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You really do not want to try and demonize people about a past they had nothing to do with. It's a losing proposition.
I disagree with this -- Don't buy into someone else's misguided Dogma because it's convenient or politically correct. Fiction is fiction, no matter how many times they try and spin this nonsense.
You have posted this before, was once with this bigotry not enough for you? True Christians do not judge others.
Just an observation, but you say "True Christians do not judge others." The entire implication is that there are "True Christians" and not "True Christians" and isn't that an implicit judgment of others into the categories of "True Christian" and not "True Christian"?
I suppose you'd say a Priest or Bishop, or even a Cardinal, gosh, maybe even the Pope are parishoners too. Perhaps, instead of "parishoner" I should have said: "an ordinary person (layman) who attends or is a member but holds no office, status, power, or conferred duties in (any given) church or organization"
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To be ordained a high priest in the Melchizedek Priesthood is a great honor and responsibility because the example for those holding this office is the Savior Himself. .....
Where does a "High Priest" fall within the hierarchy of the Mormon Church?
The Mormon priesthood is divided into two "branches" for lack of a better term. The first, which is considered the "lower" or "temporal" branch is the Aaronic Priesthood, so named after Aaron, the brother of Moses, who was placed in charge of the temporal concerns of the people. The higher or more "spiritual" priesthood is called the Melchizedek Priesthood, called after the name of the ancient High Priest of Salem to whom Abraham paid tithes according to the Bible. Within the Melchizedek Priesthood, there are three offices, the highest being "High Priest". The office of High Priest, is required to serve in virtually every leadership position of the Mormon Church from the organized congregational level and higher. Even the president of the Church, who is sustained as a prophet, seer, and revelator, is a High Priest. Mitt Romney, who served as a Regional Church leader is a High Priest.........
The same newsletter which made you happy in 1978 also said "Interracial marriage discouraged".
Actually, it didn't (although a newspaper article published separately did say that). What the "Official Declaration 2" said is as follows:
June 8, 1978
To all general and local priesthood officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the world:
Dear Brethren:
As we have witnessed the expansion of the work of the Lord over the earth, we have been grateful that people of many nations have responded to the message of the restored gospel, and have joined the Church in ever-increasing numbers. This, in turn, has inspired us with a desire to extend to every worthy member of the Church all of the privileges and blessings which the gospel affords.
Aware of the promises made by the prophets and presidents of the Church who have preceded us that at some time, in God’s eternal plan, all of our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood, and witnessing the faithfulness of those from whom the priesthood has been withheld, we have pleaded long and earnestly in behalf of these, our faithful brethren, spending many hours in the Upper Room of the Temple supplicating the Lord for divine guidance.
He has heard our prayers, and by revelation has confirmed that the long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that flows therefrom, including the blessings of the temple. Accordingly, all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color. Priesthood leaders are instructed to follow the policy of carefully interviewing all candidates for ordination to either the Aaronic or the Melchizedek Priesthood to insure that they meet the established standards for worthiness.
We declare with soberness that the Lord has now made known his will for the blessing of all his children throughout the earth who will hearken to the voice of his authorized servants, and prepare themselves to receive every blessing of the gospel.
Sincerely yours,
Spencer W. Kimball
N. Eldon Tanner
Marion G. Romney
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Did that also make you happy?
Don't be so sarcastic, Finn. It's unbecoming and, quite frankly, it's unkind and hurtful. Your animosity towards Mormons really runs deep, doesn't it? You know what I'd like? I'd like you to visit Salt Lake City and allow me to be your host while you're here. I think that if you were actually to spend some time on Temple Square, you'd come to realize that Mormons really aren't all that different from most of the people you know and care about. We're decent, honest, hard-working American citizens. We make good neighbors, good co-workers and good friends. And just like you, we don't enjoy being the object of ridicule or hateful comments.
Members of the Church are allowed to date or marry anyone they choose. If they should choose to marry someone of a different race, it would be against the teachings of the Church to penalize or ostracize them. However, Church leaders teach that successful marriage is most likely to occur when the participants are "of the same racial background generally, and of somewhat the same economic and social and educational background." I have seen interracial couples in the temple, and I can assure you that if their marriage was considered by the Church to be "sinful", they wouldn't be there. At any rate, it is obviously to me that the Church's position is based solely on practicality. When all the stupid people in the world grow up and become color blind, I think the LDS leadership will soften their stance. What you need to keep in mind, in the meantime, is that the Church considers good marriages and family relationships to be absolutely essential to God's plan. The Church just wants marriages to succeed. A successful interracial marriage would be considered as perfect in God's eyes as a marriage between two people of the same race.
I suppose you'd say a Priest or Bishop, or even a Cardinal, gosh, maybe even the Pope are parishoners too. Perhaps, instead of "parishoner" I should have said: "an ordinary person (layman) who attends or is a member but holds no office, status, power, or conferred duties in (any given) church or organization"
All worthy male members of the LDS Church over the age of 12 are eligible to hold the Church's lay priesthood. Basically, this means that all Mormon males who are practicing members of the Church hold a priesthood office. There is no formal training (i.e. a degree from a divinity college or theological seminary); there are no format vestments (i.e. robes or clerical collars, etc.). My husband is an LDS high priest. He sits with me in the congregation of our worship services every week, along with the vast majority (approximately 99.9%) of the other priesthood holders in our congregation. An LDS priesthood holder could in no way be considered "a man of the cloth" or any such thing. My brother-in-law, now 58 years old and an atheist, but who attended LDS worship services with his parents until he was about 18 years old loves to tell people he used to be a Mormon priest. The term does not mean what it means in other Christian denominations. If you would be opposed to any LDS priesthood-holder from holding political office, you have in effect eliminated virtually ever LDS male over the age of 12 in the country. Perhaps that was your intention.
For those posters who deem the placement and/or qualifier of the word, "true", before Christian as "judgment", there is DEFINITELY "judgment" implicit in such designation and/or categorization, since God identifies "true worshippers" of God in the Bible-in the context of us "true worshippers" worshipping God in spirit and in truth-as to distinguish us from apostates, imposters, "church folk", etc. Hence, God is the "judge" of those people/those things, and such will be dealt with accordingly...
As per the Mormon issue in relation to Mitt Romney, the reality is that Mormons and Christians do not share the same beliefs. Once any religious group denounces the trinity (the Father, Son and Holy Ghost) being "ONE", there's a spiritual divide. The Bible is not going to change, since Christ is the same, yesterday and forever, hence, it's senseless to continue to argue that point. I will never understand why people waste their time attacking each other's religions vs. accepting the fact that we live in a country that respects the observance of various religions within the realm of the Constitution. As Christians, we believe what we believe, premised on the unadulterated and uncompromised Word of God, and that's that! Hence, as Christians, as long as the candidate and/or incumbent professing Christianity; we see that example being set and observed; and the platform is one sustained by Christian beliefs-such as is the case with President Obama-we'll vote for that individual (I'm sure many Mormons feel the same about Mitt Romney, whether they admit it, or not). I can hear the dissenters now-"What about President's stance on same sex marriage and abortion?"-Well, guess what? Although it's clear that President Obama understands that for Christians, marriage is between a man and a woman-FYI: He's married to a woman-that does not mean that he does not understand that we live in a country where there are people that don't share his beliefs or sexuality. Hence, as the Commander-In-Chief, he has to represent those interests as well, including those couples' rights to shared plan insurance benefits, etc. The analogy is similar to a common law marriage scenario. Further, although God is ultimately in control of our destinies, God is a "pro-choice" God in that He allows us to make choices, and with our choices, we must face/deal with the consequences, whether good or bad; that is not the say that God would have for us to abort babies. We, as women, have a right, however, to make the choice/decision.
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