let me direct you to a list of “authoritative statements” on this:
Christ was prophesied as the Messiah, and thus he ministered to the Jews only, in fulfillment of prophecy.
Mormons have already readily accepted new doctrines and denounced others that have made them an entirely different faith…remember polygamy?
And the past 20 years. Mormons today are not how I was raised a Mormon. For one, this idea of sola scriptura never existed until recently.Mormons have already readily accepted new doctrines and denounced others that have made them an entirely different faith…remember polygamy?
Yes, but the Mormon “Trinity” contains 3 separate “personages” and Mormons believe that God/Heavenly Father and Jesus each have their own physical body. It is hard to see how that could ever be reconciled with the concept of a traditional Christian “Trinity”. If they did that, they would no longer be Mormons, they’d be something else.Mormons have already readily accepted new doctrines and denounced others that have made them an entirely different faith…remember polygamy?
They are already something else. Modern Mormonism is nowhere near what Joseph Smith “restored” or what Brigham Young preached.
i think they are weeping and wailing and gnashing their teeth; not in their graves but rather somewhere warmer.
Actually, the seeds for belief in the Trinity are in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. They could easily embrace it just like the Community of Christ does.
Some one already answered this one partially. Christ was male and he chose only males. Further, in the OT, the priesthood was also limited to males. It is not because women are unfit or unholy.
Actually, the whole idea of three separate personages is based on one version of the appearance of the Father and Son to Joseph Smith. There are other versions where only Jesus is mentioned. The Community of Christ has the same history and doesn’t see any conflict between it and the doctrine of the Trinity. Indeed, the central proposition of the doctrine of the Trinity is that Jesus was always God, something Mormons currently deny. If they would throw out their belief that God the Father was once a man and admit that Father, Son and Holy Ghost were eternally one God they would be in a position to accept the doctrine of the Trinity. Since that is what the Book of Mormon teaches it is not far-fetched that some future Mormon leader might see fit to redefine Mormon teaching in this manner. They have already come very close to tossing out the idea that God the Father had a Father. It’s something they rarely mention anymore unless they are pushed against the wall on it. Rather or not the Father has a physical body is really not at issue in the Nicene Creed – the central issue is whether or not Jesus was always God, something Mormons currently deny. The other issue Mormons have to deal with is ex-nihilo creation. They need to accept the fact that God created everything out of nothing rather than out of pre-existing matter. In my opinion that would be a much harder issue for them than the Trinity.
As a young catholic boy, I was told the same by my father.
But perhaps it wasn’t catholic doctrine but highly discouraged.Joseph Smith allowed blacks to hold the priesthood. In fact, blacks were always welcomed to attend lds meetings and become members. From the time of brigham young, they were not allowed to hold the priesthood but they were not barred from being members. Also, mormon churches were always desegregated which cannot be said for many other christian faiths at that time.
Not true. I think that mormons like the subject to be brought up so they can respond to the questions asked. However, at the time that blacks were barred from holding the priesthood, I do not believe that many people who were not mormons brought up the subject at all. It was just accepted. Now, however, it has become one of the favorite ways to whip the lds church. But then again, show me a church with a perfect history. There are none.
I don’t automatically reply to everyone’s post. I pick and choose.
Christ was also white, and He only chose Jews; so blacks and Gentiles are excluded. Right?
It was also limited to the Levites; so non-Levites are excluded. Right?
Perish the thought! It was not because blacks were unfit or unholy either.
Yes. And it also used to limit it to whites. And so?
What religion isn’t ridiculous? When a non-catholic goes inside a catholic church and sees people lighting candles and praying infront of St Joseph or the Virgin Mary, it may also seem ridiculous. Or when a bishop wears the vestments during high mass complete with white and gold color, with a red beanie may also seem ridiculous to non-catholics. I can go on and on.
I think we should leave that judgment to God.
That’s not exactly true. I can remember how I felt about the issue of Mormons and blacks prior to becoming a Mormon. It was the issue that kept me from becoming Mormon for two years. This was in the late 60’s when many schools wouldn’t play BYU in athletics because they didn’t allow blacks to become priesthood holders. The issue continued to be brought up whenever a Mormon president was interviewed by the news media. Every Mormon I knew was greatly relieved when the priesthood was finally extended to blacks in 1978. I’ll never forget reading the headline in the paper at my mother-in-law’s house the day after it happened. I had been a missionary to Venezuela and had to constantly deal with the idiocy of trying to figure out who might have black blood and who didn’t. Some elders had posters on the wall showing black characteristics – if a person had those characteristics they wouldn’t teach them even though they could just have easily been descendants of Italians and Native Americans! And then just before we baptized someone we had to teach a special lesson asking the family if they knew of any black ancestory. I can remember some Venezuelan members who constantly were telling us they didn’t have “the blood” even though they had priesthood. And I can remember one old white member telling me that it was ridiculous – according to him almost every native Venezuelan had “the blood.” This was supposedly inspired religion, but as a 20 year old I didn’t see through it at the time.