This week; number two in the series. If you have comments on any of these “world religions", please put an entry into the GOD CAN (send them to countdown21@gmail.com) and we will post it in the Newsletter (non-attribution promised); You may have insight and/or experience that we may all benefit, learn and grow from.

What is the deal with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Like many “religions”, The Mormon Church, or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), as they prefer to be called, has suspect origins and doctrine. One Joseph Smith claimed that a vision of the Heavenly Father and His Son came to him in now what is referred to as the sacred grove behind his family home in Palmyra, New York. At some time during his search for a church in Palmyra he supposedly got another vision that instructed him that all of them were wrong, with abominable creeds and therefore corrupt (Baptist, Presbyterian and Methodist churches). A few years later he received a vision in his bedroom from “Moroni” that led him to supposedly retrieve golden tablets from a secret location; translation of these tablets led him to the book of Mormon, in 1830.

The tenants of the LDS have changed several times; significantly after the deaths of its most famous leaders, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. And like every church, the LDS church has experienced problems and splits. The current prophet and president of LDS is Thomas Monson (as of 4 Feb 2008). Monson is the 16th leader; and holds the position until natural death.

Some of the tenants of the LDS: (unless they and modified their tenants again) The Mormon Heavenly Father was once a man like us; that is God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on earth, just as Jesus Christ did.

God is the organizer of all matter of this world, but He did not create everything from nothing. His power is great but limited; His knowledge is great but growing. Because He had a body, He is necessarily localized in space. He is changing from a man to a god and… Although he is the chief god of this world, he is only on of many gods among many worlds.