If they were members, they'd threaten them with excommunication, thereby taking away their credibility.
I can well understand how unsettling a threat that might be.
If they weren't members, they'd either try to buy them off or dig up something in their past to destroy their credibility.
You mean dig up personal stuff..such as?
Anything that would discredit them... their credit history, they ran a stop sign, they tore the tag off a pillow.
And if there was nothing to dig up, they'd imply there was and that the members should avoid them, just like they do now with anything considered anti-.
(Nevo, Jan 23) And the Melchizedek Priesthood may not have been restored until the summer of 1830, several months after the organization of the Church.
harm wrote:Anything that would discredit them... their credit history, they ran a stop sign, they tore the tag off a pillow.
:-)
And if there was nothing to dig up, they'd imply there was and that the members should avoid them, just like they do now with anything considered anti-.
If I recall correctly, members that post on this board were (are) well familiar with the comments of Bill Maher who openly criticized the church when Romney gave the office of US President a go.
The Maher stuff was there in the media and apparently in their (LDS) heads.
Would members be more able to tune out "anti" stuff in the media regarding the Book of Mormon?
Is it really possible to tune that sort of thing out?
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
"Surely he knows that DCP, The Nehor, Lamanite, and other key apologists..." -Scratch clarifying my status in apologetics "I admit it; I'm a petty, petty man." -Some Schmo
The Community of Christ has already done this. But membership numbers would be much less. The better aspect of this is that there's likely to be much less dissent or disillusionment, and subsequent anger.
The Book of Mormon is a sign that God remembers the covenant he made with the House of Israel. It means Gods house is a house of order and not confusion, that he entrusts his name and authority to worthy men who assist the children of God in making covenants with their Father.
It shows that God is the God of the whole world, and that revelkation has not ceased. God is known by revelation and in no other way. Either he answers prayers and honors Moronis promise, or he remains forever unknown.
A God who spoke to men in the past, but remains silent and unknown now is no God at all. There is no warmth to be found in reading about a fire that once burned.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. - Plato
Gaz wrote:A God who spoke to men in the past, but remains silent and unknown now is no God at all. There is no warmth to be found in reading about a fire that once burned.
So what you're saying is that God is incapable of speaking directly to you?
Failure is not falling down but refusing to get up.
Chinese Proverb
Gaz wrote:A God who spoke to men in the past, but remains silent and unknown now is no God at all. There is no warmth to be found in reading about a fire that once burned.
So what you're saying is that God is incapable of speaking directly to you?
Of coarse God speaks directly to individuals. If he didn't, then no one could exercise their faith enough to have a testimony of anything. The Holy Ghost is God.
But what does God say? Is he not going to tell someone to be baptised and take upon themselves the name of Christ? And if someone is to be baptised then they need to have the ordinance performed by an authorised servant of the Lord.
Also if God is speaking to his authorised servants, than scripture is going to continue to come forth, Angels are going to visit the earth, Temples will be built, and prophets and apostles will be present as they were in times past. Gods authority and covenants will be made available to his people.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. - Plato