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Dr. Dean Helland
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----- Original Message ----
From: Louis Midgley
To: Dean Helland
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2007
Subject: Subject: Still
another blank...
Dean:
I have decided to respond to your assertion that your "mission to the Mormons"
is an effort "to help them [the Latter-day Saints?] realize that they are
sinners who must repent, leave their old ways and depend fully on the shed blood
of Jesus Christ for their salvation." You also opine that you "don't think that
is 'anti-Mormon.' I think it is 'pro-Mormon'." And you add that what you think
you are "doing what [you] know will get Mormons to heaven, the heaven of the
Bible and not the fantasy heaven presented by Mormonism on the basis of personal
worthiness." You imply that you know exactly what words and deeds will "get
Mormons to heaven." But you never set out what these good works are. Instead,
you are nothing if not adversarial—you boast that you "simply share with
Mormons, and all who care to listen, things that are not 'revealed' about
Mormonism by their leaders. This does not mean their leaders do not know them.
Rather, they have
chosen to suppress them or even call them 'lies' when they actually know
otherwise." You also refer to your "dear Mormon friends--whom [you] believe need
enlightenment on these subjects to stir them to truly seek God for the salvation
of their souls."
Your bald assertions demonstrate that you neither understand the faith of
Latter-day Saints nor the content of the Book of Mormon, or you lack probity.
Assuming that you are uninformed or deeply confused, but not entirely
discounting the likelihood that you
suffer from what the French call mauvaise foi (self-deception), I will
try again to correct your understanding of my faith. I will do this by asking
and answering some simple, basic questions. I divide my Q&A into two parts, the
first set provides unequivocal statements about my faith as a Latter-day Saint,
and the second responds to your
misunderstanding (or unintentional or intentional misrepresentation) of my
faith. I also address your qualifications to voice an opinion about my faith.
I. Q&A about my faith:
1. Do I believe that one must repent of what you call "the old ways"-that is,
turn away from sin and to God? Yes.
2. Do I believe that I can somehow save myself from either death or sin? No. And
neither can you or anyone else.
3. Do I depend fully on the atonement of Jesus Christ for justification and also
for
sanctification? Yes. Are you right now sanctified? I doubt it.
4. Do I see justification as necessary and sanctification as somehow optional?
No.
5. Do I believe that faith (understood as trust in God), repentance (understood
as both turning to God and away from the ways of the world) and the gift of the
Spirit are necessary for both justification and sanctification? Yes.
6. Do I believe that baptism by water and subsequently by the Holy Spirit (that
eventually
may, if we are faithful, burn out of us the old ways and replaces these with
Godly attributes) is necessary? Yes.
7. Do I believe that there is any other way back to God for sinful human beings
other than through the Holy One of Israel? No.
8. Do I believe that public displays of piety--such as raising the arms and
babbling in fake
tongues-nonsense syllables--is a sign that of being saved or regenerated by the
Holy Spirit? No.
9. Do I think that what you call "personal worthiness" alone will get anyone to
heaven, however that word is understood? No.
10. Do I believe that in making and then steadfastly striving to keep the
covenants we must make with God we may eventually, by the mercy of God, be
numbered among the covenant people of God and thereby become the seed or
children of Jesus of Nazareth and enter into his presence? Yes.
II. Q&A about your misunderstanding (or intentional distortion) of my faith:
1. Are you an expert on the faith of Latter-day Saints because your mother was
once RLDS? No.
2. Are you an expert on the faith of Latter-day Saints because your folks were
once involved with the so-called Basement Church in Independence, Missouri? No.
3. Or are you an expert on Mormon things because your father read into the Book
of Mormon his brand of Oneness Pentecostalism or "Jesus only" ideology? No.
4. Did both you and your folks badly misunderstand the Book of Mormon? Yes.
5. If your background does not qualify you, are you then somehow academically
qualified to express informed and accurate opinions about my faith? No.
7. Are you, as you claim, "pro-Mormon"? No.
8. Is it terminological legerdemain, and hence moral duplicity or fraud, to
claim, as you do, that you are somehow "pro-Mormon," while attacking the faith
of the Saints? Yes.
9. If the prefix anti means "opposed to" or "against," are you not anti-Mormon?
Yes.
10. By insisting that you are "pro-Mormon," do you not fly false colors? Yes.
11. Is doing this both intellectually and morally reprehensible? Yes.
12. By attacking the faith of Latter-day Saints are you properly representing
Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and Savior? No.
Your header reads "My parting shot!" From my LDS perspective, you have again
fired a blank. Your offensive jabs and defensive posturing might be driven by
some need you have to have get in the last word. I am almost but not quite
willing to allow you that bit of self-indulgence.
Best wishes,
lcm
Reply by Dean Helland:
Dear Louis:
Bravo! I do applaud you and appreciate your latest communication and your
effort to spell out very simply and clearly your faith and what you believe to
be my error. Maybe now we are getting somewhere! I really thought our little
"tête à tête" was over. I am truly glad that you are willing to go this
"second mile" with me. I will meditate on what you wrote and respond when I am
ready to resume this dialogue. Please accept my sincere thanks.
Dean
NOTE: All correspondence
with Dr. Dean is made with the understanding that it may be used in part or in
whole on this website or elsewhere.
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