"The key and the anchor to our testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ is the Book of Mormon."
"Book of Mormon Keys to Isaiah."
"Priesthood Keys-an authority."
"The keys of Presidency"
"Keys of Power."
"Keys of my kingdom"
"the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom"
"the keys to open up the authority"
"keys of the Melchizedek Priesthood"
"keys of the Aaronic Priesthood"
"keys to perform miracles"
"keys for legitimate ecclesiastical acts in the name of God"
"keys for a church hierachy"
"three types of keys; 1. default keys held by every priesthood holder, 2. keys associated with a priesthood office and held by every holder of that office, 3. special keys granted only to priesthood holders with select callings within the church."
"Keys for the gathering of Israel"
"keys for leading the ten tribes"
"Keys of this dispensation"
I'm sure there are more 'keys' to be found!
Keys - Mormons Love'em
Sanctification
Did you know that the Mormons have a very unique way of defining the word Sanctification? Here it is, "Sanctification is the process of becoming a saint."
All you Christians out there need to help these poor Mormons understand what sanctification is all about. They don't seem to know.
Question: "What is sanctification? What is the definition of Christian sanctification?"
Answer: Jesus had a lot to say about sanctification in the Book of John, chapter 17. In verse 16 the Lord says, “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world,” and this is before His request: “Sanctify them in the truth: Thy word is truth.” Sanctification is a state of separation unto God; all believers enter into this state when they are born of God: “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). This is a once-for-ever separation, eternally unto God. It is an intricate part of our salvation, our connection with Christ (Hebrews 10:10).
Sanctification also refers to the practical experience of this separation unto God, being the effect of obedience to the Word of God in one’s life, and is to be pursued by the believer earnestly (1 Peter 1:15; Hebrews 12:14). Just as the Lord prayed in John 17, it has in view the setting apart of believers for the purpose for which they are sent into the world: “As Thou didst send Me into the world, even so send I them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth” (v. 18, 19). That He set Himself apart for the purpose for which He was sent is both the basis and the condition of our being set apart for that for which we are sent (John 10:36). His sanctification is the pattern of, and the power for, ours. The sending and the sanctifying are inseparable. On this account they are called saints, hagioi in the Greek; “sanctified ones.” Whereas previously their behavior bore witness to their standing in the world in separation from God, now their behavior should bear witness to their standing before God in separation from the world.
There is one more sense that the word sanctification is referred to in Scripture. Paul prayed in 1 Thessalonians 5:23, “The God of peace Himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved entire, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul also wrote in Colossians of “the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the Gospel” (Colossians 1:5). He later speaks of Christ Himself as “the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27) and then mentions the fact of that hope when he says, “When Christ, who is our Life, shall be manifested, then shall ye also with Him be manifested in glory” (Colossians 3:4). This glorified state will be our ultimate separation from sin, total sanctification in every aspect. “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).
To summarize, sanctification is the same Greek word as holiness, “hagios,” meaning a separation. First, a once-for-all positional separation unto Christ at our salvation. Second, a practical progressive holiness in a believer’s life while awaiting the return of Christ. Third, we will be changed into His perfect likeness—holy, sanctified, and completely separated from the presence of evil.
Please go to "Got Questions.org" A wonderful place.
Agency
"'Agency' refers both to the capacity of beings "to act for themselves" (2 Ne. 2:26) and their accountability for those actions."
OK-Now think about the missionaries who ripped off all of those DVD's from all of those mail boxes.
May Santa put cole in their stockings this year!!!!!
The Jerusalem Temple vs. the Mormon Temple
THE JERUSALEM TEMPLE vs THE MORMON TEMPLES
By Richard PackhamMormons like to claim that their temples are a restoration of the temples that were built in Old Testament times. That claim collapses if one compares the Jewish temple with the modern Mormon temples.There were four successive temples built on Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Although built over a period of centuries, they did not differ essentially from each other in basic design, and all had the same rituals and purpose. All the Mormon temples (except the first two, in Kirtland and Nauvoo) resemble each other in design and use. But the Mormon temples are fundamentally different from the ancient temples in Jerusalem, as the following table shows.
Jerusalem Temple Mormon Temples Only one temple at any one time Over 120, more added each year Headed by the High Priest Headed by a Temple President Officiators (priests) were hereditary, full-time, supported by temple offerings Officiators are lay volunteers, part-time, unpaid Rituals described in detail in the Old Testament Ritual details (except for baptism) secret Rituals only for the living Rituals for both living and dead; mostly for dead No oaths required of worshipers Secret oaths required of participants in the endowment No marriages performed Marriage (sealing) "for eternity" must be performed in the temple "Holy of Holies" was empty (the first temple [Solomon's] contained the Ark) "Holy of Holies" contains an altar Only priests entered the actual temple building; all others remained in the appropriate courtyard (Court of Israel for men, Court of the Women for Israelite women, or Court of the Gentiles) All worshipers enter into the temple building Altars were used only for offering sacrifices of food and animals Altars are used only for kneeling in prayer and for sealing ceremonies Main altar stood outside the temple building, before the door All altars are inside the temple Principal function was offering sacrifices, which included the slaughter of animal victims Principal functions are baptizing for the dead by proxy, "sealing" and the secret "endowment" ceremony, which includes instruction in secret signs, handshakes, and taking of secret oaths, mostly performed as proxy for dead persons The veil of the temple separated the Holy Place (the Sanctuary) from the Holy of Holies The veil of the temple separates the Celestial Room from the previous Endowment room; no veil at the entrance to the Holy of Holies Only the high priest passed throuogh the veil of the temple All participants in the endowment pass through the veil Only the priests wore special robes All participants (including women) wear special "robes of the holy priesthood" in the endowment ritual; officiators wear plain white clothing High priest's robes were colored, richly decorated and jewelled (Ex 28-29) Robes are all white (except for a green apron) All Israelites could worship at the temple, without regard to their righteousness Only Mormons who have demonstrated their righteousness are admitted to the temple Fire descended from heaven and filled the house when Solomon's temple was dedicated (2 Chron 7:1-3) No fire has descended from heaven at the dedication of any Mormon temple Any man "with a blemish" was barred from the temple; blemishes are listed at Lev 21:17-23 - blind, lame, flat nose, brokenfooted, brokenhanded, crookbacked, dwarf, eye blemish, or "broken" testicles Men with facial hair are barred from officiating in the temple; no physical problem or "blemish" is a bar to entering
(But having undergone a gender-change operation is a bar)Primary purpose of temple worship was to obey the law. No notion of "salvation" or idea of rewards in the afterlife Baptisms, endowments and sealings are primarily to secure blessings in the afterlife - "exaltation" in the highest degree of heaven Is there nothing the two kinds of temple have in common? Yes, but not much:
- Both are considered sacred places and referred to as "the house of the Lord"
- Both are buildings
- .... with limited admission
- Ritual plays the primary role in both
...and that's about all they have in common.
This brief comparison shows that there is practically no material similarity between the ancient Jewish temples and the modern Mormon temples. Any claims to similarity merely indicate either a gross ignorance by Mormons of what the Jerusalem temples were like and what they were used for, or a deliberate attempt to deceive prospective converts into accepting the Mormon claim that Mormonism is a "restoration of all things."
Comments? Questions? (Please, no preaching, testimonies, or hate mail!) To send a comment or ask a question, click here.
© 2008 Richard Packham Permission granted to reproduce for non-commercial purposes, provided text is not changed and this copyright notice is included
Theft-Now what?
NEWS ALERT!!!
mormon missionaries stoop to theft
| Written by Bob Betts | |
| On the Saturday morning of September 12th, 2009, volunteers from Concerned Christians went door to door in a neighborhood near to where a Mormon temple is soon to be built in Gilbert, Arizona, to distribute door hangers containing the DVD entitled, Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith. It is the same DVD which was distributed a couple of years ago in several states, including Arizona, and especially in Utah. Several local areas in Phoenix’s southeast valley received them, specifically Mesa, Tempe, and Gilbert. As reported to us by a resident in the Gilbert neighborhood, a few minutes after our volunteers completed their distribution, Mormon missionaries went through that same neighborhood and removed those DVDs. We don’t know if these missionaries acted on their own, or were put up to it by their superior(s). Such an act is not just unethical, but larceny. Such an act also reflects on the LDS doctrine of agency, whereby the Mormon religion teaches free choice. In the LDS teaching manual, Gospel Principles, chapter 4 is entitled, “FREEDOM TO CHOOSE.” After quoting the LDS scripture, “Thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee” (Moses 3:17, in Pearl of Great Price), Mormons are taught, “God has told us through his prophets that we are free to choose between good and evil. It is apparent that the Mormon missionaries were using their freedom of choice to do evil, whether acting on their own or choosing to do as they were told by their leadership. At the same time, they violated the agency of those Gilbert residents who should have had the chance to exercise their own freedom to choose whether or not to view the DVD, and whether or not to believe and agree with the message of the DVD. Is the LDS religion so threatened by such a challenge to Joseph Smith’s teachings that they must resort to stealing, even in violation of their own doctrine of the “freedom to choose”? Concerned Christians is considering its options of response. Legal action will not be taken this time. Another distribution is being considered; only next time, with video camera wielding guards, stationed around the neighborhoods. I’m sure the Mormon religion would not want such an exposure of this practice in the media, on YouTube or at the Maricopa County Attorney General's office. To view this feared DVD that the LDS missionaries and/or LDS leadership don't want Gilbert residents to see, go to the main menu item near the bottom of the left column, "watch, listen, learn." (Please click on the title of this post to go to Concerned Christians. A very good web site for those who seek to know the truth about the Mormon faith) |
Cults and New Faiths
Click on each of the photos to read the contents. This book my husband has had for years. He showed it to me when we were dating.
Saints Alive-Newsletter August 2009
What a Difference!
In the Bible published by the
However, on page 809 of the appendix in that same Bible, it records how their prophet Joseph Smith rewrote that verse in his Inspired Version of the Bible.
It reads that "God Justifieth NOT the ungodly." That is a very big difference! The Mormons must earn their righteousness by their works. How sad!
Ask the Missionaries to explain that "irreconcilable difference" with orthodox Christianity.
Are There Mormons Who are Really Saved?
That is perhaps one of the most often asked questions in our ministry. A lady asked me, "My sister was a Baptist for 20 years before she became a very active Mormon and now she is deeply offended when I suggest she might not be a born again Christian. Can she actually be both?" My answer, unfortunately was, "Not if she is adhering to LDS doctrine."
Today, the Mormons are using Christian words and phrases to let people think they are true Christians, but they cannot escape the real doctrines of Mormonism. Let's go back a few years and let reality get a hearing.
In the 1947 Mormon Sunday School manual, the late LDS Apostle, James Talmage is quoted,
“Salvation is graded. Thus, it is decreed and provided that every soul shall find his place and mingle with his kind in a state of lesser, advanced, or supreme salvation” (from THE GOSPEL MESSAGE by William Berrett, p. 18)
In the Improvement Era, the official magazine of the
