Hi Gino,I appreciated and could identify with your response. As a nine-year-old daughter of C&MA missionaries to the Philippines, we stayed in Yokohama for two weeks in the home of a Japanese couple who invited me to go to church with them one Sunday. It was a Mormon church. I didn't like how they talked about nature but failed to mention God as the Creator. That was my first inkling something was wrong with their religion.Later in life, while working for the IRS, Criminal Division, an IRS agent -- who turned out to be a bishop of the Mormon church -- offered me a book of Mormon to read. I told him about Ivan Panin's discovery called "The Signature of God," and said if he could find the same amazing mathematical pattern in the book of Mormon that is found in the Holy Bible than I might consider it. However, I knew he couldn't, because the original languages of Hebrew and Greek -- that the Holy Bible was written in -- are alpha-numeric (i.e., A=1, B=2, etc.) and the book of Mormon is not.I also had three Mormon men representing three different races come to my door one day and debate me. They left totally defeated because their book of Mormon doesn't have evidence of the amazing mathematical pattern found in the Holy Bible and therefore, lacked proof of Divine inspiration and authorship.I was told by one of my brothers who studied at Bob Jones University that while the Bible was in the hands of the Roman Catholic Church they removed many references to reincarnation, among other changes they made to our Bible. For instance, one priest making changes was Damian who made up parts of the story about Lot. He added the part about the angels being wanted by gays in the city and offering his two daughters to the gays in exchange for the lives of the two angels. That never happened. It's a version of the story that is not in the original manuscript.Damian did this because he knew King James was gay and wanted to create a sin for which they could require him to pay large sums of money (penance) to the church. This helped the Catholics build their large cathedrals. King James, however, could read the Bible in the original Hebrew and Greek and knew this version of the story by Damian was concocted. He retaliated by refusing to sign the "King James" version of the Bible that had been put together in his name. It wasn't until after he died that a so-called "approved" version was finally printed which he never actually approved.One reincarnation reference the Catholics missed for removal is in the book of Matthew, Chapter 11:13-15, Jesus told His disciples that John the Baptist was Elijah. He knew they would have trouble believing it so He added, "For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. If you will receive it, this (John the Baptist) is Elias which was for (prophesied) to come. He that has ears to hear, let him hear:"Prior to that in verses 9 and 10 He references the infamous prophecy re Elijah as being that of John the Baptist when He said:
9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
10 For this (John the Baptist) is he (Elijah), of whom it is written (Malachi 3:1), Behold, I send My messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
This verse in Malachi 3:1 is also a prophecy for the future (Revelation 11) in which Elijah will come and do battle with the beast who kills him and leaves him in the street of Jerusalem for three days and nights, then resurrects him to Heaven.
After Jesus's transfiguration, Matthew 17:10, Peter, James and John asked Jesus, "Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?" Vs. 11, "Jesus answered and said unto them, Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things. Vs. 12, But I say unto you, Elijah is come already and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed (beheaded him). Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer (crucifixion) of them. Vs. 13, "The disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist."
It amazes me how people can look at the above verses and not realize what Jesus is revealing. Jesus said it requires one's ability to "receive it." He knew that many wouldn't or couldn't and allowed for that because as mankind we have free will to accept, believe or reject knowledge. Jesus understood who John the Baptist was because He, Jesus, was/is God in human form. The Holy Spirit who as God is past, present and future all wrapped up into one and is our guide and teacher, revealed it to Jesus while He was still in the flesh.Jesus was telling them that Elijah had come once before, then came in His day as John the Baptist and would come again in the future to fulfill the prophecy in the book of Revelation Chapter 11. I suspect Elijah will come under a different name in the future, as did John the Baptist, so that once again he will not be recognized. One candidate, as I see it, is Dr. Owuor, in Kenya (https://www.repentandpreparetheway.org/), who speaks fluent Hebrew and Greek. He was told by God many years ago now that he would in the future go to Jerusalem to face "a ferocious beast that comes out of the beast," be slain, and rise again.So, though the Mormons teach it, the truth comes from the Holy Bible - not the book of Mormon. They mimic Christianity in books and music also, using our traditional songs and hymns in their services and choirs, but it is what we would call being "copycats."-----------------------------------Gino (1 Dec 2024)
RE: Nansings: 11.24.24
Nansings, When I was a boy, my best friend, down the block, used to have to go to class on Saturday, disrupting whatever fun stuff we were involved in. It was like a Sunday school class, but in Saturday. If I remember correctly, they had one age group have classes on Sunday, but my friend's age group on Saturday. I didn't know why, but perhaps there was limited classroom space, or a limited number of teachers. Anyway, my friend asked me if I wanted to go with him, so that when it was over, we could immediately go back to whatever we were doing. He asked his parents, who in turn asked my parents, and they figured it would be alright, so they said yes. My family was catholic, but my friend's family was mormon. My friend's dad gave copies of their three books to my family: book of mormon, doctrines and covenants, and the pearl of great price. So, there I was, going to mormon Sunday school (but held on Saturday), learning things quite different than what my family believed. One thing I remembered was how the mormons explained their belief, that not only we were growing / evolving, but so also was God. They explained that we are becoming more like God, but he is evolving even greater. They likened it to a train, where God is at the engine, and we are at the caboose. That by the time the caboose reaches the point where the engine was, the engine would then be way far ahead still. Another thing they explained what they believe, is what they call "pre-existence". They believe that all people existed in heaven, before they were conceived and born with a body, here on earth. For years, I never heard anyone else mention anything like what they believed. Until I read your letter, last week. This past year, I've read your various letters, where you were quite bold stating your beliefs, especially where they differ from others. As you know, the differences that people have written about on FiveDoves, is usually far more than their opinions. But, rather, they generally lay out their reasons, particularly citing the scriptures that they believe show why they believe what they do. It is amazing how different people can read the same scriptures, yet still see something different, taught by them. I do not believe the mormon doctrine of "pre-existence." I didn't believe it as a boy, and I don't believe it now.
https://www.fivedoves.com/letters/dec2024/gino121-2.htm