DiscussMormonism.com

Lynn Ridenhour here, the "Baptist Mormon preacher." I'm doing a spring online prelaunch of my latest book titled "In the Trenches: Conversations with Mormons & Evangelicals." The below link will take you to it for those interested in browsing its contents.

It's basically a compilation and condensing of thousands of emails (both pro & con) I've received over the years and answered. Being a Baptist minister who preaches out of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, I get lots of mail.

The hard copy will be out this summer.

Blessings,

Lynn


http://www.greaterthings.com/Ridenhour/ ... enhour.pdf

lynnr wrote:Being a Baptist minister who preaches out of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, I get lots of mail.

Wouldn't that get you into lots of trouble with whatever governing body is over your church?

The governing body, or church government, in Southern Baptist Churches is determined by local autonomy. Unlike say, the Methodists, or Lutherans, we do not answer to regional or national oversight. For example, I was ordained through my local church, and it was my local church that was a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. My point is -- I was not ordained by the national Southern Baptist Convention. I was ordained by my local congregation. That's the way Baptists do it.

To be more precise, in my local fellowship we are accepting of both Bible-believing Christians and Book of Mormon Christians. Some of us embrace both books; some of us don't. It's not, and never has been, an issue.

Lynn

I guess this would be another example for ROP to use in the "all religions are dangerous" thread.

Personally, I find your religious position baffling, but I wish you luck with your book.

Lynn,

Do you believe the Book of Mormon is divine?

Do you believe that Joseph Smith did translate it?

Why do you accept the Book of Mormon, but not the other books penned by Smith?

Mormonism is all or none.

"...Why do you accept the Book of Mormon, but not the other books penned by Smith?..."

But I do.

I believe one of Joseph's greatest accomplishments of inspiration was the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible. I find the insights and revelations in that book to be incredible. And they minister to me greatly.

I believe all Joseph's works are inspired: the D&C, the Pearl of Great Price (what a panaromic view of the cosmos!), even the Book of Abraham, his most criticized work, I find to be inspired. Most of the misunderstandings, I believe, occur because of the concrete Kabbalic Hebrew style of "layoring" truth that it was written in.

And yes, I believe the same Holy Spirit that inspired the writings of the Bible inspired the writings of the Book of Mormon. And Joseph did indeed translate those ancient writings by the power and gift of God.

Lynn

lynnr wrote:And yes, I believe the same Holy Spirit that inspired the writings of the Bible inspired the writings of the Book of Mormon. And Joseph did indeed translate those ancient writings by the power and gift of God.

His one and only gift. All the rest is Joseph alone.

harmony wrote:

lynnr wrote:And yes, I believe the same Holy Spirit that inspired the writings of the Bible inspired the writings of the Book of Mormon. And Joseph did indeed translate those ancient writings by the power and gift of God.

His one and only gift. All the rest is Joseph alone.

??? You believe that he did have golden plates and the whole fairy tale around that?

*shakes head*

lynnr wrote:"...Why do you accept the Book of Mormon, but not the other books penned by Smith?..."

But I do.

I believe one of Joseph's greatest accomplishments of inspiration was the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible. I find the insights and revelations in that book to be incredible. And they minister to me greatly.

I believe all Joseph's works are inspired: the D&C, the Pearl of Great Price (what a panaromic view of the cosmos!), even the Book of Abraham, his most criticized work, I find to be inspired. Most of the misunderstandings, I believe, occur because of the concrete Kabbalic Hebrew style of "layoring" truth that it was written in.

And yes, I believe the same Holy Spirit that inspired the writings of the Bible inspired the writings of the Book of Mormon. And Joseph did indeed translate those ancient writings by the power and gift of God.

Lynn

Dear God! Ray has sold his taxi cab and immigrated to the states.

How can you say you believe all that he wrote, but do not follow it?

I believe I am following it. Or the Lord, as I would say it. I believe I can get more done outside the church than inside it. Which in some instances is the position of your general authorities. There are those who are better advocates of the restoration gospel and the kingdom if we have no standing in the church. Just a few quotes from your general authorities that tend to substantiate our calling. Lynn


“...We are asked, ‘Is the Church of God and the Kingdom of God the same organization? And we are informed that some of the brethren hold that they are separate.’ This is the correct view to take. The Kingdom of God is a separate organization from the Church of God. On this point, the prophet Joseph gave an example, which he asked the younger elders who were present to always remember. It was to the effect that men might be chosen to officiate as members of the Kingdom of God who had NO standing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” --LDS History of the Church, 7:382

Ezra Taft Benson quoted Orson F. Whitney in his conference report, April 1972—citing conference report, April 1928:

“…Perhaps the Lord needs such men on the outside of His Church to help it along,” says Orson F. Whitney. “They are among its auxiliaries, and can do more good for the cause where the Lord has placed them, than anywhere else.” Elder Whitney then pointed out that we have no warfare with other churches. “They are our partners in a certain sense.”

B.H. Roberts wrote, “…Let it be understood, we are not brought necessarily into antagonism with the various sects of Christianity as such. So far as they have retained fragments of Christian truth…and each of them has some measure of truth—that far they are acceptable unto the Lord; and it would be poor policy for us to contend against them with discrimination…[O]ur relationship to the religious world is not one that calls for the denunciation of sectarian churches as composing the church of the devil…All that makes for truth, for righteousness, is of God; it constitutes the kingdom of righteousness—the empire of Jehovah; and, in a certain sense at least, constitutes the Church of Christ…On the contrary, both the spirit of the Lord’s commandments to his servants and the dictates of right reason would suggest that we seek to enlarge this kingdom of righteousness both by recognizing such truths as it possess and seeking the friendship and cooperation of the righteous men and women who constitute its membership.”
--Conference Report, April 1906