Replies

If you have Mormons living near, you will probably find them to be your best neighbors.

I have found this to be true.

They [Mormons] are spiritual, probably more than most other so-called religious people I have encountered.

So what? The Pharisees were "spiritual." The gnostics of old were "spiritual." The gnostics of new (new agers) are "spiritual." Snake charmers are "spiritual." Channelers are often "spiritual." Wicca & witches (some of whom have conversations with trees) are "spiritual."

"Spiritual" is a nice modern generic term for loosy-goosy, any eclectic beliefs "go."

They are some of the most honest, hard-working people I have ever known.

Yes and no. Hard-working. Definitely! Frankly, if you're out to eventually become a god of your own planet, like I'm sure Mitt & company are, you're gonna have to work quite a bit harder than of us mere mortals, especially if your key "verse of so-called 'Scripture'" is that "We're saved by grace AFTER ALL YOU CAN DO." (Book of Mormon)

(The question is: When can ANY person, LDS or not, ever conclude, "Yup, I've done ALL I can do spiritually, physically, emotionally, attitudinally, thought and deed, comission and omission-wise...so NOW grace gets to kick in!?")

As for the "honest" part, first of all there's a reason why the White-collar crime rate is high in Utah, and it's not ONLY because Mormons are the victims there (being such trusting vulnerable folks). It's often LDS folks in Utah who wind up defrauding others. Spiritually speaking, if you're aren't willing to face the mirror and take a good honest look at yourself, and know in your heart of hearts that you are NOT god or goddess material, and that the celestial kingdom is not a "bootstraps" ("pull yourself up to godhood by your bootstraps" is a Spencer Kimball phrase) possibility, then you forever remain in denial about the obvious.

They teach the gospel of Christ, as they understand it.

Uh...[coughing to get Mr. letter-writer Allen's attention]. Uh, suffice to say, that's the problem! As the apostle Paul warned the Galatians: "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you BY THE GRACE of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN [see, it wouldn't even have to be some evil Angel from hell!] should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned." (Galatians 1:6-8)

The name of their church is ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.’ Does that sound like a non-Christian church to you?

Yeah, well counterfeit $100 bills wouldn't go over so well if they were mostly marked as $3 bill. [BTW, many of you have seen FastCoyote's posting of images of $3 bills on these threads...actual images of Joseph Smith's Kirtland (Ohio) Safety Society Bank, which folded...so now you know where the phrase, "as phoney as a $3 bill" came from]

I asked them many questions about what they teach and why. I got answers that, in most cases, were from the New Testament.

Well, yeah. Verse after verse of KING JAMES ENGLISH was lifted directly out of the KJV Bible and placed in the Book of Mormon, including entire chapters from the books of Isaiah and the gospels. (This is otherwise known as plagiarism). Listen, 1830 Americans did NOT speak in King James English (unless they were quoting the Bible or merging it into their writings). There was no reason, even if the concepts were meant to be the same, for the BoM to have 17th century thees and thous. If the phrases were really from ancient gold plates, then the language should have reflected more of that period in history (just as the NT language is distinct often from the OT). If the BoM was more intended for a 19th century readership & beyond, then, again, no need for achaic 1611 language...unless...unless, you wanted to pull a Mark Hofmann and come up with something that looked and sounded authentic.

The rhetoric which is spread around against them is nothing more than evil propaganda founded in untruths.

OK. Here's the real "evil propaganda": Joseph Smith telling the entire world that EVERY creed of every other church is an "abomination before God." That every leader of every other church is "corrupt." (LDS First Vision, as recorded in Pearl of Great Price Mormon "Scripture," Joseph Smith - History, verses 18 & 19).

Tell me, if someone "nukes" the entire world--attempting to wipe out its authenticity, like Smith did spiritually, who made the first strike? (Answer that honestly)