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Elder Ballard responds to evangelical criticism

Great job Elder Ballard! Thank you!

Why aren't Mormons afforded the same rights to believe what they wish with regard to religion?

Wasn't that the premise of the foundation of this country...religious freedom?

Believe me, there are a lot of kooks out there teaching some pretty outlandish things that don't get attacked like the Mormon church.

Why is that? Could there be proof in the pudding? I mean many attacked the very Christ that they claim to profess faith and belief in.

Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. Luke 6;22.
You know, as Christians of the Christ's restored church - we are peculiar! THAT'S GREAT!
I, for one, see persecution of the church as one of the signs of its validity. Satan never sleeps when truth is awake.

It's so true, if only the protestant leaders could listen to what, me, a non-Mormon Christian would say: what about the many differences found in the protestant churches and those who claim that they are independent. I used to go to Calvary Chapel and now Horizon, and they are quite different from each other even tho they have the same roots. And what about the other christian denominations???

Jesus Christ said that he would never abandon his church. Apparently he did, since Joseph Smith was needed to "restore" it.

Looks like Jesus was wrong and the bible means nothing, according to Mormonism.

Dr. Lao,
Would you please give me the scripture where Jesus Christ said that? I would love to read it...

Dr. Lao evidently the various protestants denominations believe that the church christ organized while he was on earth became corrupted and altered as well.
Otherwise why would they have felt the need to have a reformation and a protestant movement?

Elder Ballard is a man of wisdom and underestanding. Mormons should be given the same opportunity to practice their religion as any other faith in this country. The fact that Mitt Romney has to explain himself shows that the country continues to harbor religious bias. The country still has some growing up to do!

Oh, I'm just kidding. Joseph Smith is a prophet and the Book of Mormon is inspired scripture.

The article is misleading, Christians don't believe that God is three individuals in "one body." That's not the what is commonly called the Trinity. Christians have never believed that. I don't know any Christians who believe that. If LDS don't understand what Christians believe about the One God, they shouldn't just guess they should read the New Testament (Matthew, Mark. Luke, John, etc), and find out. I don't hold to the Trinity because of the Nicene Creed (I'm not Catholic). I hold to it because its directly taught in the New Testament, and I worship and pray to the Lord Jesus Christ, just like Stephen did. Lord Jesus was crucified, died for our sins and rose from the dead - whoever believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.

Dr. Lao, please google "Nicene Creed". The mainstream Christian belief in God and Jesus Christ is based on a political compromise in 325 A.D. in Nicaea, Italy led by the Roman emperor Constantine and is not biblical. Even the reformers as mentioned by Craig could see this, yet in most of their religious services they recite that same Nicene or Athanasian Creed.

try working in school district w/55% lamanites yet not one building is named in honor of their contrbutions either..the message is very clear..we'll take your money but not you!

Jesus Christ didn't abandon His church, the people who made up the church eventually corrupted the church so much, they abandoned His church and teachings. Have you ever read the Nicene Cteed? I don't know how someone can read that creed and beleive it describes Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father.

Dr. Lao, I don't think Jesus Christ abandoned the church, in the New Test. you will find that it was prophesied that the CHURCH (members) would fall away -- even that the day of Jesus return would not come until a falling away came first. God does not make us do things, but invites and inspires and warns. If you will read the N.T. looking for it, you will see the warnings of the corruption the followers had to fight then even!
If you will go to Mormon.org you can check out the scriptures that back it up. "Mormon" is a nick name for The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints.

I embrace the LDS concept of God. Many of my friends have a different belief. I am not bothered by this. I feel that they have a right to accept whatever beliefs they choose. Why are they so stressed out about my beliefs? I think they should focus on their own beliefs and leave me alone with mine.

Dr. Lao, explain Martin Luther and the 95 thesis he nailed to the church door saying the catholic church had strayed from the truth and became corrupted.

So the mother church had become corrupted and lost the authority.

So the person who says the mother church is corrupted is severing himself from the mother church, isn't that apostasy and cutting himself off from any authority which he was given from the mother church?

So how can someone without authority leave the mother church which is corrupted and start over new without any new revelation coming from heaven?

So any other person or group who would leave the mother church is also cutting themselves off from any authority given to them by the mother church.

So how can they claim authority since there is no new revelation from heaven by their own admission?

It was not Jesus Christ who abandoned the primitive Church, it was the primite Church who abandoned Him. That is why there was a need for a "restoration of all things", as predicted in the Bible.

Isn't it marvelous that Mitt Romney ran for President of the United States! Otherwise there would be no discussion of God in the Presidential Election race. Otherwise there would be no interest in the beliefs of this fundamentally different and relatively obscure religion. Otherwise we would be just status quo. But look. He has made a difference already. Whether you vote for him or not he has already made a huge difference. That is what followers of Jesus Christ should do. This is a great time to be alive. Talk of God is being injected back into politics.

I think when the only so-called christians come to their senses and realiaze why does he have mansions and rolls royce's and were giving our money to him. They will test and find the truth.

Dr. Lao, could you please give me your understanding of what 2 Thessalonians 2:3 means? Thank you.