The Mormon creed

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That there are multiple groups of self proclaimed Mormons, not united to one another and under different leadership sinks this ‘ask God directly for answers’ type reply, even among the Mormons. Or is the CoJCLDS position that all other self proclaimed Mormons, FLDS, RLDS, CoC, etc are all hellbound and false?
 
Where do you see a “rejection of scriptural language”? I see plenty of Scriptural language, as well as a Greek term created for clarification.
Mostly I want to complete what I said I could offer. I will quote Mourett.
The Bishop of Nicomedia was resourceful. He considered a third subterfuge, suggesting that the symbol be made up almost exclusively of expression taken from Holy Scripture. He hoped these expressions would be general enough to permit an interpretation favorable to the Arian ideas.
The orthodox majority was on the point of being caught in this new trap, when Eusebius’ trick was foiled. The colorful vivacity with which St. Athanasius relates the incident has led historians to suppose he took the leading part. (p. 45A History of the Catholic Church Mourett-Thompson
Athanasius (and Schaff) both speak of the detection of “whispering and winking” among the Arians when these scriptural definitions were proposed. And how this indicated that these scriptural definitions must be rejected as to ensure the Arian belief was excluded. I might add here that
I said:
A definition at Nicea that was comprised of scriptural language was proposed, but it was rejected because it would not allow Arians to be excluded from the church.
Your view that Nicea is scriptural relies upon bending scripture to your definition, not letting scripture speak for itself (IMO).

The idea that (cf. 1 John 1:5 & John 1:4, 1:9) means “homoousian” is a HUGE stretch.
You seemed to doubt my account of Nicea, when you ask if I was an eyewitness. No, but I had read about it in multiple sources. It is frequently mentioned in the history of the council.
You were give an Anglican’s word relating the issue by a Catholic and still you protested.
Mourett has an Imprimatur. He is a Catholic.
I will suggest that reading only books from Catholic sources is going to severely limit what you can learn about history, but there is still a great deal in these books NEVER mentioned here at Catholic Answers.

So I see the “rejection of (solely) scriptural language” in the history of the council as related by Athanasius, Mourett, Schaff, and the Anglican fellow previously quoted. And it was done to EXCLUDE the Arian’s from being able to embrace “the Symbol.”
The First Seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787) by Leo D. Davis SJ) discusses some of this and tells us it is likely MOST of the Bishops were uncomfortable with “homoousian” and it was likely that Constantine was the main motivating force to get them (the majority, as some Bishops supported it and likely Constantine’s adviser Bishop supported it) to accept it.
I see plenty of Scriptural language, as well as a Greek term created for clarification.

Ok. So where does the Creed state that we are Light from Light with the Father or Jesus? We are called to reflect God’s Light.
The Holy Spirit prevents the Church from error here; the Church uses Scripture to back up the teaching, not prove it or defend it.
I am saying that the linkage or God the Father called “light” and God the Son called “light” into homoousian is extraordinarily weak and should not be considered to be scriptural defense for the term “homoousian.” By this reason we are “homoousian” with the Father because scripture says we are to be “light” too.
I do not believe the idea that God the Father and God the Son are “homoousian” is a scriptural concept. The word “homoousian” was specifically chosen after creedal formulas were offered that contained ONLY scriptural language were rejected. These formulas were rejected specifically because the Arians appeared to be willing to embrace them. The word “homoousian” caused great difficulties during and for many decades after the council. Today few Catholics know the history or the difficulties with the word and it causes much less controversy, but Catholic (and non-Catholic) scholars continue to wrangle about “homoousian.”

Charity, TOm
 
That there are multiple groups of self proclaimed Mormons, not united to one another and under different leadership sinks this ‘ask God directly for answers’ type reply, even among the Mormons. Or is the CoJCLDS position that all other self proclaimed Mormons, FLDS, RLDS, CoC, etc are all hellbound and false?
LDS Church teaches of one “true churxh”, it is one of the constant creeds of the LDS…

“I believe this church is true.”

All others are apostate and not the “true church”. The LDS go so far in this as to say the others are not Mormon, even in cases where the others self-identify as Mormon. While the LDS Church in relatively recent years has been working to appear Christian, publicizing anytime it works with Christian churches, especially Catholic, they make no similar strides toward their “apostate” counterparts.
 
marie5890;14148269 said:
(copied and pasted from a post from 2012. Not sure where the idea that the nicene creed is not scriptural. 🤷 Credit to paul saltzman)

"since the nicene creed is the basic statement of faith for historical christianity, i thought it would be helpful to include the text of the creed along with corresponding scripture references in order to show its thoroughly scriptural basis:

I believe in one god, (mark 12:29, 12:32, ephesians 4:6)
the father almighty, (2 corinthians 6:18)
maker of heaven and earth, (genesis 1:1, revelation 4:11)
of all things visible and invisible. (colossians 1:16, hebrews 11:3)

i believe in one lord jesus christ, (1 corinthians 8:6, ephesians 4:5)
the only begotten son of god, (john 3:16)
born of the father before all ages. (colossians 1:15, 1:17)
god from god (john 1:1-2), light from light, (john 1:4, 1:9, 2 corinthians 4:6, hebrews 1:3)
true god from true god, (1 john 5:20)
begotten, not made (john 1:18), consubstantial with the father (cf. 1 john 1:5 & john 1:4, 1:9);
through him all things were made (john 1:3, 1:10, colossians 1:16, 1 corinthians 8:6, romans 11:36, hebrews 1:10).
For us men and for our salvation (matthew 1:21, 1 thessalonians 5:9, colossians 1:13-14)
he came down from heaven, (john 3:13, 3:31, 6:38)
and by the holy spirit was incarnate of the virgin mary (luke 1:34-35),
and became man (john 1:14, hebrews 2:14).

For our sake he was crucified (1 peter 2:24) under pontius pilate (mark 15:15),
he suffered death (matthew 27:50) and was buried, (matthew 27:59-60)
and rose again on the third day (mark 9:31, 16:9, acts 10:40)
in accordance with the scriptures (luke 24:45-46, 1 corinthians 15:3-4).
He ascended into heaven (acts 1:9)
and is seated at the right hand of the father (mark 16:19, luke 22:69).
He will come again in glory (mark 13:26, john 14:3, 1 thessalonians 4:17)
to judge the living and the dead (matthew 16:27, 2 corinthians 5:10, 2 timothy 4:1, 1 peter 4:5)
and his kingdom will have no end (hebrews 1:8, 2 peter 1:11).

I believe in the holy spirit (acts 1:8), the lord, the giver of life, (john 6:63, 2 corinthians 3:6)
who proceeds from the father (john 15:26) and the son (john 16:7),
who with the father and the son is adored and glorified, (2 corinthians 3:8)
who has spoken through the prophets (1 peter 1:10-11, ephesians 3:5).

I believe in one (ephesians 4:4), holy (ephesians 1:4, 5:27), catholic (matthew 28:19, acts 1:8) and apostolic (ephesians 2:20) church (matthew 16:18, romans 12:4-5, 1 corinthians 10:17).
I confess one baptism (ephesians 4:5, galatians 3:27, 1 corinthians 12:13) for the forgiveness of sins (colossians 2:12-13, acts 22:16)
and i look forward to the resurrection of the dead (romans 6:4-5, 1 thessalonians 4:16)
and the life of the world to come (2 peter 3:13, revelation 21:1). Amen."
a definition at nicea that was comprised of scriptural language was proposed, but it was rejected because it would not allow arians to be excluded from the church.
I also should say that the rejection of scriptural language does not make the nicene definition in opposition to scripture.
 
(Focusing on the most important point)
Why have articles of faith (creed) when the Spirit gives you the faith directly? Why did Jesus have the apostles go out and spread the word? Why not just have the Spirit illuminate the world directly?
He sent humans (apostles, disciples, etc) AND the Spirit. You need both.
 
That there are multiple groups of self proclaimed Mormons, not united to one another and under different leadership sinks this ‘ask God directly for answers’ type reply, even among the Mormons. Or is the CoJCLDS position that all other self proclaimed Mormons, FLDS, RLDS, CoC, etc are all hellbound and false?
There are thousands and thousands of different faiths out there, Christian and not, many whom claim to be the One True Way. Do you believe them all to be Hellhound?
 
A definition at Nicea that was comprised of scriptural language was proposed, but it was rejected because it would not allow Arians to be excluded from the church.
Your view that Nicea is scriptural relies upon bending scripture to your definition, not letting scripture speak for itself (IMO).
Jesus Christ did not leave us alone as individuals and he did not leave us scripture. He left us the Catholic Church. And the Church had not decided on a canon of scripture at the time of the Nicaea. I have also read that the Bishops hoped to use scripture, but I can’t imagine what that might have been.

Scripture alone is never a defense against heresy. Protestants, and Mormons and others who claim to be Christian have all invented beliefs and practices which have never been Christian. The whole rapture/left behind thing was a recent invention just like the Mormon Melchizedek Priesthood, and water baptism for the dead beliefs. They all claim to be biblical but have never been part of the deposit of faith given to the Apostles. The Church rightly and logically could not use scripture (whatever that was at the time) to refute the Arian heresy, anymore than we could use scripture to completely refute the more recent false teachings invented in the name of Christianity.
 
From God. I have already talked about this extensively.
Yes, and Paul never once suggested that divine revelation would continue after his time, in fact he warned against believing a different gospel preached than the one he received and passed on.
 
Yes, and Paul never once suggested that divine revelation would continue after his time, in fact he warned against believing a different gospel preached than the one he received and passed on.
I responded to this on the other thread—
I’m going to make a couple of points here—
  1. No where in the Bible does there say there will be a ceasing of revelation after the Apostolic age.
  2. Throughout the Bible it says how revelation is given by God (Gen 41:39; Matt 16:17, Gal 1:12, Eph 1:17), that God works through prophets (Amos 3:7).
  3. **God does not change **(Mal 3:6; Ps 90:2).
  4. The Bible talks about prophets in the last days. For examples in the Book of Revelation.
 
The Articles of Faith are believed to be scripture, which makes this apples and oranges.
They first appeared in a letter Joseph Smith wrote to John Wentworth in 1842. In 1880, the Brighamite Mormons declared them to be scripture. They were not considered scripture by Joseph Smith, who died in 1844, are not considered scripture by other communities of the latter-day-saint movement.
  1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
  2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.
  3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
  4. We believe that -]these ordinances/-] the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
  5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
  6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.
  7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.
  8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
  9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
    10.We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon -]this/-] the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
  10. We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.
  11. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.
  12. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
Changes were made to Joseph Smiths original letter.
Additions made by the Brighamite Mormons
-]Subtraction made by the Brighamite Mormons/-]
 
There are thousands and thousands of different faiths out there, Christian and not, many whom claim to be the One True Way. Do you believe them all to be Hellhound?
Yes. All of them in their deviations from the Catholic Apostolic Orthodox faith are directions to hell.

The persons and individual probably are not, and are sincere in their thoughts and beliefs. However, those systems and structures that pull individuals away from the Catholic Church built by the Apostols on the Orthodox faith in Christ, are paths away from salvation.
 
TOmNossor;14149583:
A definition at Nicea that was comprised of scriptural language was proposed, but it was rejected because it would not allow Arians to be excluded from the church.
Your view that Nicea is scriptural relies upon bending scripture to your definition, not letting scripture speak for itself (IMO).
Jesus Christ did not leave us alone as individuals and he did not leave us scripture. He left us the Catholic Church. And the Church had not decided on a canon of scripture at the time of the Nicaea. I have also read that the Bishops hoped to use scripture, but I can’t imagine what that might have been.

Scripture alone is never a defense against heresy. Protestants, and Mormons and others who claim to be Christian have all invented beliefs and practices which have never been Christian. The whole rapture/left behind thing was a recent invention just like the Mormon Melchizedek Priesthood, and water baptism for the dead beliefs. They all claim to be biblical but have never been part of the deposit of faith given to the Apostles. The Church rightly and logically could not use scripture (whatever that was at the time) to refute the Arian heresy, anymore than we could use scripture to completely refute the more recent false teachings invented in the name of Christianity.
Stephen,
It seems we agree upon a lot here.
Most important is that the previous posters who claimed to be able to trace the Nicene Creed to scripture are not accomplishing what they claim. The Nicene Creed goes beyond scripture.
We also agree that God didn’t abandon the church. I don’t believe that. I have theories as to why public revelation ended for the church sometime after the apostles died (and some time before the “orthodox” Bishops responded to Tertullian’s embracing of “new revelation” by claiming there will NEVER be any new revelation), but I do not know. But, God is present in the lives of believers always. Catholics claim “Private Revelation” continued. I would agree.
I also do not think Catholics or LDS believe that our theology comes from scripture alone. I like to say that the teachings of the CoJCoLDS come from the same place scripture comes from, God.

I also agree that scripture does not refute the things you might call “more recent” heresies. I specifically do not think the CoJCoLDS is refuted by scripture.

Much of this thread has also discussed various Trinity thoughts so I thought I would provide a link to a couple of posts I made on another recent thread discussing the same things.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=14158617&postcount=546
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=14158623&postcount=547

Charity, TOm
 
LDS do acknowledge the Articles of Faith as scripture. That is a fact.

Again, this is a false statement.

Again, false statement. Would YOU accept a poorly translated Bible as being authentic? Of course not!
So what does the LDS church consider to the the correctly translated version of the Bible? (I’ve only started reading this thread, so I apologize in advance if it has already been answered).
 
So what does the LDS church consider to the the correctly translated version of the Bible? (I’ve only started reading this thread, so I apologize in advance if it has already been answered).
LDS typically use KJV, but other versions are generally ok. Some specific versions, like the Jehovah’s Witness NWT are reject.
 
Stephen,
It seems we agree upon a lot here.
Most important is that the previous posters who claimed to be able to trace the Nicene Creed to scripture are not accomplishing what they claim. **The Nicene Creed goes beyond scripture.**We also agree that God didn’t abandon the church. I don’t believe that. I have theories as to why public revelation ended for the church sometime after the apostles died (and some time before the “orthodox” Bishops responded to Tertullian’s embracing of “new revelation” by claiming there will NEVER be any new revelation), but I do not know. But, God is present in the lives of believers always. Catholics claim “Private Revelation” continued. I would agree.
I also do not think Catholics or LDS believe that our theology comes from scripture alone. I like to say that the teachings of the CoJCoLDS come from the same place scripture comes from, God.

I also agree that scripture does not refute the things you might call “more recent” heresies. I specifically do not think the CoJCoLDS is refuted by scripture.

Much of this thread has also discussed various Trinity thoughts so I thought I would provide a link to a couple of posts I made on another recent thread discussing the same things.

forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=14158617&postcount=546
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=14158623&postcount=547

Charity, TOm
So I have been in and out on this thread and if this has already been answered I apologize. so in the bolded in am just trying to understand how you can make the assertion that the Nicene Creed goes beyond scripture. I wouldn’t mind a specific example or two to look at. thanks
 
It seems we agree upon a lot here.
Most important is that the previous posters who claimed to be able to trace the Nicene Creed to scripture are not accomplishing what they claim. The Nicene Creed goes beyond scripture.
This is what they claim:
Since the Nicene Creed is the basic statement of faith for historical Christianity, I thought it would be helpful to include the text of the Creed along with corresponding scripture references in order to show its thoroughly scriptural basis:
The poster clearly showed the Nicene Creed had a basis in scripture. It was the same Church that wrote the creed that wrote the scriptures, so it makes sense.
But the scriptures can not refute heresies and other false teachings.
To refute false teachings would require more than just quoting scripture, which is what the Church did at Nicaea. You make it sound like some communist plot, but it is simple reason. I can’t drive a nail with a screw driver.

Because the subject of this thread is the Mormon Creed, I would have thought a Mormon would have put scripture reference next to their Articles of Faith to show us how they too have a basis in scripture.

Because like the Nicene Creed, the Mormon Creed was not written as scripture and had no intention of being scripture by its author.
We also agree that God didn’t abandon the church. I don’t believe that.
We agree, but you don’t believe? Saids like more sophistry and its not the subject of the thread.
I also agree that scripture does not refute the things you might call “more recent” heresies. I specifically do not think the CoJCoLDS is refuted by scripture.
As it was at Nicaea, scripture can help refute Mormonism, but reason does a better job of it.

I look forward to seeing the Mormon Creed with scripture references.
 
So I have been in and out on this thread and if this has already been answered I apologize. so in the bolded in am just trying to understand how you can make the assertion that the Nicene Creed goes beyond scripture. I wouldn’t mind a specific example or two to look at. thanks
The word “homoousian” goes beyond scripture.* In the linked posts, I describe what IMO exists in scripture and in the earliest of ECF.* There is a monotheism in scripture and in the ECF, but it is not an absolute metaphysical monotheism (MM) or ontological monotheism (OM).*

In either this thread or in the other thread, I have quoted Catholic and non-Catholic scholars who point to the word “homoousian” as specifically chosen because no definition from scripture would work.* Catholic scholar Mourett in A History of the Catholic Church (complete with Imprimatur) says that a definition exclusively from scripture was proposed.* It seemed to have great support, but the Athanasians turned against it.* Athanasius and Schaff both speak of “whispering and winking” among the Arians and thus the Athanasians knew this creed must be rejected because the Arians would not be excluded from the church.* Catholic Father Don Davis tells us that the word “homoousian” was particularly problematic for the bishops at Nicea.* He says there were many reasons for this among which was it not being in scripture AND it being condemned as modalist.* Davis even says that it is quite likely that the insistence of the Emperor Constantine was the deciding factor in this word being included (much of this comes from Eusebius if I remember correctly).* Davis claims that Constantine likely pushed the council to “homoousian” because he was encouraged by Bishop Hosius (I think).

So, two posters (you might have been one) posted a long list of scriptures they said supported the Nicene-Constantinople Creed.* I went only to the scriptures listed in support of the word consubstantial.* I found that Christ was called “light” and the God (presumably the Father) was called “light” and this was the “scriptural support” for “consubstantial.”* IMO this is extraordinarily weak.* If we call this “scriptural support” I imagine there are great volumes of divergent positions we can claim have “scriptural support.”
IMO it is clear that God is one.* It is quite clear that Christ is God.* Scripture says very little about HOW God the Father and God the Son are one.* John 17:20 gives more insight into this question than other scriptures IMO.
The Arian controversy was born of a commitment to MM/OM.* Arius embraced this and Athanasius embraced this.* The moderate party at Nicea embraced it too, but with a little less absoluteness.* Homoousian in the “generic sense” compromises MM/OM, but it was the understanding most of the Bishops who signed at Nicea embraced.* Athanasius made it clear, Augustine made it clear, and Thomas Aquinas has continued to make it clear that Homoousian must be used in the “numeric sense” when referring to the unity of God.

I am a Social Trinitarian.* I believe God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are homoousian in the “generic sense,” but their oneness extends beyond just this.

Charity, TOm
 
This is what they claim:

The poster clearly showed the Nicene Creed had a basis in scripture. It was the same Church that wrote the creed that wrote the scriptures, so it makes sense.
But the scriptures can not refute heresies and other false teachings.
To refute false teachings would require more than just quoting scripture, which is what the Church did at Nicaea. You make it sound like some communist plot, but it is simple reason. I can’t drive a nail with a screw driver.
I do not think it a “communist plot.”* I saw the claim that the Nicene-Constantinople possessed a “thoroughly* scriptural basis.”* Having read in the past and recently historical accounts of the Council of Nicea by reputable scholars, I knew that the non-scriptural nature of Homoousian was specifically sited by some scholars.* Father Davis said there were 4 difficulties with Homoousian, “Fourthly and importantly for many of the more conservative bishops, the term was not scriptural.”
Because the subject of this thread is the Mormon Creed, I would have thought a Mormon would have put scripture reference next to their Articles of Faith to show us how they too have a basis in scripture.
The thread started with questions about how LDS can be “not creedal” and yet have “The Articles of Faith.” Jane and I both responded that “The Articles of Faith” are scripture for LDS.* They are inspired from God.

One key difference we pointed to was that Catholic Creeds are not from scripture and are not inspired from God.* This is just true except when former Mormon’s try to present Catholicism as if it possesses Revelation for the purpose of leading the church, which of course it does not.

LDS like Christians during the 1st and 2nd centuries believe that God still leads His church by revelation.* In the 3rd century Catholic Bishops, knowing that they did not receive revelation, declared that God no longer leads His church by revelation and there would not be any more until the second coming of Christ.* This IMO was a mistake, but it was embraced by all of Christianity.
We agree, but you don’t believe? Saids like more sophistry and its not the subject of the thread.
Stephen, you should not call me a liar.* I believe what I say here is true and I do not say it with the “intention to deceive.”

It is unfortunate that you and Rebecca call me a liar as some type of response to what I offer.* I think you should stop that.

Charity, TOm
 
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