Mitt Romney & Reed Smoot corrected

Ralph, you have obviously spent a lot of time thinking about the Mormon Church. I can certainly appreciate your zeal for searching for the truth. I don't know if this helps or not, since it seems you are decidedly against the Mormon faith, and so I want to point out that many of your assertions are incorrect. First of all you have to understand that the Mormon church or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints doesn't put a lot of faith in any man, or prophet, for that matter, except when the prophet is speaking under direct revelation from God, which is only manifested by the power of the Holy Ghost, which through the Holy Ghost one may know the truth of all things. The church is organized in such a way that its members must learn to rely on the Holy Ghost. Any man from any church can purport to say any thing and claim that it is from God. But unless it truly did come from God, the Spirit of God will not manifest the truth. Men from all sects may be in possession of truth from God, but the Mormon Church asserts that only the Prophet has the rights and responsibility to receive relevation from God regarding the affairs of the entire church. It is not to say that any person can't have access to relevation, but it is through the Prophet that revelation regarding the entire church or people is revealed. As anyone knows that has had regular experience with the Spirit of God, the recognition of revelation is easily identifiable. God has promised throughout the Bible that revelation would continue to us. You seem competent enough in scripture study to be able to find the references for yourself.

Mike
Spoken like a True Mormon. I do appreciate your thoughts, and I have no ill against the Mormon people, with how quickly you responded, you hadnt really read the totally of what I posted, which is ok, just that i have had some friends that had been Mormon and after weeks of our friendship they begin telling me what was wrong with the Mormon church, as I was trying to share with them of ( Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal. 17 For God has not sent his Son into the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him. 18 He that believes on him is not judged: but he that believes not has been already judged, because he has not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God. ) with the hopes of him seeing for hiimself as 18 shows that just by not believing that that person is judged already, just for not believing on, not in, but on the name of the only-begotten Son of God. (though for some people, in is the same as on ) And he read it all, but right away went back to 17 as he was lead to believe that if he even misses one service, he just Might Be Judged by Jesus, and that was not at all what it says. He parked there and was just elated for those words. He then begin in the following weeks telling me more about what they believe that is just not backed up by scripture. he was a very fine guy, and I will always respect him, especially because his concern was "to seek out the Whole Truth" not just parts of the truth. I have learned years ago that every church has a part, and if each church would share their part with other churches, you would finally end up with perhaps the whole Bible, as long as they stayed with the Bible to begin with.
Will try to get the rest of my comment in just a bit, some say im long winded, I just try to say what is to be said Ralph

Mike
Spoken like a True Mormon. I do appreciate your thoughts, and I have no ill against the Mormon people, with how quickly you responded, you hadnt really read the totally of what I posted, which is ok, just that i have had some friends that had been Mormon and after weeks of our friendship they begin telling me what was wrong with the Mormon church, as I was trying to share with them of ( Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have life eternal. 17 For God has not sent his Son into the world that he may judge the world, but that the world may be saved through him. 18 He that believes on him is not judged: but he that believes not has been already judged, because he has not believed on the name of the only-begotten Son of God. ) with the hopes of him seeing for hiimself as 18 shows that just by not believing that that person is judged already, just for not believing on, not in, but on the name of the only-begotten Son of God. (though for some people, in is the same as on ) And he read it all, but right away went back to 17 as he was lead to believe that if he even misses one service, he just Might Be Judged by Jesus, and that was not at all what it says. He parked there and was just elated for those words. He then begin in the following weeks telling me more about what they believe that is just not backed up by scripture. he was a very fine guy, and I will always respect him, especially because his concern was "to seek out the Whole Truth" not just parts of the truth. I have learned years ago that every church has a part, and if each church would share their part with other churches, you would finally end up with perhaps the whole Bible, as long as they stayed with the Bible to begin with.
Will try to get the rest of my comment in just a bit, some say im long winded, I just try to say what is to be said Ralph

It has been said that the Book of Mormon is the Second Testamony of Jesus. Well, if this indeed be true, then it seems to several of us, that it would be good first to become familiar with the First Testamony first. Unfortunately most are not, and that is to the shame of the body of Christ since Hosea says it well at Hos 4:6 ( My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. ) The only question now is, which knowledge is being refered to here, and that is where the consideration comes down to. Each group thinking they have the corner on knowledge, but, only the Holy Spirit has all true knowledge with the right power to back it up with. As he keep our eyes on Jesus thru the Holy Spirit he will be fine. It is not the institution that does it, but, the relationship with Jesus that does it. So, I appreciate your thoughts, and hopefully we will have more to discuss as you have more complete time to read what all I had said. In the mean time, may the Lord richly bless you.
Ralph