July 15 — Lead Me to the Cross. 1 Cor. 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.”
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Forty plus years ago, I received a beautiful gift from my grandmother. At the time I was horrified by what I saw in the velvet box that held a necklace made of dark red garnets in the shape of a cross. I gasped when I saw it, and after thanking her, I wondered why she’d give me such a thing. Later that day, my mother and I cut it up, and threw it in the trash.
The ugly memory sits in my head like it happened yesterday. My response to the cross was one of the many times Jesus would introduce me to what He did for me. Yet, somehow my behavior to the gift didn’t match up with my other reactions about it.
As a kid, I would slide down as far as I could in the back seat of my parent’s car to get a good look at any cross sitting atop a church. In the sixties, and seventies the list of non-LDS churches in Ogden, Utah, were meager at best, making opportunities few and far between.
With my once poor behavior out of the way, my reaction to what I read in the BoM was the reason for the ugly memory coming back.
While searching on the Church’s site for info about the cross, I came across the LDS Seminary Manual. While not surprised, I discovered in their lesson how they referred to Paul’s mission to the Corinthians without talking about the cross. To read it in full, see link above. One of the references they gave came from 2nd Nephi.
The reason I bring this up today is for the Christian to see another opportunity on how to witness. Share with the Mormon you know why Jesus’ death on the cross was prophesied long before He died there for sins, and show how their belief in D&C 19:18 is wrong. Jesus didn’t pay for sins at Gethsemane. My heart sank as I read over their lies, and I know only too well about the LDS reaction to Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.
We can’t have peace with God until we accept that His Son died on the cross for us – it’s the only means of reconciliation! No amount of good deeds, or trying hard enough, will ever suffice. Isaiah 64:6.
You might want to also ask your Mormon friend why Nephi was paraphrasing Paul 560 years before he was born. Thankfully, I know I have forgiveness for my ugly deed, but it’d never be possible if it hadn’t been for His spilt blood at Calvary.
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2 Nephi 9:28 “O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.”
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