Mark Kellner, a very ethical Christian journalist, brought this forward. It attracted some wonderful comments, Fake news sites. People I know - "friends", etc. are reading these things, yellow journalism, twisted perceptions from semi factual things, opinionated sites, and they believe them.
Mark himself commented how he discerns whether a site is probably fake or not.
A lady posted about the fake news pictures, those slanderous photo shopped things that lead us into incorrect conclusions about people and their connections.
I have a few, but pre-election I was finding that the fake sites were getting way more sophisticated and difficult to identify. For example, the ones that claim to be a city newspaper and seriously look legit.
Mark A. Kellner said: I first look at the name of the alleged "news source." If it sounds off or unfamiliar, I will try to find out more on the website, such as an "about us" page. A disclaimer reading, in effect, "We mix truth and fiction because we think it's funny" might be found there.
Second, I use a common-sense test: It is highly unlikely that Hillary Clinton has a mansion on an island in the Indian Ocean, or that Pope Francis would "endorse" Donald Trump. If a claim seems too outlandish to be true, I try to find that claim on a (generally) reliable website such as The New York Times or Washington Post or BBC News. This isn't perfect, but it's a bit of a safeguard.
Finally, any news site that has ".com.co" in its URL, such as "abcnews.com.co" can generally be assumed to be totally false; someone — or some ones — somewhere have stolen a bunch of identities and set them up as ".com.co," with stories about as genuine as a $3 bill.
Those are my initial thoughts. Hope that helps!
Trudy J. Morgan-Cole said: " I actually teach a lesson on this in my Gr 11 English class -- telling real news from fake news -- although I think with the current spate of stories regarding the prevalence of fake news during the US election campaign, I may need to update it. Sketchy URLs are definitely something to watch for. Applying the test of "this is so incredible, why wouldn't a mainstream news source report it?" is usually good too, as you noted, Mark. Another good one is looking for multiple sources. If you google the news "story" and every hit you get is the same news story word for word, then they're all copied from a single source, which means there's no independent verification of it. And, of course, looking at disclaimers and the other stories carried on a particular site is important too."
Donald Hostetler said: "I apply similar tests when deciding whether to click. That's why I read the Huffington Post's "Bernie Sanders Could Replace President Trump With Little-Known Loophole" - and discovered it was designed to attract readers and expose fake news."
http://www.fakenewswatch.com/
https://www.facebook.com/notes/melody-d-snow/spotting-fake-photos/1841504869397134
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/11/16/fake-news-first-casualty-trump-election/PcPpY0tL7t6BqoUWGf5yJL/story.html?s_campaign#comments
Friday, December 23, 2016
Simple Man's Story of Hanukah
This is the simplification, extracted from a couple places.
First, here is a link to a messianic page which provides great detail. The detail is entangled with the issue of the Jews resisting the Hellenization pushed by the Greek-Syrians of the day. I think it's worth reading, although all detail may not be perfectly agreeable. (Most of it should be.)
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Winter_Holidays/Chanukah/Spiritual_Warfare/spiritual_warfare.html
Now for the "simplification".
Chanukah is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods.
The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,”. It celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple. Also spelled Hanukkah, it is pronounced with a guttural, “kh” sound, kha-nu-kah, not tcha-new-kah.
In the second century BCE, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who tried to force the people of Israel to accept Greek culture and beliefs.
A small band of faithful Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, engaged in a successful trhee-year guerrilla warfare campaign against their oppressors, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, culminating in the cleansing and rededication of the temple.
They found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks.
Miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
The influence of the Hellenists (people who accepted idol-worship and the Syrian way of life) was increasing. Yochanan, the High Priest, foresaw the danger to Judaism from the penetration of Syrian-Greek influence into the Holy Land.
Yochanan was therefore opposed to any attempt on the part of the Jewish Hellenists to introduce Greek and Syrian customs into the land. The Hellenists hated him. One of them told the King’s commissioner that in the treasury of the Temple there was a great deal of wealth.
The wealth in the treasury consisted donated operating, maintenance, and orphans’ funds (held until orphans came of age). Seleucus sent his minister Helyodros to take the money from the treasury of the Temple.
As Helyodros entered the gate of the Temple, he became pale with fright, fainted and fell to the ground. After he came to, he did not dare enter again.
Josephus referred to the commemoration of the Maccabees as an eight day "festival of lights". Hillel said we should light one candle on the first night and increase the amount by one every day. Shammai thought we should light eight candles on the first night and reduce one every subsequent night.
Early tradition has it that since the Maccabees were unable to celebrate Sukkot in the fall, they should observe it after the Temple was restored (25th of the month of Kislev -lunar calendar) in the year 164 B.C. Since Sukkot lasts eight days, this became the time frame for Clhanukah.
Immediately after the various festivals of the Jewish year are enumerated in Leviticus 23, the commandment was given to "bring clear oil from hand-crushed olives to keep the menorah burning constantly" (Lev. 24:1-2).
Years after the Maccabean revolt, Yeshua celebrated Chanukah in the same temple.
During the Feast of Dedication (Chanukah) Yeshua was "walking in the Temple in the colonnade of Solomon" (John 10:22-24).
First, here is a link to a messianic page which provides great detail. The detail is entangled with the issue of the Jews resisting the Hellenization pushed by the Greek-Syrians of the day. I think it's worth reading, although all detail may not be perfectly agreeable. (Most of it should be.)
http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Winter_Holidays/Chanukah/Spiritual_Warfare/spiritual_warfare.html
Now for the "simplification".
Chanukah is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods.
The Hebrew word Chanukah means “dedication,”. It celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple. Also spelled Hanukkah, it is pronounced with a guttural, “kh” sound, kha-nu-kah, not tcha-new-kah.
In the second century BCE, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who tried to force the people of Israel to accept Greek culture and beliefs.
A small band of faithful Jews, led by Judah the Maccabee, engaged in a successful trhee-year guerrilla warfare campaign against their oppressors, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, culminating in the cleansing and rededication of the temple.
They found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks.
Miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.
The influence of the Hellenists (people who accepted idol-worship and the Syrian way of life) was increasing. Yochanan, the High Priest, foresaw the danger to Judaism from the penetration of Syrian-Greek influence into the Holy Land.
Yochanan was therefore opposed to any attempt on the part of the Jewish Hellenists to introduce Greek and Syrian customs into the land. The Hellenists hated him. One of them told the King’s commissioner that in the treasury of the Temple there was a great deal of wealth.
The wealth in the treasury consisted donated operating, maintenance, and orphans’ funds (held until orphans came of age). Seleucus sent his minister Helyodros to take the money from the treasury of the Temple.
As Helyodros entered the gate of the Temple, he became pale with fright, fainted and fell to the ground. After he came to, he did not dare enter again.
Josephus referred to the commemoration of the Maccabees as an eight day "festival of lights". Hillel said we should light one candle on the first night and increase the amount by one every day. Shammai thought we should light eight candles on the first night and reduce one every subsequent night.
Early tradition has it that since the Maccabees were unable to celebrate Sukkot in the fall, they should observe it after the Temple was restored (25th of the month of Kislev -lunar calendar) in the year 164 B.C. Since Sukkot lasts eight days, this became the time frame for Clhanukah.
Immediately after the various festivals of the Jewish year are enumerated in Leviticus 23, the commandment was given to "bring clear oil from hand-crushed olives to keep the menorah burning constantly" (Lev. 24:1-2).
Years after the Maccabean revolt, Yeshua celebrated Chanukah in the same temple.
During the Feast of Dedication (Chanukah) Yeshua was "walking in the Temple in the colonnade of Solomon" (John 10:22-24).
Sunday, October 2, 2016
Moravians, EUB, Methodist
The content of this came in an email. Please understand that this next paragraph is from the sender, not from me. I find it interesting due to the back and forth complexity I already knew about between "Methodist" and "Evangelical United Brethren (EUB)". My parents Clyde and Luella adhereed to an EUB church most of their lives, and father's funeral was conducted by an EUB minister (husband to my aunt). Also, when I was in Russia, the group I was part of viewed performances by various musical groups or individuals, and one was a group of wonderful Moravian women, using ??? instruments.
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Some of my "British" (Scotish & Welsh) ancestors were actually from Israelite stock -- They were followers of Jan Hus, who was burned at the stake; ended up living near the Malvern Hills in England & were connected to "the United Brethren"...
Who Were “the Moravians”?
“A brief History of the Moravian Church in America” makes us wonder what cultural groups gathered in “Moravia" in the early centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire. No group of anti-Catholics have persisted longer than these people. Proud of its heritage and firm in its faith, the Moravian Church ministers to the needs of people wherever they are. The name Moravian identifies the fact that this historic group had its origin in ancient Bohemia and Moravia, in what is the present-day Czech Republic. Some of my family's Jewish ancestors lived in Hungary, where many people descended from the Edomites of the Old Testament. [Those who came from Esau, the twin brother of Jacob.] It seems likely that some of the Israelites (and Edomites) captured to become servants in Babylon, might have escaped when the armies of Darius captured that kingdom; or when Alexander the Great came conquering. People flee a scene of warfare if possible, and may have sought refuge in the wooded lands to the north.
It is clear these very early Moravians were not Christians, because all the historians declare that these countries converted to Christianity chiefly through the influence of two Greek Orthodox missionaries in the mid-ninth century. [Near 850 A.D.] “They translated the Bible into the common language. In the centuries that followed, Bohemia and Moravia gradually fell under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Rome, but some of the Czech people protested.” This group began protesting the Roman Catholic Church practices 60 years before Martin Luther began his reformation and 100 years before the establishment of the Anglican Church.
The Moravian Church, or Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren), as it has been officially known since 1457, would later spread to Poland, England, Holland, Scandinavia, and the early American colonies. A “crusade” would eventually be organized to eradicate “the Hussites” in Eastern Europe. Catholics who would take up the sword “to fight for their church” were promised forgiveness of their sins. This kind of aggressive “crusade,” according to historian Lawrence Gardener (an expert on Scottish antiquities) was sent to England in the 1100's, because the Brits clung to many “Old Testament” beliefs that Rome did not support. A few centuries later a similar crusade forced many Moravians to flee their homes and seek new areas to farm. The persecution caused the primary leader of the Moravians, John Amos Komenski or Comenius (1592-1670) to flee to England, and later to Holland, where he would die. (In Holland the Moravian faithful often called themselves “Dutch Reformed.”) (source – Wikipedia)
During his life, Comenius became world-renowned for his progressive views of education. According to Wikipedia, Comenius was asked by John Winthrope (possibly John Winthrope, Jr.) to come to America and establish a university. He went instead, first, to Sweden and then to several other European nations. “His prayer was that some day the 'hidden seed' of his beloved Unitas Fratrum might once again spring to new life.” During the centuries from the 1600's – 1800's, the United Brethren who had settled in England, near Wales, found sympathetic “Non-conforming” groups who called themselves “Primitive Methodists.” [These “Anabaptists” formed tight-knit groups, later called Mennonites; some were to become the Pennsylvania Deutsch.]
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
A different kind of hope on Cancer treatment
Captured from an email. https://w3.healthradarreport.com/Health/RDR/Offers/Radar-Cancer-Survival-Free-V4
A Genuine Breakthrough in Stage IV Cancer Treatment
Immunotherapy, and drugs like Keytruda, take an approach that’s completely different from slash, burn, and poison.
Instead of destroying your immune system, these new drugs boost your body’s own immune system to target and kill cancer cells ONLY, leaving healthy cells unharmed. And immunotherapy drugs do not carry the risk of the debilitating side effects of chemo and radiation.
Many oncologists predict Keytruda will soon replace chemo, radiation, and surgery as the gold standard in cancer treatment.
It’s no wonder Stage IV cancer patients are demanding, “I want what Jimmy Carter had!”
In addition to immunotherapy, cancer “vaccines” are also giving new hope to Stage IV cancer patients. For instance, at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Stephen Russell is using a version of the measles vaccine to kill cancer cells.
In Dr. Russell’s method, the genetically-engineered measles virus is injected into the bloodstream and binds itself to cancer tumors. The virus then uses the cancer cells as hosts to replicate, destroying the cancer host in the process.
The body’s immune system also sees any remaining cancer cells in the bloodstream as measles, which it effectively kills.
And while doctors have been injecting viruses directly into tumors for years in order to shrink them, Dr. Russell’s approach was a revolutionary game-changer.
That’s because no doctor had ever injected a cancer-killing virus into the bloodstream before. With this simple change, these viruses are now hunting down cancer cells wherever they may have spread in the body . . . and annihilating Stage IV cancer.
Dr. Russell has successfully treated patients with his cancer “vaccine” for Stage IV multiple myeloma — a deadly blood cancer. The Mayo Clinic is now testing its vaccine against ovarian, brain, and head and neck cancers as well as for mesothelioma.
Thanks to these amazing breakthroughs, Stage IV cancer is no longer a death sentence.
You can read more about Jimmy Carter’s amazing recovery from Stage IV cancer . . . as well as more promising immunotherapies in the pipeline . . . in an eye-opening report, The Breakthrough Cancer Treatment That Saved Jimmy Carter. I want to send it to you absolutely FREE.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Extract from getting out of prayer rut
http://ldsmag.com/how-to-get-out-of-your-prayer-rut/
ome of us offer a perfunctory list of things we’re grateful for, like passwords that open the door to Santa’s workshop, and then we present him with our lo-o-ong list of wants. We are praying a beginner’s prayer.
So what’s better? Maybe here we apply the realization that God is not simply running a repair shop. We want real counsel, real revelation, and we’ve done some legwork already, reasoning and thinking things through first. We’re willing to do our part to secure our hopes and dreams, to make wise choices. I think we’re in the “better” zone when we’re striving to make correct decisions and bringing them to a loving Father in Heaven, whom we trust will guide us. But our prayers are still about us.
Is there a best? I [author of article] think there is. Here are three prayers that will bring us into the “best” category:
, “…prayers bring our desires and the desires of our Father into harmony, thus bringing us both the blessing we are seeking and also the blessing of greater unity with the Father. This practice is key to the collective and individual salvation of women and men.”
ome of us offer a perfunctory list of things we’re grateful for, like passwords that open the door to Santa’s workshop, and then we present him with our lo-o-ong list of wants. We are praying a beginner’s prayer.
So what’s better? Maybe here we apply the realization that God is not simply running a repair shop. We want real counsel, real revelation, and we’ve done some legwork already, reasoning and thinking things through first. We’re willing to do our part to secure our hopes and dreams, to make wise choices. I think we’re in the “better” zone when we’re striving to make correct decisions and bringing them to a loving Father in Heaven, whom we trust will guide us. But our prayers are still about us.
Is there a best? I [author of article] think there is. Here are three prayers that will bring us into the “best” category:
- First, let’s offer prayers that express genuine thanks, praising God for his mercies and blessings. Let’s not cut that part short, but make it the entire prayer. With heartfelt humility, we should frequently acknowledge that all we have and enjoy, all we are, is due to Him. And then, just leave it there. Just be grateful for his boundless love for us, and his amazing mercy. Like the grown child who calls home to thank us, let’s not diminish the moment by tacking on a “by the way, I’m a little short of cash this month…”
“The most meaningful and spiritual prayers I have experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few, if any, requests.”
This prayer of appreciation may yield a surprising spiritual uplift. When I [author of article] first spent time on my knees just thanking God and expressing love for him, I felt such a rush of the Spirit that I cannot adequately describe the joy. It was as if the Holy Ghost were filling me from head to toe, letting me know I had pleased my Heavenly Father and the closeness I felt to my maker was astonishing. - The second prayer is one of repentance. Here we strip our souls bare, admit our failings, and resolve to turn from them. Here we share our anguish with a loving Father who stands ready to forgive, and to fortify us with strength for the battles of life. Sometimes this prayer accompanies the taking of the Sacrament. Sometimes it’s a prayer we offer just after we’ve lost our temper, unfairly judged someone, neglected a duty, or been selfish. None of us are perfect, and a prayer of repentance is one we should pray often.
- The last one is my [author of article] idea of the ultimate prayer. Instead of telling God what he can do for us, we ask what we can do for him. We make his goals our goals. We bring our own wishes into line with his purposes, and we offer ourselves as servants, ready to follow promptings and be useful in building the kingdom.
, “…prayers bring our desires and the desires of our Father into harmony, thus bringing us both the blessing we are seeking and also the blessing of greater unity with the Father. This practice is key to the collective and individual salvation of women and men.”
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Fibonacci sequence, golden ratio
Information about this subject is all over the web. This is just a collection of the best ones I have found, starting from what I feel is an introduction.
http://tinyurl.com/gmbt7c2
Google showing many images that illustrate the sequence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZQoaI-K3ro
GOD AND MATHEMATICS. THE GOLDEN RATIO (AMAZING FACTS)
discovered in the quantum world:
hidden symmetry observed for the first time in solid state matter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpBfbzxS1l4
The Fibonacci Sequence This is without audio due to a copyright issue.. I think it visually illustrates the pattern best of all.
http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/fibslide/jbfibslide.htm
Fibonacci Numbers in Nature
(http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/emat6680/parveen/fib_nature.htm
Text and illustration)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOwMDO0-zBw
Fibonacci Sequence in Music - original theory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pbEarwdusc
Fibonacci sequence in music Not much audio explanation, just visual while most beautiful music is playing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=085KSyQVb-U
Golden Ratio in Human Body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ryn68ORZy4
Ancient Knowledge Pt 1 Consciousness, Sacred Geometry, Cymatics, Illusion of
Reality Rare Footage
Get to the candle in the dark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qtkA5INGew
Ancient Knowledge Pt 4 The Real Secret Of How The Pyramids Were Built Coral
Castle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoI7f_D3B54
Documentary " The ancient secret of life flower " Sacred Geometry of the
Universe This has the sequence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Y2__xIqrc
Ancient Knowledge Pt 6 1 Number 9 Code, Vortex Based Math, Flower of Life, Fibonacci, Time, 432Hz The llnumber 9 - highest in base 10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ToUaU4vPks
Fibonacci Sequence Documentary - Golden Section Explained - Secret Teachings
Europe adoped the Arabaic system of numbers.
http://tinyurl.com/gmbt7c2
Google showing many images that illustrate the sequence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZQoaI-K3ro
GOD AND MATHEMATICS. THE GOLDEN RATIO (AMAZING FACTS)
discovered in the quantum world:
hidden symmetry observed for the first time in solid state matter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpBfbzxS1l4
The Fibonacci Sequence This is without audio due to a copyright issue.. I think it visually illustrates the pattern best of all.
http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/fibslide/jbfibslide.htm
Fibonacci Numbers in Nature
(http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/emat6680/parveen/fib_nature.htm
Text and illustration)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOwMDO0-zBw
Fibonacci Sequence in Music - original theory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pbEarwdusc
Fibonacci sequence in music Not much audio explanation, just visual while most beautiful music is playing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=085KSyQVb-U
Golden Ratio in Human Body
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ryn68ORZy4
Ancient Knowledge Pt 1 Consciousness, Sacred Geometry, Cymatics, Illusion of
Reality Rare Footage
Get to the candle in the dark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qtkA5INGew
Ancient Knowledge Pt 4 The Real Secret Of How The Pyramids Were Built Coral
Castle
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoI7f_D3B54
Documentary " The ancient secret of life flower " Sacred Geometry of the
Universe This has the sequence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Y2__xIqrc
Ancient Knowledge Pt 6 1 Number 9 Code, Vortex Based Math, Flower of Life, Fibonacci, Time, 432Hz The llnumber 9 - highest in base 10.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ToUaU4vPks
Fibonacci Sequence Documentary - Golden Section Explained - Secret Teachings
Europe adoped the Arabaic system of numbers.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Tips from convicted burglars
1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.
2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.
3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste ... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.
4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it.
5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.
6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.
7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom-and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.
8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door-understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather...
9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.
11. Helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.
12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.
13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at faketv.com.)
14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.
15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.
16. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.
17. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?
18. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.
19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address.
20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.
21. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, Kentucky; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs crimedoctor.com; and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book "Burglars on the Job."
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Not quete converted. But gets the Message
The Baptist
Version of The Book of Mormon
Protestant Doctrines within the Book of Mormon
Southern Baptist Minister
I’m a licensed Southern Baptist minister and I embrace the
Book of Mormon.
That is, I believe the truths recorded in it. No, I’m not a
convert to the Mormon faith, nor am I a member of any particular
"spin-off" restoration group such as the RLDS (Reorganized Latter-day
Saints), Hedrikites, or Strangites. I’m still a Baptist minister. To be exact,
I’m "charismatic Baptist." That is, I still embrace the "born
again" experience. I still believe you’re saved by grace. By the shed
blood of Christ. Salvation is by faith alone in His finished work on Calvary. I
still believe in the Baptism in the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. I
believe and embrace those cardinal doctrines of Protestantism.
And you know what?…
I still believe the Book of Mormon too!
I know. I can hear you now. "…A charismatic Baptist
minister who believes the Book of Mormon?! Impossible. That’s like a Protestant
Pope…" No, it’s not. It’s not a contradiction.
The two go hand in hand, really--Protestant doctrine and the
Book of Mormon. They’re not at odds. The Book of Mormon is filled with
Protestant cardinal doctrines, believe it or not. In fact, I discovered, the
Book of Mormon is more "Baptist" than the Baptist hymnal in places. I
know that’s hard to believe, but it’s so. I read the Book from cover to cover
and found as a Baptist minister, there is absolutely nothing in it that
contradicts the Bible.
For example, the book uplifts the blood of Christ (Mosiah
1:118), declares that salvation is only by God’s grace (2 Nephi 7:42), defends
the grand theme of salvation (Mosiah 1:108), and proclaims that salvation comes
only through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ (Mosiah 3:8,9). Other themes such
as repentance, atonement by Christ’s blood, redemption, and forgiveness run
like a scarlet thread through the book as well (Alma 3:86, Helaman 2:71, Alma
13:13, Mosiah 2:3,4). Thus, our "tongue ‘n’ cheek" title, The Baptist
Version of the Book of Mormon. I’m telling you, the grand themes of
Protestantism are found recorded through and through. From cover to cover.
A Word About My Background…
Reared in a small conservative Baptist church back in the
hills of the Ozarks, I was taught with strong convictions that Mormons were no
different from Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Scientists, or Armstrong followers.
They all sooner or later knocked on your door. We were instructed by our
parents to "…let none of them in the house. And don’t buy their
materials…" All were cults. Certainly the Mormons were not within mainstream
Christianity.
I was taught that the Book of Mormon was a lie. We have the
Bible and no man was to add to the scriptures lest his soul be damned. And I
was taught that the rapture could occur any minute. Establishing a literal
kingdom on this earth was pure nonsense. And I believe my convictions were
typical. Most protestant/pentecostal Christians today share similar sentiments.
So what are we faced with concerning the Book of Mormon? Is
it…
Adding to the Bible or Duped by the Canon
"…You don’t really believe in that book, do you?"
Or "…you surely don’t believe the Book of Mormon is equal with the Bible,
do you?…"
These are questions my friends now ask me, wondering if I
haven’t erred from the truth.
What’s my response?…
I have chosen to follow the style of the Master. When asked
a probing question, He often responded with one. The Pharisees once asked Him
about John the Baptist, and…
"…Jesus responded, ‘I will also ask you one question.
If you answer me, I will tell you…’" --Matt.21:24
When my friends ask, "…do you believe in the Book of
Mormon?" I respond, "I will answer that, but first I would like for
you to answer my question, ‘Why do you believe in the canon of scripture? Would
you give me your reasons?’"
Most can’t. They’ve never thought it through.
That’s really the issue, you know—not whether or not I
believe in the Book of Mormon, but whether or not we as Christians are to
embrace the concept of canonization. For that’s the perception here—that by
embracing the Book of Mormon I’ve violated scripture’s canon. My friends are
convinced I’ve added to the Word of God. I’m convinced we’ve been duped by the
canon.
To get to the point—not many evangelical Christians realize
(I didn’t), the concept of canonization became popular with the Church around
the time of Constantine, a period when the Church became infiltrated with
nationalism and worldly teachings. Closing the canon to 66 books was the
outcome of man’s wisdom and man’s heresy. Canonization has its origin in
worldly tradition, is not found in the Bible, and was not practiced by the
early Church. And I’m aware—that’s a shocker.
A bit of trivia--God would not end His book with the numbers
’66.’ That’s one "six" short of 666—the number of the Anti-Christ.
God’s number has always been "seven," not "six."
I have discovered, there are two extra-biblical teachings
propagated by Protestantism that must be dealt with before most of us will take
the Book of Mormon seriously: 1) the doctrine of canonization, and 2) the
teaching of the rapture. Both are cardinal doctrines of Protestantism and both
are extra-biblical teachings. That is, neither is supported by the Word of God.
The other Protestant myth…
The Rapture
"…Joseph Smith can’t be taken too seriously because he
believed in a literal city of Zion." I must say, that doesn’t sound so
strange these days. Many evangelical Christians no longer embrace the rapture.
What about the rapture? Where did the doctrine come from?
Did the early saints believe in it?
For eighteen hundred years the saints did not believe in the
rapture, pre-tribulation, post-tribulation, or mid-tribulation. The teaching is
new. In the light of church history, it’s new. Again, perhaps that’s a shock to
some of us.
I find it very interesting—both the rapture theory and the
restoration of the gospel came forth in the same year: 1830! When the Lord
moves in the earth, the Devil usually attempts his imitation of the real.
For instance, which does the Bible teach: removal or
restoration?
Joseph Smith, Jr. was called to restore primitive
Christianity to the Church in 1830 and Margaret MacDonald, a fourteen year-old
Scottish girl, went into a trance that same year. She described a vision where
she saw the saints leaving the earth at the return of the Lord. Her
"revelation" occurred while living in Port Glasgow, Scotland. The
vision was recorded in two books written by R.N. Norton, M.D., and printed in
London, England in 1861. Two Brethren ministers, Edward Irving and John Darby,
popularized her vision. The Plymouth Brethren accepted the vision as valid and
the rapture doctrine "took off" during prophetic meetings at
Powerscourt House in Ireland.
Irving’s views influenced C.I. Scofield, whose Bible notes
popularized the new theory among fundamentalist/evangelical Christians in the
West. The rest is history. However, as I said, many fundamentalist/evangelical
Christians today have second thoughts about the doctrine, having re-evaluated
their position. They no longer believe Christians will be "raptured
out" of the tribulation.
There they are—two Protestant myths that must be dealt with
before one is likely to take the Book of Mormon seriously: the doctrines of
canonization and the rapture.
Let’s suppose…
…that God still speaks today—that the canon is still
open—and that there’s not going to be a removal of the saints but a restoration
of His creation (which includes His people), then perhaps the message of the
Book of Mormon is not so "far fetched" after all.
Speaking of the message of the Book of Mormon, what exactly
is its message? What is its central theme? Restoration of the covenants in
these latter days. That surprised me, blessed me, and witnessed to me.
No, the book is not meant to be used as a tool to proselyte
you into some weird sect or cult. No, it’s not meant to be used to "make a
Mormon" out of you. The Book of Mormon is the most nonsectarian book I’ve
ever read! It’s meant for Catholics, for Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans,
Charismatics, Seventh Day Adventists, for Baptists, Pentecostals…you name it.
It speaks to all.
I’ll say it again. The central message of the Book of Mormon
is—restoration of the covenants in these latter days! And that message is meant
for all God’s children.
"…For behold, they have taken away from the gospel of
the Lamb many parts which are plain and precious; and also many covenants of
the Lord have been taken away…" --I Nephi 3:168,169
Its Central Theme
Let’s explore the central theme of the Book of
Mormon—restoration of the covenants. Somehow our generation has overlooked the
obvious: the Bible is a covenant document!
And what’s a covenant?
It’s the missing revelation among God’s children, among the
church at large. That’s what it is. And how sad. Like Mephibisheth, the
majority of today’s Christians do not know they have a covenant with the King.
And as believers we don’t miss the covenant because we don’t know we have one.
We have no idea—we were destined to sit at the table with the King.
Like in King Josiah’s time (II Kings 23),
"covenant" has been forgotten among us. I would say—since the early
1800s we’ve lost the revelation. We’re a generation without a covenant, without
a mandate, without dominion. Yes, today’s Church, by and large, has taken away
"…many covenants of the Lord…", has taken away from the gospel
"…many parts…"
Let me give a brief prophetic history of the church age.
John speaks of different ages in his book of Revelation. Seven churches
represent seven approximate time periods. For example, Ephesus represents that
period approximately 29 AD to 100 AD. Smyrna represents 100 AD to 300 AD.
Pergamus, 300 to 350 AD. Thyatira, 350 to 500 AD. Sardis, 500 to 1500 AD, the
dark ages. Philadelphia, 1500 to 1830 AD, the Reformation. And the Church at
Laodicea, 1830 to present—the age of the lost and forgotten covenants of the
Lord.
Please consider that last point—we’re living in an age of
"…the lost and forgotten covenants of the Lord."
Selah—ponder that for a moment.
The Laodicean age—no real commitment to covenants and
contracts. The fruit of the Reformation (sectarianism) changed the concept of
biblical salvation "oh so" subtle among the majority of Protestants.
And in the process, the covenants were lost. Protestantism for the past 150
years has preached salvation by decision-making, not covenant-keeping. That’s a
caricature of the real thing. "…Invite Jesus into your heart,"
"…Make a decision for Christ," are buzz words of the modern
Protestant movement. The problem is—you don’t make a "…decision for
Christ." You enter into a covenant with Him. You make a covenant with the
King of the universe that begins in time but lasts throughout eternity. There’s
a world of difference between entering into a covenant and making a decision.
One is binding throughout eternity; the other, more times than not, is mere
mental gymnastics.
You say, "Ridenhour, you’re just playing with
words…semantics." No, I’m not. The implications are far deeper than a mere
play on words.
The Book of Mormon is a revelation of the covenants being
restored among His people in these latter days. When a people sign a contract
they act differently (especially if the contract is with God!). They weigh the
consequences. In these latter days we will again begin to know what it means to
sign a contract with the Lord of Hosts, and act accordingly. A revelation of
biblical salvation will return to his people. Praise His name.
In other words, the central message of the Book of Mormon
is---to repent and come unto Christ, which means to establish a covenant with
Him. And that message is coming to light in these latter days. And that’s why I
embrace the Book of Mormon. Our generation knows very little, if anything,
about establishing a covenant with Christ. Protestantism doesn’t teach it.
Unfortunately, most of us are products of "cheap grace" and
"decision-making" Sunday School preaching. Hosea described a people
who were "…half baked" (Hosea 7:8). Like a cake not turned. Sadly, my
generation fits the bill.
Listen to the words of the ancient prophet.
"…Behold, I [the Christ] have come unto the world to
bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin; therefore whoso
repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive; for of such
is the kingdom of God." --3 Nephi 4:51
To make sure we understand…
Scriptural salvation is entering into a personal covenant
with Him; thereby coming unto Christ for all our temporal and eternal needs and
wants. The contract is binding throughout eternity while effectual in time.
Let’s go on…
Back to the title of our pamphlet, "The Baptist Version
of the Book of Mormon." Setting aside the title’s "tongue ‘n’
cheek" tendency, there is an element of truth I’m getting at. As I said
earlier, having read the Book of Mormon through as a Baptist minister, I was
astonished at how often I kept running into Protestant themes. Themes such as:
the plan of salvation, salvation by faith in Christ, salvation by grace alone,
repentance, the gifts of the Spirit, the filling of the Spirit, sanctification,
justification by faith, forgiveness and redemption. I could go on.
I kept thinking as I was reading, "…wouldn’t it be
wonderful if there were some piece of writing available that listed all these
themes from the Book of Mormon." I searched and searched for such a work
and never found it. (I’ve noticed, since becoming a part of this wonderful
restoration movement, there are very little, if any, writings concerning the
restoration written to "non-restoration" saints.) So I decided, I
would write to non-restoration believers. Make available materials on the
restoration to our Protestant, Pentecostal, Catholic brethren. Hence, another
booklet.
What I’m going to do for the remainder of this booklet is
list various Protestant themes taken from Book of Mormon scriptures. If I seem
a bit repetitious, it’s deliberate. I want you to get the full impact of the
spirit of the wording. And my prayer is—may the Spirit of God bear witness to
your spirit as you read.
First, Book of Mormon scriptures on the…
Born Again Experience
I was delightfully surprised to find so many "born
again" scriptures in the Book of Mormon. For example…
"…For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have
been redeemed of the Lord; behold, I am born of the Spirit. And the Lord said
unto me, Marvel not that all mankind, yea, men, and women, all nations,
kindreds, tongues and people, must be born again; Yea, born of God, changed
from their carnal and fallen state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed
of God, becoming his sons and daughters; and thus they become new creatures;
and unless they do this, they can in no wise inherit the kingdom of God…"
–Mosiah 11:186-188 (all scriptures quoted from RLDS 1908 version)
That verse, I must say, sounds so "Baptist." And I
believe every word of it.
"…And now I say unto you, that this is the order after
which I am called; yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren; yea, and every one
that dwelleth in the land; Yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both
bond and free; yea, I say unto you, the aged, and also the middle aged, and the
rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born
again; Yea, thus saith the Spirit, Repent all ye ends of the earth, for the
kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in
his might, majesty, power and dominion…" –Alma 3:85-87
"…Now I say unto you, that ye must repent, and be born
again: for the Spirit saith, If ye are not born again, ye can not inherit the
kingdom of heaven…" --Alma 5:24
"…after wading through much tribulation, repenting nigh
unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an everlasting
burning, and I am born of God…" --Mosiah 11:190
"…Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God,
having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that
I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? .."
--Alma 13:49
"…Yea, and from that time, even until now, I have
labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might
bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might
also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost…" --Alma 17:22
"…my limbs did receive their strength again, and I
stood upon my feet, and did manifest unto the people that I had been born of
God…" --Alma 17:21
"…and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me
exceeding great joy in the fruit of my labors; for because of the word which he
has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God…" --Alma 17:23
"…Now my son, I would not that ye should think that I
know these things of myself, but it is the Spirit of God which is in me, which
maketh these things known unto me: for if I had not been born of God, I should
not have known these things…" Alma 18:6
Author’s Comments:
One of my favorite hymns of the early restoration saints is:
YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN.
A ruler once came to Jesus by night,
To ask Him the way of salvation and light;
The Master made answer in words true and plain
"Ye must be born again."
"Ye must be born again,
Ye must be born again,
I verily, verily say unto thee
Ye must be born again."
--W.T. Sleeper
One other thing. I discovered, Joseph Smith meant exactly
what I meant when he used the phrase "born again." He wasn’t saying
one thing and meaning another; that is, he wasn’t playing with semantics. I
found the above scriptures to be so comforting to my spirit. So believable. So
"…plain and precious" to the soul.
Here’s another Protestant theme…
Plan of Salvation
"…he has made these things known unto us beforehand,
because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore in his
mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made
known unto us as well as unto future generations. O how merciful is our
God!…" –Alma 14:38
"…For what could I write more than my fathers have
written? For have not they revealed the plan of salvation?…" –Jarom 1:3,4
"…if Adam had put forth his hand immediately, and
partook of the tree of life, he would have lived for ever, according to the
word of God, having no space for repentance; Yea, and also the word of God
would have been void, and the great plan of salvation would have been
frustrated…" --Alma 19:85,86
Plan of Redemption
"…Now if it had not been for the plan of redemption,
which was laid from the foundation of the world, there could have been no
resurrection of the dead…--Alma 9:42
"…if it were possible that our first parents could have
gone forth and partaken of the tree of life, they would have been for ever
miserable, having no preparatory state; And thus the plan of redemption would
have been frustrated…" --Alma 9:44,45
"…And they began from that time forth to call on his
name; therefore God conversed with men, and made known unto them the plan of
redemption, which had been prepared from the foundation of the world…--Alma
9:49
"…God gave unto them commandments, after having made
known unto them the plan of redemption, that they should not do evil, the
penalty thereof being a second death, which was an everlasting death as to
things pertaining unto righteousness; For on such the plan of redemption could
have no power, for the works of justice could not be destroyed, according to
the supreme goodness of God..." --Alma 9:52,53
What blessed scriptures. What a blessed theme—the plan of
redemption!
"…But God did call on men, in the name of his Son,
(this being the plan of redemption which was laid,) saying: If ye will repent,
and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine only
begotten Son…" --Alma 9: 54
"…he expounded unto them the plan of redemption, which
was prepared from the foundation of the world…" --Alma 12:119
"…And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures, from
the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal
state, and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation
of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his
name…" --Alma13:45
"…I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of
thunder, repentance, and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and
come unto our God, that there might be no more sorrow upon all the face of the earth…"
--Alma 15:53
"…therefore, only unto him that has faith unto
repentance, is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.
Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise
your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he
would have mercy upon you; yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to
save…" --Alma 16:217,218
What a verse!
"…I would that ye would come forth and harden not your
hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time, and the day of your salvation;
and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall
the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you. For behold, this life
is the time for men to prepare to meet God…" --Alma 16:227,228
"…Is it not as necessary that the plan of redemption
should be made known unto this people, as well as unto their children?.."
--Alma 19:26
"…And now remember, my son, if it were not for the plan
of redemption, (laying it aside,) as soon as they were dead, their souls were
miserable, being cut off from the presence of the Lord…" --Alma 19:92
And now we turn our attention to one of the most central and
cardinal Protestant doctrines of all…
Salvation
"…And then at that day, will they not rejoice and give
praise unto their everlasting God, their rock and their salvation?.." --I
Nephi 4:20
"…And it came to pass that Alma said unto him, taking
him by the hand, Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation? And he
answered and said, Yea, I believe all the words that thou hast taught. And Alma
said, If thou believest in the redemption of Christ, thou canst be healed. And
he said, Yea, I believe according to thy words. And then Alma cried unto the
Lord, saying, O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to
his faith which is in Christ. And when Alma had said these words, Zeezrom
leaped upon his feet, and began to walk…" --Alma 10:95-100
What a powerful passage!
"…Yea, even that ye would have so much faith as even to
plant the word in your hearts, that ye may try the experiment of its goodness;
and we have beheld that the great question which is in your minds, is whether
the word be in the Son of God, or whether there shall be no Christ. And ye also
beheld that my brother has proven unto you, in many instances that the word is
in Christ, unto salvation…" --Alma 16:203,204
"…these things shall be hid up, to come forth unto the
Gentiles by the gift and power of the Lamb; And in them shall be written my
gospel, saith the Lamb, and my rock and my salvation…" --I Nephi 3:185,186
"…And then at that day, will they not rejoice and give
praise unto their everlasting God, their rock and their salvation?…" --I
Nephi 4:20
"…Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the
Lord, saith the prophet…--I Nephi 5:256
"…I know that thou art redeemed, because of the
righteousness of thy Redeemer: for thou hast beheld, that in the fullness of
time, he cometh to bring salvation unto men…" --II Nephi 1:63
"…For the Spirit is the same, yesterday, to-day, and
for ever. And the way is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is
free…" --II Nephi 1:65,66
"…Rejoice, O my heart, and cry unto the Lord, and say,
O Lord, I will praise thee for ever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God,
and the rock of my salvation…" –II Nephi 3:50
"…Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be
afraid: for the Lord, JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my
salvation. Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of
salvation…" --II Nephi 9:133,134
Sure sounds like Isaiah!
"…For there is nothing which is good, save it comes from
the Lord; and that which is evil, cometh from the devil. And now, my beloved
brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of
Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea,
come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue
in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth, ye will
be saved…" --Omni 1:45-47
"…For behold as in Adam, or by nature they fall, even
so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins. And moreover, I say unto you,
that there shall be no other name given, nor any other way nor means whereby
salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of
Christ, the Lord Omnipotent…" --Mosiah 1:115,116
"…But men drink damnation to their own souls, except
they humble themselves, and become as little children, and believe that
salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of
Christ, the Lord Omnipotent: For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has
been, from the fall of Adam, and will be, for ever and ever; But if he yields
to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man, and
becometh a saint, through the atonement of Christ, the Lord, and becometh as a
child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to
all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth
submit to his father. And moreover, I say unto you, that the time shall come,
when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout every nation, kindred,
tongue, and people…" --Mosiah 1:118-121
Sounds like some good ole Baptist preaching to me!
"…For behold, if the knowledge of the goodness of God
at this time, has awakened you to a sense of your nothingness, and your
worthless and fallen state; I say unto you, if ye have come to a knowledge of
the goodness of God, and his matchless power, and his wisdom, and his patience,
and his long suffering towards the children of men, And also, the atonement
which has been prepared from the foundation of the world, that thereby
salvation might come to him that should put his trust in the Lord…And there is
none other salvation, save this which hath been spoken of; neither are there
any conditions whereby man can be saved…" --Mosiah2:8-9,12
"…There is no other name given, whereby salvation
cometh, therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ, all
you that have entered into the covenant with God…" --Mosiah 3:11
"…And it came to pass that Alma said unto him, taking
him by the hand, Believest thou in the power of Christ unto salvation? And he
answered and said, Yea, I believe all the words that thou hast taught. And Alma
said, If thou believest in the redemption of Christ, thou canst be healed. And
he said, Yea, I believe according to thy words. And then Alma cried unto the
Lord, saying, O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to
his faith which is in Christ. And when Alma had said these words, Zeezrom
leaped upon his feet, and began to walk…" --Alma 10:95-100
Again, what a powerful passage!
"…Yea, behold, I say unto you, that as these things are
true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven,
save it be this Jesus Christ of which I have spoken, whereby man can be
saved…" --II Nephi 11:39
"…And I pray the Father in the name of Christ, that
many of us, if not all, may be saved in his kingdom, at that great and last
day…" --II Nephi 15:15
The Lord Jesus Christ
Like the Bible, the central theme of the Book of Mormon is
the Lordship of Jesus Christ. There are over 160 passages in the Book of Mormon
that speak of the Lord Jesus Christ. There were 22 men named in the Book of
Mormon who saw Christ. Some form of Christ’s name is mentioned on an average of
every 1.7 verses. The New Testament mentions a form of Christ’s name on an
average of every 2.1 verses. The name of the Savior appears nearly 25 percent
more frequently in the Book of Mormon than in the New Testament. When we
realize that a verse usually consists of one sentence, we cannot on the average
read two sentences in the Book of Mormon without seeing some form of Christ’s
name.
"He is Lord" rings loud and clear from its pages
like a London cathedral choir harmonizing on a Sunday morning. The sound is
resonant throughout the book’s pages. The Spirit’s witness is there. That same
Jesus I discovered in the Bible is also present in the pages of the Book of
Mormon. Praise be to His holy name!
I mention but a few of the many passages that speak of our
blessed Savior.
"…And according to the words of the prophets, and also
the word of the angel of God, his name shall be Jesus Christ, the Son of
God…" --II Nephi 11:36
"…Yea, behold, I say unto you, that as these things are
true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven,
save it be this Jesus Christ of which I have spoken, whereby man can be
saved…" --II Nephi 11:39
"…And as I spake concerning the convincing of the Jews,
that Jesus is the very Christ, it must needs be that the Gentiles be convinced
also, that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God; and that he manifesteth
himself unto all those who believe in him, by the power of the Holy
Ghost…" --II Nephi 11:78
What a blessed verse.
"…And the gospel of Jesus Christ shall be declared
among them; wherefore, they shall be restored unto the knowledge of their
fathers, and also to the knowledge of Jesus Christ, which was had among their
fathers. And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing
unto them from the hand of God…" --II Nephi 12:82,83
"…I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my
Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell…" --II Nephi 15:7
I have always liked this verse. One of my favorites, for
sure.
"…Wherefore, we search the prophets; and we have many
revelations, and the spirit of prophecy, and having all these witnesses, we
obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can
command in the name of Jesus, and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or
the waves of the sea…" --Jacob 3:7
"…And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things, from the beginning;
and his mother shall be called Mary. And lo, he cometh unto his own, that
salvation might come unto the children of men, even through faith, on his
name…" --Mosiah 1:102,103
"…We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who
created heaven and earth, and all things, who shall come down among the
children of men…" --Mosiah 2:4
"…And I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ
shall come; yea, the Son, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, and
mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the
world; yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name…"
--Alma 3:83,84
"…And according to the spirit of prophecy which was in
him, according to the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who should
come to redeem his people from their sins…" --Alma 4:10
"…And it came to pass that there were many who died,
firmly believing that their souls were redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ; thus
they went out of the world rejoicing…" --Alma 21:74
"…O remember, remember, my sons, the words which King
Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor
means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ,
who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world…"
--Helaman 2:71
"…I have reason to bless my God and my Savior Jesus
Christ…that he hath given me and my people so much knowledge unto the salvation
of our souls…" --III Nephi 2:103
"…And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus
Christ, the Son of God…" --III Nephi 2:109
"…As many as were converted, did truly signify unto the
people that they had been visited by the power and Spirit of God, which was in
Jesus Christ, in whom they believed…" --III Nephi 3:63
"…Behold I am Jesus Christ, the son of God. I created
the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the
Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me
hath the Father glorified his name…" --III Nephi 4:44,45
That name which is above every name, Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, is found throughout the pages of this blessed book—the Book of Mormon.
On to another central Protestant doctrine…
Repentance
"…And he commandeth all men that they must repent, and
be baptized in his name, having perfect faith in the Holy One of Israel, or
they can not be saved in the kingdom of God. And if they will not repent and
believe in his name, and be baptized in his name, and endure to the end, they
must be damned; For the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, hath spoken it…"
--II Nephi 6:48-50
"…For behold, I say unto you, That as many of the
Gentiles as will repent, are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of
the Jews as will not repent, shall be cast off; For the Lord covenanteth with
none, save it be with them that repent and believe in his Son, who is the Holy
One of Israel…" --II Nephi 12:77,78
"…And the Father said, Repent ye, repent ye, and be
baptized in the name of my beloved Son…" --II Nephi 13:14
"…Believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake
them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he
would forgive you…" –Mosiah 2:16
"…Except they repent, and turn to the Lord their God,
behold, I will deliver them into the hands of their enemies…" --Mosiah
7:32
"…The time is at hand that he must repent, or he can
not be saved…" --Alma 3:55
"…Preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and
free; yea, I say unto you, the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising
generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born
again…" --Alma 3:86
"…Thus saith the Spirit, Repent all ye ends of the
earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in
his glory, in his might, majesty, power and dominion…" --Alma 3:87
"…The Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a
mighty voice, saying, Go forth and say unto this people, Repent, for except ye
repent, ye can in no wise inherit the kingdom of heaven…" --Alma 3:89
"…Now I say unto you, that ye must repent, and be born
again: for the Spirit saith, If ye are not born again, ye can not inherit the
kingdom of heaven…" --Alma 5:24
Sounds like Nicodemus and Jesus in John chapter three,
doesn’t it?
"…Melchisedec having exercised mighty faith, and
received the office of the high priesthood, according to the holy order of God,
did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and
Melchisedec did establish peace in the land in his days…" --Alma 10:12,13
"…And now it came to pass that when Alma had said these
words unto them, he stretched forth his hand unto them and cried with a mighty
voice, saying, Now is the time to repent, for the day of salvation draweth
nigh…" --Alma 10:18
"…And we see that his arm is extended to all people who
will repent and believe on his name…" --Alma 12:180
"…And also, what is this that Ammon said: If ye will
repent ye shall be saved, and if ye will not repent, ye shall be cast off at
the last day?…" --Alma 13:37
"…There was a time granted unto man, to repent, yea, a
probationary time, a time to repent and serve God…" --Alma 19:84
"…And it came to pass that they did repent, and
inasmuch as they did repent, they did begin to prosper…" --Helaman 2:49
"…Blessed are they who will repent, and hearken unto
the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved…"
--Helaman 4:70
"…O all ye that are spared, because ye were more
righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins,
and be converted, that I may heal you? Yea, verily I say unto you, If ye will
come unto me, ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended
towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those
who come unto me. Behold I am Jesus Christ, the son of God…" --III Nephi
4:41-45
On to another central Protestant doctrine…
Faith
"…And it came to pass after I, Nephi, having heard all
the words of my father concerning the things which he saw in a vision; And also
the things which he spake by the power of the Holy Ghost; which power he
received by faith on the Son of God; And the Son of God was the Messiah who
should come…" --I Nephi 3:23-25
"…Behold they are righteous for ever; for because of
their faith in the Lamb of God, their garments are made white in his
blood…" --I Nephi 3:117
"…We are made alive in Christ, because of our
faith…" --II Nephi 11:46
"…Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come
thus far, save it were by the word of Christ, with unshaken faith in him,
relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save; Wherefore, ye must
press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of
hope, and a love of God and of all men…" --II Nephi 13:28,29
"…I have charity for my people, and great faith in Christ,
that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment seat…" --II Nephi
15:8
"…Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto
him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions…"
--Jacob 2:49
"…Beloved brethren, be reconciled unto him, through the
atonement of Christ, his only begotten Son. That ye may obtain a resurrection,
according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented
as the first fruits of Christ, unto God, having faith, and obtained a good hope
of glory in him, before he manifesteth himself in the flesh…" --Jacob
3:16,17
"…For he had said unto me, Whatsoever thing ye shall
ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall
receive it. And I had faith, and I did cry unto God, that he would preserve the
records; And he covenanted with me that he would bring them forth…" --Enos
1:24-26
"…And after I, Enos, had heard these words, my faith
began to be unshaken in the Lord; and I prayed unto him with many long
strugglings for my brethren, the Lamanites. And it came to pass, that after I
had prayed, and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me, I will grant
unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith…" --Enos 1:17,18
"…There are many among us who have many revelations:
for they are not all stiff-necked. And as many are not stiff-necked, and have
faith, have communion with the Holy Spirit, which maketh manifest unto the
children of men, according to their faith…" --Jarom 1:8,9
"…Wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against
God; for salvation cometh to none such, except it be through repentance and
faith on the Lord Jesus Christ…" --Mosiah 2:4-6
"…We believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who
created heaven and earth, and all things, who shall come down among the
children of men. And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words,
the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having
received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of
the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come…"
--Mosiah 2:4-6
"…Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he
created all things both in heaven and in earth; Believe that he has all wisdom,
and all power, both in heaven and in earth; Believe that man doth not
comprehend all things which the Lord can comprehend. And again: Believe that ye
must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God;
and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you: And now, if you believe
all these things, see that ye do them. And again I say unto you as I have said
before, that as ye have come to the knowledge of the glory of God, or if ye
have known of his goodness, and have tasted of his love, and have received a
remission of your sins, which causeth such exceeding great joy in your souls,
even so I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the
greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long suffering
towards you unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of
humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily…" --Mosiah 2:13-21
"…This day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say
that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born
of him, and have become his sons and his daughters…" --Mosiah 3:9
"…And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the
church, Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in
your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Do ye
exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward
with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this
corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God, to be judged according
to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body? I say unto you, Can you
imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in
that day, Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works
of righteousness upon the face of the earth…" --Alma 3:27-32
"…And now as I said concerning faith: Faith, is not to
have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith, ye hope for
things which are not seen, which are true. And now, behold, I say unto you; and
I would that ye should remember that God is merciful unto all who believe on
his name; therefore he desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe,
yea, even on his word…" Alma 16:143,144
"…If ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to
an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith; yea, even if ye
can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye
believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words. Now we
will compare the word unto a seed…" --Alma 16:151,152
Truly, one of my favorite passages in the Book of Mormon.
"…Dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no
witness until after the trial of your faith, for it was by faith that Christ
shewed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead…"
--Ether 5:7
And now, perhaps the keystone doctrine of the Protestant
reformation…
Grace
"…Redemption cometh in and through the holy Messiah:
for he is full of grace and truth…" --II Nephi 1:71
"…How great the importance to make these things known
unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh
that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and
mercy, and grace of the holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the
flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to
pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise. Wherefore,
he is the first fruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all
the children of men…" --II Nephi 1:73-76
"…O the wisdom of God! his mercy and grace! --II Nephi
6:19
"…And remember after ye are reconciled unto God, that
it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved…" --II Nephi
7:14
The Book of Mormon, like the Bible, teaches that salvation
is by grace through faith.
"…My soul delighteth in his grace, and his justice, and
power, and mercy, in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death. And
my soul delighteth in proving unto my people, that save Christ should come, all
men must perish…" --II Nephi 8:11,12
"…I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall
come; yea, the Son, the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy,
and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world;
yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name…" --Alma
3:83,84
"…I have come, having great hopes and much desire that
I should find that ye had humbled yourselves before God, and that ye had
continued in the supplicating of his grace, that I should find that ye were
blameless before him…" --Alma 5:4
"…not many days hence, the Son of God shall come in his
glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father,
full of grace, equity and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long suffering,
quick to hear the cries of his people, and to answer their prayers…" --Alma
7:40
"…Blessed are they who will repent, and hearken unto
the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved. And
may God grant, in his great fullness, that men might be brought unto repentance
and good works, that they might be restored unto grace, for grace according to
their works. And I would that all men might be saved…" --Helaman 4:70-72
"…The Lord spake unto me, saying, Fools mock, but they
shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no
advantage of your weakness; and if men come unto me, I will shew unto them
their weakness. I give unto men weakness, that they may be humble; and my grace
is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble
themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak thing become
strong unto them…" --Ether 5:27,28
…May the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in
the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his
power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you
for ever…" --Moroni 9:28
"…Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny
yourselves of all ungodliness, and if ye shall deny yourselves of all
ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his
grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if
by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in no wise deny the power
of God. And again, if ye, by the grace of God, are perfect in Christ, and deny
not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through
the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father,
unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy without spot. And now I
bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my
spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through
the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the eternal
Judge of both quick and dead. Amen." --Moroni 10:29-31 The end.
I find it both uplifting and somewhat unique that the Book
of Mormon ends by focusing on the themes of: coming unto Christ, God’s grace,
the shed blood of Christ, the power of God, sanctified in Christ, the covenant,
and the remission of our sins.
How Protestant!
There you have it—The Baptist Version of the Book of Mormon:
Protestant Doctrines within the Book of Mormon.
…Born Again Experience
…Plan of Salvation
…Plan of Redemption
…Salvation
…The Lord Jesus Christ
…Repentance
…Faith
…Grace
What a book!
Perhaps the late John Henry Evans (1872-1947) said it best
when he penned an overview of the Prophet’s life with typical nineteenth
century eloquence:
"…Here is a man," says Evan, "who was born in
the stark hills of Vermont; who was reared in the backwoods of New York; who
never looked inside a college or high school; who lived in six States, no one
of which would own him during his lifetime; who spent months in the vile
prisons of the period; who, even when he has his freedom, was hounded like a
fugitive; who was covered once with a coat of tar and feathers, and left for
dead; who, with his following, was driven by irate neighbors from New York to
Ohio, from Ohio to Missouri, and from Missouri to Illinois; and who, at the
unripe age of thirty-eight, was shot to death by a mob with painted faces.
Yet this man became mayor of the biggest town in Illinois
and the state’s most prominent citizen, the commander of the largest body of
trained soldiers in the nation outside the Federal army, the founder of cities
and of a university, and aspired to become President of the United States.
He wrote a book which has baffled the literary critics for a
hundred years and which is today more widely read than any other volume save
the Bible…"
--Joseph Smith, An American Prophet, 1933 preface
Joseph Smith "…wrote a book which has baffled the
literary critics…" So true.
One other quote. Hear Henry A. Wallace, one of our late Vice
Presidents:
"…Of all the American religious books of the nineteenth
century, it seems probable that the Book of Mormon was the most powerful. It
reached perhaps only one percent of the United States, but affected this one
percent so powerfully and lastingly, that all the people of the United States
have been affected." --New York Times, Nov.5, 1937
Summary
Let’s focus briefly on the man, Joseph Smith. What kind of
man was he? The man whom God used to commence the restoration in these latter
days. What did he have to say concerning truth and doctrine?
Well, first of all, Joseph was extremely tolerant of sects,
of those not sharing his Christian point of view. This is a side of Joseph
that’s not well known even by those inside the restoration movement, let alone
by those outside it.
On one occasion, in a sermon, he said, "…If I esteem
mankind to be in error, shall I bear down on them? No. I will lift them up, and
in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better. I will not
seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by force or reasoning, for
truth will cut its own way. Do you believe Jesus Christ and the gospel of
salvation which he revealed? So do I. Christians should cease wrangling and
contending with each other, and cultivate the principles of union and
friendship. I am just as ready to die defending the rights of a Presbyterian, a
Baptist, or a good man of any other denomination." --Sermon, 1843
That last statement especially was quite a statement;
"…I am just as ready to die in defending the rights of a
Presbyterian…"
"…Christians should cease wrangling and contending with
each other…" is also quite a statement.
While mayor of Nauvoo, Joseph passed an ordinance
"…that the Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Latter-day Saints,
Quakers, Episcopals…and all other religious sects and denominations whatever,
shall have free tolerance and equal privileges in this city…"
It was "against the law" not to show charity and
tolerance toward those of other sects in the city of Nauvoo, the city Joseph
built.
Again, what kind of man was he?…
One Sunday morning—among a group of prominent politicians,
Attorney Butterfield, Judge Douglas, Senator Gillispie, and others—these
gentlemen wanted to know about Joseph’s Christian beliefs. Butterfield asked
what the main difference was between his faith and that of other Christians.
Joseph responded,
"…The most prominent difference is this: Sectarians all
circumscribe by a peculiar creed, which deprives them of the privilege of
believing anything not contained therein. The Latter-day Saints, on the
contrary, have no creed, but stand ready to believe all true principles that
exist, as they are made manifest from time to time."
I thought that was well put. In other words, truth remains
dynamic. Revelation of truth continues throughout our lifetime. Creeds, on the
other hand, tend to become static and inflexible with time.
One last anecdote…
The Prophet is appealing to the President of the United
States on behalf of his people. Terrible atrocities have occurred back in
Missouri. He had obtained a meeting with President Van Buren. While at the
capital, the Prophet preached the gospel to bureacrats. One of the
representatives, a certain Matthew S. Davis from New York state, tells about
one of the meetings held in the capital by Joseph.
This United States representative, who met Joseph Smith face
to face, I believe answers our concerns (better than I could ever address them)
in a letter he sent to his wife back home. The congressman writes…
"…I went last evening to hear ‘Joe smith,’ the
celebrated Mormon, expound his doctrine. I, with several others, had a desire
to understand his tenants as explained by himself.
He is not an educated man; but he is a plain, sensible,
strong-minded man. Everything he says, is said in a manner to leave an
impression that he is sincere. There is no levity, no fanaticism, no want of
dignity in his deportment. In his garb there are no peculiarities; his dress
being that of a plain, unpretending citizen. He is by profession a farmer, but
is evidently well read.
During the whole of his address, and it occupied more than
two hours, there was no opinion or belief that he expressed, that was
calculated, in the least degree, to impair the morals of society, or in any
manner to degrade and brutalize the human species. There was much in his
precepts, if they were followed, that would soften the asperities of man
towards man, and that would tend to make him a more rational being than he is
generally found to be. There was no violence, no fury, no denunciation. His religion
appears to be a religion of meekness, lowliness, and mild persuasion.
Towards the close of his address, he remarked that he had
been represented to be a Savior. All this was false. He made no such
pretensions. He was but a man, he said: a plain, untutored man, seeking what he
should do to be saved.
Throughout his whole address, he displayed strongly a spirit
of charity and forbearance. I have taken some pains to explain this man’s
belief, as he himself explained it. I have changed my opinion of the Mormons.
They are an injured and much-abused people."
"…I have changed my opinion…" said the U.S.
representative.
Concerning the Book of Mormon and the man, Joseph Smith, it
is my prayer—so have you.r
About the Author:
Lynn Ridenhour grew up in the heart of Missouri near the
Ozarks. A licensed Baptist minister for over 38 years, Lynn read the Book of
Mormon and had a marvelous conversion experience to the restoration gospel as
proclaimed by Joseph Smith.
Dr. Ridenhour has a Ph.D in literature with a specialty degree
in composition theory from the University of Iowa. He has taught creative
writing in both Christian and secular universities. Dr. Ridenhour has also
pastored Baptist churches for years, has taught at Jerry Falwell’s university,
and has been involved in the charismatic renewal since 1972.
Lynn is the founder of WinePress Publishing Co., and has a
heart for evangelism. Paperback copies of Dr. Ridenhour’s booklets may be
purchased for $3 per copy.
Write:
WinePress Publishing Co.
3601 S. Noland Rd., PMB 230
Independence, MO 64055
Dr. Ridenhour’s email address is: htrails@solve.net
Should you want Dr. Ridenhour to come and speak in your
church, or organization, simply email him, giving him the details. Lynn travels
extensively for speaking engagements, sharing his testimony and conversion.
Lynn, his lovely wife, Linda, and their teenage daughter,
Lori, make their home in Independence, Missouri.
My view on the cor
I am making this personal because if I made it public, it would make an unnecessary hailstorm of accusations and back and forth that would be very destructive.
I believe that heavenly father had a body.
I don't believe He has a body that is pumping blood like ours, somewhere on an oxygen-less place at this time.
I believe that H has all the powers that are always stated about Him.
I believe they are spiritual powers, powers to control great things through nature, energy, and oh don't pin me down: atoms, radiation, radiated energy of the sort man is just beginning to mimic, etc.
When someone sees their deceased mother or spouse, etc., is there a physical body temporarily in front of the person? When someone I know saw her grandmother as she was in the hospital bed 1000 miles away, telling here that GM was OK, at the time she was on life support before she died, was her physical body transported to be in front of grand daughter?
Heavenly Father, Heavenly beings, have the power and ability to transmit their image in front or above someone and communicate their message. We don't know but I suspect that the departed person,is able to negotiate to make such visits in the form of transmission of visibility. Think of how the aurora borealis manifests itself, or even of a lightning bolt. How that transmission occurs is beyond an attempt by me to understand specifically let alone explain. So that is how I believe that God's being has been physically seen.
Beyond that, I don't care. God lives, the savior lives, the gospel as interpreted correctly is true, and virtually all else. I have felt my father's presence with me 20 years after he did and I had joined the Church, and have had a group of my father's deceased family with me in the temple. I'm very happy with it. I work in the temple and have seen things.
I believe that heavenly father had a body.
I don't believe He has a body that is pumping blood like ours, somewhere on an oxygen-less place at this time.
I believe that H has all the powers that are always stated about Him.
I believe they are spiritual powers, powers to control great things through nature, energy, and oh don't pin me down: atoms, radiation, radiated energy of the sort man is just beginning to mimic, etc.
When someone sees their deceased mother or spouse, etc., is there a physical body temporarily in front of the person? When someone I know saw her grandmother as she was in the hospital bed 1000 miles away, telling here that GM was OK, at the time she was on life support before she died, was her physical body transported to be in front of grand daughter?
Heavenly Father, Heavenly beings, have the power and ability to transmit their image in front or above someone and communicate their message. We don't know but I suspect that the departed person,is able to negotiate to make such visits in the form of transmission of visibility. Think of how the aurora borealis manifests itself, or even of a lightning bolt. How that transmission occurs is beyond an attempt by me to understand specifically let alone explain. So that is how I believe that God's being has been physically seen.
Beyond that, I don't care. God lives, the savior lives, the gospel as interpreted correctly is true, and virtually all else. I have felt my father's presence with me 20 years after he did and I had joined the Church, and have had a group of my father's deceased family with me in the temple. I'm very happy with it. I work in the temple and have seen things.
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