Interview with Kwaku El, Part 1

Shawn McCraney hosts "Heart of the Matter" (HOTM) in Salt Lake City, where he explores religious topics and interviews guests such as Kwaku El and members of Zelph on the Shelf to discuss their personal and doctrinal experiences. He also addresses personal criticism related to his interactions with critics, particularly emphasizing a seven-year-long conflict with an individual named Aaron S, and describes his recent positive engagement with former Christian turned LDS member KwAku El.

Shawn McCraney engages in a respectful dialogue with Kwaku El to explore and clarify his views as a member of the LDS faith, focusing on 23 doctrinal topics without challenging Kwaku's beliefs directly. This approach allows Kwaku to express his perspectives while Shawn shares his biblical interpretations, encouraging viewers to consider both viewpoints critically in their search for truth.

Shawn's teaching delves into key theological themes by examining significant biblical events and concepts such as the Fall, the Gospel's early revelation, and the ontology of God and Christ, while rejecting traditional Trinitarian views for a singular understanding of God. He emphasizes a unique Christian perspective that challenges conventional teachings and suggests that God and His understanding of us existed before creation, supported by scriptural interpretations.

The teaching emphasizes that humans became living souls through God's breath and can only become God's children through faith in Jesus, rejecting the ideas of a literal creation timeline and the original sin concept. It questions traditional interpretations, including the role of Satan in the Garden of Eden and challenges the LDS doctrine suggesting early knowledge of the Gospel, pointing to biblical scriptures that describe these as mysteries now revealed through Jesus Christ.

Shawn emphasizes that after the coming of Jesus Christ, there is no longer a need for prophets as intermediaries between God and believers, as Jesus fulfills all prophetic roles and the Holy Spirit dwells within believers. He further asserts that physical temple worship, central to ancient Israel, is now obsolete because believers are the living temples of God, marked by the spirit within, negating the necessity of constructed temples.

Shawn McCraney discusses the conception of Jesus, contrasting Evangelical and LDS views on Original Sin, highlighting that Evangelicals struggle to reconcile Jesus's birth without the curse of Original Sin, while the LDS belief holds each person accountable for their own sins, not Adam's transgression. Additionally, he explores the ontology of Jesus, asserting belief in God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit as one God, diverging from traditional Trinitarian views by not adhering to the co-equal and co-eternal doctrine.

The teaching suggests that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit originate from one entity called God, with Jesus being called the "Son of God" only in his earthly form, not in a pre-mortal state. John's baptism of Jesus identified Him as the Messiah, but the essential baptism is that of the Holy Spirit, which supersedes John's water baptism intended for the House of Israel, as demonstrated by the thief on the cross who entered paradise without water baptism.

The cross is symbolized in three primary ways: materially as the penalty paid for humanity's sins, metaphorically as a representation of suffering and dying to worldly desires, and metonymically, regarded as a powerful symbol within the Christian faith akin to its representation of the power of God and the core of Jesus's atonement. Furthermore, the resurrection of Jesus serves to demonstrate his victory over death, with future resurrection discussed in spiritual terms, indicating different interpretations of this concept, especially contrasting the LDS view with broader Evangelical beliefs and presenting the idea that a spiritual resurrection has occurred since 70 AD.

The apostles, including Paul, were directly called and taught by Jesus; they needed to be firsthand witnesses of His resurrection, perform miracles, and be inspired inerrantly to testify about Christ. According to teachings in LDS and biblical scripture, the original apostles were appointed to die as a spectacle to the world, had their names on heavenly foundations, and amidst their qualifications, faced false apostles as significant figures in a world that would later experience a complete apostasy, necessitating a restoration of the original church.

Shawn emphasizes that the true faith resides within individuals rather than institutionalized religion, arguing that the material church was effectively ended with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and that God's new covenant, as described in Jeremiah 31:31-34, involved a personal relationship with Him. He suggests that the promised return of Christ was expected to occur soon after his departure, as interpreted from biblical passages, and that the conventional continuation or reformations of doctrinal institutions were not part of God's intentions.

Shawn emphasizes that the foundational issue distinguishing LDS beliefs from Biblical Christianity is soteriology, stressing that salvation is achieved through grace and faith alone, as outlined by Paul, rather than works or adherence to the Law. He critiques the tendency to criticize LDS practices and urges a focus on core salvation doctrines, arguing that Evangelicals often overly debate peripheral issues that even they struggle to agree on.

Shawn McCraney discusses differences between biblical Christianity and Mormonism, emphasizing that the purpose of salvation is not just reconciliation but to produce love and light in the world, which he believes is better understood in LDS teachings. He also explores misconceptions about Mormonism, questioning if individuals must pass through Joseph Smith to enter heaven and engages in a rapid-fire association game covering various topics related to the LDS faith.