is it Ok for a Catholic to pray with Mormons?

[Lehl]

Z

In fact, I would be curious to know if it is commonly held that Joseph Smith and the other Mormon “prophets” who have died are now gods of their own planets somewhere?

I’m not sure Joseph Smith has time to be a god of his own planet considering he is “working the veil” and passing judgement on those to even come into the Mormon god’s presence.

Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses Volume 7

Joseph Smith holds the keys of this last dispensation, and is now engaged behind the vail in the great work of the last days. I can tell our beloved brother Christians who have slain the Prophets and butchered and otherwise caused the death of thousands of Latter-day Saints, the priests who have thanked God in their prayers and thanksgiving from the pulpit that we have been plundered, driven, and slain, and the deacons under the pulpit, and their brethren and sisters in their closets, who have thanked God, thinking that the Latter-day Saints were wasted away, something that no doubt will mortify them—something that, to say the least, is a matter of deep regret to them—namely, that no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith. From the day that the Priesthood was taken from the earth to the winding-up scene of all things, every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are—I with you and you with me. I cannot go there without his consent. He holds the keys of that kingdom for the last dispensation—the keys to rule in the spirit-world; and he rules there triumphantly, for he gained full power and a glorious victory over the power of Satan while he was yet in the flesh, and was a martyr to his religion and to the name of Christ, which gives him a most perfect victory in the spirit-world. He reigns there as supreme a being in his sphere, capacity, and calling, as God does in heaven. Many will exclaim—“Oh, that is very disagreeable! It is preposterous! We cannot bear the thought!” But it is true.

Although, it’s sounding awfully suspicious that maybe they think Joseph Smith IS the god of THIS planet afterall?

 

[zerinus]

Z

You appear to be confused. Prayer is not, in and of itself, worship.

Prayer is an act of worship. When we pray, we acknowledge the existence of a supreme being whom we do not see, but whom we recognize as being omniscient and omnipotent, and who is therefore able to hear our prayers and answer them. The saints are not omniscient or omnipotent, and cannot hear our prayers nor act upon them. Prayer is always addressed to a deity. Jesus set the pattern of how we should pray:

Matthew 6:

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

It informs us first of all that God already knows what you have need of before you ask Him. Secondly, we address our petitions directly to Him, not to some intermediate “saint”. We don’t say, “Our Saint which is in heaven”. We say, “Our Father which art in heaven”. If you want to ask a saint to pray for you, you ask him when he is still alive, not when he is dead! When he is dead he is dead, and he can’t hear nor answer. I like what is said in Ecclesiastes about the dead:

Ecclesiastes 9:

4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Once a man is dead, he is gone, and you don’t pray to him, petition him, or ask him any questions. That is called soothsaying, which was forbidden in the Old Testament scripture. We address our prayers to God alone, as Jesus said, and not to anything or anyone else.

zerinus

 

[hosemonkey]

Prayer is an act of worship. When we pray, we acknowledge the existence of a supreme being whom we do not see, but whom we recognize as being omniscient and omnipotent, and who is therefore able to hear our prayers and answer them. The saints are not omniscient or omnipotent, and cannot hear our prayers nor act upon them. Prayer is always addressed to a deity. Jesus set the pattern of how we should pray:

Matthew 6:

7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

It informs us first of all that God already knows what you have need of before you ask Him. Secondly, we address our petitions directly to Him, not to some intermediate “saint”. We don’t say, “Our Saint which is in heaven”. We say, “Our Father which art in heaven”. If you want to ask a saint to pray for you, you ask him when he is still alive, not when he is dead! When he is dead he is dead, and he can’t hear nor answer. I like what is said in Ecclesiastes about the dead:

Ecclesiastes 9:

4 For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.

5 For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.

Once a man is dead, he is gone, and you don’t pray to him, petition him, or ask him any questions. That is called soothsaying, which was forbidden in the Old Testament scripture. We address our prayers to God alone, as Jesus said, and not to anything or anyone else.

zerinus

I don’t think that you have answered the question. Given mormon beliefs, which of the multiplicity of gods that you possess, do you pray to?