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My wife said the other day that she believes that God works through all religions and all believers, so it's not so much that you're in the "one true church" as much as it is that you're where God wants you to be doing what he wants you to do. Of course, her point was that she believes God wants me back in the LDS church.

That seemed to me to turn traditional LDS doctrine on its head, but then as I thought about it, I think that's what I've always believed. I used to think that people like Mother Teresa would not have had the impact they had if they had been LDS, so God must have needed them to be where they were. These days, I'm not so sure God even exists, but if he does, I doubt very much he's concerned about particular points of doctrine or what kind of building one worships in.

Does this make sense to anyone else?

No, not really. If there really is some omnipotent being out there in the universe somewhere, who created it all, and who really needs and wants for us to know about he/she/it, he would do this by having people on this planet under the thrall of a mishmash of various self-contradicting and mutually-excluding organizations steeped in magical thinking, superstition, zealous dogmatism about ridiculous things, etc.? Can you honestly, in your heart of hearts, make this make sense to you?

I can't.

Sethbag wrote:No, not really. If there really is some omnipotent being out there in the universe somewhere, who created it all, and who really needs and wants for us to know about he/she/it, he would do this by having people on this planet under the thrall of a mishmash of various self-contradicting and mutually-excluding organizations steeped in magical thinking, superstition, zealous dogmatism about ridiculous things, etc.? Can you honestly, in your heart of hearts, make this make sense to you?

I can't.

Well, that's what I'm saying. I think that if there is a God, all these organizations and dogmas are merely things that humans have added that are not important. But then again, I'm still trying to convince myself to believe in Deity at all.

Tell her God told you he wants you to remain outside all churchs, and that only by being open to all religions will you be able to understand the dogma of any religion. If she questions your logic then tell her not to mess with someone who has the possibility to wield priesthood powers.

Runtu wrote:

Sethbag wrote:No, not really. If there really is some omnipotent being out there in the universe somewhere, who created it all, and who really needs and wants for us to know about he/she/it, he would do this by having people on this planet under the thrall of a mishmash of various self-contradicting and mutually-excluding organizations steeped in magical thinking, superstition, zealous dogmatism about ridiculous things, etc.? Can you honestly, in your heart of hearts, make this make sense to you?

I can't.

Well, that's what I'm saying. I think that if there is a God, all these organizations and dogmas are merely things that humans have added that are not important. But then again, I'm still trying to convince myself to believe in Deity at all.

Ok, so subtract out from all of the various churches and whatnot everything that you think humans have added, and what's left? Be good to each other? The Golden Rule? Don't hurt people? Be kind to others?

Seriously, go back and consider the vast spectrum of human religious belief on Earth, subtract out what you think are non-important additions by human beings, and then reconcile what's left with the notion that there's some God out there in the universe, who is in charge of billions of billions of star systems, potentially billions of worlds with living things on them, etc., who is using this jumbled mess of Earthly religion to communicate to us all news from Him/Her/It which is vital for us all to know.

It doesn't make any sense. There's nothing there that isn't created by human beings.

Runtu wrote:My wife said the other day that she believes that God works through all religions and all believers, so it's not so much that you're in the "one true church" as much as it is that you're where God wants you to be doing what he wants you to do. Of course, her point was that she believes God wants me back in the LDS church.

That seemed to me to turn traditional LDS doctrine on its head, but then as I thought about it, I think that's what I've always believed. I used to think that people like Mother Teresa would not have had the impact they had if they had been LDS, so God must have needed them to be where they were. These days, I'm not so sure God even exists, but if he does, I doubt very much he's concerned about particular points of doctrine or what kind of building one worships in.

Does this make sense to anyone else?

This is the way I was raised to believe, and it makes sense. There are two churches, the church of God and the church of the devil. Gods church isn't just one denomination, it's all christian denominations. Only God knows what is in a persons heart and he also knows that each person believes according to what they can. Each of us has our own beliefs depending on where we come from, what we've read, etc... I do believe in the fullness of the gospel, but that doesn't mean that because I believe in that I should go to a higher heaven than someone that doesn't. Or that someone that doesn't shouldn't go to heaven at all. It's just something that I believe to be true. And just because I believe something to be true doesn't make it so. Although I would never belong to a church or follow a doctrine unless I truely believe it to be true.

I expanded on what you were saying, but I think that it goes along with it somehow. by the way, the church building that I went to when I was growing up was a small building that wasn't great looking. The people are what made it a church and they made it a good place to worship.

RockHeaded

Runtu wrote:But then again, I'm still trying to convince myself to believe in Deity at all.

Why bother?

Bond...James Bond wrote:Tell her God told you he wants you to remain outside all churchs, and that only by being open to all religions will you be able to understand the dogma of any religion. If she questions your logic then tell her not to mess with someone who has the possibility to wield priesthood powers.

I love it. ;)

A few months ago, our Gospel Doctrine teacher acknowledged the possibility that God could inspire someone to start another Christian (or even on-Christian) church. I almost freaked out. You mean I spent two years of my life begging people to pray about our Church, but there was a chance that God could tell someone to join (or even start) another Church?

If there really is a God, and the LDS church is really what it says it is, then when a non-LDS prays to God I expect him to tell them two things (and only two things):

1. Find the nearest LDS Church
2. Join it

Anything else, and the entire LDS missionary program is a farce, and the LDS version of the Plan of Salvation is a joke (or to put it another way, the LDS version of the PoS is a PoS).

My take is that since all Churches are man made institutions, they each have at their heart the fundamental goodness that is a product of their human participants. All churches tap into the one true source of universal goodness, the human heart. Unfortunately they also have access to the bad parts of humanity also.

There are people who are made better by attending Church and/or adhering to its tenants. However, it is not true that one Church will make all people better. If you find something that speaks to you, does not offend you core morality, and makes you a better person, then stick with it!