An influential evangelical leader clarified that he has not and will not endorse former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney for president following confusion over his statements on the Mormon contender’s right to run for the office.
Dr. Richard Land, who heads the Southern Baptist Convention’s public policy arm, explained in a statement Tuesday that “defending” Romney’s right to run for president is “very different” than endorsing the former governor.
His clarification was in response to a CNN report last week that included a statement Romney made at a private event in South Carolina.
“I get good support from evangelical Christian leadership around the country, you know, despite a difference in religion,” Romney had said. “I think it was Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention who said we’re not electing a pastor-in-chief, and so I appreciate that support and just you remember that when you go to vote.”
SBC’s Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission pointed out that Romney was referring to two variations of the same quote by Land – “We’re not electing a theologian-in-chief, but a commander-in-chief” and “We’re not electing a pastor-in-chief, but a commander-in-chief.”
“Those statements were made in response to questions about whether or not Governor Romney’s faith was an absolute ‘deal breaker’ for Evangelicals in selecting a presidential candidate, not an endorsement of Governor Romney,” Land explained.
“I have defended various candidates from time to time when I’ve felt that they have been unfairly or inaccurately criticized,” the ERLC president added. “Neither defense nor assessment should be confused with endorsement.”
The prominent evangelical leader stated that, as a “matter of policy,” he has “not endorsed, do[es] not endorse and will not endorse candidates.”
Former Gov. Romney is seeking to be the first Mormon U.S. president and has struggled to gain the support of Christian voters – many of which view Mormonism as a cult.
Some evangelical leaders have defended Romney’s right to be equally considered by Christians despite their views on Mormonism.
Land, for example, said he views Mormonism as another religion, just as he considers Islam another religion even though it shares some biblical figures with Christianity. The Baptist leader has also gone as far as calling Mormonism a fourth Abrahamic religion.
“Judaism being the first, Christianity being the second, Islam being the third and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints being the fourth,” Land recently said on “Political Capital.”
But other evangelical leaders have voiced greater concern about Romney’s Mormon faith and have advised Christians to make sure Romney explains his faith and its connection to his public duty before casting their vote for him.
“Values are shaped by religious beliefs, or lack thereof, and one’s Mormon beliefs would surely in one sense or another shape one’s values, priorities, conviction, etc.,” said the Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president of governmental affairs of the 30-million member National Association of Evangelicals.
Mormons are not Christians and Romney should be made to clarify his religion before Christians “jump on the Romney bandwagon,” Cizik added.
Yet it is unclear whether Romney will deliver a speech on his Mormon faith given that his advisers have discouraged such a move.
“I sort of like the idea myself,” said Romney when asked by a New Hampshire voter Saturday about delivering a speech to explain his Mormon faith, according to The Associated Press.
“[But] the political advisers tell me no, no, no – it’s not a good idea. It draws too much attention to that issue alone.”
However, Romney said Monday that he hasn’t delivered such a speech because he felt it has not become a political necessity, not simply because of his advisers’ counsel.
“I have some folks who think I should do it soon, some say later, some say never, some say right away," Romney said, according to AP. "I'll make the decision. But there's no particular urgency because I'm making progress in the states where I'm campaigning."
Last month, the former Massachusetts governor finished first at the Washington Values Voter Summit, narrowly beating former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Notably, however, while Romney won overall (online and onsite) by 30 votes (1,595 to 1,565), Huckabee had received 51.26 percent of the onsite votes in the summit’s straw poll compared to Romney’s 10.40 percent.
Comments
Not only does 1 Peter 3:19 talk about Christ's visit to the spirit world to preach the gospel, but also 1 Peter 4:6 talks about the gospel being preached to the spirits who are dead - "For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit."
Those spirits do not get a second chance to live their life, but they do get a first chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, and accept it or reject it. And if they accept it, they must receive the ordinances of the gospel, including baptism (1 Cor. 15:29), as all ordinances must be performed before the resurrection and judgment.
Again, there is only a very tiny percentage of the people of this earth who have even had a chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't believe that God is so unjust as to cast all the people who have not heard it to hell. God would be very very unjust and unmerciful God if that were the case. Probably 95% of the people who have lived on this earth have not even heard the name Jesus Christ. Is that their own fault? No! So what will happen to these people? The only way to be saved is in and through the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ; there is no other way! These spirits will receive and hear the gospel in the spirit world, and there have opportunity to judge for themselves if they want to accept it or reject it. It is not a second chance; it is their FIRST chance!
Many have been confused and it has been hugely debated subject, but there is no need to be confused. You have not found anything or heard of anything about this before because it has been revealed anew in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Christ himself has made this subject perfectly clear in His church through his chosen servants, prophets and apostles. If you want to read what Jesus Christ has revealed on the subject, please read D&C 138.
There are many today that debate, are confused, and know not where to find the truth. This was prophesied anciently (Amos 8:11-12). What we must do then is to search out and find the true church of Christ, which is lead by Christ himself, to know the will of God. His church has been restored today through a chosen prophet, Joseph Smith.
GMG - Ezekiel says the "stick of Joseph" when referring to the Book of Mormon because Lehi, who left Jerusalem around 600 BC to come to the Americas, was of the house of Joseph (1 Nephi 5:14). The entire history of the Book of Mormon came from Lehi, his family, and posterity, and thus they of of the house of Joseph.
There were many great cities, people, culture, and civilization in the Book of Mormon who lived here in the Americas. There is loads of evidence of ancient civilizations here in the Americas. Have you ever heard of the Mayans or Aztecs? Have you seen the great ruins of temples and city centers they built in Antigua Guatemala. Archeologists and anthropologists have found dozens of groups that have lived for thousands of years in the Americas. One of these groups could have easily been the group from the Book of Mormon.
Have you heard the ancient tradition of the great white bearded god Quetzalcoatl? He is considered among the indigenous people to be one of the most sacred Gods of the Aztecs. This God was none other than Jesus Christ himself when he visited the Americas after His death in Jerusalem, and is recorded plainly in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 11-28).
Joseph Smith knew he was of the tribe of Ephraim and Joseph through revelation, and when he was translating the Book of Mormon he found that it was prophesied there as well (2 Nephi 3:7).
GMG,
I know we cannot be perfect in this mortal life. The only sinless one was Jesus Christ. But we can be perfect in fulfilling and complying with the ordinances of His gospel, including temple covenants. That is one area in which we can comply perfectly with what the Lord has asked us to do. They are required for salvation and exaltation. Our "continuing sacrifices" is our daily repentance, faithfulness, and enduring to the end. We are saved by grace, after all we can do, and that includes striving for perfection (2 Nephi 25:23). But there will come a time, after this mortal life, when we will be able to completely comply with Christ's command to "be ye therefore perfect," even as the Father.
Again, if you "love God" you will do everything else God has commanded you to do. That is why all the law and the prophets rest on those two great commandments, because they encompass them all. "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). We MUST follow the commandments. They are not optional, thus their name - commandments. We do not pick and choose which commandments we obey, and which ones we do not. God has commanded us to obey all of them, and if we do not, we must repent.
I'll say it again, we cannot be saved by the grace of God if we do not follow His commandments. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and THEY FOLLOW ME" (John 10:27). How do we follow Christ? We have faith in Him, repent of our sins, and obey His commandments, including the ordinances of His gospel found in His holy temples.
Because of His forever "once for all" atonement", I am saved by grace, "but not of myself..." (those good works again) - there is NOTHING I can do to add to His perfect gift. No, we cannot just live any old way we choose, if we are then there is something wrong. Jesus said to Peter,
Do you love Me.....feed my sheep. We are back to His words on "Love..." I began my walk with Him as a baby, needing milk, we grow in His word as we walk with Him. Again, Galatians speaks well to grace.
Thank you for aswering my question about Joseph, the reason I asked if he believed he was of the tribe of Emphraim is it would fit with what you believe Ezekial is saying. That would explain why he said America was peopled by the lost tribe of Israel. But you never addressed the rest of my earlier question on this, that if this was so, and there were many great cities, why has no trace been found of them anywhere? And how did Joseph Smith know he was of this tribe?
Going back to the question of those who have died and whether they have another chance for decision, Heb 9:2 "it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement". I know you used the verses from Peter to show where Christ went to speak to the spirits, but that is a hugely debated issue as to what that really means as it is apparently considered one of the hardest to decipher passages in the Bible. Nowhere have I ever found anything, or even heard of anything before the explanation you presented of this passage, that there were any second chances. I still maintain that our lives here on earth are all we have to make our choices, the Bible and it's teaching underscores that very issue.
Hesadanza,
It IS impossible to fulfull the law. Heb. 10:1-3 talks about continual sacrifices because we are not perfect. That whole chapter follows the idea that man under law needed regular sacrifices for reoccuring sin. Vs.11-14 applies specifically to Christ's death as the final sacrifice - 14 "for by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified." If we are forever perfected we can then stand in the sight of our righteous God through Jesus. Nothing else is required to make us righteous.
vs. 26-31 speaks to the fear of judgement under the law, but that the fear should be much greater should we scoff at Jesus' complete atonement.
The rest of the chapter deals, basically, with the difficulty of the new covenant (it was, after all, a big change), persecution, having endurance.
John 13:34-35 Jesus gives us a new commandment, "...love one another...by this all will know that you are my disciples..." This in a sense is the gist of all of His teachings, "Love God, love your neighbor as yourself" This is what I mean when I talk of that deep heart knowledge, how can you not follow in His footsteps.
2 Nephi 29:7-8 is prophesying about the coming forth of the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Nephi knew that many would not accept new scripture after they had received the Bible.
The Lord did not just give His revealed word to those that were in Israel. He has revealed His will to all the inhabitants of the earth. To those in Jerusalem (Bible), and to those in America (Book of Mormon), and probably in other areas of the earth as well. The testimony of two nations is a witness that God is real and that He reveals His word unto all His children. All the revealed scripture testifies and bears witness of the veracity and genuineness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should not murmur that God gives us more of His word, or that more than one nation has received His word.
Ezekiel 37:16-20 is talking about writings, not gatherings - "write upon it", "write upon it", "the sticks whereon thou writest". We definitely disagree on this point.
Joseph Smith was of the tribe of Ephraim. Why do you ask?
Yes, the "doeth" refers to Christ's teachings. Christ has instituted the ordinances of His gospel that are requisite for salvation in the kingdom of God, and if I comply with those ordinances then, yes, I am "completely righteous" as far as those ordinances go. I can be completely perfect in fulfilling the ordinances of Christ's gospel. There is only a handful of ordinances He has asked us to fulfill. They are not hard, nor impossible. I must then stay faithful, repent daily, and endure to the end, to be saved (2 Nephi 31:19-20). God's grace saves us when we do what God asks us to do.
It is not impossible to fulfill the law. Why would God give us a law we could not fulfill? "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them" (1 Nephi 3:7).
Remember, even Christ commanded us to be perfect - "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect" (Matt. 5:48). We are to strive for perfection every single day of our lives. Then, and ONLY then, will the grace of God save us.
Again, if you do not comply with the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ, you cannot be saved (Matt. 16:16). The gospel of Jesus Christ does not give you license to do whatever you please and think that the grace of God will then save you because of some deep-down acceptance of Christ. Our actions MUST reflect our thoughts, desires, and beliefs.
Which quote from Nephi is unclear?
I do not understand your quote from Nephi. It is clear that you are using it to verify your understanding of Ezekial, but the connection seems vague to me. Could you please expound on the connection?
If we say our salvation is based on the OT, then the NT salvation is invalid. And the other way around. Jesus did not "fulfill" the law (Matt 5:17) to put us under bond to somehow now require us to combine the OT and NT for salvation. No, as Paul so clearly illustrates, you pick your route of salvation - either OT righteousness (perfection) or NT grace. Since I cannot be perfect no matter how hard I try, then I pick grace. Being a child of God means I strive to follow in Jesus' footsteps, with His help and guidance, no matter how often I fall short. Paul talked about how he struggles with himself to follow Jesus - all His children do. But by grace I am saved.
I must disagree with you on Ezekial. Vs. 18 asks what 16 & 17 mean, and what follows is the explanation.
Did Joseph Smith think he had a connection with Ephraim?
On Matt 7:21 - Matthew chpts. 5-7 was the Sermon on the Mount, and the doeth refers to the
teachings Jesus was outlining. 7:28-29 refers to these "sayings", which were a type of ethical standard. This is not to say Jesus' authority was not complete (5:7-20); we are not to view these as mere suggestions. However we know that "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), so we know also complete righteousness is impossible to achieve and impossible to save us (Matt 5:20). We are back to the impossibility of fulfilling the law and the gift of grace covered so thoroughly in Galatians (and others too). And Jesus fulfilling the law (Matt 5:17) which takes us back to grace.
I disagree about Matt 7:23. Christ was talking about those who professed a belief in Him, yet did nothing about it. It is a separate paragraph and thought from the previous thought of false prophets, although it is along the same general topic of disbelief. Let's go back to verse 21 -
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."
Notice the qualification? He that "DOETH" the will of the Father. Belief alone is a good first step, but it is not sufficient for salvation. Indeed, these had a belief that was SO deep that they claimed to be able to do miracles in the name of Christ. Yet Jesus taught us that we must DO the will of Heavenly Father. If not, we will never come to know them, and we wil not be saved.
Again, in verse 24 and 26, "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and DOETH them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock... And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and DOETH THEM NOT, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand" (emphasis added).
The works of Christ are required for salvation, and that includes EVERY ordinance of His gospel which He has established for that purpose. There IS, in fact, a checklist of ordinances of the gospel with which we must comply in order for the grace and mercy of Christ to have full effect in our lives and bring us to salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of God. If we do not comply with even one of His ordinances, we cannot be saved. Baptism is one of them (Matt. 16:16). Even Christ had to comply with the requirements of baptism in order to "fulfill ALL righteousness" (Matt. 3:15 emphasis added; 2 Nephi 31:5-7).
If we truly accept Christ, deep inside as you say, we will DO what he has commanded us to DO. Faith alone is dead, as it gets us nowhere by itself. Faith should prompt those who have it to fulfill ALL the commandments of the Lord.
Ezekial's prophecy about the two "sticks" of Judah and Joseph is not to be combined with the prophecy following it of the gathering and cleansing of Israel. They may be illustrative of one another, which is why they were probably written together, but they are NOT one and the same prophecy. They are two separate prophecies. One is about writings, and the other is about gatherings.
Yes, I also believe that each book of scripture is true. And yes, each book of scrtipure testifies and validates every other book of scripture. But that does not mean we pick and choose one body of scripture and throw away the rest. We use it all, and every book of scripture testifies of the truth of the other.
"Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the earth beneath; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth? Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also" 2 Nephi 29:7-8).
In Matt 7:23 Jesus was talking about false prophets and knowing them by their fruits, and when they said "Lord, Lord..." He said "I never knew you". He was not talking about believers. I believe we are sanctified for good works, and that for the love of the Lord we can't help but gravitate that way, but good works don't save us, nor are they required for salvation; as Paul says "and not of ourselves..." If good works saved us, than we would need a checklist of exactly how much is enough for salvation.
Believing Christ is who and what He says He is, in our heads, will never save us - Satan believed it, knew it to be a fact. It's a heart knowledge, an acceptance deep inside. When we receive him then we receive the Spirit.
I know that you don't believe Ezekial's prophecy was for a united Israel, but if you go past vs. 20 that is what it says. Do you believe that Joseph Smith is a descendent of Ephraim? This is the thought that occurred to me when I asked if you believed the lost tribe of Israel came to America.
I think we are using different meanings for "stand alone" My meaning was that each book stands alone in it's veracity, which I agree is not the same as total teaching. When Jesus came he came with a new covenant, for the jewish people from that time on and for the gentiles. His sacrifice and atonement fulfilled the old law, "old things have passed away". And of course all scripture is good for teaching...as the OT verifies the authority of NT through it's prophecy of the Christ, who was Jesus. Of course, it also validifies the teachings of Christ, and He often referred to the OT. But Jesus also fulfilled the office of the priesthood. And Paul tells us that we are no longer under the law, but under grace. Galatians is pretty much devoted to that teaching.
GMG - We don't believe that Ezekiel's prophecy had to do with reuniting divisions of Israel, especially since the word used for "stick" in Hebrew literally means "wood". He was speaking about writings and scriptures. Back in Ezekiel's day the people wrote on long scrolls and those scrolls were then wrapped around a wooden pole or "stick". Hence, when he says "stick" he is actually saying the writings and scriptures of Judah and Joseph.
No, any one book of the Bible can't stand alone. If we only had one book of the Bible, let's say Obadiah, for example, we would get absolutely nowhere in our study of the gospel. Obadiah has twenty-one verses. What would we know about Christ's atonement from twenty-one verses? What would we know about God's plan of salvation from twenty-one verses? What would we know about the life of Christ, his example, his teachings from twenty-one verses? Hardly anything. No, the Lord meant us to use ALL scripture, all revealed word, together. "ALL scripture is given by inspirtion of God, and is profitable for doctrine..." Any one book cannot stand alone.
I agree that we are saved through faith, and by the grace and mercy of God. We don't "earn" salvation by our works, per say. But again, if we have faith in Christ, and love Him, we will obey His commandments and ordinances which He has instituted. ALL of them. For exapmle, if I am not baptized, I will be damned (Matt. 3:15; Luke 7:30; John 3:5; Acts 2:38; Acts 10:48; Mark 16:16; 1 Peter 3:21; Ether 4:18; 3 Nephi 11:33-34; D&C 84:74; D&C 112:29). Why? Because it is a required ordinance of the gospel of Jesus Christ that He has made so that we may enter into His fold and receive a remission of our sins. By obeying God, and following His commandments, we don't "earn" our salvation, but we place ourselves in a state of grace whereby Christ may then justify us before the Father and we may be saved. If not, we will not be justified. Without works our faith is dead, and Christ will look at us at the judgement day and say, "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matt. 7:23). We must have works, the works that Christ has asked of us, to even think that we are considered His. The works are required. If we don't have works, it is all just lip service. The commandments are NOT optional! They never have been. And God commands us to fulfill all the ordinances of His gospel.