How many true churches are there?

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

Wow. You miss completely the point of the posts. I said myself I believed in lineage, I believed in conferrence of priesthood. I am talking the power of the priesthood. Read the D & C and tell me that the priesthood is not maintained and adminstered save it not be by love. Read the Bible and tell me that God and Jesus alike do not command that man love, and act as they do. It's simply deduction.

No need to argue, like I said I understand my beliefs are contra-LDS dogma, but in no way do they limit my full fellowship and participation in the church. I am just thankful that the limits and statutes of man do not judge my eternal place in the hereafter.

What do you mean? Power of priesthood is love?

At this point, we devolve into grammatology and semantics.

Love guides its power, but it can often be something more ethereal than love. As SU would put it, it becomes mystical for lack of understanding.

Loving exercise of that authority can extend itself through the priesthood, but they are not one and the same. They are not concentric. They are overlapping in part.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by Robin

Hmmmm... so I still have the 'authority' to act in the name of God, but I just won't be blessed for it? That strikes me as very strange, and I have to confess, even during my days of belief, I NEVER participated in a single priesthood blessing or ordinance for the purpose of getting personal spiritual blessings. You seem to be suggesting that nothing has changed about my priesthood in spite of my change of religious belief. Could I go out and start baptizing people? Would those baptisms count in the eye of God, even if they didn't count in the eye of the church?

You've gone to the dark side but the force is still with you.

[Colly Wolly]

Originally Posted by Robin

Then wouldn't the Jews have some latent form of priesthood authority to this very day?

I'd say it's highly possible. Do the Jews still lay hands and confer preisthood?

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Robin

Hmmmm... so I still have the 'authority' to act in the name of God, but I just won't be blessed for it? That strikes me as very strange, and I have to confess, even during my days of belief, I NEVER participated in a single priesthood blessing or ordinance for the purpose of getting personal spiritual blessings. You seem to be suggesting that nothing has changed about my priesthood in spite of my change of religious belief. Could I go out and start baptizing people? Would those baptisms count in the eye of God, even if they didn't count in the eye of the church?

For you to exercise those powers (i.e., the performance of ordinances), you must receive additional permission and those baptisms would not be authorized. There may have been a time, less organized, when that may have been true but not today.

[fusnik11]

Originally Posted by Robin

Hmmmm... so I still have the 'authority' to act in the name of God, but I just won't be blessed for it? That strikes me as very strange, and I have to confess, even during my days of belief, I NEVER participated in a single priesthood blessing or ordinance for the purpose of getting personal spiritual blessings. You seem to be suggesting that nothing has changed about my priesthood in spite of my change of religious belief. Could I go out and start baptizing people? Would those baptisms count in the eye of God, even if they didn't count in the eye of the church?

The D & C answers this question. Sure you can administer to these ordinances as you have the priesthood, but the Holy Spirit of Promise needs not seal the ordinance with annointing from on high. That's LDS dogma.

My personal belief is that it would not be valid, why invoke LDS rites, when you, or the person you would be baptizing, do not believe in LDS authority?

[fusnik11]

Originally Posted by Archaea

For you to exercise those powers (i.e., the performance of ordinances), you must receive additional permission and those baptisms would not be authorized. There may have been a time, less organized, when that may have been true but not today.

But we were talking Alma, no way Alma had the correct 'permission' baptize yet his thanksgiving was accepted unto the Lord.

[Archaea]

For Robin.

And to borrow from Harry Potter, remember the part where the Seer's stone is in the mirror but only one who didn't wish for the stone could procure it?

That is how a person exercising priesthood authority can be blessed, by not seeking to be blessed and by being worthy of receivng the blessings.

[fusnik11]

Originally Posted by Stick It In Him

I'd say it's highly possible. Do the Jews still lay hands and confer preisthood?

So Jews, who do not believe in Jesus, if continued laying on with the hands, have proper authority?

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

But we were talking Alma, no way Alma had the correct 'permission' baptize yet his thanksgiving was accepted unto the Lord.

He lived in the less organized time.

And when his people got back to the Nephites, they had to bring their "permission slips" and records to make it official.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by fusnik11

So Jews, who do not believe in Jesus, if continued laying on with the hands, have proper authority?

They have latent authority for the Aaronic Priesthood. Latent because it is not activitated due to unbelief, lack of baptism, but they have "birthrights" to exercise the office of bishop.