For former Mormons...

[pmccombs]

Mormonism is founded on the belief that Christ’s Church failed. So, I don’t really know how you trust Jesus, based on what you believe about Him. Seems to me you have to believe that Jesus is just as fallible as humans.

I don’t think that’s a fair statement. Jesus is not the same as Jesus’ Church.

When you were a Mormon, did you not trust Jesus?

 

[RebeccaJ]

I don’t think that’s a fair statement. Jesus is not the same as Jesus’ Church.

In the mystical sense, they are. The Church is the Body of Christ, and Jesus is the head of the Body. This is more than an organizational description.

When you were a Mormon, did you not trust Jesus?

I did not trust the Mormon God, no. Jesus is not God to Mormons, I didn’t have any particular view about Jesus.Apathetic would be a good description.

 

[pmccombs]

I did not trust the Mormon God, no. Jesus is not God to Mormons, I didn’t have any particular view about Jesus.Apathetic would be a good description.

Strange. I’m obligated to teach that Jesus is God when I instruct Mormons in Elder’s Quorum. The Mormons where I live seem to think Jesus is God, and they get all weepy when they talk about Him, which is all the time. The doctrine of Jesus’ unity with God and His divinity is written pretty clearly in their Book of Mormon and in the Doctrine and Coventants, which have been around since the earliest days of the church.

In terms of the OP’s question, though, I’m a currently active Mormon who puts very little credibility in the church leadership. I think they’re good men, great businessmen, and generally sincere in their spiritual desires. Sometimes they even have great insights and rare wisdom. I think there are better prophets to be found elsewhere, though. Now, I don’t go teaching that idea at Church, and it certainly doesn’t represent official Mormon doctrine. But they haven’t kicked me out for holding that particular opinion.

 

[NeuroTypical]

NeuroTypical:

1. I’ve never given “my ALL, my soul, everything about myself” to anything or anyone besides Christ. No mormon ever asked me to do anything else.

Have you taken out your Endowment yet?

Yes I have, and I suppose my thoughts on the matter echo RebeccaJ’s:

pmccombs:

Jesus is not the same as Jesus’ Church.

In the mystical sense, they are. The Church is the Body of Christ, and Jesus is the head of the Body. This is more than an organizational description.

 

[tundramom]

Everything that Rebecca said.

Steph

 

[RebeccaJ]

Strange. I’m obligated to teach that Jesus is God when I instruct Mormons in Elder’s Quorum. The Mormons where I live seem to think Jesus is God,

Strange, considering that Mormon doctrine claims Jesus is A God, one among many. Really, just some guy who happens to be ahead of you on the stairway to godhood. I am still apathetic towards such as God as this.

and they get all weepy when they talk about Him, which is all the time. The doctrine of Jesus’ unity with God and His divinity is written pretty clearly in their Book of Mormon and in the Doctrine and Coventants, which have been around since the earliest days of the church.

I don’t have a negative view of the Mormon idea of Jesus. Just never saw, and still don’t see, how your view of Jesus recognizes that He IS GOD (not a God).

 

[RebeccaJ]

Yes I have, and I suppose my thoughts on the matter echo RebeccaJ’s:

Please, don’t apply your Mormon temple whatever to my words.

 

[pmccombs]

I don’t have a negative view of the Mormon idea of Jesus. Just never saw, and still don’t see, how your view of Jesus recognizes that He IS GOD (not a God).

While Mormons acknowledge the existence of gods, they teach that Jesus is God. They believe that there is a perfect unity between Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, which constitutes one godhead, the only entity worshiped by Mormons.

 

[Porknpie]

While Mormons acknowledge the existence of gods, they teach that Jesus is God. They believe that there is a perfect unity between Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, which constitutes one godhead, the only entity worshiped by Mormons.

PM -

Why are you not inserting the word “a” in between “is” and “God”?

 

[pmccombs]

PM -

Why are you not inserting the word “a” in between “is” and “God”?

Because no faithful Mormons I have ever known think of Jesus in terms of “a” god. While their doctrine encompasses “exalted” beings and grants them the title of “god”, Mormons don’t have a pantheon of deities nor any sort of worship of gods. Mormons believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, “which is one God,” as their Book of Mormon tells them and has always told them.

Every now and then some critic or other wants to make the Mormons offenders for a word. They don’t like how Mormons say “gods” when they really mean something akin to “saints.” So they try to convince the Mormons that they really believe in some outrageous doctrine. Occasionally there are Mormons who listen and let these critics dictate to them what they really must believe, which isn’t at all what they thought they believed. But now their eyes are opened, you see, and the critic is oh, so right. How could they ever have believed in such silliness?

 

[RebeccaJ]

Seriously, Mormons do believe in a pantheon of gods. You apologists types are always leaving out your goddess: Heavenly Mother. Makes one wonder why.

Your erroneous teaching of a godhead is not of one God, but three Gods. Why equivocate? Four Gods makes for the nice beginnings of a pantheon. Then you have the Book of Abraham, that is quite clear regarding the Mormon doctrine of a council of Gods, and it is THEY who created the earth.

Gods. Plural. Plurality of Gods. Makes for a pantheon by any definition.

'nuff said.