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*The authors state that Outer Darkness is reserved for those who commit murder or apostasize until they are resurrected and judged, and that those who fail to enter the Telestial kingdom after judgment will "return again to outer darkness, this time for eternity." | *The authors state that Outer Darkness is reserved for those who commit murder or apostasize until they are resurrected and judged, and that those who fail to enter the Telestial kingdom after judgment will "return again to outer darkness, this time for eternity." | ||
|authorsources= | |authorsources= | ||
* | *Bruce R. McConkie, ''Doctrinal New Testament Commentary'', 3:75. | ||
*George Q. Cannon | *George Q. Cannon, ''Gospel Truth'', 1:62. | ||
*Bruce R. McConkie | *Bruce R. McConkie, ''Mormon Doctrine'', 757. | ||
*Bruce R. McConkie | *Bruce R. McConkie, ''Mormon Doctrine'', 350. | ||
*Joseph Fielding Smith | *Joseph Fielding Smith, ''Doctrines of Salvation'', 2:220. | ||
|response= | |response= | ||
*The authors misinterpret the LDS concept of "outer darkness." | *The authors misinterpret the LDS concept of "outer darkness." | ||
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</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
|authorsources= | |authorsources= | ||
*''Encyclopedia of Mormonism'' | *Ludlow, ed., "Degrees of Glory," ''Encyclopedia of Mormonism'', vol. 1, 368. | ||
*Spencer W. Kimball | *Spencer W. Kimball, ''Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball'', 48. | ||
|response= | |response= | ||
*The authors misrepresent LDS belief by indicating that a person's "righteousness" will allow them to "escape" outer darkness and the telestial kingdom. They do not mention the atonement of Christ, thus implying that Latter-day Saints must "work" for their salvation. | *The authors misrepresent LDS belief by indicating that a person's "righteousness" will allow them to "escape" outer darkness and the telestial kingdom. They do not mention the atonement of Christ, thus implying that Latter-day Saints must "work" for their salvation. | ||
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*The authors claim that "Mormon males become gods of their newly inherited worlds" in the Celestial Kingdom. | *The authors claim that "Mormon males become gods of their newly inherited worlds" in the Celestial Kingdom. | ||
|authorsources= | |authorsources= | ||
* | *Ludlow, ed., "Marriage," ''Encyclopedia of Mormonism'', vol. 2, 858. | ||
|response= | |response= | ||
*The quote used by the authors says nothing about "Mormon males" becoming gods of "inherited worlds." It talks of looking "forward to an association in the postmortal world with a worthy spouse, and with those who were earthly children, fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters." | *The quote used by the authors says nothing about "Mormon males" becoming gods of "inherited worlds." It talks of looking "forward to an association in the postmortal world with a worthy spouse, and with those who were earthly children, fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters." | ||
*{{Detail|MormonFAQ/Myths and Questions#"Mormons believe that they can become gods and rule over their own planets."|Nature of God/Deification of man|l1=Do Latter-day Saints believe that they can become gods and rule over their own planets? | *{{Detail|MormonFAQ/Myths and Questions#"Mormons believe that they can become gods and rule over their own planets."|Nature of God/Deification of man|l1=Do Latter-day Saints believe that they can become gods and rule over their own planets?}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
=== === | === === | ||
{{IndexClaim | {{IndexClaim | ||
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</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
|authorsources= | |authorsources= | ||
*Smith | *Joseph Fielding Smith, ''Doctrines of Salvation'', 2:41. | ||
|response= | |response= | ||
*{{Detail|Plan of salvation}} | *{{Detail|Plan of salvation}} | ||
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*According to the authors, "Mormon males and their goddess wives will have the ability to populate the worlds they will inherit." | *According to the authors, "Mormon males and their goddess wives will have the ability to populate the worlds they will inherit." | ||
|authorsources= | |authorsources= | ||
*Joseph Fielding Smith | *Joseph Fielding Smith, ''The Way to Perfection'', 238-239. | ||
|response= | |response= | ||
* | *{{Detail|MormonFAQ/Myths and Questions#"Mormons believe that they can become gods and rule over their own planets."|Nature of God/Deification of man|l1=Do Latter-day Saints believe that they can become gods and rule over their own planets?}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
===179-180=== | ===179-180=== | ||
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*The authors go on to say the "Mormonism's heaven revolves around personal adoration and eternal sexual relations." | *The authors go on to say the "Mormonism's heaven revolves around personal adoration and eternal sexual relations." | ||
|authorsources= | |authorsources= | ||
*Pratt | *Orson Pratt, ''The Seer'', 37. | ||
* | *Personal e-mail message sent to Bill McKeever, 19 May 1997. | ||
|response= | |response= | ||
*The authors have created a truly repulsive and offensive characterization of Latter-day Saint beliefs which is hardly worthy of response. | *The authors have created a truly repulsive and offensive characterization of Latter-day Saint beliefs which is hardly worthy of response, with sources being Orson Pratt's ''The Seer'' (which was repudiated by the Church) and a "personal e-mail message to Bill McKeever." | ||
*The authors' characterization of theosis (deification, eternal progression), either in its early Christian or latter-day Christian form, as being self-centered ("more focused on personal power, gain, and sex" as they put it) is nothing more than a cheap shot. They unwittingly echo a common criticism by atheists of religion as a whole being self-centered. They contrast what they see in LDS doctrine with the image of | *The authors' characterization of theosis (deification, eternal progression), either in its early Christian or latter-day Christian form, as being self-centered ("more focused on personal power, gain, and sex" as they put it) is nothing more than a cheap shot. They unwittingly echo a common criticism by atheists of religion as a whole being self-centered. They contrast what they see in LDS doctrine with the image of worshiping God in Revelation, forgetting that Revelation is a canonical book for Latter-day Saints, too. They not only do not explain this contradiction, I seriously doubts it even occurred to them. In any case, for the record, all the speculations of nineteenth-century brethren aside (which, like the circular arguers that the authors are, they assume we lend all written material equal doctrinal weight-which we clearly do not) they assume all LDS writings are as indicative of LDS doctrine as are our canonical scriptures. This is circular because it argues a point of our doctrine based on one of their assumptions-that the written word is the Word of God, not a record of the Word of God. And in any case, uniquely LDS scripture happens both to echo the apocalyptic worshiping of God as in Revelation, along with the primacy of God in LDS soteriology (doctrines regarding salvation) and eschatology (doctrines concerning the latter days): | ||
<blockquote> | <blockquote> | ||
And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end. ({{s||Mormon|7|7}}) | And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end. ({{s||Mormon|7|7}}) | ||
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*The authors note that any "earth that a faithful Mormon hopes to eventually inherit, is predestined to be infected with sin" and that the "Mormon as 'God' will be in charge of the mess." Not content to treat the LDS as Biblicists by giving every speculative personal LDS commentary the same weight as scripture, the authors go on to draw their own conclusions and present this as if it were LDS doctrine: | *The authors note that any "earth that a faithful Mormon hopes to eventually inherit, is predestined to be infected with sin" and that the "Mormon as 'God' will be in charge of the mess." Not content to treat the LDS as Biblicists by giving every speculative personal LDS commentary the same weight as scripture, the authors go on to draw their own conclusions and present this as if it were LDS doctrine: | ||
<blockquote>"Every Mormon couple who obtains exaltation has no choice but to look forward to the day when one of their own children will serve as a tempter and cause one-third of the other family members to rebel and fall into sin." | <blockquote>"Every Mormon couple who obtains exaltation has no choice but to look forward to the day when one of their own children will serve as a tempter and cause one-third of the other family members to rebel and fall into sin." | ||
</blockquote> | |||
*In footnote 30 on page 303, the authors present this bizarre scenario: | |||
<blockquote> | |||
According to Mormonism, this planet is said to be a portion of Elohim's inheritance and reward for alife of good works in a previous world...Given this LDS premise, does it seem reasonable that God is overflowing with joy watching His creation stumble through life? Doe He bubble with pride as He witnesses His creation killing each other in war, aborting their babies, overdosing on drugs, and stealing from each other? Only the most sadistic of cratures would define heaven in such a disappointing way. | |||
</blockquote> | </blockquote> | ||
|authorsources= | |authorsources= | ||
*Young | *{{JDfairwiki|author=Brigham Young|vol=14|disc=10|start=71|end=72}} | ||
|response= | |response= | ||
*As if this non sequitur weren't vivid enough, they bring in the names of Auschwitz, Rwanda, Tiananmen Square and Kosovo in a melodramatic attempt to paint a horrible vision of "Mormon eternity." | *As if this non sequitur weren't vivid enough, they bring in the names of Auschwitz, Rwanda, Tiananmen Square and Kosovo in a melodramatic attempt to paint a horrible vision of "Mormon eternity." | ||
*There is no better condemnation of this kind of overheated prose than to quote the authors' own words against them: "Perhaps with our sin-tainted minds, such a wondrous concept would be difficult to grasp." Indeed. But the way to at least begin to grasp it is to ask the LDS what we believe, not presume to tell us what we believe. | *There is no better condemnation of this kind of overheated prose than to quote the authors' own words against them: "Perhaps with our sin-tainted minds, such a wondrous concept would be difficult to grasp." Indeed. But the way to at least begin to grasp it is to ask the LDS what we believe, not presume to tell us what we believe. | ||
*Regarding the authors' absolutely irreverent view of "Mormon heaven," of course God does not "bubble with pride" when he sees his children commit heinous sin. The scriptures are filled with evidence of the displeasure of God. The authors have seriously twisted LDS belief into a caricature of the truth. | |||
}} | }} | ||
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*The authors state that "[o]nly a people ignorant of God's righteousness can think that they can establish their own righteousness and thereby meet the standard of God's absolute perfection. How disappointed they will be to hear the words found in Matthew 25:41: 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.'" | *The authors state that "[o]nly a people ignorant of God's righteousness can think that they can establish their own righteousness and thereby meet the standard of God's absolute perfection. How disappointed they will be to hear the words found in Matthew 25:41: 'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.'" | ||
|response= | |response= | ||
* | *Again, the authors claim that Latter-day Saints are attempting to "establish their own righteousness" with no mention of our dependency upon the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. | ||
*{{Detail|Plan of salvation}} | |||
}} | }} | ||
===184=== | ===184=== |
Chapter 11: Grace and Works | A FAIR Analysis of: Criticism of Mormonism/Books A work by author: Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson
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Chapter 13: Communion and Baptism |
Response
Response
Response
Response
Using these passages to validate the idea of three kingdoms making up heaven ignores the Jewish tradition Paul would have known. According to that tradition, paradise was the abode of God, the place of eternal joy for God's people. However, Jewish custom never viewed a first or second heaven as alternative eternal destinations. Rather, these referred to the atmospheric heaven (the sky) and the galactic heaven (the universe).
It was certainly a very extraordinary honour done him: in some sense he was caught up into the third heaven, the heaven of the blessed, above the aerial heaven, in which the fowls fly, above the starry heaven, which is adorned with those glorious orbs: it was into the third heaven, where God most eminently manifests His glory. [2]
Author's source(s)
Response
It is said that it "surpasses all understanding"; and that even its inhabitants, the last to be redeemed, and even then deprived of the personal presence of God and the Christ, shall nevertheless receive the ministration of angels and the Holy Ghost...is completely foreign to the Bible.
Response
Response
Hence, the concept of Imago Dei [literally, the image of God, but in effect divinity] does not lead toward self-aggrandizement but toward charity as the true and actual form of God's love, for the simple reason that in one's neighbour the image of God, the Lord himself, confronts us, and that the love of God should be fulfilled in the love towards him in whom God himself is mirrored, that is, in one's neighbour. Thus, in the last analysis the concept of Imago Dei is the key to the fundamental law of the gospel, 'Thou shalt love God and thy neighbour as thyself,' since thou shouldst view thy neighbour with an eye to the image which God has engraven upon him and to the promise that he has given about him.' [3]
For those whose "righteousness" will enable them to escape both outer darkness and the telestial kingdom, the next level up is a terrestrial kingdom...
Author's source(s)
Response
Author's source(s)
Response
Those who gain exaltation in the celestial kingdom are those who are members of the Church of the Firstborn: in other words, those who keep all the commandments of the Lord. There will be many who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who shall never become members of the Church of the Firstborn.
Author's source(s)
Response
Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts....Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created."
Author's source(s)
Response
Author's source(s)
Response
Much of the LDS outlook on true salvation centers on the desires of the Mormon individual and not on Jesus Christ. Rather than the picture portrayed in the Book of Revelation, where God's saints pay rightful homage to the One who redeemed them, the Mormon heavenly system is more focused on personal power, gain, and sex.
Author's source(s)
Response
And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end. (Mormon 7꞉7)
...for God said unto me: Worship God, for him only shalt thou serve. (Moses 1꞉15)
"Every Mormon couple who obtains exaltation has no choice but to look forward to the day when one of their own children will serve as a tempter and cause one-third of the other family members to rebel and fall into sin."
According to Mormonism, this planet is said to be a portion of Elohim's inheritance and reward for alife of good works in a previous world...Given this LDS premise, does it seem reasonable that God is overflowing with joy watching His creation stumble through life? Doe He bubble with pride as He witnesses His creation killing each other in war, aborting their babies, overdosing on drugs, and stealing from each other? Only the most sadistic of cratures would define heaven in such a disappointing way.
Author's source(s)
Response
Response
Response
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