uninhibited bps39

Hey Brandon, You won’t believe this! I found someone as uninhibited about sharing and questioning as I am.  I wanted you to be like this but. . . you are being  observed and are not free to express. So I will share what you would have written, just pretend, if you had been able.  Junius Paul Jensen’68 lives in Fresno, CA. I knew his Dad, Uncle Junius when I was a boy. He moved to CA and started working for the phone company. My dad was a painting contractor and after working for my dad Uncle Junius said, No way. So dirty! I don’t want to go home looking like this every night! @ We visited them once as a family and slept on thier floor. I remember their 3 little boys just vaguely. JPJ goes by Paul , cousin Paul. We are sort of like long lost cousins/brothers. In my last letter I sent you this same email but now it has all his comments and questions in it.  Isn’t that totally exciting!  I was so amazed. We have been emailing back and forth since January’15. But now we are breaking the ice on  r e l i g i o n ! @ How to make this so you can understand? I am not sure if it will work but he wrote back to me in red. So it is easy for me to see his additions. I am going to put a p in front of every red statement and a j after it.  So notice this next line has a p in front and a p in back. Paul wrote it. @ pI'm not going to pretend to be even close to your level. You are very well read.j @For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.p Loving the whole world doesn't imply to me Loving every last individual in the world. Does it to you? If so why?j @Hello cousin Paul, @My internet is down, which you can relate to, so I cannot look up the above quote. pHAHA yes I can relate cousin.j @You mentioned that Christ loves his bride, the believers but not the rest of the world. And asked if I had discovered any different in the Bible.p Do you have any others?j @We have 13 Articles of Faith. We call ourselves Saints because the members of the Christ’s church in New Testament times were called saints. You probably have heard the name of the church as “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” In fact some people familiar with the church say are you LDS? Are you a latter day saint. And we are comfortable with that. pOf course I'm a Jensen so I'm very aware of LDS. :-)  My mom and dad called themselves Mormon when they were married. 50 years ago they called themselves they and didn't care if they were called LDS or Mormon. Of course Brent and his family are still active LDS.j @One of the 13 AoFaith says, We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and principles of the gospel.(#3) (big paul response like 200 words>) pThis is likely our biggest difference in faith. I believe that a saint is saved purely by the grace of God through His (not our) faith and not of works. It s a gift of God. So that no man can boast. The Gospel I believe in has works of righteousness as a fruit of this salvation not a cause of it. In my faith if any works are needed for salvation none of us have a chance to receive it because we are slaves of sin and can do no good apart from God. Until salvation we neither seek after God nor do any good. (Rom 3:10) Once sainthood is received (contrary to our fleshly nature) we then may behave good or sin but the good is only do to being a new creation in Him, and having our heart replaced (stone to flesh). God describes us as being spiritually alive and previously spiritualy dead.This next verse makes it sound like He will save us based on our believing in Him first. But if you understand the cause and effect as I do, and understand that in the same manner as I, that our natural-self is incapable of following this out, then you might also see this as another proof text of our need for Him to do everything: 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The key here is "if we" and since none of us will, this is evidence that it is only a proof text not a cause of salvation but only a fruit of it.j @Another AofFaith says, We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. . . (#8) pI agree with this. I also belive that the copies of the original language are inerrant.j @And a third one says, We believe all that God has revealed, all that he does now reveal and that he will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the kingdom of God (#9) pI read Rev 22:19 to teach otherwise. How do you read this verse?j @Those 3 will do the job but just for fun let me throw in #6, We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church vis; apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists and so forth. p1 Cor. 15 3-10 makes it clear to me that Paul was the last apostle. Other scriptures defines an apostle as one who saw Christ personally.j @The New Testament only uses atone or atonement once. The Book of Mormon uses it 39 times. We believe many plain and precious truths have been removed from the Bible. In fact Moses is the first prophet’s writings we find in the Bible. What about all those who went before him? So lots of writings are missing. Thank heavens for Moses! pI'm not sure Job didn't pre-exist Moses.j @Also have you ever noticed Christ never wrote of himself? Everything in the New Testament comes from other witnesses. pYes this is true cousin, but He is quoted many times. Personally I have no issue with him not writing anything Himself. Does that bother you? Holy men of old wrote.j @We believe the gospel of Jesus Christ needed to be restored by revelation and that the Book of Mormon is another witness for Christ, that he visited the Americas after his resurrection and that those that he visited had left Jerusalem in 600 BC. They had all the writings of the prophets up until then so they were expecting Christ’s birth. @p Interesting so 600 BC? I always thought that they were from the earth division in Peleg's day. So how do you think they came over in 600 BC?j @So here comes the potent, rich, concentrated answer: From modern scripture we discover there is a Grand Plan. There was a premortal existence where we as spirits, spirit children of our Heavenly Father chose to follow a plan to become like him and have his joy. Christ empowered that plan by his atonement. A son of the morning, Satan, Lucifer rebelled and said he wouldsave everyone, that it would not be dependent on agency, personal choice and agency.p Not following this cousin.j And he would take the glory. He was cast out and has power on this earth. But ultimately God’s power is the greatest and will win, but we are here to be tested. To see if we will obey and believe and have faith even with a veil of forgetfulness across our minds. pSo do you mean God needed to test us to see?j We gain a body like the resurrected Savior has, and like our Father in Heaven already has. It brings us more sensations than we could have ever had otherwise. It is a gift. It came with our agreement to follow HF’s plan. pHere is where I see the gift as unmerited and you see it as having conditions.j Many of our spiritual brothers and sisters are waiting their turn to come to earth. pHow many?j All will be resurrected. Christ gives the resurrection, reuniting of body and spirit to all. He overcame death. But eternal life, life with Heavenly Father is optional, dependent on our proving ourselves by believing and obeying his commandments while we are here. We have to want him to return to him. He has provided a way through repentance and the ordinances of salvation to return to him. Baptism is the first ordinance of salvation.p I wander how you understand 1 Cor. 15:46-49j @So since we are all Heavenly Father’s children and Jesus Christ’s little brothers and sisters we are all loved. He sorrows over the 1/3 of the hosts of heaven that were lost to Lucifer. And there are 2/3rds that chose to follow him and his plan to have his joy and happiness. pI wish these numbers were at least accurate. I believe narrow is the way and few on the path that leads to Him.j @Many have lived on the earth and now live on the earth who will not have a chance to hear and follow the true gospel of Jesus Christ. WE, saints, do work for the dead so if they choose in the spirit world (before the final judgment) to follow and accept Christ and his atonement the saving ordinances will have been performed for them by proxy. Heavenly Father is fair. Mormon temples are where the ordinances for the dead are performed. We keep track and I have even done baptisms for the dead. pI have heard of this. So do you believe that no one has entered heaven or hell yet?j @OK. That was the whole ball of wax!  Back when I was young I read, he that is righteous is favored of the Lord. I wanted to be favored so I tried to be good, righteous. I came home from my mission to Guatemala wanting to be a seminary teacher. I didn’t make it so I became a science teacher instead. pWOW this is insightful into who you are today cousin. Why didn't you make it?j I truly believe every single one of those people on this earth are loved children of our Heavenly Father, and that those that pray and turn to him receive his help. pI truly believe that He doesn't hear the prayers of the unrighteous. Here is why: @John 9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.  Proverbs 28:9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.   Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.  Psalm 66:18  If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.    1 Peter 3:12  For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”    James 5:16  Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.    Isaiah 59:2   But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. John 15:7  If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.    James 1:6-7  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, This is a little more like our sinful condition: James 4:4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Godj @Bigotry and prejudice have receded into the background for me. I believe they are tools of the devil. Hatred and envy and organized crime and individualized crime are patterns fostered by Satan. pI see all this as "but for the grace of God there go I"j @So in conclusion, yes God loves all of his children. And we are saved through his son Jesus Christ. @The word atonement only appears once in the New Testament. It appears 39 times in the Book of Mormon. We believe many plan and precious truths have been removed from the bible.@I read the bible again last year. It tells us how to live. It was so precious that many lost their lives to bring it forth to all people. The law of Moses was to prepare people for a higher law. The law of Jesus Christ superseded pHe said He didn't come to replace but to fullfill the law.p the law of Moses and man/ boy/ goodness, is it ever a higher law! Now we are even responsible for our thoughts, not just our actions. The Sermon on the Mount is way up there in living standards. And here we are on an earth where even the 10 commandment, the lower law, can’t even be agreed upon and lived! And all because of agency, the ability to choose and good from God and evil from Devil.  pOur basic difference the evil is in our flesh so there is no need for the devil. I'm not denighing the devil but him being needed for my evil. Pleae read Rom. Ch 9.j @God- good, @Devil-evil       Have you ever notice only one letter is different? pI never noticed. I suppose this is do to how the English language evolved to it's current form.j @But the word plan, PLAN never appears in the Bible. Evil designing men, wanting control and power have removed it. They have wanted us to be good but follow their plans. They have not wanted to be trumped by God’s plan. How in the world could people live this better life of obedience to the commandments without even having an overview of his plan? I personally believe that man is intrinsically good. pDo you? I guess you can see where my thoughts are.j  We chose right in the premortal life and we have inside us a desire to choose right here, in this life. Christ’s teachings have a power in and of themselves. Other inspired teachers have taught right and good as well. Goodness has a power. Mankind have wanted to be good and be able to trust others that were honest. Let’s follow Christ’s teachings, they will make us better. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This would make a great world! And those that honor the bible I honor. But the vision that comes with a greater understanding of God’s ultimate plan is wonderful. Now I know “why”. God speaking, “For this is my work and my glory -to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” @Well Paul thank you for our dialogs. Love you, pI love you also very much. Thanks for sharing so much again.j the end. @ So Brandon, doesn’t that make you want to write down all those scriptures and respond to each one? It reminds me of you referring to scriptures all over the place! @ Why am I sending that to you? I am hoping to stimulate you into responding! @ gbu-bps PS. 11:47,6/17, So I printed this off on blue cardstock but it was light in some areas. I printed it off on white paper and it was nice and dark everywhere. Easy to read. My brother Scott'77 says you have to tell the printer what kind of paper you are printing on so that it adjusts for thickness. It is not my printer and I don't know how to do that, so I tried thicker paper:fusia colored! How ugly! I am sorry if it bugs your eyes or drives you crazy! It does me. Now to see if the PO will deliver?