I'm Back - And The Mormons Came!
I'm Back!
I have returned to the wonderful world of blogging! And here's the latest: the Mormons came by the apartment! I've always complained that the Mormons never come to my place while I'm there, so I got was I was asking for.
The Mormons Came!
To start off with, they were very kind. They were 22 and 19, the older doing most of the talking, and being the more cheerful, while the younger being the more quiet and pensive. The older guy said "it's pretty awesome" over and over again as he described the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints.
The other guys present at the apartment were my roommate Derek, and our friend Topher. Derek and I had experience hanging out with Mormons, and I had actually attended the Church of Jesus Christ for nearly half a year. The Church of Jesus Christ is not what I would consider a Mormon denomination, although they do consider the Book of Mormon to be on the same level of authority as the Bible (perhaps more, since it has endured less translations). So, they didn't need to spend much time explaining where they were coming from, and we were able to quickly get into discussing our differences...
The Mormons Say...
These Mormon gentlemen consider their Church to be the Church restored to the Gospel by Jesus and the Twelve Apostles. Which is to say, after Jesus ascended and the apostles eventually died, the Church pretty much went dormant; it was not able to carry out God's will without Jesus and the apostles being there face-to-face. Therefore, God sent Jesus and the twelve apostles to appear to Joseph Smith to authenticate a jump-start for the church in what is now called the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints, which has picked up where the apostles left it off nearly eighteen-hundred years earlier.
What About The Holy Spirit?
These guys are saying that the church universally failed. Isn't that saying that the Holy Spirit failed, since he is the Counselor that Jesus promised his followers, the one who would not leave us, even though Jesus returned to the Father (John 14:16)? Isn't the whole point of the New Testament that God has dealt with sin once and for all, so that we might have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), the abiding of God's Word (1 John 2:14), and the ability to freely approach God's Throne for help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16)? I just don't believe that God, who knows all of history before it happens, would have put so much emphasis on Christ's coming and the Spirit's coming, if they weren't even able to change men into an enduring, capable, though imperfect, Church.
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:18
He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.
John 14:21
All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:25-27
The Peace of Christ To You,
Jake