Mormons?

[Gracie]

So....if you are a Mormon, can you explain the concept of what it is and why you chose that path? Did you do it on your own, or were you born into it due to family? What do you like/dislike about it?

 

[Bob Blaylock]

So....if you are a Mormon, can you explain the concept of what it is and why you chose that path? Did you do it on your own, or were you born into it due to family? What do you like/dislike about it?

I'm not sure what I can explain, to answer your question. I was born into this faith, in a family that goes back in it as far as this faith has existed.

 

[ESay]

So....if you are a Mormon, can you explain the concept of what it is and why you chose that path? Did you do it on your own, or were you born into it due to family? What do you like/dislike about it?

I'm not sure what I can explain, to answer your question. I was born into this faith, in a family that goes back in it as far as this faith has existed.

What example, what is, say, five key differences between the Mormons and Protestant denominations (you can choose every one to compare)?

 

[onefour1]

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I come from a family that was inactive in the church. My mother had me baptized at the age of 9 but we never attended Church while I was young. My brother went to live at my grandmothers house and some people in the church fellowshipped him and he became active. He tried to get me to go to church and so I began investigating the church on my own. Some guys my age invited me to play basketball over at the church and I loved basketball so I started playing basketball with members. After awhile they invited me to church and I began attending. What converted me to the faith was the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit testified to me that the church was true and that Jesus was the Savior of the World. Through prayer I received a forgiveness of my sins. What I like about my faith is that it is not only sound in doctrine but that it is accompanied by the Spirit of Truth which has testified to my soul of its truthfulness.

 

[Disir]

So....if you are a Mormon, can you explain the concept of what it is and why you chose that path? Did you do it on your own, or were you born into it due to family? What do you like/dislike about it?

This is Joseph Smith:

Joseph Smith and the criminal justice system - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Here is a little more about Joseph Smith:

Joseph Smith flees Ohio | January 12, 1838 | HISTORY

After his bank fails in the Panic of 1837, Joseph Smith flees Kirtland, Ohio, to avoid arrest and heads for Missouri to rebuild his religious community. A sensitive and religious‑minded man since his youth, Joseph Smith claimed the angel Moroni visited him in 1823, when he was 17 years old, and...

www.history.com

This is the text of the Book of Mormon whose source is from golden plates that were buried in the US--in New York that were written in reformed Egyptian. Yep.

Book of Mormon

Single source files for generating the English print scriptures. The basic text of the Translator’s Copy of the scriptures (06897) can also be derived from these files.

www.churchofjesuschrist.org

It was chosen for me. I am an ex-Mormon. I also have line/s that go back to the beginning with Joseph Smith. This Eden, Arizona – Mormon Ghost Town – Legends of America was a town that my family established. It's a Mormon ghost town now. Several went from this town (or others mentioned) to Mexico where other Mormon families lived. My grandfather was born into it but didn't attend as an adult that I can remember but I realize there was life before my existence. My grandmother was a Quaker and came from a long line of Quakers. She never went to an LDS church for service and she never said (to the best of my knowledge) anything derogatory about it. You know.........like Quakers do or don't to be more precise. My father was a Mormon but had not attended since he was a child. My mother was born a Catholic. My dad said: Nope! Not doing that! I told my parents at like 6 or 7 that I wanted to become a Nun. They both said: Nope! Not doing that!

I remember getting up on Saturdays to crack wheat at the Church. Those were crazy times. Every night of the week had one family member attending church. It was never a night that we were as a family alone. The women didn't really hold a lot of power. Their power came from tattling on other women. We had a front room that was always reserved for other Mormons to come over to. Every once in a while a couple of the women from the church would come by. It didn't really stop there. Missionaries leave home with someone and they are not allowed to maintain contact with their parents. Just the Bishop, etc. That other person is with you 24/7 and they maintain contact with the bishop. You are never alone and someone is always checking up on you. I think that is the most horrendous part of it. It's the part that I don't like. It's hard to digest.

 

[Likkmee]

I think their survivalist type documents are top of the line

Emergency Preparedness

With the guidance of Church leaders, Latter-day Saints prepare to be self-reliant in times of personal and widespread tragedy.

www.churchofjesuschrist.org

I think their flavor of religion is....."different"
Most I've met, like seventh dayers, are really nice, humble people.
If they got a planet, I could live there

 

[Gracie]

So....if you are a Mormon, can you explain the concept of what it is and why you chose that path? Did you do it on your own, or were you born into it due to family? What do you like/dislike about it?

This is Joseph Smith:

Joseph Smith and the criminal justice system - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Here is a little more about Joseph Smith:

Joseph Smith flees Ohio | January 12, 1838 | HISTORY

After his bank fails in the Panic of 1837, Joseph Smith flees Kirtland, Ohio, to avoid arrest and heads for Missouri to rebuild his religious community. A sensitive and religious‑minded man since his youth, Joseph Smith claimed the angel Moroni visited him in 1823, when he was 17 years old, and...

www.history.com

This is the text of the Book of Mormon whose source is from golden plates that were buried in the US--in New York that were written in reformed Egyptian. Yep.

Book of Mormon

Single source files for generating the English print scriptures. The basic text of the Translator’s Copy of the scriptures (06897) can also be derived from these files.

www.churchofjesuschrist.org

It was chosen for me. I am an ex-Mormon. I also have line/s that go back to the beginning with Joseph Smith. This Eden, Arizona – Mormon Ghost Town – Legends of America was a town that my family established. It's a Mormon ghost town now. Several went from this town (or others mentioned) to Mexico where other Mormon families lived. My grandfather was born into it but didn't attend as an adult that I can remember but I realize there was life before my existence. My grandmother was a Quaker and came from a long line of Quakers. She never went to an LDS church for service and she never said (to the best of my knowledge) anything derogatory about it. You know.........like Quakers do. My father was a Mormon but had not attended since he was a child. My mother was born a Catholic. My dad said: Nope! Not doing that! I told my parents at like 6 or 7 that I wanted to become a Nun. They both said: Nope! Not doing that!

I remember getting up on Saturdays to crack wheat at the Church. Those were crazy times. Every night of the week had one family member attending church. It was never a night that we were as a family alone. The women didn't really hold a lot of power. Their power came from tattling on other women. We had a front room that was always reserved for other Mormons to come over to. Every once in a while a couple of the women from the church would come by. It didn't really stop there. Missionaries leave home with someone and they are not allowed to maintain contact with their parents. Just the Bishop. That other person is with you 24/7 and they maintain contact with the bishop. You are never alone and someone is always checking up on you. I think that is the most horrendous part of it. It's the part that I don't like. It's hard to digest.

Informative and interesting response. thank you.

 

[onefour1]

So....if you are a Mormon, can you explain the concept of what it is and why you chose that path? Did you do it on your own, or were you born into it due to family? What do you like/dislike about it?

.
.
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Missionaries leave home with someone and they are not allowed to maintain contact with their parents. Just the Bishop. That other person is with you 24/7 and they maintain contact with the bishop. You are never alone and someone is always checking up on you. I think that is the most horrendous part of it. It's the part that I don't like. It's hard to digest.

I served a mission for the church and all the missionaries in my mission were required to write home once a week to their parents. That is a church wide thing with all missionaries in the church. So it is simply not true that you cannot have or maintain contact with your parents. I had very little contact with my bishop back home. I might have received a letter once or twice during my mission from him but I received letters all the time from my parents.

 

[Disir]

So....if you are a Mormon, can you explain the concept of what it is and why you chose that path? Did you do it on your own, or were you born into it due to family? What do you like/dislike about it?

.
.
.
Missionaries leave home with someone and they are not allowed to maintain contact with their parents. Just the Bishop. That other person is with you 24/7 and they maintain contact with the bishop. You are never alone and someone is always checking up on you. I think that is the most horrendous part of it. It's the part that I don't like. It's hard to digest.

I served a mission for the church and all the missionaries in my mission were required to write home once a week to their parents. That is a church wide thing with all missionaries in the church. So it is simply not true that you cannot have or maintain contact with your parents. I had very little contact with my bishop back home. I might have received a letter once or twice during my mission from him but I received letters all the time from my parents.

How often did you call your mom? Were you alone when you called her?

 

[Gracie]

Had a friend that was mormon. She had a lot of kids. Last one I heard about, was sent to Tahiti or some such place for 2 years.

The mormons I have met on their bikes, with suits on going door to door, were always very nice and polite. But I wondered about them because they have a whole different bible and prophets and whatnot.

 

[Gracie]

Actually....and I might get in trouble for saying this...but every religion peoples I have run into that were NOT kind or nice are....christians.
Very judgemental, ready to argue their faith, use scare tactics to persuade you to be Christian or else yougo to hell and burn forever if you don't do this or that. Which is why I consider myself pagan-christian. A bit of both but with the same God/Jesus. Not goddesses.

 

[DGS49]

The "problem" with the Joseph Smith religion is that it is too recent, so that many of its beliefs can be disproven. It's not just the pie-in-the-sky stuff that is not subject to measurement, it's the actual factual claims that are - hate to say it - false. Did Christ walk on water? Nobody today can disprove it. But did Joe Smith receive golden tablets from the angel Moroni, translating them from "reformed Egyptian" to English? No.

There is no genetic or archaeological evidence to support the basic history of the Book of Mormon. No artifacts, no Native Americans with Semitic genes, none of it. In fact, given the breadth of the claims, the total lack of corroboration is proof that it is all made up. Further, Smith's beliefs that the Amerindians descended from the so-called "lost tribes of Israel" was fairly common at Smith's time.

There is no such language as "reformed Egyptian," and never was. The "witnesses" to the BoM were compromised and simply cannot be believed.

The fraud of the Book of Abraham has never been explained away, as that is not really possible. Smith took a document that he presumed NOBODY would ever be able to translate, and made up a story about a biblical figure that is now part of LDS scripture. It was later translated by a competent linguist and it had nothing to do with Abraham or any Hebrew, and was off in time by centuries.

The LDS religion is, by most accounts, a valuable cultural addition to the American mosaic, producing good citizens by the hundreds of thousands. But theologically it is balderdash. Maybe all religions are, but LDS is provable balderdash.

And if stating an obvious truth makes me a bigot, then send me to jail. Guilty as charged.

 

[onefour1]

How often did you call your mom? Were you alone when you called her?

There are mission rules that missionaries are required to live by while on a mission. All missionaries are assigned a companion missionary and they are to be with you most all the time. I personally didn't call home at all during my mission, but other missionaries would call home on special occasions. I didn't follow my companion around trying to listen in on his call though.

 

[Wyatt earp]

The "problem" with the Joseph Smith religion is that it is too recent, so that many of its beliefs can be disproven. It's not just the pie-in-the-sky stuff that is not subject to measurement, it's the actual factual claims that are - hate to say it - false. Did Christ walk on water? Nobody today can disprove it. But did Joe Smith receive golden tablets from the angel Moroni, translating them from "reformed Egyptian" to English? No.

There is no genetic or archaeological evidence to support the basic history of the Book of Mormon. No artifacts, no Native Americans with Semitic genes, none of it. In fact, given the breadth of the claims, the total lack of corroboration is proof that it is all made up. Further, Smith's beliefs that the Amerindians descended from the so-called "lost tribes of Israel" was fairly common at Smith's time.

There is no such language as "reformed Egyptian," and never was. The "witnesses" to the BoM were compromised and simply cannot be believed.

The fraud of the Book of Abraham has never been explained away, as that is not really possible. Smith took a document that he presumed NOBODY would ever be able to translate, and made up a story about a biblical figure that is now part of LDS scripture. It was later translated by a competent linguist and it had nothing to do with Abraham or any Hebrew, and was off in time by centuries.

The LDS religion is, by most accounts, a valuable cultural addition to the American mosaic, producing good citizens by the hundreds of thousands. But theologically it is balderdash. Maybe all religions are, but LDS is provable balderdash.

And if stating an obvious truth makes me a bigot, then send me to jail. Guilty as charged.

Joseph Smith was killed in illinois I still can't figure that one out..



Part of Anti-Mormon violence in the U.S. Joseph Smith, the founder and leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, and his brother, Hyrum Smith, were killed by a mob in Carthage, Illinois, United States, on June 27, 1844, while awaiting trial in the town jail. ...
Resulted in: Deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith
Location: Carthage, Illinois, U.S.
Date: June 27, 1844; 176 years ago
Wikipedia › wiki › Death_of_Josep...
Death of Joseph Smith - Wikipedia

 

[Disir]

How often did you call your mom? Were you alone when you called her?

There are mission rules that missionaries are required to live by while on a mission. All missionaries are assigned a companion missionary and they are to be with you most all the time. I personally didn't call home at all during my mission, but other missionaries would call home on special occasions. I didn't follow my companion around trying to listen in on his call though.

Spoiler: Communicating with Family

Write to your family each week on preparation day. Limit correspondence with others. Share your spiritual experiences. Never include anything confidential, sensitive, or negative about the areas where you serve.

E-Mail. You may communicate with your family and mission president by e-mail, according to approved guidelines. Use only MyLDSMail.net, the filtered service established by the Church. Do not use any other e-mail service or any other Internet service or site that has not been authorized.

Use e-mail only on preparation day. You may use computers in public places, such as libraries or appropriate businesses that offer Internet access. While using computers, always stay next to your companion so that you can see each other’s monitors. Do not use members’ computers. If you misuse e-mail or computers, you may lose the privilege of using e-mail.

As your call letter states, you are “expected to devote all your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs.” Do not become preoccupied with communicating with family and friends. Except as outlined under “Family Members and Friends” (see p. 37), you should communicate with family and friends only on preparation day.

Spoiler: Stay Together

Stay Together. Never be alone. It is extremely important that you stay with your companion at all times. Staying together means staying within sight and hearing of each other. The only times you should be separated from your assigned companion are when you are in an interview with the mission president, on a companion exchange, or in the bathroom. (For guidelines on baptismal interviews, see Preach My Gospel, p. 205.)

Never make exceptions to this standard for activities that seem innocent but take you away from each other, including being in different rooms in the same building or in a home. Situations that seem harmless at the beginning can quickly lead to serious problems.

If you live in an apartment with more than one room, always sleep in the same room as your companion, but not in the same bed. Arise and retire at the same time as your companion. Do not stay up late or get up early to be alone.

Spoiler: Family and Friends

You may telephone your parents on Christmas and one other time during the year (usually Mother’s Day), according to guidelines from your mission president. Take care that these calls do not pull your thoughts away from your service or create a financial problem for your family. Keep them short (preferably no longer than 30 or 40 minutes). Other than these calls, do not telephone family members or friends unless you have permission from your mission president.

Visits from family members, friends, and acquaintances are against Church policy. The impact of such visits may extend far beyond the visit itself, both before and after the visit and among other missionaries. It can often take some time for missionaries to refocus on their callings and their work. While expressing your love and your desire to share your experiences with them after you have been released, help those who may want to visit you to understand the importance of maintaining singleness of heart and mind on the work of the Lord (see Matthew 10:37–39; Luke 9:61–62).

Do not ask family members or friends at home to donate to local causes where you are serving.

Contact your mission president if there is an emergency in your family. Notify the mission office if your parents change their address, e-mail address, or telephone number or if your home ward or stake changes.

Missionary Conduct

Missionary Conduct

www.churchofjesuschrist.org

 

[Disir]

Joseph Smith's seer stones inspired a lot of violence.

Seer Stones of Joseph Smith – Mormon Scholar

mormonscholar.org

 

[Wyatt earp]

Joseph Smith's seer stones inspired a lot of violence.

Seer Stones of Joseph Smith – Mormon Scholar

mormonscholar.org

Holy crap on a cracker

Reading that link

 

[Disir]

Joseph Smith's seer stones inspired a lot of violence.

Seer Stones of Joseph Smith – Mormon Scholar

mormonscholar.org

Holy crap on a cracker

Reading that link

The seer stones were used to find treasure for people. Explains a whole lot right there. I hope you are feeling better.

 

[Meriweather]

Growing up, I attended Catholic School. I was 14-years-old and unaware of the Mormon church. One day in the public library I came across the Book of Mormon on one of the library tables. I leafed through it and saw it was about God. I flipped through reading passages and was disappointed. I walked away thinking, "That sounds like it was written by a 14-year-old boy.

A few years passed, was now in a public high school and a few of my friends were Mormon. Turns out their book was written by a 14-year-old boy! But both the book and they said I should pray about this. I definitely believed in prayer, so I did pray. A sense of calmness descended and the unspoken words of, "This is not for you." It was an incredible sensation. When something like this happens, I am very careful not to change or read any other meaning into it.

There was no indication that the Mormon faith was not for anyone else, I prayed and the very clear answer was it was not for ME. This does not mean that it isn't meant for anyone else either.

Years passed, continued to meet and love my friends who were Mormon. We only had on really major fight. A year after my Catholic grandmother died she had one of those after death baptisms into the Mormon faith. At the time my Catholic mother and aunt were beginning to ail, and my aunt was as interested in genealogy sites as I was. My ailing mother would have been horrified and terrified of the same thing being done to her after her death. And it probably has been done which makes me feel like vomiting. The Mormon argument was that perhaps they didn't have the chance to choose during their lives. Not so. Even during my grandmother's life she had many visits from Mormons and they were told no. Not interested.

I can forgive Mormons for their past, but forgiving them this rape of a person's faith is as close to unforgivable as I have ever seen. Shame on that church and double shame on the people who stand in as proxies. Try them and the church the same way a rapist is tried.

 

[DGS49]

Smith's minions destroyed the building and business of a local newspaper that exposed Smith's various hypocrisies and phoniness. Smith and his brother were arrested and charged with arson. While he was in the makeshift jail, the locals heard that the Mormons were going to try to break him out, and Smith died in a gunfight at the jail. He was no martyr or hero.

Among his many wives were women who were inconveniently married to other men at the time of their marriages to Smith. A bigger self-aggrandizing phony would be difficult to imagine.