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So, I saw a lot of threads such as "Ask a Muslim", "Ask a Jew", etc. and thought I'd make one of my own. As far as I can tell, Mormonism is one of the most widely misunderstood religions, so I thought I'd clear a few things up. Now, I'm not like a stake president or anything, but I'll do my best to answer your questions. I can't guarantee I have an answer to all of them. I would prefer it if this thread were not to turn into a religious debate. I've tried debating religion before. As far as I can tell, if you took a recording of a theist's arguments and a recording of an atheist's arguments, stuck them together and played them, you'd get approximately the same amount of actual thinking and listening as what goes into the actual debates. That's not to say atheists aren't allowed to ask questions, of course, just that I'm asking you not to turn this into a debate. I would also request that you keep this civil and polite. I will joke about my own religion sometimes, jokes are fine as long as humor, not malice, is the intent. But I will treat your beliefs with respect and expect you to do the same for mine. Thanks.
So now...go ahead and ask.
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Here are some of the rites, rules and rituals that happen in the Temple but I know that there are more things that followers have to/are supposed to do in every day life (I'm thinking about the whole caffeinated beverage thing and the underwear...)
If you mean that rites and rituals are the difference between religions and cults, then every religion is a cult.
As far as the caffeinated beverage thing goes, we are not allowed to drink strong drinks. That is primarily alcohol and coffee, since those are the most popular drinks that are forbidden, although there are others. Not all Mormons follow those rules, or the sacred garment("holy underwear" rules. If you think that the wearing of special clothes or restriction of certain foods turns a religion into a cult, then Judaism would be a cult as well. Ever heard of kosher and kippahs? Islam would be a cult also, since they are supposed to eat only halal meat, the more devout wear Sunnah things, and the women sometimes wear things to cover their skin since it's considered immodesty otherwise.
to eat only halal meat,
Correction: it's not just the meat that's halal. I meant they are only allowed to eat halal foods, which restricts certain foods like pork, things with blood, alcohol, animals that hunt with claws, etc.
I don't want to spin you off-track but I felt I should correct you.
Halal = Permissible.
Haram foods [Non permissible] are Pork, Alcohol, Drinking blood, Cannibalism, Eating vultures, and eating roadkill [or anything close to that definition]
since they are supposed to eat only halal meat
There is no proof of this.
As I said before, Halal/Haram are just words.
There is a 'Halal' way of killing animals, involving a cutting of the neck and saying thanks to God -- but there has been so specification that all foods we consume must be killed in the halal manner.
Oh, but I do have a question.
I met a Mormon once who said Utah was holy and stuff.
Is there some kind of religious connection to Utah or was he just confused?
Oh, okay. Thanks for clearing that up about the halal and haram.
Is there some kind of religious connection to Utah or was he just confused?
Well, it's sort of both. As I understand it, Utah is not sacred or holy according to the Book of Mormon itself, but it is a special place for many Mormons regardless. It's special because it is the place where the Mormons were finally able to settle down and practice their religion in peace.
Is it a requirement for temples to have statues of Moroni? All the temples I have seen have statues of Moroni with trumpets, and some with the golden plates. And what is the symbolism behind the statues?
Does everybody have to wear the temple garments? And why do you have to wear them?
You said before that the testimony of Joseph Smith and the witnesses isn't the Book of Mormon, so could you summarize the real Book of Mormon?
Is it a requirement for temples to have statues of Moroni? All the temples I have seen have statues of Moroni with trumpets, and some with the golden plates. And what is the symbolism behind the statues?
No it is not a requirement.
look at the mesa temple
The symbolism behind it is that all the statues point East so when Christ comes again he will be coming from the east and so it will be as if they are trumpeting his arrival.
As I understand it, Utah is not sacred or holy according to the Book of Mormon itself, but it is a special place for many Mormons regardless
Correct. Utah was first established (other than Native Americans) by Mormons. We came across the US after being persecuted by older people (in the sense that they had lived there longer not were like 60 or something) and we needed someplace to stay. Brigham Young, the second president of the Church had a vision that lead him where to lead the pioneers. Most Mormons stayed in Utah and established Salt Lake City. This is where LDS HQ has been established basically.
how d o you feel about south parks episode on the Mormon religion?
Correct. Utah was first established (other than Native Americans) by Mormons. We came across the US after being persecuted by older people (in the sense that they had lived there longer not were like 60 or something) and we needed someplace to stay. Brigham Young, the second president of the Church had a vision that lead him where to lead the pioneers. Most Mormons stayed in Utah and established Salt Lake City. This is where LDS HQ has been established basically.
Yes, I'm aware of that. I'm a Mormon myself in case that wasn't clear, I just don't say "we" when referring to the Mormon pioneers, because I'm pretty sure I wasn't alive in 1847. xP
Is it a requirement for temples to have statues of Moroni? All the temples I have seen have statues of Moroni with trumpets, and some with the golden plates. And what is the symbolism behind the statues?
As CalvinKidd has said, no, it's not a requirement. The majority of temples do have statues of Moroni, but not all. There are also a few churches that have statues as well.
The angel Moroni himself is a symbol of the LDS Church, since he's such an important part of our ideology. What CalvinKidd said isn't strictly accurate, though. The majority of Moroni statues point east, but not all of them. The legend is that when Christ returns, every sacred statue of Moroni will blow his trumpet and signal it to the world.
Does everybody have to wear the temple garments? And why do you have to wear them?
Men and women both have to wear sacred garments. But you don't have to wear the sacred garments until after you've been endowed. You wear them at all times, but obviously not the same pair. You''re allowed to wash them. xP
They're a symbol of the covenants taken in the Endowment, sort of a reminder. Sometimes they're also seen as a sort of shield against the evils of the world.
You said before that the testimony of Joseph Smith and the witnesses isn't the Book of Mormon, so could you summarize the real Book of Mormon?
Ooh...that's a long story. I'll tell it to you later. >.>
how d o you feel about south parks episode on the Mormon religion?
Actually, someone already asked me that question. Here.
Firstly, they had a kid from Utah as the Mormon kid. That's not entirely inaccurate, since Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, is the headquarters of the LDS Church. However, it does foster the stereotype that all Mormons are Utahns, or that all Utahns are Mormons, which is simply not true. Utah has about a 60% Mormon demographic, according to the U.S. Census. That's far from 100%. Just a little thing I wanted to point out.
Second, and this is by far the most common misconception I have encountered: that the testimony of Joseph Smith about the angel Moroni, the Plates of Nephi/Ether/Etc., is actually the Book of Mormon. The testimony of Joseph Smith, the Eight Witnesses, the Three Witnesses, and how the Plates were translated, is not the Book of Mormon. I'll put it this way: the testimony of Joseph Smith is a lot like the publisher's note in a novel. It comes before the book to add some context, but in no way, shape, or form is it the actual book itself. And Joseph Smith did not write the Book of Mormon. He translated the plates, he did not write them.
Look at it this way...
The author of the Book of Mormon is the Lord God, and by extension His prophets. These primarily include, but are not limited, to Nephi, Moroni, and Mormon.
The publisher of the Book of Mormon is Joseph Smith. He is also, well, the founder of the fan club. xP
Family Home Evening: They've pretty much got it down pat. Family Home Evening is intended to foster a warm and loving family environment by getting people together, and disallowing television, video games, etc. for one night of the week. However, I would like to point out that not all Mormon families are as happy as the one depicted in the episode. We are, after all, normal people, and like normal people in a normal family, Mormons fight sometimes too.
Lucy Harris and Martin Harris: It made it sound like Joseph Smith was lying with that part. The loss of the translations slowed down the translations of the Plates, but he did not switch everything around like it said in the episode.
No One Ever Saw the Plates: That is just completely untrue. Joseph Smith showed the Plates to eleven people, and they swore as much, as detailed in the Testimony of the Three Witnesses and the Eight Witnesses.
Is there anything I missed?
That reminds me...What supposedly happened to the plates that were translated?
That reminds me...What supposedly happened to the plates that were translated?
They weren't Joseph Smith's to keep permanently, just to hold temporarily while he translated them. Once he translated the Plates, Joseph Smith returned them to Moroni, the guardian of the Plates.
I guess school cafeteria food is off the menu.
Lol.
According to the Mormon belief is all existence material including the spirit world?
According to the Mormon belief is all existence material including the spirit world?
The short answer is yes.
Here's the long answer. We believe that all humans are children of God, and that they lived with the Lord as spirits before being sent to Earth. Our lives(the lives of all humans, not just Mormons) did not begin at birth, nor will they end at death. After death, no matter what you believed, you will spend some time in a limbo or spirit-world type of place, where you will be instructed and prepared for the next step in the afterlife. When you are ready, you will undergo the Resurrection, at which point your body and your spirit will be forever reunited. If you are a Mormon who has been sealed, you will also be reunited with your family after the resurrection. Faithful Mormons who kept to the Commandments, accepted the word of the Lord, etc. in their life will be rewarded by getting to live in the presence of the Lord. But the actual accommodations of this life will be determined by what they did in their lives, regardless of their faith. So, for example, if you were a devout Mormon but a terrible person, you will be rewarded with the presence of the Lord for your beliefs, but at the same time you will be punished for your terrible deeds. Non-Mormons will experience a temporary Hell while undergoing instruction in the spirit world, but after the Resurrection and the reunification with their bodies, they will be judged solely by what they did in their life. So they will be rewarded or punished based on their deeds, not beliefs. However, people who were non-Mormons in their life will never get the opportunity to live in the presence of the Lord.
Does that answer your question?
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