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MostlyToastly

102 posts

Nomad

Posted August 25, '11 3:53pm UTC

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.

158 Replies

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crazyape

1,606 posts

Peasant

Posted September 2, '11 2:12am UTC

I hear that you allow guys to take multiple wives..... Does this also imply it is O.K. to do other things in the multiples for you guys? (Aint gonna say any specific activity....)

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MostlyToastly

102 posts

Nomad

Posted September 2, '11 3:08am UTC

do mormon's beleve in ufos

That's not really a religious question. It's more of a personal, case-by-case basis sort of thing. There's nothing about UFOs in the Book of Mormon or in any other LDS scripture.

I've wondered this for a while, since the words "Mormon" and "Moron" are so close, do you often get flak from that? I'm not trying to imply anything here, i'm just curious.

I've heard it a couple times before, but not too often, and only ever on the internet.

I hear that you allow guys to take multiple wives..... Does this also imply it is O.K. to do other things in the multiples for you guys? (Aint gonna say any specific activity....)

The practice of polygamy or plural marriage was abandoned by the LDS Church in 1896. So no, we don't, and we haven't for over 100 years.

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Kasic

5,552 posts

Jester

Posted September 2, '11 3:23am UTC

Why do you believe that Joseph Smith was even telling the truth? Or, more specifically, why do you think what he was saying was true? Just because someone says something and they believe it with all their heart doesn't mean it is so. What makes you believe that all that the LDS church teaches is true?

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MostlyToastly

102 posts

Nomad

Posted September 2, '11 3:45am UTC

Why do you believe that Joseph Smith was even telling the truth? Or, more specifically, why do you think what he was saying was true? Just because someone says something and they believe it with all their heart doesn't mean it is so.

If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me this question, I'd be rich.
I'm going to be completely candid with you, and say that like many other religious people, I inherited my religion from my parents. That is not to say that it was forced on me or that the only reason I am Mormon is because my family is Mormon. I believe in it independently. But I was not converted.
And once again, Joseph Smith was not the only one who saw the Plates. Eleven others saw them, and swore as much.

The Testimony of Three Witnesses
Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this works hall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have been shown the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon, and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the word of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.
-Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris.

The Testimony of Eight Witnesses
Be it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness of it.
-Christian Whitmer, Hiram Page, Joseph Smith, Sr., Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jr., John Whitmer, Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Smith.

What makes you believe that all that the LDS church teaches is true?

That's a broader question, and kind of difficult to answer. Is there anything in specific, other than the word of Joseph Smith, that you would like to know why I believe in it?

[quote]Why do you believe that Joseph Smith was even telling the truth? Or, more specifically, why do you think what he was saying was true? Just because someone says something and they believe it with all their heart doesn't mean it is so.[/quote]\r\nIf I had a dollar for every time someone asked me this question, I'd be rich. \r\nI'm going to be completely candid with you, and say that like many other religious people, I inherited my religion from my parents. That is not to say that it was forced on me or that the only reason I am Mormon is because my family is Mormon. I believe in it independently. But I was not converted. \r\nAnd once again, Joseph Smith was not the only one who saw the Plates. Eleven others saw them, and swore as much. \r\n\r\n[b]The Testimony of Three Witnesses[/b]\r\nBe it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this works hall come: That we, through the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, have seen the plates which contain this record, which is a record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites, their brethren, and also of the people of Jared, who came from the tower of which hath been spoken. And we also know that they have been translated by the gift and power of God, for his voice hath declared it unto us; wherefore we know of a surety that the work is true. And we also testify that we have been shown the engravings which are upon the plates; and they have been shown unto us by the power of God, and not of man. And we declare with words of soberness, that an angel of God came down from heaven, and he brought and laid before our eyes, that we beheld and saw the plates, and the engravings thereon, and we know that it is by the grace of God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we beheld and bear record that these things are true. And it is marvelous in our eyes. Nevertheless, the word of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things. And we know that if we are faithful in Christ, we shall rid our garments of the blood of all men, and be found spotless before the judgment-seat of Christ, and shall dwell with him eternally in the heavens. And the honor be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, which is one God. Amen.\r\n-Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris.\r\n\r\n[b]The Testimony of Eight Witnesses[/b]\r\nBe it known unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, unto whom this work shall come: That Joseph Smith, Jun., the translator of this work, has shown unto us the plates of which hath been spoken, which have the appearance of gold; and as many of the leaves as the said Smith has translated we did handle with our hands; and we also saw the engravings thereon, all of which has the appearance of ancient work, and of curious workmanship. And this we bear record with words of soberness, that the said Smith has shown unto us, for we have seen and hefted, and know of a surety that the said Smith has got the plates of which we have spoken. And we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness of it.\r\n-Christian Whitmer, Hiram Page, Joseph Smith, Sr., Jacob Whitmer, Peter Whitmer, Jr., John Whitmer, Hyrum Smith, Samuel H. Smith.\r\n\r\n[quote]\r\nWhat makes you believe that all that the LDS church teaches is true?[/quote]\r\nThat's a broader question, and kind of difficult to answer. Is there anything in specific, other than the word of Joseph Smith, that you would like to know why I believe in it?

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Kasic

5,552 posts

Jester

Posted September 2, '11 3:52am UTC

That's a broader question, and kind of difficult to answer. Is there anything in specific, other than the word of Joseph Smith, that you would like to know why I believe in it?

Not in particular.

I'm going to be completely candid with you, and say that like many other religious people, I inherited my religion from my parents. That is not to say that it was forced on me or that the only reason I am Mormon is because my family is Mormon. I believe in it independently. But I was not converted.

Have you ever questioned your faith, or had doubts in it? If so, what made those doubts go away?

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MostlyToastly

102 posts

Nomad

Posted September 2, '11 3:56am UTC

Have you ever questioned your faith, or had doubts in it?

My family always encouraged me to question my faith, and to really think about it critically. Part of the Mormon faith is that people will be punished and rewarded in the afterlife based on their actions, not their beliefs. As long as someone is a good person, they're free to believe whatever they wish. That's actually one of the best parts of my religion, in my opinion, as opposed to other religions that use fear of eternal torture to coerce people into joining. And while I found some parts of the Book of Mormon and Bible that I found somewhat hard to swallow, my faith has never been seriously shaken and I have never really doubted the truth of the Mormon belief.

Not in particular.

Okay.

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Bladerunner679

2,487 posts

Blacksmith

Posted September 2, '11 1:47pm UTC

the thing with this religion is that if you are a good person, a member of this church, and not breaking any laws (state, federal, religious, or othewise), then you pretty much are going to be rewarded. the better quality of life you lived, the better the reward. it can pretty much be boiled down to that in any religion, not just this one.

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Jefferysinspiration

3,139 posts

Farmer

Posted September 2, '11 2:05pm UTC

I was broswing the internet and came across This link.

I don't want you to stress yourself out with verses as a lot of information is given, but any Mormons have an opinion on any of these "top 10 bizarre Mormon beliefs"?

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MostlyToastly

102 posts

Nomad

Posted September 2, '11 2:13pm UTC

I don't want you to stress yourself out with verses as a lot of information is given, but any Mormons have an opinion on any of these "top 10 bizarre Mormon beliefs"?

I'm not sure what you mean. I've already talked about most of them(#1, #2, #5, #6, #8, and #9). They are all just part of Mormon beliefs, so most of us don't find them ridiculous or bizarre.

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Bladerunner679

2,487 posts

Blacksmith

Posted September 3, '11 1:57am UTC

I don't want you to stress yourself out with verses as a lot of information is given, but any Mormons have an opinion on any of these "top 10 bizarre Mormon beliefs"?

I looked over it too. I don't think it is wierd, seeing as to how I've been taught these things all my life. besides, this countdown only scratches the surface of our beliefs, this forum has more detail than most of the thing you find on the internet.

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MostlyToastly

102 posts

Nomad

Posted September 3, '11 2:53am UTC

I just wanted to clarify some of the things in what I've said about the afterlife.

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. Mormons live in the presence of the Lord as deities in our own right. I suppose this may be the source of the "Mormons think that they get their own planet" myth. As deities, we can create our own universes and edit our own afterlives just as the Lord did with ours. 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.

In order to be resurrected, you have to accept the truth of the LDS beliefs. You will be able to do this at any time, and you will never be condemned to any eternal hell(with some exceptions).
There are three different "layers" of heaven, which are called degrees or kingdoms of glory: the telestial, terrestrial, and celestial kingdoms.
The telestial kingdom is the lowest of the three, and is basically a spiritual prison. It includes liars, adulterers, thieves, etc. After their death, spirits will remain in the telestial kingdom for 1,000 years, then be moved into the terrestrial kingdom(if they are truly penitent for their actions). It also includes people who were not Mormons in their life, but those people will be shown the truth. As soon as they accept this truth, they will be moved to the terrestrial kingdom. There is no point where people are unacceptable or unforgivable, except for people who committed one of the two unpardonable sins(I'll explain those below).
The terrestrial kingdom is for good people who lived respectably and treated other people well, but who were not Mormons. The terrestrial kingdom is a glorious place, but residents of the terrestrial kingdom will not be granted the same honors as those of the celestial kingdom.
The celestial kingdom is for those who lived respectably and treated others well, as well as being Mormons. As I have said before, this is the highest level of glory. Residents of the celestial kingdom will have the honor of living in the presence of the Lord, and will become deities in their own right of their own worlds if they wish. However, in all other respects, it is nearly identical to the terrestrial kingdom.
There are only two sins which are unpardonable. People who have committed either of these two sins will be eternally condemned to the telestial kingdom.
The first unpardonable sin is to be shown heaven, to be shown the Lord, to be shown the truth of things so that there can be no possible doubt in one's mind. This is defined very narrowly, in case you were wondering. It definitely doesn't mean a couple of missionaries come by your house and you slam the door in their face. xP It means that you believe it is true, but you reject it anyway. This is severe blasphemy and pure disrespect, and different from others because other blasphemers do not believe that the thing they are insulting is true or that it exists, so they can't really be insulting or disrespecting it. People who commit this sin are referred to as the Sons of Perdition.
The second unpardonable sin is murder. I don't think that this requires much explanation.

I just wanted to clarify some of the things in what I've said about the afterlife. \r\n\r\n[quote]    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. Mormons live in the presence of the Lord as deities in our own right. I suppose this may be the source of the "Mormons think that they get their own planet" myth. As deities, we can create our own universes and edit our own afterlives just as the Lord did with ours. 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.[/quote]\r\nIn order to be resurrected, you have to accept the truth of the LDS beliefs. You will be able to do this at any time, and you will never be condemned to any eternal hell(with some exceptions). \r\nThere are three different "layers" of heaven, which are called degrees or kingdoms of glory: the telestial, terrestrial, and celestial kingdoms. \r\nThe telestial kingdom is the lowest of the three, and is basically a spiritual prison. It includes liars, adulterers, thieves, etc. After their death, spirits will remain in the telestial kingdom for 1,000 years, then be moved into the terrestrial kingdom(if they are truly penitent for their actions). It also includes people who were not Mormons in their life, but those people will be shown the truth. As soon as they accept this truth, they will be moved to the terrestrial kingdom. There is no point where people are unacceptable or unforgivable, except for people who committed one of the two unpardonable sins(I'll explain those below). \r\nThe terrestrial kingdom is for good people who lived respectably and treated other people well, but who were not Mormons. The terrestrial kingdom is a glorious place, but residents of the terrestrial kingdom will not be granted the same honors as those of the celestial kingdom. \r\nThe celestial kingdom is for those who lived respectably and treated others well, as well as being Mormons. As I have said before, this is the highest level of glory. Residents of the celestial kingdom will have the honor of living in the presence of the Lord, and will become deities in their own right of their own worlds if they wish. However, in all other respects, it is nearly identical to the terrestrial kingdom. \r\nThere are only two sins which are unpardonable. People who have committed either of these two sins will be eternally condemned to the telestial kingdom. \r\nThe first unpardonable sin is to be shown heaven, to be shown the Lord, to be shown the truth of things so that there can be no possible doubt in one's mind. This is defined very narrowly, in case you were wondering. It definitely doesn't mean a couple of missionaries come by your house and you slam the door in their face. xP It means that you believe it is true, but you reject it anyway. This is severe blasphemy and pure disrespect, and different from others because other blasphemers do not believe that the thing they are insulting is true or that it exists, so they can't really be insulting or disrespecting it. People who commit this sin are referred to as the Sons of Perdition. \r\nThe second unpardonable sin is murder. I don't think that this requires much explanation.

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KineticNinja

166 posts

Nomad

Posted September 3, '11 2:57am UTC

I'm pretty sure there was already a thread on AG called "ask a mormon"

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MostlyToastly

102 posts

Nomad

Posted September 3, '11 3:10am UTC

I'm pretty sure there was already a thread on AG called "ask a mormon"

Lol. This is the thread "Ask a Mormon", just with a different title. I asked a moderator to change the title for me, since, as has been pointed out, there are so many threads titled "Ask a...".

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grimml

879 posts

Nomad

Posted September 3, '11 3:20am UTC

The second unpardonable sin is murder. I don't think that this requires much explanation.

How is murder defined? Is it murder if you're a soldier and you kill somebody?

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MostlyToastly

102 posts

Nomad

Posted September 3, '11 3:39am UTC

How is murder defined? Is it murder if you're a soldier and you kill somebody?

It's technically possible for a soldier to kill another soldier, and that would qualify as murder under the LDS definition. If that other soldier was innocent and was just serving his country, then yes, I think that would qualify as murder. But I'm not certain. You might want to ask someone else, for another opinion, ask the bishop, or something like that. Basically, if you kill someone else who is innocent, then you are a murderer. If you kill someone else who is not innocent, you are not a murderer.
Doctrine and Covenants 132 The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be ****ed, saith the Lord.

[quote]How is murder defined? Is it murder if you're a soldier and you kill somebody?[/quote]\r\nIt's technically possible for a soldier to kill another soldier, and that would qualify as murder under the LDS definition. If that other soldier was innocent and was just serving his country, then yes, I think that would qualify as murder. But I'm not certain. You might want to ask someone else, for another opinion, ask the bishop, or something like that. Basically, if you kill someone else who is innocent, then you are a murderer. If you kill someone else who is not innocent, you are not a murderer.\r\n[url=http://lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/132.27?lang=eng#25]Doctrine and Covenants 132:27:[/url]  The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which shall not be forgiven in the world nor out of the world, is in that ye commit murder wherein ye shed innocent blood, and assent unto my death, after ye have received my new and everlasting covenant, saith the Lord God; and he that abideth not this law can in nowise enter into my glory, but shall be ****ed, saith the Lord.

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