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According to a recent news report at Gospel for Asia UK, a Christian denomination that professes worship of Jesus Christ is under threats of death if the pastor and followers refuse to reject Jesus for another (extremist) religion. This means people who disagree with the beliefs of this Christian group are trying to impose their will and their beliefs unto them, even using threats of death.

You can read this story here >> http://www.gfauk.org/skelapp/gfa/news-IfYouGoToChurchYouDie-Nov09.asp

This example shows religious intolerance, also showing a type of dictorship and evil, to force, impose, rule over, violate freedoms and civil liberties to worship as we choose, even threaten death. Such intolerance and actions against freedoms and liberties, in any degree, shows an evil that is becoming more prominent today.

Do Mormons know this kind of intolerance? Certainly they do and Joseph Smith suffered this intolerance to his death at the hands of evil men who violated his freedoms and liberties. Then today, this intolerance toward Mormons continue, under the guise and false label of “cult”. How many ex-Mormons and Anti-Mormons would literally take up their guns and shoot down Mormons if it were not for the laws we have in North America? How many Anti-Mormons and ex-Mormons would cheer and rally for such intolerance?

To God’s dismay, many would, as intolerance is not a Christian trait or belief. So how many Anti’s and Ex’s are not Christian? – Many.

A prayer is appropriate for these Christians who are suffering threats to their right to worship God as to what their conscience dictates, an article of faith that Mormons believe and follow.

I pray for the well being, safety and support for these Christians in Uttar Pradesh India.

Amen

( Always a bad apple somewhere)

Remember the Mountain Meadows Massacre in 1857, where some Church members killed many innocent souls? Now, jump to these current days, where on occasion there is a member who committed serious crimes.

These events can be discouraging to members, to see some foolish or outright wrongs committed by a small few and how it reflects on the Church as a whole. These wrongs and foolish actions, when found by ex-members and Anti-Mormons, play up the bad image upon all good members and the Church. It is wrong by them to do this, unethical and even unfair, but because they desire to discredit, they will make any opportunity they can.

Many members know this already, so this not news, why then is this entry important? The importance is for those members who are questioning their faith and membership in the Church because of these events that have happened, who make the interpretation that something is wrong with the Church.

When I view these unsavoury events, I keep in mind a fact that some members seem to ignore. This fact is that God’s true Church invites all people to his salvation. Everyone is to be given this opportunity to accept the restored gospel and this acceptance is one of faith and belief. The problem that occurs are people who join this Church with questionable characteristics and ethics and make no effort to change them. These are people from the world, the converts, who were born and raised in worldly ideas. We all know the tendency of the world to love corruption so people (converts) who join the Church carry this corruption within them.

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Most of us have seen this literature, where people have claimed Mormonism is false, accusing the Mormon Church of cover-ups, lies, false doctrine, and the sort. They have quoted leaders of this Church and even LDS scholars and from these quotes they made claims and accusations against the Church and its doctrines, sometimes against the membership as a whole. Some members of the Church found themselves swayed by Anti-Mormon literature, where their testimony and belief in the Church has fallen or crumbled, but of course, this is not true for all members.

My testimony was challenged, even degraded by some Anti-Mormons, but in the face of all the Anti’s, I continued steadfast with the Church and relied heavily on the Holy Spirit to offset the Anti deluge. In the past, I wondered why some members quit the Church when the availability of the Holy Spirit was (to me) so easy, but over time I saw that these members did not have any spiritual testimony from the Spirit or they failed to maintain their spiritual testimony and fell to the wilds of the world.

I have also read a book or two from other (Anti-Mormon) Christians, I was not impressed, especially with how they have misrepresented statements from Church leaders, made ludricous claims and misused the Bible, even using the Bible to justify their attacks and false claims, which is why I wrote this article.

It is not the intention of the Church (or myself) to force censor onto fellow members of the Church as many will read Anti-Mormon literature. Some will throw it in the trash bin while others will consider the claims and some will take it as gospel.

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The “Judas Syndrome”, as I named it, refers to the act of betrayal to the faith of God and perpetuating lies or falsehoods against the Lord and his followers. The act of betrayal occurs within the faithful group as Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ.

This syndrome is quite prevalent today. Anti-Mormon’s use the errors or apostate acts by certain members to declare the doctrine of this Church as false or declare this Church and it’s members as evil.

How easily the Anti-Mormon’s forget the story of Judas, an apostle chosen by Jesus himself, brought into the fold of God. Judas betrayed Jesus by taking a bribe to turn Jesus over to the Romans. This story and example of Judas is what we see today. How some members have betrayed their faith in God to partake of sin. Of course Satan wants this. By leading some members to fall to sin, he knows that the ignorance of others will use that as an example against the Church and spread rumours and lies. This is why God called Satan as the “father of all lies”.  

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Scanning some of the testimonies of anti-Mormons, some have become atheist, others joined other churches, but all of these have proclaimed that they are now “free”.

Free from what? When reading their “testimonies” of their proclaimed freedom(s), they do not speak of spiritual freedom as Jesus Christ promises, they show their freedoms to be at a temporal base; a relative & personal freedom based on personal likes and dislikes.

The question that remains is, “what kind of freedom and from what?”

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There are countless blogs, stories and claims from numerous disbelievers and contenders to our faith. In their ranks are some ex-Mormons, who through their discontentment and impatience, joined their ranks. (As I write this I keep getting the thoughts of the “large spacious building” in Nephi’s vision, 1 Nephi 12:18, and how these people who attack Mormons now live within that structure. )What I would like to do is provide to those who seek understanding, information on a method to detect and understand the true spiritual nature of these complainers. This so you can know by their fruits, who they are.

Complaining is one trait that these contenders use. It is a common trait used by everyone when they are upset about something and wish some answers, action or even justice. This trait is common among people in the world who rally the governments to change policies. There are complaint oriented commissions, complaint departments, complaint forms, etc. The practice of complaint is considered by the world as a “normal” thing and, in general, something that good people use. Despite how some evil people also use this method, it is still considered an acceptable thing.

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Prayer does work and when done properly it works very well. The workings of prayer are rather simple, but despite this simplicity, so many fail to understand how prayer works and many find that prayer works only sometimes if at all. The scriptures tell us that we are to pray often and diligently. This is not an idle direction from God neither is it contingent on personal preference. A person who prays rightly and often will find that his/her state of mind and heart will abide in the first commandment. Their faith will receive support and direction.

All faith that is not focused into proper works is a dead faith, but rather than getting into the doctrinal support and reason for proper and frequent prayer, I wish to write here a personal aspect of proper prayer.

Prayer has worked well for me, despite experiences where it appeared at times that what help I had asked for seemed to never come.

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One of the challenges of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is whether a particular doctrine or practice is believable or acceptable. I have read and heard so many claims by ex-Mormons of how they were fooled or blinded to some of the doctrines or activities of the Church.

Some of the common complaints surround tithing, lack of answers to prayers, Adam-God Theory, Blacks previously refused the priesthood, men oriented church, and so on. When I looked at these claims or complaints and the stories behind them I see that they are just personal, which means that their issues are specific to them. For some things the Church has done, such as restrict Black men from the priesthood, are true, but making personal issue out of these things certainly does not gain the ear of the Lord neither does it gain any help or witness from the Holy Ghost. Why is this? It is because making personal issue is the act of contention which is the spirit of contention and such is not of God.

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One day, while in Church, a bishop, stake president or one of the General Authorities of the Church says or does something that upsets you or that you take issue with it. Before you know it you are at odds with the Church and even resign your membership.

Taking issue is dangerous to the health of your faith.
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There has been quite a debate about LDS ceremonial garments, routinely called “Mormon undergarments”. The use and purpose of these garments have been attacked, degraded, condemned and maligned by those who are “anti-Mormon” and even anti-Semitic style criticism.  The affect has been, to some degree, a thorn in the side of many latter-day Saints who struggle enough with their faith. It is the purpose of these attacks to degrade, malign and cause confusion, inserting doubt and even resentment into the minds and hearts of devout Saints.

Being human and mortal is tough all by itself, but when the natural weaknesses of mortality are bent and used by the selfish evil doers, it makes life all that much harder. With such a trait and characteristic of these “anti’s” one wonders why they are not seen for the malicious and destructive nature they are, but unfortunately many good people are badly affected by the misguided.
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