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I am posting this on behalf of many LDS freepers. They will post their own 'signature' to this in the comments below. --- Some of you have noticed lately a lot of LDS (ie: Mormon) threads here on FR. I'm going to tell you why. For many years there have been several active LDS freepers here. We post to all the forums on relevant issues, and were happy to have a site where conservative values were so openly welcomed. Those conservative values include faith in God, and freedom of religion. We fully respect the rights of all posters to express...

Chapter 5Church Organization and Life "The Priesthood is an everlasting principle, and existed with God from eternity, and will to eternity, without beginning of days or end of years. The keys have to be brought from heaven whenever the Gospel is sent."- Joseph Smith1Perhaps none of the issues we have studied is of greater contemporary significance than the question of how the earliest Church was organized and how the business of worship was conducted in it. Catholics postulate that the priesthood was given to relatively few men who conducted a rich ritual tradition, and the governance of the Church as...

He wrote to me in all innocence, a reader from a Catholic country where Mormon missionaries had only recently begun to gather congregations of believers. "I asked my priest," he said, "and he told me that Mormons are a cult." Setting aside the obvious riposte ("What did you think your priest would tell you, that Mormonism was true Christianity as restored by God to living prophets?"), I think it's worth considering just what we mean by "cult" and seeing whether it applies to the Mormon Church. Cult as Bad Word Anti-Mormons use "cult" the way gay activists use "homophobe"--as an...

Chapter 1Introduction "Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. Let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He did not leave that open to us. He did not intend to."- C.S. Lewis1A Restoration Church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) is a radical religion by the standards...

The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth. He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made...

Chapter 3The Doctrine of God and the Nature of Man "Could you gaze into heaven five minutes, you would know more than you would by reading all that ever was written on the subject." - Joseph Smith1Perhaps the most fundamental questions a religion must answer are those relating to the nature of God and man's relationship to Him. Jesus said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3) In order to "know God" fully, one must also know about Him. As our Lord told the Samaritan...

Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon For this article I am going to discuss an ancient literary form known as chiasmus. Chiasms appear in Greek, Latin, English and other languages, but it was most highly developed in Hebrew. This writting style was essentially unknown in Joseph Smith's time. Chiasmus can be defined most simply as an inverted type of parallelism. This is where two thoughts might be mentioned and then they are repeated in reverse order. For MY thoughts are not YOUR thoughts, Neither are YOUR ways MY ways, saith the Lord. (Isaiah 55:8) It we look at this graphically,...

“My Words . . . Never Cease” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles We invite all to inquire into the wonder of what God has said since biblical times and is saying even now.President Monson, may I claim a moment of personal privilege? As the first of the Brethren invited to speak following your singular message to the Church this morning, may I say something on behalf of all your Brethren of the General Authorities and indeed on behalf of all the Church.Of the many privileges we have had in this historic conference, including...

Chapter 4Salvation History and Requirements "The great plan of salvation is a theme which ought to occupy our strict attention, and be regarded as one of heaven's best gifts to mankind. No consideration whatever ought to deter us from showing ourselves approved in the sight of God, according to His divine requirement. Men not unfrequently forget that they are dependent upon heaven for every blessing which they are permitted to enjoy, and that for every opportunity granted them they are to give an account."- Joseph Smith1In the previous chapter we discussed the fact that Christianity was cast in the mold...

THE GREAT APOSTASY Considered in the Light of Scriptural and Secular History by James E. Talmage D.Sc.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.E. CHAPTER 2 THE APOSTASY PREDICTED. 1. In proceeding with our present inquiry we accept as demonstrated facts the establishment of the Church of Christ under the Savior's personal administration and the rapid growth of the Church in the early period of the apostolic ministry. 2. A question of the utmost importance is: Has the Church of Christ, thus authoritatively established, maintained an organized existence upon the earth from the apostolic age to the present? Other questions are suggested by the first....

Chapter 2Apostasy and Restoration "Mormonism has no claim to be a viable religion in the present unless it has been a viable religion in the past."- Truman Madsen1The simple fact is that had there been no "apostasy," or "falling away," from Christ's original Church, there would have been no need for God to restore the Church through Joseph Smith. In this chapter we will establish the fact that there was, indeed, such an apostasy and describe its history and some of its effects.2 Finally, we will present evidence that a restoration of the gospel was also predicted in the early...

THE GREAT APOSTASY Considered in the Light of Scriptural and Secular History by James E. Talmage D.Sc.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.E. Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, Deseret Book Publishing Company, 1909 PREFACE The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims the restoration of the Gospel, and the re-establishment of the Church as of old, in this, the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. Such restoration and re-establishment, with the modern bestowal of the Holy Priesthood, would be unnecessary and indeed impossible had the Church of Christ continued among men with unbroken succession of Priesthood and power, since the "Meridian of time."...

These are the final days of the "Hillary! for President" campaign. Every week that goes by Obama is getting stronger as Hillary is getting weaker. After tonight's route, and being swept on Tuesday, the vultures will be circling her campaign. Looking at the states that are still left, how would it be possible for Hillary to pull off a victory?