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STATEMENT OF THE FIRST PRESIDENCY OFTHE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
REGARDING
GOD’S LOVE FOR ALL MANKIND
February 15,1978
Based upon ancient and modern revelation. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gladly teaches and declares the Christian doctrine that all men and women are brothers and sisters, not only by blood relationship from common mortal progenitors but as literal spirit children of an Eternal Father.
The great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were given to them by God to enlighten whole nations and to bring a higher level of understanding to individuals.
The Hebrew prophets prepared the way for the coming of Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, who should provide salvation for all mankind who believe in the gospel.
Consistent with these truths, we believe that God has given and will give to all peoples sufficient knowledge to help them on their way to eternal salvation, either in this life or in the life to come.
We also declare that the gospel of Jesus Christ, restored to His Church in our day, provides the only way to a mortal life of happiness and a fulness of joy forever. For those who have not received this gospel, the opportunity will come to them in the life hereafter if not in this life.
Our message therefore is one of special love and concern for the eternal welfare of all men and women, regardless of religious belief, race, or nationality, knowing that we are truly brothers and sisters because we are sons and daughters of the same Eternal Father.
I found this statement in another forum discussing my trip to Saudi Arabia. I love the above. love it. I think it needs to be printed and framed on my wall.
To me, one of the central tenets of the Middle Way is that the church is not the source of all truth, but that god does indeed speak through the mind and heart if all those who seek the spirit. I reject the idea that one should only read church approved materials and only believe church approved doctrines.
Here in plain language, the FP acknowledges the light given to many of the world’s prophets, leaders, and philosophers, among ALL nations, while declaring that the
gospelof Jesus Christ leads to a life of happiness in this life and in the world to come. although this declares that the gospel was restored to the Church, it does not say that the church assures that happiness, only the gospel does. What do you think of it?
I think it is true. Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk 2
On of my husband’s professors at BYU copied this and handed it out to every person in every class every semester. I wish more people read it. Love it. Another one for the quotes box.
I have loved that statement since I heard it for the first time. yet…while the proclamations on the family and jesus christ are near scriptural status, this transcendent declaration is no-where to be found on lds.org. should be in the d&c. wayfarer wrote:yet…while the proclamations on the family and jesus christ are near scriptural status, this transcendent declaration is no-where to be found on lds.org. should be in the d&c.
Good observation. Why is that you suppose?
cwald wrote:wayfarer wrote:yet…while the proclamations on the family and jesus christ are near scriptural status, this transcendent declaration is no-where to be found on lds.org. should be in the d&c.
Good observation. Why is that you suppose?
Because they don’t want the masses to look outside of the compound.
Have you seen M Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Village?’ I feel like that sometimes.
It’s like Holland’s PBS interview, what he said is incredibly significant, but undermines the basic principle of total acceptance of total truth that some seem to need.
I’m talking about this quote:
Quote:
“…we have many people who are members of the church who do not have some burning conviction as to its origins, who have some other feeling about it that is not as committed to foundational statements and the premises of Mormonism. But we’re not going to invite somebody out of the church over that any more than we would anything else about degrees of belief or steps of hope or steps of conviction…
http://www.pbs.org/mormons/interviews/holland.html So should the church tell those with doubts/in a middle way that ‘middle way is fine and all religions have truth’ or do they say that quietly in case the TBM majority hear it and realise ‘I don’t have to believe it all and other religious leaders are inspired of God… Ahah!’
Where can I go online to get this? Thanks for sharing. Quote:Have you seen M Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Village?’ I feel like that sometimes.
I love that movie. Yes the critics have a lot to criticize in it, but as a social commentary it hits so many things right on.
Are you folk telepathic? Well, I thought the same thing. I want to print this off and frame it! And yes, it does suggest truth outside the church.
My take on other religions? Some of the differences are
completely irreconciliable, but I’m okay with that. If they want to believe in (no) reincarnation, multiple/indivisible gods, etc that’s alright in most cases. But don’t give me the caste system and suttah, kamakaze emperor worship, human sacrifice and the hiding of child abuse! Confucius, for example, I believe was a very good, and wise man. Not right about everything of course, but a true civilizer. He talks about family, respect and goodness to each other in a way that many LDS would “dig”, if only they knew about it.
A missionary once saw my pile of Buddhist books. He said to me, “You know Buddhism is of the Devil?” – Well I replied, “
Someof it is.” And I believe that. A lot of Buddhism’s great, but there are the odd bits, especially the darker aspects of Tibetan Buddhism (usually not on show to the West), which are perhaps Satanic. This doesn’t bely the beauty of say, the DIamond Sutra, or the simplistic beauty of the Flower Sermon. In the Flower Sermon, Buddha did nothing, but simply lift a flower, and display it to his disciples. Consider the Lily indeed. The same could be said of Christianity. The best parts of Christianity comes from God, but the Inquisition, the racism, the child abuse etc, don’t come from there, IMHO.
I love the Proclamation to the World, about the Family. Why? I think it is a really positive thing, and an ideal which we should aim for. However, I am also a realist, and realize that not all families etc are like this. I also object to it being used for “queer bashing”.My view is that homosexuality is partly accidental, and serves no biological purpose, but I also think that it is not something a lot of people can help, and it is wrong and disgusting to persecute them for it. Perhaps our attitude to other scriptures could come out of the D&C’s advice on the Apocrypha. The first two verses sum up the issue at hand, IMHO. Quote:1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you concerning the Apocrypha—There are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly;
2 There are many things contained therein that are not true, which are interpolations by the hands of men.
3 Verily, I say unto you, that it is not needful that the Apocrypha should be translated.
4 Therefore, whoso readeth it, let him understand, for the Spirit manifesteth truth;
5 And whoso is enlightened by the Spirit shall obtain benefit therefrom;
6 And whoso receiveth not by the Spirit, cannot be benefited. Therefore it is not needful that it should be translated. Amen.
sambee… i have read that statement… inasfar as all scripture is a mixed bag…i would think that if one is in the mode of being enlightened, then all scripture can b likened to ourselves. to one who isn’t ready, them even the word of god doesn’t matter… I think this is one of the most enlightened sounding statements I’ve read from the FP. I wish is was more well-known. I decided to put this on my wall next to some other Church statements and since I’m OCD about consistency I formatted it. 
I also decided to share in case anyone is interested.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5kkhkA63ezDakl2emRoVmZhRU0/edit
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