Owner: Truth Is Restored URL:http://truthisrestored.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:34:18 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Providing truth about mormons, the mormon church, the Book of Mormon, temples, and Joseph Smith. Site statistics:Click here
Online Missionary Success (Part 2) 2008-03-02 12:34:00 Recently, I wrote about a friend a made on lds.net who joined the Church a while ago, but was driven out by her mother (of another faith). She always retained a deep (though tender) testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.She contacted me through lds.net and my blog (Truth is Restored) and asked me many questions about the Church and it’s teachings. I have been following her progress and steps backs towards the Church.Earlier this week, I had been thinking about how she was doing and I wrote to check up on her. Following is a paraphrase of her response:“Hey Rusty, guess what ? My mom is moving out, she just cant take it that I am LDS. I wish her all the luck! My husband is going to church with me and said yesterday (all on his own, out of no where) that he was thinking about joinin Read more:Success
Accusation: Polygamy is evil and is not biblical 2008-02-24 23:58:00 I’ve been thinking lately about writing an article on polygamy. It will be somewhat exhaustive, and dealing with a very sensitive subject, so obviously it will take some time to feel comfortable publishing it. As for now, I’ll just write a few comments on the subject.For one, I’m always a little bit alarmed at how viciously “bible-believing Christians” attack the Church for this part of its history. Are not the very covenant people descended from Father Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? They were righteous above those of the earth to the point that the Lord kept his promises made to them and established them as his people.Polygamy
was not part of the Mosaic Law and hence was not abolished when Christ fulfilled the Law. It is a practice condoned by the Lord when he needs to “raise up s Read more:Accusation
Psalms 119 and Scripture Numerics 2008-02-17 22:15:00 As I was reading through psalms today, I noticed an interesting pattern. Some of you may have heard of a branch of scriptural study called “scriptural numerics.” Many believe that the numbers and patterns found in the scriptures are ubiquitous and meaningful. I lend some credit to the theory, but not as much as others. For instance, three has to do with perfection, completeness, and God especially. Six is a number dealing with the weaknesses of man, satan, etc….The number that caught my eye today was eight. Previously, I had loved psalms 119 because it dealt with the importance of scriptures and their importance. It took on a whole other dimension today for me when a few things caught my attention.I have been curious in the past about why this chapter (psalms 119) is subdivided into Read more:Psalms
, Scripture
Rusty Curtis' conversion story 2008-02-11 00:24:00 February 27th marks my ninth year as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It surprises me to think about how far I’ve come and how much I’ve learned in so short a period of time.I am often asked about my conversion story
. I have given it so many times, that I generally make the story very short so as to not bore the unfortunate asker to tears.Many of you have become regular readers of my Truth is Restored blog. I thought I should take the time to re-write my conversion story for you, as well as anyone who might happen to stumble upon it. I will try to include the pertinent details, and spare you the superfluities.I was born and raised in Las Vegas, NV. My father was a glass-blower who converted to Judaism around the time I was born, and my mother was Presbyteria Read more:Curtis
Accusation: Joseph Smith had a vivid imagination and made up the Book of Mormon 2008-02-07 19:36:00 I wrote and answered this accusation, just because I had the time and haven't had any questions asked in the last couple days that I felt like making a post of. Enjoy...ACCUSATION:JosephSmith
made up the Book of Mormon
, and the supposed Hebrew/Egyptian names and words therein. He just copied some names from the Bible and made up a couple words and called them Hebrew. -“Liahona”, for instance. Who’s to say that Joseph Smith didn’t just make that word up?RESPONSE:The story of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon is understandably difficult for many to accept or even consider. Many nay-sayers of the Church espouse many theories for it’s unexplainable appearance. One, is that Joseph Smith copied it from another manuscript and changed the names and some of the story. Another is tha Read more:Accusation
, vivid
, imagination
Accusation: Mormons live in a burning house 2008-02-03 23:09:00 INTRODUCTIONThe other day I happened to run across a web site that purported to be a ministry to reach out to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and teach them the truth. As expected, I didn’t see anything new except the same old weak and “recycled” (a term one of my friends used) accusations used against the Church. It’s especially obnoxious when these people try to use the Book of Mormon text to teach us what we believe.As I perused it’s content, a few statements caught my attention:“If you saw a house on fire with someone trapped inside, what would you do? Would you drive by without doing anything? If you knew you could help the person, would you try? Nothing stimulates a sense of urgency more than a life and death situation.When you see a Mormon, do Read more:Accusation
, Mormons
Online-Missionary Success 2008-02-01 01:22:00 I made a new friend, not too long ago, on lds.net. One, day, I had a message in my inbox from a woman who had some questions about the Church. I answered them as well as I could at the moment. The next day, I had more questions from my new friend (I have been getting a lot of questions lately from people curious about the Church). One of her first messages shared her past history with the Church (I have quoted it mostly word for word):“Hi Rusty.Thank you so much for answering my question….So far, the little bit of info I have acquired about the Mormon beliefs has been answering my questions that nobody else (other religions) has been able to. Like the female aspect of god, once saved always saved, one true religion, one true doctrine, and one true God.I’ve always known the Bible to b Read more:Success
Question: What was Satan up to in Heaven? 2008-01-29 18:01:00 QUESTION:What did Lucifer mean by saying to God, "I will be your son," when asking God to use him to be savior of mankind? Why didn’t he just say, "here am I, your son" or did I just misinterpret the verse?RESPONSE:I appreciate that this question was asked. I have thought about this question before and felt like I understood the “what” before, but I never really thought about the “why,” as I have when reflecting on your question.First, let’s talk about what Lucifer meant by “I will be your son.”WHAT:“That Satan
, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying—Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will d Read more:Question
, Heaven
Accusation: Joseph Smith Fabricated the Book of Abraham 2008-01-28 15:46:00 ACCUSATION:It's now been proven that the Book of Abraham
was basically made up by JosephSmith
. It's my understanding (and the church seems to be agreeing it's a false hood), that he "translated" ancient text off of old scrolls, now, more then a century later those translations have been proven to be completely false.So...How do you believe the BoM?RESPONSE:Thanks for asking me this question.I haven’t seen this criticism in a while.It’s an old and false argument that was prevalent in the late 60's. It all started when an old Egyptian manuscript was re-discovered in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1966. The document was identified as belonging to the Church. It was also of authentic Egyptian antiquity, but when translated, it was not the Book of Abraham.Nay-sayers of the Churc Read more:Accusation
What is "Blood Atonement?" 2008-01-25 03:25:00 Question:Did Brigham Young preach blood atonement? -Christ’s blood was not enough?Response:The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or “Mormons,” are often slandered because of a misunderstanding concerning statements made by early church leaders, particularly Brigham Young. As a matter of fact, they never even used the term “blood atonement.” The true meaning of Blood
Atonement (If we are to use this term) refers to the atoning powers of Christ’s blood and sacrifice. Through this act man may be cleansed “through the blood of the lamb.” Some have twisted the words of early, and recent church leaders to say all sorts of inaccurate things and brassly proclaim that that’s what Mormons believe.What God (and the early church leaders) did teach, is a form of capital pun
Accusation: Mormons teach they can become Gods. This is not biblical. 2008-01-24 13:35:00 The following remarks were comments to one of my earlier posts (copied exactly as written by commenter) : “Do Mormons
teach that we can become gods?”. I though that I might not only respond to his comments, but make his comments and my response a new post, so that others might have the opportunity to enjoy the discussion. So following the section entitled “Accusation
” (right below) is my response.ACCUSATION:Jesus used the term “gods” to describe how they presented themsevles. Look at the very next verse; Psalm 82:7; “But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler.” God says that although you present yourselves as "gods", you are really just mere men! The word "god"(note lower case G) is used to describe those whot have authority over people in certain
What is salvation, and how do we achieve it? 2008-01-23 12:58:00 This post is the second part of a correspondence. The first part is under the post, “What is the difference between conversion and salvation?”Question:If the only heaven worth striving for is the one where we enjoy full fellowship with the Father, then what does it really take to live the kind of life where we can have the expectation of going there?Response:I think the key here is an understanding of what our whole purpose is for our existence. Why is it that God created us in his image? Why did he care about us so much that he sent his son to suffer beyond mortal comprehension for us. Why does he offer us all that he has if we are faithful (Rom 8:16-17, Heb 1:2)? These are BIG investments.I believe it is because we are His children, literally. He loves us more than we know. He wants
What is the difference between conversion and salvation? 2008-01-23 12:08:00 I've started a correspondence with one of my new friends at lds.net. He is a prison chaplain (a great one probably) in the Northwest. This posting, and the one entitled “How does one attain Salvation?” are responses to some of his questions. Yes, he gave me permission to post them; he actually encouraged it.Question:What does it mean to be converted vs. achieving salvation? You are likely aware that evangelicals focus on conversion, whereas LDS tend to see salvation as having endured to the end (thus all the debates about where good works fit in).Response:Extrapolating from our previous correspondence and the context of this question, I’m assuming you’re saying “evangelicals focus on conversion” is “getting/being saved.” Hence, evangelicals generally teach being saved now, Read more:difference
what does Science say about the settlement of the America's before the Inca 2008-01-22 19:43:00 "Science
" is saying that the native inhabits of tis land got here many different ways. There have been studies finding that many of the Native America
ns have Asian ancestors. Many ill-informed critics of the Church try to use this as evidence that the Book of Mormon is not true. They neglect to mention that DNA research is also finding that some Native Americans have primarily Near-Eastern and Israeli heritage (interesting article on this topic), which actually supports the claims in the Book of Mormon.As far as science goes though, it has been my experience that science usually catches up with the Church, and not the other way around. For instance, when the "Word of Wisdom" (no alcohol, tobacco, tea, etc...) was given 170 years ago, many people actually thought tobacco was good for you. T
CNN links to Truth is Restored 2008-01-22 13:18:00 Imagine my shock yesterday when I discovered that people were linking to my site via CNN
! I checked out what was going on and found out that they posted an article about Mitt Romney and his faith, and used my blog as one explaining the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.How's that for a slap on the back? More like a conk on the head actually.... This means I probably have to be responsible about what I say.Here's the link (scroll to the bottom and click on "from the blogs"): CNN links
to Truth
is RestoredThe point is neighbors, that we can make a difference. Lets add to or current efforts by putting our shoulder to the keyboard too.I hope we done the Lord and you proud Elder Ballard!Best Wishes,Rusty
What do mormons believe? 2008-01-21 01:23:00 Question:What do Mormons believe
?Response:Many have wondered and asked what Mormons really believe in. We hear all sorts of horror stories from people of other churches trying to explain what Mormons believe. The fact is that you don’t go to A Chevy dealership to learn about Fords.I myself was curious about what Mormons believed in. Then I took the time to find out. I discovered that the Church wasn’t made up of the crazies that people of other faiths said it was. I was always suspicious of all those pastors and preachers that fought against any church or organization so aggressively (Of course they’re going to fight against something that takes church member away from them, the bottom line is that is their source of income). I love that the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of L
Did Jesus and Lucifer present different Plans of Salvation? 2008-01-20 20:50:00 Question:Did God pick Jesus
’ plan of salvation over Lucifer’s plan?Response:Another great question, Ken. First off, there were not two plans presented in the pre-mortal council. God the Father (Elohim) presented the plan of salvation (that’s what we call the overall plan and purpose of our existence). Jesus offered to fulfill the plan by being the savior of mankind in the Father’s plan. Satan also volunteered, but demanded the throne of the Father in return. He also wanted to pollute Father’s plan by taking away the agency (ability to choose) of mankind. This way no one could sin and none would be lost.This might sound like a good thing, until one truly recognizes the importance of agency. Our omniscient Heavenly Father did. Father chose our elder Brother Jesus Christ to fulfill Read more:different
, Salvation
What is the Adam God Theory? 2008-01-19 21:59:00 Hello everyone. I hope everything finds you well. I got a great message (in my lds.net account – it’s great) from a new friend from Pennsylvania named Ken. Ken has a sister that converted to the Church, and he now has some questions about the Church. He asked some good, honest questions about the church’s history and teachings. My next four posts will consist of his questions, and my responses.Ken’s Question:What do you know about the Adam-God theory? Was Adam a God? Will he become a god in heaven?This whole fiasco comes from one misquoted Brigham Young statement found in the Journal of Discourses (a 26 volume collection containing discourses of some of the early leaders of the Church). I’ll quote it for you so you can see exactly what I’m talking about:“When our father Adam Read more:Theory
Accusation: Mormons believe warm-fuzzies signify truth. This is not biblical. 2008-01-15 02:23:00 Accusation:Mormon’s say that feelings signify the Holy Ghost is telling you something is true. This is not biblical.Response:Proof-texting is the term used for “proving” something by supporting your stance with “authoritative” quotes; e.g., God loved the world for “God so loved the world” (John 3:16). This is a popular practice amongst the religious debaters of the world. The reason I mention it is to point out a flaw in it. Many people can be passionate about a certain aspect of the gospel and quote one or several scriptures to support their belief in it. The rub is that so can many others on the same subject, and reach a totally different conclusion. They think they are just as positive and sure as the other guy. See the problem?So, how does one discover the real spiritual Read more:Accusation
, Mormons
, believe
Saved by Grace and Perfected by Grace 2008-01-11 22:09:00 Saved by Grace
and Perfected by GraceI have not heard any questions recently that I have jumped out of my skin to answer, so I thought I would take a few minutes and talk about one of my favorite aspects of the true gospel: the effect grace has on our mortal lives and not just the saving portion (Though that is monumental).I have been blessed/cursed to be extremely practical. One reason the Church was so appealing to me before, during, and after my conversion was how applicable it is teachings are in modern life. Our prophet and general authorities constantly give us inspired guidance (as given to them by the Lord) about how to not only reach our eternal goals, but to improve our day-to-day lives also.I love the gift of agency. I am so grateful that I have the God given right to make of my
Reflections on the sacrament 2008-01-06 20:53:00 Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints partake of the sacrament every week during normal worship services. Other churches often call this the “Lord’s Supper,” or “Communion.” During the administration of the sacrament we reflect on the on the life and mission of Jesus Christ. I found myself pondering today on the significance of eating and drinking the sacred emblems. Catholics believe in what is called “transubstantiation” in which the bread and wine they drink literally transform into the flesh and blood of Christ. While we do not believe the bread and water (in our case) literally transform into the flesh and blood of Christ, we treat seriously the ordinance as a means of renewing our covenants with the Father and retaining a remission of our sins. I Read more:Reflections
Zion: What it is and isn't 2007-12-19 19:56:00 Before I wrote this article last year, I was under the assumption that the saints were to establish Zion, and hence, I could in my own way establish a little piece of Zion myself in my family and home. Figuratively, yes, I can do this. In specific actuality, I cannot. Zion is not a strip mall that I can invest in and put up on my own accord. After reading in Approaching Zion, by brother Hugh Nibley, it becomes obvious that it is not our directive to build Zion, but to prepare for it.“We'd better say a few things about Zion here. Zion is a code word denoting a very real thing. Zion is any community in which the celestial order prevails. Zion is "the pure in heart" (D&C 97:21), but Zion is also a real city or any number of real cities. It is a constant; it is unchanging. There are Zio
Accusation: The story of Moroni and the Book of Mormon contradicts Gal. 1:8 2007-12-18 00:22:00 Accusation: Galatians 1:8 "if we, or even an angel from heaven, should preach unto you another gospel than which has already been preached to you, let them be accursed".Do any Mormon
s recognize this verse? Don't they find it interesting it was included in scripture hundreds of years before Joseph Smith claimed to have a "vision" given to him from an "angel from heaven"? Hello?Response: Hello.Gal. 1:8. Yes, anti books do use that one a lot.Are you concerned about the angel Moroni declaring the gospel? Or are you concerned about "another gospel?"If it is an angel in the latter days declaring the gospel...read Revelation 14:6-7"I saw another ANGEL, flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting GOSPEL to preach unto them that dwell on the earth...." -There's your angel preaching the Read more:Accusation
, story
Was Jesus married? 2007-12-18 00:16:00 Why was Jesus
not able to commit to a marriage relationship with a woman?Weren't unmarried
bachelors 24 years of age and older in Judaism deemed to be over the hill?Like weren't Joseph and Mary married as young teenagers, maybe at age 15 or 16?Response:Most likely.Christ was perfect not only because he was the son of God, but because he kept ALL of his Father's commandments. -That's the reason why he was able to die for us and it be efficacious for our salvation (lamb without blemish). What's the first commandment God gave to man? "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it...." -Gen 1:26Obviously, that requires marriage (Gen 2:24) because God wouldn't command them to fornicate.Christ was perfectly obedient to Heavenly Father, hence he kept every commandment. If he w
Question: Does God no longer care about me? 2007-12-16 12:02:00 Question: Does God no longer care about me?I feel as if God no longer cares about me. I have been a Christian for most of my adult life. I have always felt like God was with me and watching over me, protecting me. Last December I lost my job. I now have a job, but it is barely enough to pay my rent and utilities. I have nothing left over for food even though I work ten hour days. All attempts to find either a better job or a second job have failed. I am struggling with the feeling that God has abandoned me. I stayed faithful and trusting for a long time, but now cannot even bring myself to go to church. I feel as if God has given up on me and no longer cares if I survive in this world. I've trusted God to see me through this, but every time my hopes crumble to nothing. How can I get that h Read more:Question
Question: Why don’t I feel the “burning” of the Spirit anymore? 2008-03-16 19:17:00 I’ve also pondered this question in the past. It seems like you’re basically doing everything you’re supposed to be doing (going to Church, reading your scriptures, praying morning and night, etc…) and yet, you don’t feel that same burning of the bosom, or spiritual high that you’ve experienced before. I don’t think there is necessarily one universal answer for this question, but I will present one reason I think applies to many, if not most, in this situation.Every week in Church, members of the Church make solemn covenants to take upon them the name of Christ, keep his commandments, and remember him. In accordance to those covenants, the faithful are promised to “always” have His Spirit to be with them. So… if we are promised we’ll always have the Spirit, and we’r Read more:Question
Accusation: Mormons follow the devil. They even sing it in their hymns 2008-03-30 23:41:00 ACCUSATION:Mormons
deny that they follow the devil. In their hymn book, on page 116, they declare that they do: “Is it enough alone to know that we must follow him below.” How can any Mormon deny that they follow the devil when it is in their very so-called “hymn book?”RESPONSE:Yet again, another marvelously misinterpreted passage, taken royally out of context. Well, I have come to expect no less from nay-sayers.I believe quoting the rest of the verses would help shed some light on the real meaning of this hymn.1. “Come, follow me,” the Savior said.Then let us in his footsteps tread,For thus alone can we be oneWith God’s own loved, begotten Son.2. “Come, follow me,” a simple phrase,Yet truth’s sublime, effulgent raysAre in these simple words combinedTo urge, inspire the Read more:Accusation
Question: Was Jesus Married? 2008-04-25 20:33:00 QUESTION:Dear Rusty,I have a question do mormons believe Jesus
was married? I was also wondering about their thoughts on the virgin Mary. If they believe Jesus was married do they believe he had more than one wife. Thank You so much for taking the time to answer my questions.RESPONSE:Sorry it took a couple days for me to get back to you. I actually wrote a short article on this topic on my site truthisrestored.blogspot.com.My answer is my own opinion from my own study over the years. I have no problem believing that Christ was married. As a matter of fact, I am more disturbed by the belief that he was not.Marriage is and always has been a commandment of God (Gen 1:28). Christ was perfect in every way, including keeping every commandment of God. Therefore, if someone professes that Christ Read more:Question
Accusation: The truth about mormons - Part 1 2008-05-01 00:57:00 Every now and then, a comment comes along that leaves me, well… speechless; actually, shocked might be the better word. After reading your comments on Mormonism, I feel it my responsibility to shed some light on the subject for the benefit of whoever may find themselves reading this, and/or possibly the actual naysayer and author of these comments.ACCUSATION - Part 1"If you believe that GOD is the same "today, yesterday and forever" then why would you need a mormon bible? If you believe what Joeseph Smith taught that when he was drawn to an angel of light (which means= Devil) and asked about what church to go to..and that angel of light said none..they are ALL WRONG..which states that EVERYTHING about them and beliefs arnt true-then your calling GOD a LIAR! THAT MEANS GOD WAS WRONG>>>>GO Read more:Accusation
Accusation: The truth about mormons - Part 2 2008-05-08 22:08:00 continued from "Accusation
: The truth about mormons - Part 1"ACCUSATION“and asked about what church to go to..and that angel of light said none…”RESPONSEJoseph wanted to join a church because he thought it the right thing to do. He asked God which church to join because he was confused by all the different teachings from the different churches (happens a lot, right?) and he wanted to know which church God approved of. Jesus Christ (not an angel of light), told young Joseph to join none of them.ACCUSATION“they are ALL WRONG..which states that EVERYTHING about them and beliefs arnt true-then your calling GOD a LIAR! THAT MEANS GOD WAS WRONG>>>>GOD IS NEVER WRONG.”RESPONSEThis was one of those moments when I was shocked. Jesus Christ, said that the Churches were wrong and that Josep
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