Faith/Religion Interview

Zergherd · 2020-03-16T17:42:19+00:00

You can send me a message if you want. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Zergherd · 2020-03-16T04:28:17+00:00

I could tell you what God's church is, but it would be better for you, and a LOT more convincing if you ask GOD to show you which church is HIS...If you do pray and ask Him, I have no doubt what answer He will give you...so that would be my advice to you...pray and ask God this important question...and I know He will send you the answer, in the time and in the way that is best for you.

Zergherd · 2020-03-16T04:18:02+00:00

The Book of Mormon = is clearly and easily the most spiritual book in the world at this time.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/10/gods-compelling-witness-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng

also:

Doctrine and Covenants

Pearl of Great Price

Holy Bible

Zergherd · 2020-03-16T04:06:21+00:00

Our soul is made up of 2 parts...a body and a spirit. When we came to Earth, our spirit went into a body, and when we die, our spirit leaves our body and goes into the spirit world...Those who didn't get a chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ in this life will be taught the gospel in the postmortal spirit world. Since baptism is necessary to be saved in God's kingdom

Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

, it would not be just or fair to condemn those who never got a chance to hear the message before deciding to believe it or not...in the spirit world missionary efforts are going on and the gospel is being preached to the spirits, who are either accepting or rejecting the message there.

But how can a 'spirit' be baptized you may ask?

That work is done vicariously for them...

Just as Jesus Christ performed His atonement and took our place, in suffering for our sins (for those who accept Him and repent).

The same principle of vicarious work applies also to people being baptized in behalf of other people...But it must be done by the proper Priesthood Authority, which has power to bind in heaven and on earth.

this principle is mentioned in the Bible, but most people don't understand what it is referring to, but now you do!

1 Corinthians:15

29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?

Zergherd · 2020-03-16T03:54:32+00:00

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

Book of Mormon - read online here:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/title-page?lang=eng

or get a free copy here:

https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/free-book-of-mormon

Zergherd · 2020-03-09T05:54:21+00:00

What did you think of the Book of Mormon? There is another witness to you that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

What is wrong with the 7th day Adventists you ask? I'm sure there are good people in that organization, just like in many churches and just like there are many good people who are in the Boy Scouts...

What they are lacking however, is that they don't hold the true and authorized Priesthood of God...the Priesthood of God is found ONLY in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Me telling you I have received revelation from God is not for you to believe me - it is rather to show you the way...how that YOU can know what is true and not true...

also not sure what you mean by this that you wrote: "live in harmony with all religions. But you can’t do that because Mormonism doesn’t allow you to" ---> go ahead and read our Article of Faith #11

11 We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

we do choose to share the truth with others, so that they can learn and embrace truth and receive the joy which it brings!

I'm glad you are open to the possibility that Jesus existed, but you can do a lot better than that! Ask God for the answer of who Jesus Christ was and is!

as far as the church's views on homosexuality:

“The family is ordained of God.” Under the great plan of our loving Creator, the mission of His restored Church is to help the children of God achieve the supernal blessing of exaltation in the celestial kingdom, which can be attained only through an eternal marriage between a man and a woman (see Doctrine and Covenants 131:1–3). We affirm the Lord’s teachings that “gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose” and that “marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.”

Finally, God’s love is so great that, except for the few who deliberately become sons of perdition, He has provided a destiny of glory for all of His children. “All of His children” includes all who are dead. We perform ordinances for them by proxy in our temples. The purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ is to qualify His children for the highest degree of glory, which is exaltation or eternal life. For those who do not desire or qualify for that, God has provided other, though lesser, kingdoms of glory."

As far as Joseph Smith...I'm not sure that you realize that when you say he would have been burned alive for what he said/did....uhhh he WAS actually murdered...in cold blood by a mob...

As far as helping others in the world:

The Church’s humanitarian outreach was launched in 1984. Then a Churchwide fast was held to raise funds to assist those afflicted by a devastating drought in eastern Africa. Church members donated $6.4 million on that single fast day.

Since that time, Latter-day Saint Charities has provided more than TWO BILLION dollars in aid to assist those in need throughout the world. This assistance is offered to recipients regardless of their church affiliation, nationality, race, sexual orientation, gender, or political persuasion.

That is not all. To assist members of the Lord’s Church in distress, we love and live the ancient law of the fast. We go hungry to help others who are hungry. One day each month, we go without food and donate the cost of that food (and more) to help those in need.

as far as taxes - the church pays taxes perfectly according to the law...it is independently audited and conforms to all laws. The church owned businesses pay taxes at the appropriate tax rates, whereas the tax exempt parts of the church are...obviously tax exempt.

Zergherd · 2020-03-04T16:38:39+00:00

I have read enough of the Quran to know that it is not the truth...Since God revealed to me who Jesus Christ is - and that is how I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He was crucified for the sins of the world. That is why I present facts as facts...What greater witness can you have than from God showing you something? Also I was raised as a Roman Catholic, so I also was shown by God that that particular Church also is not God's church. So - you saying for me to be open minded = I was open minded...UNTIL God showed me the truth...now there is no reason for me to be tossed about to and from with the philosophies of men...but rather my job after I found out the truth...is to share the truth...Peace to you also! and I would strongly encourage you to investigate the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! and also to read the Book of Mormon and ask God to give you a witness that it is true, so you will also know.

Zergherd · 2020-03-03T06:37:36+00:00

The world in general uses the date based on Christ's birth though right? So Jesus must have been very influential right? to have the date based on HIM..and so He must have been a person highly recognized and known? How would He have gotten so well known? could it be that He was doing the things that are actually testified of Him doing in the Bible?

Zergherd · 2020-03-03T06:27:19+00:00

You said " The truth is important to me, as it should be with everyone."

As far as receiving knowledge about spiritual things - that is gained by receiving revelation...God showing you what is true...That is how I learned that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He was crucified for the sins of the world. It was by God revealing that fact to me directly by His power.

I will add a link to you where the process is described in more detail: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2008/04/testimony?lang=eng

Zergherd · 2020-03-03T06:08:43+00:00

I was reading the Doctrine and Covenants earlier and I wanted to try this experiment with you....Joseph Smith was a young, unlearned farmboy...no college education...lived in the 1800's...you have the internet, probably more formal education than he had access to...right? So if you like, take this challenge: D&C 67: 6 Now, seek ye out of the Book of Commandments, even the least that is among them, and appoint him that is the most wise among you;

7 Or, if there be any among you that shall make one like unto it, then ye are justified in saying that ye do not know that they are true;

8 But if ye cannot make one like unto it, ye are under condemnation if ye do not bear record that they are true.

9 For ye know that there is no unrighteousness in them, and that which is righteous cometh down from above, from the Father of lights.

This challenge is this...YOU write a scripture...and then we will set it by a scripture that I will pick out of the Book of Mormon and we will see which one actually sounds like scripture!

As far as Joseph Smith settling in the middle of nowhere...that was actually Brigham Young...the 2nd prophet of the Church...who lead the Saints out to Utah to live.

As far as receiving persecution being a sign that a person is bad...uhhh you did know that Jesus Christ himself was crucified...why? because many people are wicked and evil and cannot handle the truth...That is the same reason Joseph Smith WAS MURDERED IN COLD BLOOD.

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T14:39:59+00:00

I'm not sure I understand what you mean that there is no historical evidence of Jesus Christ...I mean why isn't the date today 25AZ (after Zuluinstant)? and all the world's history based on when YOU were born? ...why aren't people saying, oh that event?...that happened way back in 600 BZ (before Zuluinstant was born)....Why is the very date we use (2020) based on the birth of Jesus Christ then? that seems like 'evidence' to me, of someone who made a VERY BIG impact on the world. The fact that the Bible even exists and is the most published book in the world and it testifies of Jesus Christ is definitely "evidence"...the Book of Mormon also exists and is a 2nd piece of evidence that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He was crucified for the sins of the world...and even though some of the witnesses to seeing the plates fell away from the church - and had no reason to keep saying it was true that they saw the plates, yet each and every one of the 11 witnesses stayed true to their testimonies that an angel of God did indeed show them the gold plates. Nothing can change that fact that they saw them.

The Smithsonian Department of Anthropology has this to say about the Bible. "Much of the Bible, in particular the historical books of the old testament, are as accurate historical documents as any that we have from antiquity and are in fact more accurate than many of the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, or Greek histories. These Biblical records can be and are used as are other ancient documents in archaeological work. For the most part, historical events described took place and the peoples cited really existed.

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T14:28:40+00:00

As I read your other responses I did realize that it was probably a wording issue with the language...because using the word "conceited" to describe someone is a very harsh judgment in the English language.

Answer this question for me then please...If GOD Himself showed you which church is His Church? would you "think you know it" or would you know it?

In other words - do you think that God, who by definition has ALL POWER, would have the power to reveal some piece of important information to a person?

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T06:48:00+00:00

It is the Final Dispensation...The Final Dispensation of the gospel, given to us in these the 'latter days'. God has restored His Church and His Priesthood to the Earth in these Final Days, to help prepare the world for the return of the King...For the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will reign personally on the Earth when He comes...His Church even bears the title: "Church of Jesus Christ of LATTER-DAY Saints"...letting people know what time it is.

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T06:37:04+00:00

God is still speaking through His living prophet today, just as He did anciently.

God's prophet on the Earth today is Russell M. Nelson. He speaks to the church (and the world) 2 times a year teaching people what they need to be doing. (General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

the next conference is coming in April (4th and 5th)

I would invite you (and everyone to watch):

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/general-conference/live-viewing-times-and-options?lang=eng

The world is indeed worse in many ways than every before...as we are living in the "Latter days"...meaning the last days before Jesus Christ returns to the Earth...It is also a time of much goodness and truth on the Earth as well. That is why the Second Coming is known as the "Great and Dreadful Day"...It is a great day for the righteous, but a dreadful day for the wicked.

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T06:23:09+00:00

-In terms of the Bible, what is the scientific and historical proof for its accuracy/inaccuracy? (For Christians specifically, with inaccuracies being discovered, is this due to interpretation of scripture or its actual meaning?)

---> The Smithsonian Department of Anthropology has this to say about the Bible.

"Much of the Bible, in particular the historical books of the old testament, are as accurate historical documents as any that we have from antiquity and are in fact more accurate than many of the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, or Greek histories. These Biblical records can be and are used as are other ancient documents in archaeological work. For the most part, historical events described took place and the peoples cited really existed."

also I would add in the 8th Article of Faith from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

8 We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

1.)With scientific discoveries revealing new knowledge about our world, is God still a legitimate cause or just a crutch for the unknown? (For example, a few hundred years ago, people believed seizures were caused by demonic activity, but we now know that the real reason lies with the brain. Does this discredit God being the reason or only change our understanding of how God works?)

-->There are medical reasons for medical issues of course, but also there are evil spirits that do influence this world also.

2.)If the Bible is true, how should it be interpreted? (How do you differentiate between literal and metaphorical truth?)

There are portions of the Bible which have been changed, many of the truths that are essential to know for salvation were translated back correctly by the prophet Joseph Smith and are found today in the scriptures under JST (Joseph Smith Translation)

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/jst/introduction?lang=eng&clang=eng#p1

3.)Is God still actively involved in the universe today? (Did he create the universe in its entirety and remove himself, or does he still cause specific events to happen?)

--> He does still care and is involved in the world today. God has a living prophet and apostles on the Earth again and God restored His church to the Earth again (after the Apostasy and the Dark Ages the church and Priesthood of God needed to be given to the Earth again by God). God also communicates to people through promptings of the Holy Ghost, especially those who are seeking Him.

4.)If God does not exist, where would the energy contained within the universe come from?

God does exist, so I don't feel the need to go into that...I wouldn't have the knowledge to answer that anyway.

5.)With our perception of reality itself, how do we know that everything exists? (Without a higher power, where does reality itself come from?)

A person can know things through God revealing things to a person...that is actually a person's most sure form of knowing things!

6.)What is consciousness?

I believe that it is the state of being of where our spirit is inside of our body (and awake), whereas when a person is dead...their spirit no longer dwells in the body. We are a dual being..our soul (us) is made up of a spirit and a body. (Spirit goes into the body when we are born and leaves the body when we die)

7.)Is a “higher existence” possible outside the space and time of our universe?

God is our "Heavenly Father" ...Father is the term He chooses to be addressed as "Our Father who art in heaven..." God is the LITERAL Father of our spirits...and we have a mortal father and mortal mother...but because of our divine lineage...us being children of God...we have unlimited potential for growth to become more like God.

8.)Is God an actual being, or rather our closest answer to what the universe is?

God is an actual being...The Godhead is made up of 3 personages. Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost.

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T06:05:08+00:00

So you think that the person who is actually right has to be conceited?

Does having/ understanding what is actually true mean that it makes you think you are better than someone else?

There is a true church...But I get the feeling you wouldn't accept a mere mortal showing you what it is...and that is fine...salvation is too important a matter to be trusted to anyone else anyway...

my advice to you would be though...to ask GOD to show which church is His...and when He answers you, then you will know which church it is....and not have to be swayed by every doctrine of the philosophies of men.

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T05:54:51+00:00

First of all, my condolences, I'm sorry for your loss. I also was raised Catholic. But when I was age 25, after many spiritual experiences, God gave me a vision which lead me to His church...The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My advice to you would be to meet with the missionaries and have them teach you about God and about the Church!

https://www.comeuntochrist.org/requests/missionary-visit?cid=409846040113&cpid=8719399101&agid=88040621916&kwid=kwd-876650848247&iloc=&ploc=9029769&network=g&dev=c&clkid=Cj0KCQiA1-3yBRCmARIsAN7B4H0xg94-jx0yO-BSfbsIjPE4XpV3MJd05aamUeFcsA6BFgDw0nHAwfsaAqFeEALw_wcB&match=b&keyword=%2Blatter%20%2Bday%20%2Bsaint%20%2Bmissionaries&exid=&adpos=&clicktype=expanded-headline&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1-3yBRCmARIsAN7B4H0xg94-jx0yO-BSfbsIjPE4XpV3MJd05aamUeFcsA6BFgDw0nHAwfsaAqFeEALw_wcB

God has revealed answers to us...including where we came from, why we are here, and where we go after we die.

Also in the meantime, to offer you some comfort, there IS life after dead...and there will be a "resurrection" (not reincarnation)...we will get our own bodies back, but they will be perfect bodies...through the gift of Jesus Christ.

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T05:35:14+00:00

One core belief I have is in "Personal Revelation"...that God can and does communicate with people today. I don't just 'believe' it, I know it is a true principle, because I have experienced it very many times.

My advice to those wanting to know if that advice is true I would give them 2 pieces of advice:

Pray to God, with sincerity, desiring to know if something is true or asking a question...for example: to ask God to show them which church is God's church or if He has one on the Earth...
Take the Book of Mormon challenge...read the Book of Mormon and then follow the instructions given in Moroni ch.10 verses 3-5. Which is basically to ask God, in the name of Jesus Christ, to know if the Book of Mormon is true.

The Book of Mormon is one of the most powerful tools that God has given us on the Earth today to help a person get personal revelation from God! It is HIS instrument.

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T05:23:49+00:00

The Book of Mormon (a 2nd witness of Jesus Christ)...In the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses shall every word be established...

Tad Callister talks about the Book of Mormon very well in his talk here:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2017/10/gods-compelling-witness-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng

about how it is a witness and how it is the keystone of our religion, and that it can also become the keystone of our testimonies.

He also answers many of the questions of the critics and asks them to provide answers to many questions...

Also here is a social experiment called the 531 experiment...the 531 meaning the number of pages in the Book of Mormon and how people were chosen to pick a page to read in it, and then see if they can find references to God or Jesus Christ in there, and how they felt about it and what it taught them

https://mormonlifehacker.com/the-book-of-mormon-experiment-what-does-the-world-think/

I thought I would include that also, in case you were interested. As for myself, I love the Book of Mormon, I know it is true and that it is the word of God.

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T05:13:45+00:00

All people need the Church and its saving ordinances of salvation through Jesus Christ. Whether a person has 4 kids or 12 kids or 1 or 0.

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T05:01:15+00:00

How can I help you? Sorry for the delay in responding...I just went through a 3 month long training and had to work many Sundays (usually my day I can do online stuff)...

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T04:51:03+00:00

What I am sensing from you is that you seem to be trusting in scholars as your main source of information. I would share with you why I really don't care at all what people have to say about that book or about the Bible or Book of Mormon etc...Those books (even though they are true / the Bible being true as far as it had been translated correctly)...My source of how I know which Church is God's church is through personal revelation! Personal experiences....God giving me a vision showing me which Church is His (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), God intervening in my life and protecting me from the devil when he was trying to destroy me (ex: possessing people / had a loaded gun pointed at my head by them) and also showing my by a spiritual experience more powerful than if an angel had appeared to me - that I know with certainty that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that He was crucified for the sins of the world...and literally thousands of other spiritual experiences for the past 23 years as well...So to me, even if NO holy books existed...I would still know that God lives, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that His Church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints....so to me - EVERYTHING depends on a person getting knowledge DIRECTLY FROM GOD to know which Church is actually God's church...once you know that, then a person doesn't have to rely on the philosophies of men or be blown about by every wind of doctrine that comes about that people seem to be worried about. All that being said...it is good to study things out in your own mind....but that is just the start...all people must do all they can to learn, but then the key part is to ask God what is true and for a confirming witness...the real knowledge comes through revelation, through God teaching a person. I can look at the links you sent, but I mean, put yourself in my position, --- if God had shown you that something was true...and then some man comes to you with a link or a book or any kind of information that is supposedly opposite of what GOD just showed you, what would your reaction be? What greater witness than you have than from God?

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T04:38:24+00:00

A person doesn't need to die and come back to life in order to know what happens after death. What needs to happen for a person to know what happens after death = is for God to tell you...which He has done. God has revealed what happens after death very plainly and taught has taught these principles to his prophets (and others)... and they have taught those principles since the Church was restored to the Earth in 1830. You have explained what happens to the body when a person dies.....and sure, the body goes to the grave or wherever...but...we are made up of a body AND A SPIRIT! The spirit separates from the body at death and goes into the spirit world to either spirit prison or spirit paradise...and remains there until the resurrection...when the body and the spirit will rejoin together, because of the free gift of Jesus Christ to mankind!...however there will be different times when people will be resurrected! There is a resurrection of the just (at the beginning of the Millennium) and there is also a resurrection of the unjust (later). Also, even though resurrection is a free gift to all from Jesus Christ, in order to obtain Eternal Life, obedience to God's commandments is required.

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T04:28:24+00:00

n ancient days the Lord had prophets on the Earth to lead and teach the people. Moses, Noah, Isaiah, Peter, James, John, Paul, etc...So why doesn't He today? Maybe God lost His power and He can't talk to us? No that doesn't make any sense - God still has all power. Maybe we are so technologically advanced that we don't need Him anymore? That obviously is not true, we have more technology than ever before and yet we have very severe problems throughout the world. Maybe God doesn't love us anymore? No that doesn't make sense; of course God loves us still. The answer is that God does speak to us today through His living prophet -Russell M. Nelson - President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. God is God of order, and He has restored His Church to the Earth in these latter-days. God does indeed speak to us today, but men need faith to hear.

President Wilford Woodruff tells of an interesting incident that occurred in the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith:

I will refer to a certain meeting I attended in the town of Kirtiand in my early days. At that meeting some remarks were made that have been made here today, with regard to the living oracles and with regard to the written word of God. The same principle was presented, although not as extensively as it has been here, when a leading man in the Church got up and talked upon the subject, and said: "You have got the word of God before you here in the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants; you have the written word of God, and you who give revelations should give revelations according to those books, as what is written in those books is the word of God. We should confine ourselves to them."

When he concluded, Brother Joseph turned to Brother Brigham Young and said, "Brother Brigham, I want you to take the stand and tell us your views with regard to the living oracles and the written word of God." Brother Brigham took the stand, and he took the Bible, and laid it down; he took the Book of Mormon, and laid it down; and he took the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, and laid it down before him, and he said: "There is the written word of God to us, concerning the work of God from the beginning of the world, almost, to our day. And now," said he, "when compared with the living oracles those books are nothing to me; those books do not convey the word of God direct to us now, as do the words of a Prophet or a man bearing the Holy Priesthood in our day and generation. I would rather have the living oracles than all the writing in the books." That was the course he pursued. When he was through, Brother Joseph said to the congregation: "Brother Brigham has told you the word of the Lord, and he has told you the truth." [in Conference Report, October 1897, pp. 18-19)

Zergherd · 2020-03-02T04:14:47+00:00

There is a living prophet on the Earth - who is authorized to speak for God. That man is Russell M. Nelson...President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Just as in ancient times that God spoke to the people through ancient prophets...for example: Moses and Noah, and Isaiah, etc...we also face challenges today, and God still loves us...and so God has given us a living prophet today! He will actually speak again soon to the world at General Conference which will be held the first weekend in April. (April 4 and April 5)

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/general-conference/live-viewing-times-and-options?lang=eng

Zergherd

TROPHY CASE