Mormon Bloggers

This photo was taken yesterday while we were shopping at a restaurant supply. My son Jeffrey found a pizza paddle he (jokingly) wanted me to buy for “Jacob’s butt” (his older brother). Ah, sibling rivalry at it’s finest. This picture also reminds me of Christian rivalry which some practice towards other denominations with differing beliefs…minus the smile. What the LDS believe happens in the hereafter can be a volatile topic with strong reactions and disagreement from other Christian sects. In fact, the response sometimes resembles spontaneous combustion. We Latter-Day Saints are soundly cuffed and ridiculed for what we believe is possible after this life. Sometimes the belief is rudely misrepresented and taken out of context. “Mormons believe if you’re good, you’ll get your own planet.” This isn’t really how Mormons teach eternal salvation. We do, however, believe in the eternal progression of the soul. Forever is a... Read the rest of this entry »

Matters of life and death have preoccupied me lately, and no, I’m not speaking about the future of America here. I am guessing the hearts and minds of many parents and brothers and sisters are weighed down with the burdens they carry for the sins of their family members. I hope I can begin to offer more light and hope to such in this post. The Great Plan of Salvation The great plan of salvation, synonymous in The Book of Mormon as “the plan of redemption,” “the plan of mercy,” “the plan of happiness,” “the great plan of our God,” (see Alma 42), involves more than merely hoping for someday “being in a better place.” In the covenant relationship there is work involved on our part too. However, when one we love was incapable of doing the work required here, let us be assured that life continues beyond the veil. I don’t know how many times we heard, “He’s in a better place now,” in the final farewells... Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Apologetic Article, Youtube Video Tagged: Apologetics, Book o, Book of Mormon, Christ, Christianity, Church of Jesus Christ of … Continue reading »  Read More →

“Not My Will be Done, But Thine, be Done”         New Testament Lesson #25 Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46   … Continue reading »  Read More →

New Testament Lesson #24                      “This is Life Eternal”                                     John 16-17 Study outline: John 16:1-15: Jesus prepares his Apostles for the … Continue reading »  Read More →

One of the more esoteric ordinances that the Latter-day Saint Church believes, and practices, is that of the Baptism for the Dead. It is one that is commonly misunderstood by modern Christians, and twisted by counter-cult groups. In fact, majority of the counter-cult groups plagerize from one another the same argument – despite the fact [...]  Read More →

After reviewing one of my previous essays, a thoughtful reader asked my opinion about the idea of perfection and if the requirements for salvation had changed.  He said, “Open just about any page of the book of Leviticus and you’ll see laws that were of life and death importance to the early church, but not today. In contrast, there is no mention of baptism or confirmation in the Old Testament as a requirement for salvation, yet today, they are taught as essential.” He also asked about the need for the Word of Wisdom, temple ordinances, plural marriage and the second anointing. He concluded, “If God is eternal, and heaven doesn’t change, shouldn’t the requirements to get into heaven be the same, no matter when you were born or what culture you lived in?” Although his email was private, great questions like these deserve a response that can be shared in my blog so others who might be interested can benefit from the dialog. Perfection means completed The savior... Read the rest of this entry »

“They Straightway Left Their Nets” – Historical Context Gospel Doctrine Class – New Testament, Lesson #6 Luke 4:14-32; 5; 6:12-16; Matthew 10 The purpose of this week’s study is to help individuals understand that the Apostles were called to be special witnesses of Jesus Christ. Because Apostles are divinely called of Christ, we are blessed [...]  Read More →

    God Is Your Loving Heavenly Father God is your Father in Heaven. He knows you personally and loves you more than you can comprehend. He wants you to be happy in this life and in eternity. To accomplish this purpose, Heavenly Father provided a plan called the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ [...]  Read More →

So often, the argument is made among differing Christian theologies over whether salvation is by faith or whether salvation is by works (i.e obedience / righteousness)?  There are quite a few verses in the New Testament that seem to suggest salvation is by faith only, but then again, there are quite a few that say we’re judged by works and obedience is necessary to gain heaven.  And depending on which idea someone favors the most, those are the verses they point at to “prove” their point. It is rare when any major Christian doctrine can be “proven” by a few verses.  One verse can be interpreted so many different ways.  That is why reading a lot of scripture is so important.  At first pass, a single verse or two may appear to communicate one idea, but when read entirely, with the surrounding verses, its meaning can change when put in context.  And as we gather many verses on the same topic and string them together, they all shed... Read the rest of this entry »

To avoid the appearance of belittling a traditional Christian church in my community that I otherwise respect for publicly standing tall for traditional cultural values and taking heat from progressives because of it, I will not identify it by name in this post. But the graphic posted below is part of a Christmas flyer they produced. Some traditional Christian churches offer you this: Their motives are good. They ask you to bring at least one serious seeker of salvation to their church to qualify to win one of those TVs. Mind you, salvation’s not a bad thing…it means you don’t follow Satan into the unorganized universe, or outer darkness, for eternity. You don’t become a son of perdition. But the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers you this: This picks up where salvation leaves off. This can lead you to exaltation. What exactly does that mean? It depends upon the type of eternal future you want. If you’re willing to be merely a citizen of... Read the rest of this entry »

The father looks up wistfully from his reading; another argument and another angry outburst of frustration. It had been only a couple of years yesterday when his youngest son announced that he and his young family had left The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And when his son came to visit with his [...]  Read More →