1 Corinthians 13:11; “When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”
D&C 98:18; “Let not your hearts be troubled; for in my Father’s house are many mansions, and I have prepared a place for you; and where my Father and I am, there ye shall be also.”
John 14:1-3; “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”
The LDS reference above was used as a footnote at the end an article I was reading a few days ago, and as one might imagine it brought a few questions to mind!
To give you an idea of what was going on at the time with Smith and his saints, it’d be helpful to know the reference is part of a set of prophecies Joseph Smith gave in the summer of 1833. At that time there was a lot of back and forth bickering amongst the Saints and the locals. Fear they would run locals out of town, and take over with their unconventional view of biblical principles, the atmosphere was a powder keg waiting to be set off.
With the history lesson behind us, we have a few questions!
1.Why would Jesus repeat Himself 1,830 years later?
2.Why would Jesus plagiarize Himself?
3.Why did Jesus return before He had finished preparing a place for us?
4.If Joe Smith was restoring the previous version of Christianity, why did Jesus come and give some of the same directives to Smith that He gave to the apostles?
5.Why would Jesus have to prepare a place for us when Mormonism tells us we’ll have our own planets someday, and make our own homes, with our own new kingdoms?
6.Why hasn’t the Mormon Jesus received his own kingdom yet? Mormonism tells us he came here to earn his way to godhood, and after he died he had earned that right. Why is he still living with the Mormon god?
7.Why does the Mormon god need so many mansions when his goal is to be an empty-nester by getting all those spirit babies moved out, and placed on earth?
In conclusion, we pray Mormons will stop to ask themselves these questions, along with their own. Is this the type of God you want to worship, and if so, why?
I don’t understand your strawman argument. God repeated himself from OT to NT on a number of topics, among them being the 10 commandments:
1. You shall have no other gods before Me
Matthew 4:10; 6:24; 22:37-38; Luke 4:8; Revelation 14:7.
2. Thou shalt not worship Idols
Acts 15:20; 17:16; 29; 1 Corinthians 5:10-11; 6:9; 10:7, 14, 19; 12:2; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Galatians 5:20; Ephesians 5:5; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Peter 4:3; 1 John 5:21; Revelation 2:14; 9:20; 21:8; 22:15.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain
Matthew 5:33-34; 1 Timothy 6:1; James 2:7.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy
Matthew 12:8, 12; 24:20; Mark 1:21; 2:27-28; 6:2; Luke 4:16, 31; 6:5; 23:56; Acts 13:14, 42, 44; 15:21; 16:13; 17:1-2; 18:4; Hebrews 4:4, 9-10 (See also Amplified, ASV, BBE, NASB, NIV, RSV and NRSV.)
5. Honour your father and your mother
Matthew 15:4; 19:19; Mark 7:10; 10:19; Luke 18:20; Romans 1:30; Ephesians 6:1-2; Colossians 3:20; 2 Timothy 3:2.
6. Thou shalt not Murder
Matthew 5:21-22; 19:18; Mark 7:21; 10:19; Luke 18:20; Romans 1:29; 13:9; Galatians 5:21; 1 Timothy 1:9; James 2:11; 1 Peter 4:15; 1 John 3:15; Revelation 9:21; 21:8; 22:15.
7. Thou shalt not commit Adultery
Matthew 5:27-28; 19:18; Mark 7:21; 10:11-12, 19; Luke 16:18; 18:20; Acts 21:25; Romans 1:29; 2:22; 7:3; 13:9; 1 Corinthians 5:11; 6:9, 18; 10:8; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Hebrews 13:4; James 2:11; 2 Peter 2:14; Jude 1:7; Revelation 2:14; 2:21-22; 9:21.
8. Thou shalt not Steal
Matthew 19:18; Mark 7:22; 10:19; Luke 18:20; Romans 2:21; 13:9; 1 Corinthians 5:10-11; 6:10; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Peter 4:15; Revelation 9:21.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness
Matthew 15:19; 19:18; Mark 10:19; Luke 18:20; John 8:44; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 1:29; 13:9; Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9; 1 Timothy 4:2; 2 Timothy 3:3; Revelation 21:8; 22:15.
10. Thou shalt not Covet your neighbour’s things
Mark 7:22; Luke 12:15; Acts 20:33; Romans 1:29; 7:7; 13:9; 1 Corinthians 5:10-11; 6:10; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3, 5; 1 Timothy 6:10; 2 Timothy 3:2; 2 Peter 2:14; Hebrews 13:5.
“Repetition is the soul of learning.”
The tone of your article feels more like mockery than ministry.