Ask a Mormon! (Part Three)

[Theocan]

How do your masses go about? I was invited to attend one by a missionary today. I am wondering, do you guys receive communion? (I'm currently a Roman Catholic, so the trinity, and communion are big parts of the mass) How is the mass structured?

 

[Aqualung]

How do your masses go about? I was invited to attend one by a missionary today. I am wondering, do you guys receive communion? (I'm currently a Roman Catholic, so the trinity, and communion are big parts of the mass) How is the mass structured?

Well, we usually have three meetings on Sunday. (they actually used to be spread out through the week, but this was very difficult when people have to travel hours to get to meetinghouses.) Anyway, the first hour is similar to most protestant services. We start out with a song, then a prayer. Then the bishop (he's the one who heads each particular "ward" or congregation) will conduct any ward business. This can include things like indicating new members in the ward or calling somebody to a new calling (everybody in the ward gets a calling - the world-wide church is run almost entirely by non-paid member work, so everybody needs to have a calling if the church is to run smoothly. The Bishop is a calling. One time my calling was "Sunday School Greeter".). Then, we sing another hymn. Next, the "sacrament" (the communion) is served. First the bread, and then the water is prayed over, and they are distributed to the congregation on little trays. After the sacrament, people give talks. We don't have preachers or pastors like other congregations; all talks are given by members of the ward. Usually, there are about three ten-minute talks. Then, another song and a prayer and it's over.

This will be slightly different on the first sunday of the month. That's "Fast and Testimony" day. We are encouraged to fast for two meals and donate the money to the church to help the poor. On that Sunday, instead of people giving talks, people will come up to the front and "bear testimony" as they feel impressed about things that they believe. I found testimony meetings very awkward before I became a member, but others find them very uplifting.

Anyway, after the first meeting, come a Sunday School type class. Since you're coming with the missionaries, you'll probably go to Gospel Essentials. This class takes basic gospels of the principle and talks about them one at a time each sunday. Other classes are Gospel Principles (we take the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price and spend a year on each, respectively, in four-year cycles), Temple Prep (I don't know what that one is about) and Missionary Prep (kind of gets you ready to go on a mission.

After this comes the third hour. The men and the women go to different classes depending on their age. Since the men hold the priesthood, they go to their priesthood classes. We basically just learn how to be good people in these things.


Anyway, that's about all I could think to talk about. Any questions?

 

[cardero]

In the movie ORGAZMO missionary Elder, Joseph Young must set aside his beliefs and involve himself in the porn industry to come up with money to pay for him and his fiancee's Temple Wedding.

Does the LDS church charge potential couples a fee to be married in the Temple? If so, what is the price that is charged for such ceremonies and does this vary on a individuals income?

 

[deelo505]

* “We are gods in embryo” and “you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves…the same as all Gods have done before you.…” - Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 21; Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 345-346

can anyone explain this to me? gods?

 

[Katzpur]

In the movie ORGAZMO missionary Elder, Joseph Young must set aside his beliefs and involve himself in the porn industry to come up with money to pay for him and his fiancee's Temple Wedding.

Jeesh, what a movie to use an example.

Does the LDS church charge potential couples a fee to be married in the Temple? If so, what is the price that is charged for such ceremonies and does this vary on a individuals income?

No, there is no charge.

 

[Theocan]

What is up with that rumor/story that mormons believe that one day each of them will own a planet?

 

[Katzpur]

What is up with that rumor/story that mormons believe that one day each of them will own a planet?

I thought I answered that to your satisfaction on another thread, Theocan. At least, at the time, you indicated I had.

 

[Katzpur]

* “We are gods in embryo” and “you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves…the same as all Gods have done before you.…” - Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p. 21; Teaching of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 345-346

can anyone explain this to me? gods?

Through the scriptures, we learn that, as children of God, we may also be His heirs, joint-heirs with Christ, even glorified with Him. We might partake of the nature of divinity and be allowed to sit with our Savior on His throne, to rule over the nations. (See Romans 8:16-17, 2 Peter 1:4, Revelation 2:26-27 and Revelation 3:21) Maybe the problem is just one of semantics, but to the Latter-day Saints, these scriptures seem to teach that we can become like God.

In the second century, Saint Irenaeus said, “If the Word became a man, it was so men may become gods.” He also posed this question: “Do we cast blame on Him (God) because we were not made gods from the beginning, but were at first created merely as men, and than later as Gods?” At about the same period of time, Saint Clement made this statement: “The Word of God became a man so that you might learn from a man how to become a god.” And Saint Justin Martyr agreed, saying that men are “deemed worthy of becoming gods and of having power to become sons of the highest.” Some two centuries later, Athanasius explained that “the Word was made flesh in order that we might be enabled to be made gods. He became man that we might be made divine.” And, finally, Augustine, said, “But He that justifies also deifies, for by justifying he makes sons of God. For he has given them power to become the sons of God. If then we have been made sons of God, we have also been made gods.”

The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology states, “Deification (Greek theosis) is for Orthodoxy the goal of every Christian. Man, according to the Bible, is made in the image and likeness of God…. It is possible for man to become like God, to become deified, to become god by grace.”

And finally, the noted Christian theologian, C.S. Lewis, said (in his book Mere Christianity):

“The command Be ye perfect is not idealistic gas. Nor is it a command to do the impossible. He is going to make us into creatures that can obey that command. He said (in the Bible) that we were “gods” and He is going to make good His words. If we let Him – for we can prevent Him, if we choose – He will make the feeblest and filthiest of us into a god or goddess, dazzling, radiant, immortal creature, pulsating all through with such energy and joy and wisdom and love as we cannot now imagine, a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly (though, of course, on a smaller scale) His own boundless power and delight and goodness. The process will be long and in parts very painful; but that is what we are in for. Nothing less. He meant what He said."

The vast majority of Christians today are appalled by the suggestion that our Heavenly Father has given us the potential to become as He is. We are His sons and daughters, created in His image. Why wouldn't He want us to become what sons and daughters of deity should become? We don't believe that anyone could become like God without this being His will, and we don't believe that we will ever been on the same level as He is. He will always be our God and we will always worship Him, but we do believe that this is something He wants for us. What Father would want His children to strive for mediocrity?

 

[Theocan]

I thought I answered that to your satisfaction on another thread, Theocan. At least, at the time, you indicated I had.

Unless its in that under thrad (let me check)

 

[YmirGF]

We are gods in embryo” and “you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves…the same as all Gods have done before you.…”

Through the scriptures, we learn that, as children of God, we may also be His heirs, joint-heirs with Christ, even glorified with Him. We might partake of the nature of divinity and be allowed to sit with our Savior on His throne, to rule over the nations. (See Romans 8:16-17, 2 Peter 1:4, Revelation 2:26-27 and Revelation 3:21) Maybe the problem is just one of semantics, but to the Latter-day Saints, these scriptures seem to teach that we can become like God.

Curiously, that would seem entirely reasonable to me. I think, rather than being an egotistical thing, it is actually almost the opposite really. For example, folks may simply project an image of themselves in their own "god world", as they are right now, without realizing the huge transformations that would likely occur within the individual in order to get to that stage of being. I also agree that the being that is Kathryn/Katzpur is the seed or embryo of her theoretical future "godself".

Question for Katzpur:

Theoretically, a future godself may be able to stretch back in time to its former self, you, as you are now, inspiring that self into (positive) action. In theory, any contact from that part of self would likely be perceived as being "from god" and in reality, it would be. Do you think there is any truth to this silly idea, Kathryn?

 

[Katzpur]

Theoretically, a future godself may be able to stretch back in time to its former self, you, as you are now, inspiring that self into (positive) action. In theory, any contact from that part of self would likely be perceived as being "from god" and in reality, it would be. Do you think there is any truth to this silly idea, Kathryn?

If I understand what you're saying, Paul, it makes sense. We believe that God created our spirits from the light of truth, which is co-eternal with Him. So in a sense, we have always been and always will be divine. We just haven't realized our potential yet. We see ourselves as essentially the same species as God.

 

[Katzpur]

Unless its in that under thrad (let me check)

My apologies, Theocan. It wasn't you I replied to but Jeremy Mason. His response was that my answer made sense and was satisfactory to him. Anyway, I basically repeated what I'd said before in post #388 of this thread.

 

[Watchmen]

This could be a cool thread. Any questions for Disney?

 

[madhatter85]

This could be a cool thread. Any questions for Disney?

have you been a member your whole life? or are you a convert? and if you are what were you before? How did you stuble across RF?

And BTW, welcome to the forums.

 

[Watchmen]

have you been a member your whole life? or are you a convert? and if you are what were you before? How did you stuble across RF?

And BTW, welcome to the forums.

I was born into the church, but I think we're all converts.

 

[madhatter85]

I was born into the church, but I think we're all converts.

Totally agree there, i was inactive for a long tiem before returing to the church. now my testimony is stronger than it ever was before.