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The Living Christ

DeepShadow

White Crow
The Living Christ
The Testimony of the Apostles
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints


As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.

He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.

He rose from the grave to “become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fulness of times” (Ephesians 1:10).

Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father” (D&C 110:3–4).

Of Him the Prophet also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22–24).

We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—“built upon the foundation of … apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20).

We testify that He will someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isaiah 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

(signed by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve on January 1, 2000)
 

fredm596

New Member
I find that quite interesting, I must have been misinformed about the LDS church, I was told that your church only see's Jesus as one of many Gods, and they all hail from Planet Kolob. I also asked someone from this faith that i questioned about the gospel of mathew and Jesus being born of a virgin, and he told me that the Gospel of Mathew was inaccurate.

I guess i was talking to the wrong people.
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
fredm596 said:
I find that quite interesting, I must have been misinformed about the LDS church, I was told that your church only see's Jesus as one of many Gods, and they all hail from Planet Kolob. I also asked someone from this faith that i questioned about the gospel of mathew and Jesus being born of a virgin, and he told me that the Gospel of Mathew was inaccurate.

I guess i was talking to the wrong people.
Hi, fredm596. May I call you Fred?

I believe Paul expressed our belief quite accurately when he said, "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." (1 Corinthians 8:5-6)

The Bible mentions other gods (always with a lower-case 'g') in several other places, most of them being in the Old Testament. We don't claim to know who these "gods" are, but Paul pointed out that some of them are "in heaven." In Deuteronomy, Joshua, Psalms and Daniel, God (our Heavenly Father) is said to be the "God of gods" and "a great God." If we could categorically label these "gods" as "false gods," we'd have to concede that God would have to be "God of false gods." I, for one, would be very uncomfortable with that phrase. So it would be safe to say that we acknowledge the existence of beings which the scriptures refer to as "gods." We do not, however, pray to them, worship them, speak of them in our worship services or believe that they have even the slightest influence in our lives. They are no more a part of our religion than they are of any other Christian religion.

We also reject the doctrine of the Trinity, as defined in the Creeds, and believe instead in the Godhead as spoken of in the New Testament. This Godhead is made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. We believe that they are "one," but that their "oneness" is in will and purpose as opposed to substance or essence. We believe that they are physically distinct from one another, but perfectly united in every respect that really matters. A misunderstanding of this doctrine is another reason why we are often accused of believing in "many Gods."

We actually believe that God resides "in heaven." "Kolob" is the name given in one of our "Standard Works", The Pearl of Great Price, to a star (not a planet) "nearest to the throne of God." Many people outside of our Church assume that we believe God comes from this star, which is not what we teach at all.

I have never heard any of our leaders describe the gospel according to Matthew as being "inaccurate." While we do not believe the Bible to be completely free from human error, we certainly do accept it as scripturally binding. It has actually been described as "foremost among the Church's 'Standard Works'." I can assure you that we do believe Jesus Christ to have been born of a virgin whose name was Mary. Unlike the Catholics, but like most Protestants that I know of, we do not, however, believe that she remained a virgin throughout her life.

I hope this helps clear up a few misunderstandings.

Kathryn
 

fromthe heart

Well-Known Member
Katzpur said:
Hi, fredm596. May I call you Fred?

I believe Paul expressed our belief quite accurately when he said, "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him." (1 Corinthians 8:5-6)

The Bible mentions other gods (always with a lower-case 'g') in several other places, most of them being in the Old Testament. We don't claim to know who these "gods" are, but Paul pointed out that some of them are "in heaven." In Deuteronomy, Joshua, Psalms and Daniel, God (our Heavenly Father) is said to be the "God of gods" and "a great God." If we could categorically label these "gods" as "false gods," we'd have to concede that God would have to be "God of false gods." I, for one, would be very uncomfortable with that phrase. So it would be safe to say that we acknowledge the existence of beings which the scriptures refer to as "gods." We do not, however, pray to them, worship them, speak of them in our worship services or believe that they have even the slightest influence in our lives. They are no more a part of our religion than they are of any other Christian religion.

We also reject the doctrine of the Trinity, as defined in the Creeds, and believe instead in the Godhead as spoken of in the New Testament. This Godhead is made up of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. We believe that they are "one," but that their "oneness" is in will and purpose as opposed to substance or essence. We believe that they are physically distinct from one another, but perfectly united in every respect that really matters. A misunderstanding of this doctrine is another reason why we are often accused of believing in "many Gods."

We actually believe that God resides "in heaven." "Kolob" is the name given in one of our "Standard Works", The Pearl of Great Price, to a star (not a planet) "nearest to the throne of God." Many people outside of our Church assume that we believe God comes from this star, which is not what we teach at all.

I have never heard any of our leaders describe the gospel according to Matthew as being "inaccurate." While we do not believe the Bible to be completely free from human error, we certainly do accept it as scripturally binding. It has actually been described as "foremost among the Church's 'Standard Works'." I can assure you that we do believe Jesus Christ to have been born of a virgin whose name was Mary. Unlike the Catholics, but like most Protestants that I know of, we do not, however, believe that she remained a virgin throughout her life.

I hope this helps clear up a few misunderstandings.

Kathryn
Kathryn...I agree with your post here...Perhaps a song says it best when it said "Venus...goddess of love that you are" ...gods abound in all sorts of places and spaces and that is why( stating humbly) God said to have no other god's before Him.

We believe Mary the mother of Jesus was a virgin but afterwards she had other children with Joseph....these weren't of devine conception at this point.:)
 

DeepShadow

White Crow
fredm596 said:
I find that quite interesting, I must have been misinformed about the LDS church, I was told that your church only see's Jesus as one of many Gods, and they all hail from Planet Kolob. I also asked someone from this faith that i questioned about the gospel of mathew and Jesus being born of a virgin, and he told me that the Gospel of Mathew was inaccurate.

I guess i was talking to the wrong people.
This is exactly why I use so many quotes!!!:banghead3 Everyone in or out of any church has a private opinion that can color their explanations, and this leads to the worst kind of misinformation, because people expect a person (justifiably) to know their own religion.

If I ever offer an answer on behalf of my church and don't cite a source, please feel free to ask for one. I hope that never happens, but sometimes I do have to make hasty replies. Now that I've said that, I'd better go back over my previous replies!

I'm glad to see that you can admit to being misinformed. Please excuse my sarcasm on the other thread regarding the Kolob issue; I'm still too used to people trying to pick fights.
 
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