Comments on Blind Chihuahua Brain Drops: More from the Book of Mormon

Thanks, Blain. But my understanding is still super...

2008-09-30T20:24:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Blain. But my understanding is still superficial. For example, I'm still trying to figure out whether the LDS church believes that God is omnipotent. Contrary to popular opinion, such a claim is not explicitly made in the Old Testament. Rather the Book of Job and others go to great lengths to illustrate and demonstrate God's power. Perhaps omnipotence was a later Roman philosophic idea, and the question simply hadn't come up yet.

Now in the New Testament, Jesus appears to be unable to perform any great work in his hometown of Nazareth because of the people's unbelief. In the BOM, some of the Nephite prophets experience a similar temporary incapacity, and it is even explicitly stated that God could not do certain miracles for an unbelieving people. Does this mean that the LDS Church believes that God is somehow limited, or that God somehow limits Himself? Or am I just confused?

I would like to join the chorus of singing the pra...

2008-09-30T00:38:00.000-07:00

I would like to join the chorus of singing the praises of this post. It's not perfect, but you get so many things so right that it shows a deep and respectful understanding of Mormonism that most Mormons would recognize.

Good work. Good to hear from you again.

Scooper, yes you are right on. Not only do we beli...

2008-09-28T23:41:00.000-07:00

Scooper, yes you are right on. Not only do we believe in ongoing revelation to the living prophets today, we also believe in an open canon of scripture. We believe that this continuing revelation and open canon was present during any age when the authorized ministry of Christ was upon the earth. Here is a really good 3-minute video that explains this unique doctrine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz3rggCnhxQ

This belief of continuing revelation and an open canon of scripture is unique to the LDS (Mormons). This concept is not held by any other major world religion today, as far as I know.

LDSneighbor and Fern Ri,Thanks for your comments. ...

2008-09-28T13:56:00.000-07:00

LDSneighbor and Fern Ri,

Thanks for your comments. There is always the danger of drawing conclusions by reading documents without consulting the community in whose care those documents are placed.

Your comments also serve to point out something else unique about the LDS church. As far as I know, other monotheistic churches consider their ages of prophecy to be closed. The LDS church stands out by considering its age of prophecy to be restored and ongoing, as far as I can tell.

Well said, LDSneighbor! Let no one doubt that the...

2008-09-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

Well said, LDSneighbor! Let no one doubt that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does teach that the priesthood cannot be conferred except directly from another who has that authority. Most male members are ordained to the priesthood but it is not automatic.

I would like to add a comment concerning "The unknown name of the Brother of Jared." The following comes from the wikipedia article, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_of_Jared but represents what has been commonly known among the LDS people for the last 50 years, at least.

"While residing at Kirtland, Elder Reynolds Cahoon had a son born to him. One day when President Joseph Smith was passing his door he called the Prophet in and asked him to bless and name the baby. Joseph did so and gave the boy the name of Mahonri Moriancumr. When he had finished the blessing, he laid the child on the bed, and turning to Elder Cahoon he said, the name I have given your son is the name of the Brother of Jared; the Lord has just shown or revealed it to me. Elder William F. Cahoon, who was standing near heard the Prophet make this statement to his father; and this was the first time the name of the brother of Jared was known in the Church in this dispensation."[7]

I enjoyed reading your blog posting today and find...

2008-09-27T21:00:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed reading your blog posting today and find it fascinating. I appreciate your kind and fair tone, which is refreshing. Much of what you say is fair and accurate. I just wanted to clarify a few things.

You mentioned that the LDS Church is the original Christian Church of the Nephites, restored. Actually we believe that it was the original apostles Peter, James, and John that came in 1829 as resurrrected heavenly messengers to restore the Priesthood and the keys of the kingdom. And in that way, we claim the original apostolic succession after a hiatus of some 1700 years.

You mentioned that we believe "Jesus Christ opens the door of salvation, but it is up to the individual to walk through it." There is some truth to that. We believe that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can save us from both sin and death, both of which came into the world with the Fall of Adam. Because of Christ, salvation from death is a free gift that requires nothing on our part; all will be resurrected. Salvation from sin requires a personal faith in Jesus Christ, repentence, and baptism, and striving to follow Christ. Men are imperfect, but we strive our best to follow Christ.

I just wanted to clarify about "the LDS ordinances ...are administered only to those who have shown themselves worthy." Want to make sure people don't misinterpet that to think we promote works without faith nor think that we think we don't need Christ. We definitely need Jesus Christ, he is the central focus of our religion. The following two verses from the Book of Mormon help illustrate:

"He [meaning Jesus Christ] has all power to save every man that believeth on his name and bringeth forth fruit meet for repentance." (Alma 12:15)

"For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." (Mosiah 3: 19)

Friend, I appreciate your interest and your fair approach. I look forward to continuing the conversation.