We read in John 3:7 that Jesus says "You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'" (NIV). Are there any Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses that have done this, and if not, why not?
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Becoming "born again" is necessary for one to be resurrected to heavenly life. Only 144,000 humans have the heavenly hope, so the vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses are not "born again", although some are.\n\nNote that Jesus described this heavenly group as a "little flock" compared with the much larger group of "other sheep" with the hope to live forever on a restored paradise earth.\n\n(Luke 12:32) “Have no fear, little flock, because your Father has approved of giving you the kingdom\n\n(John 10:16) “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd.
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As one opens a New Testament, he or she cannot get past the first page without confronting the doctrine of the virgin birth. The writer Matthew says: "When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 1:18). Joseph, perplexed over the fact that his wife-to-be was pregnant, was given this explanation by an angel in a dream: "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 1:20).\n\nAnother Gospel writer tells of Mary's pregnancy from her perspective. He tells how the angel Gabriel appeared to her to help prepare this young girl for the great event which would occur in her life. He told her, "And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus" (Luke 1:31). Startled at such a thing, for she was a virgin, the angel continued: "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee: wherefore also the holy thing which is begotten shall be called the Son of God " (Luke 1:35).\n\nAll four of the Gospels assume the doctrine of the virgin birth; two of them give de- tails about it. And it is all the more amazing that one of these writers (i.e., Luke) is a physician whose training and experience would incline him to deny the possibility of such a birth. Careful historian that we know Luke to have been, he investigated thoroughly and affirmed without hesitation that Jesus of Nazareth was born of a virgin.\n\nSome seven hundred or more years before the birth of Jesus, the Holy Spirit had moved the prophet Isaiah to foretell the miraculous birth of the Messiah. "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). Skeptics have tried to eliminate the phenomenon of predictive prophecy from the Bible, but this and many other divinely revealed predictions - all of which came to pass - make their efforts futile.\n\nIsaiah predicted the virgin birth, New Testament writers recorded its occurrence, and it stands as a sign from God as to the identity of Jesus of Nazareth as the Son of God and Savior of the world.
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According to a web search it is thought to have been said by Jesus, but isn't in the Bible -- Mormons seem to like it though.  Is it in the Book of Mormon?
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If you are not born again you will surely see true evil show its self to you.Any one who is not taken at the return of Christ will go through the 7 year tribulation period and this will be a time more terrible than any other in the history of the world. The Anti-Christ mentioned in the Bible will not manifest himself until after the start of the tribulation and not before.
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I think it's important to first say that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints (aka LDS or Mormon). My beliefs come from that doctrine, which I believe is true. Also, I do not wish to confuse you further, but instead commend you on trying to search for the truth. \n\nJesus Christ is the Jehovah spoken of in the Old Testament. He built this world and all that are in it. God, meaning, God the Father, or Heavenly Father is an entirely different person altogether, and the Holy Ghost is also a separate being. He/Christ is the only literal/physical Son of God, however, we are all (the good and the bad) Heavenly Father's children, because He made us spiritually before we were made physically by our parents. \n\nAs for the Trinity doctrine, it seemingly got its start when people mistranslated the Bible. The passage most often quoted is something to the effect that God is Christ in human form and His(Christ's) spirit is the Holy Ghost. What I believe was trying to be said (and may have been said, but just not translated correctly) is that God (Heavenly Father) is perfect, He knows all and is all powerful. Through His plan He wants us all to return to Him, however, He knew that we would mess up and that a Savior (Christ) would be needed to provide a way back through the Atonement. Christ, being the first spiritually born and the only physically born of God desires only to please His Father, so He did what needed to be done out of love for His Father, as well as love for us/all mankind.\n\nI'm afraid I don't have Bible references for this, however, there are scripture references found in The Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine & Covenants, which are books of scripture found in the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. I have linked to the website containing The Pearl of Great Price.
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Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Scriptures alone quite plainly demonstrate that Jesus and the Almighty are separate distinct persons, and the Almighty created Jesus as His firstborn son.\n\n(Colossians 1:15) the firstborn of all creation\n\n(Mark 10:18) Jesus said to him: 'Why do you call me good? Nobody is good, except one, God.\n\n(Revelation 3:14) the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by God\n\n(Philippians 2:5-6) Christ Jesus, who, although he was existing in God's form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God\n\n(John 8:42) Neither have I come of my own initiative at all, but that One sent me forth\n\n(John 12:49) I have not spoken out of my own impulse, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to tell and what to speak\n\n(John 14:28) I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am\n\n(1 Corinthians 15:28) But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him\n\n(Matthew 20:23) this sitting down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father\n\n(1 Corinthians 11:3) I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; ...in turn the head of the Christ is God\n\n(John 20:17) I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.\n\n(Deuteronomy 6:4) Jehovah our God is one Jehovah\n\n(1 Corinthians 8:4-6) There is no God but one. For even though there are those who are called "gods," whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many "gods" and many "lords," there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him\n\nLearn more!\nhttp://watchtower.org/library/ti/index.htm
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Jehovah's Witnesses believe that the Scriptures alone quite plainly demonstrate that Jesus and the Almighty are separate distinct persons, and the Almighty created Jesus as His firstborn son.\n\n(Colossians 1:15) the firstborn of all creation\n\n(Mark 10:18) Jesus said to him: 'Why do you call me good? Nobody is good, except one, God.\n\n(Revelation 3:14) the Amen says, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation by God\n\n(Philippians 2:5-6) Christ Jesus, who, although he was existing in God's form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God\n\n(John 8:42) Neither have I come of my own initiative at all, but that One sent me forth\n\n(John 12:49) I have not spoken out of my own impulse, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a commandment as to what to tell and what to speak\n\n(John 14:28) I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am\n\n(1 Corinthians 15:28) But when all things will have been subjected to him, then the Son himself will also subject himself to the One who subjected all things to him\n\n(Matthew 20:23) this sitting down at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father\n\n(1 Corinthians 11:3) I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; ...in turn the head of the Christ is God\n\n(John 20:17) I am ascending to my Father and your Father and to my God and your God.\n\n(Deuteronomy 6:4) Jehovah our God is one Jehovah\n\n(1 Corinthians 8:4-6) There is no God but one. For even though there are those who are called "gods," whether in heaven or on earth, just as there are many "gods" and many "lords," there is actually to us one God the Father, out of whom all things are, and we for him\n\nLearn more!\nhttp://watchtower.org/library/ti/index.htm\nhttp://watchtower.org/e/ti/
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Jesus said to love one another, but I have yet to meet a JW who has not criticized my own beliefs when coming to my door. Its not a case of not liking JW's but when they have come to my door, instead of accepted my own beliefs and wishing me well they decide to attack. They instigate this attack not me. I accept the views of others who knock on my door and respect that they are doing work according to their beliefs but I won't accept behaviour in this way. Maybe I have been unfortunate with the JW's who have come to my door in that they may have be over zealous in their approach but I have never had a problem with the Mormons. They knock. We chat and we wish each other well on our respective journeys. That is how it should be with two people who feel equally proud of their own beliefs.\n\nI hope this is respectful enough without declaring myself as a true Christian above all other denominations etc etc.
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Proverbs 8:22-31 is purely about wisdom.\nIt has nothing to do with jebus.\nAnd by knowing this, this shows what John 1:1 is about - wisdom, not about some guy being born.
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mormons and jehovah's witnesses do it all the time. Occasionally others do it as well, but only as a last resort. generally its because the person has done somethingthat goes against the church's rules.
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Luke 16:31  “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”\n\nif they want to believe and be saved then they can read this\nhttp://www.100prophecies.org/
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In the Bible it says "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another:  and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."  \n\nsorry, I misquoted the first time
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Yes, they do.  However, Mormons will tell you that just because he said it doesn't mean they believe it...which goes against their believing that the words of the prophet/president are the words of God...\n"I know that the Mormon (LDS) church's official stance on ALL races today is that they are to all receive the same blessings according to their faith and diligence."  The key word is "today."  That wasn't the case when the Prophet Brigham Young held the flock under his thumb.  You claim not to pay mind to this because it was well over 100 years ago...The Bible was written 2000 years ago!!!  It only takes a century for the Mormon doctrine to change.  It's been 2000 years for Christianity.  Plus, I've encountered LDS on this site that claim the word of the Prophet to be good enough for them, after all, it really is the word of God.  Why, in the last 150 years had God been so confused?  Does he have Alzheimer's?  For almost two millennium he was solid, then Joseph Smith came along and claimed that God's mind was ever changing.  One cannot trust in a faith that is constantly changing, one that has president's who override past presidents AND the doctrine itself.\n***\nThe LDS keep saying that the remarks sound racist today, but that they didn't back in the 1800's.  His words were the words of God...Was God racist in the 1800's?  Why do you defend him with that answer when all you are really doing is claiming that 100 years ago, God was cool with racism?
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I'm not a legalist, and all that stuff has nothing to do with salvation.  Faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of personal sins is what saves.  By faith you are saved.  Not by whether you practice or abstain from Christmas and birthdays.  That doesn't matter.\n\nAnd to be saved, get away from the JW cult.  Faith in Jesus is salvation, not faith in the JW crap
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Having grown up in Pentecostal churches I can say that it is a doctrinal statement and NOT a scripture. It is derived from reading of the experiences of the early church and evangelistic successes. The true evidence of having received the Holy Spirt are the fruit as others have mentioned. Certainly we would expect "Holiness" right? And of course Jesus made it an absolute requirement for His disciples.\nWhy? \nI have been working on this for years... I believe we are to wait corporately for a revelation of Jesus as "glorified King". This is what we are to be witnesses of. It was this revelation that transformed common men into "uncommon" men. This is when they really changed. After that event they were unstoppable and filled with power. They were effective and walked in wisdom. I think this is our mandate also. What do you think about my suggestion?
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I was baptized as a baby in a traditional church and as an adult in a Charismatic church.  Next trip to Israel, I may do it again in the Jordan.  Not that I feel  I need to, but just thought it would be nice and honorable to the Lord Jesus.  He did it as an adult.\nI Cr 13;8a\n11-19-6
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Jesus warned: “There will be great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning . . . , no, nor will occur again.” (Matthew 24:21) That event will bring an end to the present unrighteous system of things. Its climax will be “the war of the great day of God the Almighty”—Armageddon. That will indeed be a calamity for all those who remain a “part of the world.”\n\nWhat kind of judgment will this be? It will be selective, removing only “those who do not [choose to] know God and those who do not obey the good news about our Lord Jesus.” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10) But it will not be a disaster to those who listen to God’s warning and instructions, as did Noah and his family. This event will certainly be an act of God, since he will protect his servants. That makes it different from other disasters, which take the lives of good and bad alike.\n\nWHEN Jesus taught his followers to pray for God’s Kingdom, he knew that its coming would bring an end to thousands of years of human rule independent from God. During all that time, God’s will was not being done on earth in general. (Psalm 147:19, 20) But after the establishment of the Kingdom in heaven, God’s will is to be done everywhere. The time for the awe-inspiring transition from human rule to God’s heavenly Kingdom rule is getting very near.\n\n Marking this transition will be the period of time that Jesus called the “great tribulation such as has not occurred since the world’s beginning until now, no, nor will occur again.” (Matthew 24:21) The Bible does not say how long that time period is to be, but the calamities that are to take place during it will be worse than anything the world has ever seen. At the beginning of the great tribulation, something will happen that will be a severe shock to most people on earth: the destruction of all false religion. That will not be a shock to Jehovah’s Witnesses, for they have long anticipated this.  The great tribulation ends at Armageddon when God’s Kingdom crushes the entire Satanic system.—Daniel 2:44;