Now as most christian churches teach we lived with god before we came to earth. a sort of premortal life if you will. now seeing as we lived with him. even though we have been made to forget. now he has sent us to earth to give us the chance to prove we will do all that he tells us to. our spirits still remember being in his presence, and therefore can recognize his teachings when we hear them. and he has left it up to us to find and recognize his one true gospel on this earth and join it. thoughout our lives he guides us directly and indirectly.
many people I have known in my life have a strong relationship with God even though they have never seen him. I myself also have a very strong relationship to my Heavenly Father. I've felt his pressence many times in my life. I've never needed his existence to be proven to me. Since birth I have known my Heavenly Father exists.
god is unchanging, he is the same to day as he was in the beginning. the views of men change constantly.
also god does not change his doctrines.
god would have only one Gospel.
god would have only one Church.
only that church would have his athority.
only that church would teach
the Full and Everlasting Gospel
this church would have his name.
3 Ne. 27: 8
8 And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.
therefore if the church is the same church as the one Jesus Christ built in his life before his death and resurrection it will be called "The church of Jesus Christ"
god would also teach this gospel thru out time.
he has also shown himself to many people throughout time. the main people he has shown himself to has been his prophets.
Adam was the first patriarch and prophet. he was given the complete gospel. this gospel was passed down from generation to generation until it was lost through apostasy. it was restored many times throughout history by prophets such as Noah, Moses, and our savior Jesus Christ, this gospel has been the same throughout time. Jesus Christ founded the Church. During the time of the Apostles it was preached to many nations. After the death and Ressurrection of Jesus Christ, and his assention into Heaven, the church was run by revelation through three head Apostles Peter, James, and John.
As the apostles were killed during the apostasy the most senior(in experience) apostle was left in charge. When the apostle Peter was killed the role of leadership for the church fell on James, and then John who had been given the gift of Immortality. At the time he had been exiled to the Isle of Patmos. After a time John disappeared from history. and the world fell in to apostasy and the dark-ages. then a group of people tried to reorganize the church 200 to 300 years later. they formed the Catholic church. The Catholics claim authority through a bishop that had served in rome and had been ordained by the apostle Peter. They claim leadership of the church through a line that was not given the authority to lead the Church. The leadership at the time belonged to the Apostle John who had dissapeared from history. The authority had been lost through apostasy.
in 1820 a young boy by the name of Joseph Smith at age 14 had a vision. in his own words this is the story
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Joseph Smith-history
JS-H 1:9-20
9 My mind at times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Presbyterians were most decided against the Baptists and Methodists, and used all the powers of both reason and sophistry to prove their errors, or, at least, to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Baptists and Methodists in their turn were equally zealous in endeavoring to establish their own tenets and disprove all others.
10 In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right; or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it, and how shall I know it?
11 While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse, which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
12 Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.
13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to “ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.
14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.
15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.
16 But, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
18 My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.
19 I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
20 He again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?
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Joseph Smith was later given the task of translating the Book of Mormon.
during the task of translation he learned much about the gospel of Jesus Christ. he was eventually given the authority from God to restore The church of Jesus Christ upon the earth. God sent Peter, James and John
(Peter and James had been Resurrected, John was Immortal)
to bestow the Priesthood (Authority of God) upon Joseph Smith. upon recieving this gift Joseph Smith then restored The church of Jesus Christ with the full and everlasting gospel on the earth
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
("Latter-Day Saints" was added to distinguish it from the same church that Christ set up before his crucificion)
also known as the LDS Church
It's head quarters are in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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The LDS Church believes the Book of Mormon and the bible to be the word of God in so much as it is translated correctly.
We believe Jesus Christ to be our personal Savior and Redeamer, and we teach his gospel.
In the end all those who have ever lived will be given the chance to hear the gospel, and have ordinances done by proxy in behalf of them.
a handy picture of the plan of salvation
http://www.blankslate.net/art/pos-eng.png
there is there is a spirit world where you go before judgement. it is divided into paradise and prison.
1 peter 3:18-19
For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to cdeath in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
luke 23:42-43
And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
only after being ressurected are you judged and then allowed into one of the three heavens. paradise is not heaven it is a waiting room for ressurection and judgement. those in paradise visit those in prison and teach them the gospel. people on earth are then baptised for the dead by proxy in Temples, allowing those in prison to enter paradise. the spirit world is a second chance for those who do not get the opportunity to hear the gospel in this life.
john 20:16-17
Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, Master.
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God
1 corinthians 15:29
Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
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there are three Heavens
God lives in Celestial kingdom
the highest
Celestial kingdom
Terrestrial kingdom
Telestial kingdom
2 corinthians 12:2
I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven.
1 corinthians 15:40-41
There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
john 14:2
In my Father’s house are many mansions•: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
Celestial kingdom
Glory Likened to the Sun
reserved for all those who are baptised by those holding the proper athority from God
Terrestrial kingdom
Glory Likened to the Moon
reserved for those who have lived good lives but refuse to except baptism from proper authority
Telestial kingdom
Glory Likened to the Stars
reserved for those who have lived wicked lives and do not care about redemption (murderers ETC.)
Outer Darkness (Hell)
no light no glory of any kind
the hell the LDS believe in is reserved for satan and all those who followed him during the council in heaven and were cast out of Heaven. the only way to get here is to basically have the knowledge a prophet of God would have and actively fight against his Gospel (Cain and Judas are the only two I know of that would qualify)
One of the LDS beliefs is that everyone who has ever lived on this earth is given a second chance after they die. When you die you go to a place called the Spirit World this is divided into Spirit Prison (for those who have not been Baptised by those having the Proper Authority from God) and Spirit Paradise. these two are not heaven and hell. they are sort of like waiting rooms for the dead where you can see and talk to those that have died. Spirits from Spirit Paradise go to Spirit Prison in order to teach them the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. those that decide to except the Gospel can then decide to except a Baptism for the Dead (baptism done by a living person by proxy in behalf of the dead)
1 corinthians 15:29
Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
they are then allowed into Spirit Paradise. After the Millenium (of peace and with Christ Personally Reigning as King on the Earth) the judgement and Resurrection will happen. afterwards everyone will go to one of three heavens to spend eternity.
2006-10-12 13:53:38
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answer #1
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answered by Kuraimizu 3
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