I don’t know why he hasn’t been asked this question, or, if he has, why his answer hasn’t gotten media attention (not that, of course, it has anything to do with his fitness for running the nation, but, if I were hoping to complicate things for him, I’d want to ask). Why hasn’t anyone asked him this? Especially in light of his recent, Founding Fathers-quoting speech on Faith in America?
Mr. Romney: Do you believe that the Founders are now members of your church?
See this talk by President Benson if you don’t know what I’m talking about.
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I don’t think most people who aren’t mormons would know to ask that question. It’s a very good one though.
But wouldn’t the answer be “No”? When someone is baptized by proxy, they are not baptized into a church. On the other hand, I suppose that the proxy confirmation does include the words “confirm you a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” I guess it has been too long since I participated in temple baptisms, but it seems to me that (any) church membership is relatively meaningless in the hereafter, aside from the necessity of having participated in certain ordinances. Hmmmm…..
I spoke with my advisor on doctrine (my husband), and he pointed out that in order to accomplish the work that goes on in heaven, we still will need to be organized, i.e., into a “church.” That said, I still think that Mitt could answer truthfully “I don’t know. It all depends on whether or not they want to be. Our temple work just gives them the choice.”
Marie, I’m sure you’re right.
Thanks Nancy, I agree on the “I don’t know” answer being both truthful and about as politically-expedient as possible.
at our FHE last night, we were looking at this talk by Elder Holland from last conference on our church and “Christianity,” and in the course of simplifying concepts for our kids, we started to get a little confused, esp. about what other Christian churches believe in regards to the trinity and resurrection. i don’t think i have a very good concept of what other churches really do believe. i mean, i know the points of our doctrine in which we are radically different, but i don’t know exactly what or why they believe whatever they believe instead.
in this case, we were wondering what other Christians believe: If God is a spirit (always has been, always will be) and Christ went to all the trouble to get a body while he was here on earth and to get it back after death by starting/creating the miracle of resurrection, but then God and Christ are the same being, a spirit, now, what happened to his body, and why didn’t he want to keep it? why go to all the trouble to get it and get it back perfected if it wasn’t what he wanted? if God is a spirit, why do we want bodies? and what do we do with our bodies after death? is resurrection a reward? do people who go to hell get resurrected, or only those who go to heaven?
of course, one answer to these questions (that other Christians might have very good, obvious answers to that I am just unaware of) is “I don’t know” or “God will explain someday,” etc. I claim that answer for facets of Mormonism that I don’t understand. Maybe older mysteries just seem more legitimate as mysteries, because they’ve been around to stump philosophers and popes for centuries?