Bridge of Reason

Hi all check this out a documentary from Utah partnerships for Christ, it seeks to show Mormon people their need for Jesus and that their need is met in him and not religion. Looks like it will be good. Also features none other than Shawn Mccraney host of the Salt Lake city show Heart of the Matter, this is great for anyone wanting to learn how to explain things better to Mormons. (www.bornagainmormon.com)

Watching a documentary entitled Heaven: Beyond the Grave on demand… After about 40 minutes, the question comes up: Who gets to go to heaven? To give the documentary credit, Jesus is given pole position on the subject, and they quote: John 3:3 – “Verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” and John 14:6 – “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Then three talking heads follow. Randy Alcorn : Is it exclusive to say that one can only be saved through Jesus? And I would say, absolutely it is. It is Jesus who said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” So I think we have to look at Jesus and say, Was that unloving and narrow of him to do? Well, certainly it isn’t unloving, because the very Jesus who said that, we’re told actually went to the Cross to die for the sins of the whole world. Father Michael Manning : I believe that Jesus’ love is much more expansive than...

As if my list of books to read was not long enough I have a new one to add to it, the Book of Jeranek, this is the first book of scripture produced by the Prophet Matthew Gill in the Latter Day Church of Jesus Christ. This group that has started in Derbyshire in 2006 claims to be the restoration of true Mormonism. They claim that after the death of Joseph Smith God's church ceased to be on the earth up until Matthew Gill (pictured) has come and restored the truth of the Mormon Gospel. They accept the original 1830 book of Mormon and the Bible (as far as it is translated correctly) and the Book of Jeranek to be scripture as well as believing other books of scripture will be coming. The Book of Jeranek comes from a revelation from the angel Moroni to Matthew Gill as a child, showing him some golden plates and telling him one day He will do a great work. Then later in 2005 the angel Raphael came and gave him the brass plates that formed the book of Jeranek. Interestingly Matthew Gill ...

Is it the Mormon church this is about I hear you say? Well close, or maybe not for that matter, this is the community of Christ which used to be called the Re-organized church of latter day-saints which in January this year made an addition to its doctrine and covenants. President Stephen M. Veazey has authored this new scripture which can be found in full here (www.cofchrist.org/wc2010/counsel/section164.pdf,) however in short "The new scripture provides the opportunity for people baptized in other Christian denominations to become members of Community of Christ without being rebaptized. The scripture also emphasizes the power of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper (Communion). Community of Christ practices open Communion." A move which at this stage would be unimaginable for the LDS church to perform as this accepts the authority of other churches to baptise. The belief in the lack of which in the mainstream Christian church is a fundamental belief for the LDS church. ...

After sharing some pizza with my new Mormon missionary friends, Elders E and Y, I went along today at their invitation to attend the Mormon General Conference down at the well-known LDS church in South Kensington opposite the Science Museum. It was really nice to bump into my old friend Elder J there, and also get to know a Down Syndrome gentleman named Chris who told me he is a deacon in the church. The meeting was a repeat of the Saturday afternoon session in Salt Lake City on the big screen. There were the usual line-up of Mormon 'suits' giving speeches one after the other - mostly white, middle-aged gentlemen from the Quorum of 12 or the Seventy, though there was one endearing Japanese chap. Occasionally the speeches were punctuated with a number from the choir - one of which those around me joined in with, the other of which was just listened to. I am on this ongoing search to distill the Mormon message, and (I'm probably going to oversimplify here) according to the ta...

An excellent and well-reasoned article from Rocky Hulse of Mormon Outreach. Well worth clicking through and reading: On the front cover of Newsweek, October 17, 2005, is a stain glass window depiction of the “First Vision” of Mormonism with the title “The Making of the Mormons,” subtitled “Beyond Prophecy and Polygamy: The Future Of a Booming Faith.”  On page 58 is an interview with the current Mormon Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley.  The following question was asked, “Could you talk about religious intolerance and conflict around the world?  It is a difficult age.” (Newsweek, Oct 17, 2005, pg 58).  The following is President Hinckley’s response: “Hateful.  Meanness.  Bitterness.  I don’t like it.  We’re all sons and daughters of God, and therefore in a very literal sense, brothers and sisters.  And we ought to treat each other that way.” (Newsweek, Oct 17, 2005, pg 58).  After reading the rest of this article, ask yourself if the above...

Thomas S Monson, Mormon president, has announced yet another temple, bringing to 15 the number temples in Utah. There are currently 130 temples around the world. Someone wrote to Reachout recently asking about temples and here is his question and my answer:   “I am confused surely the whole purpose of the atonement of Christ was to overcome the need for animal sacrifice. He was the ultimate sacrifice. So it seems natural that by Jesus bring this higher law that superseded the Levitical laws that required animal sacrifice in temple the purposes of a temple would also change and the rituals that take place within them would develop and alter. Your suggestion that the event taking place in the modern Mormon temples does not match the operations of the ancient temples is therefore redundant as they should not be doing so but rather the Mormon temples are there to provide the ability to carry out rituals relating to this higher law of Jesus. Please respond I am genuinely in need of ...

In the article becoming self reliant in the January 2010 Ensign magazine President Thomas Monson says this: (bold added) “Self-reliance is a product of our work and undergirds all other welfare practices. It is an essential element in our spiritual as well as our temporal well-being. Regarding this principle, President Marion G Romney (1897-1988) has said: “Let us work for what we need. Let us be self-reliant and independent. Salvation can be obtained on no other principle. Salvation is an individual matter, and we must work out our own salvation in temporal as well as in spiritual things." An LDS manual says this: “It is not that our desires are necessarily evil in and of themselves, but it is our responsibility to bridle our own passions lest they devolve to lusts which will invariably lead to sin (The life and teachings of the apostles course manual, p.411) And also in an article on grace the LDS bible dictionary says this: “However grace cannot suffice without total effort on ...

The February 2010 edition of National Geographic takes a close look at Colorado City and Hildale, major centres for the polygamous, fundamentalist FLDS Mormons. The photos are a remarkable record of a usually secretive sect. The Polygamists — National Geographic Magazine

How long does it take after you have resigned your membership in the Mormon Church before they do anything about it? This discussion on the Reachout Trust forum was started by Tex, a former Mormon who is still waiting after a year. The Mormons certainly take prisoners. Has anyone waited longer? “I'm not too worried about the paper or letter itself, it's just nice to know that if resignation has been asked then a request should be respected and the recipient be notified. But above all honesty. Did they really send me a letter on April 2009? I doubt it, as the post services between US and UK are so smooth and I never had any mail lost from the US. So or it's a very unfortunate coincidence, or then they are lying.” Reachout Trust • View topic - How much longer?

One of the things people ask of ministry to the cults is, “Why do you do it?” There was a time when it hardly needed explaining but now, even within some parts of the church, there are those who ask whether it is really altogether Christian to challenge other religions. Somehow it doesn’t seem altogether respectable, especially in a world where, if people want a religion at all, they shop for one. I mean, you wouldn’t rummage through other people’s purchases down at the department store, identifying fashion victims, criticising colour combinations - at least not to their faces. There are two reasons why we do it. The first, and by far the most important, is that people pin their eternal hopes on their religious choices and God has commanded that Christians should “Go into all the world telling the good news.” People concerned about eternal things need to hear eternal truths and be warned about those things that will prove ultimately false and empty. Jude wrote of his eagerness to ...

  A media campaign has been launched in eastern Idaho against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The "Speaking the Truth in Love to Mormons" campaign was started by the Truth in Love Ministry of Nampa. Its focus is on "witnessing to Mormons" and showing them the "truth of God's words" through "loving means." Five billboards have been placed in heavily Mormon southeastern Idaho - one in Rexburg and two each in Idaho Falls and Pocatello - showing a woman holding her head next to the words "Feeling Worthy?" The billboard gives the campaign Web site. The billboards are expected to remain on display for at least three months. Nampa pastor leads drive to convert Mormons | News Updates | Idaho Statesman