Tag: god
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One of the greatest truths we celebrate at Easter is that our confidence and assurance rest not in ourselves, but in the finished work of Christ on the cross. That’s why I loved how Pastor Scott Hollingshead put it in his Easter sermon:“You do not start looking to yourself for assurance. You look to Jesus…
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Every Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with songs of joy and hopeful proclamation. “He is risen!” we declare. And rightly so. The empty tomb is our assurance that death has been defeated and that those who are in Christ will one day rise again to enjoy eternal life. But Easter offers even more…
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Growing up, the cross was a symbol of antisemitism and hatred. For my Jewish parents, it evoked memories of pogroms and Naziism—of centuries of persecution committed in the name of Christ. I still remember when my mother spent a few days in a Catholic hospital. She was so uncomfortable with the crucifix on the wall…
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In his recent General Conference address, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints told a moving story about a young boy named Easton who, despite the challenges of muscular dystrophy, managed to pass the sacrament at church. Holland describes the effort and perseverance it took, and the joy the…
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Biblical prophets frequently draw on powerful metaphors to emphasize their points. As Jeremiah warned the people of Jerusalem about the coming captivity and destruction, he used a pair of powerful metaphors to illustrate the perils of following after our own desires and to urge his listeners to turn to and follow the will of God.…
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When I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I believed that the Book of Mormon helped to clarify the Bible. One of the ways that I thought it did this was by offering a more accurate, easy to understand, and inspired version of the text of the Isaiah chapters…
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Latter-day Saints revere the Book of Mormon as sacred scripture, and as the “most correct book of any on the earth.” They view it as the “keystone” of their religion. But there’s a significant problem. The Book of Mormon does not teach key LDS doctrines, such as temple ordinances, postmortem repentance, or the three degrees…
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There are many biblical verses that strongly support the conclusion that God created everything out of nothing. One of my favorites is Revelation 4:11. Though it is less heralded, I love the contrast it draws between us and God. “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you…
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Two years ago I made the difficult decision to step away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I had spent several intense weeks wrestling with deeply conflicting emotions. As I’ve written about previously, in a pretty short time, God had opened my eyes both to Biblical truths regarding grace and the nature…
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One of the most common proof texts for the LDS restoration is Acts 3:19-21. Indeed, these verses have been cited more than 175 times in General Conference. But do these verses really support the idea that there would be an apostasy and eventual restoration of Christ’s true Church? Here’s the passage in the KJV: “19 Repent…