LindaBerlin
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I could never believe in an unfair or unjust God, so how is it possible for me to believe anything else?
Not everything that is said or done "in the name of God" comes from God!
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I could never believe in an unfair or unjust God, so how is it possible for me to believe anything else?
No assumptions at all, you do not believe in baptism for the dead or the preaching of the gospel to those spirits in spirit prison. That is a huge problem for me because I believe God is just and fair. He will judge according to the knowledge, situation, and the opportunity of each individual. Those who did not have that opportunity in this life will surely have it in the next. God is not a respecter of persons.
I have NO lack of trust in God, and I know He has provided a way for ALL of His children, even those who were not baptized in their lifetime, to be able to return to Him.
Baptism is a necessary ordinance without which no one can enter the kingdom of God:No one who knows the Bible, even in ancient Greek, would believe the stupidity of the baptism of the dead. For Paul did not speak for or against it, but used it as an example for people who performed this ritual (a living person lays under the bed of a deceased person) without believing in the Resurrection.
Baptism is a necessary ordinance without which no one can enter the kingdom of God:
(New Testament | John 3:3 - 5)
That is why a just God would make that ordinance available for everyone, not just a few.
God has not changed His mind about baptism. He said what He said and He meant it. Baptism is indeed a necessary ordinance:Nowhere in the Bible does a prophet or apostle say, nor does Jesus say that one should be baptized for the dead!
On the contrary! Baptism was intended only and exclusively for living persons.
God and Jesus will already provide justice. No one who did not have the chance to be baptized will be lost. God will have other possibilities than baptism,
God has not changed His mind about baptism. He said what He said and He meant it. Baptism is indeed a necessary ordinance:
(New Testament | 1 Peter 3:18 - 22)
It seems to me that the natural tree is about the Israelites and the wild branch is about the gentiles. The Gentiles were grafted into the natural tree (Israel).For the LIVING, not for the DECEASED people! Really, you should read the Bible in the original version (Aramaic and Ancient Greek). Then you would see that baptism for the dead is absolute nonsense for Mormons.
And God doesn't change? Then see and marvel:
For if you have been cut out of the naturally wild olive tree and grafted against nature/PARA- PHYSIN the noble olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? (Romans 11:14)
Even God acts unnaturally here, but since He is God, what He does cannot be a sin. But what do these words mean? What is really "natural", what is "unnatural"? Is it not more about the nature of the person concerned, which is natural or unnatural for him?
God speaks out against the unnatural, but here he himself acts unnaturally. What does that tell us? God is also changeable, as the situation requires. We humans should learn from it.
By the way, does your Bible quote come from the JS translation? The "Inspired" version?
It seems to me that the natural tree is about the Israelites and the wild branch is about the gentiles. The Gentiles were grafted into the natural tree (Israel).
Unless specified my Bible quotes are from the KJV. That is the version of the Bible we use. The JST is in the footnotes and one section dedicated to the JST.
The Book of Mormon was not written in Greek or English. I believe the equivalency of these words written or spoken were well understood by those who read or heard them.The KJV was published in the Middle Ages. It has some grammatical and translation errors that JS had taken on for his Book of Mormon "Translation". Here are some examples from the wonderful book by J. and S. Tanner, "The Changing World of Mormonism":
KJV: he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still (Rev. 22:11)
BM: they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still (2 Nephi 9:16)
KJV: endured the cross, despising the shame (Heb. 12:2)
BM: endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame (2 Nephi 9:18)
KJV: to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life (Rom. 8:6)
BM: to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life (2 Nephi 9:39) (p.119)
And here is another quote from that marvelous book (p. 124):
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end" (Rev. 21:6).
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end" (3 Nephi 9:18).
The words Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Apostle Bruce R. McConkie acknowledges this fact: "These words, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, are used figuratively ..." (Mormon Doctrine, 1966, p.31).
The Greek language was used throughout the Roman Empire at the time of Christ; therefore, the New Testament was written in Greek and the words Alpha and Omega were well understood. The Nephites, however, were supposed to have left Jerusalem 600 years before the time of Christ, and therefore they would not have been familiar with these words. If Jesus had told the Nephites that He was "Alpha and Omega," it would have had absolutely no meaning to them. When the author of the Book of Mormon lifted these words from the book of Revelation he evidently did not realize that they were from the Greek language. Mormon writers maintain that the Book of Mormon "does not contain any of the numerous words in the New Testament that are of Greek origin" (Contents, Structure, And Authorship of the Book of Mormon, By J. N. Washburn, p.161). This idea is certainly incorrect.
The words Alpha and Omega are definitely of Greek origin. The Book of Mormon also contains the name Timothy (3 Nephi 19:4). Timothy is a Greek name and never appears in the Old Testament. In the same verse that we find the name Timothy we also find the name Jonas. Jonas is the New Testament name for Jonah and is found in Matthew 12:39. Joseph Smith seems to have been oblivious to the fact that the Book of Mormon contains Greek words. When it was suggested that the word Mormon came from the Greek, he stated: "This is not the case. There was no Greek or Latin upon the plates from which I, ... translated the Book of Mormon" (Times and Seasons, vol. 4, p.194). The appearance of Greek words in the Book of Mormon—especially the words Alpha and Omega—is another evidence that it is not an ancient record, but rather a modern composition.
The word "they" means it wasn't Paul doing the baptisms. Paul was called to preach the gospel, not to baptize:I Cor 15:29 says, why do They ...
The word they indicates it is some group outside the Christian Church that practices baptism for the dead.
The Book of Mormon was not written in Greek or English. I believe the equivalency of these words written or spoken were well understood by those who read or heard them.
The word "they" means it wasn't Paul doing the baptisms. Paul was called to preach the gospel, not to baptize:
(New Testament | 1 Corinthians 1:17)
17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
The concept of being the first and the last can be written in any language.BOM was translated into English, and used King James English. The concept of filth and shame existed in Ancient Egypt.
Apparently Paul did not do baptisms for the dead, but did do a few for the living. He was called to preach the gospel, not to baptize.14 I thank God that I baptized none of you, save Crispus and Gaius; 15 lest any man should say that ye were baptized into my name.
16 And I baptized also the household of Stephanas: besides, I know not whether I baptized any other.