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One of the challenging issues that believers in the Book of Mormon as an authentic historical text face is the existence of extensive quotations, allusions, and references to New Testament texts throughout the book. The existence of these references is problematic because the New Testament was either not yet written or was not accessible to…
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The hymn “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing” holds deep significance for a former Latter-day Saint turned Evangelical. It delves into the composer’s life and the theological differences between the two beliefs. The heartfelt analysis showcases the hymn’s profound impact and reflects a journey of spiritual transformation and understanding.
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At the throne of GodI am undoneAll my pretensionsAnd self-religiousnessMelt awayWoe is meA man of unclean lipsFilled with prideAnd all manner of wickedness Woe is me For I thought that I was something But now I seeI am but dust and vapor Vanity of vanities For I was not there When the angelic hosts shouted for joyAnd I cannot comprehend The laws…
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One verse that I frequently am asked about by my LDS friend is Matthew 5:48 and Jesus’s admonition to “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” The argument goes, if Jesus commands us to achieve sinless perfection, then surely he expects us to keep that commandment — at…
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When I was a Latter-day Saint I was very proud to carry my temple recommend with me at all times. My recommend signaled that I had been interviewed by a priesthood holders and been found worthy to enter the house of the Lord. It therefore signaled assurance that my course of life was pleasing to…
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The Bible taken as a whole shows that God is the ultimate source of all goodness and truth and indeed that he is the epitome of those things. It therefore can be said that not only does God love, but “God is love” (1 John 4:8,16), not only does God speak only the truth, but…
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I used to love the story of the City of Enoch found in Joseph Smith’s Book of Moses. It was a city so righteous that the whole city was translated into heaven. Another favorite story of mine was the society depicted in the Book of Mormon book of 4 Nephi which enjoyed generations of peace…
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Hebrews 9:11–14 (ESV):11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but…
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The writer reflects on their experience as a Latter-day Saint preparing for a mission and the subsequent anxiety about achieving full spiritual cleansing. They struggled with the idea of being fully cleansed through missionary service and felt guilty when succumbing to worldly temptations. However, they ultimately realized the true Gospel of grace: salvation is a…
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I recently wrote a lengthy post about the Adam-God Doctrine. When I shared it in a Latter-day Saint group that I’m a part of, one response that I got was why does this issue matter given that it was so many years ago. Why not give Brother Brigham a break? I wanted to try to…