Doctrinal Comparisons of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

This dialogue comes from a comment in a forum where the concept and doctrine of a premortal life is being discussed.  Latter-day Saints believe that we lived with God as spirit beings before we came to earth.   Mainstream Christian theologians teach that our existence is spontaneous at birth.  One of the participants comment is in black print, my comments are in red. The Bible says nothing about the pre-existence of souls because this is a man-made idea with no basis in truth. This first sentence is a fallacy at three levels. The Bible does mention the "pre-existence" of souls.  Wasn't Satan a pre-mortal/pre-existent being albeit he was never embodied.  Weren't other angel/beings that were cast out of heaven with him before man was created. (Jude 1:6) There are other references to the spirits of mankind existing before birth.  The idea is not man made.  It is doctrinally sound.   It can't be demonstrated with any reliability that pr...

This is from a question and answer session from Billy Graham's website. https://billygraham.org/answer/why-did-god-allow-adam-and-eve-to-sin-he-must-have-known-what-they-were-going-to-do-the-world-was-already-perfect-so-why-didnt-god-keep-it-that-way/ Question: Why did God allow Adam and Eve to sin? He must have known what they were going to do, and it seems to me that it would've been better if He had just stopped them. If the universe was already perfect why didn't God keep it that way? I've always wondered about this. Answer:   The opening chapters of the Bible tell us what happened when Adam and Eve committed the first sin – but they don’t tell us exactly why God allowed it to happen. We must be careful, therefore, not to blame God for something that is ultimately beyond our understanding. At the same time, the Bible does tell us two very important truths about Adam and Eve’s sin. First, it tells us that they were completely free to love God – or to reject Him....

Taking a look at a Facebook post critical of President Russell M Nelson, the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (This persons words are in black, my comments are in blue) The Great Prophet-centered Church Video Controversy: Exhibit B-compiled by Fred W. Anson The critic often starts their argument with a mocking tone as he does here. Critics often contrive a controversy to establish a false premise. Interestingly he even calls his observation a controversy, when it isn't except in his own mind. This is the first indication that the discussion may not be a genuine attempt to reason and will likely not be intellectually honest. While focusing on President Nelson is a general dismissal of prophetic authority and counsel in the modern age. It is nothing more that mocking the fact the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is led by a man called of God to preside over the Church on the earth. On November 20, 2020, I posted the YouTube link to the foll...

One observation that I did not pay much attention to  for decades was how "Mormonism" or the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ is different from traditional orthodox Christianity as to how the two have developed.  I am familiar with the prophetic authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint but not how General Christianity developed its doctrines. My observations are simply those of someone that is looking at the discussions that take place among Christian apologists as they make claims against Latter-day Saint theology and write their scholarly articles. I finally realized that the orthodox method of determining doctrinal teachings is scholarly endeavors and philosophical debates. There is no authoritative injunction other than what they themselves might impute to their efforts. They say that they must be inspired by God or they wouldn't be doing it. They study a closed canon of which they say they are the ones that give meaning to any ...

One subject that all religious viewpoints must consider is the nature of a just God. The concept of mercy needs to be understood as well. Most people will understand some of the concepts of justice, however, few consider the fact that injustice must exist in order for justice to exist.   Laws must exist that are held inviolate on an eternal scale which God himself cannot change, otherwise, he could speak and do away with them. If truth changes then God changes, and to be God he is an unchangeable being. The question that religious scholars and philosophers try to answer is how to reconcile the contradictions that seem to exist in a fallen world to a loving and just God. The differences between Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical doctrines differ widely as to how salvation is carried out and how sinners are punished.  Most do believe in judgment and from this standpoint we understand that Justice must be administered in some fashion.  We would imagine it to be ...

As a seventeen year old I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I was questioned extensively by friends and family as to my awareness of what I was doing.  I was told many things about the church I had not heard before.  I was taken to meetings where speakers told people what Mormons did and believed.   I recognized that what they were saying was not the truth.  These allegations made me curious and I have studied the actions and allegations of the Church's detractors ever since.  Over the years I have studied the differences in the many theologies that that are taught in the modern Christian world. I also studied the reasons why some thought I was making a mistake by joining the church.  I will explain some of what I have learned as I studied the differences between traditional Christian theology and the teachings and doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints .   The key understa...

When I joined the LDS church I was confronted with various charges that I had left biblical Christianity.  As I studied those statements by well-intentioned friends and family I found them to be quite misinformed about what the LDS really believed and to be very short on knowledge of what they actually believe as far as their own biblical theology.   The discussions revolve around assertions and fallacies that the participants unwittingly use to discredit the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and its doctrines.   It may not make much sense but that is how they would like people to feel when they hear a statement such as "Satan and Jesus are brothers." How did Jesus and Satan come to be?    This seems to be hot topic when Mormons and Christianity are discussed.   The intent of these misinformed statements seems to portray an image of thinking that this relationship is somehow two teenagers of equal capacity fighting over who is...