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Saturday, May 17, 2014

Mind over matter

 Mormons tell us all the time that we just need to pray and God will reveal to us the truth of the Book of Mormon.  But is that what God's Word tells us we need to do?  I have encouraged Christians to start conversations by asking Mormons what feelings aren't preceded by a thought.  Why is this the case?  Everything starts with the mind.  Our attitudes that we have come from what we think before anything we feel.  What does God's Word say about this? Here are a few verses...
Romans 1:28
Romans 8:5-7
Romans 12:16
II Corinthians 4:4
II Corinthians 11:3
Ephesians 2:3
Ephesians 4:17
Philippians 3:19
Colossians 1:21
Colossians 2:18
Titus 1:15

This is why he calls us to renew our minds...
Romans 12:2
II Corinthians 4:16
Ephesians 4:23
Colossians 3:10
Titus 3:5

As a result we see the attitudes of a renewed mind...
Isaiah 26:3
Jeremiah 17:10
Jeremiah 20:12
Matthew 22:37
Romans 14:5
I Corinthians 2:16
Philippians 2:5
Philippians 4:8
Colossians 3:2
Hebrews 8:10
Hebrews 10:16
I Peter 1:13
Revelation 2:23  

 The human mind has been programmed with natural "established attitudes".  These are beliefs, thoughts, ideas, opinions, convictions, prejudices that we have concerning ourselves, others, objects, activities, God, etc.  These can be instilled in us by things such as our educational system, society (books, television, movies, news, etc.) and religious training. We can acquire them through personal observation, experience, and compromise. These "established attitudes" permeated with personal interest are done for aspiration, gratification, and reputation with a possibility of one of 3 "f"s; Fight, Fright, or Flight.
 If your life were recorded on film would you want it played back? For God knows our every thought as we see in Jeremiah 17:10, 20:12 as well as Revelation 2:23. If this doesn't reveal the need for our minds to be renewed with a Godly attitude I don't know what does. This however isn't a one and done deal.  We see this in the following verses...
Titus 3:5
I Corinthians 2:16
Hebrews 8:10
Hebrews 10:16
Philippians 2:5
Philippians 4:8
Colossians 3:2
 This is why it's so important that we don't open ourselves up to anything we want to be true.  We will seek out whatever means necessary in an effort to confirm it and convince ourselves it's from God.  Prayer is important but NOT at the expense of God's Word.  It MUST be in line with God's Word and he never tells us to pray to see if something is true. The verse you'll often hear brought up by Mormons is James 1:5.
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." (James 1:5).
They'll follow this by pointing your to Moroni 10:4 which reads...
"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things,"
We don't see this from God's Word.  In fact we see the opposite in verses such as...
Acts 17:11
Jeremiah 17:9
II Timothy 3:16
  Please take God at his Word and don't allow anyone to tell you personal feelings (which are subjective) can override or supersede God's Word which is absolute.