Mitt Romney is in the news again. You remember Mitt don’t you? He had plans to become President of the U.S. but they were somewhat stymied. He has lowered his sights and is willing to accept a seat in the U.S. Senate from Utah. However, he had primary opposition which caused him to stumble–again. At the Utah GOP primary, he came in second! The final candidate will be chosen in June. CBS had said of his chances to win the GOP nomination: “He is considered the overwhelming favorite to win the Senate contest.” The mainstream media was wrong—again.
As of now, Mitt is a possible candidate for the U.S. Senate, but he seems to think many Americans want to hear him pontificate on political matters. So, he pontificated on the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. Of course, he has every right to say what he believes but he and others must be reminded that while all people have a right to their opinion, not all opinions are created equal. Since Romney has questioned a leading Christian leader for his opinions, I now call into question what Romney believes.
Romney was displeased that Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, was asked to pray at the opening of the U.S. Embassy. It seems Jeffress is an old-fashioned Christian of the Baptist persuasion and believes “You can’t be saved by being a Jew,” and “Mormonism is a heresy from the pit of hell.” Well, does that surprise any educated person that a Baptist would believe that? People have a right to disagree with him but that doesn’t make him wrong. And even if he were wrong, that doesn’t make him a bigot. A person can be right or wrong about an issue and be a bigot, or not be a bigot.
Romney said, “He’s said the same about Islam. Such a religious bigot should not be giving the prayer that opens the United States Embassy in Jerusalem.” Hold it! Is it prima facieevidence that one is a bigot if he believes something contrary to popular opinion? And if that were a demonstrable fact, which it is not, why should the “bigot” not be tolerated? Is toleration a one-way street? Moreover, a vast number of Americans are Fundamentalists or Evangelicals and many nonaffiliated people agree with Jeffress.
But to cut to the chase, if Romney is so quick to question the beliefs of Christian conservatives, then we have a right to call Romney’s beliefs into question especially since he is hoping to serve in the U.S. Senate. Or is it bigotry to ask plain, personal, and penetrating questions of a progressive?
Mormons and Mormon leaders believe the most outrageous things imaginable. How does Romney explain the Mormon belief that “There is no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith”? That clearly means only Mormons are going to Heaven! Does Romney believe that? If that silly teaching is true then what did mankind do before the Mormons erected their Temple in Salt Lake City?
How do they explain their belief that God was first a mortal man and that any mortal man can become god? Does Romney expect to be a god some day? Just asking.
How about man living before he lived? “We lived with Heavenly Father before this life as His spirit children, and we came to earth to gain a body and to learn and grow and eventually return to Him.” (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints’ website.) This false teaching is also espoused in The Osmonds: A Testimonial of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints pp. 3-5: “We believe that we lived before coming to this earth.” Utter nonsense.
Joseph Smith believed that people live on the moon and live a thousand years! Another Mormon founder, Brigham Young (who had 55 wives) believed that the sun is inhabited! That was the sun! Maybe that is the reason Young appears to have a fried brain.
Young also wrote, “The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, p. 269.)
They also teach that God came from Kolob (a non-existent star or planet nearest to God’s throne in Mormon mythology) to have sex with the Virgin Mary who became one of his many wives. This encounter resulted in the birth of Christ! This was confirmed by Bruce McConkie, (major Mormon theologian, and one of the Twelve Apostles) who wrote, “For our present purposes, suffice it to say that our Lord was born of a virgin, which is fitting and proper, and also natural, since the Father of the Child was an immortal Being.” (Bruce McConkie, The Promised Messiah, p. 466.)
Young wrote, ”When the Virgin Mary conceived the child Jesus, the Father had begotten him in his own likeness. He was not begotten by the Holy Ghost.” (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1:50-51.) However, Matthew 1:20 quotes the angel as saying, “Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”
