|
First of all, I would never say anything derogatory about any religion, including the Catholic Church because I think there are many great truths
contained in any religion that encourages a Christ-centered life. I agree that the Catholic church does date back quite a few years, but it isn't the
oldest. The oldest religion of Jesus Christ is the one that was taught to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The scriptures tell us that not all of
Adamıs posterity followed his teachings, and many of his children fell away.
God called another prophet, Noah, to reestablish the truth. Noah had the same authority that Adam had in order to act for God. He was commanded to teach
others, but once again they fell away from the truth.
God then called Abraham as a prophet. He too taught the people about God's plan. In time, the people found themselves in bondage and once again, because
of their eventual apostasy, they fell away from the truth.
He then called the prophet Moses to reestablish his truth. As you know, Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt. However, they too sought less than
the fullness of the truth.
Then our Father in Heaven sent his Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to established his Church on a foundation of apostles and prophets. He gave them the
authority to teach His Gospel and act in his name. Despite his
majesty and the beauty of his message, the Savior was rejected. They crucified him and once again, the children of God chose apostasy and His message was
rejected by so many.
For a time, after the death of Christ, his apostles continued to teach and eventually they were killed. Without a prophet of God to lead the people, the
Church was left without a foundation to stand on. Religious teachings and proper theology had diverged so much.
A few hundred years after the death of Christ, well meaning individuals who tried to unify the various religious teachings of the day came up with one
common "universal" (Catholic) religion.
This uniting was an attempt to merge all of the various beliefs into one.
Then, in the 1800's (and this is where you claim the Mormon faith is man-made) we believe that God, once again, called another prophet, Joseph Smith, to be
his prophet on the earth and restore the true religion of Jesus Christ as practiced by Adam and Eve. This is what I believe.
After the death of the prophet, Joseph, other prophets were called to lead the Church and to reveal the will of the Lord to his children. The prophet who
leads the Church today is Gordon B. Hinckley. I do believe that he is a prophet just as Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon religion) is not a "man-made" religion according to what we believe. It is the restored religion
of Jesus Christ that existed at the dawn of time.
Sincerely,
Donny Osmond
See related multimedia presentations
|
