How Would You Know if God Sent
a Minister of Salvation Today?
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What if salvation is not determined by grace alone, by works alone, or even some combination of the two? What if it comes from the ministry of one sent by God to declare salvation? And faith comes by hearing the message like Paul taught (KJV Rom. 10:17)? Paul was expounding a passage from Isaiah (KJV Isa. 53:1), a prophet sent by God. Paul was likewise sent with a message from God. What if the meaning is that in order to receive salvation it is essential that the believer receive a message from a minister actually sent by God with a message for our day and time?
What if salvation requires the same thing now as when Isaiah preached and prophesied, and when Paul taught, and when Christ ministered to mankind? What if there is a necessary relationship between the sender of a message (God) and the speaker of the message (one sent by God) in order for the message to actually result in salvation for the hearer-believer? Who has believed our report, indeed? And who, then, has saving faith? |
During the 500th anniversary of the Christian Reformation, we likewise protest against the present state of Christianity and call again for reform. Three talks will be delivered this year, each of which will be recorded and made available on this website. The talks will address Christianity’s troubled history, the present disarray, and our potential future. The time may yet come when Christians will achieve a unity of faith.
All talks were delivered by Denver C. Snuffer, jr. MARTIN LUTHER
Luther’s devotion included prolonged prayer, fasting, depriving himself of sleep and inflicting physical discomfort to subject the body to the spirit, and even abusing himself with a whip to attain mastery over the flesh. His personal zeal resulted in a growing chasm between his self-discipline and the institutional indulgence of sin. It is fitting that the great breach between him and the Roman Catholic hierarchy came over the issue of selling Indulgences to profit the church. Indulgences were believed to come from an available storehouse of merited blessings earned by the saints, over which the Roman Catholic Church held discretionary authority because of the keys given to St. Peter. The original practice of conferring an Indulgence required acts of devotion or penitence to merit the grant from the Pope. It was later changed to allow for purchase, independent of any penitence or devoted service. By the time Luther confronted the practice it had grown into a wealth-producing market of selling these rights for the living and their dead ancestors, allowing the wealthy to escape accountability for sinful misconduct by purchasing relief. Luther’s revulsion at the sale of Indulgences provoked his written list of 95 charges against the practice. The 95 Theses were made public on Sunday, October 31, 1517. This event, in hindsight, became the milestone from which the Protestant Reformation is dated. The 500th anniversary of this event was in 2017. The complete listing of Luther's 95 Theses can be found here. Despite the attention given to the 95 Theses, Martin Luther’s greatest contribution to the Protestant Reformation was another project: the translation of the Bible into the common German language, making it possible for laymen to learn the content of scripture. The New Testament was published in 1522 and the complete Bible (including the Apocrypha) in 1534. This was the event that made permanent the fracture between Protestants and Roman Catholicism. Once the language of the Bible could be read by the common man, the false traditions, hypocrisy and violation of Jesus’ teachings were exposed to view. Those who were most religious were unable to reconcile Catholic conduct with the Biblical canon, and soon the Bible was being translated into the commonly spoken languages of Dutch (1526), French (1530), Polish (1563), Spanish (1569), Czech (1549), and English (1526). Like a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, gathering energy and strength as it rolled forward, Martin Luther set events in motion that forever changed the history of Western Civilization. Religious societies multiplied as different bodies placed greater emphasis on different facets of the Bible. Unfortunately, the example of persecution learned over a millennium and a half of Roman Catholic intolerance was not abandoned by the different Christian societies. Most of these daughters of Rome opposed, sanctioned and even violently persecuted those holding different religious views from the locally organized majority faith—thus the Protestants followed the unfortunate example of the church in Rome. The early American colonialists fled to a new continent to escape persecution, but likewise proved to be intolerant of minority religious practices in their new land. By the time of the American Revolution the revolutionary political leaders had centuries of history to draw upon to deal with the question of how to address freedom of religion. The American Constitution, including the First Amendment, is the product of events set in motion by Martin Luther 500 years ago in 2017. The influence of Luther’s life on the world cannot be overstated. He began a revolution that a half-millennium later still affects the world culturally, politically, religiously and educationally. He was far more than merely a religious figure. He is one of the few people who have literally changed the world. ULRICH ZWINGLI
MENNO SIMMONS
There was a dispute about the correct age for baptism following the 1531 execution of Sicke Freerks Snijder, for his rebaptism as an adult. Menno’s search left him discontent with inconsistent answers he found comparing Luther, Bucer, and Bullinger. He resolved to rely on Scripture alone. Upon this decision he became an evangelical preacher. His preaching provoked opposition, then persecution. "The error of the cursed sect of the Anabaptists … would doubtless be and remain extirpated, were it not that a former priest Menno Symons … has misled many simple and innocent people," complained a letter to the regent of the Netherlands in 1541. "To seize and apprehend this man we have offered a large sum of money, but until now with no success. Therefore we have entertained the thought of offering and promising pardon and mercy to a few who have been misled … if they would bring about the imprisonment of the said Menno Symons." Holy Roman Emperor Charles V joined in, and offering 100 gold guilders for Menno's arrest. He successfully avoided arrest. He reacted to his opposition by adopting pacifism, believing that ideas were more powerful than armies. He said, “The regenerated do not go to war, nor engage in strife. They are children of peace who have beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning forks, and know no war.” His preaching changed those who followed them to become likewise pacifist and moderate. Even before leaving Catholicism, he rejected the Catholic teaching of transubstantiation because he detected nothing in the bread and wine he dispensed at Mass to suggest it transformed into Christ’s body and blood. This was a position he did not adopt lightly, and his decision came only after careful examination of the question. "Finally, I got the idea to examine the New Testament diligently. I had not gone very far when I discovered that we were deceived, and my conscience, troubled on account of the aforementioned bread, was quickly relieved." His view on Christian duty can be summarized in his statement: “True evangelical faith, cannot lie dormant, it clothes the naked, it feeds the hungry, it comforts the sorrowful, it shelters the destitute, it serves those that harm it, it binds up that which is wounded, it has become all things to all creatures.” After leaving Catholicism he became an Anabaptist leader. Though many of their preachers were enthusiastic, even fanatical, he exemplified sober, thoughtful Christian life and tried to be a meek follower of Christ. His followers were thought to be dangerous and were persecuted and mistreated. When they endured it well, the authorities came to regard them as both different and non-threatening. He was not the founder, but was the regenerator of the Anabaptist movement. He was their most significant spokesman in the Netherlands during the sixteenth century. Menno provided moderate leadership and prolific writings to unify the nonviolent Dutch Anabaptists. Their peaceful beliefs have made their survival in surrounding, violent societies a cause for admiration. Menno took I Corinthians 3:11 as his motto – “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” He made this a theme for his ministry, and his teachings are therefore defined as Christ-centered. Menno's followers were referred to as Mennonites, a name used to deride them. Later, however, the Swiss Anabaptists who emigrated to America adopted that name. Today there are almost 1.5 million Mennonites in 75 countries. After leaving Catholicism, he married and fathered three children. He died in 1561. WILLIAM TYNDALE
He was inspired by the work of Martin Luther and translated the Bible into English. He concluded, “Christ desires his mysteries to be published abroad as widely as possible. I would that [the Gospels and the epistles of Paul] were translated into all languages, of all Christian people, and that they might be read and known.” Because of opposition to translating the Bible in England, he traveled to the Lutheran city of Worms where he safely completed the work. He used both Hebrew and Greek sources, rather than the popular Latin Bible used by the Catholic Church, which had been translated by Jerome. He described his effort, “"I call God to record against the day we shall appear before our Lord Jesus, that I never altered one syllable of God's Word against my conscience, nor would do this day, if all that is in earth, whether it be honor, pleasure, or riches, might be given me." In his translation he used the word “congregation” rather than “church” for the Greek “ecclesia.” Tyndale’s translation of the word was not only correct, it was revolutionary. Although this small correction may seem insignificant to readers today, at the time it undermined the Roman Catholic claims to be the only true church and therefore the exclusive body meant by the word “church.” Likewise by rendering the Greek word “metanoeo” as “repent” and not as “do penance” the translation challenged the financial interests of the church in the sale of pardons and indulgences. He translated “agape” as “love” instead of “charity” which also had an economic impact on church donations. In each case Tyndale’s translation conveyed the better meaning, but it came with an economic impact on the church, and therefore offended the church. The Bible translation was considered an act of defiance of both English law and the Roman Catholic Church. He was said to have predicted that not many years following his work on the Bible, “I will cause the boy that drives the plow to know more of the Scriptures than” the Catholic clergy. When the New Testament translation made its way to England in 1525 it was condemned by King Henry VIII, Cardinal Wolsey, Sir Thomas More and others. Thomas More called it the work of the “Antichrist.” He was opposed to King Henry VIII’s planned annulment to Catherine of Aragon in order for him to marry Anne Boleyn and published a work condemning it as unscriptural. This made him the King’s enemy. In 1536 Tyndale was convicted of heresy, stripped of the priesthood, strangled to death and his body burned at the stake. Within three years following his execution, however, King Henry VIII decreed that an English translation of the Bible should be available in every Parish for the public to read. Tyndale’s Bible translation was later used to produce The Great Bible for the Church of England two years following his death, and the King James Bible in 1611. The King James Version copies Tyndale in 83% of the language of the New Testament and 76% of the Old Testament. While he lived, in England possession of a copy of his translation resulted in a death sentence for unlicensed possession of scripture in English. He consoled himself and others while he was in prison awaiting trial on heresy by writing, “if God be on our side, what matter maketh it who be against us, be they bishops, cardinals, popes.” Tyndale summarized how to find happiness in everyday life, “There is no work better than to please God; to pour water, to wash dishes, to be a cobbler, or an apostle, all are one; to wash dishes and to preach are all one, as touching the deed, to please God.” JOHN CALVIN
However certain his teachings may seem, he had an underlying humility about his certitude. He said, “A perfect faith is nowhere to be found, so it follows that all of us are partly unbelievers.” Calvin is given credit for five principle doctrines which are viewed as his. These center on the proposition that God has the ability to save every individual upon whom He chooses to show mercy, despite the failure or inability of the object of God’s grace. The principles are: The total depravity of man: This circumstance exists as a consequence of the Fall of Adam, and the result is that every person is a slave to a sinful nature. Therefore men seek their own best interests, and are prone to be not only in a state of rebellion against God, but also disinclined to love God. The extent of this human failure is “total” or as widespread as humanity itself; hence the “total depravity” of mankind. Unconditional election: God chooses whom He will save. His choice is independent of the faith of those saved, and the decision is made from eternity to either extend or withhold saving mercy thereby producing salvation or damnation according to God’s choice. Salvation is through Christ, and God’s wrath is justified toward the damned because of their sins against God. Limited atonement: Christ provided a definite atonement in which He substituted Himself to receive the punishment on behalf of His elect. Christ suffered and died for an intended group of the saved, and the rest are left to be punished for sins. This has been described by Calvinists: “The atonement is sufficient for all and efficient for the elect.” While all could be saved (because Christ’s suffering was sufficient for all) God intends only to save some. Irresistible grace: Saving grace is effectually directed on behalf of those whom God intends to save who are His elect. For those this grace of God overcomes any resistance caused by the Fall of Adam, and secures for the elect saving faith. When God intends to save an individual, that person will be saved. The mechanism for infusing this irresistible grace is the Holy Spirit which cannot be refused by the elect. While preaching the Gospel may be resisted by sinners, the elect cannot resist it. Perseverance of the saints: Those who are the elect or saints cannot frustrate God’s election by allowing their faith to fail. Those who are brought into communion with God will continue to be His elect until the end. Accordingly, those who fall away were never part of the saved elect in the first place. Calvin declared, “We should ask God to increase our hope when it is small, awaken it when it is dormant, confirm it when it is wavering, strengthen it when it is weak, and raise it up when it is overthrown.” Calvin’s statement in opposition to abortion seems as timely now as when he first framed it: “If it seems more horrible to kill a man in his own house, then in a field,...it ought surely to be deemed more atrocious to destroy a fetus in the womb before it has come to light.” JOHN KNOX
Knox joined in a rebellion that resulted in the murder of Cardinal Beaton, resulting in his arrest and exile. While exiled he worked for the Church of England, becoming a chaplain to King Edward VI. The death of Edward put a Catholic on the throne (Mary Tudor) and Knox was forced to resign and leave the country. He moved to Geneva and met John Calvin, then to Frankfurt to head an Anglican refugee congregation. But his teachings were controversial, ending any further participation in the Church of England. He returned to Scotland and led the Protestant Reformation there, which overthrew the reign of Mary of Guise, putting Mary, Queen of Scots on the throne. She allowed him the freedom to lead the Protestants, and he in turn criticized her Catholicism. He chafed under the rule of women and believed a woman had no right to rule over men. He declared, "To promote a woman to bear rule, superiority, dominion, or empire above any realm, nation, or city, is repugnant to nature; contumely to God, a thing most contrary to his revealed will and approved ordinance; and finally, it is the subversion of good order, of all equity and justice." Queen Mary confronted him, and he explained he was as content to live peaceably under her rule as the Apostle Paul had been to live under Nero’s. Queen Mary defended her allegiance to Rome and Knox responded, “Wonder not, Madam, that I call Rome an harlot; for that Church is altogether polluted with all kind of spiritual fornication, as well in doctrine as in manners. Yea, Madam, I offer myself to prove, that the Church of the Jews which crucified Christ Jesus, was not so far degenerate from the ordinances which God gave by Moses and Aaron unto His people, when they manifestly denied the Son of God, as the Church of Rome is declined, and more than five hundred years hath declined, from the purity of that religion which the Apostles taught and planted." Because church and state were involved throughout his life, Knox addressed these subjects with pen and sermon. He said, “Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.” And, “A man with God is always in the majority.” Also, "Let a thing here be noted, that the prophet of God sometimes may teach treason against kings, and yet neither he nor such as obey the word, spoken in the Lord's name by him, offend God." Knox was fearless and devoutly believed the Bible should be followed, not merely read. He believed it required him to stand up to corrupt church clergy, kings, queens and society. The force of his personal convictions still echo in Protestant thought beyond the Presbyterian Church he is credited with founding. ROGER WILLIAMS
Williams was an abolitionist and organized the first attempt to prohibit slavery in the British American Colonies. He was also an advocate for separation of church from state. His ideas percolated among colonists and led to the First Amendment to the US Constitution. He wrote, "When they have opened a gap in the hedge or wall of separation between the garden of the church and the wilderness of the world, God hath ever broke down the wall itself, removed the candlestick, and made His garden a wilderness, as at this day." His words were echoed by Thomas Jefferson in the letter to the Danbury Baptist Church which repeated the words “wall of separation” between church and state. Jefferson’s Danbury letter has been cited in several US Supreme Court decisions as if it were part of the First Amendment. Williams founded the first place in modern history where citizenship and religion were separate. His society also adopted majoritarian democracy. These ideals took root and directly influenced the American Revolution a century later. His search for pure religion led him to eventually separate from any organized church and, from 1639 onward he waited for Christ to send a new apostle to reestablish an original, pure and authoritative church. He carefully studied religious societies and history and came to the conclusion that every denomination was flawed. Each church was corrupt, though they differed in their flaws and virtues. He was persuaded that Christianity had departed from the truth early in history and had been corrupt ever since. He wrote, “Christianity fell asleep in the bosom of Constantine, and the laps and bosoms of those Emperors who professed the name of Christ.” This sober reflection led to his conviction that freedom of conscience was necessary to allow every soul to search for and accept all truth they could find. He declared, “There is no regularly constituted church of Christ on earth, nor any person qualified to administer any church ordinances; nor can there be until new apostles are sent by the Great Head of the Church for whose coming I am seeking.” Williams thought the British treatment of American Indians was inequitable, and urged the land be purchased from the Indians rather than taken from them. This view caused conflict between him and the colonial authorities. He was convicted in 1635 of sedition and heresy and banished from Salem. Despite his conflict with colonial leaders, he became a trusted friend by several native tribes in New England, even negotiating the end of conflicts between Indians and Rhode Island for nearly forty years. Twice he allowed himself to be taken hostage (1645 and again in 1671) to guarantee the return of an Indian leader summoned to court. Williams has grown in influence over time, with many of his revolutionary ideas becoming commonplace generations later. He helped to create an American society that welcomes diverse religious views and protects freedom of conscience. Although he did not believe the Christian churches preserved the original, he nevertheless practiced Christianity. He summarized what should be done briefly: “the two first principles and foundations of true religion, or worship of the true God in Christ, are repentance from dead works, and faith towards God, before the doctrine of baptism or washing, and the laying on of hands, which contain the ordinances and practices of worship.” JOHN WESLEY
"In the evening, I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation, and an assurance was given me that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." This was life-changing and created within him the conviction that he had experienced God’s love and would be saved. Persecution of his views began the next year, 1739, and never abated the remainder of his life. Wesley did not accept the predestination teachings of John Calvin, and was criticized and barred from preaching in his mother Anglican Church. He launched a new direction with people meeting in private homes, praying, reading scripture, discussing spiritual concerns, and collecting money for the needy. As fellow-believers grew in numbers they were dismissively labeled “Methodists”—but the term was accepted by them and in time became the accepted name of a new Christian denomination. During his lifetime, Wesley thought Methodists could in good faith remain members of the Anglican Church. Following his death the two separated. Wesley believed in pursuing and attempting Christian perfection in which men and women could live in this world in a state where God’s love “reigned supreme in their hearts” which would reflect godly holiness. Not as an imaginary concept, but as a living reality. Like Luther before him, Wesley recognized the corruption of the professional clergy, and the failure to preach repentance to sinners. He thought himself called to revive dying Christianity with a new voice crying repentance and promising God’s forgiveness to the earnest seeker. He was loyal to both the Bible and prior orthodox Christian traditions. He believed every soul could be saved by faith in Christ and rejected the idea some were elected by God to salvation while others were doomed to damnation, as Calvin had taught. Salvation by grace could be experienced and known, as he explained: "an inward impression on the soul of believers, whereby the Spirit of God directly testifies to their spirit that they are the children of God." This made salvation personal to each individual. He explained his fear: "My fear is not that our great movement, known as the Methodists, will eventually cease to exist or one day die from the earth. My fear is that our people will become content to live without the fire, the power, the excitement, the supernatural element that makes us great." He acknowledged the decline of the Gifts of the Spirit recorded in the New Testament and noted they disappeared early in Christian history, once Constantine issued the Edict of Milan decriminalizing Christianity (313 a.d.). This led in turn to Christianity becoming the state religion of Rome in 380 a.d. In Wesley’s sermon The More Excellent Way he explained, "The cause of this [decline of spiritual gifts following Constantine] was not, (as has been vulgarly supposed,) `because there was no more occasion for them,' because all the world was become Christians. This is a miserable mistake; not a twentieth part of it was then nominally Christian. The real cause was, `the love of many,' almost of all Christians, so called, was `waxed cold.' The Christians had no more of the Spirit of Christ than the other Heathens. The Son of Man, when he came to examine his Church, could hardly `find faith upon earth.' This was the real cause why the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost were no longer to be found in the Christian Church; because the Christians were turned Heathens again, and had only a dead form left." Wesley’s teachings have influenced Christian thinking far beyond the bounds of the Methodist Church. He is a widely respected and studied Christian thinker. He is credited with posing the question, “"Though we cannot think alike may we not love alike?" His dying words were "The best of all is, God is with us" which he repeated twice. |
We testify that God has indeed sent a messenger in our day and time to declare salvation to His children.
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Christianity has become the handmaiden of ambitious men who have diverted resources from the poor to serve themselves. The present state of Christianity is not markedly different from Jerusalem at the time of Christ. The Christian leaders today, like the Sadducees and Pharisees, shear the sheep and consume them, but fail to serve them as Christ did. Christianity began with personal worship and devotion in the homes of believers. Christ and His twelve built no cathedrals, chapels or church structures, but did give aid to the poor. Isaiah prophesied that only one kind of building would be built for God by His followers: A Temple or House of God, to be built on the mountaintop in Zion, and another in Jerusalem. (Isaiah 2:2-3.) Beyond those two structures, all other resources should help the poor, as was once done by early Christians.
Picking up from the previous attempt at Restoration in the 1800s, God has begun again to work among His children to restore lost Gospel truths. A complete Restoration is necessary in order to prepare the earth for the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ and provide the necessary knowledge and ordinances to obtain salvation in His Kingdom. We invite all to come unto Christ, learn of Him, and follow His path.
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WHAT IS GOD DOING TODAY?
RESTORATION BEGUN ANEW |
God's People today
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As a people, we strive to live the simple gospel of Jesus Christ as practiced by His early disciples: caring for the poor, meeting in small communities of believers, and performing the ordinances of sacrament and baptism as directed by revelation. We have no paid clergy, and instead we give our tithes to care for the poor among us. Our fellowships are refuges from the abuses perpetrated by the religions of modern Christianity, whether it be abuse of power or misuse of funds. All are welcome in our fellowships, whether they be Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Jew, Hindu, Muslim, Native American, or believers in any other faith tradition. We believe in accepting all truth, from whatever source it flows. The highest aspiration for most all religious traditions is for the individual to connect to God and for God to recognize and connect with the individual. There is really no fundamental difference among religions in terms of this ultimate goal. |
christianity:
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...Who gathered a community of believers.
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...Whose fellowships were based on equality and love, instead of a hierarchy of leaders and followers.
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A Modern-Day Witness of ChristTestimony of Christ's Resurrection & Reality
As one who, like the Apostle Paul, has stood in the presence of Christ, and likewise been caught up into heaven and been taught unspeakable things, I know from the Lord’s own voice my standing before Him. Whether others regard me as a “Christian,” I know that Christ regards me as His devoted follower and faithful servant. I likewise comprehend His grace for others, including those who would exclude me from being defined as “Christian,” and therefore exclude me from salvation itself.
Rather than debate, deny, or judge the “Christianity” of others using any criteria, Bible verse, or Protestant hope for salvation, I accept any person’s claim to be “Christian” as welcome news. Whether they lived for the first millennium and a half of Christian history when only the Catholic Church existed, or they divide themselves into groups claiming to hold the exclusive qualifications to be saved today. I judge no man. I encourage them all to hold fast to the hope of salvation offered by Christ, even if they hold beliefs by which they judge and reject me as a fellow Christian. In the Fall of 2018, I gave three talks in the United States: 1) on September 21st in Los Angeles, California; 2) on October 19th in Dallas, Texas; and 3) on November 16th in Atlanta, Georgia. I have been sent to give these three messages. I do know God. I have been ministered to by Him and He has prepared me to minister to others. Like Paul, who was sent by God, I will also tell you of an unchangeable God, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. His message requires the same from you today as it did when Jesus Christ first taught in Galilee and Judea. Each talk was delivered in a public venue that was free and open to the public, requiring no ticket, rsvp, or reservation, and no donations were solicited. Charity is wasted on hireling clergy, which should be used for the poor. Clergy ought to labor for their support as do other Christians. The sooner we stop paying a professional clergy, the sooner Christianity will lose its animosity and improve in spirit, function, and value. Anyone who claims to be a “Christian” may be interested in reading or hearing these three talks. The talks discuss Christian history, the Reformation, Christianity since the Reformation, the Restoration movement, and Joseph Smith as a Christian thinker and Biblical preacher. Smithsonian Magazine identified Joseph Smith as the most significant religious figure in American history. Yet he remains misunderstood by most Christians, primarily because his legacy has been regarded as Mormon property. In many ways his life mirrors the Apostle Paul. He belongs to the Christian community as much as St. Francis of Assisi, Luther, Tyndale, Wesley, Knox, Williams, and Calvin. Because of the divisions between denominations, most believers are unwilling to consider the views held by others who practice a very different form of Christianity than themselves. Members of each Christian denomination believe that they practice the only true or correct form of Christianity, of which Jesus Christ approves. However, the divisional creeds of Christianity are largely the result of institutions who maintain loyalty from their parishioners by denouncing every other brand of Christianity as false, incomplete, or devil-inspired. Further, Christians are criticized by leaders of churches when they are willing to consider “heretical” ideas that cross boundaries of Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah’s Witness, Salvation Army, Evangelical, or Mormon. Such present day dynamics ought to lead every Christian into a more open dialogue about the history and present status of Christianity, and also cause them to carefully consider all that claims to be part of the broad expanse of “Christianity.” Of all the various reformation and restoration thinkers, perhaps Joseph Smith remains the most feared by other Christian denominations, most likely due to the aggressive campaign by the Salt Lake City headquarters of the LDS church to convert other Christians to their organization. The three talks are not an attempt to influence listeners to become members of the Salt Lake City based church, or of any other denomination. I was excommunicated from the LDS Church because of my research and candid writing about the flaws of the Mormon Church and its failure to candidly account for its history. Whether you are a loyal member of a specific denomination, or a freelance Christian without denominational affiliation, the three talks will provide information about Christianity designed to give you a greater reason to believe in Christ. They may also give you a greater reason to try to understand other Christians whose beliefs reckon from very different traditions than your own. It is hoped that Christians everywhere may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 15:6). Following the 1st three addresses to Christians in the Fall of 2017, an additional 5 addresses have been delivered: |