FAIR - User contributions [en]

Apostasy/The "gates of hell"

2007-12-18T14:42:42Z

ChrisWalker: /* Latter-day Saint perspective */

{{EarlyChristianityPortal}}
==Criticism==
Critics argue that a universal apostasy is impossible, because Jesus told Peter, "upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." ({{s||Matthew|16|18}}) Critics claim that this means the Church organized by Jesus would never suffer apostasy and loss.

===Source(s) of the Criticism===
* {{50Questions}}

==Response==

It is not surprising that this issue revolves around how one interprets Jesus' remark. There are several options. Key to understanding the passage, however, is figuring out what the final "it" refers to. Does it refer to "the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church," or does it refer to "the gates of hell shall not prevail against this rock?" If it refers to the "rock," then one must describe what "the rock" refers to.

===Catholic perspective===

The Catholic church, of course, thinks that "this rock" is literally Peter, and have based their claims to apostolic succession on the unbroken succession of bishops of Rome back to Peter. Other churches must necessarily define a different meaning, because they cannot claim apostolic succession in this way.

Churches (such as the Protestants) who believe that the Church of Rome is somehow flawed or in apostasy from the pure truth must adopt a different reading.

===Protestant perspective===

Protestant readers have generally interpreted "the rock" to refer to the Christian Church. Under this reading, Jesus is promising that the church will never be entirely overcome by death and/or the forces of Satan.

===Latter-day Saint perspective===

Latter-day Saints have generally read this verse as referring to the only true, unmovable rock that exists--revelation from God. That is the rock upon which any Church must be built, and it is evidenced by the verses just before this one. In {{s||Matthew|16|13-17}}, the subject is literally revelation given to Peter as to who Jesus Christ really is. This knowledge came by revelation from God ({{s||Matthew|16|17}}), and Christ taught Peter that this revelation is the rock upon which He would build His Church. This is confirmed by Joseph Smith's teachings.

:Jesus in His teaching says, “upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” What rock? Revelation.{{ref|js1}}

Both the Protestant and Catholic versions must contend with the fact that other Biblical authors taught an inevitable [[Prediction of the apostasy|apostasy]]. It would seem strange for such Biblical authors, including Peter, to teach something which Jesus here denies.

One must also notice that gates only prevail against something by keeping it out or by holding it in. It makes little sense for gates, which by nature keep inhabitants in or out of a place, to "prevail" by forcing something to enter is completely illogical. The Catholic and Protestant interpretations force an interpretation that isn't logical, namely, that gates prevail by forcing someone to enter or someone to leave. Gates, of course, serve no such function. Gates keep things in or out, but they do not force things to go in or to go out.

'''Prevail meaning to keep out'''

The word translated as "hell" in the KJV is actually ''Hades'', the dwelling place of all departed spirits. For the gates of Hades to not prevail against the could mean that the gates would not be able to stop the church from entering therein. (By comparison, in ''The Gospel of Nicodemus'' the "gates" mentioned in Psalm 24 refer to the gates of Hades and the attempt made there to keep out Jesus in the period between his death and resurrection. [See ''The Gospel of Nicodemus'', Part II, 6 in ANF 8:436-437.]) In other words, Christ’s Church, his disciples, would preach the gospel not only among the living, but also among the dead—not even the gates of Hades could keep them out.

In this context, Jesus gives Peter the sealing power to bind on earth and have it bound in heaven. For Latter-day Saints the word "bind" in Matthew 16:19 is synonymous with "seal." This passage has reference to priesthood authority to perform ordinances or sacraments, such as baptism, echoing the ''Shepherd of Hermas''’ usage of the word "seal." {{ref|Hermas}} When a baptism (seal) is performed vicariously for the dead by proper priesthood authority, the seal (baptism) is recognized in heaven. Thus, Joseph Smith explained, "there is a way to release the spirit of the dead; that is, by the power and authority of the Priesthood—by binding and loosing on earth." {{ref|JS}}

As extreme as this interpretation may seem, this was not a foreign concept to early Christians. Clement of Alexandria (AD 160-215), among others, believed that the apostles of Christ preached the gospel to the departed spirits in Hades. "And it has been shown also…that the apostles, following the Lord, preached the Gospel to those in Hades. For it was requisite, in my opinion, that as here, so also there, the best of the disciples should be imitators of the master..." {{ref|Clement}}

'''Prevail meaning to keep in'''

Another interpretation is that "prevail" has reference to keeping inhabitants inside. In this thought, gates could only prevail against something that is already inside of them and not external to them. This interpretation would be that Christ was saying that His Church would soon be inside the gates of the spirit world alone because of apostasy on earth, but that the Church would later come out from the world of the dead and back to earth—that His Church would shortly be confined to the spirit world, held back by its gates, but that later, members of Christ's Ancient Church (such as Peter, James, and John) would come, by revelation, out from behind the gates of Hades to restore the gospel to the earth.

Both of the above readings are distinct possibilities. Both reconcile all the Biblical data.

'''Prevail meaning shut up against'''

An literal translation of the passage reads as follows:

:''"You are Peter or a small stone broken from a larger rock and upon the original larger rock I will establish my church and the gates of the world of spirts, or sheol, will not be shut up against my church or overpower the dead saints."'' <ref>Personal translation taken from [http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/c.pl?book=Mat&chapter=16&verse=18&version=KJV#18 Blueletter Bible] and BYU Professor Wilf Griggs</ref>

In this context the passage could be Christ teaching that the spirits of the departed will have the chance to hear the gospel. This is supported by Peter's teaching about Christ's ministry to the world of spirits just prior to his ressurrection in [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_pet/3/18-22 2 Peter 3:18-22] through [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_pet/4/1-7 2 Peter 4:1-6]).

Latter-day Saints believe that this sealing power given to Peter is the same power and keys that can seal families on both sides of the veil.

===Jesus is also the Rock===

It is not just revelation, however, that is key, but the revelation of Christ by God the Father.

The image of a rock is found throughout scripture, and bears directly on Jesus' remark to Peter:

:But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. ({{s||Ephesians|2|13-22}})

Paul argues that the Church is built on a foundation of, among others, apostles and prophets, who were grounded in Christ as the cornerstone. Thus, Christ is the rock, as are those who receive revelation of Christ (such as the apostles and prophets) and His mission as part of their calling. Significantly, the apostasy resulted in the loss of apostolic authority (unless one accepts the apostolic succession of Rome).

Paul cautioned the Corinthian saints against presuming they could build on anyone or thing besides Christ:

: For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. '''For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.''' Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. ({{s|1|Corinthians|3|9-23}}) {{ea}}

Paul tells the saints that they are building the Church; but the Church cannot be built on man or men, even great men like Paul, Apollos, or Peter. (Of course, one cannot ''reject'' the testimony of the prophets and apostles either. But, relying on a mortal, fallible man alone will not suffice.)

Only Christ is a sufficiently firm basis for faith, practice, and belief. And, Christ cannot be found through the "wisdom of this world," but only through on-going ''revelation''.

Paul noted the use of the same symbol later in the epistle, tying the Christians to covenant Israel:

: MOREOVER, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and '''that Rock was Christ'''. ({{s|1|Corinthians|10|1-4}}) {{ea}}

One must ask again, How was Israel guided? By a prophet, who provided knowledge by revelation of the Rock of Israel. This symbol was a common one, of course, for the Israelites:

:Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. ({{s||Isaiah|28|16-17}})

==Conclusion==

Jesus' teaching about the rock is not a reference to any individual church or group of believers, since even well-intentioned mortals must fail. Christ is the only sure foundation upon which a church can be built, and the knowledge of Christ must come as it always has, as it came to Peter—by direct revelation from the Father. Christ's Church will then be built upon those who have such revelation of Christ, including prophets and apostles.

The gates of hell prevailing against the church must refer to keeping the church in or out of the Hades, the dwelling place of departed spirits. Gates do not force people to enter or leave, but they do keep people from going in or out. Therefore, the Catholic and Protestant interpretations are not very intelligible whereas the Latter-day Saints can interpret the passage in at least two logical, Biblically sound ways.
==Endnotes==
#{{note|js1}} {{wordsjs|start=156|end=158}}; {{HoC1|vol=5|start=258}}; {{TPJS1|start=274}}
#{{note|Hermas}}''The Pastor of Hermas'', ANF 2:49. See also, Bruce R. McConkie ''Mormon Doctrine'', 615-616; and Doctrine and Covenants 128.
#{{note|JS}}Joseph Smith in ''The Essential Joseph Smith'' (Salt Lake City: Signature, 1995), 151-152.
#{{note|Clement}} Clement of Alexandria, ''The Stromata,'' or ''Miscellanies VI.'' in ANF, 2:490.

==Further reading==

===FAIR wiki articles===
{{ApostasyWiki}}
{{PriesthoodWiki}}

===FAIR web site===
{{ApostasyFAIR}}

===External links===
{{ApostasyLinks}}

===Printed material===
{{ApostasyPrint}}

Apostasy/The "gates of hell"

2007-12-18T14:42:13Z

ChrisWalker: /* Latter-day Saint perspective */

{{EarlyChristianityPortal}}
==Criticism==
Critics argue that a universal apostasy is impossible, because Jesus told Peter, "upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." ({{s||Matthew|16|18}}) Critics claim that this means the Church organized by Jesus would never suffer apostasy and loss.

===Source(s) of the Criticism===
* {{50Questions}}

==Response==

It is not surprising that this issue revolves around how one interprets Jesus' remark. There are several options. Key to understanding the passage, however, is figuring out what the final "it" refers to. Does it refer to "the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church," or does it refer to "the gates of hell shall not prevail against this rock?" If it refers to the "rock," then one must describe what "the rock" refers to.

===Catholic perspective===

The Catholic church, of course, thinks that "this rock" is literally Peter, and have based their claims to apostolic succession on the unbroken succession of bishops of Rome back to Peter. Other churches must necessarily define a different meaning, because they cannot claim apostolic succession in this way.

Churches (such as the Protestants) who believe that the Church of Rome is somehow flawed or in apostasy from the pure truth must adopt a different reading.

===Protestant perspective===

Protestant readers have generally interpreted "the rock" to refer to the Christian Church. Under this reading, Jesus is promising that the church will never be entirely overcome by death and/or the forces of Satan.

===Latter-day Saint perspective===

Latter-day Saints have generally read this verse as referring to the only true, unmovable rock that exists--revelation from God. That is the rock upon which any Church must be built, and it is evidenced by the verses just before this one. In {{s||Matthew|16|13-17}}, the subject is literally revelation given to Peter as to who Jesus Christ really is. This knowledge came by revelation from God ({{s||Matthew|16|17}}), and Christ taught Peter that this revelation is the rock upon which He would build His Church. This is confirmed by Joseph Smith's teachings.

:Jesus in His teaching says, “upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” What rock? Revelation.{{ref|js1}}

Both the Protestant and Catholic versions must contend with the fact that other Biblical authors taught an inevitable [[Prediction of the apostasy|apostasy]]. It would seem strange for such Biblical authors, including Peter, to teach something which Jesus here denies.

One must also notice that gates only prevail against something by keeping it out or by holding it in. It makes little sense for gates, which by nature keep inhabitants in or out of a place, to "prevail" by forcing something to enter is completely illogical. The Catholic and Protestant interpretations force an interpretation that isn't logical, namely, that gates prevail by forcing someone to enter or someone to leave. Gates, of course, serve no such function. Gates keep things in or out, but they do not force things to go in or to go out.

'''Prevail meaning to keep out'''

The word translated as "hell" in the KJV is actually ''Hades'', the dwelling place of all departed spirits. For the gates of Hades to not prevail against the could mean that the gates would not be able to stop the church from entering therein. (By comparison, in ''The Gospel of Nicodemus'' the "gates" mentioned in Psalm 24 refer to the gates of Hades and the attempt made there to keep out Jesus in the period between his death and resurrection. [See ''The Gospel of Nicodemus'', Part II, 6 in ANF 8:436-437.]) In other words, Christ’s Church, his disciples, would preach the gospel not only among the living, but also among the dead—not even the gates of Hades could keep them out.

In this context, Jesus gives Peter the sealing power to bind on earth and have it bound in heaven. For Latter-day Saints the word "bind" in Matthew 16:19 is synonymous with "seal." This passage has reference to priesthood authority to perform ordinances or sacraments, such as baptism, echoing the ''Shepherd of Hermas''’ usage of the word "seal." {{ref|Hermas}} When a baptism (seal) is performed vicariously for the dead by proper priesthood authority, the seal (baptism) is recognized in heaven. Thus, Joseph Smith explained, "there is a way to release the spirit of the dead; that is, by the power and authority of the Priesthood—by binding and loosing on earth." {{ref|JS}}

As extreme as this interpretation may seem, this was not a foreign concept to early Christians. Clement of Alexandria (AD 160-215), among others, believed that the apostles of Christ preached the gospel to the departed spirits in Hades. "And it has been shown also…that the apostles, following the Lord, preached the Gospel to those in Hades. For it was requisite, in my opinion, that as here, so also there, the best of the disciples should be imitators of the master..." {{ref|Clement}}

'''Prevail meaning to keep in'''

Another interpretation is that "prevail" has reference to keeping inhabitants inside. In this thought, gates could only prevail against something that is already inside of them and not external to them. This interpretation would be that Christ was saying that His Church would soon be inside the gates of the spirit world alone because of apostasy on earth, but that the Church would later come out from the world of the dead and back to earth—that His Church would shortly be confined to the spirit world, held back by its gates, but that later, members of Christ's Ancient Church (such as Peter, James, and John) would come, by revelation, out from behind the gates of Hades to restore the gospel to the earth.

Both of the above readings are distinct possibilities. Both reconcile all the Biblical data.

'''Prevail meaning shut up against'''

An literal translation of the passage reads as follows:

:"You are Peter or a small stone broken from a larger rock and upon the original larger rock I will establish my church and the gates of the world of spirts, or sheol, will not be shut up against my church or overpower the dead saints." <ref>Personal translation taken from [http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/c.pl?book=Mat&chapter=16&verse=18&version=KJV#18 Blueletter Bible] and BYU Professor Wilf Griggs</ref>

In this context the passage could be Christ teaching that the spirits of the departed will have the chance to hear the gospel. This is supported by Peter's teaching about Christ's ministry to the world of spirits just prior to his ressurrection in [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_pet/3/18-22 2 Peter 3:18-22] through [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_pet/4/1-7 2 Peter 4:1-6]).

Latter-day Saints believe that this sealing power given to Peter is the same power and keys that can seal families on both sides of the veil.

===Jesus is also the Rock===

It is not just revelation, however, that is key, but the revelation of Christ by God the Father.

The image of a rock is found throughout scripture, and bears directly on Jesus' remark to Peter:

:But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. ({{s||Ephesians|2|13-22}})

Paul argues that the Church is built on a foundation of, among others, apostles and prophets, who were grounded in Christ as the cornerstone. Thus, Christ is the rock, as are those who receive revelation of Christ (such as the apostles and prophets) and His mission as part of their calling. Significantly, the apostasy resulted in the loss of apostolic authority (unless one accepts the apostolic succession of Rome).

Paul cautioned the Corinthian saints against presuming they could build on anyone or thing besides Christ:

: For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. '''For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.''' Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. ({{s|1|Corinthians|3|9-23}}) {{ea}}

Paul tells the saints that they are building the Church; but the Church cannot be built on man or men, even great men like Paul, Apollos, or Peter. (Of course, one cannot ''reject'' the testimony of the prophets and apostles either. But, relying on a mortal, fallible man alone will not suffice.)

Only Christ is a sufficiently firm basis for faith, practice, and belief. And, Christ cannot be found through the "wisdom of this world," but only through on-going ''revelation''.

Paul noted the use of the same symbol later in the epistle, tying the Christians to covenant Israel:

: MOREOVER, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and '''that Rock was Christ'''. ({{s|1|Corinthians|10|1-4}}) {{ea}}

One must ask again, How was Israel guided? By a prophet, who provided knowledge by revelation of the Rock of Israel. This symbol was a common one, of course, for the Israelites:

:Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. ({{s||Isaiah|28|16-17}})

==Conclusion==

Jesus' teaching about the rock is not a reference to any individual church or group of believers, since even well-intentioned mortals must fail. Christ is the only sure foundation upon which a church can be built, and the knowledge of Christ must come as it always has, as it came to Peter—by direct revelation from the Father. Christ's Church will then be built upon those who have such revelation of Christ, including prophets and apostles.

The gates of hell prevailing against the church must refer to keeping the church in or out of the Hades, the dwelling place of departed spirits. Gates do not force people to enter or leave, but they do keep people from going in or out. Therefore, the Catholic and Protestant interpretations are not very intelligible whereas the Latter-day Saints can interpret the passage in at least two logical, Biblically sound ways.
==Endnotes==
#{{note|js1}} {{wordsjs|start=156|end=158}}; {{HoC1|vol=5|start=258}}; {{TPJS1|start=274}}
#{{note|Hermas}}''The Pastor of Hermas'', ANF 2:49. See also, Bruce R. McConkie ''Mormon Doctrine'', 615-616; and Doctrine and Covenants 128.
#{{note|JS}}Joseph Smith in ''The Essential Joseph Smith'' (Salt Lake City: Signature, 1995), 151-152.
#{{note|Clement}} Clement of Alexandria, ''The Stromata,'' or ''Miscellanies VI.'' in ANF, 2:490.

==Further reading==

===FAIR wiki articles===
{{ApostasyWiki}}
{{PriesthoodWiki}}

===FAIR web site===
{{ApostasyFAIR}}

===External links===
{{ApostasyLinks}}

===Printed material===
{{ApostasyPrint}}

Apostasy/The "gates of hell"

2007-12-18T14:40:17Z

ChrisWalker: /* Latter-day Saint perspective */ probably needs more fleshing out and sources, but this is a good start...

{{EarlyChristianityPortal}}
==Criticism==
Critics argue that a universal apostasy is impossible, because Jesus told Peter, "upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." ({{s||Matthew|16|18}}) Critics claim that this means the Church organized by Jesus would never suffer apostasy and loss.

===Source(s) of the Criticism===
* {{50Questions}}

==Response==

It is not surprising that this issue revolves around how one interprets Jesus' remark. There are several options. Key to understanding the passage, however, is figuring out what the final "it" refers to. Does it refer to "the gates of hell shall not prevail against the church," or does it refer to "the gates of hell shall not prevail against this rock?" If it refers to the "rock," then one must describe what "the rock" refers to.

===Catholic perspective===

The Catholic church, of course, thinks that "this rock" is literally Peter, and have based their claims to apostolic succession on the unbroken succession of bishops of Rome back to Peter. Other churches must necessarily define a different meaning, because they cannot claim apostolic succession in this way.

Churches (such as the Protestants) who believe that the Church of Rome is somehow flawed or in apostasy from the pure truth must adopt a different reading.

===Protestant perspective===

Protestant readers have generally interpreted "the rock" to refer to the Christian Church. Under this reading, Jesus is promising that the church will never be entirely overcome by death and/or the forces of Satan.

===Latter-day Saint perspective===

Latter-day Saints have generally read this verse as referring to the only true, unmovable rock that exists--revelation from God. That is the rock upon which any Church must be built, and it is evidenced by the verses just before this one. In {{s||Matthew|16|13-17}}, the subject is literally revelation given to Peter as to who Jesus Christ really is. This knowledge came by revelation from God ({{s||Matthew|16|17}}), and Christ taught Peter that this revelation is the rock upon which He would build His Church. This is confirmed by Joseph Smith's teachings.

:Jesus in His teaching says, “upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” What rock? Revelation.{{ref|js1}}

Both the Protestant and Catholic versions must contend with the fact that other Biblical authors taught an inevitable [[Prediction of the apostasy|apostasy]]. It would seem strange for such Biblical authors, including Peter, to teach something which Jesus here denies.

One must also notice that gates only prevail against something by keeping it out or by holding it in. It makes little sense for gates, which by nature keep inhabitants in or out of a place, to "prevail" by forcing something to enter is completely illogical. The Catholic and Protestant interpretations force an interpretation that isn't logical, namely, that gates prevail by forcing someone to enter or someone to leave. Gates, of course, serve no such function. Gates keep things in or out, but they do not force things to go in or to go out.

'''Prevail meaning to keep out'''

The word translated as "hell" in the KJV is actually ''Hades'', the dwelling place of all departed spirits. For the gates of Hades to not prevail against the could mean that the gates would not be able to stop the church from entering therein. (By comparison, in ''The Gospel of Nicodemus'' the "gates" mentioned in Psalm 24 refer to the gates of Hades and the attempt made there to keep out Jesus in the period between his death and resurrection. [See ''The Gospel of Nicodemus'', Part II, 6 in ANF 8:436-437.]) In other words, Christ’s Church, his disciples, would preach the gospel not only among the living, but also among the dead—not even the gates of Hades could keep them out.

In this context, Jesus gives Peter the sealing power to bind on earth and have it bound in heaven. For Latter-day Saints the word "bind" in Matthew 16:19 is synonymous with "seal." This passage has reference to priesthood authority to perform ordinances or sacraments, such as baptism, echoing the ''Shepherd of Hermas''’ usage of the word "seal." {{ref|Hermas}} When a baptism (seal) is performed vicariously for the dead by proper priesthood authority, the seal (baptism) is recognized in heaven. Thus, Joseph Smith explained, "there is a way to release the spirit of the dead; that is, by the power and authority of the Priesthood—by binding and loosing on earth." {{ref|JS}}

As extreme as this interpretation may seem, this was not a foreign concept to early Christians. Clement of Alexandria (AD 160-215), among others, believed that the apostles of Christ preached the gospel to the departed spirits in Hades. "And it has been shown also…that the apostles, following the Lord, preached the Gospel to those in Hades. For it was requisite, in my opinion, that as here, so also there, the best of the disciples should be imitators of the master..." {{ref|Clement}}

'''Prevail meaning to keep in'''

Another interpretation is that "prevail" has reference to keeping inhabitants inside. In this thought, gates could only prevail against something that is already inside of them and not external to them. This interpretation would be that Christ was saying that His Church would soon be inside the gates of the spirit world alone because of apostasy on earth, but that the Church would later come out from the world of the dead and back to earth—that His Church would shortly be confined to the spirit world, held back by its gates, but that later, members of Christ's Ancient Church (such as Peter, James, and John) would come, by revelation, out from behind the gates of Hades to restore the gospel to the earth.

Both of the above readings are distinct possibilities. Both reconcile all the Biblical data.

''' Previail meaning shut up against '''
An literal translation of the passage reads as follows:

:You are Peter or a small stone broken from a larger rock and upon the original larger rock I will establish my church and the gates of the world of spirts, or sheol, will not be shut up against my church or overpower the dead saints. <ref>Personal translation taken from [http://www.blueletterbible.org/cgi-bin/c.pl?book=Mat&chapter=16&verse=18&version=KJV#18 Blueletter Bible] and BYU Professor Wilf Griggs</ref>

In this context the passage could be Christ teaching that the spirits of the departed will have the chance to hear the gospel. This is supported by Peter's teaching about Christ's ministry to the world of spirits just prior to his ressurrection in [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_pet/3/18-22 2 Peter 3:18-22] through [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_pet/4/1-7 2 Peter 4:1-6]).

Latter-day Saints believe that this sealing power given to Peter is the same power and keys that can seal families on both sides of the veil.

===Jesus is also the Rock===

It is not just revelation, however, that is key, but the revelation of Christ by God the Father.

The image of a rock is found throughout scripture, and bears directly on Jesus' remark to Peter:

:But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. ({{s||Ephesians|2|13-22}})

Paul argues that the Church is built on a foundation of, among others, apostles and prophets, who were grounded in Christ as the cornerstone. Thus, Christ is the rock, as are those who receive revelation of Christ (such as the apostles and prophets) and His mission as part of their calling. Significantly, the apostasy resulted in the loss of apostolic authority (unless one accepts the apostolic succession of Rome).

Paul cautioned the Corinthian saints against presuming they could build on anyone or thing besides Christ:

: For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. '''For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.''' Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's. ({{s|1|Corinthians|3|9-23}}) {{ea}}

Paul tells the saints that they are building the Church; but the Church cannot be built on man or men, even great men like Paul, Apollos, or Peter. (Of course, one cannot ''reject'' the testimony of the prophets and apostles either. But, relying on a mortal, fallible man alone will not suffice.)

Only Christ is a sufficiently firm basis for faith, practice, and belief. And, Christ cannot be found through the "wisdom of this world," but only through on-going ''revelation''.

Paul noted the use of the same symbol later in the epistle, tying the Christians to covenant Israel:

: MOREOVER, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; And did all eat the same spiritual meat; And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and '''that Rock was Christ'''. ({{s|1|Corinthians|10|1-4}}) {{ea}}

One must ask again, How was Israel guided? By a prophet, who provided knowledge by revelation of the Rock of Israel. This symbol was a common one, of course, for the Israelites:

:Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. ({{s||Isaiah|28|16-17}})

==Conclusion==

Jesus' teaching about the rock is not a reference to any individual church or group of believers, since even well-intentioned mortals must fail. Christ is the only sure foundation upon which a church can be built, and the knowledge of Christ must come as it always has, as it came to Peter—by direct revelation from the Father. Christ's Church will then be built upon those who have such revelation of Christ, including prophets and apostles.

The gates of hell prevailing against the church must refer to keeping the church in or out of the Hades, the dwelling place of departed spirits. Gates do not force people to enter or leave, but they do keep people from going in or out. Therefore, the Catholic and Protestant interpretations are not very intelligible whereas the Latter-day Saints can interpret the passage in at least two logical, Biblically sound ways.
==Endnotes==
#{{note|js1}} {{wordsjs|start=156|end=158}}; {{HoC1|vol=5|start=258}}; {{TPJS1|start=274}}
#{{note|Hermas}}''The Pastor of Hermas'', ANF 2:49. See also, Bruce R. McConkie ''Mormon Doctrine'', 615-616; and Doctrine and Covenants 128.
#{{note|JS}}Joseph Smith in ''The Essential Joseph Smith'' (Salt Lake City: Signature, 1995), 151-152.
#{{note|Clement}} Clement of Alexandria, ''The Stromata,'' or ''Miscellanies VI.'' in ANF, 2:490.

==Further reading==

===FAIR wiki articles===
{{ApostasyWiki}}
{{PriesthoodWiki}}

===FAIR web site===
{{ApostasyFAIR}}

===External links===
{{ApostasyLinks}}

===Printed material===
{{ApostasyPrint}}

Jesus Christ/Brother of Satan

2007-12-18T10:15:20Z

ChrisWalker: /* Response */

{{JesusChristPortal}}
{{GermanWiki|http://de.fairmormon.org/Jesus_Christus_ist_der_Bruder_Satans}}
==Criticism==
Critics claim that the LDS consider Jesus and Satan to be "brothers," thus lowering the stature of Christ, or elevating Satan. Some go so far as to imply that the LDS "really" worship or revere Satan, and are thus not true "[[Latter-day_Saints_aren't_Christians|Christians]]."

===Source(s) of the Criticism===
*www.allaboutcults.org- "The Mormon church views Jesus and Satan as spirit brothers and sons of God...''The Christian church teaches that Jesus Christ has existed eternally as the Son of God, the second "person" of the Trinity''"{{ref|allaboutcults}}
* {{50Questions}}

==Response==
LDS doctrine does not subscribe to traditional [[Godhead_and_the_Trinity|creedal trinitarianism]]. That is, the LDS do not believe the extra-biblical doctrines which surround many Christians' ideas about God, such as expressed by the Nicene Creed. Specifically, the LDS do not accept the proposition that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are "of one substance (''homoousios'') with the Father," as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed Nicene Creed] declares.

Rather, LDS doctrine teaches that God the Father is physically and personally distinct from Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son. The Father is understood to be the literal father of His spirit children.

LDS believe that Jesus Christ's role is central to our Heavenly Father's plan. Christ is unique in several respects from all other spirit children of God:
* Jesus was and is perfect
* Jesus is God (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/1/1#2 John 1:1-2], [http://scriptures.lds.org/heb/1/6#6 Hebrews 1:6], [http://scriptures.lds.org/1_ne/11/16#26 1 Nephi 11:16–26], [http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/76/13#13 D&C 76:13]).
* Jesus is the Creator (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/1/3#3 John 1:3], [http://scriptures.lds.org/heb/1/1#6 Hebrews 1:1–6], [http://scriptures.lds.org/mosiah/3/3#3 Mosiah 3:3], [http://scriptures.lds.org/hel/14/12#12 Helaman 14:12], [http://scriptures.lds.org/moses/2/1#1 Moses 2:1]).
* Jesus obeyed the Father in all things (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/1/11#11 3 Nephi 11:11]).
* Jesus was chosen and foreordained to be the Redeemer (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/isa/43/11#11 Isaiah 43:11], [http://scriptures.lds.org/mosiah/13/28#34 Mosiah 13:28–34], [http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/9/15#15 3 Nephi 9:15], [http://scriptures.lds.org/moses/4/2#2 Moses 4:2]).
* Jesus is the Mediator between God and humanity (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/14/6#6 John 14:6], [http://scriptures.lds.org/1_tim/2/5#5 1 Timothy 2:5], [http://scriptures.lds.org/heb/8/5#5 Hebrews 8:5], [http://scriptures.lds.org/2_ne/2/28#28 2 Nephi 2:28], [http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/76/69#69 D&C 76:69]).
* Jesus was "the Only Begotten"—only He, of all God's children, had a physical inheritance in His body from God the Father. All other mortals have two mortal parents, and Satan and his followers never receive physical bodies at all. (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/1/14#14 John 1:14], [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/3/16#16 John 3:16], [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/14/3#3 John 14:3], [http://scriptures.lds.org/jacob/4/11#11 Jacob 4:11], [http://scriptures.lds.org/alma/12/33#34 Alma 12:33–34]).

God the Father also had many other spirit children, created in His image and that of His Only Begotten. These children include all humans born on the earth. Some of God's children rebelled against Him, and contested the choice of Jesus as Savior. (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/76/25#27 D&C 76:25–27]). The leader of these children was Lucifer, or Satan. Those spirit children of God who followed Satan in his rebellion against Christ are sometimes referred to as "demons," or "devils." (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/moses/4/1#4 Moses 4:1–4], [http://scriptures.lds.org/abr/3/24#28 Abraham 3:24–28]).

Thus, it is technically true to say that Jesus and Satan are "brothers," in the sense that both have the same spiritual parent, God the Father.

However, critics do not provide the context for the idea that Christ and Lucifer were brothers. Cain and Abel were also brothers, and yet no Bible reader believes that they are spiritual equals or equally admirable. In a similar way, Latter-day Saints do not believe that Jesus and Satan are equals. Nothing is as equally evil as Jesus is good nor is Jesus power the opposite of Satan's (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/moses/4/3 Moses 4:3]). The Book of Mormon also states that the opposite of Christ and God is nothingness (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/2_ne/2/10-15 2 Nephi 2 10-15]), not Satan.

The scriptures clearly teach the superiority of Jesus over the devil and that Michael (or Adam) and Lucifer (Satan) and their followers fought against each other (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/rev/12/7-8 Revelation 12:7-8]) to uphold the plan of the Father and the Son. Critics also ignore the Biblical references that imply that Satan is one of the "sons of God." (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/job/1/6 Job:16], [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/job/2/1 Job 2:1])

Finally, while it is true that all mortals share a spiritual parent with Jesus (and Satan, and every other spiritual child of God), we now have a different, more important relationship with Jesus. All of God's children, save Jesus, have sinned and come short of the glory of God ([http://scriptures.lds.org/en/rom/3/23#23 Romans 3:23]). In sinning, they abandon and betray their divine heritage and inheritance. Only through Jesus can any mortal return home to God the Father. This return becomes possible when a sinner is born again, and adopted by Christ, who becomes the spiritual father to those whom He redeems. (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/rom/8/14-39#14 Romans 8:14–39].)

===Cautionary Note to Members===
Elder M. Russell Ballard cautioned members of the Church:

:We occasionally hear some members refer to Jesus as our Elder Brother, which is a true concept based on our understanding of the premortal life with our Father in Heaven. But like many points of gospel doctrine, that simple truth doesn't go far enough in terms of describing the Savior's role in our present lives and His great position as a member of the Godhead. Thus, some non-LDS Christians are uncomfortable with what they perceive as a secondary role for Christ in our theology. They feel that we view Jesus as a spiritual peer. They believe that we view Christ as an implementor for God, if you will, but that we don't view Him as God to us and to all mankind, which, of course, is counter to biblical testimony about Christ's divinity…

:Now we can understand why some Latter-day Saints have tended to focus on Christ's Sonship as opposed to His Godhood. As members of earthly families, we can relate to Him as a child, as a Son, and as a Brother because we know how that feels. We can personalize that relationship because we ourselves are children, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. For some it may be more difficult to relate to Him as a God. And so in an attempt to draw closer to Christ and to cultivate warm and personal feelings toward Him, some tend to humanize Him, sometimes at the expense of acknowledging His Divinity. So let us be very clear on this point: it is true that Jesus was our Elder Brother in the premortal life, but we believe that in this life it is crucial that we become "born again" as His sons and daughters in the gospel covenant.{{ref|ballard1}}

===Early Christian Evidence===
The early pre-nicene Church father Lactantius wrote:

:Since God was possessed of the greatest foresight for planning, and of the greatest skill for carrying out in action, before He commenced this business of the world,--inasmuch as there was in Him, and always is, the fountain of full and most complete goodness,--in order that goodness might spring as a stream from Him, and might flow forth afar, He produced a Spirit like to Himself, who might be endowed with the perfections of God the Father... Then He made another being, in whom the disposition of the divine origin did not remain. Therefore he was infected with his own envy as with poison, and passed from good to evil; and at his own will, which had been given to him by God unfettered, he acquired for himself a contrary name. From which it appears that the source of all evils is envy. For he envied his predecessor, who through his steadfastness is acceptable and dear to God the Father. This being, who from good became evil by his own act, is called by the Greeks ''diabolus'': we call him accuser, because he reports to God the faults to which he himself entices us. God, therefore, when He began the fabric of the world, set over the whole work that first and greatest Son, and used Him at the same time as a counselor and artificer, in planning, arranging, and accomplishing, since He is complete both in knowledge, and judgment, and power... {{ref|Lactantius}}

Many things he here taught are not considered "orthodox" by today's standards. However, Lactantius was definitely orthodox during his lifetime. Amazingly, many things here correspond to LDS doctrine precisely in those areas that are "unorthodox." For example,

1. "He produced a Spirit like to Himself," namely Christ. Christ, in this sense, is not the "co-equal," "eternally begotten," "same substance" "persona" of the later creeds. 
2. "Then he made another being, in whom the disposition of the divine origin did not remain." God made another spirit who rebelled and who fell from his exalted status. He is the ''diabolus.'' 
3. Christ is the "first and greatest Son." Not the "only" son. 
4. Lastly, since the ''diabolus'' and Christ are both spirit sons of God, they are spirit brothers.

==Conclusion==

Jesus, Satan, and all humanity share God the Father as their spiritual sire. However, moral agency led Jesus to obey God the Father perfectly and share fully in the Father's divine nature and power. The same agency led Satan to renounce God, fight Jesus, and doom himself to eternal damnation. The remainder of God's children—all of us—have the choice to follow the route chosen by Satan, or the path to which Christ invites us and shows the way.

Divine parenthood gives all children of God potential; Christ maximized that potential, and Satan squandered it.

To choose the gospel of Jesus Christ and the grace that attends it will lead us home again. If we choose to follow Satan's example, and refuse to accept the gift of God's Only Begotten Son, our spiritual parentage cannot help us, just as it cannot help dignify or enoble Satan.

==Endnotes==
#{{note|allaboutcults}}''www.allaboutcults.org'' "What do Mormons believe - Doctrinal Differences," (accessed 7 November 2007).
#{{note|ballard1}}{{Ensign1|author=M. Russell Ballard|article=Building Bridges of Understanding|date=June 1998|start=62}}{{link|url=http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1998.htm/ensign%20june%201998.htm/building%20bridges%20of%20understanding.htm}}
#{{note|Lactantius}}Lactantius, ''Divine Institutes'' 2.9. in Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, eds. ''The Ante-Nicene Fathers'', 10 vols. (1885; reprint, Peabody: Hendrickson, 2004), 1:52–53.

==Further reading==

===FAIR wiki articles===
{{DefinitionFallaciesWiki}}
{{JesusWiki}}

===FAIR web site===
*Michael Hickenbotham, [http://www.fairlds.org/pubs/JesusSatan.pdf Do Latter-day Saints Believe Jesus and Satan are Brothers?], FAIR Paper.
*Michael Reed, [http://www.fairlds.org/apol/brochures/LuciferJesus.pdf Lucifer, the Brother of Jesus?], FAIR Brochure.
{{JesusFAIR}}

===External links===
*{{1min|article=Is Lucifer the Brother of Jesus?|url=http://www.lightplanet.com/response/answers/lucifer.htm}}
*{{Ensign|author=Jess L. Christensen|article=How can Jesus and Lucifer be spirit brothers when their characters and purposes are so utterly opposed?|date=June 1986|start=25|end=26}}{{link|url=http://beta.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=4a10ef960417b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1}}
{{JesusLinks}}

===Printed material===
{{JesusPrint}}

Jesus Christ/Brother of Satan

2007-12-18T10:11:40Z

ChrisWalker: /* Response */

{{JesusChristPortal}}
{{GermanWiki|http://de.fairmormon.org/Jesus_Christus_ist_der_Bruder_Satans}}
==Criticism==
Critics claim that the LDS consider Jesus and Satan to be "brothers," thus lowering the stature of Christ, or elevating Satan. Some go so far as to imply that the LDS "really" worship or revere Satan, and are thus not true "[[Latter-day_Saints_aren't_Christians|Christians]]."

===Source(s) of the Criticism===
*www.allaboutcults.org- "The Mormon church views Jesus and Satan as spirit brothers and sons of God...''The Christian church teaches that Jesus Christ has existed eternally as the Son of God, the second "person" of the Trinity''"{{ref|allaboutcults}}
* {{50Questions}}

==Response==
LDS doctrine does not subscribe to traditional [[Godhead_and_the_Trinity|creedal trinitarianism]]. That is, the LDS do not believe the extra-biblical doctrines which surround many Christians' ideas about God, such as expressed by the Nicene Creed. Specifically, the LDS do not accept the proposition that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are "of one substance (''homoousios'') with the Father," as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed Nicene Creed] declares.

Rather, LDS doctrine teaches that God the Father is physically and personally distinct from Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son. The Father is understood to be the literal father of His spirit children.

LDS believe that Jesus Christ's role is central to our Heavenly Father's plan. Christ is unique in several respects from all other spirit children of God:
* Jesus was and is perfect
* Jesus is God (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/1/1#2 John 1:1-2], [http://scriptures.lds.org/heb/1/6#6 Hebrews 1:6], [http://scriptures.lds.org/1_ne/11/16#26 1 Nephi 11:16–26], [http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/76/13#13 D&C 76:13]).
* Jesus is the Creator (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/1/3#3 John 1:3], [http://scriptures.lds.org/heb/1/1#6 Hebrews 1:1–6], [http://scriptures.lds.org/mosiah/3/3#3 Mosiah 3:3], [http://scriptures.lds.org/hel/14/12#12 Helaman 14:12], [http://scriptures.lds.org/moses/2/1#1 Moses 2:1]).
* Jesus obeyed the Father in all things (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/1/11#11 3 Nephi 11:11]).
* Jesus was chosen and foreordained to be the Redeemer (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/isa/43/11#11 Isaiah 43:11], [http://scriptures.lds.org/mosiah/13/28#34 Mosiah 13:28–34], [http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/9/15#15 3 Nephi 9:15], [http://scriptures.lds.org/moses/4/2#2 Moses 4:2]).
* Jesus is the Mediator between God and humanity (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/14/6#6 John 14:6], [http://scriptures.lds.org/1_tim/2/5#5 1 Timothy 2:5], [http://scriptures.lds.org/heb/8/5#5 Hebrews 8:5], [http://scriptures.lds.org/2_ne/2/28#28 2 Nephi 2:28], [http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/76/69#69 D&C 76:69]).
* Jesus was "the Only Begotten"—only He, of all God's children, had a physical inheritance in His body from God the Father. All other mortals have two mortal parents, and Satan and his followers never receive physical bodies at all. (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/1/14#14 John 1:14], [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/3/16#16 John 3:16], [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/14/3#3 John 14:3], [http://scriptures.lds.org/jacob/4/11#11 Jacob 4:11], [http://scriptures.lds.org/alma/12/33#34 Alma 12:33–34]).

God the Father also had many other spirit children, created in His image and that of His Only Begotten. These children include all humans born on the earth. Some of God's children rebelled against Him, and contested the choice of Jesus as Savior. (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/76/25#27 D&C 76:25–27]). The leader of these children was Lucifer, or Satan. Those spirit children of God who followed Satan in his rebellion against Christ are sometimes referred to as "demons," or "devils." (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/moses/4/1#4 Moses 4:1–4], [http://scriptures.lds.org/abr/3/24#28 Abraham 3:24–28]).

Thus, it is technically true to say that Jesus and Satan are "brothers," in the sense that both have the same spiritual parent, God the Father.

However, Latter-day Saints do not believe that Jesus and Satan are equals. Nothing is as equally evil as Jesus is good nor is Jesus power the opposite of Satan's (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/moses/4/3 Moses 4:3]). In fact, the scriptures clearly teach the superiority of Jesus over the devil and that Michael (or Adam) and Lucifer (Satan) and their followers fought against each other (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/rev/12/7-8 Revelation 12:7-8]) to uphold the plan of the Father and the Son. In addition, the opposite of Christ/God is nothingness (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/2_ne/2/10-15 2 Nephi 2 10-15]).

However, critics do not provide the context for the idea that Christ and Lucifer were brothers. Cain and Abel were also brothers, and yet no Bible reader believes that they are spiritual equals or equally admirable. Critics also ignore the Biblical references that imply that Satan is one of the "sons of God." (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/job/1/6 Job:16], [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/job/2/1 Job 2:1])

Finally, while it is true that all mortals share a spiritual parent with Jesus (and Satan, and every other spiritual child of God), we now have a different, more important relationship with Jesus. All of God's children, save Jesus, have sinned and come short of the glory of God ([http://scriptures.lds.org/en/rom/3/23#23 Romans 3:23]). In sinning, they abandon and betray their divine heritage and inheritance. Only through Jesus can any mortal return home to God the Father. This return becomes possible when a sinner is born again, and adopted by Christ, who becomes the spiritual father to those whom He redeems. (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/rom/8/14-39#14 Romans 8:14–39].)

===Cautionary Note to Members===
Elder M. Russell Ballard cautioned members of the Church:

:We occasionally hear some members refer to Jesus as our Elder Brother, which is a true concept based on our understanding of the premortal life with our Father in Heaven. But like many points of gospel doctrine, that simple truth doesn't go far enough in terms of describing the Savior's role in our present lives and His great position as a member of the Godhead. Thus, some non-LDS Christians are uncomfortable with what they perceive as a secondary role for Christ in our theology. They feel that we view Jesus as a spiritual peer. They believe that we view Christ as an implementor for God, if you will, but that we don't view Him as God to us and to all mankind, which, of course, is counter to biblical testimony about Christ's divinity…

:Now we can understand why some Latter-day Saints have tended to focus on Christ's Sonship as opposed to His Godhood. As members of earthly families, we can relate to Him as a child, as a Son, and as a Brother because we know how that feels. We can personalize that relationship because we ourselves are children, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. For some it may be more difficult to relate to Him as a God. And so in an attempt to draw closer to Christ and to cultivate warm and personal feelings toward Him, some tend to humanize Him, sometimes at the expense of acknowledging His Divinity. So let us be very clear on this point: it is true that Jesus was our Elder Brother in the premortal life, but we believe that in this life it is crucial that we become "born again" as His sons and daughters in the gospel covenant.{{ref|ballard1}}

===Early Christian Evidence===
The early pre-nicene Church father Lactantius wrote:

:Since God was possessed of the greatest foresight for planning, and of the greatest skill for carrying out in action, before He commenced this business of the world,--inasmuch as there was in Him, and always is, the fountain of full and most complete goodness,--in order that goodness might spring as a stream from Him, and might flow forth afar, He produced a Spirit like to Himself, who might be endowed with the perfections of God the Father... Then He made another being, in whom the disposition of the divine origin did not remain. Therefore he was infected with his own envy as with poison, and passed from good to evil; and at his own will, which had been given to him by God unfettered, he acquired for himself a contrary name. From which it appears that the source of all evils is envy. For he envied his predecessor, who through his steadfastness is acceptable and dear to God the Father. This being, who from good became evil by his own act, is called by the Greeks ''diabolus'': we call him accuser, because he reports to God the faults to which he himself entices us. God, therefore, when He began the fabric of the world, set over the whole work that first and greatest Son, and used Him at the same time as a counselor and artificer, in planning, arranging, and accomplishing, since He is complete both in knowledge, and judgment, and power... {{ref|Lactantius}}

Many things he here taught are not considered "orthodox" by today's standards. However, Lactantius was definitely orthodox during his lifetime. Amazingly, many things here correspond to LDS doctrine precisely in those areas that are "unorthodox." For example,

1. "He produced a Spirit like to Himself," namely Christ. Christ, in this sense, is not the "co-equal," "eternally begotten," "same substance" "persona" of the later creeds. 
2. "Then he made another being, in whom the disposition of the divine origin did not remain." God made another spirit who rebelled and who fell from his exalted status. He is the ''diabolus.'' 
3. Christ is the "first and greatest Son." Not the "only" son. 
4. Lastly, since the ''diabolus'' and Christ are both spirit sons of God, they are spirit brothers.

==Conclusion==

Jesus, Satan, and all humanity share God the Father as their spiritual sire. However, moral agency led Jesus to obey God the Father perfectly and share fully in the Father's divine nature and power. The same agency led Satan to renounce God, fight Jesus, and doom himself to eternal damnation. The remainder of God's children—all of us—have the choice to follow the route chosen by Satan, or the path to which Christ invites us and shows the way.

Divine parenthood gives all children of God potential; Christ maximized that potential, and Satan squandered it.

To choose the gospel of Jesus Christ and the grace that attends it will lead us home again. If we choose to follow Satan's example, and refuse to accept the gift of God's Only Begotten Son, our spiritual parentage cannot help us, just as it cannot help dignify or enoble Satan.

==Endnotes==
#{{note|allaboutcults}}''www.allaboutcults.org'' "What do Mormons believe - Doctrinal Differences," (accessed 7 November 2007).
#{{note|ballard1}}{{Ensign1|author=M. Russell Ballard|article=Building Bridges of Understanding|date=June 1998|start=62}}{{link|url=http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1998.htm/ensign%20june%201998.htm/building%20bridges%20of%20understanding.htm}}
#{{note|Lactantius}}Lactantius, ''Divine Institutes'' 2.9. in Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, eds. ''The Ante-Nicene Fathers'', 10 vols. (1885; reprint, Peabody: Hendrickson, 2004), 1:52–53.

==Further reading==

===FAIR wiki articles===
{{DefinitionFallaciesWiki}}
{{JesusWiki}}

===FAIR web site===
*Michael Hickenbotham, [http://www.fairlds.org/pubs/JesusSatan.pdf Do Latter-day Saints Believe Jesus and Satan are Brothers?], FAIR Paper.
*Michael Reed, [http://www.fairlds.org/apol/brochures/LuciferJesus.pdf Lucifer, the Brother of Jesus?], FAIR Brochure.
{{JesusFAIR}}

===External links===
*{{1min|article=Is Lucifer the Brother of Jesus?|url=http://www.lightplanet.com/response/answers/lucifer.htm}}
*{{Ensign|author=Jess L. Christensen|article=How can Jesus and Lucifer be spirit brothers when their characters and purposes are so utterly opposed?|date=June 1986|start=25|end=26}}{{link|url=http://beta.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=4a10ef960417b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1}}
{{JesusLinks}}

===Printed material===
{{JesusPrint}}

Jesus Christ/Brother of Satan

2007-12-18T10:09:57Z

ChrisWalker: /* Response */ Michael and Lucifer are

{{JesusChristPortal}}
{{GermanWiki|http://de.fairmormon.org/Jesus_Christus_ist_der_Bruder_Satans}}
==Criticism==
Critics claim that the LDS consider Jesus and Satan to be "brothers," thus lowering the stature of Christ, or elevating Satan. Some go so far as to imply that the LDS "really" worship or revere Satan, and are thus not true "[[Latter-day_Saints_aren't_Christians|Christians]]."

===Source(s) of the Criticism===
*www.allaboutcults.org- "The Mormon church views Jesus and Satan as spirit brothers and sons of God...''The Christian church teaches that Jesus Christ has existed eternally as the Son of God, the second "person" of the Trinity''"{{ref|allaboutcults}}
* {{50Questions}}

==Response==
LDS doctrine does not subscribe to traditional [[Godhead_and_the_Trinity|creedal trinitarianism]]. That is, the LDS do not believe the extra-biblical doctrines which surround many Christians' ideas about God, such as expressed by the Nicene Creed. Specifically, the LDS do not accept the proposition that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are "of one substance (''homoousios'') with the Father," as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicene_Creed Nicene Creed] declares.

Rather, LDS doctrine teaches that God the Father is physically and personally distinct from Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son. The Father is understood to be the literal father of His spirit children.

LDS believe that Jesus Christ's role is central to our Heavenly Father's plan. Christ is unique in several respects from all other spirit children of God:
* Jesus was and is perfect
* Jesus is God (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/1/1#2 John 1:1-2], [http://scriptures.lds.org/heb/1/6#6 Hebrews 1:6], [http://scriptures.lds.org/1_ne/11/16#26 1 Nephi 11:16–26], [http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/76/13#13 D&C 76:13]).
* Jesus is the Creator (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/1/3#3 John 1:3], [http://scriptures.lds.org/heb/1/1#6 Hebrews 1:1–6], [http://scriptures.lds.org/mosiah/3/3#3 Mosiah 3:3], [http://scriptures.lds.org/hel/14/12#12 Helaman 14:12], [http://scriptures.lds.org/moses/2/1#1 Moses 2:1]).
* Jesus obeyed the Father in all things (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/1/11#11 3 Nephi 11:11]).
* Jesus was chosen and foreordained to be the Redeemer (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/isa/43/11#11 Isaiah 43:11], [http://scriptures.lds.org/mosiah/13/28#34 Mosiah 13:28–34], [http://scriptures.lds.org/3_ne/9/15#15 3 Nephi 9:15], [http://scriptures.lds.org/moses/4/2#2 Moses 4:2]).
* Jesus is the Mediator between God and humanity (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/14/6#6 John 14:6], [http://scriptures.lds.org/1_tim/2/5#5 1 Timothy 2:5], [http://scriptures.lds.org/heb/8/5#5 Hebrews 8:5], [http://scriptures.lds.org/2_ne/2/28#28 2 Nephi 2:28], [http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/76/69#69 D&C 76:69]).
* Jesus was "the Only Begotten"—only He, of all God's children, had a physical inheritance in His body from God the Father. All other mortals have two mortal parents, and Satan and his followers never receive physical bodies at all. (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/1/14#14 John 1:14], [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/3/16#16 John 3:16], [http://scriptures.lds.org/john/14/3#3 John 14:3], [http://scriptures.lds.org/jacob/4/11#11 Jacob 4:11], [http://scriptures.lds.org/alma/12/33#34 Alma 12:33–34]).

God the Father also had many other spirit children, created in His image and that of His Only Begotten. These children include all humans born on the earth. Some of God's children rebelled against Him, and contested the choice of Jesus as Savior. (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/dc/76/25#27 D&C 76:25–27]). The leader of these children was Lucifer, or Satan. Those spirit children of God who followed Satan in his rebellion against Christ are sometimes referred to as "demons," or "devils." (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/moses/4/1#4 Moses 4:1–4], [http://scriptures.lds.org/abr/3/24#28 Abraham 3:24–28]).

Thus, it is technically true to say that Jesus and Satan are "brothers," in the sense that both have the same spiritual parent, God the Father.

However, Latter-day Saints do not believe that Jesus and Satan are equals. Nothing is as equally evil as Jesus is good nor is Jesus power the opposite of Satan's (See http://scriptures.lds.org/en/moses/4/3 Moses 4:3). In fact, the scriptures clearly teach the superiority of Jesus over the devil and that Michael (or Adam) and Lucifer (Satan) and their followers fought against each other (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/rev/12/7-8 Revelation 12:7-8) to uphold the plan of the Father and the Son. In addition, the opposite of Christ/God is nothingness (http://scriptures.lds.org/en/2ne/2/10-15 2 Nephi 2 10-15).

However, critics do not provide the context for the idea that Christ and Lucifer were brothers. Cain and Abel were also brothers, and yet no Bible reader believes that they are spiritual equals or equally admirable. Critics also ignore the Biblical references that imply that Satan is one of the "sons of God." (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/job/1/6 Job:16], [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/job/2/1 Job 2:1])

Finally, while it is true that all mortals share a spiritual parent with Jesus (and Satan, and every other spiritual child of God), we now have a different, more important relationship with Jesus. All of God's children, save Jesus, have sinned and come short of the glory of God ([http://scriptures.lds.org/en/rom/3/23#23 Romans 3:23]). In sinning, they abandon and betray their divine heritage and inheritance. Only through Jesus can any mortal return home to God the Father. This return becomes possible when a sinner is born again, and adopted by Christ, who becomes the spiritual father to those whom He redeems. (See [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/rom/8/14-39#14 Romans 8:14–39].)

===Cautionary Note to Members===
Elder M. Russell Ballard cautioned members of the Church:

:We occasionally hear some members refer to Jesus as our Elder Brother, which is a true concept based on our understanding of the premortal life with our Father in Heaven. But like many points of gospel doctrine, that simple truth doesn't go far enough in terms of describing the Savior's role in our present lives and His great position as a member of the Godhead. Thus, some non-LDS Christians are uncomfortable with what they perceive as a secondary role for Christ in our theology. They feel that we view Jesus as a spiritual peer. They believe that we view Christ as an implementor for God, if you will, but that we don't view Him as God to us and to all mankind, which, of course, is counter to biblical testimony about Christ's divinity…

:Now we can understand why some Latter-day Saints have tended to focus on Christ's Sonship as opposed to His Godhood. As members of earthly families, we can relate to Him as a child, as a Son, and as a Brother because we know how that feels. We can personalize that relationship because we ourselves are children, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. For some it may be more difficult to relate to Him as a God. And so in an attempt to draw closer to Christ and to cultivate warm and personal feelings toward Him, some tend to humanize Him, sometimes at the expense of acknowledging His Divinity. So let us be very clear on this point: it is true that Jesus was our Elder Brother in the premortal life, but we believe that in this life it is crucial that we become "born again" as His sons and daughters in the gospel covenant.{{ref|ballard1}}

===Early Christian Evidence===
The early pre-nicene Church father Lactantius wrote:

:Since God was possessed of the greatest foresight for planning, and of the greatest skill for carrying out in action, before He commenced this business of the world,--inasmuch as there was in Him, and always is, the fountain of full and most complete goodness,--in order that goodness might spring as a stream from Him, and might flow forth afar, He produced a Spirit like to Himself, who might be endowed with the perfections of God the Father... Then He made another being, in whom the disposition of the divine origin did not remain. Therefore he was infected with his own envy as with poison, and passed from good to evil; and at his own will, which had been given to him by God unfettered, he acquired for himself a contrary name. From which it appears that the source of all evils is envy. For he envied his predecessor, who through his steadfastness is acceptable and dear to God the Father. This being, who from good became evil by his own act, is called by the Greeks ''diabolus'': we call him accuser, because he reports to God the faults to which he himself entices us. God, therefore, when He began the fabric of the world, set over the whole work that first and greatest Son, and used Him at the same time as a counselor and artificer, in planning, arranging, and accomplishing, since He is complete both in knowledge, and judgment, and power... {{ref|Lactantius}}

Many things he here taught are not considered "orthodox" by today's standards. However, Lactantius was definitely orthodox during his lifetime. Amazingly, many things here correspond to LDS doctrine precisely in those areas that are "unorthodox." For example,

1. "He produced a Spirit like to Himself," namely Christ. Christ, in this sense, is not the "co-equal," "eternally begotten," "same substance" "persona" of the later creeds. 
2. "Then he made another being, in whom the disposition of the divine origin did not remain." God made another spirit who rebelled and who fell from his exalted status. He is the ''diabolus.'' 
3. Christ is the "first and greatest Son." Not the "only" son. 
4. Lastly, since the ''diabolus'' and Christ are both spirit sons of God, they are spirit brothers.

==Conclusion==

Jesus, Satan, and all humanity share God the Father as their spiritual sire. However, moral agency led Jesus to obey God the Father perfectly and share fully in the Father's divine nature and power. The same agency led Satan to renounce God, fight Jesus, and doom himself to eternal damnation. The remainder of God's children—all of us—have the choice to follow the route chosen by Satan, or the path to which Christ invites us and shows the way.

Divine parenthood gives all children of God potential; Christ maximized that potential, and Satan squandered it.

To choose the gospel of Jesus Christ and the grace that attends it will lead us home again. If we choose to follow Satan's example, and refuse to accept the gift of God's Only Begotten Son, our spiritual parentage cannot help us, just as it cannot help dignify or enoble Satan.

==Endnotes==
#{{note|allaboutcults}}''www.allaboutcults.org'' "What do Mormons believe - Doctrinal Differences," (accessed 7 November 2007).
#{{note|ballard1}}{{Ensign1|author=M. Russell Ballard|article=Building Bridges of Understanding|date=June 1998|start=62}}{{link|url=http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1998.htm/ensign%20june%201998.htm/building%20bridges%20of%20understanding.htm}}
#{{note|Lactantius}}Lactantius, ''Divine Institutes'' 2.9. in Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson, eds. ''The Ante-Nicene Fathers'', 10 vols. (1885; reprint, Peabody: Hendrickson, 2004), 1:52–53.

==Further reading==

===FAIR wiki articles===
{{DefinitionFallaciesWiki}}
{{JesusWiki}}

===FAIR web site===
*Michael Hickenbotham, [http://www.fairlds.org/pubs/JesusSatan.pdf Do Latter-day Saints Believe Jesus and Satan are Brothers?], FAIR Paper.
*Michael Reed, [http://www.fairlds.org/apol/brochures/LuciferJesus.pdf Lucifer, the Brother of Jesus?], FAIR Brochure.
{{JesusFAIR}}

===External links===
*{{1min|article=Is Lucifer the Brother of Jesus?|url=http://www.lightplanet.com/response/answers/lucifer.htm}}
*{{Ensign|author=Jess L. Christensen|article=How can Jesus and Lucifer be spirit brothers when their characters and purposes are so utterly opposed?|date=June 1986|start=25|end=26}}{{link|url=http://beta.lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=4a10ef960417b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1}}
{{JesusLinks}}

===Printed material===
{{JesusPrint}}

Countercult ministries/Tower to Truth Ministries/50 Questions to Ask Mormons

2007-12-18T09:51:20Z

ChrisWalker: /* 38. Why does the LDS Church teach that Jesus paid for our sins in the garden of Gethsemane when {{b|1|Peter|2|24}} says that it was on the cross? The atoning sacrifice began in the Garden of

{{DoYouHaveQuestions}}

==Answers to 50 Anti-Mormon Questions==

Anti-Mormon literature tends to recycle the same themes. Some ministries are using a series of fifty questions, which they believe will help "cultists" like the Mormons. One ministry seems to suggest that such questions are a good way to deceive Latter-day Saints, since the questions "give...them hope that you are genuinely interested in learning more about their religion."

This ministry tells its readers what their real intent should be with their Mormon friend: "to get them thinking about things they may have never thought about and researching into the false teachings of their church." Thus, the questions are not sincere attempts to understand what the Latter-day Saints believe, but are a smokescreen or diversionary tactic to introduce anti-Mormon material.{{ref|anti1}}

The questions are not difficult to answer, nor are they new. This page provides links to answers to the questions. It should be noted that the questions virtually all do at least one of the following:

# misunderstand or misread LDS doctrine or scripture;
# give unofficial material the status of official belief;
# assume that Mormons must have inerrantist ideas about scripture or prophets like conservative evangelical Protestants do;
# apply a strict standard to LDS ideas, but use a double standard to avoid condemning the Bible or their own beliefs if the standard was applied fairly to both.
__TOC__

==Questions About LDS Prophets==

=== 1. Why does the Mormon church still teach that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God after he made a false prophecy about a temple built in Missouri in his generation ({{s||DC|84|1-5}})===

This was not a prophecy, but a command from God to build the temple. There's a difference. Jesus said people should repent; just because many didn't doesn't make Him a false messenger, simply a messenger that fallible people didn't heed.

''Learn more here:'' [[Independence temple to be built "in this generation"]]

=== 2. Since the time when Brigham Young taught that both the moon and the sun were inhabited by people, has the Mormon church ever found scientific evidence of that to be true? (''Journal of Discourses'' (1870), 13:271)===

In Brigham (and Joseph's) day, there had been newspaper articles reporting that a famous astronomer had reported that there were men on the moon and elsewhere. This was published in LDS areas; the retraction of this famous hoax never was publicized, and so they may not have even heard about it.

Brigham and others were most likely repeating what had been told them by the science of the day. (Lots of Biblical prophets talked about the earth being flat, the sky being a dome, etc.—it is inconsistent for conservative Protestants to complain that a false belief about the physical world shared by others in their culture condemns Brigham and Joseph, but does not condemn Bible prophets.)

In any case, Brigham made it clear that he was expressing his ''opinion'': "Do you think it is inhabited? I rather think it is." Prophets are entitled to their opinions; in fact, the point of Brigham's discourse is that the only fanatic is one who insists upon clinging to a false idea.

* ''Learn more here:'' [[Brigham Young and moonmen]] 
* ''Learn more here:'' [[Joseph Smith and moonmen]]

=== 3. Why did Brigham Young teach that Adam is "our Father and our God" when both the Bible and the Book of Mormon ({{s||Mormon|9|12}}) say that Adam is a creation of God? (''Journal of Discourses'' (1852) 1:50))===

The problem with "Adam-God" is that we don't understand what Brigham meant. All of his statements cannot be reconciled with each other. In any case, Latter-day Saints are not inerrantists—they believe prophets can have their own opinions. Only the united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve can establish official LDS doctrine. That never happened with any variety of "Adam-God" doctrine. Since Brigham seemed to also agree with statements like Mormon 9:12, and the Biblical record, it seems likely that we do not entirely understand how he fit all of these ideas together.

* ''Learn more here:'' [[Adam-God]]

=== 4. If Brigham Young was a true prophet, how come one of your later prophets overturned his declaration which stated that the black man could never hold the priesthood in the LDS Church until after the resurrection of all other races (''Journal of Discourses'' (1854) 2:142-143)===

Peter and the other apostles likewise misunderstood the timing of gospel blessings to non-Israelites. Even following a revelation to Peter, many members of the early Christian Church continued to fight about this point and how to implement it—even Peter and Paul had disagreements. Yet, Bible-believing Christians, such as the Latter-day Saints, continue to consider both as prophets. Critics should be careful that they do not have a double standard, or they will condemn Bible prophets as well.

The Latter-day Saints are not [[Biblical inerrancy|scriptural]] or [[Fallibility of prophets|prophetic inerrantists]]. They are not troubled when prophets have personal opinions which turn out to be incorrect. In the case of the [[Blacks and the priesthood|priesthood ban]], members of the modern Church accepted the change with more joy and obedience than many first century members accepted the extension of the gospel to the Gentiles without the need for keeping the Mosaic Law.

=== 5. Since the Bible's test of determine whether someone is a true prophet of God is 100% accuracy in all his prophecies ({{b||Deuteronomy|18|20-22}}), has the LDS Church ever reconsidered its teaching that Joseph Smith and Brigham Young were true prophets?===

Believing Christians should be careful. Unless they want to be guilty of a double standard, they will end up condemning many Biblical prophets by this standard.

* ''Learn more here:'' [[Joseph Smith and prophetic test in Deuteronomy 18]]

=== 6. Since the current LDS prophets sometimes contradict the former ones, how do you decide which one is correct?===

Most "contradictions" are actually misunderstandings or misrepresentations of LDS doctrine and teachings by critics. The LDS standard for doctrine is the scriptures, and united statements of the First Presidency and the Twelve.

The Saints believe they must be led by revelation, adapted to the circumstances in which they now find themselves. Noah was told to build an ark, but not all people required that message. Moses told them to put the Passover lamb’s blood on their door; that was changed with the coming of Christ, etc.

No member is expected to follow prophetic advice "just because the prophet said so." Each member is to receive his or her own revelatory witness from the Holy Ghost. We cannot be led astray in matters of importance if we always appeal to God for His direction.

=== 7. Since there are several different contradictory accounts of Joseph Smith's first vision, how did the LDS Church choose the correct one?===

The First Vision accounts are not contradictory. No early member of the Church claimed that Joseph changed his story, or contradicted himself. Critics of the Church have not been familiar with the data on this point.

The shortest answer is that the Saints believe the First Vision not because of textual evidence, but because of personal revelation.

* For the most common claim about a contradiction, see here: [[Only one Personage appears in the 1832 account]] 
* Many questions about the First Vision are addressed here: [[First Vision accounts]]

=== 8. Can you show me in the Bible the LDS teaching that we must all stand before Joseph Smith on the Day of Judgment?===

This is a misunderstanding and caricature of LDS doctrine. There is, however, the Biblical doctrine that the apostles will help judge Israel:

:Ye [the apostles] are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ({{b||Luke|22|28-30}}; see also {{s||Matthew|19|28}})

Since the saints believe in modern apostles, they believe that those modern apostles (including Joseph) will have a role in judgment appointed to them by Jesus.

Those who condemn Joseph on these grounds must also condemn Peter and the rest of the Twelve.

* ''Learn more here:'' [[Joseph Smith's status in LDS belief]]

==Questions About LDS Scripture (excluding the Bible)==
=== 9. Can you show me archeological and historical proof from non-Mormon sources that prove that the peoples and places named in the Book of Mormon are true?===

This question is based on the mistaken assumption that the Bible message that Jesus is Christ and Lord is somehow "proved" by archeology, which is not true. It also ignores differences between Old and New World archeology. For example, since we don't know how to pronounce the names of ANY Nephite-era city in the American archeologic record, how would we know if we had found a Nephite city or not?

* ''To learn more:'' [[Archeology and the Bible]]
* For physical Book of Mormon evidence specifically, see:
** [[Book_of_Mormon_geography:Old_World|Old World geography]]
** [[Book_of_Mormon_and_warfare|Warfare]]

=== 10. If the words "familiar spirit" in {{b||Isaiah|29|4}} refer to the Book of Mormon, why does "familiar spirit" always refer to occult practices such as channeling and necromancy everywhere else in the Old Testament?===

The term "familiar spirit," quoted in the often-poetic Isaiah (and used by Nephi to prophesy about the modern publication of the Book of Mormon) is a ''metaphor'', not a description of any text or its origin.

* ''To learn more:'' [[Book of Mormon as a "familiar spirit"]]

=== 11. Why did Joseph Smith condone polygamy as an ordinance from God (D. & C. 132) when the Book of Mormon had already condemned the practice (Jacob 1:15, 2:24)===

The critics need to read the next verses. The Book of Mormon says that God may command polygamy, just a few verses later. ({{s||Jacob|2|30}}).

* ''To learn more:'' [[Book of Mormon condemns polygamy]]

Many Biblical prophets had more than one wife, and there is no indication that God condemned them. And, the Law of Moses had laws about plural wives—why not just forbid them if it was evil, instead of telling people how they were to conduct it?

* ''To learn more:'' [[Polygamy not Biblical]]

And, many early Christians didn't think polygamy was inherently evil:

* ''To learn more:'' [[Early Christians on plural marriage]]

=== 12. Why were the words "white and delightsome" in 2 Nephi 30:6 changed to "pure and delightsome" right on the heels of the Civil Rights campaign for blacks?===

The critics have their history wrong. The change dates to 1837. The change was made by Joseph Smith in the 1837 edition of the Book of Mormon, though it was not carried through in some other editions, which mistakenly followed the 1830 instead of Joseph’s change. It was restored in the 1981 edition, but that was nearly 150 years after the change was made by Joseph.

This issue has been discussed extensively in the Church's magazines (e.g. the ''Ensign''), and the scholarly publication ''BYU Studies.''

* ''To learn more:'' {{Dialogue1|author=Douglas Campbell|article='White' or 'Pure': Five Vignettes|vol=29|num=4|date=Winter 1996|start=?}}{{link|url=http://www.geocities.com/marcschindler1/vignette.htm}}

=== 13. If God is an exalted man with a body of flesh and bones, why does {{s||Alma|18|26-28}} and {{b||John|4|24}} say that God is a spirit?===

In Alma, the reference is to Jesus Christ, who before His birth did not have a physical body.

John 4:24 does not say God is "a" spirit, but says "God is spirit." There is no "a" in the Greek. The Bible also says "God is truth" or "God is light." Those things are true, but we don't presume God is JUST truth, or JUST light—or JUST spirit.

As one non-LDS commentary puts it:

:''That God is spirit is not meant as a definition of God's being—though this is how the Stoics [a branch of Greek philosophy] would have understood it. It is a metaphor of his mode of operation, as life-giving power, and it is no more to be taken literally than 1John 1:5, "God is light," or Deut. 4:24, "Your God is a devouring fire." It is only those who have received this power through Christ who can offer God a real worship.''
::- J. N. Sanders, ''A Commentary on the Gospel According to St. John'', edited and completed by B. A. Mastin, (New York, Harper & Row, 1968), 147–148.

* ''To learn more:'' [[God is a Spirit]]

=== 14. Why did God encourage Abraham & Sarah to lie in {{s||Abraham|2|24}}? Isn't lying a sin according to the 10 commandments? Why did God tell Abraham and Sarah to lie when 2 Nephi condemns liars to hell?===

In the Bible, there are accounts of God commanding or approving less than complete disclosure. These examples seem to involve the protection of the innocent from the wicked, which fits the case of Abraham and his wife nicely.

* ''To learn more:'' [[Why would Abraham lie?]]

=== 15. Why does the Book of Mormon state that Jesus was born in Jerusalem (Alma 7:10) when history and the Bible state that he was born outside of Jerusalem, in Bethlehem?===

The Bible also says that Bethlehem ("the city of David") is at Jerusalem. ({{b|2|Kings|14|20}}) Was the Bible wrong? (Bethlehem is in the direct area of Jerusalem, being only about seven miles apart.)

* ''To learn more:'' [[Book of Mormon anachronisms:Jerusalem vs Bethlehem]]

=== 16. If the Book of Mormon is the most correct of any book on earth, as Joseph Smith said, why does it contain over 4000 changes from the original 1830 edition?===

Christians should be careful with such attacks. If they don’t want to have a double standard, they'd have to realize that there are more differences in Biblical manuscripts of the New Testament than there are words in the New Testament! Yet, Latter-day Saints and other Christians still believe the Bible.

Most of the changes to the Book of Mormon were issues of spelling, typos, and the like. A few changes were for clarification, but the original Book of Mormon text would easily serve members and scholars.

* ''To learn more:'': [[Book of Mormon textual changes]]

=== 17. If the Book of Mormon contains the "fulness of the everlasting gospel," why does the LDS Church need additional works?===

The Book of Mormon's definition of "fulness of the gospel" is not "all truths taught in the Church." The fulness of the gospel is simply defined as the core doctrines of Christ's atonement and the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. Critics do not trouble to understand what the Book of Mormon says before attacking it.

* ''To learn more:'' [[Book of Mormon and the fulness of the gospel]]

=== 18. If the Book of Mormon contains the "fulness of the everlasting gospel," why doesn't it say anything about so many important teachings such as eternal progression, celestial marriage, the Word of Wisdom, the plurality of Gods, the pre-existence of man, our mother in heaven, baptism for the dead, etc?===

The Book of Mormon's definition of "fulness of the gospel" is not "all truths taught in the Church." The fulness of the gospel is simply defined as the core doctrines of Christ's atonement and the first principles and ordinances of the gospel. Critics do not trouble to understand what the Book of Mormon says before attacking it. Making the same attack twice (see #17) makes it no more convincing the second time.

* ''To learn more:'' [[Book of Mormon and the fulness of the gospel]]

=== 19. Why do you baptize for the dead when both {{s||Mosiah|3|25}} and the Bible state that there is no chance of salvation after death?===

The passage in Mosiah 3:25, and any passages in the Bible which also imply there is no chance of salvation after death, are clearly addressed to those who have the opportunity to repent in this life. Those who have not, by no fault of their own, embraced the everlasting gospel in this life will have the opportunity to do so after death.

The critics are on thin ice with this attack—do they wish us to believe in a God so unjust that He would damn someone for all eternity, simply because they never had the opportunity to hear about Jesus?

Why ''wouldn't'' members of the Church baptize for the dead, when the Bible teaches this idea? (See {{b|1|Corinthians|15|29}}.)

''To learn more:''[[Template:BaptismDeadWiki|Baptism for the dead]]

=== 20. Since the word grace means a free gift that can't be earned, why does the Book of Mormon state "for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." ({{s|2|Nephi|25|23}})===

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes the same thing about grace that the earliest Christians believed. Modern Protestant ideas are different from earlier teachings, which is fine, but it doesn't make Mormon ideas "false" if we agree with how the earliest followers of Jesus saw the matter.

One Evangelical Christian author wrote of his sudden discovery that his previous beliefs about salvation were very different from those held by the early Christians:

:If there's any single doctrine that we would expect to find the faithful associates of the apostles teaching, it's the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. After all, that is the cornerstone doctrine of the Reformation. In fact, we frequently say that persons who don't hold to this doctrine aren't really Christians…

:Our problem is that Augustine, Luther, and other Western theologians have convinced us that there's an irreconcilable conflict between salvation based on grace and salvation conditioned on works or obedience. They have used a fallacious form of argumentation known as the "false dilemma," by asserting that there are only two possibilities regarding salvation: it's either (1) a gift from God or (2) it's something we earn by our works.

:The early Christians [and the Latter-day Saints!] would have replied that a gift is no less a gift simply because it's conditioned on obedience....

: The early Christians believed that salvation is a gift from God but that God gives His gift to whomever He chooses. And He chooses to give it to those who love and obey him.
::—David W. Bercot, ''Will The Real Heretics Please Stand Up: A New Look at Today's Evangelical Church in the Light of Early Christianity'', 3rd edition, (Tyler, Texas: Scroll Publishing Company, 1999[1989]), 57, 61–62. ISBN 0924722002.

The Latter-day Saints are pleased to be in the company of the earliest Christians. And, the LDS cannot be excluded as Christians because they have not embraced the modified doctrines adopted later.

Further, the phrase "after all we can do" must be interpreted in light of other Book of Mormon passages which define "all we can do" as repentance and being forgiven of sin and cleansed of guilt (see {{s||Alma|24|10-12}}).

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, on of the present day apostles, spoke on these issues and doctrines thoroughly:

* {{Ensign1|author=Dallin H. Oaks|article=Have You Been Saved?|date=May 1998|start=55}}{{link|url=http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=83db605ff590c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1}}
''To learn more:''
{{GraceWiki}}

=== 21. Does the LDS Church still regard the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price as Holy Scripture even after several prominent Egyptologists proved it was an ancient funeral scroll?===

The LDS Church announced that fragments of the papyrus were from the Book of Breathings within two months of their acquisition.

The big print in the Church magazine published as soon as the scrolls were recovered can be seen [[Search for the Truth DVD:Book of Abraham:Book of Dead Scan (full size zoom)|here]].

Critics often don't tell people that we are missing at least 85% of the scrolls that Joseph Smith had. We don't have papyrus with the Book of Abraham on it (except Facsimile #1) and have never claimed to.

* ''To learn more:'': [[Book of Abraham:Book of the Dead]]

=== 22. Why does the Book of Abraham, chapters 4 & 5, contradict Alma 11 in stating that there is more than one God.===

The term "God" may be used in more than one way. Latter-day Saints are not Nicene [[Godhead_and_the_Trinity|Trinitarians]], but still believe in "one God."

* ''To learn more:'' [[Polytheism]]

=== 23. Why does D. & C. 42:18 say there is no forgiveness for a murderer when 3 Nephi 30:2 says there is forgiveness for him?'===

[http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/42/ Doctrine and Covenants 42] is "the law of the Church" and pertains to those who are baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who by baptism are adopted into the house of Israel. {{s|3|Nephi|30|2}} pertains to those who are still "Gentiles" and who are not yet "numbered with [God's] people who are of the house of Israel." For a member of the Church to committee murder there is no forgiveness, whereas a person who has not yet made baptismal covenants may, under certain conditions, be forgiven. Some Lamanites repented and were forgiven of their murders (see {{S||Alma|24|10-12}}).

=== 24. If the Adam-God doctrine isn't true, how come D. & C. 27:11 calls Adam the Ancient of Days which is clearly a title for God in Daniel Chapter 7?===

Like many Christians, the LDS see many parallels between Christ (who is God) and Adam. Christ is even called, on occasion, the "second Adam." It is thus not surprising that {{s||DC|27|11}} associates Adam with a divine title or status when resurrected and exalted—after all, LDS theology anticipates human deification, so God and Adam are not seen as totally "other" or "different" from each other. This does not mean, however, that Adam and God are the same being, merely that they can ultimately share the same divine nature.

=== 25. Why does the Book of Mormon contain extensive, word-for-word quotes from the Bible if the LDS Church is correct in teaching that the Bible has been corrupted?===

It would be more correct to say that the Book of Mormon teaches that plain and precious things have been removed from the Bible {{s|1|Nephi|13|28}}. The vast majority of that which has remained in the Bible is both true and valuable.

Latter-day Saints take two years of every four in Sunday School studying the Bible. They cherish it. They merely refuse to believe that the Bible is all that God has said, or can say. God can speak whenever He wishes.

* ''To learn more:'' [[Bible basics]]

For extensive evidence that the Bible both underwent change ''and'' deletions in the very early years, see [[Biblical_inerrancy|here]].

* ''To learn more:'' [[Biblical completeness]]

=== 26. Why do the Bible verses quoted in the Book of Mormon contain the italicized words from the King James Version that were added into the KJV text by the translators in the 16th and 17th centuries?===

The italics do indeed identify words added by the translators. They were "added" because they were necessary words for making sense of the translation: in Hebrew and Greek the words are sometimes implied, but necessary for English to make sense. (Italics can mislead us, however, in suggesting that there is such a thing as a word-for-word translation without interpretation, save for the italics.)

Thus, in some cases the italic words are necessary, and Joseph or another translator would have had to put them in. In other cases, Joseph removed the italic words. (It's not clear that Joseph even owned a Bible during the Book of Mormon translation era, much less that he knew what the italics meant.)

This is really a question about why the Book of Mormon text is often very close (or, in some cases, identical to) the King James Version. If Joseph was trying to forge a book (as the critics claim) then why did he quote from the Bible, the one book his readers would be sure to know?

* ''To learn more:'' [[Joseph Smith Translation and the Book of Mormon]]

=== 27. If the Book of Mormon was engraved on gold plates thousands of years ago, why does it read in perfect 1611 King James Version English?===

Because Joseph translated it as King James English.

Why do modern translations of the Greek and Hebrew Bible sound like modern English, even though the texts are hundreds or thousands of years old? Because that's how the translators translated them. It doesn't say anything about what the language is like on the original.

(French translators make totally different translations than English translators, but the manuscripts remain the same!)

Do Christians condemn the Bible as an inauthentic record because their translations sound like 21st century English? This question is a good example of how insincere these "questions" from an anti-Mormon ministry are.

==Questions About the Bible==

=== 28. If marriage is essential to achieve exaltation, why did Paul say that it is good for a man not to marry? ({{b|1|Corinthians|7|1}})===

Paul does not say it is good not to marry, but quotes the ''Corinthian Saints''' comments in a previous letter to him. Paul is responding to this claim, and he critiques it.

* ''To learn more:'' [[Paul says good not to marry?]]

=== 29. Since the Word of Wisdom teaches us to abstain from alcohol, why did Paul encourage Timothy to drink wine for the stomach? ({{b|1|Timothy|5|23}})===

In Timothy's day, water was often not safe to drink. (Historically, it is interesting that the temperance movement opposing alcohol only took off in the United States once relatively clean water supplies were available to most people—prior to that, alcohol mixed with water was a necessary way of keeping water drinkable.)

The Word of Wisdom was given to modern saints as protection against "the designs of conspiring men in the last days." Certainly we don't have to look far to see such conspiracy against the health of customers at work today in tobacco companies or street drug dealers.

This shows why modern revelation is so important—what was dangerous for us in the modern age (cigarette manufacturers, illicit drugs, alcohol marketing, etc.) may need different advice from God than that given 2000 years ago where dying from dysentery transmitted by contaminated water was a far bigger risk than dying of cirrhosis or stomach cancer.

A related question which Christian critics ought to ask themselves might be, "Since we know now that alcohol—including wine—can cause gastritis, ulcers, or stomach bleeding why did Paul (a prophet!) tell Timothy to use it?"

This is a lot like earlier questions about Joseph Smith or Brigham Young expressing a false, though popular, opinion about scientific matters. Paul isn't any less an apostle because he expressed a false idea about the benefits of alcohol on stomach problems.

''To learn more:'' [[Wine for the stomach and the Word of Wisdom]]

=== 30. If obeying the Word of Wisdom—which tells us to abstain from coffee, tea, alcohol and tobacco—is important for our exaltation, why did Jesus say that there is nothing that can enter a man to make him defiled ({{b||Mark|7|15}})?===

The Word of Wisdom says nothing about such substances "defiling us." Members believe it is important to obey the Word of Wisdom because God has commanded us not to do something, and we have promised not to do it. We should keep our promises to God.

The Jews promised not to eat pork, and so it was a sin for them not to eat pork—not because pork contaminates or "defiles" them, but because disobedience (that which comes OUT of us, as Jesus said) shows we do not love and trust God.

The underlying principle here is obedience to God, not the Word of Wisdom, ''per se.''

''To learn more:'' [[Template:WoWWiki|Word of Wisdom]]

=== 31. If Jesus is the Jehovah of the Old Testament and Elohim is referred to as God in the Old Testament, can you explain Deuteronomy 6:4 to me "Hear, O Israel: the Lord (Jehovah) our God (Elohim) is one Lord (Jehovah)?===

An alternate translation of the passage is "Hear, O Israel: The LORD [Jehovah] is our God[Elohim], the LORD alone" (ESV footnote). In this case, "Elohim" is used as a title meaning "God" while "Jehovah" is used as a proper name. This translation also would suggest the possibility of other gods for other non-Israelite nations as seen in Deuteronomy 32:8-9.

Moreover, we must not make the mistake of thinking that the name-titles "Jehovah" and "Elohim" had those meanings anciently, or were always used that way in scripture—they did not, and were not.

These titles as used in the LDS Church for the Father and the Son are modern (i.e., 20th century) and are used for clarity when distinguishing members of the Godhead. It is not to be expected that ancient writers used the terms always in the same way. The use of the term such as "Elohim" could mean, depending on the context and grammar, "God," "gods," or even what would be better termed "angels" or "heavenly beings."

* ''To learn more:'' [[Elohim and Jehovah]]

=== 32. Why does the Mormon Church teach that we can be married in heaven when Jesus said in {{b||Matthew|22|30}} that in the resurrection man neither marry, nor are they given in marriage?===

Marriages persist after resurrection if done by proper authority; they are not entered into after the resurrection. Yet, the Bible teaches that men and women are not complete before God without each other (See {{s|1|Corinthians|11|11}}).

The Church teaches that marriages need to be performed either in person or by proxy here on the earth. Thus all such marriages will be arranged either here or in the spirit world, and conducted either now or during the millennium on earth.

''To learn more:'' [[Marriage not needed for exaltation]]

=== 33. How can worthy Mormon males become Gods in the afterlife when God already said that before him no God was formed, nor will there be any Gods formed after him ({{s||Isaiah|43|10}}).===

Critics often misunderstand the doctrine of [[Deification_of_man|''theosis'', or human deification]]. Yet, it is a doctrine shared by many early Christians and much of modern Eastern Christianity (e.g., Eastern Orthodox).

However, the question asked here represents a misunderstanding of the Isaiah scripture in its ancient context when compared with the rest of the Bible.

* ''To learn more:'' [["No God beside me"]]

=== 34. If God had a father who was a God, how come Isaiah 44:8 says that he doesn't know him?===

Again, the interpretation of this verse is mistaken.

* ''To learn more:'' [["No God beside me"]]
* ''See also:'' [[Infinite regress of Gods?]]

=== 35. If God was once just a man who progressed to becoming a God, how do you explain Psalm 90:2:…"even from everlasting to everlasting, thou are God"===

The only aspect of this about which we are certain is that God the Father underwent a mortal experience like Christ did. Jesus was, however, God before He underwent His mortal experience, and the Father may have been too. We simply don't know.

* ''To learn more:'' [[Unchanging Nature of God]]

=== 36. How can God be an exalted man when Numbers 23:19 says that God is not a man?===

The verse actually says (NET Bible version):

:God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a human being, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? ({{B||Numbers|23|19}})

Thus, the teaching here is that God is not a fallible mortal who will change his goals or say He will do something and then not do it. There is, by contrast, abundant Biblical evidence of God's physical form upon which man's body was patterned:

* ''To learn more:'' [[Corporeality of God]]

=== 37. Why does the Mormon Church teach that Elohim had sexual relations with Mary to produce Jesus when both Matthew and Luke teach she was a virgin (''The Seer'', January 1853, p. 158)? ===

''The Seer'' was a publication that was [[The_Seer|officially disavowed]] by the First Presidency soon after it was published. So, this is not LDS doctrine. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes in the virgin birth of Christ, but has no doctrine about ''how'' such a miracle occurred.

* ''To learn more:'' [[Jesus Christ's conception]]

=== 38. Why does the LDS Church teach that Jesus paid for our sins in the garden of Gethsemane when {{b|1|Peter|2|24}} says that it was on the cross? ===

The atoning sacrifice began in the Garden of Gethsemane and culminated on the cross. We can see from the Gospels that the suffering began in the Garden and went on until Jesus said on the cross "it is finished." Neither aspect was unimportant, and both involved suffering which we cannot fathom (see {{S||DC|19|18}}The LDS Church has no quarrel with this doctrine. This hostile question seems to be an attempt to suggest that Latter-day Saints do not value or appreciate Christ's saving death on the cross, but this is false.

It may be that the Church sometimes emphasizes Gethsemane, because traditional Christianity has long focused on the cross in art, iconography, and ritual. Yet, Gethsemane must not be overlooked, where Christ "sweat...as it were great drops of blood" for the sins of all humanity ({{b||Luke|22|44}}; see also {{s||Alma|7|11}}, {{s||DC|19|18}}).

* ''To learn more:'' [[Was Jesus crucified on a cross?]]

=== 39. Why did Bruce McConkie write that a man may commit a sin so grievous that it will place him beyond the atoning blood of Christ (''Mormon Doctrine'', 1979, p. 93) when the Bible says that the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin ({{b|1|John|1|7}})?===

"Mormon Doctrine" is not an [[Fallibility_of_prophets#Standard_of_doctrine_in_the_Church|official publication]] of the LDS Church.

In this case, however, Elder McConkie is in good company since Jesus taught that there was an unforgivable sin:

:31 Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
: 32 And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, '''it shall not be forgiven him''', neither in this world, neither in the world to come. ({{s||Matthew|12|31–32}}, emphasis added)

Thus, it seems that 1 John is best interpreted as meaning that any forgivable sin is cleansed through—and only through—the blood of Christ. Latter-day Saints understand the "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost" to be rejecting the atonement of Christ when one has a perfect knowledge of it.

John later qualifies his statement making clear there is a sin that is unforgivable.

:If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_jn/5/16#16 1 John 5:1].

The counsel here is to pray for those who sin unless they have committed the "sin unto death" which cannot be forgiven. Obviously, if one rejects the atonement of Christ, one cannot be saved by it, and so one will not be forgiven for that sin.

=== 40. Why does the LDS Church teach that man first existed as spirits in heaven when 1 Corinthians 15:46 says that the physical body comes before the spiritual?===

1 Corinthians is not talking about the order of creation, but is talking about the regeneration of the wicked person into a spiritual, born again person. Thus, of course the physical (i.e., carnal) person comes first, and the spiritual (i.e., born again) person comes next when regenerated through Christ.

Biblical statements indicate that God is the father of our spirits and we were known to him before our birth (e.g., {{s||Jeremiah|1|5}})

=== 41. Since Jesus statement, "be ye therefore perfect" ({{s||Matthew|5|48}}) is in the present tense, are you perfect right now? Do you expect to be perfect soon? According to {{s||Hebrews|10|14}}, how are we made perfect?===

In this life, perfection is something that can only be achieved by God's grace and '''in Christ'''. His perfection becomes ours through our covenant relationship with Him.

:Yea, come unto Christ, and be '''perfected in him''', and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be '''perfect in Christ'''; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God. And again, if ye by the grace of God are '''perfect in Christ''', and deny not his power, then are ye '''sanctified in Christ''' by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot. [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/moro/10/32-33 Moroni 10:32-33]

However, Matt. 5:48 suggests there will be a time when we will actually and independently be perfect like God. This, however, is not to be achieved in this life nor for a long time after death.

=== 42. Why do Mormons say the sticks in Ezekiel 37 represent the Bible and the Book of Mormon when Ezekiel 37:20-22 tells us that the sticks represent two nations, not two books?===

The two symbols are not exclusive. The sticks can be nations, and each nation has a witness of Christ which helps in restoring scattered Israel. The use of the Ezekiel passage is a modern one for Latter-day Saints. It does not mean that this is the only interpretation, or the use to which Ezekiel intended it to be put.

* ''To learn more:'' [[Book of Mormon as the stick of Ephraim]]

=== 43. Why does the LDS Church teach that Jesus and Lucifer are spirit brothers when both the first chapter of John and Colossians teach that Jesus is the Creator of all things, including Lucifer?===

This is another question intended more to sensationalize beliefs and polarize rather than lead to meaningful communication. Presumably, something akin to guilt by association is intended. The short answer a similarly rhetorical statement -- the critic, Judas, and Hitler are brothers too! But the reality of that relationship obviously need not taint the good standing of the critic. All sons of Adam (including all subsequent generations) are brothers.

Latter-day Saints do indeed believe that in a meaningful sense Jesus, angels (including the fallen angel Lucifer), and Adam and all his sons are sons of God -- and hence, brothers. The Bible corroborates our respective sonships. No Christian should disagree with that. Perhaps the criticism stems from the fact that Latter-day Saints happen to believe that all the sons of God existed together pre-existently? However, this belief need not change the general equation for brotherhood upon which all Christians agree. Suffice it to say that Latter-day Saints believe Jesus Christ had a unique status as God in the pre-existence -- a status other sons of God did not have! Jesus Christ's earliest introduction in Scripture uniquely embraced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes that clear -- ''... one among them that was like unto God'' -- [http://scriptures.lds.org/abr/3/24#28 Abraham 3:24–28]). None other had Christ's status. And that unique status Jesus Christ had in the in the pre-existence means Lucifer's brotherhood and our brotherhood with Him there were exactly the same as our common brotherhood with Him is based on His dwelling on the Earth. Brothers yes. Different yes.

* ''On Colossians, see:'' [[Creation in Colossians 1:16]]
* ''To learn more:'' [[Jesus Christ is the brother of Satan]]

A word on "all" from Evangelical leader, Charles Spurgeon:

''"The whole world is gone after Him." Did all the world go after Christ? "Then went all Judea, and were baptized of him in Jordan." Was all Judea, or all Jerusalem baptized in Jordan? "Ye are of God, little children," and "the whole world lieth in the wicked one." Does "the whole world" there mean everybody? If so, how was it, then, that there were some who were "of God?" The words "world" and "all" are used in seven or eight senses in Scripture; and it is very rarely that "all" means all persons , taken individually.'' (Particular Redemption, February 28, 1858)

In other words, if the Bible is to be deemed to be ''always'' plain/perspicacious, if such a philosophically absolute interpretation of the word "all" were intended by John or Paul, they would certainly have provided the necessary academic/philosophical clarification, in the immediate context, and the Bible would be much more of a systematic theology and less of a compilation of religious history and moral teaching, and simple witness of God's existence and love.

=== 44. Why do worthy Mormon males hold the Aaronic Priesthood since {{b||Hebrews|7|11-12}} clearly teaches that it was changed and superseded by something better?===

* ''To learn more:'' [[Hebrews 7 and the Aaronic Priesthood]]

=== 45. If your leaders are correct about the complete falling away of the true church on earth, was Jesus in error when he said that the gates of hell would not prevail against it ({{b||Matthew|16|18}})===

* ''To learn more:'' [[Apostasy and the "gates of hell"]]

==Miscellaneous / General Questions==

=== 46. If having a physical body is necessary to become a god, how did Jesus become a god before he had a body?===

Having a body is necessary for a fullness of joy ({{s||DC|93|33}}). It was necessary that at some point Jesus receive a body, but the timeframe in which He did so is not particularly important. (To travel to another country, one needs both a passport and an airplane ticket. It doesn't matter in which order one gets the passport or the ticket, but one must eventually have both in order to reach one's destination.) If correct sequence is an imperative, the question is begged how Christ's atonement could be efficacious to those who were born, lived, and died prior to His crucifixion. The fact that it was should blunt any feigned requirement for sequence concerning Christ's receipt of a physical body.

=== 47. Do you think the LDS Church will reconsider its teachings that the American Indians are descendants of the Jewish race now that DNA has proven that they are actually descendants of the Asian race?===

It was never LDS doctrine that the Book of Mormon peoples were "Jewish." They were from Ephraim and Manasseh, two other tribes of Israel, but not Judah explicitly.

LDS doctrine only holds that some of the ancestors of the Amerindians were from the Middle East of circa 600 BC. Most scholarship on this matter since at least the 1950s (and stretching back to the turn of the century) has seen the Nephite contribution as numerically small.

If Lehi existed, however, and has any descendants at all, then all Amerindians share Lehi as an ancestor.

There is a huge literature on this matter:

* [[Amerindians as Lamanites]]
* [[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence]]
* [[Book of Mormon and DNA evidence:Geography issues|Geography and DNA]]

=== 48. If polygamy was officially re-instituted by the Mormon Church, how would your wife feel about you taking another woman?===

This is obviously a leading question—entirely hypothetical and intended to be negatively emotive. The general principle, however, is that each member always has the responsibility to determine if new policies are from God, and then to act accordingly. This has always been so. People had to decide whether to listen to Moses when he told them what the Lord wanted them to do. People had to decide whether to listen to Samuel, David, or Elijah when they told them what the Lord wanted. They had to decide whether to heed Jesus Himself who, when many chose to stop following Him, asked the apostles, "Will ye also go away?" ({{b||John|6|67}}.)

Obedience is always an individual decision.

=== 49. Since the LDS Church teaches that there was a complete apostasy of the true church on earth, does that mean that the 3 living Nephites and the Apostle John went into apostasy also?===

No. "Apostasy" merely means that no organized Church on the earth had the full authority or doctrine necessary for salvation for mortals. The Nephites and John were not exercising their priesthood authority for others in a church setting. There was no mortal priesthood authority, and no Church authorized to act in God's name.

=== 50. Why are Mormon Temple ceremonies secret to the public when the Old Testament temple ceremonies were open to public knowledge?===

Large portions of LDS temple ceremonies are publicly discussed in orthodox publications such as the ''Ensign'', the ''History of the Church'', and the ''Encyclopedia of Mormonism''. There are, however, certain aspects of temple worship that are considered to be of such a sacred character that they are not to be viewed by, nor discussed with, the uninitiated. The same was true with the biblical temple of ancient Israel -- Gentiles were never allowed into the three main temple areas (outer court, holy place, holy of holies) and the entrances throughout the temple complex were guarded by porters and shielded by veils. The majority of the Israelites were never allowed to view the ordinances that took place in the temple proper (holy place, holy of holies).

Many early Christian groups had ceremonies or services (frequently referred to as the "mysteries") that were only open to those who were faithful members in good standing. Would the critics also condemn them?

''To learn more'': Hugh W. Nibley, "Evangelium Quadraginta Dierum," ''Vigiliae Christianae'' 20 (1966):1-24; reprinted in {{Nibley4|article=Evangelium Quadraginta Dierum: The Forty-day Mission of Christ-The Forgotten Heritage|start=10|end=44}}{{link1|url=http://farms.byu.edu/display.php?id=114&table=transcripts}}

Jesus also taught his apostles things which they were not permitted to teach to everyone, and this was done in [http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/basic/christ/forty_day_ministry.html private].

The Latter-day Saints are merely following a pattern of respect for holy things laid down by Jesus and the early Christians ({{b||Matthew|7|6}}). It is ironic that their critics have lost this aspect of Christian life and worship, clearly spelled out in history and scripture.

{{DoYouHaveQuestions}}

==Foonotes==
#{{note|anti1}} Tower to Truth Ministries, "50 Questions to Ask Mormons," ''towertotruth.net'' (accessed 15 November 2007).