Comments on: Truth Claims

By: cinepro

cinepro — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 18:18:06 +0000

If the Church is True, then God should be inspiring people to do two things, and two things only:

1. Find the nearest LDS Church.
2. Join it!

If he is inspiring people to attend another church, even start another Church, or do anything other than finding and joining the LDS Church, then He is making a mockery of the efforts of hundreds of thousands of LDS missionaries, and we would need to seriously reexamine our claims regarding how important it is to God for people to join our Church.

By: Bob

Bob — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:15:49 +0000

#8: Small Axe, the discussion is convoluted enough without adding a new term/idea like ” affirmation”, to work on.

By: velska

velska — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 07:23:19 +0000

I think, that the main question here is, do we have the Priesthood keys?

As mentioned in the FP statement, the Reformers were certainly enlightened by the Spirit, but they weren’t given the fullness – or the authority to administer salvation as agents of God.

It’s one thing to have a right idea of some things, and another to be called of God to do some things.

As it is, I don’t think we have everything. We still hold on the AofF that states, that “God will yet reveal many … things…”.

By: ed

ed — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 06:57:40 +0000

the gospel of Jesus Christ, restored to his Church in our day, provides the only way to a mortal life of happiness…

I don’t know what to make of statements like this. I know lots of non-religious people who seem just as happy as the happy Mormons I know. There are people all over the world who appear happy without any belief in Christ at all, let alone any knowledge about the church.

By: Katie Langston

Katie Langston — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 05:43:09 +0000

To put it perhaps more bluntly, is this an affirmation that all religious (and philosophical) traditions are good, but just not as good as us; or a claim that other traditions have unique portions of God’s light that we should seek after?

This is the first time I’ve seen this question approached from this angle. I love the idea. Upon thinking about it, I choose the latter.

By: m&m

m&m — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 05:25:35 +0000

I have always understood that the restored gospel took good that existed elsewhere and added to it.

That said, I have had many experiences where people of other faiths, past and present, have helped cast light on what we learn in the gospel of Jesus Christ — not because it isn’t there, but because sometimes different ways of talking about truth can make them click for me more fully.

I love this quote, btw, and appreciate you giving it some attention.

By: SmallAxe

SmallAxe — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:12:41 +0000

It seems that the 1978 statement can be read a few different ways. For instance it could say that other religious traditions have a “portion of God’s light”, and we have much more. Or, it could be saying that other religious traditions have portions of God’s light that we don’t have. I’m wondering about people’s thoughts on either of these interpretations. To put it perhaps more bluntly, is this an affirmation that all religious (and philosophical) traditions are good, but just not as good as us; or a claim that other traditions have unique portions of God’s light that we should seek after?

By: Thomas Parkin

Thomas Parkin — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:55:28 +0000

“Do you guys think the LDS concept of salvation is more wrapped up in knowledge than, say, grace or works?”

It seems to me that they are not separable from one another.

Knowledge comes by Grace, in that it is a gift. Everything comes by Grace, including the ability to do works that can please God. Yet works precede as well as follow Grace. Knowledge of God _is_ the end of our salvation. Faith, also, is a means of obtaining knowledge, not an end in itself. (Paul says that in heaven we will ‘see as we are seen and know as we are known.’) The whole process can be summed up as believing in Christ. There are many ways of saying the same things, and many true perspectives which might, in the language we use to describe them, seem to privilege one aspect over another. But its all one big ball of wax. ~

By: Katie Langston

Katie Langston — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:12:12 +0000

Or in other words, that knowledge is more important and/or fundamental to salvation than grace or works under the LDS paradigm?

By: Katie Langston

Katie Langston — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:10:04 +0000

God has given and will give to all people sufficient knowledge to help them on their way to eternal salvation, either in this life or in the life to come The fullness of the gospel is about more than “knowing” everything needed for salvation. If it isn’t happening to us individually, it is because we are not living the gospel - quite possibly because we don’t know what the gospel is. Hmmmm. I've got a question now. Do you guys think the LDS concept of salvation is more wrapped up in knowledge than, say, grace or works?