That Same Spirit

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Shulem
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Endless Hell

Post by Shulem »

Let us further examine Joseph Smith’s fatal flaw in changing his doctrine shortly after writing the Book of Mormon.

Mormon instructs his son Moroni and in doing so informs him he is speaking for God:

Moroni 8:7,8 wrote:For immediately after I had learned these things of you I inquired of the Lord concerning the matter. And the word of the Lord came to me by the power of the Holy Ghost, saying:

Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God.

Jesus is now speaking through the Holy Ghost to his son Mormon. Now we get a direct statement from GOD HIMSELF concerning his definition of the word “endless” in the application thereof.

Moroni 8:13 wrote:Wherefore, if little children could not be saved without baptism, these must have gone to an endless hell.

Endless hell?

O God, you just told Moroni that if infant baptism was required for salvation and if infants die unbaptized they must therefore go to an ENDLESS HELL! This is proof that the Book of Mormon God (Joseph Smith) truly believed that an endless hell is forever and ever, world without end.

But thank goodness we learn in God’s next breath that babies don’t require baptism so they need not worry about going to that ENDLESS HELL that adults will have to go to! There is only one definition for the word endless in the Book of Mormon, the same as is in the dictionary.

Folks, it’s right there in the Book of Mormon in plain sight. This is God speaking and giving his absolute definition of endless hell which *is* an eternity. I’m afraid the apologists don’t have a leg to stand on. I’m afraid Smith’s excuse in D&C 19 does not hold water. Clearly, Smith was backtracking and was creative in coming up with an idea to excuse himself.
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Shulem
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No excuses

Post by Shulem »

D&C 19:8 wrote:Wherefore, I will explain unto you this mystery, for it is meet unto you to know even as mine apostles.

This is how Smith attempts to backtrack and justify scary doctrines taught in his Book of Mormon and also in the Bible. Smith wants us to think that the apostles somehow learned the truth and that the doctrine of eternal hell was just a scare tactic. We all know the horrific teachings the mortal Jesus gave about going to hell and suffering forever, but can it be shown that he maintained that position after his resurrection?

Yes!

Mark 16:16 wrote:He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

It’s the same old hellfire and damnation speech Jesus gave in the gospels. You’ll burn forever and ever! Nothing has changed.

The apostles concur with the same original doctrine taught by Jesus in the gospels. There is no indication given in the New Testament to verify or justify Smith’s assertion in the least!

2 Thes 2:12 wrote:That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Hebrews 6:2 wrote:Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
2 Peter 2:17 wrote:These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
Jude 1:7 wrote:Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.
Jude 1;13 wrote:Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.
Rev 14:10,11 wrote:The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
Rev 20:10,14,15 wrote:And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev 21:8 wrote:But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
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Shulem
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Second Death

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I point out that the so-called “second death” mentioned multiple times in both the New Testament and Book of Mormon paints an ultimate picture of doom and destruction for the wicked and those who reject the gospel. It’s a broad brush that isn’t just speaking of a few unfortunate souls who are judged to burn in hell but a vast contingent of souls are assigned to the massive lake of fire and brimstone to burn forever with the devil and his false prophets. Book of Mormon doctrine shows no mercy or any heavenly degree of relief for those who lived wickedly, rejected the gospel, or fell away from the gospel after having once received it. The Book of Mormon in one great swoop of the brush assigns all those souls to eternal perdition – into eternal judgement where they suffer forever. The message of the Book of Mormon is just as harsh and rude as anything in the Bible. Both books are a crime against humanity in threatening so many people with a horrible eternal future for failing to embrace religion.

Later, Joseph Smith softened the blow by turning eternal punishment into a type of allegory of God’s name when “endless” is endless in name only but not in duration or existence that lasts forever. Smith also introduced the Three Degrees of glory and labeled the so-called sons of perdition as the only ones who truly suffer the second death with Satan forever and ever. Smith essentially denied the original Book of Mormon teachings that followed the biblical and went on to renovate the heavens into a tiered condition having layers or steps. Smith no longer embraced the popular heaven & hell concept but was open to a more reasonable and merciful plan. That, in and of itself was a great improvement to a horrible longstanding doctrine that was set up to strike fear into the hearts of good people everywhere into thinking that if they don’t embrace Christianity they will forever burn in hell.

The facts are very clear that Smith rejected his own doctrine which he borrowed from the Bible and modified it to reform to new ideas of what it means to be judged.
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