Is the Mormon My Brother?

So, how long have you been going? How long? Born and raised here in Utah? No. Where are you from? I'm from Nevada. Why did you come out of Utah? To be a lawyer. You're a professor? Yep. Wow. So, did you come to those doctrines?

Yeah, because I know the truth. I mean, I've studied the Bible, I've studied the Book of Mormon, I've studied a lot of these things. History. I've had my own personal experiences. I've had a relationship with the Holy Spirit.

It's confirmed to me in my heart that it's true. And I have faith in it. And I actually feel like people say, you guys believe in a different Jesus. Yes, there's only one Jesus. He is our Savior and Redeemer, and I know that in my heart.

I know He's our Savior and Redeemer. I know He suffered for our sins. I know He died on the cross for me, as well as you.

The One Jesus and Competing Claims About Him

He's the one, right? That's true that there's only one Jesus, but, you know, of course, and I'm sure you know as a learned man that, you know, Muslims will say one thing about Jesus, Jehovah's Witnesses will say one thing about Jesus.

You know, I could say that Jesus is this guy right here, but even Jesus asks His disciples, who do you say that I am? And He asks them that because there is a way in which He's revealed Himself. So there is one Jesus.

The question is, is our belief and faith in the one true Jesus of the Bible? And that's where, you know, we take issue. We see, you know, some doctrinal differences between, of course, evangelical Christianity and Latter-day Saint doctrine that would create such a differentiation between what we see to be Jesus that it might be damning.

You know what I mean? Have you ever thought about that?

Well, yeah. Well, I actually, here's my feeling. I feel like anybody who truly believes in Jesus and understands His role as our Savior and Redeemer and is seeking to follow Him, you, we're not going to be damned.

Okay. We're not going to be damned if we truly believe in Jesus. We know He's our Savior. He's our only Savior. We know He's the way, the truth, the life, the right of the world. We believe that and we're trying to follow Him in our daily lives.

If you're mistaken, but you truly believe that and you're doing your best, you're not going to be damned. If I'm mistaken, and I actually don't believe I'm mistaken, I believe that He did appear to Joseph Smith.

I know He did. Okay. I've read the Book of Mormon. Okay.

How many times have you read the Book of Mormon? Not many times. No. No, I've read through some of that. I've read probably a dozen or more.

I've also read the Bible. Okay. I've studied the Gospels regularly. I mean, I know Jesus and I know His Gospel. Who is Jesus, though?

That's sort of what we're trying to point at. He's the Son of God. Okay, is He the brother of Satan, would you say? Is He the brother of Satan? Brother of Lucifer.

What if He is? What does that mean to you? The thing is, though. Who created all things in the universe?

Who created all things in the universe? Just answer me that. Well, I'll answer you. Actually, in John chapter 1, it deals with Jesus being the one who created all things.

It says, In the beginning was the Word. Okay, God created all things through Jesus, right? Yeah. But who created? So is Jesus and God separate people? No. They're one and the same? So that's where we have a difference.

Well, there's one being of God, and yet there are three persons of God. So I know LDS Doctrine would say they are three separate beings, which would make them three gods.

You know what? Let's say they're not. Okay. Let's say that they're one being, okay? Let's say at the end of the day, that particular understanding that we have is not correct. The fact that I still believe with Jesus Christ, I mean, that's not a damning misunderstanding.

And I'm saying they are three different people. Well, the Jews... I'm just saying... Sorry. The fact that you think they're all one, that's okay. As long as you believe that Jesus Christ is your Savior, Redeemer, and you're trying to follow Him, why would He damn you?

Well...

You're trying to follow Him. Can I ask you one thing in regards to that? So Jesus specifically, especially in the Gospel of John, he would mention what's called the Tetragrammaton, which comes from the Exodus...

I never mentioned the Tetragrammaton. The Exodus 3, Burning Bush passage, he says, which is, of course, in the Septuagint, which means Yahweh, I am, I am that I am. So Jesus ascribes to Himself the name of God.

So... So is He uncreated? Is He eternal? Jesus? As an intelligence or as the Son of God? As an intelligence? Okay. Where is that? Where are intelligences? Yeah, where would you find that? Okay, so that's not in the Bible.

How did Peter know the Gospel needed to go to the Gentiles?

How did he know... Well, continuing revelation has to be consistent with old past revelation. And that's consistent with the law in Deuteronomy where God says... I don't think that's true.

Jesus taught that He was sent only to the house of Israel, not to the Gentiles. There's it in the Bible. He said it Himself.

He even told the woman who was... But then in John 17, He said there... I'm sorry, John 10... Anyway... John 10 said there's sheep not of this fold. He's going to... Those are the Gentiles. Those are...

Of course.

Salvation, Sincerity, and the Limits of Feelings

So let me just say... I believe if you guys are going after Jesus Christ and following Him truthfully in your heart, not just, you know, to be for the praise of the world, but if you're doing it for the right reasons in your heart, and you really are seeking after Him, you're going to be saved.

And I'm going to be saved too. Because I'm... I hope you will be. I'm concerned about some of it. That's okay. I'm concerned about some of your doctrines,.

But I don't doubt people's sincerity, and I don't doubt their ability...

I can tell you're sincere, and I can tell you've had... And you've had experiences. We're just addressing the Mormon God you have. But authenticity, sincerity, feelings, those don't determine what truth is.

If He is the way, the truth in life, we look to Him as what truth is, right?

We have so many things that we have in common, and there are a few things that we have differences of opinion about. But I think the things that we have in common will save you, and they'll save you. And those things that we have in difference aren't going to prevent you nor me, if we're sincere in our true belief.

But you guys have a different gospel, though.

I wish that was the case, because we don't think we're going to become gods. We think we're going to worship God and be with Him for all eternity. That is so fundamentally different. It's in the Bible.

Yeah, that... Of course. Yeah, that's Psalm 82, and there's a context to Psalm 82. Yeah. Anyway, you guys... All right. We appreciate you actually talking with us.