Quote Originally Posted by theway View Post
No it absolutely is not,
It looks like I'm going to have to school you again... Or should I say Sunday School you.
James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder.
So as you can see...
If belief was enough, then the demons would be saved.

James 2:17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
Do you believe you can be saved by a dead faith?

I'm sorry that this came as such a shock to you, but it is a modern invention. Even the Protestant Fathers believed that baptism, sacraments, and good works were required for salvation. Faith Alone has only been around for about 350 years. Even today Orthodox Christian (what you would consider a works based religion) still make up 65% of Christian. With that, only 50% of the remaining Protestants believe in a true Faith Alone.

Once again you err, trying to make this into a Faith Alone verse. Here, let me continue your schooling.
The Jews who were the first Christians were being chastised for requiring "The works of The Law" to gentile converts (do you understand what The Law means or do you need me to explain that as well?).
Paul was logically pointing out that if someone can only be righteous by "the Law" [the laws of Moses] then how can they believe that Abraham was righteous if he lived before the law was given? Paul as not nullifying good works.

How exactly was Abraham saved then. Well that is clear from those parts of the Bible you have not looked in....
James 2:20-22 20. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? 21. Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? 22. You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;




Another misrepresentation based on AntiMormon nonsense...

Joseph Smith, "We have heard men who hold the Priesthood remark, that they would do any thing they were told to do by those who presided over them, if they knew it was wrong: but such obedience as this is worse than folly to us; it is slavery in the extreme; and the man who would thus willingly degrade himself, should not claim a rank among intelligent beings, until he turns from his folly. A man of God, who seeks for the redemption of his fellows, would despise the idea of seeing another become his slave, who had an equal right with himself to the favour of God; he would rather see him stand by his side, a sworn enemy to wrong, so long as there was place found for it among men. Others, in the extreme exercise of their almighty (!) authority, have taught that such obedience was necessary, and that no matter what the Saints were told to do by their Presidents, they should do it without asking any questions.

"When the Elders of Israel will so far indulge in these extreme notions of obedience, as to teach them to the people, it is generally because they have it in their hearts to do wrong themselves, and wish to pave the way to accomplish that wrong; or else because they have done wrong, and wish to use the cloak of their authority to cover it with, lest it should be discovered by their superiors, who would require an atonement at their hands." (Priesthood, Millennial Star v.14 no.38 (13 November 1852), 594–95)

Brigham Young "...Now those men, or those women, who know no more about the power of God, and the influences of the Holy Spirit, than to be led entirely by another person, suspending their own understanding, and pinning their faith upon another's sleeve, will never be capable of entering into the celestial glory,

President Joseph F. Smith "We talk of obedience, but do we require any man or woman to ignorantly obey the counsels that are given? Do the First Presidency require it? No, never." (Journal of Discources (JD) 16:248)

George Q. Cannon "Do not, brethren, put your trust in man though he be a bishop, an apostle, or a president. If you do, they will fail you at some time or place; they will do wrong or seem to, and your support be gone;" (Millennial Star 53:658-59, quoted in Gospel Truth, 1:319)

There is more if you want?

BTW, demons have a head knowledge of God but NOT a heart knowledge, a total difference. You as well only have a head knowledge but you are as the demons too.
What you say is all good and fine but I know different....I lived it, I lived among you, having been a Mormon born and raised. I know how members are treated. I know that if a man is wealthy he is looked at favorably. I have seen how a woman who gave of herself to your church and in her time of need was ignored. So please don't patronize me with all your ****! I KNOW! It is shameful how members of your church treat one another, I've been on the receiving end of insensitive members. I've sat across from a Branch President asking for help for two small children who's mother was in the hospital with major depression and was alone having been divorced and the husband out of the picture. This woman and her girls were des***ute and it was the dead of winter in N. Dakota. No gloves, boots a warm hat or a way for the one girl to ****on her coat. They had nothing!! I cut ****ons off my own coat and sewed them onto that little girls so she could be warm when going to school. The Branch President told me, "there will be no help for those girls because, their mother doesn't attend her meetings as she should." I sat there shocked, I didn't even know what to say and left bewildered and ashamed of my church. It was then and there that I began to actually hate being a Mormon. How could my wealthy church deny help to young children and base it on what their mother did? And how could my church be so cold and calloused? This man should have gone to the hospital to see about this woman and see how she was doing, not turning his back on the needs of small children. SHAMEFUL! At that time James and I had very little ourselves. James had only two stripes at that time, as he served our country during Viet Nam with the Air Force. We lived in a one bedroom apartment and our son was only 9 months old, we kept his crib in a small walk in closet. So, theway, don't tell me that I don't know! You make me so angry I could scream! You come on here acting so smug and arrogant and it is that very at***ude that turns me off about your church! So go your way, I have no more need to speak to you for your mind is closed, God has not chosen you to be part of his family due to your hardened heart. Your trust in an evil and mentally ill man has lead you down the wide road, which leads to destruction....it is the easy road. You have your secret ceremonies in your expensive temples, do your work for the dead even though it helps no one and Christ never taught anything about temple marriage, nothing. WHY? Go about thinking what you're doing is earning you brownie points with God and you'll gain your exaltation so you think. Keep believing in fairy tales if that is what you want but in the end all the wonderful things you've done won't amount to a hill of beans and God will tell you to depart from me, I never knew you! There will be a lot of crying and begging but it won't do you or anyone any good......it will be to late.