These are some notes I'm taking in preparation for a chat I'm going to have with some LDS Missionaries.
Topic 1: Faith and Reason
Sources of faith: Scripture, prophets, apparitions, authoritative teaching
Sources of reason: Logic, evidence, history, science
The Church asserts that faith and reason must cohere.
"Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart the desire to know the truth — in a word, to know himself — so that by knowing and loving God, men and women can come to the fullness of the truth about themselves" - Fides et Ratio
Potential Conflicts:
- The Church defining that sun goes around the earth.
- Or a prophet saying Saint Paul traveled in a Ford Escape
- Or an angel saying 2+2=7
Topic 2: What is God?
The principle of contingency points us to a being which is necessary, uncreated, and eternal.
We believe God is the unique, eternal, uncreated, immaterial, all-powerful creator and sustainer of all reality. He is the source and origin of existence itself in all worlds.
"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse" - Romans 1:19
"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." - John 4:24
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made." - John 1:1-3
Topic 3: When was the Great Apostacy?
The Bible shows provisions being made for future generations.
"Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust." - Acts 14:23
"The apostles and elders met to consider this question. Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas." - Acts 15:6,22
"You then, my son (Timothy), be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others." - 2Timothy 1-2
"The reason I left you (Titus) in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you." - Titus 1:5
The early Christians believed themselves to be continuing on what was taught:
"And thus preaching through countries and cities, they appointed the first fruits [of their labours], having first proved them by the Spirit, to be bishops and deacons of those who should afterwards believe. [] Our apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that there would be strife on account of the office of the episcopate. For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as they had obtained a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed those [ministers] already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions, that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them in their ministry." - Clement of Rome, Letter to Corinth, 42, 44 (70AD)
"Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop. Let that be deemed a proper Eucharist, which is [administered] either by the bishop, or by one to whom he has entrusted it. Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church." - Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Smyrnaeans, 8 (105AD)
"For He was crucified on the day before Saturday; and on the day after Saturday, which is the day of the Sun, having appeared to His apostles and disciples, He taught them these things, which we have submitted to you also for your consideration." - Justin Martyr, First Apology 67 (150AD)
"It is within the power of all, therefore, in every Church, who may wish to see the truth, to contemplate clearly the tradition of the apostles manifested throughout the whole world; and we are in a position to reckon up those who were by the apostles instituted bishops in the Churches, and [to demonstrate] the succession of these men to our own times; those who neither taught nor knew of anything like what these [heretics] rave about." - Irenaeus of Lyon, Against Heresies, Book 3:3:2, (190AD)
Click [here ] for details about 2Thes 2 and the millennium.
Topic 4: Whence Cometh the NT Canon?
The New Testament was discerned by the Christian Church over centuries and was finally settled by Catholic bishops. See previous work [here]. If that Church had apostatized, why trust its discernment?
Topic 5: What Happened to the Church's Protection?
The Bible contains promises of protection and guidance for the Church. Also, there are statements about the Church continuing on successfully:
"Jesus answered him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'” - Matthew 16:17-19
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” - Matthew 28:19-20
“I am writing to you so that if I am delayed you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.” - 1 Timothy 3:15
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:20-21
“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth." - Revelation 3:7,10
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