And the answer is............

And the answer is............





42

Perhaps the other religions may have a better grasp on the subject of grace than do many Latter-day Saints. God's grace is unmerited. We are undeserving of His blessings, despite all that we do to make ourselves worthy. But if that is so, then why do we put such stress on the idea of worthiness? That question implies that we either are saved by God's unmerited grace or we are saved by our efforts to emulate Christ. However, the truth is that we are saved by both our efforts and by God's unmerited grace.

. . .

Complete Article:
[link to www.14lds.com]

This post WAS added to my Log of Direct Links:   
Thread: Tips for improving the GLP experience.

MC


I think you nailed it MagiChristmas.

Perhaps the other religions may have a better grasp on the subject of grace than do many Latter-day Saints. God's grace is unmerited. We are undeserving of His blessings, despite all that we do to make ourselves worthy. But if that is so, then why do we put such stress on the idea of worthiness? That question implies that we either are saved by God's unmerited grace or we are saved by our efforts to emulate Christ. However, the truth is that we are saved by both our efforts and by God's unmerited grace.

. . .

Complete Article:
[link to www.14lds.com]

This post WAS added to my Log of Direct Links:   
Thread: Tips for improving the GLP experience.

MC


I think you nailed it MagiChristmas.


Hi Hag, how are ya? I recently started listening/watching a pastor by the name of Arnold Murray. I know what you're probably thinking when you hear the word pastor, some loud, annoying guy preaching at me asking for donations etc. Believe me, I thought the same thing. Anyhow, he holds a daily bible study which is an hour long. He reads right from the Bible and explains EVERYTHING as he goes along. He is really, really good. Like I said,I know to some the Bible may be a bit confusing, but he explains everything he is reading so that you can understand what's going on. Please check him out. His weekly archive can be found online at [link to www.shepherdschapel.com]

I suggest you take out your Bible and read along with him so that you know he is truly reading from the good Book. You don't have to download anything, just click on STREAMING WM to listen to him via Windows Media Player. This man is very kind and tells it like it is without any type of criticism whatsoever. Please do take the time out to listen to him.

God Bless...

mc who bewitched the Galatians? and what were they DOING??

love rb

Who bewitched the Galations & the laying on of hands. 


mc who bewitched the Galatians? and what were they DOING??

love rb


Googling "who bewitched the Galations" didn't yield a discreet answer.  Please reply with your interpretation. 

My search did manifest fruit, to borrow your terminology:

I was pleasently surprised to find a reference to the Melchizedek preisthood at InterfaithDialogueCenter.  
[link to groups.yahoo.com]

And a passage that follows from Acts 8 that describes what in means to be born of water (Baptism by immersion, going into the water symbolizes the grave, in the name of Jesus Christ, by the power of the Aaronic priesthood which key was bestowed upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey by John the Baptist)  

9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

And born of the Spirit which is done by the power of the Melchizedek priesthood by the laying on of hands by the words that include "receive the holy ghost". 

Being born of the water and of the spirit are two essential steps required towards being "born again"

These are step three and four of the principles of salvation. The first being faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The second being true repentance, meaning an intention and real striving to keep the commandments and sin no more.

The first principles are listed as the fourth Article of Faith. It states: “We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.” These principles are organized in the order in which they must be obtained. Each one builds on the others.

First Principles and Ordinances of the Gospel:
[link to jesus.christ.org]
Text portions of this website appears blank on the iPhone?
  
out -Sheldon, from a recent episode of the Big Bang Theory- lol. 


This post WAS added to my Log of Direct Links:   
Thread: Tips for improving the GLP experience.

MC

Hi, MagiChristmas.......What prominence does Melchizedek have in the NT, in your estimation?

Melchizedek, a king and high priest of the Most High God. 


Hi, MagiChristmas.......What prominence does Melchizedek have in the NT, in your estimation?


Morning Hag,

As a king and high priest of the Most High God (Gen. 14:18), Melchizedek holds a place of great honor and respect among Latter-day Saints. An example of righteousness and the namesake of the higher priesthood, he represents the scriptural ideal of one who obtains the power of God through faith, repentance, and sacred ordinances, for the purpose of inspiring and blessing his fellow beings.

Melchizedek was evidently a prince by birth, for he became king of Salem (later jerusalem-Gen. 14:18; Ps. 76:2), where he reigned "under his father" (Alma 13:18). "Melchizedek was a man of faith, who wrought righteousness; and when a child he feared God, and stopped the mouths of lions, and quenched the violence of fire" (JST Gen. 14:26). Yet the people among whom he lived "waxed strong in iniquity and abomination; yea, they had all gone astray; they were full of all manner of wickedness" (Alma 13:17).

Though living among a wicked people, Melchizedek "exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God" (Alma 13:18). This priesthood was after the order of the covenant that God had made with Enoch (JST Gen. 14:27), and Melchizedek ruled both as king and priest over his people.

As high priest, some of his functions were keeping "the storehouse of God" where the "tithes for the poor" were held (JST Gen. 14:37-38), giving blessings to individuals such as Abraham (JST Gen. 14:18, 25, 37), preaching repentance (Alma 13:18; cf. 5:49), and administering ordinances "after this manner, that thereby the people might look forward on the Son of God…for a remission of their sins, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord" (Alma 13:16; JST Gen. 14:17). With extraordinary goodness and power, Melchizedek diligently administered in the office of high priest and "did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days" (Alma 13:18). Consequently, Melchizedek became known as "the prince of peace" (JST Gen. 14:33; Heb. 7:1-2; Alma 13:18). "His people wrought righteousness, and obtained heaven" (JST Gen. 14:34). His Hebrew name means "King of Righteousness."

For Alma 2 and several biblical authors, the order of the priesthood to which Melchizedek was ordained was of prime importance. It was this "order," coupled with faith, that gave Melchizedek the power and knowledge that influenced his people to repent and become worthy to be with God. This order was "after the order of the Son of God; which order came, not by man, nor the will of man; neither by father nor mother; neither by beginning of days nor end of years; but of God" (JST Gen. 14:28; JST Heb. 7:3; Ps. 110:4). It was given to Melchizedek "through the lineage of his fathers, even till Noah," and from Melchizedek to Abraham (D&C 84:14). Those ordained to this order were to "have power, by faith," and, according to "the will of the Son of God," to work miracles. Ultimately, those in this order were "to stand in the presence of God" (JST Gen. 14:30-31). This was accomplished by participating in the ordinances of this order (Alma 13:16; D&C 84:20-22). The result was that "men having this faith, coming up unto this order of God, were translated and taken up into heaven" (JST Gen. 14:32). Accordingly, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught that the priesthood held by Melchizedek had "the power of "endless lives"'. 

So righteous and faithful was Melchizedek in the execution of his high priestly duties that he became a prototype of Jesus Christ (Heb. 7:15). The Book of Mormon prophet Alma said of him, "Now, there were many [high priests] before him, and also there were many afterwards, but none were greater" (Alma 13:19). The Doctrine and Covenants states that Melchizedek was "such a great high priest" that the higher priesthood was called after his name. "Before his day it was called the Holy Priesthood, after the Order of the Son of God. But out of respect or reverence to the name of the Supreme Being, to avoid the too-frequent repetition of his name, they, the church, in the ancient days, called that priesthood after Melchizedek, or the Melchizedek Priesthood"

The complete article with active links:
[link to eom.byu.edu]

The lesser priesthood is called the Aaronic Priesthood, which holds the keys to Baptism (born of the water).  The higher priesthood then confers the gift of the Holy Ghost (born of the spirit), by the laying on of hands as described in Acts, Chapter 8.


This post WAS added to my Log of Direct Links:   
Thread: Tips for improving the GLP experience.

MC  

Interesting read, MagiChristmas....Thanks for the input!