Do Evangelicals and Latter-day Saints believe in the same heaven? What will it be like? Who will be there? Pastor Jeff discusses with Latter-day Saint content creator David Butler.
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Hello Saints! My name is Jeff McCullough and I’m a Christian Pastor.
This channel is devoted to fighting criticism with curiosity as I invite dialogue between mainstream Christians and Latter-day Saints. Are Mormons Christians? What do Evangelicals and Latter-day Saints agree and disagree about? Join me as I compare and contrast the lifestyle, culture and beliefs of Mormons and non-LDS Christians.
If you enjoyed this video, you might enjoy a similar video I made touring a Latter-day Saint Temple for the first time: https://youtu.be/8UmcaaVpURE
#LatterDaySaints #LDS #heaven
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What other questions do you have about the afterlife that we did NOT discuss?
Very interesting
please cover mountain meadows massacre, the massacre of Utah natives and the child brides of numerous presidents and apostles.
In the LDS community, we’re still navigating how to balance embracing new revelations in this restoration era while staying true to the core doctrines largely shared amongst Christianity.
Sometimes, we can get overly enthusiastic about modern revelations, which if we’re not careful, we may overextend beyond our foundational doctrine in Christ. I agree with David, that it’s more the cultural mythology/zeitgeist that causes this to happen both inside and outside the church.
Both the Bible and the Book of Mormon suggests that prophets might be limited in the revelations they share because we haven’t fully grasped what we’ve already been given. These respectful interfaith discussions encourage us to solidify our shared beliefs and unite across denominations in unexpected ways. I personally didn’t realize that the promised gathering of Israel would be such an interdenominational endeavor but now it seems obvious that it would be that way. Keep up the great work Pastor Jeff!
We all as Christians need to unite together to combat the combined forces against all of us and stop fighting amongst ourselves..A house divided cannot stand!
Pastor Jeff, one question that no Protestant has ever been able to answer is this: Does Heavenly Father love ALL of his children? If He does, and if a firm testimony of Jesus Christ is necessary, then what happens to the millions (billions?) of people who have lived and died without ever having even heard of Christ? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only religion that has an answer for that. I simply cannot believe in a god who would condemn his children to eternity in flames because they had the misfortune to be born at the wrong time or place.
Oh I love this ! Love David Butler ❤. Glad you guys got together !
I may be wrong about this, but my understanding is that in order to enter into the kingdom where God the Father dwells we must be willing to exercise sufficient faith in Jesus to do ALL that the Father asks of us. In exercising that faith I am redeemed through the grace of Christ and eventually sanctified.
If we truly have faith in Christ, we will not shy away from sacrificing or doing whatsoever he requires. To do otherwise is not faith.
God should see that I have faith by my obedience/works. Even if that thing means great personal sacrifice of status or position.
If "Heaven" is defined as being in God the Father's presence/kingdom then only those willing to exercise faith and do His will will be allowed into "Heaven". All others will be somewhere else.
The 9th Article of Faith talks about how there are many things yet to be revealed. As members of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ, we have been given additional revelation, but there is much that has yet to be revealed. Pres. Oaks emphasized that there are many details of the premortal and the spirit world that has not been revealed. So, there are a lot of questions that we can’t answer…. Yet. It does not mean that what has been revealed is not correct and it definitely means that we don’t have all the answers. Line upon line and precept upon precept is how God works.
I evacuated the lds church because nobody could answer the real questions. The answers I did receive did not provide any assurance. I am still finding all the puzzle pieces in the Bible, which completely checks out btw. I recommend that pastor Jeff and any person from the mormon church he interviews should read James R Spencer's books, whether on mormonism or the temple. The truth is childlike simple. Truth without love is too hard but love without truth is too soft. My dear brothers and sisters still in the lds church, l love you and I encourage you, you must be born again to enter heaven… The holy spirit comes by faith. He cannot be confirmed on you with false authority. Read God's word, which is only the Bible, no disrespect ment. Time is short and the Lord is not coming to Missouri.. And to pastor Jeff, you brother know time is short and you do love the saints, please stand firm telling them the truth so they will be with us in heaven.
I wonder why are you so interested in the LDS beliefs ?
Pastor Jeff: I think these scriptures specifically might clear up some misunderstandings. First, a person can be “saved” even if they are not exalted. Read here in D&C 132, which states, “15Therefore, if a man marry him a wife in the world, and he marry her not by me nor by my word, and he covenant with her so long as he is in the world and she with him, their covenant and marriage are not of force when they are dead, and when they are out of the world; therefore, they are not bound by any law when they are out of the world.
16Therefore, when they are out of the world they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are appointed angels in heaven, which angels are ministering servants, to minister for those who are worthy of a far more, and an exceeding, and an eternal weight of glory.
17For these angels did not abide my law; therefore, they cannot be enlarged, but remain separately and singly, without exaltation, IN THEIR SAVED CONDITION [emphasis added], to all eternity; and from henceforth are not gods, but are angels of God forever and ever.”
This is only undone by mortals carrying out the marriage for these people in God’s holy temples. And should they choose to accept this marriage arrangement, they can accept it in the next life once it is done for them in the temples as long as their works reflected a willingness to do God’s will. Thus, all mankind is judged on equal footing as fellow image bearers of God the Father (children of God as we put it) and we become the children of Christ by following Him.
I can see David from Don’t miss this is holding back. A lot to be said here about family. Some people are not ready to hear. Great convo though!
I believe that the best and highest aspirations about Heaven is to progress to the point we desire to do God's work ourselves, not just live with him. That requires giving life to others and shepherding them through the long developmental process of growth.
I just want to get this straight…. If a man’s wive dies and he sealed to a second wife, in heaven if the first wive is not comfortable with polygamy, God will not force her to participate. So does God tell the second sealed wife… you’re out of luck the first wife isn’t comfortable with this???? Someone needs to clarify this not for me, I’m a never Mormon but for all the LDS members who believe both sealed marriages will exist together.
As a latter day Saints we believe that heaven named Gods homes, a paradise is a resting area which were a life after death..there we wait until the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ which John had prophecy.. which we can live with god if we are living righteous deeds.. many scripture in the Bible which Im not seeing in this conversation
Hey Pastor Jeff, you should read D&C 135 for a more honest answer about what latter day saints believe about marriage and godhood in relation to Heaven. That was really painful listening to David Butler trying to explain it in a way thay sounds palatable to a Christian. It felt like gaslighting. That is absolutely not how an average lattery day saint will respond to this question. We all have been taught and beleive we will get planets, and the records are full if quotes from thebearly leaders of the church (eapwcially joseph and brigham) about how a man cannot get to heaven without being married.
"The only men who become Gods, even the Sons of God, are those who enter into polygamy"
-Brigham Young Journal of Discourses, Vol. 11, p. 269, August 19, 1866
The LDS church and its public teafhers like David Butler are working hard to back pedal on this teaching so that they can look more appealing to people like you, Pastor Jeff.
A few thoughts I had while watching this video:
Weren't Adam and Eve married by God while in an eternal/immortal state? Would this not hint at Gods intended purpose of Marriage to be eternal?
If Christ is married to His church, does that marriage end when the Earth is restored and His church is with Him in Heaven? Or will we still be "Married" to Him, IE With Christ forever? The metaphor of Christ being married to His church breaks down in my mind without the doctrine of Eternal Marriage.
I'm a very active Latter-Day Saint, and this is my first time hearing from David Butler. He seems like a pretty great guy.
Why do you keep having guests who avoid divulging true LDS doctrine and teachings. It’s a common strategy to water things down as to not be seen as odd or expose the church and its doctrine to scrutiny. I’m XLDS and a minister to LDS people. I still have friends and family inside the LDS church. I have a master’s degree from a prominent evangelical seminary. I’ve literally had several hundred conversations with LDS people on the streets of Utah since 2016. Almost no one talks the way your guests talks. When they do I press them with the right questions and 9 out of 10 time the will finally move beyond the obfuscation. Those who don’t fall back on claiming “we just don’t know enough about that”. Then i ask, how is it you don’t know when so many prophets and apostles have taught so much about it? Jeff, please stop propping up unofficial views and opinions. It’s just not representative of the official teachings of the LDS church. Who cares what the unofficial opinions of no authoritative members are when trying to discover what the LDS Doctrine is?!?! Unofficial views are what you work through when having a private/personal evangelistic conversation with your friends, not what you put up for the world to judge a religion’s doctrine on!!! Go to their texts. Go to their scriptures. Go to their conferences not people who will all say “I’m not speaking for the church “
Who is this dude? He is literally like the worst person ever to interview on what LDS believe on what the Celestial Kingdom will be like. He is literally flat out denying our doctrine as revealed in the Scriptures. Yes, we do believe that we can become Gods, and have eternal increase in children and eventually create our own worlds and populate them. This is the plan of salvation. It continues on with each of us for eternity. This guy trying to deny all this so we won't look "cringy" in front of Evangelicals? Come on dude, man up. Our doctrine is that we will become one with Christ and Heavenly Father, and like them, in glory, power, honor, ability, etc, etc. Not that we will ever replace him or become "higher or greater" than God, but that we can become equals with him just as a son of a father here on earth is raised and grows to be a man with his own family equal to his earthly father.
Jeff, I am open for an interview if you want to talk to someone who really knows what we believe.