Responding To Kuya Adviser CFD
By : Bro. Nathan
So theres a roman catholic apologist which has a fb page and a blog named "Kuya Adviser" that just recently (maybe years ago), posted a blogpost titled "21 FACTS ABOUT MORMON TEACHING..". apparently, he just visited some anti-mormon websites and copied these things to his blo. we should note that we should go to the official websites if we want something credible. all of these things in his post were a buch of Strawman arguments (misrepresentation/ exagerated version of the actual argument). and let us see. If these things are really "facts" and so heres a response I wrote for him and also para na din sa lahat for the sake ng corrected information at interpretation of scripture (The content of his article is marked in red)
#1. " MORMON'S TEACH THAT THEY CAN BECOME GODS AND GODDESSES."
My Response: This is not new in the scriptures nor sa ealry Christianity. wala nga lang sa RCC since is itong apostate church. itinuturo ng scriptures explicitly ang doctrine ng Deafication. Unang-una, sinasabi ng Banal na Kasulatan na ang tao ay may potensyal na maging kagaya ng Dios. sinasabi ng Biblia na tayo ay magpakasakdal at magpakabanal gaya ng Dios (Mt. 5:48; 1 Ped. 1:15-16; Lev. 11:44-45; 19:2; 20:7, 26). At maging mismo, ang Dios ng Israel ay itinuro sa atin ang potential ng tao na ,maging katulad niya. sinabi ng Panginoon sa Awit 82:6 na :
"Aking sinasabi, “Kayo'y mga diyos, kayong lahat ay mga anak ng Kataas-taasan." (Awit. 82:6) AB2001
Sinitas ng Tagapagligtas ang talata na ito mula sa Lumang Tipan para sa mga taong gusto siyang batuhin dahil ginagawa niya ang sarili niya na Dios, at kaniyang dinagdag,
"Sinagot sila ni Jesus, ' Hindi ba nasusulat sa inyong kautusan, ‘Aking sinabi, kayo'y mga diyos?’ Kung tinawag niyang mga diyos ang mga dinatnan ng salita ng Diyos [at hindi maaaring masira ang kasulatan]," (Jn. 10:30-36) AB2001
Itinuturo ng mga apostles ng early church ang doctrine of deafication. consider for example, sa kanyang mga liham (general epistles) sinabi ni Pedro na :
" Sumagana nawa sa inyo ang biyaya at kapayapaan sa pagkakilala sa Diyos at kay Jesus na Panginoon natin. Ipinagkaloob sa atin ng kanyang banal na kapangyarihan ang lahat ng mga bagay na kailangan sa buhay at pagiging maka-Diyos, sa pamamagitan ng pagkakilala sa kanya na tumawag sa atin sa kanyang sariling kaluwalhatian at kabutihan. Gayon niya ipinagkaloob sa atin ang kanyang mahahalaga at mga dakilang pangako upang sa pamamagitan ng mga ito ay makatakas kayo sa kabulukang nasa sanlibutan dahil sa masamang pagnanasa, at maging kabahagi kayo sa likas ng Diyos." (2 Ped. 1:2-4) AB2001
While sinabi ni Pablo na tayo, bilang "mga anak ng Dios" ay puwede tayo na maging "mga tagapagmana sa Dios, at mga kasamang tagapagmana ni Cristo" (Ro. 8:14-15).
Sinabi din ni Juan na tayo ay ang "mga anak ng Dios," na "na kung siya'y mahayag, tayo'y magiging katulad niya: sapagka't siya'y ating makikitang gaya ng kaniyang sarili." at na "sinomang mayroon ng pagasang ito sa kaniya ay naglilinis sa kaniyang sarili, gaya naman niyang malinis." (1 Jn. 3:1-3).
Tinatanggap namin ang itinuturo ng Biblia na tayo "ay mga tagapagmana rin, mga tagapagmana ng Diyos, at mga kasamang tagapagmana ni Cristo; kung tunay ngang nagtitiis tayong kasama niya, upang tayo'y luwalhatiin namang kasama niya." (Ro. 8:17; cf. Gal. 4:7). magmamana ng ano? sinasabi ng Apocalipsis 21:7 na "he that overcometh (sa pamamagitan ng Pagbabayad sala ni Jesucristo) will inherit "all things" - but in that relationship, though the exalted Christian will be joint heirs with Christ, sasabihin parin ni Cristo na "ako'y magiging Diyos niya at siya'y magiging anak ko." (cf. 1 Cor. 3:21-23.) . sa state na yun, tutulungan natin siya na pamalahan ang lahat ng mga bagay (Luc. 12:43-44; Apoc. 3:21), magiging isa sa Dios at sa Tagapagligtas (Jn. 17:20-23); magkakaroon ng naluwalhating katawan gaya ng sa Dios (Fil. 3:21; 1 Jn. 3:2; 1 Cor. 15:49) at makakatanggap ng kaluwalhatian mula sa Dios (Ro. 8:18; 2 Cor. 3:18). This very same doctrine that was taught in the scriptures ay itinuro din ng mga Early Christian Theologians. here are evidences mula sa Patristics/Patrology :
Irenaeus (ca. AD 115 - 202)
Saint Irenaeus, who may justly be called the first Biblical theologian among the ancient Christians, was a disciple of the great Polycarp, who was a direct disciple of John the Revelator. Irenaeus is not a heretic or unorthodox in traditional Christian circles, yet he shares a belief in theosis:
"While man gradually advances and mounts towards perfection; that is, he approaches the eternal. The eternal is perfect; and this is God. Man has first to come into being, then to progress, and by progressing come to manhood, and having reached manhood to increase, and thus increasing to persevere, and persevering to be glorified, and thus see his Lord."
Gaya ng mga LDS, naniniwala si Irenaus na hindi sinasabi ng paniniwalang ito na papalitan ang Dios o ang Espiritu Santo :
"there is none other called God by the Scriptures except the Father of all, and the Son, and those who possess the adoption....Since, therefore, this is sure and steadfast, that no other God or Lord was announced by the Spirit, except Him who, as God, rules over all, together with His Word, and those who receive the Spirit of adoption."
Yet, Irenaeus—whom it would be perverse to exclude from the ranks of orthodox Christians—believed in theosis in terms which agree with LDS thinking on the matter :
" We were not made gods at our beginning, but first we were made men, then, in the end, gods."....Also:...." How then will any be a god, if he has not first been made a man? How can any be perfect when he has only lately been made man? How immortal, if he has not in his mortal nature obeyed his maker? For one's duty is first to observe the discipline of man and thereafter to share in the glory of God."
And:.....
" Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, of his boundless love, became what we are that he might make us what he himself is.” And:...." But of what gods [does he speak]? [Of those] to whom He says, "I have said, Ye are gods, and all sons of the Most High." To those, no doubt, who have received the grace of the "adoption, by which we cry, Abba Father."
At sinasabi ni Irenaus na biblical ito gaya ng mga LDS:
".....For he who holds, without pride and boasting, the true glory (opinion) regarding created things and the Creator, who is the Almighty God of all, and who has granted existence to all; [such an one, ] continuing in His love and subjection, and giving of thanks, shall also receive from Him the greater glory of promotion, looking forward to the time when he shall become like Him who died for him, for He, too, "was made in the likeness of sinful flesh," to condemn sin, and to cast it, as now a condemned thing, away beyond the flesh, but that He might call man forth into His own likeness, assigning him as [His own] imitator to God, and imposing on him His Father's law, in order that he may see God, and granting him power to receive the Father; [being] the Word of God who dwelt in man, and became the Son of man, that He might accustom man to receive God, and God to dwell in man, according to the good pleasure of the Father."
Clement of Alexandria (AD 150-215)
Clement, an early Christian leader in Alexandria, also taught the doctrine of deification:
"yea, I say, the Word of God became a man so that you might learn from a man how to become a god."...And.."...if one knows himself, he will know God, and knowing God will become like God...His is beauty, true beauty, for it is God, and that man becomes god, since God wills it. So Heraclitus was right when he said, "Men are gods, and gods are men."
"Those who have been perfected are given their reward and their honors. They have done with their purification, they have done with the rest of their service, though it be a holy service, with the holy; now they become pure in heart, and because of their close intimacy with the Lord there awaits them a restoration to eternal contemplation; and they have received the title of "gods" since they are destined to be enthroned with the other "gods" who are ranked next below the savior. "
Augustine (AD 354-430)
Augustine, considered one of the greatest Christian Fathers, said
" but He himself that justifies also deifies, for by justifying He makes sons of God. For He has given them power to become the sons of God, (Jn. 1:12). If then we have been made sons of God, we have also been made gods"
and many more christian fathers and theologians believe in the doctrine of deafication. as said, the deafication of man will never replace God or Jesus. God will always be our God, Jesus will always be our savior.
#2. " MORMON GODDESSES WILL SPEND ETERNITY IN FULL SUBMISSION TO THEIR GOD-HUSBAND."
My Response : Sa totoo lang, Isa itong caricatured version of the doctrine of celestial marriage. Habang tinatayo ang kanyang Simbahan, sinabi ng Tagapagligtas kay Pedro na “whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven” (Mt. 16:18; cf 18:18). And the bible also teaches that “ What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Mt. 19:6; cf. Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5:31). And that “Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 11:11), And that “ whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever” (Ec. 3:14). Marriage is eternal and was made by God. This is one of the purposes of our temples, that the family can be sealed together to eternity.
Regarding the “full submission”, the bible explicitly teaches this.just like Paul said “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” (Eph. 5:22, 25; cf. Gen. 3:16; Col. 3:18).The husband will preside over the family, and the wife will submit to her husband.
#3. " MORMON'S TEACH THAT WOMEN WILL GIVE BIRTH “FOREVER AND EVER” TO SPIRIT-BABIES."
My Response: (From Fairmormon) It is the critics of the Church that invented and use the offensive term "celestial sex" This is not a term used by Latter-day Saints. It has, in fact, never been used by Latter-day Saints. The use of the term "celestial sex" by critics is intended to be demeaning and shocking to Latter-day Saints or interested readers. The use of such tactics may say much about the mainstream culture's preoccupation with sexual behavior. However, it says nothing about the actual beliefs of Church members. Critics of the Church twist LDS beliefs into a form that makes them look ridiculous. Quotes made by early LDS leaders are often used to support the claim that Latter-day Saints believe in “Celestial sex.” It should be noted, however, that LDS leaders have never used the term "Celestial sex." This phrase was coined by critics of the Church, likely for its “shock value” in portraying the following concepts in LDS belief:
1. The belief that God the Father has a physical body.
2. The belief that there exists a Heavenly Mother who also possesses a physical body.
3. The belief that our Heavenly Father and Mother together are capable of creating “spirit children.”
Critics take these ideas and combine them, leading to a declaration that Latter-day Saints therefore believe in “Celestial sex.” Various anti-Mormon works then use this idea to mock LDS beliefs or shock their readers—though this claim does not describe LDS beliefs, but the critics' caricature of them.
Church leaders have said very little about this, because little is known about the process
The fact that we do not know the exact process by which “spirit children” are created does not mean that LDS leaders have not speculated on the process. There are a few quotes that are often used to support the critics’ concept of “Celestial sex," which we will now examine:
"[I]ntelligence or spirit element became intelligences after the spirits were born as individual [spirit] entities." - BRUCE R. MCCONKIE, MORMON DOCTRINE, P. 387
"Our spirit bodies had their beginning in pre-existence when we were born as the spirit children of God our Father. Through that birth process spirit element was organized into intelligent entities." -BRUCE R. MCCONKIE, MORMON DOCTRINE, P. 750
"[God] created man, as we create our children; for there is no other process of creation in heaven, on the earth, in the earth, or under the earth, or in all the eternities, that is, that were, or that ever will be." - Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 11:122..
The author of the anti-Mormon book Becoming Gods says the following:
"As for the sexual aspect of this event, LDS apostle John A. Widtsoe explained, 'Sex Among the Gods. Sex, which is indispensable on this earth for the perpetuation of the human race, is an eternal quality which has its equivalent everywhere.'" (p. 392, n14) - John A. Widstoe A Rational Theology, P. 69
Upon reading the quote above, it does indeed sound as if Widtsoe is talking about a “sex act” among gods. It must be noted, however, that Widtsoe referred to "sex" as a "quality" rather than a "practice." Of course, the fact that two genders exist at all implies that it somehow takes both to accomplish the creation of spirit children. Looking at Widtsoe’s quote in context, we learn that he is not speaking about the sex act, but about gender:
Sex Among the Gods
Sex, which is indispensable on this earth for the perpetuation of the human race, is an eternal quality which has its equivalent everywhere. It is indestructible. The relationship between men and women is eternal and must continue eternally. In accordance with Gospel philosophy there are males and females in heaven. Since we have a Father, who is our God, we must also have a mother, who possesses the attributes of Godhood. This simply carries onward the logic of things earthly, and conforms with the doctrine that whatever is on this earth is simply a representation of spiritual conditions of deeper meaning than we can here fathom.
Would a “sex act” be considered a “quality” that was “indestructible?” Critics rely on contextual presentism by quoting the term "sex" without the context that makes its meaning clear. It is more reasonable to consider “gender” a “quality” that is “indestructible.” Consider the following quote from James E. Talmage.
“We affirm as reasonable, scriptural, and true, the eternity of sex among the children of God. The distinction between male and female is no condition peculiar to the relatively brief period of mortal life. It was an essential characteristic of our pre-existent condition, even as it shall continue after death, in both disembodied and resurrected states .... [The] scriptures attest a state of existence preceding mortality, in which the spirit children of God lived, doubtless with distinguishing characteristics, including the distinction of sex, "before they were [created] naturally upon the face of the earth." ("The Eternity of Sex," Millennial Star (24 August 1922): 530.)"
Note the phrase “the distinction of sex.” Talmage is not talking about a “sex act,” but rather the distinction between the two sexes or genders.
#4. " MORMON'S TEACH MEN CAN HAVE MULTIPLE WIVES IN HEAVEN—ETERNAL POLYGAMY. THEY INTEND TO HAVE MANY WIVES IN HEAVEN, CARRYING ON MULTIPLE SEX RELATIONS THROUGHOUT ETERNITY, UNTIL THEY HAVE ENOUGH CHILDREN TO POPULATE THEIR OWN EARTH, SO THEY CAN BE "HEAVENLY FATHER" OVER THEIR OWN PLANET! "
My Response : This is actually a caricatured version of the actual doctrine. You can see the previous responses.
On Latter Day Saint Cosmology : Another
strawman argument
#5. " HEAVENLY FATHER IS AN EXALTED MAN WHO LIVES WITH HIS GODDESS WIFE, HEAVENLY MOTHER, ON A PLANET NEAR THE GREAT STAR KOLOB."
First of all, we believe that Heavenly Father lives in the Celestial Kingdom and Kolob is a star nearest to that place. God resides there and not in a planet. we believe that God live sin the celestial kingdom. Isa itong malinaw na strawman.
Naniniwala ang mga Latter day saints sa human deafication (Acts 17:28-29; Ro. 8:16-17; Gal. 4:7; Phil. 3:20-21; Heb. 12:9-10; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 Jn. 3:2-3; Rev. 3:21, 21:7), but what this doctrine means or entails is beyond human comprehension. It is claimed by some that Mormons believe that they can push themselves higher in a type of 'celestial pecking order.' This is often expressed by the claim that Latter-day Saint men wish to become "gods of their own planets." Maging isang critic ay sinabi at pinapahaba ito sa "own universe," Mormons teach that by obedience to all the commandments of Mormonism, a Mormon may attain the highest degree of heaven and ultimately become a god, creating and ruling over his own universe (Rev. 21:6-7). Do you believe that? Is this your ultimate personal goal? Members of the Church—like early Christians—believe in human deification or theosis. They assert that this doctrine is taught in the Bible and by modern revelation. However, what this doctrine means or entails is beyond human comprehension anyway. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him," taught Paul (1 Cor. 2:9).
Most members of the Church realize that they have enough on their plates to do and become through Christian discipleship and keeping their covenants. They do not spend much time concerned about the details of their future state. They are simply confident that they will be happy, in families, and back in the presence of God where they will continue to do His will. Certainly we can have the end in mind, remembering the relationship of Father to child is crucial. He will always, through all eternity, be our Father and our God. Still, it would be unwise to jump the gun and assume we are practically almost there; we have plenty to do in the meantime, and an eternal and abiding need for the grace of Christ to compensate for our manifest inadequacies. The critics' accusations along these lines are a caricature of LDS belief, and omit virtually everything of importance in their discussion of this doctrine.
The strawman: Mormons wishing to
"get their own planet"
Mormons, along with many other Christian denominations, believe in deification or theosis, based on the teaching that we can become heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ (Ro. 8:17). Little is known, though much might be speculated, about the specific details of our potential under this doctrine. Reducing it to ruling a planet caricatures a profound and complex belief. The use of the word “planet” makes Mormons seem more like sci-fi enthusiasts than devout Christians. This isn’t just a quibble about semantics. Claims that Mormons hope for “their own planets” almost always aim to disrespect and marginalize, not to understand or clarify. The reality is that we seek eternal life, which we consider to be a life like that of our Father in Heaven. We consider our immediate task on Earth to learn to understand and obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ, rather than speculate on what life might be like if we achieve exaltation. Specifics about the creation of worlds and the ability to govern them upon achieving eternal life are not clarified in Latter-day Saint scripture. Attempts to portray these concepts as simply wanting to “get our own planet” are a mockery of Latter-day Saint beliefs. The reality: Latter-day Saints wishing to become like their Father in Heaven
Much criticism of Joseph Smith and the Church in general stems from a teaching regarding the eternal potential of mankind. The Church believes that men and women are the "offspring" of Heavenly Parents (see Acts 17:28-29; cf. Heb. 12:9; Jn. 20:17; Num. 16:22; 27:16; Mal. 2:10; Eph. 4:6; Mt. 6:9) composed of the same eternal substance (D&C 93:33-35) and hence we have divine possibilities through the grace of Christ. Latter-day Saints believe that they can achieve a life like that of our Father in Heaven. This implies that one can eventually participate in similar works, among which would be the creation of worlds. In 2001, Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles noted, The real life we’re preparing for is eternal life. Secular knowledge has for us eternal significance. Our conviction is that God, our Heavenly Father, wants us to live the life that He does. We learn both the spiritual things and the secular things “so we may one day create worlds [and] people and govern them” (Henry B. Eyring, quoting Spencer W. Kimball, Ensign, October 2002.)
In John 8:17-18 Christ, compared Him and His father to "two men". Both "men" bore witness to this divinity. I am sure we will agree to Christ's human aspects while in the flesh. He was a human being like you and I, only He had God ship within him. We read in John 5:19 "The Son can do nothing of himself, but what He seeth the Father do; for what things so ever He doeth, these ALSO DOETH THE SON LIKEWISE." We read also in the scripture "As the Father hath power to himself, even so hath the Son power." (Jn. 5:26) The answer is so obvious. What was Jesus going to do? the Savior also tells us "therefore doth my Father Love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again, No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself, I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." (Jn. 10:17-18) This is why the prophet taught these truths. Christ said He could do nothing of himself but what He had seen His Father do, and here we read where He was to take His body and lay it down and take it up again. There's your answer from the Bible. It's for you to accept or reject, but it is true, and it is from the mouth of Christ. Notice it was the same identical power of the Father. Therefore the only conclusion you can get from this is that our Father in heaven is a resurrected being which means He would appear as Jesus did after He was resurrected and appeared to the apostles.
#6. " AMERICAN INDIANS ARE DESCENDANTS OF THE WICKED LAMANITES, WHO WERE ISRAELITES THAT GOD CURSED WITH DARK SKIN."
My Response : why did you exagerated this issue? we dont call the Lamanites 'wicked', since there were also rightheous lamanites like Samuel the lamanite, which is a prophet
37. " GOD THE FATHER HAD SEX WITH MARY TO CONCEIVE JESUS. THEY SAY VIRGIN MARY REALLY WASN'T A VIRGIN AT ALL BUT HAD SEX RELATIONS WITH THEIR HEAVENLY FATHER TO PRODUCE THE MORMON VERSION OF JESUS CHRIST "
My Response : The Church has no such doctrine. we dont teach that God has a sexual relationship with Mary. we teach the virgin birth (see 1 Ne. 11:18-21)
#8. " MORMON'S TEACH THAT THERE IS ONLY SALVATION THROUGH THE MORMONS AND ALL OTHER CHRISTIAN CHURCHES ARE WRONG AND MORMONS ALSO DO BAPTISMS FOR THEIR DEAD."
Christ built only one true Church (Mt. 16:19; Eph. 4:1-15), and we should not Ignore the importance of an organized church; as Paul calls it that the church is the "Body of Christ," (Eph. 1:22-23) as a means of receiving Christ's Spirit and fullness, and of being perfected (1 Cor. 12:1-13; Eph. 4:11-13; Col. 1:18-19 and 2:9-10).. The view that men can be saved simply by a "private" or "personal relationship with Christ" is not contained in Scripture; but instead, it talks against it (see. 2 Pet. 1:19-21)
Baptism is essential for an individual to be saved (Jn. 3:5; Mk. 16:16; Ro. 6:5-7; 1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Tit. 3:5; Gal. 3:27) This is a practice so one can be washed their sins and enter the body of Christ. Our God is just (Psa. 89:14), and he wants all men to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9; Ez. 18:23; Mt. 23:37). Our God provided a way for those who have not heard or accepted the gospel while they are alive so they can be saved. This is the baptism for the dead, which is practiced by early Christians (1 Cor. 15:29). God is so loving that he gives a chance for the dead that the gospel was preached unto them (1 Pet. 3:19-21; 4:6) and gave the way for someone to be washed away from their sins that they may be saved. This is one of the purposes of why we build temples around the world.
#9. " MORMONS TEACH THAT THEY NEED 4 SECRET HANDSHAKES TO GET INTO THE CELESTIAL HEAVEN."
Response : These handshakes are sacred and not secret. this is a very old symbol of brotherly love that can be found on tombstones in New England. Found even on the graves of women who would not have been Masons. This emblem has been well documented in early Christian iconography by Todd Compton and Stephen Ricks. (Stephen D. Ricks, "Dexiosis and Dextrarum Iunctio: The Sacred Handclasp in the Classical and Early Christian World," Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 18, no. 1 (1989–2011) off-site; Todd M. Compton, “The handclasp and embrace as tokens of recognition,” By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley, eds. John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, 2 vols. (Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book, 1990) 1: 611–42.)
#10. " JOSEPH SMITH REVEALED THAT THE ACTUAL GARDEN OF EDEN IS IN JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI."
This is revealed truth to the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr.
#11. " JOSEPH SMITH SAYS THAT HE SAW GOD AND JESUS BOTH, WHEN THEY APPEARED TO HIM."
Response: The church has to be restored by a prophet (Acts 3:20-21), and obviously, God chooses prophets through a vision (Num. 12:6) and Joseph Smith was called likewise.
#12. " MORMONS BELIEVE THAT LUCIFER AND JESUS ARE BROTHERS."
Response : si Jesus ang firstborn spiritual child ni Heavenly Father (Ro. 8:29; Col. 1:15).God is the literal Father of our spirits (Heb. 12:9; Acts 17:28-19). kasama sa spiritual children si Jesus. he is also a spirit being before, like us. he is also our spiritual sibling. pinaka-kuya natin kumbaga. Lucifer, a former angel was also before a spirit child of God.
" Jesus is God and Satan was a fallen angel".
yes. the LDS church do believe the same, but it doesnt refute the fact that jesus and satan were spiritual brothers. hindi ibig sabihin na Dios si Cristo eh dios din si satan. they don't share the same nature and attitude. Jesus was made God by the Father, but not satan.
"we must first understand that lucifer (which means lightbearer in latin, in hebrew, original shining one) was in the beginning 'a son of the morning'(Isa. 14:13-14) and was perfect in all his ways until iniquity was found in him (Ez. 28:13-15) thereafter, he aspired to exalt himself and become 'like the most high' (Isa. 14:13-14). Lucifer lust for power led to his downfall. because of his rebellion against God, he was cast out as a 'lightening' and 'became satan' (Moses 4:3-4; Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:7-9; 2 Ne. 12:17-18; D&C 76:25-27)
we should note that lucifer was not created as a evil being but became satan by his own choice. it should be ironic that satan is evil while his Christ brother was righteous but we should remember that he was among many who were spirit brother that some has a spirit of rebellion should come as no suprise. Isaiah 14:13-14 and Revelation 12:7-9 makes it clear that it was so.we find similar examples among other brothers in the scriptures : Cain and Abel, Joseph and his brothers,and Jacob and Esau.we should note that even among the apostles chosen by Christ was found Judas Iscariot; a man who was initially at least worthy of that calling."
- Michael Hickiembotham
(for a much detailed explanation for this topic, pdf link here https://www.fairmormon.org/.../hickenbotham-jesus-satan... )
#13. " MORMONS BELIEVE THE ANGEL GABRIEL CAME DOWN TO EARTH AND BECAME NOAH IN THE DAYS OF THE FLOOD."
This is actually revealed thruth.
#14. " MORMONS CONSIDER THE BIBLE TO BE UNTRUSTWORTHY AND FULL OF ERRORS."
Neither the catholic church consider the bible as fallible and not infallible. The bible has errors. its not infallible.
Types of Changes
Joseph Smith had the authority to make changes in the Bible as God directed. In one revelation he is called “a seer, a revelator, a translator” (D&C 107:92), and in several other Doctrine and Covenants passages his work with the translation is endorsed by the Lord (D&C 35:20; 43:12–13; 73:3–4; 90:13; 93:53; 94:10). The Prophet called his Bible revision a “translation,” though it did not involve creating a new rendering from Hebrew or Greek manuscripts. So far as the translation of the Bible is concerned, he never claimed to have consulted any text other than his English Bible, but he translated it in the sense of conveying it in a new form.
It appears that several different kinds of changes were involved in the process, but it is difficult to know with certainty the nature or origin of any particular change. The following five categories seem to include all of the revisions of the New Translation:24
1. Restoration of original text. Because Nephi tells us that “many plain and precious things” would be “taken away” from the Bible (1 Ne. 13:28), we can be certain that the JST includes the restoration of content that was once in original manuscripts. To Moses, the Lord foretold the removal of material from his record and its restoration in the latter days: “Thou shalt write the things which I shall speak. And in a day when the children of men shall esteem my words as naught and take many of them from the book which thou shalt write, behold, I will raise up another like unto thee; and they shall be had again among the children of men—among as many as shall believe” (Moses 1:40–41). Joseph Smith was the man like Moses whom the Lord raised up to restore the lost words written by Moses, as well as lost material from the words of other Bible writers. But Joseph Smith did not restore the very words of lost texts, because they were in Hebrew or Greek (or other ancient languages), and the New Translation was to be in English. Thus his translation, in the English idiom of his own day, would restore the meaning and the message of original passages but not necessarily the literary trappings that accompanied them when they were first put to writing. This is one reason why the work can be called a translation.
2. Restoration of what was once said or done but which was never in the Bible. Joseph Smith stated, “From what we can draw from the scriptures relative to the teachings of heaven we are induced to think, that much instruction has been given to man since the beginning which we have not.”25 Perhaps the JST includes teachings or events in the ministries of prophets, apostles, or Jesus himself that were never recorded anciently. The JST may include material of which the biblical writers were unaware or which they chose not to include or neglected to record (cf. 3 Ne. 23:6–13).
3. Editing to make the Bible more understandable for modern readers. Many of the individual JST changes fall into this category. There are numerous instances in which the Prophet rearranged word order to make a text read more easily or modernized its language. Examples of modernization of language would include the many changes from wot to know,26 from an to a before words that begin with h, from saith to said, from that and which to who, and from ye and thee to you.27 In some instances, Joseph Smith added short expansions to make the text less ambiguous. For example, there are several places where the word he is replaced by a personal name, thus making the meaning more clear, as in Genesis 14:20 (KJV “And he gave” = JST “And Abram gave”) and in Genesis 18:32 (KJV “And he said. . . . And he said” = JST “And Abraham said. . . . And the Lord said”).
These examples are merely word choices and usually have no bearing on how the original text is to be interpreted. But other modernizations may have a more significant aim. Some could be called cultural translations—the conversion of aspects of ancient culture into modern counterparts to make them communicate better to modern readers. An example might include 1 Thessalonians 5:26, in which “Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss” is changed to “Greet all the brethren with a holy salutation” (see also Ro. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12). It is likely that the King James text here accurately represents Paul’s original words and intent. Yet to modern Western readers, unaccustomed to Mediterranean displays of friendship and brotherhood, Paul’s words might miscommunicate and misdirect, and thus the Prophet made a change.28
4. Editing to bring biblical wording into harmony with truth found in other revelations or elsewhere in the Bible. Joseph Smith said, “[There are] many things in the Bible which do not, as they now stand, accord with the revelation of the Holy Ghost to me.”29 Where there were inaccuracies in the Bible, regardless of their source, it was well within the scope of the Prophet’s calling to change what needed to be changed. Where modern revelation had given a clearer view of a doctrine preserved less adequately in the Bible, it was appropriate for Joseph Smith to add a correction—whether or not that correction reflects what was on the ancient original manuscript. And where a passage was inconsistent with information elsewhere in the Bible itself, a change needed to be made.
Three examples may illustrate this kind of change: (a) The Gospel of John records the statement, “No man hath seen God at any time” (Jn. 1:18), which contradicts the experience of Joseph Smith (JS—H 1:17–20) as well as biblical examples of prophets seeing God (e.g., Ex. 24:9–11; 33:11; Num. 12:6–8; Isa. 6:1; Amos 9:1). The JST change at John 1:18 clarifies the text. (b) The Gospel of Matthew contains what appears to be a misunderstanding of the donkey used in Jesus’ triumphal entry (Mt. 21:2–3, 7). The JST revises the text to agree with the clearer accounts in Mark, Luke, and John. (c) Matthew 27:3–5 and Acts 1:16–19 contain conflicting information about Judas’ death. The JST revises Matthew to harmonize the two accounts. It is possible that in examples like b and c the Bible preserves accurately what the original authors wrote, based on misunderstanding, incomplete recollection, or the imperfection of writing. Joseph Smith was called to provide a more accurate translation, and responding to divine inspiration, he made the necessary changes even if they corrected the words of ancient writers.
5. Changes to provide modern readers teachings that were not written by original authors. Perhaps there are JST changes in which Joseph Smith was inspired to alter or adapt an author’s original words, or even to remove them from their original context, to reveal teachings needed by the latter-day Church. Elder Bruce R. McConkie, speaking of the differences between the early Genesis chapters in the Bible and the JST, said “both of them are true.” He stated that John 1 in the Bible “is true,” yet the JST gives it “an entirely new perspective.” “These are illustrations of the fact that there can be two translations of the same thing and both of them can be true.”30 There is an important JST change at Romans 13 in which Paul’s teaching regarding the Saints’ submission to secular political power is changed to submission to the authorities of the Church. Perhaps both versions are correct. If the Bible preserves accurately Paul’s original thoughts and intent, then the JST revision would be viewed as a latter-day revelation intended to instruct us on a topic not anticipated by Paul.31
Some have dismissed the JST because its changes are not verified in ancient manuscripts.32 The claim is that if the JST revisions were justifiable, they would agree with the earliest existing manuscripts of the biblical books. But this reasoning is misdirected in two ways. First, it assumes that all JST changes are intended to restore original text, a claim made neither by the JST itself nor by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Second, it assumes that extant ancient manuscripts accurately reproduce the original text. Joseph Smith taught that “many important points, touching the salvation of man, had been taken from the Bible, or lost before it was compiled,”33 corroborating Nephi’s testimony that “many plain and precious things” would be “taken away” from it (1 Ne. 13:28; see 13:23–29). The careful study of ancient biblical manuscripts seeks to determine the content of the no longer existing originals. But the earliest copies of most New Testament manuscripts date from a century or two after they were first written, and the earliest Old Testament manuscripts date from hundreds of years after the authors wrote their books. Given the prophetic assurance that changes would be made in the texts and considering the ample window of time during which those changes could have been made, we cannot have confidence that the earliest existing manuscripts today are identical to those that “came from the pen of the original writers.”34
The first category of changes listed above, restoration of original text, is the only one that necessarily involves correcting the biblical text to read as in the ancient authors’ earliest manuscripts—though not in the original words but in the language and idiom of nineteenth-century America. The changes identified in categories 2 through 5 are not restorations of original text but are wordings that likely had never been in the Bible, had never been written in Hebrew or Greek, and had never been cast in the ancient literary style of Bible writers. The original language of those changes is the English of Joseph Smith. Perhaps this explains some difficulties with the JST—why some JST additions to Old Testament poetic material do not match the style of the passages in which they are found, or why some JST changes in the New Testament do not use vocabulary or style common to the ancient writer’s other preserved words, or why JST changes sometimes produce a reading different from that found on the plates of brass and copied in the Book of Mormon.35 Because some JST passages were perhaps never in the Bible, we would not expect to find evidence for them in ancient manuscripts, no matter how close in date those manuscripts are to the original biblical texts.
The scriptures give examples of prophets revising, reusing, editing, and adding to the writings of earlier prophets. There are places in Old Testament books where it appears that a later writer may have added to an original author’s words.36 New Testament authors frequently used in their own writings passages from the Old Testament in ways that may not have been anticipated by the earlier prophets.37 Matthew and Luke seem to be, to some extent, expansions on Mark.38 Moroni put together a lengthy string of Old Testament passages from various diverse contexts to teach Joseph Smith.39 Elder Bruce R. McConkie suggested that much of the content of Malachi is actually reused from the earlier prophet Zenos.40 Nephi apparently wove his own revelation in and out of the words of Isaiah in order to teach the destiny of his prophetic record (see 2 Ne. 27). And Mormon so thoroughly infused his own inspired commentary into the teachings of Nephite prophets that it is sometimes difficult to tell where Alma, for instance, ends and Mormon begins. Joseph Smith’s labor on the Bible was to make it not a museum piece for antiquity but a living revelation for the Saints of the latter days. He was appointed to the work by God (see D&C 76:15), and God endorsed it in strong language: “And the scriptures shall be given, even as they are in mine own bosom, to the salvation of mine own elect” (D&C 35:20). Because the Lord revealed the Joseph Smith Translation for the salvation of His elect, Latter-day Saints can embrace it as they do the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price.
- "What is the New Translation of the Bible?" in Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible: Electronic Library (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center and Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, 2010)
#15. " MORMONS BELIEVE THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL CAME DOWN TO EARTH WITH SEVERAL OF HIS CELESTIAL WIVES, AND BECAME ADAM IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN."
This is revealed truth to the Prophet Joseph Smith. and also, the church has no official statements about Adam's wives. Yet this argument is a strawman. Adam came not to earth with celestial wives but Eve is created with Adam here on earth to be his wife (Gen. 2:21-25)
#16. " THE MORMON FOUNDER AND THEIR PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH PROPHESIED FALSELY MANY TIMES. FOR EXAMPLE, HE FORETOLD THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST FOR 1891. THE BIBLE TEACHES THAT ONE FALSE PROPHECY PUTS THE PROPHET UNDER DEATH SENTENCE. (DEUTERONOMY 18:20-22)."
If this test is true to Joseph Smith, this would also be true to Moses, Jeremiah, Isaiah, John, or any other person claiming to be a prophet. tingnan natin yung mga Old Testament prophets at nang makita natin if we can consider them as false prophets also.
Jeremiah prophesied na mamamatay nang mapayapa si King Zedekiah at na ang mga tao ay magsusunog ng insence sa burial niya (Jer. 34:4-5). Instead, nung sinakop ng Babylon ang Jerusalem , nahuli si Zedekiah and was taken as a captive. ang kanyang mga anak ay inislaughther sa harapan niya mismo, tinanggalan siya ng mata at siya ay namatay sa isang prison sa Babylon (2 Kgs. 25:7; Jer. 52:11). On another occasion, prinophecy ni Jeremiah na si Jehoiakim na "siya ay mawawalan ng uupo sa trono ni David,” (Jer. 36:30), but we know na ang sumunod na umupo sa throne ay si Jeconias, ang anak ni Jehoiakim. (1 Chr. 3:16; Jer. 37:1). if we used their own logic, Jeremiah failed as a prophet and is a false prophet.
Si Prophet Micah, na angprophecy na may darating daw na fall sa Jerusalem na hindi daw mapipigilan (Micah 3:12). This passage provides the only unambiguous instance in the Hebrew Bible of a prophetic message being specifically referred to in another prophetic collection, for it is discussed in Jeremiah 26:18-19. Ang Jerusalem naman ay hindi bumagsak; but this does not mean that Micah was dismissed or condemned as a false prophet on the grounds that his prophecy had not been fulRlled, as Kramer’s reading would require. Rather, the claim is made that Hezekiah’s repentance had led Yahweh to change his mind and spare the city, and such a claim cannot readily be refuted.
Another one is Jonah who was called of God to proclaim the downfall of the great Assyrian capital of Nineveh, and that the city would be destroyed in 40 days (Jonah 3:4). walang binigay si Lord na conditions or instructions kung papaano machachange ng mga tao ang mind niya. however, nagrepent ang mga tao sa Nineveh (Jonah 3:5). Nineveh was then spared at hindi na winasak unlike sa prinophecy ni Jonah. si Jonah ay nagalit dahil sa hindi nafulfill ang prophecy niya at hindi napanood yung destrcution ng Nineveh (Jonah 4:1-3). so as shown sa story na ito, nakadepend sa agency and action ng tao ang fulfillment ng isang prophecy.
Another failed prophecy that we can find in the Bible, the prophet Nathan unequivocally prophesied to David that through his son, Solomon, the Davidic Empire would be established “forever,” that the children of Israel would dwell in the promised land “and move no more,” and that the “children of wickedness” would no longer affect them (2 Sam. 7). These things are quite clearly stated. No conditions are attached to these clear promises, yet this clearly did not prove successful.
There are fulfilled prophecies of Joseph Smith just like what the following says (Fair Latter Day Saints) :
This statement of Moroni was first uttered to the Prophet Joseph Smith on September 22,1823. It is not only being fulfilled by the genealogical activities of members of the LDS Church, but by the fact that since April of 1836, when the keys of this work were returned to earth under the hands of the prophet Elijah as prophesied (Malachi 4:5-6), completely independent of any LDS church action a widespread interest in genealogical research has developed. Genealogical societies have been organized for the first time: for example, 1836 in England, 1844 in New England, and 1869 in New York. Today a new Roofs spirit is sweeping the land and many are becoming interested in genealogy. The genealogical archives in Salt Lake City are now the largest in the world.
And in addition to your testimony, the testimony of three of my servants, whom I shall call and ordain, unto whom I will show these things, and they shall go forth with my words that are given through you. Yea, they shall know of a surety that these things are true, for from heaven will I declare it unto them. I will give them power that they may behold and view these things as they are (D&C 5:11-13). The fact that Joseph Smith was bold enough to predict the manner and nature of the testimony of three witnesses before the event happened is significant.
“And that you be firm in keeping the commandments wherewith I have commanded you; and if you do this, behold I grant unto you eternal life, even if you should be slain” (D&C 5:22). Some have argued that those predictions Joseph made a few days before his death are not spectacular, because conditions had become so bad that it was inevi- table that his enemies would kill him. This early hint, then, in March 1829, is significant. When Joseph voluntarily returned in June of 1844 to almost predictable death, this revelation given fifteen years earlier was fulfilled.
" Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your know concerning the truth of these things. Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God? And now, behold, you have received a witness; for if I have told you things which no man knoweth have you not received a witness?" (D&C 6:22-24)
This was a revelation received for Oliver shortly after he came to Harmony, Pennsylvania, to become Joseph’s scribe. It is remarkable that Joseph would dare claim to know that Oliver, whom he had never met before, had already prayed and received a spiritual witness from the Lord. Evidence that this was a true statement is the fact that he became a follower of the Prophet.
And it shall come to pass that there shall be a great work in the land, even among the Gentiles. . . for I am God, and mine arm is not shortened, and I will show miracles, signs, and wonders, unto all those who believe on my name. And. . . they shall cast out devils; they shall heal the sick; they shall cause the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk. And the time speedily cometh that great things are to be shown forth unto the children of men (D&C 35:7-10).
There are publications that relate such events having happened in LDS history. In each fast and testimony meeting of the LDS Church in meetings around the world, it is not uncommon to hear firsthand accounts of such happenings. At a BYU assembly Elder Matthew Cowley gave a talk entitled “Miracles,” which gives examples of modern-day wonders including raising the dead. This tape is available at the BYU Audio Visual Department.
“I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God; wherefore, gird up your loins and I will suddenly come to my temple. Even so. Amen” (D&C 36:8). This revelation given in December of 1830 was literally fulfilled when the Savior appeared in the Church’s first temple a few days after its dedication, on April 3, 1836 (D&C 110).
Nevertheless, I suffered it that ye might bear record; behold, there are many dangers upon the waters, and more especially hereafter; for I, the Lord, have decreed in mine anger many destructions upon the waters; yea, and especially upon these waters (D&C 61:4-5).
Much has been written about the great destruction on the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, and some of this material may be found in the September 1903 issue of the Improvement Era and in the writings of B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church (Salt Lake City, Deseret News Press), Vol. I, p. 278.
“Zion shall flourish upon the hills and rejoice upon the mountains, and shall be assembled together unto the place which I have appointed” (D&C 49:25). It is sometimes stated by critics that Joseph Smith’s Rocky Mountain Prophecy was not significant because trouble in Nauvoo would make it inevitable that the Mormons could not stay there much longer. Nevertheless that prophecy (HC 5:85) was specific and far- reaching on those points. In any case the above revelation, given a year after the Church was organized and over fifteen years prior to its fulfillment, is significant. And it was February 1844 that Joseph stated that within five years the Church would be out of the power of its old enemies (HC 6:225).
“I will not that my servant Fredrick G. Williams should sell his farm, for I, the Lord, will to retain a strong hold in the land of Kirtland, for the space of five years” (D&C 64:21).
This revelation was given September II, 1831. By 1837 loyal members of the Church had to flee from Kirtland with the Prophet (HC 3:1).
“Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great” (D&C 64:33).
To make such a bold prediction shortly after the Church was organized certainly took courage. The Church’s having grown so rapidly, already exerting significant results, is a literal beginning to the fulfillment of this assertion.
“Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you—there is no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and if any man lift his voice against you he shall be confounded in mine own due time” (D&C 71:9-10). These words of the Lord were revealed in December 1831. I cannot think of persons or groups who have turned against the LDS Church that one could consider to be prospering.
Now, seek ye out of the Book of Commandments, even the least that is among them, and appoint him that is the most wise among you; or, if there be any among you that shall make one like unto it, then ye are justified in saying that ye do not know that they are true; but if ye cannot make one like unto it, ye are under condemnation if ye do not bear record that they are true (D&C 67:6-7).
The occasion was that of a special conference which was considering the publication of the first collection of Joseph Smith’s revelations. Apparently some of the discussion was critical of the language in some of the revelations. Joseph then received and gave out the foregoing revelation. He was certainly taking a risk if it wasn’t a revelation. Under normal circumstances a learned man ought to be able to write a few words and claim it to be a revelation. One of the men, William M’Lellin, who was considered the wisest in the room, took up the challenge and tried to write a “revelation.” But M’Lellin failed (HC1:226).
Verily, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars that will shortly come to pass, beginning at the rebellion of South Carolina, which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls. And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place. For behold, the Southern States shall be divided against the Northern States . . . and then war shall be poured out upon all nations (D&C 87:1-3).
This is perhaps the most famous of Joseph Smith’s prophecies and therefore the one most often attacked. The date given is December 25, 1832, and critics point out that it was a common belief that war might begin any day and in South Carolina, so Joseph was merely up on current events; he did not have to be a prophet to say this. Although they were not as explicit as Section 87, it is interesting to note that earlier Joseph had made similar predictions in 1831 (see D&C 38:29 and 45:63).
Also, Joseph Smith again reaffirmed that this was a revelation from God on Sunday, April 2, 1843, after the tense situation in South Carolina had cooled down and the threat of civil war had temporarily subsided (HC 5:324).
Another criticism is that Section 87 did not appear in the Doctrine and Covenants until after the Civil War. So naturally deception has been charged. However, these critics are answered by the fact that the revelation did appear in print in 1851 in the Pearl of Great Price, which was published in England.
This verse requires special comment since it is usually considered in connection with the Civil War. Critics correctly point to the fact that few if any slaves rose up against their masters. Since this phrase does not appear in context with the Civil War, but follows the phrase “and then war shall be poured out upon all nations” (vs. 3) it seems to have reference to our present day. The rise of anti-colonialism throughout the world and rebellions in communist countries such as East Berlin in 1951, Hungary in 1956, and Poland in the 1980s may well be at least a beginning of the fulfillment of this verse.
15. Purpose of Word of Wisdom
In February, 1833, the Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation that said in part: “In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation” (D&C 89:4). The fact that many millions of dollars are spent annually in deceptive advertising to induce people to use harmful substances, even to counteract scientific and government findings against them, amply fulfills this portion of the revelation.
The prophet Joseph was way ahead of science on this point. The abundance of evidence presented by reputable medical organizations, the Surgeon General of the United States, and governments of other countries fulfills this revelation.
The Constitution of the United States was established under the influence of God (D&C 98:6, 101:80).
When these revelations were given it was not expected to see the United States achieve the power, prestige and leadership that it has enjoyed. This first example of the separation of church and state in modern history has certainly led to the greatest political accomplishments ever known by man. The Constitution has survived wars and Watergates, while other governments are frequently falling.
“After this vision dosed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses, appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth” (D&C 110:11).
That this is literally being fulfilled cannot be disputed. The whole LDS movement is one of gathering people in preparation for Christ’s second coming.
“And next spring let them depart to go over the great waters, and there promulgate my gospel, the fullness thereof, and bear record of my name. Let them take leave of my saints in the city of Far West, on the twenty-sixth day of April next . . . ” (D&C 118:4-5).
“This is one prophecy of old ‘Joe Smith’s’ that will not be fulfilled,” : bragged those who had driven the Mormons from the state of Missouri. In order to obey the Lord’s commandment the apostles returned to Missouri on the prescribed date. Some might think this was an unfair way to fulfill a prophecy. But the fact that the apostles were j willing to risk their lives to do so is significant (HC 3:336). ‘
“There is no such thing as immaterial matter. All spirit is matter” (D&C i 131:7; see also HC 5:393). At the time of the revelation this was a new \ idea, but is in line with modern scientific thought on the permanence I of matter. ‘
At the time of the Prophet Joseph Smith it was considered by science i that there were certain fixed stars in the universe. Yet according to the • Prophet’s translation:
And the Lord said unto me: Now, Abraham, these two facts exist, behold thine eyes see it; it is given unto thee to know the times of reckoning, and ] the set time, yea, the set time of the earth upon which thou standest, and the set time of the greater light which is set to rule the day, and the set ! time of the lesser light which is set to rule the night. … And where these ; two facts exist, there shall be another fact above them, that is, there shall I be another planet whose reckoning of time shall be longer still; and thus – there shall be the reckoning of the time of one planet above another until i thou come nigh unto Kolob, which Kolob is after the reckoning of the j Lord’s time (Abr. 3:6-9).
It appears from these verses that every planet moves in some manner, with perhaps the exception of Kolob, near the place where God dwells (Abr. 3:3). That the whole universe and all we know of what lies beyond is in motion is today maintained by almost all scientists.
He called me by name, and said unto me that he was a messenger sent from the presence of God to me, and that his name was Moroni; that God had a work for me to do; and that my name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people (Joseph Smith — History 1:33).
Certainly this is being literally fulfilled. In the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., there are 2,650 volumes on George Washington. In the Church offices in Salt Lake City there are thousands of books or pamphlets that have been published for or against Joseph Smith. Even the publication of The GodMakers helps fulfill this prophecy.
(Moro. 10:1-7) Even though this prophecy is in the Book of Mormon, it came to us through Joseph Smith and is an interesting prediction when one considers how most Americans of his day considered the Indians as some kind of a sub-species that could be hunted and shot for sport. Significant numbers of these Lamanite people have accepted the Book of Mormon, as predicted.
When Joseph first went to Kirtland, about February 1, 1831, he went to the store of Newel Whitney and addressed him by name. Newel was surprised, and could not understand how Joseph who had never met him could possibly recognize him. Joseph then told him he had seen Newel and his wife in a dream, when they had been praying that the Prophet would come to Kirtland (HC 1:146). Certainly Newel Whitney would not have become a loyal supporter if this had not been true.
Blessed of the Lord is Brother Whitney, even the Bishop of the Church of Latter-day Saints, for the Bishopric shall never be taken away from him while he liveth. And the time cometh that he shall, overcome all the narrow-mindedness of his heart, and all his covetous desires that so easily beset him. . . . Therefore he shall be preserved unto the utmost and his life shall be precious in the sight of the Lord (HC 2:288).
Newel Whitney died a faithful member of the Church in Salt Lake City in 1850.
Brother Sidney is a man whom I love, but he is not capable of that pure and steadfast love for those who are his benefactors that should characterize a President of the Church of Jesus Christ. This, with some other little things, such as selfishness and independence of mind, which too often manifested destroy the confidence of those who would lay down their lives for him—these are his faults (HC 1:443).
Sidney’s later apostasy and the fact that he did not become President of the Church even though he tried very hard are significant.
The fact that when Joseph first met Brigham Young he made a prediction that Brigham Young would one day preside over the Church is interesting. This was in September, 1832 (B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church 1:289, footnote). Before Joseph’s death, Brigham was only one of two of the original apostles still alive who had not turned against the Prophet at least temporarily. The other apostle was Heber C. Kimball.
When the Prophet made this prediction a few months previously, it did not seem likely to be fulfilled, because the Latter-day Saints had been expelled from Jackson County years before. But now Joseph Smith and others had been arrested at Far West, and while the prisoners were being transported to Independence, a group gathered around the Prophet and asked him questions, and he was able to preach to them (HC 3:201).
The Prophet Joseph predicted that a scourge would come upon the camp in consequence of “the unruly spirits that appeared among them'” (HC 2:80). Sixty-eight men were stricken with cholera and fourteen died. On July I Joseph said if the remainder would covenant to keep the commandments the plague would be lifted. It was (Historical Record, p. 582)
When the leaders of the Church were imprisoned in Missouri, General John Clark of the state militia had announced, “As for your lead- ers, . . . do not imagine for a moment . . . that you will see their faces again, for their fate is fixed, their die is cast, their doom is sealed” (Andrew Jenson, Joseph Smith as a Prophet, Salt Lake City: Deseret News, p. 8).
As we arose and commenced our march on the morning of the third of November, Joseph spoke to me and the other prisoners in a low, but cheerful and confidential tone. Said he: “Be of good cheer, brethren, the word of the Lord came to me last night that our lives should be given us . . . not one of our lives should be taken (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p. 192).
On April II, 1839, the Prophet made the following comment: “During this night the visions of the future were opened to my understanding, when I saw the ways and means and near approach of my escape from imprisonment” (HC 3:316).
None of the LDS leaders who were arrested lost their lives at this time.
On one occasion when the Missouri General Alexander Doniphan (who had refused to carry out the order to have Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, and other Church leaders shot at Far West) spoke with the LDS prophet, Joseph counseled him against the purchase of lands in Jackson County because that area would receive much destruction (B. H. Roberts, Comprehensive History of the Church, 1:538). It is a known fact that Missouri suffered extensively during the Civil War (Muzzey, History of the United States, p. 137).
Judge, you will aspire to the presidency of the United States; and if ever you turn your hand against me or the Latter-day Saints, you will feel the weight of the hand of Almighty upon you; and you will live to see and know that I have testified the truth to you; for the conversation of this day will stick to you through life (HC 5:394).
In his election campaign Douglas did speak against the Church. It is interesting to note that Abraham Lincoln received 180 electoral votes and Douglas only twelve in the election of 1860. It was considered one of the biggest political upsets in United States history. The two states that supported Douglas were New Jersey and Missouri. Less than one year after that political contest, Stephen A. Douglas, yet in the prime of manhood, died a broken-hearted man at home at age forty-eight.
33. Joseph says he will not go to Missouri
On one occasion when Joseph had been arrested by officers from Missouri and was awaiting trial in Illinois, he made a statement that he “would not go to Missouri dead or alive” (HC 5:216). Shortly afterwards he was released.
As instructed by Joseph Smith, the dedicatory prayer of Orson Hyde was given on October 24, 1841, on the Mount of Olives (HC 4:456). On December II, 1917, General Allenby of the British Army marched his military forces into Jerusalem and wrested control of the land from the Turks. And then England announced it would foster the return of the Jews to Palestine (Berrett, The Restored Church, p. 210). A movement of Jews to Palestine has gone on continually. In 1948 the United Nations officially created the State of Israel, which today is one of the most powerful countries in the Near East.
When I [Joseph Smith] was preaching in Philadelphia, a Quaker called out for a sign. I told him to be still. After the sermon, he again asked for a sign. I told the congregation the man was an adulterer; that a wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and that the Lord had said to me in a revelation, that any man who wanted a sign was an adulterous person. “It is true,” cried one, “for I caught him in the very act,” which the man afterwards confessed, when he was baptized (HC 5:268).
I was solicited by General [John C. ] Bennett to take command of the first cohort during the sham battle; this I declined. General Bennett next requested me to take my station in the rear of the cavalry, without my staff, during the engagement; but this was counteracted by Captain A. P. Rockwood, commander of my life guards, who kept close to my side, and I chose my own position. And if General Bennett’s true feelings toward me are not made manifest to the world in a very short time, then it may be possible that the gentle breathings of that Spirit, which whispered to me on parade, that there was mischief concealed in that sham battle, were false; a short time will determine the point. Let John C. Bennett answer at the day of judgment, “Why did you request me to command one of the cohorts, and also to take my position without my staff, during the sham battle, on the 7th of May, 1842, where my life might have been forfeit, and no man have known who did the deed?” (HC 5:4)
Bennett’s later actions proved Joseph Smith’s promptings by the Spirit were correct.
When someone shot Governor Boggs in Missouri, Joseph was suspected of having had something to do with the attempted assassination. Since Joseph was known to have been in Illinois at the time, Porter Rockwell, Joseph’s bodyguard, was accused. When Rockwell, returning from the East to Nauvoo, got off a steamer at St. Louis, Missouri, he was recognized and arrested. At this time Joseph said: “I prophesied, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that Orrin Porter Rockwell would get away honorably from the Missourians” (HC 5:305).
Rockwell was released after months in prison and returned to Nauvoo on Christmas Day in 1843 (HC 6:134).
“In the great cities, as Boston, New York, etc., there shall be stakes” (HC 6:319).
The New York Stake was organized December 9,1934, and the Boston Stake May 20, 1962.
39. The Prophet predicts his death
The following entry on Saturday, June 22, 1844, is the last item from the direct narrative of the Prophet. The remainder of the History of the Church is taken from other journals.
“I told Stephen Markham that if I and Hyrum were ever taken again we should be massacred, or I was not a prophet of God” (HC 6:546).
Dr. Richards’ escape was miraculous; he being a very large man, and in the midst of a shower of balls, yet he stood unscathed, with the exception of a ball which grazed the tip end of the lower part of his left ear. His escape fulfilled literally a prophecy which Joseph made over a year previously, that the time would come that the balls would fly around him like hail, and he should see his friends fall on the right and on the left, but that there should not be a hole in his garment (HC6:619).
When the mob attacked on June 27, 1844, Willard Richards was the only one of the four brethren in Carthage Jail not killed or wounded.
This prophecy was given the last night before the Prophet’s death:
Soon after Dr. Richards retired to the bed .. . and when all were apparently fast asleep, Joseph whispered to Dan Jones, “are you afraid to die?” Dan said, “Has that time come, think you? Engaged in such a cause I do not think that death would have many terrors.” Joseph replied, “You will yet see Wales, and fulfill the mission appointed you before you die” (HC 6:601).
Before his death, Dan Jones fulfilled two missions to Wales, being the instrument in converting nearly a thousand people to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
#17. " MORMONS DOCTRINE TAUGHT AND BELIEVED THAT BEFORE 1978 THEY CONSIDERED THE NEGRO RACE INFERIOR, AND EVEN ONE DROP OF NEGRO BLOOD PREVENTED A PERSON FROM ENTERING THEIR PRIESTHOOD. NOW THEY WILL ALLOW MEN OF AFRICAN DECENT TO BE PRIESTS BUT THE FACT THAT THEY ONCE TAUGHT THIS PROVES THEY'RE A FALSE RELIGION."
first of all, walang racism na nangyari sa loob ng church.
"nung 1908, ang mga negro daw ay hindi allowed maging leader ng church ng lds pwede silang maging members ng church pero hindi sila pwedeng maging leaders nung 2013 sinabi ng lds church na nagkamali sila dun kaya ngayon puwede nang maging leader ang negro"
In theology and practice, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embraces the universal human family. Latter-day Saint scripture and teachings affirm that God loves all of His children and makes salvation available to all. God created the many diverse races and ethnicities and esteems them all equally. As the Book of Mormon puts it, “all are alike unto God.”(2 Ne. 26:33).The structure and organization of the Church encourage racial integration. Latter-day Saints attend Church services according to the geographical boundaries of their local ward, or congregation. By definition, this means that the racial, economic, and demographic composition of Latter-day Saint congregations generally mirrors that of the wider local community. The Church’s lay ministry also tends to facilitate integration: a black bishop may preside over a mostly white congregation; a Hispanic woman may be paired with an Asian woman to visit the homes of a racially diverse membership. Church members of different races and ethnicities regularly minister in one another’s homes and serve alongside one another as teachers, as youth leaders, and in myriad other assignments in their local congregations. Such practices make The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a thoroughly integrated faith.
Despite this modern reality, for much of its history—from the mid-1800s until 1978—the Church did not ordain men of black African descent to its priesthood or allow black men or women to participate in temple endowment or sealing ordinances.The Church was established in 1830, during an era of great racial division in the United States. At the time, many people of African descent lived in slavery, and racial distinctions and prejudice were not just common but customary among white Americans. Those realities, though unfamiliar and disturbing today, influenced all aspects of people’s lives, including their religion. Many Christian churches of that era, for instance, were segregated along racial lines. From the beginnings of the Church, people of every race and ethnicity could be baptized and received as members. Toward the end of his life, Church founder Joseph Smith openly opposed slavery. There has never been a Churchwide policy of segregated congregations.During the first two decades of the Church’s existence, a few black men were ordained to the priesthood. One of these men, Elijah Abel, also participated in temple ceremonies in Kirtland, Ohio, and was later baptized as proxy for deceased relatives in Nauvoo, Illinois. There is no reliable evidence that any black men were denied the priesthood during Joseph Smith’s lifetime. In a private Church council three years after Joseph Smith’s death, Brigham Young praised Q. Walker Lewis, a black man who had been ordained to the priesthood, saying, “We have one of the best Elders, an African.” In 1852, President Brigham Young publicly announced that men of black African descent could no longer be ordained to the priesthood, though thereafter blacks continued to join the Church through baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Following the death of Brigham Young, subsequent Church presidents restricted blacks from receiving the temple endowment or being married in the temple. Over time, Church leaders and members advanced many theories to explain the priesthood and temple restrictions. None of these explanations is accepted today as the official doctrine of the Church.
Robert Boylan, from his blog scriptualmormonism.blogspot.com said :
Jane Manning James was a black church member who had lived with Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, emigrated to Salt Lake, and remained faithful. During her life she repeatedly petitioned the First Presidency to participate in the temple liturgy, and in 1894 the First Presidency decided to use an ad hoc temple ritual to seal James as a servant to Joseph Smith. This decision was not because Wilford Woodruff, who followed Young and Taylor as president of the church, or other church leaders viewed black people as eternal servants, but because this relationship was the only way they could conceive to link her to Joseph Smith without integrating her into the priesthood family. (Jonathan A. Stapley, The Power of Godliness: Mormon Liturgy and Cosmology [New York: Oxford University Press, 2018], 21)
Some errant members of the Church who desperately try to defend the propriety of the priesthood restriction have claimed that blacks became worthy to be ordained to the priesthood in 1978. The problem is that such is explicitly contradicted by Official Declaration 2 that states they were already faithful prior to the 1978 revelation:
This, in turn, has inspired us with a desire to extend to every worthy member of the Church all the privileges and blessings which the gospel affords.
. . . our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood, and witnessing the faithfulness of those from whom the priesthood has been withheld, we have pleaded along and earnestly in behalf of these, our faithful brethren . . .
He has heard our prayers, and by revelation has confirmed that the long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the church may receive the holy priesthood . . .
For those curious, it is my (informed, hopefully) view that the priesthood and temple restriction was not the result of revelation, nor did Joseph Smith teach it, but as a result of the "Mormonisation" of 19th c. American Protestantism, although a revelation did result in its cessation. For further details, see:
Russell W. Stevenson, For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830-2013 (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2014)
Black and Mormon, eds. Newell G. Bringhurst and Darron T. Smith (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004)
Connell O' Donovan, "Brigham Young, African Americans, and Plural Marriage: Schism and the Beginnings of Black Priesthood and Temple Denial" in The Persistence of Polygamy, volume 2: From Joseph Smith's Martyrdom to the First Manifesto, 1844-1890, eds. Newell G. Bringhurst and Craig L. Foster (Independence, Miss.: John Whitmer Books, 2013), pp. 31-86
The Church’s Gospel Topics essay addressing this issue is “Race and the Priesthood”
For a non-LDS discussion of 19th century American views of blacks, see:
Stephen R. Haynes, Noah's Curse: The Biblical Justification of American Slavery (New York: Oxford University Press, 2002)
#18. " MORMONS HAVE BOOKS OTHER THAN THE BIBLE THAT THEY CALL SCRIPTURES SUCH AS THE BOOK OF MORMON, PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS. ALL THESE AND EVEN THEIR OFFICIAL "MORMON DOCTRINE" STATEMENTS CONTRADICT EACH OTHER ON MAJOR DOCTRINAL POINTS. THE KING JAMES BIBLE IS ALSO CONTRADICTED BY THESE BOOKS."
Latter Day Saints don't believe in sola scriptura, and the bible actually supports the Book Of Mormon (see Jn. 10:16; Rev. 14:6) and as the law actually required that two or three witnesses are needed to establish truth (2 Cor. 13:1). the book of mormon served as the second witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ. since hindi nagpakita ng contradictions si Kuya Adviser CFD ng kahit examples man lang ng so called na contradictions, if magpakita man lang, ito ay result ng pagingnore sa tinatawag natin na literary context at historical context at ng quote mining na din.
#19. " MORMONS BELIEVE JESUS HAD AT LEAST THREE WIVES AND CHILDREN WHILE HE WAS ON THIS EARTH."
Response: The Church had no official statements regarding this theory. this is not a doctrine. ang marital status ni Jesus Christ is considered as a theory lamang at present din sa mga theologians and scholars.
#20. " JOESPH SMITH TAUGHT THAT THERE WERE INHABITANTS ON THE MOON, AND BRIGHAM YOUNG TAUGHT THERE WERE INHABITANTS ON THE SUN AS WELL! THE FACT THAT THESE TWO MEN ONCE TAUGHT THIS PROVES THEY WERE NOT REAL PROPHETS OF GOD. THEY WERE FALSE PROPHETS AND THIS RELIGION IS LEADING MANY SOULS TO HELL STILL TODAY."
belief on people at the moon was a culture at the 19th century America. Not a doctrine.
#21. " MORMONS ALSO TEACH THAT THERE IS NO SALVATION WITHOUT JOSEPH SMITH. THEY TEACH THAT JOSEPH SMITH HOLDS THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD. THEY TEACH THAT JESUS' DEATH ON THE CROSS ONLY PARTIALLY SAVES THE BELIEVER. THEY ALSO TEACH THAT PEOPLE WILL STAND BEFORE GOD, JESUS AND JOSEPH SMITH ON JUDGEMENT DAY."
Here's from Fairmormon.org
Question: Do Mormons believe that Joseph Smith must approve whether or not they get into heaven?
The Book of Mormon confirms that no mortal's role in the judgment supersedes the role given to Jesus Christ
Critics charge that Joseph claimed, or it was claimed in his behalf, the right to "approve whether or not someone gets into heaven," and that this gives to a mortal a right properly reserved for God and Jesus Christ. Some critics have even charged that "Mormons worship Joseph Smith."
No mortal's role in the judgment supersedes the role given to Jesus, as the Book of Mormon bears witness:
"...the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name." (2 Ne. 9:41.)
Joseph's participation in the judgment is no more or less than the role assigned to the Lord's apostles at the Last Supper
Joseph's participation in the judgment (at the command and sufferance of Jesus) is no more or less than the role assigned to the Lord's apostles at the Last Supper. Those who condemn Joseph on these grounds must also condemn Peter and the rest of the Twelve.
Members of the Church reserve their worship for God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. They do not worship Joseph Smith or any other mortal, save Jesus only. Joseph Smith's position in LDS thought is analogous to the role which Peter or Paul plays in traditional creedal Christianity.
Question: What is the origin of the criticism of the idea that Joseph Smith will participate in the final judgement?
The criticism originates with statements made by Brigham Young and Orson Hyde that are recorded in the Journal of Discourses
See also: "Turn to Joseph to gain salvation"? and Hymns to Joseph Smith?
The criticism originates with statements made by Brigham Young and Orson Hyde that are recorded in the Journal of Discourses. Statements made by these early church leaders are removed from their context in order to make it appear that a belief in Joseph Smith rather than Jesus Christ is the key to salvation.
When read in context, Brigham Young's statement and intent become clear:
" Joseph Smith holds the keys of this last dispensation, and is now engaged behind the vail in the great work of the last days...no man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith.... I will now tell you something that ought to comfort every man and woman on the face of the earth. Joseph Smith, junior, will again be on this earth dictating plans and calling forth his brethren to be baptized for the very characters who wish this was not so, in order to bring them into a kingdom to enjoy...he will never cease his operations, under the directions of the Son of God, until the last ones of the children of men are saved that can be, from Adam till now.... It is his mission to see that all the children of men in this last dispensation are saved, that can be, through the redemption." - Brigham Young, "Intelligence, etc.," (9 October 1859) Journal of Discourses 7:289-289.
Clearly, Joseph's role is to function under the "direction...of the Son of God," and the primary goal is the salvation of all who will accept any degree of Christ and Joseph's witness of Him.
Similarly, critics extract the second sentence of the following quote from Brigham Young, while ignoring the sentence preceding it (emphasis added):
" I have taught for thirty years, and still teach, that he that believeth in his heart and confesseth with his mouth that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith is his Prophet to this generation, is of God; and he that confesseth not that Jesus has come in the flesh and sent Joseph Smith with the fulness of the Gospel to this generation, is not of God, but is antichrist." - Brigham Young, "The Kingdom of God," (13 July 1862) Journal of Discourses 9:312.
It is not a novel idea to have mortal prophets involved in the post-mortal judgment
At the Last Supper, Jesus himself taught that:
" Ye [the apostles] are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Lk. 22:28-30; cf. Mt. 19:28)
A similar promise to participate in the judgment of those among whom they were called to serve was given to the twelve Nephite Disciples (see 1 Ne. 12:9-10). This principle is also reiterated in modern revelation (see D&C 29:12).
Since the Latter-day Saints accept the witness that Joseph was called as an apostle and prophet (see D&C 21:1) with the same authority as that given to Peter, James, John, and others, they do not think it strange that he will likewise play a role in judgment. The witness of a prophet will always be brought against those who did not accept his witness of Christ (see Mt. 10:40; Jn. 5:45-47).
Question: Did Bruce R. McConkie state that we must turn to Joseph Smith to gain salvation?
Elder McConkie's intent is clear—salvation is only through Christ, and Christ can only be known through prophets, including Joseph Smith
This claim is made by Richard Abanes in Richard Abanes, Becoming Gods: A Closer Look at 21st-Century Mormonism (Harvest House Publishers: 2005). 26. ( Index of claims ). This is a classic example of quote-mining. The italicized text is quoted by the author; the other text from this source makes the meaning clear (bold added for emphasis). Here is what Elder McConkie actually said:
Salvation is in Christ. There is no other by whom it comes. He is the Redeemer of men and the Savior of the world. He alone worked out the infinite and eternal atonement whereby all men are raised in immortality while those who believe and obey are raised also unto eternal life. "Salvation was, and is, and is to come, in and through the atoning blood of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." None other has ever lived on earth, none other now lives among us, and none other will ever breathe the breath of life who can compare with him. None other, among all the billions of our Father's children, will ever deserve such eternal praise as all the hosts of heaven heap upon him. Yea, "There shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent." (Mosiah 3:17-18.)
But Christ and his laws can be known only by revelation. His gospel must come from heaven or remain forever unknown. And his word must go forth by the mouths of his servants the prophets, or the message will never be heard. Christ calls prophets. They represent him. Their voice is his voice; their words are his words; and they say what he would say if he were personally present. "I am the vine, ye are the branches," he says to his legal representatives on earth. "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing." (Jn. 15:5.)
And thus, for this dispensation of grace, we come to Joseph Smith. He was called of God to reveal anew the doctrines of salvation. He was called of God to stand as the Lord's legal administrator, dispensing salvation to all men—repeat: all men—in the last days. Christ is the True Vine; Joseph Smith is the chief branch for our day. Moroni told him that his "name should be had for good and evil among all nations, kindreds, and tongues, or that it should be both good and evil spoken of among all people." (JS-H 1:33.) And as the Prophet, years later, suffered in the jail at Liberty, Missouri, for the testimony of Jesus and the love of the Lord that was his, the voice of the Lord comforted him with these words: "The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell shall rage against thee; While the pure in heart, and the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous, shall seek counsel, and authority, and blessings constantly from under thy hand." (D&C 122:1-2.)
And thus, all men—every living soul who has lived or shall live on earth between the spring of 1820 and that glorious future day when the Son of God shall return to reign personally on earth—all men in the latter days must turn to Joseph Smith to gain salvation. Why? The answer is clear and plain; let it be spoken with seven thunders. He alone can bring them the gospel; he alone can perform for them the ordinances of salvation and exaltation; he stands, as have all the prophets of all the ages in their times and seasons, in the place and stead of the Heavenly One in administering salvation to men on earth....
[335] We do not pretend to have authority and gospel knowledge because we read in holy writ that those anciently were so endowed. Ours is a modern commission; ours is a present-day power; the message we declare has been revealed anew to us. That it conforms to the ancient word is apparent, for it is the same gospel given again....
[338] The Lord sends men to match the message, and Joseph Smith, as a revealer of Christ and a restorer of eternal truth, has been the instrument in the hands of the Lord of preparing the way before him. - Bruce R. McConkie, Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1982), 333–335, 338. ISBN 0877478961.
Elder McConkie's intent is clear—salvation is only through Christ, and Christ can only be known through prophets, and only legal administrators can perform the necessary ordinances. Thus, to come to Christ, one must use what Joseph Smith offers. But, this is not to say that Joseph is the source of salvation, or that we must turn to Joseph in preference to Jesus. Joseph simply provides what we need so that we can completely turn to Jesus and receive all that He wishes to give us.
The critic has flagrantly misrepresented this text.
