Transcript of Elder M. Russell Ballard’s speech given at Brigham Young University Management Society in Washington, D.C., April 19, 2008; “…opposition to the Church often comes from two sources.
One source of criticism of the Church, clearly, is from some conservative Christians who don’t like our doctrine and translate that into public opposition. We have read, over and over again, accusations that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a cult and not Christian. The implication of that charge is that the Church should not be taken seriously, and that its members should be marginalized…
Elders Cook, Tingey and I represented the church yesterday in New York at the invitation of the Catholic Church to participate in the Christian Ecumenical Prayer Service where Pope Benedict the 16th introduced the theme, “Christ our hope for unity.”
We have had a long and pleasant relationship with the Catholic Church working together in Christian humanitarian service around the world. We are also grateful that many people of other faiths acknowledge us as Christians and have spoken up when they felt we were being unfairly maligned.”
Psalm 12:2; “They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.”
Wow, the Church sure pulled a very temporary about face in Mr. Ballard’s speech! We should take heed!
We have a few questions about what they said –
1.Since when has the Church had a ‘long and pleasant relationship’ of any kind with the Catholic Church, aka the ‘whores of Babylon’? Their own canon expresses the disdain their god has for Catholics and Protestants alike –
1 Nephi 14:10; “And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.”
2.Have they changed their minds about this?
3.What about the other claim of conservative Christians marginalizing LDS members?
‘We have read, over and over again, accusations that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a cult and not Christian. The implication of that charge is that the Church should not be taken seriously, and that its members should be marginalized.’
4.I don’t know of any true Christian who would marginalize another human being. None. Do you?
Classifying an organization as a cult doesn’t mean its members are meaningless. On the contrary, each person God has created is very important. And for what it’s worth, we take the Church’s teachings very seriously – as we all should!
5.Their claim of persecution is also false. Our experience has been just the opposite of their claims. Case in point is when Brigham Young said Christianity was hatched in hell –
Journal of Discourses 6:176; “Brother Taylor has just said that the religions of the day were hatched in hell. The eggs were laid in hell, hatched on its borders, and then kicked on to the earth.” – Brigham Young, Salt Lake City, January 17, 1858
Would a true Christian say such a thing about Christianity?
6.Last, but not least, Mr. Ballard’s love fest with the Catholics was short-lived. In February 2014 he gave a speech at a Young Adult Devotional in Buenos Aries declaring Catholics don’t know who God is.
Oh brother here we go, so much for the warm and fuzzy feelings of camaraderie…is the Church marginalizing Catholics because they don’t worship the same god Mormons do?
Of course they do. They both have the same agenda.
oh wow – sad but true!