are "one", with Jesus appearing with a body of spirit before his birth, and with a If God exists in this way, then He must be eternal. These inharmonious elements are the result of the coupling of biblical ideas about God with notions of the divine nature drawn from Greek thought. As to whether we worship a different Jesus, we say again: We accept and endorse the testimony of the New Testament writers. 13 Articles of Faith: Simple Overview of What Mormons Believe. This conception differs from the traditional Christian Trinity in several ways, one of which is that Mormonism has not adopted or continued to hold the doctrine of the Nicene Creed, that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are of the same substance or being. Jesus is quoted as saying, Father, thou hast given them the Holy Ghost because they believe in me; and thou seest that they believe in me because thou hearest them, and they pray unto me; and they pray unto me because I am with them. According to Christian thinkers, this is a being of maximal greatness, that according to which no greater being can be conceived. One tradition is that John the Beloved, aware of the teaching of the synoptics, prepared his Gospel in an effort to fill in the gaps and thus deal more with the great spiritual verities that his evangelistic colleagues chose not to include. We provide the link to this third party's website solely as a convenience to you. They believe that conventional Christian beliefs are a mixture of the truth We compared and contrasted, we asked questions and we answered questions. WebMormons will tell you they believe the Bible as far as it is translated correctly. Most Christians will agree with that statement. Resources to Help You Learn the 13 Articles of Faith and Their History, Scripture Mastery Scriptures: Book of Mormon, Get to Know the Basic Beliefs of Christianity, 10 Ways to Prepare for Personal Revelation, Heavenly Father: Deity, Loving Parent, Author of Our Eternal Destiny, The Book of Revelation, a Prophecy of Warning and Hope, 15 Ways to Serve God Through Serving Others, Meet the Apostle Paul: Christian Missionary Giant, Quotes of the Founding Fathers on Religion, A.S., Computer Information Technology, LDS Business College. By the nature of supremacy, there can be only one Supreme Being. Learn More about the Son of God and Creator of the World. Many Mormons initially soft peddle differences until forced to admit them. We say "Jesus Christ" easily, almost as if "Christ" were Jesus' surname. According to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Joseph Smith said that the spirit of man is not a created being; it existed from eternity, and that the best understanding of what it means for a deity to create means no more than to organize.14 For Mormonism, man is eternal. Asking questions opens reflective dialogue, demonstrates genuine interest, and allows one to understand what the Mormon really believes not merely what we think she believes. [22] Mormons believe that the development process leading up to the Trinity doctrine left it vulnerable to human error, because it was not founded upon God's established pattern of continued revelation through prophets. In orthodox Mormonism, the term God generally refers to the biblical God the Father, whom Latter Day Saints also refer to as Elohim or Heavenly Father,[1][2][3] and the term Godhead refers to a council of three distinct divine persons consisting of God the Father, Jesus Christ (his firstborn Son, whom Latter Day Saints refer to as Jehovah), and the Holy Ghost. 9 Things You Should Know About Mormonism - The Gospel The Book of Mormon establishes clearly that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself to all nations (Book of Mormon title page; 2 Nephi 26:12). We added that we had several questions we wanted to pose in order to better understand Evangelical theology. WebMormons believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. More especially we exult in the realization that knowledge and truth and light and understanding concerning Jesus Christ who He was, who He is and what marvels have come to pass through Him have been delivered through additional scriptural records and modern prophetic utterances. As we come unto Christ by covenant, deny ourselves of ungodliness and love God with all our souls, His graceHis divine enabling power, not only to be saved in the ultimate sense but also to face the challenges of each day is sufficient for us (Moroni 10:32). Jesus But Mormons also believe many pure and precious truths about the Savior that are unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "[28] In another passage of the Book of Mormon, the prophet Abinadi states, I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people. WebWhat do Mormons believe? With the deaths of the apostles and the loss of the priesthood, the institutional power to perform and oversee saving sacraments or ordinances, learn the mind of God and interpret scripture was no longer on earth. We believe that Jesus of Nazareth was and is the fulfillment of those prophecies. It seems odd to us, however, to be accused of being irreverent or disloyal to the Bible when we suggest to the religious world that the God of heaven has chosen to speak again. 1:13; Col. 1:1517; Phil. One cannot read the Book of Mormon and honestly come away wondering what the Latter-day Saints believe about the Divine Sonship. Jesus God ", "Do Latter-day Saints believe that men and women can become gods? We rejoice in the message of redemption that fell from the lips of Old and New Testament prophets. Indeed, Mormons embrace the humanity and divinity of Jesus just as they do of all persons. All of the prophets, including the Savior Himself, brought new light and knowledge to the world; in many cases, new scripture came as a result of their ministry. The law of noncontradiction states that a proposition cannot be both true and false in the same sense and at the same time. We acknowledge and value the good that is done by so many to bring the message of Jesus from the New Testament to a world that desperately needs it. One is reminded of the subtitle to the Book of Mormon added in 1982, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Impressed by Millets claim that in the Book of Mormon Christ or his ministry is mentioned approximately every 1.7 verses, Millets evangelical opponent Gerald McDermott concedes that Christ is central in Mormon theology.8 But thats a hasty concession even for academic pleasantries because it is both misleading and false. Latter-day Saints feel a deep allegiance to the Bible. WebMormonism teaches Jesus is one of three Gods that constitute the Godhead ( Articles of Faith, by Talmage, pp. While He walked the dusty roads of Palestine as a man, He possessed the powers of a God and ministered as one having authority, including power over the elements and even power over life and death. One need not surrender cherished religious values or doctrines in order to be a better neighbor, a more caring citizen, a more involved municipal. For example, there are many theological terms in Mormonism that will be familiar to the Christian. We acknowledge Jesus Christ as the source of truth and redemption, as the light and life of the world, as the way to the Father (John 14:6; 2 Nephi 25:29; 3 Nephi 11:11). As stated in the ninth Article of Faith, we believe that revelation from Heavenly Father to His prophets continues. Leaders have taught that God was once a mortal human with his own God,[60][61] and that humans are "gods in embryo". "13 Articles of Faith: Simple Overview of What Mormons Believe." The next day we met for lunch and had a wonderful two-hour doctrinal discussion. [viii] Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 190. [vi] Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, comp. Jesus is only one of an infinite number of finite gods in Mormonism. Indeed, the Mormon and Christian conceptions of Jesus remain very different. Section 130. Learn Religions. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a Christian church but is neither Catholic nor Protestant. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. Mormonism - Wikipedia That is, all men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been if they have been righteous they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ; and if they have been evil they shall reap the damnation of their souls, according to the power and captivation of the devil (Alma 9:28). However, Mormons hold the unique belief WebMormons believe that humans, like God the Father, can go through a process of exaltation to godhood. But if God exists a se, then everything outside of God has radical dependence on God. I may believe that Enoch walked with God. SUPREME BEING OR SUPERMAN? They also believe in additional scripture, including the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, which tells of His dealings with other Christians in ancient times. We believe that the effects of His rise from the tomb pass upon all men and women. [54], The Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, affirms the doctrine of the trinity. Gods attributes can be known via special revelation (Scripture) and general revelation (reason and inference from observation of creation). Over the years that followed the death and resurrection of the Lord, Christians sought to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 1:3). WebMormonism wont find it problematic to claim that Jesus is fully god and fully man because god just is man, and man just is god on a single spectrum in LDS anthropotheism. Latter-day Saints believe in Jesus Christ as God's divine son, the divine agent of the world's creation, the resurrected savior and redeemer of the world and the Earth's coming king." Those passages plainly teach that salvation is a free gift, given in spite of our works. (2021, September 9). the Book of Abraham in The Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine and Covenants section 132). http://www.ldschurchnewsarchive.com/articles/31188/Crown-of-gospel-is-upon our-heads.html. This concept has remarkable convergence with the God of biblical revelation in being unassailable and matchless greatness. WebLast updated 2009-10-02 An explantation of Mormon beliefs about God. They conflate these natures as one species on a continuum. Palmer, 24852 (arguing that in 1838, Smith modified the First Vision story to assert his claim to divine calling directly from God and Jesus), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Learn how and when to remove these template messages, texts from within a religion or faith system, Learn how and when to remove this template message, reliable, independent, third-party sources, Beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Community of Christ (differentiation from LDS Church), "Gospel Classics: The Father and the Son", "Meet the (heavenly) parents: Mormon leaders are mentioning this divine duo more often", "Gospel Principles Chapter 47: Exaltation", "Omnipotent God; Omnipresence of God; Omniscience of God", "Social Trinitarianism and Mormon Theology", "Catholic and Mormon: Author Q&A with Professor Stephen H. Webb", "Doctrinal Trends in Early Christianity and the Strength of the Mormon Position", http://www.earlychurchtexts.com/public/creed_homoian_of_constantinople_360.htm, "Trinity > History of Trinitarian Doctrines (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)", "Sunday Evenings With The Doctrine and Covenants. Answering that question will let us know if the Jesus of the
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