Q: "Is Christianity the only true religion?"

Our conversion story generated other questions:

Hi Gina!

....

One thing that I've been thinking about a lot lately is how there are so many different religions and how does that really work? Maybe you have some wisdom to share on this? Is Christianity the only true religion (which ultimately the Bible says, right?...the only way to God is through Christ? )and the rest are man made? Or is it possible that they are just as valid in some way and that it's just a different path with the same destination? I feel a little conflicted about the belief that Christianity is the only true religion and that the millions and millions of other people that are just as passionate about their beliefs are wrong and have fallen for something made up by man. Because if everything but Christianity is man made, I feel like, what's to say that Christianity isn't man made as well? Does my question make sense?

Danny, I think, has a good way to look at it. Let's say there's a large elephant and people standing all around that elephant and up close. Each person is to describe an elephant only by what he/she sees in front of him/her.

"An elephant is a long tube-like-thing with nostrils."

"No, no. An elephant is nothing but a grey and leathery wall."

"You have it all wrong. An elephant is round like a tree trunk."

"How can you say that? It's like a long rope with hair at the end."

"I sort of agree with #2, except it's more like a flag than a wall."

"I say an elephant is hard and smooth. It's white in color, tubular in shape, but comes to a point."

Each person can only see part of the elephant: the trunk, body, leg, tail, ear, or tusk. They know what they see and are passionate about it. Are they wrong? No, but the elephant is too big for them to get the whole picture.

God is like that elephant, and religions are the different people standing around describing what they see. Each has part of it right.

What makes you happy? What brings you closer to your higher power (God) that you can draw strength from? What helps you be a better person to yourself, your family, your community? That, I would say, is the place for you.

The LDS church doesn't even claim they have all of the answers, but just some more answers than others. They believe there's more info that has yet to be reveled. They will say, however, it's the "true church." I felt uncomfortable with that when I first heard it. Even now, I'll say it's the true church for me. What is meant by being the "true church" is that it has additional information about the gospel...ie...it has the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price as well as the Bible. It also has restored the organization of the church the way Christ established it (as described in the Bible). That organization was lost after the apostles died. That's when some of the different Christian sects started branching off and establishing Christianity the best way they could but without any direct authority like they had from the apostles. As time went on, additional sects would branch off from those, each saying, "No, you have it wrong. This is what God is really like: ..." Sometimes they branch off due to hurt feelings. "Oh, yeah?! Well I'm gonna take my toys and start my own club!"

Is Christianity the only true religion? Every culture has their own way of describing where they came from and the purpose of their lives. lf there is a non-Christian religion you discover on your path that you feel the most comfortable with, then that's the one for you.

God knows your heart. God knows the hearts of every person of every different religion. And He loves each. (But this is coming from me...a person who believes in God). He knows your sincere desires. If you truly don't believe in him, He's not going to send you to hell.

Another thing I like about the LDS religion is the doctrine about hell. Basically, everyone goes to one of the degrees of heaven (we have 3). Very few people go to hell. So, members of other religions that don't even believe in Christ still go to one of the levels of heaven; they wouldn't go to hell like a mainstream Christian church would teach. I remember as a kid being told in church I was going to go to hell. "Why? What did I do?" It was an awful feeling. The churches I was raised in said I would go to hell unless I accepted Christ as my savior (and even those who had never had the chance to learn of Christ would go to hell).

I hope you can find what you are looking for. My father gave me wonderful advice as I grew and reminded me of that advice as I searched churches with Danny. "Take what you can and leave the rest." He first told me that when I complained about school teachers. He said even a bad teacher can teach you something, even if it's how not to be a bad teacher.

If you find a church that is just so-so for you, take what you can from it...what is the speaker trying to say/teach...take what is good, leave what doesn't feel right. Then hopefully, you'll find another place you like even more.

**********************************************************************

Okay, I lied. This is probably as long as the other emails. :-)

Love,

Gina

Addendum:

Dear (Name),

Good morning! I was thinking more about your questions, and I'm not sure I answered your question, "Is the only way to God through Jesus Christ?" Through a LDS Christian stand point, the only way to LIVE with Heavenly Father is through the atonement of Jesus Christ. God will have no unclean thing dwell with him. Through our repentance, the atonement, and sincere desire to live with him we can. It's like having an adult child live with you: your house, your rules. If that child continues to break the rules and be rude to you or threaten the happiness of your other children, you probably don't want her/him there, although it would make you sad to kick that child out.

God loves us and wants us with him, but he isn't going to force us or threaten us with hell to be with him. That's why there are different degrees of heaven...you don't automatically go to hell just because you choose to not live with Heavenly Father. If you chose to live with Heavenly Father out of fear of hell, then you are with Him out of fear and not a sincere desire to be with him. God gave us the gift of free agency. Satan's plan was to take away our agency of choice and MAKE US follow the rules, and then Satan would get all the glory.

This is how I understand the doctrine. I'm not a scholar by any means. I hope it makes sense. Please ask me to clarify if it doesn't.

Love,

Gina

Addendum 2:

Hi! Here's a link about the different degrees of heaven : http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?locale=0&sourceId=d1ef9daac5d98010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=bbd508f54922d010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD

Click on additional information if your interested.

I'm glad you see me as open-minded. That's a nice compliment. Thank you for trusting me with such personal searching.

Good night!