This broadcaster has 662 podcast archives available on-demand.
Keep up-to-date with this broadcaster on social media and their website.
June 24, 2019 5:00 am
101 for teams is a valuable resource for anyone wanting a simplified view of the Mormon religion from a Christian perspective is one-to-one for teams is available at the Utah lighthouse bookstore in Salt Lake City or MRM.org is the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective viewpoint when Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect.
And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism welcome this addition to viewpoint on Mormonism.
I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson.
My colleague at MRM in the March 2018 edition of & magazine there is an article titled my moment in the garden to the article appears on page 39 it was written by a woman by the name of Claudia weight Richards. She tells an interesting story. Eric and it's of special interest to us because when she speaks of the garden tomb. You and I have been to the garden tomb on several occasions. It's a great place to have communion because it is quiet, at least somewhat, even though it's next to the big huge parking lot were a bunch of buses parked but nonetheless it's still a nice place to go to have communion and just reflect on your trip over to Israel while she talks about the opportunity that she had when she went to Israel and was able to visit the garden tomb.
What is she say my husband called me from work and told me he had been given a new assignment that would take him to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv for a week. He asked if I would like to join him.
I quickly replied yes. Since Jerusalem was a place I had always wanted to see. I was especially excited visit a place considered by many to be the site of the garden tomb where the Savior's body was placed before he was resurrected.
I had heard from a friend that there was a special spirit there. Now he's talking about Gordon's Calvary, which, as you say is next to the bus station outside the city walls not far from the Damascus gate. Now there's a couple of points.
We want to bring out in this article, but since she made that comment so early on, I think we need to address it when she says where the Savior's body was placed before he was resurrected. I don't want to disappoint a lot of Christian listeners who have probably been over to Israel and visited the garden tomb thinking that's where Jesus's body was placed before he was resurrected, but folks, that's not where his body was placed in the reason why I think this is important is because this woman's emotions are going to be built around that. Assumption showing that her feelings are misguiding. Her when it comes to this place. It's not that it's a bad place.
There is a tomb there, but what's the problem with the tomb Eric.
The problem is it's about 2400 years old and so that means it was 400 years older than Jesus. And if you go to the gospel accounts it says that Joseph of Arimathea, gave a tomb that had been newly dug so we could not possibly be the tomb of Jesus and the funny because there's an organization, a Christian organization that runs that area and you were just there, not too terribly long ago when I was there with you a while back and I remember the guy that we had there was kind of apologetic not really overly apologetic, but admitting that there are differences of opinion. Right will she goes on to talk about her experience at the garden tomb where she says as I stood in line to enter the tomb, I observed a church group just ahead of me. That consisted mostly of elderly members, two men stood on each side of the tomb entrance to assist the others as they entered as the last of them completed their visit.
Inside the tomb. One of the men turned to me and said it's all yours and this is where her story picks up. I then stepped over the stone threshold and when inside.
It was so moving to be there to see the tomb.
Feel the peace and reflect on the Savior's resurrection. Again, we need to point out she's having these feelings because she's been led to believe that this was the actual location where Jesus's body was laid but history does not bear that out. That would be the church of the holy sepulcher, which is run by several churches including the Catholics in the Eastern Orthodox and it does not feel good for Protestants to go in there because you have lots of incense you have people who are kissing different relics there.
It just doesn't have the same feeling and you really want the garden team. Gordon's Calvary to be the right one because it just feels good but it's not historically accurate.
Well now she's going to move on and go into a different direction. What is she say later as my husband and I visited other sites related to Christ ministry, the words of the man at the tomb stayed with me and began to take on new meaning. I realize that it's all yours no longer meant only that it was now my turn to go inside the tomb, but also that thanks to Christ's atonement.
I could someday receive quote all that the father hath." And that's from doctrine and covenants section 84, verse 38 the blessings of the gospel baptism and membership in the Savior's church covenant promises priesthood power eternal families Revelation the gift of the Holy Ghost healing through Christ's atonement, eternal life, and more can all be ours if and if is italicized. We are true and faithful to the covenants we have made a lot of people who think that the Mormon church is making a course correction when it comes to the grace of Christ. This woman seems to be, or at least understands what we've always known to be traditional Mormonism there's a qualification. If you hope to receive the benefits of the restored gospel as Mormons call it.
There are conditions that need to be made, and she talks about these covenants.
You can have all the chores.
If you are true and faithful to the covenants we have made, and she goes on and emphasizes that a second time towards the end of her article, she said these words. It's all yours continue to remind me of the love our heavenly father has for each of us. They foster in me a feeling of deep gratitude and awe at the magnificence of his divine plan. It's overwhelming to comprehend all that he has done and is doing to bring the past the immortality and eternal life of his children.
The last sentence of her article. I know that it can be all ours.
If we remain true and faithful to our covenants. Notice she says all that he has done and is doing to bring to pass the more reality and eternal life. You have to understand folks that in Mormonism. Salvation by grace is more understood to be resurrection from the dead.
Now as an evangelical Christian is a New Testament Christian.
I have a real hard time grasping that kind of the definition. When you have Jesus saying there are two resurrections one to eternal life, and when to eternal damnation. I cannot and I've said this many times understand how an individual can see salvation by grace being a resurrection to damnation that makes no sense whatsoever. But that is what Jesus taught this woman, Claudia Waite Richards at least is showing us that as a latter-day St. She is separating this immortality or this gospel of grace is it's understood in the restored gospel of Mormonism that everyone is going to be resurrected, but that is not to be equated with the Mormon understanding of eternal life. Eternal life in Mormonism is otherwise known as godhood or exultation even though Mormons will use the word gift in connection with eternal life.
It's not a traditional understanding of the gift because this is something that you must do in order to get there are certain requirements that must be met before you can hope to get this eternal life that she speaks about and she makes it clear she says I know that it can be all ours if we remain true and faithful to our covenants.
So if you're unfamiliar with this aspect of Mormonism. I'm sure that the first question come into your mind is will what is a covenant to a latter-day St. the manual true to the faith of the gospel reference.
It came out in 2004, explains this on page 44. What is it Savior. A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and a person or group of people, God set specific conditions, and he promises to bless us as we obey those conditions when we choose not to keep covenants.
We cannot receive the blessings and in some instances, we suffer a penalty.
As a consequence of our disobedience and that comes from true the faith.
Page 44 now going back to what I said earlier, there's a reason why. She says if two times in this article she understands is a latter-day St. woman what is required in order to receive the eternal life. She hopes to seek its conditional if we are true and faithful to the covenants we have made. She says, and that goes right along with what we just read in truth faith.
The gospel reference that came out in 2004, it's a sacred agreement between God and a person or group of people, God set specific conditions, and he promises to bless us as we obey those conditions. So when you hear Mormons tell you we believe in grace, you're going to need to ask a clarification question.
What do you mean when you say grace. What is this grace in detail because in asking those follow-up questions. Hopefully, if you have a knowledgeable latter-day St. that you're talking to.
They will go on further to explain that this is only contingent on them doing something in order to get it. Let me give you another quotation here in the manual building an eternal marriage. The teacher's manual religion 235. This came out in 2003, it says the Lord keeps his promises by the Lord and bound when you do what I say but when you do not what I say you have no promise we must do our part to qualify for the blessing so clearly in Mormonism. There is this give and take. If you want to get the blessing if you want to get eternal life. You must do something in order to get it and I'm sure that Claudia Waite Richards was probably a Mormon, who's been through the temple endowment ceremony. I'm sure maybe many times I don't know. I don't know her personally but she would understand what this means because of what the character portraying Lucifer says in the LDS endowment ceremony.
What is he say or you have looked over my kingdom and my greatness and glory.
Now you want to take possession of the whole of it and then Lucifer turned stairs into the camera. I have a word to say concerning these people if they do not walk up to every covenant they make at these altars in this sample this day they will be in my power that may be grace. According to the restored gospel of Mormonism, but it is certainly not the grace mentioned in our New Testament. Thank you for listening.
If you would like more information is research ministry. We encourage you to visit our website at www.mrm.org you can request our free newsletter Mormonism research.
We hope you'll join us again as we look at another viewpoint is did you know that this year marks the 40th anniversary of Mormonism research ministry.
All of us and MRM want to thank those of you who have faithfully supported our efforts to educate the body of Christ about the differences between Mormonism and Christianity as well as sharing God's grace with the Mormon people. If you would like to give a special anniversary gift to further our reference herein. MRM simply click the delete button on our homepage and MRM.org your support. As always, is greatly appreciated