True or False?
Are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the only ones who can claim the title of being a Christian?
Answer: TRUE
(according to Elder David A Bednar)
“This is what we are hoping,children and young people that hopefully will understand better.When we exercise our agency to understand the conditions of covenants, and we accept the conditions of the covenants, our agency is enlarged. When we are baptized, we covenant a willingness to take upon ourselves the name of Christ, always remember Him, and keep his commandments. What is our new family name after that? Christian. It cracks me up when people say we are not Christians. We are the only ones who by proper authority can lay claim to the title.”
Oh the irony, we dont like it when other Christians don't think we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are Christains ... but accordingly to Elder Bednar, we don't think anyone else besides members of our Church have the authority to call themselves Christians. (or more spefically, have proper authority to claim the title of Christian"
"It cracks me up when people say we are not Christians. We are the only ones who by proper authority can lay claim to the title."
In its most basic definition, a Christian is someone who is a follower of Jesus Christ. And we follow Christ by embodying both the beliefs of the Christian faith by believing in Jesus's life, death, and resurrection, and also by putting that faith into action as true disciples of Christ. I think all Christains around the world would be offended that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claim that are the ONLY ONE who by proper authority feel that can claim the title of Christain.
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Addendum:
Speaking about claiming by proper authority. The Church has "reclaimed" the Kirtland Temple as well as other sides previously owned by the Community of Christ. at the sum of 192,500,000.00
LDS Church buys Kirtland Temple, historic Nauvoo buildings
from the local newspaper LINK
9 comments:
Bednar has always been the epitome of hubris.
“For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord’s; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord’s; and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches, and not unto the Lord.”
"Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work iniquity."
It used to crack me up too, until I began a serious study of the theology of Orthodox Christianity and realized that the Jesus Christ of Mormonism and the Jesus Christ of traditional Christians aren't even the same person. This is what historic Christians are talking about when they say Mormons aren't Christians. It's not just some baseless accusation, and we look pretty stupid when we dismiss it out of hand.
"aredesuyo said..."
I guess I don't follow. If you throw out all the extra curricular research that prominent LDS scholars and 'general authorities' have done, and all the orthodox creeds of Catholicism, then what are you left with? Do Orthodox Christians believe that Jesus was the Son of God in the flesh, that he was born of Mary, that he suffered and died for the sins of the world, and that he was resurrected? That's the same Jesus I read about in the Book of Mormon and that's the one I choose to worship. That should be enough to bring any sort of believer together.
Another example of why the LDS Church will NEVER acknowledge that Brigham Young was a reprobate and apostate. It's all about their "authority" and their authority depends on the myth of Brigham Young's validity.
Mainstream Mormons do not follow Christ; they follow The Prophet(TM) and think that suffices. They do not follow Christ's example; they follow "the Covenant Path" and think that suffices. Pleasing doctrines studied in fine sanctuaries while dressed in fine-twined linens.
When one considers what Bednar is saying, it's that people need some kind of permission from some person or body (you know, those old men in SLC) in order to be considered proper or vetted. There's no acknowledgement about any kind of divine acceptance, which is odd considering where it all started.
Christ simply said that anyone who forsakes his sins and comes unto Him is part of His church. No authority required, basically anyone can self-elect, and this from the being who has all the authority ever needed.
I aspire to be a Christian. I aspire to take upon myself the nature of Christ and to do as he taught. I'm not there yet. Claiming to be a Christian is a very bold claim. Authority has nothing to do with it.
I’m sure he will save all that will acknowledge his authority, that none be lost
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