In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1: 1-5 We are not gods, we are God's. He sent Jesus so that our misunderstandings about Him would be straightened out.
Yes, only Jesus had a pre-mortal existence…along with Buddhists, Hindus, Taoists, Jainists, Celts, ancient Greeks, members of certain mystical Jewish sects, and countless others.
The Holy Roman Church on the other hand deemed the belief in “life before life” to be a Gnostic heresy, and slaughtered the followers of the various reincarnationist movements that sprang up during the Middle Ages.
Albion wrote:dgemetz, you are posing a weak argument. You appear to be saying that just because the Bible does not cover a topic, in this case additions to holy writ, that this somehow makes Mormon scriptural additions okay. If the Bible is the standard, which time and position has shown it to be, then additions, if they are to have any credibility, must conform to it. Clearly Mormon theology contradicts and adds in so many ways to Biblical teachings as to be an unreliable counterfeit. Can we stick with one topic at a time?
I don't view the Bible like that. I view the Bible as a compilation of a few of the surviving words of God to men, stories, and experiences that men have had with God. It is instructive, but I don't attribute any mystical qualities to it in and of itself. It can form the basis of a good understanding of God, but should be treated with respect and with an informed perspective. I certainly do not view it as the gold-standard against which to judge God or his works. I'll let God speak for himself. Otherwise, the Bible becomes the ultimate self-licking ice cream cone of God's word and I find that concept denigrates its value since it gives it fanciful and fictional attributes.
"You lack vision, but I see a place where people get on and off the freeway. On and off, off and on all day, all night.... Tire salons, automobile dealerships and wonderful, wonderful billboards reaching as far as the eye can see. My God, it'll be beautiful." -- Judge Doom
Well, to each his own but it it has been the gold standard for Christianity through the centuries. To me, kind of like trying to measure something without a commonly held yardstick.
Albion wrote:Well, to each his own but it it has been the gold standard for Christianity through the centuries. To me, kind of like trying to measure something without a commonly held yardstick.
Christianity and man didn't always have the Bible. It is merely a construct or compilation of a number of inspired works. I would hope you would use God as the standard and merely use these writings as a generational memory of his dealings with us.
"You lack vision, but I see a place where people get on and off the freeway. On and off, off and on all day, all night.... Tire salons, automobile dealerships and wonderful, wonderful billboards reaching as far as the eye can see. My God, it'll be beautiful." -- Judge Doom
Of course, but I see the Bible as God''s revelation of himself....what he has prepared and inspired as the road map to that revelation....Jesus being the fulness of God's revelation of himself. Oral history as an alternative would not, in my view, be as trustworthy.
Albion wrote:Of course, but I see the Bible as God''s revelation of himself....what he has prepared and inspired as the road map to that revelation....Jesus being the fulness of God's revelation of himself. Oral history as an alternative would not, in my view, be as trustworthy.
I wouldn't be so dismissive of the oral traditions of God. Remember that literacy is a relatively modern concept as well as having access to written compendiums like the Bible. Until the invention of the printing press, access to books or written material at all, including the Bible was a rariety.
"You lack vision, but I see a place where people get on and off the freeway. On and off, off and on all day, all night.... Tire salons, automobile dealerships and wonderful, wonderful billboards reaching as far as the eye can see. My God, it'll be beautiful." -- Judge Doom
No Albion, these modern revelations may add to the knowledge given in the Bible, but they do not contradict it! They only contradict your limited understandings and twisted views of the Bible. AS I stated before, the Bible itsef tells of other scriptures!
Tobin, I do not want to appear to be disagreeing with you. Oral tradition has a valuable place but oral tradition can be changed, adapted, enlarged and otherwise altered according to just who is doing the speaking. I think of Arthurian legends or the story of Robins Hood. Both possibly have some elements of truth in them but since we have no written record from the time in which they supposedly happened we have virtually nothing, parallel history, physical location and such, to measure them against in the process of discerning the real truth.
That's right Albion! Now you are finally getting it! There is only one true restored church and kingdom of God of which Daniel prophesied, and that is a restored church as Peter prophesied in which all things are restored; baptism for the dead, baptism by immersion, the laying on of hands for the gift of the holy Ghost, etc., etc., etc.!!!