Latter Day Saint of the Church of Jesus Christ

North Kingstown, RI
Why is faith in Jesus Christ so important? Why does God not simply reveal all things to everyone, making faith unnecessary? Does God intentionally obscure information to pressure a choice between faith and unbelief? If so, why? Let's start with Alma 41 for answers to these questions. At the last day we will all be raised, or resurrected, to a state consistent with the desires of our heart while in this life. If "the desires of their hearts were good, that they should also, at the last day, be restored unto that which is good...and if their works are evil they shall be restored unto them for evil...The one raised to happiness according to his desires of happiness, or good according to his desires of good; and the other to evil according to his desires of evil" (v. 3-5) God already knows our hearts. He knows our inmost desires. We, however, do not know our own hearts. But because of our experiences in mortality, the true desires of our hearts will be revealed by the choices we make and we will come to know who we truly are at the core of our beings. Abinadi speaks to this in Mosiah 16:1 "The time shall come when all shall see the salvation of the Lord; when every nation, kindred, tongue, and people shall see eye to eye and shall confess before God that his judgments are just." So what does this have to do with faith? Lehi speaks directly to this question in 2 Nephi 2:16, 27 "Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one or the other...wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil." By not revealing all things to us fully, which would eliminate the need for faith, God provides a context for us to be "enticed by the one or the other" so we can, in truth, choose for ourselves. So we can answer the questions above clearly: Yes, God does withhold knowledge, pressuring us to make a choice between choosing righteousness or wickedness based on desire. Because we must make that choice, over and over again throughout life, without all the knowledge of God, our choices become a reflection of our true desires for good or evil, rather than a selfish race for the prize or fear of punishment. Those who genuinely "hunger and thirst after righteousness" will be led by the promptings of the Holy Ghost, which requires faith, to follow Christ. The good news is, we get to choose! We are not coerced by God. We have every reason for optimism and hope! If we examine our hearts and consistently push ourselves to choose good and seek God, He will send the Holy Ghost to enlighten our minds, direct our path, and help us grow into truly Christlike beings! Without the need for faith, this simple and beautiful process would not be able to play out. As I reflect, I feel to exclaim with Lehi "behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things." (2 Ne 2:24)
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Replying to @RyderOmniscient
That criticism mixes up two different LDS claims. Latter-day Saints do not teach that Jesus was merely a mortal man who eventually became “a god.” We identify the premortal Jesus with Jehovah, the God of Israel. Before His birth He was divine, participated in creation, and declared, “Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son” (Ether 3:14). The Book of Mormon calls Him “the God of Israel” who would come into the world (1 Nephi 19:10). So when an LDS Christian says, “We believe in Jesus,” it isn’t gaslighting. We mean the same historical Jesus of Nazareth: born of Mary, crucified under Roman authority, resurrected, Savior, Messiah, Son of God, Lord, and divine Creator. There are major metaphysical disagreements. Latter-day Saints reject the later Nicene formulation that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three persons sharing one numerically identical divine substance. We regard them as genuinely distinct divine persons who are perfectly one in glory, love, purpose, and divine life. But saying “your metaphysics of Jesus differs from mine” is very different from saying “you believe Jesus was just a man who became a god.” The latter simply misstates LDS belief. And the “2,000 years versus 200 years” argument assumes the very point under dispute. Christianity is roughly 2,000 years old; the fully developed Nicene-Constantinopolitan theological framework is not. Nicaea was in AD 325, Constantinople in AD 381, and centuries of debate were required to formulate the categories later Christians inherited. An LDS restorationist claim is precisely that the earliest Christian worldview was altered over time. You can reject that historical claim, of course—but you cannot refute it merely by pointing out that the restoration occurred later. That would be like arguing that a restoration of an ancient text must be false because the restoration is newer than the corrupted manuscript. So yes, LDS Christians and Nicene Christians disagree significantly about what it means for Jesus to be God. But both are talking about Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The substantive debate is over the nature of God—not whether Latter-day Saints secretly replaced Jesus with somebody else.
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Many of our hearts ache for loved ones who have stepped away from obedience to God’s laws. In our grief, we continuously ponder the whys, hows, and what ifs. We feel we have failed. We preach, teach, and invite—but often to no avail. By divine design, brothers and sisters, everyone must choose for themselves to follow Jesus Christ. I ask you to turn over to Jesus Christ your despair for those wayward souls. We cannot change their hearts, but He can; He is a God of miracles. Our Savior has already paid for the sins and errant choices of all of God’s children, including those for whom you and I grieve. He knows them. He knows their hearts; He loves them. He gave His very life to bring them home, all the way home. By the power of Jesus Christ’s Atonement, there is always a way back! In the vernacular, the Savior says to all who grieve, “I’ve got this!” Never, never, give up on those you love. Remember Jesus Christ is the answer. He is, always has been, and always will be. Trust Him. He’s got this! #GeneralConference
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Lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ best reflect the Savior’s teaching and direction when they joyfully live lives of integrity and virtue. The virtuous Christlike life necessary to sustain us and propel us along the covenant path has never been more important or challenging. What we are seeing in society and social media today is conduct and language that is often coarse and crude and lacks virtue. Any use of the internet to bully, destroy a reputation, or place a person in a bad light is reprehensible. It is clear, evil communications are not just a matter of bad manners. If practiced by Latter-day Saints, they can adversely affect others who do not have a knowledge of God or a testimony of our Savior. We cannot control the conduct of others, but we can strive to be a peaceable people who live in accordance with the Christlike conduct and virtues taught by our Savior, Jesus Christ. The Lord wants us to experience the joy of a virtuous life. He provides us with many beautiful gifts both physical and spiritual. Those who make sacrifices in His name will be richly rewarded. #GeneralConference "Road to Emmaus" by Wendy Keller Image courtesy of Havenlight
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Teach Truth with Love: It takes courage to stand for truth. It takes even more courage to stand for truth with love. When we try to love others by minimizing God’s laws, we separate ourselves from the one person who loves them the very most. The Savior showed love for the woman taken in adultery. But he also charged her to “go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). For disciples of Jesus Christ, truth and love always walk together. I believe teaching truth with love will be the hallmark of Christ’s disciples in the last days. For some this will require greater conviction. For others it will demand greater charity. I know the Lord will help us as we strive to teach truth with love. #GeneralConference Artwork: Jesus and the Adultress © GoodSalt.
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Who’s gonna tell him we are the ones paying for the privilege?
LDS has paid X, probably $millions, to push all this falsity with a promotion campaign......don't buy it. They know their false doctrine, don't argue with them, don't engage them, they are trained to deceive and manipulate...they are not trained in truth.
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Alright folks, I decided to give Starlink a try. I’m impressed. Easiest internet provider ever. No taxes or fees. Reliable. Used it a couple weeks now. Not going back. If you want to try it, my referral code will give me $100 credit and you a free month.
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It’s not the scripture which is tired. It is the repeated misapplication of this passage to the doctrine of Christ as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints which is tired. This is the fastest way to show you are either ignorant or dishonest by the way.
Galatians 1:8 Is Not Tired - The Verse Mormon Apologetics Still Has to Answer Key Passage: Galatians 1:8–9 — “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Introduction Somebody told me Galatians 1:8 is “tired.” That is a remarkable complaint to make against a verse of Scripture. Apparently the verse has been working too many shifts. Somebody needs to give Paul a vacation, put the Holy Ghost on administrative leave, and inform God that His warning has exceeded the acceptable number of uses in Mormon discussions. The irony would be funny if the subject were not eternal. Galatians 1:8 is not tired. People are tired of having to answer it. There is a difference. A fire alarm does not become obsolete because the fellow sleeping under it is annoyed by the noise. A stop sign does not expire because you have passed it every morning for twenty years. And a biblical warning does not lose one ounce of authority because a religious system has spent nearly two centuries hearing Christians point to it. Paul did not write Galatians 1:8 for novelty. He wrote it because another gospel is damnably serious business. Then, apparently worried that some future religious salesman might pretend he missed the first warning, he repeated it in the next verse. “As we said before, so say I now again.” God did not whisper this one. And notice what Paul does not say. He does not say, “If somebody brings you a new gospel, compare personalities.” He does not say, “Ask whether the missionaries are polite.” He does not say, “Examine how wholesome their families look.” He does not say, “Count their temples, admire their charity work, inspect the shine on their shoes, and see whether they look sincere enough to trust.” Paul goes directly to doctrine. What gospel is being preached? That is the issue. And he deliberately sets the bar as high as language can set it: “though we, or an angel from heaven.” Paul places himself beneath the gospel already delivered. He places angelic messengers beneath it. He places later claims beneath it. He puts every supernatural experience, every testimony, every restored prophet, every shining being, every new book, every priesthood claim, every revelation, and every theological system beneath what God has already said. Paul does not fear the supernatural; he refuses to let the supernatural rewrite the gospel. That is why Galatians 1:8 is not merely relevant to Mormonism. It is tailor-made for testing any later movement claiming restored revelation, additional scripture, angelic involvement, new prophetic authority, or recovered gospel truth. The verse does not name Joseph Smith because Joseph Smith did not exist when Paul wrote. It does something stronger: it establishes a permanent rule before Joseph Smith arrives. The rule is simple enough for a child and sharp enough to cut through an apologetics department: if the later message produces another gospel, reject it, even if the messenger comes wrapped in supernatural credentials. That means the question is not whether Mormon apologists are tired of hearing Galatians 1:8. The question is whether Mormonism preaches the same gospel Paul preached. If it does, demonstrate it. If it does not, complaints about how often the verse has been used are just theological earplugs. 1. Paul Repeated It Because God Wanted the Warning Heard The first thing that ought to embarrass anybody calling Galatians 1:8 “overused” is that Paul himself immediately repeats it. Verse 8 says, “let him be accursed.” Verse 9 says, “As we said before, so say I now again.” Evidently repetition was not beneath apostolic dignity. Evidently Paul did not believe a warning loses force after one use. Evidently the Holy Ghost thought the danger was serious enough to drive the
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Travis retweeted
You say you post this out of love, but you chose a grieving family’s rawest moment to publish your theological indictment of the man they just lost. Love that expresses itself by using a man’s death as an occasion to broadcast that he died deceived is not love in any form Christ would recognize. Something deep down in your heart needs everything to be about you. I have a feeling this is a character flaw those close to you have brought up before. Paul wrote what love actually looks like: it “suffereth long, and is kind… seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked” and “doth not behave itself unseemly” (1 Corinthians 13:4–5). Standing over a fresh grave to remind everyone why YOU are “more determined” in YOUR opposition is the definition of behaving unseemly. Jesus’ sharpest words for self-proclaimed religious experts who were confident they alone held the truth and saw others the way you see this man (Luke 18:9–14). “Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1) came from the same mouth you’re quoting. So did “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:16) — and the fruit of your post are hurting friends and family made to feel their loved one is a cautionary tale only you are courageous enough to tell. You frame silence as the real cruelty. You do not know the Bible. There is a time for everything, including “a time to keep silence” (Ecclesiastes 3:7). Job’s friends did their real damage not just by being wrong about theology, but by lecturing a suffering man about doctrine. “To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend” (Job 6:14). Like them, you have knowledge without wisdom. Have there been times your life, pastor, in which your wife or your children have not responded well when you cared “too much” to stay quiet? Take time to reflect on their unspoken pain. Paul teaches that the loving thing is to actually be quiet — to mourn with those that mourn (Romans 12:15), not to preach at them before they’ve chosen a casket.
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Amen to this
For those of you who do not understand what I am doing, let me spell it out. I believe there is a serious threat on the horizon for the Christian West: the growing political alliance between godless radical Marxism and radical Islamism—two movements that disagree profoundly with one another, yet increasingly find common cause against the institutions, traditions, and moral foundations of Western Christianity. Self-proclaimed socialists are winning elections across this country. Across Europe, demographic, political, and cultural changes are placing enormous pressure on societies that have already largely abandoned their Christian foundations. They are not shy about their goals. Marx famously hated religion, and the global Jihad marches on. And meanwhile, what are Christians doing? We are fighting one another. Catholic against Protestant. Protestant against Catholic. Nicene Christian against Latter-day Saint. Endless arguments about who is sufficiently Christian, whose baptism counts, whose theology is heretical, and who is allowed to stand beneath the banner of Christ. These questions are not meaningless. Doctrine matters. Truth matters. I am a Roman Catholic because I believe Catholicism is true, and Christian unity cannot ultimately mean pretending our genuine theological disagreements do not exist. But there is a difference between disagreement and enmity. We have become so accustomed to fighting one another that we risk failing to recognize when we have common cause — and a common enemy who is growing ever stronger. That is part of why I, as a Roman Catholic, have reached out to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have spent time listening to them, reading the Book of Mormon with them, asking difficult questions, explaining Catholicism, praying with them, and trying to understand what they actually believe rather than what their opponents tell me they believe. Furthermore, the LDS are a natural ally to the cause of liberty — and if you cannot understand that, you do not know the first damned thing about them. But, no. I have not become a “Mormon.” But I have come to regard them as friends and fellow followers of Jesus Christ with whom I share far more than our increasingly secular culture would like either of us to admit. And I want the same attitude extended more broadly. Catholics. Orthodox. Protestants. Latter-day Saints. And everyone who sincerely confesses Jesus Christ as Lord: We need to stop treating one another as enemies. We can argue theology without hatred. We can evangelize without contempt. We can believe that another Christian tradition is profoundly mistaken without mocking the people who belong to it. Because whatever our disagreements, we should recognize that a society in which LDS are no longer free to be LDS will lead to a society where Catholics can no longer be Catholic. When Catholics are no longer free to be Catholic, it will eventually not be safe for Protestants either. And a society that drives Christianity entirely from public life will not stop to congratulate us for having won our theological arguments against one another. Christ prayed that His followers “may all be one” (John 17:21). Perhaps we should start taking that prayer seriously. I am not asking anyone to abandon doctrine. I am asking us to abandon contempt. I am not asking for theological relativism. I am asking for Christian solidarity. I am not asking Catholics to stop being Catholic, Protestants to stop being Protestant, or Latter-day Saints to stop being LDS. I am asking people who confess Christ as Lord to start acting like it. We cannot allow our disagreements to turn us into enemies while forces openly hostile to Christianity grow stronger around us. The Body of Christ has spent long enough fighting with itself. It is time to work together.
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Hot take: Do your best to follow Jesus Christ, giving heed to prophetic guidance, and let others do the same to the best of their ability. The right application for you might be legitimately different than the best application for someone else. That is all.
I have a hypothesis that may be totally wrong, but let me know what you think. The tension around peacemaking among Latter-day Saints may exist because there are two primary ways people are interpreting the prophet’s words: a feminine way and a masculine way. I think members (both men and women) who use the feminine model of peacemaking emphasize in-group cohesion and low conflict above all else, whereas men and women who use the masculine model emphasize the productive working out of conflict through respectful disagreement. I personally think the masculine model is better for society.
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The very concept of the success is deeply immoral. If you are successful the other is loser. We shouldn’t accept it. We should prosper or suffer together. Otherwise it is satanic.
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Thank you @DMNOpinion for publishing this much needed counter to the dishonest and dishonorable tactics employed by the Fairview mayor.
Is name-calling worth the cost of fighting the construction of a church in Fairview, Texas? dallasnews.com/opinion/comme…
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This is pretty cool 🇺🇸
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence, Tokyo Tower, Rainbow Bridge, and the Tokyo Aqua Symphony will be illuminated in red, white, and blue on July 4th.
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“Consubstantial yes or no” is not the dunk you think it is.
This such a straw man argument. Mormans have a different Jesus simply because they dont believe in the Trinity. Push them hard enough and they will ultimately admit to this.
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Hey @Support team at @X this is a mistake. Please reinstate @EricCMeadows.
Our friend @EricCMeadows had his account suspended. Can you guys take a sec and go help him out?
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We don’t get to determine when or how spiritual gifts are bestowed. That is God’s prerogative. A study of history and scripture shows the more dramatic displays of God’s gifts are relatively rare. The less dramatic spiritual gifts are just as much evidence of God’s power and the faithfulness of His covenant people. I’ve seen the less dramatic but just as real spiritual gifts manifest countless times. God is still very much with His covenant people in ways nearly invisible to those who do not have eyes to see and ears to hear.
Replying to @SoCalConserve1
Bring back the charismatic gifts and make sacrament lit 🔥 like Kirtland
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Matthew 5: 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all…Let your light so shine before men…
Replying to @SaltySisB
Water tower is needed Bell Tower isn't lit like a beacon of light pollution There's a reason people don't want a Mormon steeple in their neighborhood
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This is a pretty fantastic picture by the way
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Probably Bountiful
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