From "Yosef benYehudah" <rabbiyosef@h...> Sat Oct  2 12:17:06 1999
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From: "Yosef benYehudah" <rabbiyosef@h...>
To: chofjclist@egroups.com
Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 12:19:51 PDT
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Subject: [chofjclist] Re: Restoration & Hebraic Roots
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>From: J J <CYBERBELUM@c...>
>Reply-To: chofjclist@egroups.com
>To: chofjclist@egroups.com
>Subject: [chofjclist] Re: Restoration & Hebraic Roots
>Date: Sat, 02 Oct 1999 12:05:40 -0400
>
>Hello.  I've got a couple of questions that hopefully you can shed some
>light upon for me.  First, how can something be non-denominational and
>Restoration at the same time?  Seems to be kind of contradictory to me.

There are three movements in Christianity called "RESTORATION":

	1.  The movement of Alexander Campbel and his followers

	2.  The "Joseph Smith movement"

	3.  A movement of Charasmatic Kingdom Now post-mil. who
	follow James Robinson.

I obviously refer to number two.

Within the restoration movement mentioned in number two are well over 100 
denominations who accept the Book of Mormon but disagree on various issues.  
The issues they commonly disagree on are:

	1.  Was Smith called to create a Church at all or just to
	translate the Book of Mormon?

	2.  Who was Smith's successor?  And who were their successors?

	3.  Regarding the Navoo era there are four stands:

		1.  Smith was a fallen Prophet who later taught
		apostate things.

		2.  Smith did not actually teach the things some attribute
		to him in the Navoo Era.

		3.  The Navoo Era teachings are misunderstood.

		4.  They are right on the mark.

There are certain things however that bind all of these people together, 
such as the Book of Mormon itself.

By non-denominational I mean a ministry that is broad and general enough in 
its scopethat it could appeal to Book of Mormon beleivers from any of these 
groups.


>Second, is this something that is supposed to convert Jews to the BoM or 
>BoM
>believers to Jewish beliefs?  Not too sure on what is intended by all of
>this.

The idea is three fold.  Let me address each of the two issues you bring up:

1.  Is this supposed to convert Jews to the BoM?

	In so far as this goal is in keeping with the purpose of the
	Book of Mormon as stated on the title page, to bring Jews
	to Messiah Yeshua.

2.  or [is this something] that is supposed to bring BoM beleivers to Jewish 
belief?

	It depends on how you define belief.  There is a certain
	continuity both in Messianic Judaism and in the BoM.  Both
	teach pre-New Testament baptism for example.  Personally
	I do not believe that Yeshua (Jesus) came to establish a new
	religion, but to be the Messiah of the old one.  Thus
	the individuals in the Old Testament practiced the same
	religion as those in the New.  This is even more clear in
	the continuity of the Book of Mormon.  However the purpose
	of this organization in this aspect would simply be to examine
	the Book of Mormon and NT in context of the culture of the
	people who wrote them.  The BoM itself tells us that this
	approach will help us better understand the scriptures
	(See. 2Ne. 25:5b).  It is exciting that the BoM advocated
	the Hebraic Roots approach before the movement even existed!

	At my website (URL is at bottom of this post) you will
	find many articles which I believe use this approach
	to shed more light on the meaning of the BoM.

	Another example is the posts I have been doing regarding
	Sukkot (which we are in the midst of).

>Third, when someone is Jewish, but then they start to believe in
>Christ, what separates them apart as Messianic Jews as opposed to being
>Christians like all other Christians are?

It is clear that within the Body of Messiah were/are both Jews and non-Jews. 
  (see Rev. 2:9; 3:9).

This also takes us to the issue of the two Houses of Israel which will one 
day be reunited.

Rabbi Yosef

*****************************************************
* The Jews do understand the things of the prophets,*
* and there is none other people that understand the*
* things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto  *
* them, save it be that they are taught after the   *
* manner of the things of the Jews. (2Ne. 25:5b)    *
*****************************************************

Jewishness of the Book of Mormon Website:
http://www.itstessie.com/jewishbom
-----------------------------------------
Listservers: Jewishness of the Book of Mormon;
Mormon Kabbalah & Book of Mormon Linguistics.
http://www.itstessie.com/jewishbom