Congratulations to both Judah and the Latter Day Saints for getting together. It appears to me it was also a celebration of religious freedom.

Clarification is respectfully in order since the blog’s title is misleading. While Jews and Christians share a belief in one, uncreated, infinite God, Mormonism rejects this belief and therefore this true bond. Thus, terms like “kinship” and “common heritage” not only are confusing but are used in error by Ms. King. Mormonism proudly worships multiple gods, who are finite because they were created and had beginnings. These notions are quite alien to Jews and Christians alike.

As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it is wonderful to celebrate the reality of God’s intervention in our lives and the lives of our ancestors, and all humanity. In the passover God rescued the ancestors of all the tribes of Israel. I may be a descendant of one of those tribes. But even if I am not I feel at least adopted, and honored to be so. I am thankful to God, that the angel of death passed over the homes of those who marked the lintels of their doors with the blood of the Lamb. As Christians we see the blood of the Lamb as a foreshadowing of the blood of Jesus (the Lamb of God) giving us protection from eternal death. Happy Passover Shalom. Happy Easter, Peace.

DJB - I respectfully disagree with your view that Mormons worship multiple Gods. I’ve been a Mormon all of my 47 years, and I worship God the Father. To find out what Mormons really believe, visit http://www.mormon.org or http://www.lds.org. At lds.org, you can download every scripture and every lesson manual used to teach all Mormons. As Ragu used to say, “it’s all in there.”

DJB, Mormons worship one God. Respectfully, I am always curious how others not of my faith believe they know my faith better than I do.

A few civil points. One, it’s quite telling that none of these subsequent comments from the LDS community directly address the core problem I raised, that of the Mormon god or gods being finite and therefore, incompatible with Christianity. Two, these subsequent comments unwittingly reveal the inherently contradictory positions Mormons find themselves in. Mormons state they worship only “God the Father” - a finite being who had a beginning - but Christians share a most basic belief of also worshipping Christ, the incarnation of God (specifically, the second person of the blessed Trinity) who has no beginning. By rejecting the latter, they reject the basis of recognizable Christianity. Indeed, B.R. McConkie (Mormon “Apostle”) stated “We do not worship the Son.” Three, Mormons often fall prey to the fallacy of equivocation, using a different meaning for the same term. Specifically, what Mormons refer to “Christian” belief is, at its most fundamental, foreign to common ground found among the different groups comprising the Christian faith. Four, Ms. King presumes too much in her attempted ad hominem criticisms of me. She is far better off sticking to the substance, especially since she posted this blog.

DJB,

Not sure what you’re getting at. Your comments seem a little counter-productive and mostly negative. I know a lot of Mormons and I don’t think they differ much from other Christians in their worship of deity. I mean obviously they do have identical doctrine to, let’s say, Methodists but nor do Methodists have identical doctrine to, let’s say, Presbyterians. I quite enjoyed Ms. King’s. Let’s keep these comments upbeat and discussion-oriented, not aggressive.

My previous comment intended to note that Mormon doctrine does not identically mirror some other religion, just as each Christian faith does nor mirror any other. If not unique in some ways they would not be separate. I think there was a typo along these lines in my prior post

DJB,

I think it’s wise (especially in a forum like this) to not assume we already know what someone else believes. I recently had a conversation with one of my Christian friends where I said something I believed to be true about her church. She informed me that I was wrong and gave me the correct information. If you find a Mormon (or a person of any other faith) saying that they believe something and it contradicts your previous perception or experience, why not ask them for the correct information? If you are not prepared to accept their answer because you think they are lying or ignorant, then why dialogue with them at all?

DJB, Mormons do NOT believe in a finite God. That is NOT taught.
I appreciate your interest to study our faith. Bruce R. McConkie, while credible on many accounts, cannot be cited as to the doctrine of our faith exclusively.
Having said that, I am aware that many people find it frustrating to understand what IS Mormon Doctrine. May I offer a direction that has served me well.
It is church (LDS) doctrine if it can be found: 1) in our scriptures, the four standard works, The Bible (King James version), The Book of Mormon, The Pearl of Great Price, and Doctine and Covenants; 2)in the current general handbooks or curriculum of the Church; 3) taught or discussed in general conference or other official gatherings of the Church today, and 4) in offical declarations or proclamations.
You may have sensed my frustration. It is because challenges or judgments as to what we believe from those outside our faith are often made on statements by church leaders, mostly in the past, regarding peripheral or non-central issues, mostly of a speculative nature. Teachings that are NOT doctrine.
I have, and continue to witness, that our church leaders focus on the central-saving doctrines and ordinances of salvation. They speak of Christ, witness of Him and direct us towards Him. It is simply beautiful to learn at the feet of the living Apostles and Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For a wealth of information, please see http://www.lds.org.
Dana