For those who read my recommendation of the documentary Divided but have not purchased the DVD yet, you can now watch it online for free. But hurry, it is only available for free till September.
Film Review
Film Recommendation: “Divided.”
I admit that, although passionate about the subject of the dividing of the family in the church (and the damage it has caused), I was not moved by the trailer for the new documentary on the subject entitled Divided when I first watched it a couple months ago.
It wasn’t until my wife ordered the DVD and we watched it that I realized the documentary was much better than the trailer (seen below) led on.
Here is the description of the documentary:
There is a crisis. Christian youth are rapidly leaving evangelical churches for the world. This well-recognized disaster has been the topic of significant discussion in recent years for both church leaders and modern news media. DIVIDED follows young Christian filmmaker Philip LeClerc on a revealing journey as he seeks answers to what has led his generation away from the church.
Traveling across the country conducting research and interviewing church kids, youth ministry experts, evangelists, statisticians, social commentators, and pastors, Philip discovers the shockingly sinister roots of modern, age-segregated church programs, and equally shocking evidence that the pattern in the Bible for training future generations is at odds with modern church practices.
He also discovers a growing number of churches that are abandoning age-segregated Sunday school and youth ministry to embrace the discipleship model that God prescribes in His Word.
This division in our churches goes beyond just dividing the youth from their parents. The body of Christ is described as one body, yet we see an ever increasing pressure within churches to segregate and divide the body of Christ in all different directions and it’s all being done without any Scriptural instruction, example or precedence to support these divisions.
A kingdom divided against itself will not stand and we see the modern American church being divided into singles groups, women’s groups, men’s groups, seniors groups, services for contemporary music preference groups, services for traditional music preference groups, married couples groups, 20-something groups, 30-something groups, and the list goes on and on.
With all these divisions being promoted within the Western church is it any wonder why we find the bride of Christ in the condition she’s currently in?
This division within our churches is most disappointing when it comes to the youth. What message are we giving our children when they are ushered from the service as soon as the pastor is about to deliver the life giving words of holy Scripture?
This documentary (featuring interviews from such notables as Paul Washer, Voddie Baucham, Ken Ham, and Doug Phillips) is a must-see for everyone who’s in a church that’s currently dividing the children from their parents and from the preaching of the Word.
Listen to Brian Borgman’s message to his congregation in which he dismissed the children from service for the last time in Children in Worship.
See also:
Peanut Butter Salvation and Other Stupid Church Tricks.
Old Mormon vs New Mormon: Celestial Marriage.
DefCon presents another installment of Old Mormon vs New Mormon.
See our previous installment Old Mormon vs New Mormon: The Missouri Prophecies here.
Of temples and bookstores.
I wouldn’t have bothered posting this video but I found the second half of it very interesting. They take a video camera into a Mormon bookstore (Deseret Books) and show us some of the items being sold. You may be surprised at what you see.
“Bible vs Joseph Smith” DVD outreach opportunity.
For those who are interested, here’s a great evangelistic opportunity from Tri-Grace Ministries:LAST CHANCE – BIBLE vs JOSEPH SMITH DVD OUTREACHDear FPW’s (Faithful Prayer Warriors),
This will be very short. Several people have contacted us about the possibility of purchasing THE BIBLE vs JOSEPH SMITH DVD at the discounted price of $1.75 ea. If you are still thinking about ordering, the time to act is NOW because we are ready to place our order.So far 46 people from all over the country (plus one from Africa) have ordered the DVD and plan to distribute over 10,000 of these DVD’s. This will surely create a ripple effect that will be felt world-wide by the LDS community.The LDS community is a tight knit, very well connected subculture. If only a few Mormons are saved as a result of this outreach, the impact will reach deep into the Mormon community. We are praying that outreach opportunities like this one will eventually become the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Not by power, nor by might, but my His Spirit!!!
We do not care how many DVDs you order – we just want to touch Mormons all across the world. So if you know any Mormons… order the DVD and drop one on their doorstep. Then pray and see what God will do.
Contact T.G.M at trigrace@gmail.com for more information or to place your order, but hurry, they will be placing this one-time large order very soon.
Old Mormon vs New Mormon: The Missouri Prophecies
Another DefCon exclusive:
What happens when a 19th century Mormon meets a 21st century Mormon? Find out in the first installment of the new series: “Old Mormon vs New Mormon.”
And when we get into Jackson county to walk in the courts of that house, we can say we built this temple; for as the Lord lives we will build up Jackson county in this generation.
Brigham Young
Times & Seasons
Volume 6 Page 956
April 06, 1845
To be in readiness to move into Jackson county in two years from the eleventh of September next, which is the appointed time for the redemption of Zion.
Joseph Smith
History of the Church
Volume 2 Page 145
August 16, 1834
The day is near when a Temple shall be reared in the Center Stake of Zion, and the Lord has said his glory shall rest on that House in this generation, that is in the generation in which the revelation was given, which is upwards of thirty years ago.
George Q. Cannon
Journal of Discourses
Volume 10 Page 344
October 23, 1864
Cultoons: A dying man on a Mormon’s doorstep.
DefCon is pleased to introduce its first ever Cultoon. If the dialogue in this Cultoon sounds familiar, it was loosely derived from an actual debate featured on this previous post. Enjoy.
Dangerous pragmatism.
I just read a great article on why a transformed life is not proof of salvation that I highly recommend to all DefCon readers. It is well thought-out, well-written, and can be found here at Better Than Sacrifice.
Here’s an excerpt:
The seed which fell upon stony ground appeared to burst into life – it ‘immediately sprang up’. Why? ‘Because there was no depth’. Far from the immediate flourishing of growth being an indicator of eventual fruit, that growth was caused by the seed falling upon unprepared ground. This is sobering; the implication is that a quick conversion – an abundance of early growth – might very well prove to be ill-grounded. . . . The seed which fell on stony ground is likened to one who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet there is no depth there, no true understanding of what has been declared.
If this is sometimes the case with those who hear the true Word of the Kingdom, properly proclaimed, how plainly this exposes the dangers of our modern watered-down presentations of man’s sinful state. Rather than risk offending people by telling them of the wrath of a holy and just God toward sinners, we instead talk of having ‘made mistakes’ and ‘messed up our lives’. Instead of warning of the coming judgement, we tell people that God loves them, omitting any mention of His holiness and justice. Rather than call sinners to repent, we entice them with the offer of a better, more abundant life.
And thus we emasculate the Gospel, robbing it of its majesty and power. For if God is not angry with sinners, the punishment of His Son in their place on the cross can make no sense. Truly, it is this kind of diluted evangelism that results in false converts, lacking depth and with no understanding of the amazing grace that has been poured out upon sinners through the cross of Jesus Christ.
The Church’s task is not to make the Gospel palatable to unbelievers. It is to preach repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Christ so clearly that the offence of the Gospel – Christ crucified in our place, the just suffering for the unjust – is plain to everyone who hears.
Our message should be such that it is impossible for anyone to accept, except the Holy Spirit be at work supernaturally in people’s lives. The Church is charged with preaching the Law in all its severity to frighten comfortable sinners, and then to comfort frightened sinners with the Gospel.
HT: CrossTalkBlog
A Mormon explains the LDS gospel (or the lack thereof).
It was two years ago (July 2008) that a Mormon named Keith visited us on a post regarding Faith and Works. During this discussion I tried to get Keith to explain how I could be saved if I only had a few minutes to live. Keith did a lot of talking (including changing the conversation, accusing me of trying to manipulate him, and accusing me of asking a trick question), but he never answered the question.
I decided to publish this discussion (with all of our typos) in this post to show you exactly how Mormonism advances “another” gospel; one that gives false hope to a dying man, if any hope at all.
You can check out the entire conversation (and how it began) by checking on the comments section of this post from December of 2007.
When you get to the end of the discussion, if you are still perplexed as to what one has to do to “be right with God” according to Mormonism, the answers are actually listed here: Requirements for Mormon salvation.
Enjoy the conversation.
_________________________________
The Pilgrim says:Ok, Keith, here it goes:
It’s late at night.
You hear something at your front door.
You investigate.
You find me laying on your porch step covered in blood.
You see a blood trail where I dragged myself which leads to the street where fresh skid marks are present on the asphalt.
I was just hit by a car that sped off.
You call to your wife to dial 911 and you kneel down to offer any assistance that you can.
I only have a few minutes left to live (and by your estimation of my condition you know it’s true).
I’m in fear of facing God and I ask you one simple question.
“How do I get saved?”
You’ve got five minutes.
The clock is ticking . . .
– The Pilgrim
Keith says:Ok, this is a trick question for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but this is what I will say. My dear friend you are not lost because God in his wisdom has made a plan for every one of his children. Your acceptance of Jesus Christ at this time will be to your great advantage and your sorrow and asking for forgiveness for your sins will be of merit for you. When you get to other side you will find that you still have an opportunity to learn of his work. Through the miracle of the restoration of the Gospel the Lord has made it possible that your baptism can still be done and you can upon meeting the requirements have the blessings of the Gospel in your life. Now Pilgrim, rejoice in the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ because it is through him that you will live again and receive his great blessings. I love him and I want you to know that I know that he lives and that through him you will be resurrected and can receive forgiveness of your sins and be accepted into his presence. Now should we pray together and ask for God to hear your plea.
As you know Pilgrim your understanding of the term of salvation and mine are different and just because we understand the same scriptures differently does not make me wrong and you right. I am interested in your reply.
Mormon church releases statement on Blood Atonement.
The ever-changing mainstream Mormon church has taken yet one more step to distance themselves from the original teachings of their church. This is just another step to appear more “Christian” as they reject the doctrinal roots of their founders. Can anyone recognize Mormonism anymore?
Here’s the very brief article:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released this statement Wednesday:
In the mid-19th century, when rhetorical, emotional oratory was common, some church members and leaders used strong language that included notions of people making restitution for their sins by giving up their own lives.
However, so-called “blood atonement,” by which individuals would be required to shed their own blood to pay for their sins, is not a doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe in and teach the infinite and all-encompassing atonement of Jesus Christ, which makes forgiveness of sin and salvation possible for all people.
Source: Deseret News
Could the timing of this press release have anything to do with this week’s execution by firing squad of Ronnie Lee Gardner in Utah?
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Find out more about the truth of Mormonism’s doctrine of Blood Atonement from these previous DefCon posts:
The Mormon doctrine of Blood Atonement as taught from the mouth of (Mormon Prophet) Brigham Young.
The Doctrine of Blood Atonement as taught by the Mormon organization.
Film review: The Bible vs. Joseph Smith.
Joel Kramer and Sourceflix have hit another home run with their latest release, The Bible vs. Joseph Smith.
DefCon has been pleased to feature Joel Kramer’s past documentaries DNA vs. the Book of Mormon, The Bible vs. the Book of Mormon, and Lifting the Veil on Polygamy, and now The Bible vs. Joseph Smith continues in the excellence of quality, production, and product.
Joel Kramer sits down with a lifelong Mormon and puts Bible prophets and Mormon prophets to the Deuteronomy 18 test “to see which prophets are truly speaking for God.”
This video not only deals with such problems as the Book of Mormon error of stating that Jesus was born in Jerusalem, but it also deals with Joseph Smith’s problems of false prophecy, so clearly in fact, that I suggest to you that this video conclusively proves that Joseph Smith was a false prophet.
“In a conversation between a Christian and a Mormon, the prophets of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon are put head to head in a test to see which prophets are truly speaking for God. If even one prophecy fails to come true, that prophet is a false prophet, and must be put to death.”
Film review: “The Boy In The Striped Pajamas”
I don’t usually do this–in fact this is a first (and probably a last) for DefCon–but I have a secular movie recommendation. Before you think I’ve lost my mind, hear me out first.
I gave up secular movies over two years ago for obvious reasons (sex, violence, profanity, etc.) in addition to the fact that Hollywood’s story telling capabilities lacked depth, and frankly, oftentimes insulted my intelligence.
One of the genres of films that I enjoyed when I used to watch movies was WWII films such as Saving Private Ryan and Schindler’s List (I have always been intrigued by the level of evil that a society could collectively attain to under on man’s leadership).
Sadly, I could never bring myself to watch these films ever again, not because I find myself in conflict with the portrayal of the dramatic historical events of war itself, but due to the unnecessary content such as the excessive profanity and use of my Savior’s name as a cuss word.
Well, for those of you out there like me who enjoy great films about WWII, but are not willing to set the wickedness before your eyes that Hollywood feels for some reason needs to inundate every film they produce, I have great news for you!
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas contains:
– No profanity.
– No sex.
– Very minimal violence (much less than The Passion of the Christ).
What happens when the 8 year-old son of a Nazi soldier who runs a prison camp befriends an 8 year-old boy inside the prison camp? Their friendship between the electric, barbed wire fence is chronicled in this cleverly crafted tale with superb acting that concludes with an ending that will leave you stunned.
This is truly a tale that your children can watch that will help to educate them on the horrors of what took place in Nazi Germany.
The only questionable scenes in the movie are when the one little boy lies to his mother a few times (once to sneak food to his friend in the prison camp). However, those lies do not rest without the boy reaping the bitter results. The other scene to be cautious about for younger viewers is when an SS officer takes a man into the kitchen and batters him. Although you do not see the violence you hear it and know it’s happening. Make sure you view the film before allowing your kids to, in the event you feel it’s not suitable for them.
Even with these scenes I was shocked at how this film portrayed the story in such a powerful way without the use of even one profanity (can’t even say that much for some preachers). I will not soon forget this film, and I highly recommend it.
I especially think this film would benefit home schoolers who are currently studying or planning on studying WWII. This movie is not a war film, but it’s more of an insight into the personal side of those affected by the horrors of WWII and Hitler’s Germany–a perfect example of a Darwinian worldview followed through to its logical conclusion.
Movie review: “The Exodus Revelaed.”
This is another great film sure to increase your faith. This documentary explored the Exodus route taken by the Jews as they fled Egypt and it offers compelling archeological evidence to support the veracity of the Scriptures.
The Exodus Revealed is a good film for the whole family.
“The Search for the Red Sea Crossing. Did Israel’s flight from bondage really occur? This documentary video traces the footsteps of the Exodus… presenting a compelling arguement that the extraordinary events described in the Scriptures are more than just legend and myth. This is a MUST SEE!“
Christ Alone Wyoming 