Judaism and Mormonism
In addition there are other Latter Day Saint Denominations (such as the branches of the Church Of Christ With the Elijah Message) which hold to the Oneness of God while expressing a unique form of Modalism.
Furthermore, the atonement satisfies the demands of justice; grace, forgiveness, and mercy (i.e. salvation) are extended to all who accept Christ as their personal Savior and become his lifelong disciples.
Latter-day Saints believe that, the Atonement of Jesus Christ goes so far as to cover everyone who is doing their best to be good (including non-Christians), eventually, it will even rescue almost all of the spirits of the wicked from the "telestial kingdom".
Additionally, during the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, Jesus, Moses, Elijah, and Elias appeared to Smith and Oliver Cowdery, giving them authority.
Conservative Judaism moved to allow individual congregations to choose whether or not to accept both gay and lesbian rabbis and same-sex commitment ceremonies in December 2006.
While section 27 does not instruct the use of water (indeed, after receiving this revelation Joseph Smith understood it to mean that he should make his own wine - see History of the Church 1:108), it is used as justification for the change.
The most notable law with regard to observation of Jewish Sabbath is the requirement to abstain from creative work of any kind (the most widely known implication of this being the prohibition against kindling a fire).
A special meal is eaten (including wine and meat, if possible, even if the household cannot afford these luxuries the rest of the week).
[34] The focus of Sabbath for Latter-day Saints is as a day of rest from worldly concerns and endeavors and to concentrate on spiritual matters such as attending church meetings, scripture study, visiting the sick and infirm, and family activities.
The Tanakh is explained and supplemented by the Talmud, which is made up of two parts: the Mishnah (Oral Torah) and the Gemara (rabbinic commentaries and analysis).
In addition to these two books, in keeping with the meaning of the ninth Article of Faith, the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price are also considered canonical scripture.
According to Latter-Day Saint doctrine, the Book of Mormon was originally written in reformed Egyptian by a group of the House of Israel who had migrated from the area of Jerusalem.
[citation needed] In general, religious Jews believe that the soul undergoes a period of reflection and penance after death, before moving on to whatever comes next.
Latter-Day Saints hold that missionary work in the spirit world was started by Christ during the days between his death and resurrection (Doctrine and Covenants 138).
Following that example, Latter-day Saints hope to attain same godhood status, while eternally worshiping the Father and the Son (Gospel Principles, chapter 47).
Conversion to Judaism involves extensive instruction in Jewish law, the renunciation of other religious affiliations, immersion in a mikveh, and, for males, circumcision.
The practice of polygamy was introduced by Joseph Smith and it was canonized in scripture as being from "the Lord thy God ... the Alpha and Omega" (Doctrine and Covenants 132:1, 2, 66).
Although Latter-day Saints believed that plural marriage was protected as a religious practice by the United States Constitution, opponents used it to delay Utah's statehood until 1896.
[54] A longtime practice of the LDS Church has been to vicariously baptize their relatives, stemming from the belief that all individuals must receive all saving ordinances to achieve exaltation.
Latter-day Saints do not claim the power to compel acceptance of vicarious ordinances or change a deceased person's religious affiliation against his will.
In 1995, in part as a result of public pressure, church leaders promised to put new policies into place that would help stop the practice, unless specifically requested or approved by the surviving spouse, children or parents of the victims.
[citation needed] In December 2002, independent researcher Helen Radkey published a report showing that the church's 1995 promise to remove Jewish Nazi victims from its International Genealogical Index (IGI) was not sufficient; her research of the church's database uncovered the names of about 19,000 who had a 40 to 50 percent chance of having "the potential to be Holocaust victims ... in Russia, Poland, France, and Austria."
Genealogist Bernard Kouchel conducted a search of the IGI and discovered that many well-known Jewish people have been vicariously baptized, including Rashi, Maimonides, Albert Einstein, Menachem Begin, Irving Berlin, Marc Chagall, and Gilda Radner.
"[57] However, in February 2012, the issue re-emerged after it was found that the parents of Holocaust survivor and Jewish rights advocate Simon Wiesenthal were added to the FamilyTree genealogical database.
However, most LDS members also believe that God is perpetually punishing Jews for their part in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and they will not be forgiven until they are converted.
Additionally, Alma 16:13 of the Book of Mormon specifically contains the Greek word "synagogues"':"And Alma and Amulek went forth preaching repentance to the people in their temples, and in their sanctuaries, and also in their synagogues, which were built after the manner of the Jews"[59]The official position of the LDS Church is that those who have accepted the teachings of the church or those who are members of the Latter Day Saint movement are primarily from the House of Joseph, either by blood lineage or by adoption, when the recipient is not a literal descendant of Jacob, who is also known as Israel.
They base their position on Judaism's interpretation of Hebrew scriptures and advances in biological science, saying, "No amount of genetic testing or DNA sampling will show the Jewish people and the Latter-day Saints to be of the same ancestry.
[67] The courses at the center, attracting students from BYU and other institutions of higher learning in the US who wanted to do credit coursework in Israel, have previously been temporarily suspended due to security concerns.
[76] On its title page, the Book of Mormon, part of the scripture of Latter-day Saints, states that its purpose is "the convincing of the Jew and the Gentile that Jesus is the Christ."
[40]: 154 According to research by Armand Mauss, most LDS members believe that God is perpetually punishing Jews for their part in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and they will not be forgiven until they are converted.
