Texas LDS deal with confusion

SAN ANGELO, Texas — Shortly after the raid began on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch, a group of Mormon missionaries sat down to eat at a restaurant here. A man shouted out "compound!"

"There was this guy. He held up a knife and yelled at us," said Elder Tyler Duffy from Orem.

Some of the fallout from the raid on the YFZ Ranch is being felt by members and missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While the FLDS Church is not connected in any way to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, some Mormon faithful have said they feel they are being found guilty by association.

"There are some people here that believe anything bad about Mormons and that's what they're going to do," said Charles L. Webb, who serves as president of the Abilene, Texas, stake.

The LDS Church's presence in this part of Texas is small. The Abilene stake covers an area 25,000 square miles in size with about 3,000 members. There are only two LDS chapels in San Angelo, but a number of Baptist and other evangelical Christian churches. It's the polar opposite of Utah, where the LDS Church is the dominant faith.

In repeated statements, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have differentiated between the two faiths and expressed disappointment that some news media outlets have lumped the two together.

"Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often called Mormons, do not practice polygamy and they have not practiced polygamy for over a century," Elder Quentin L. Cook, an LDS apostle, said in a video clip the church recently posted on YouTube. The LDS Church has said there is no such thing as a "fundamentalist Mormon," although an estimated 37,000 people who practice it consider themselves as such. Fundamentalists argue that the LDS Church has strayed from its original doctrine by abandoning the practice of polygamy in 1890.

Here in the Bible belt, many LDS members have had to explain the differences in their faiths — the practice of polygamy being the chief example.

Clinton Hudson, a student at Sonora High School, is a member of a Christian student fellowship. During a lunchtime meeting, he said one student said they should pray for the children taken in the raid. Another student said they should "pray for the Mormons."

"I approached her and said, 'They're not Mormons. They're fundamentalists. They broke off from the church' and described our history and how they broke off. It really helped a lot," Hudson said Sunday. "It was a great opportunity to get them to understand there's a difference between them and us."

Duffy said he was speaking with a man interested in converting to the LDS Church. After the raid, the man gave them back a copy of the Book of Mormon, saying he did not want to hear from them again.

As they go door-to-door, the missionaries have had to alter their introductions a little to clarify the differences between the two faiths.

"We're not from the church in Eldorado, but we share this message," said Elder Nicolas Librandi, from Murray.

Some have lashed out at the missionaries, blaming polygamy and allegations of child-bride marriages on the LDS Church. But some say there is more interest in the mainstream church, and its message.

"The purposes of God won't be frustrated," said Elder Ryan Bartley, from Carmichael, Calif.

Webb said he has discouraged members from helping out in the name of the LDS Church to avoid confusion between the two faiths, but said they should offer their services as individuals. The local Baptist congregations have contracts to provide relief services in disaster situations.

San Angelo 2nd Ward Bishop Jeffrey Bushman was contacted by a chaplain helping the FLDS women when they were being housed at Fort Concho. The women had requested copies of the Book of Mormon.

"They didn't have anything or bring anything with them, I guess, and they wanted some scriptures and they asked for the Book of Mormon," Bushman said. "I didn't mind. We don't ever mind giving out (copies of the) Book of Mormon to people."

BTW, you called me foolish. Apparently you don’t accept Matt. 5:22.

Matthew 5: 22 ...whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

I guess the fellows that wrote all THESE are in BIG trouble!!!

KJV Psalms 14:1
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.

KJV Proverbs 10:18
He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.

KJV Proverbs 10:23
It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

KJV Proverbs 11:29
He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

KJV Proverbs 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

KJV Proverbs 12:16
A fool's wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame.

KJV Proverbs 13:16
Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.

KJV Proverbs 14:16
A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

KJV Proverbs 15:5
A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent.

KJV Proverbs 17:7
Excellent speech becometh not a fool: much less do lying lips a prince

KJV Proverbs 17:10
A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

KJV Proverbs 17:12
Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

KJV Proverbs 17:16
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

KJV Proverbs 17:21
He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

KJV Proverbs 17:24-25
24. Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.
25. A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

KJV Proverbs 17:28
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

KJV Proverbs 18:2
A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

KJV Proverbs 18:6-7
6. A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.
7. A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

KJV Proverbs 19:1
Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.

KJV Proverbs 19:10
Delight is not seemly for a fool; much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

KJV Proverbs 20:3
It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling.

KJV Proverbs 23:9
Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

KJV Proverbs 24:7
Wisdom is too high for a fool: he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

KJV Proverbs 26:1-12
1. As snow in summer, and as rain in harvest, so honour is not seemly for a fool.
2. As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come.
3. A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.
4. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
5. Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
6. He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage.
7. The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
8. As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honour to a fool .
9. As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
10. The great God that formed all things both rewardeth the fool, and rewardeth transgressors.
11. As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.
12. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

KJV Proverbs 27:3
A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.

KJV Proverbs 27:22
Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

KJV Proverbs 28:26
He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

KJV Proverbs 29:11
A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards.

KJV Proverbs 29:20
Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

It look's like St. Paul didn't get the memo either!!

KJV Galatians 3:1
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

"It's better to know nothing than to know what ain't so."
--Josh Billings

I've been down all these roads, nothing there.

And here we have #11; again...

Standard LDS responses to data put to them:

Shorthand	Reference:

1. How you interpret it is wrong...	(Need a source)
2. You are too ignorant to really understand it because you are not a member....	(Need a source)
3. You're not qualified to judge because you're no LONGER a member...	(Need a source)
4. You are just a bigot for bringing the whole ugly truth to light ...	(Need a source)
5. So’s yer Mama!	(Need a source)
6. Laugh it all off and post some silly image.	(Need a source)
7. Jump down the rabbit hole; Alice!	http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1982682/posts?page=683#683
8. Bait & Switch	(Need a source)
9. The OTHER 'half' of the truth is what we are avoiding.	(Need a source)
10. "I Know It When I See It"	(Need a source)
11. Hand waving...	(Need a source)
12. YOU play defense for a while.	http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1982682/posts?page=944#944
13. HEE Hee hee... let's get the Calvinists and the Armenians fighting!	http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1994515/posts?page=15#15
14. GREAT FUN! Let's get the Catholics and the Protestants fighting!	(Need a source)
15. Huh? Did you say something?	(Need a source)
16. If I repeat this enough times some folks will be fooled into thinking it's true.	http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1997522/posts?page=2252#2252
17. Playing dumb.	(Need a source)
18. Refusing to answer because your ATTITUDE offends them.	(Need a source)
19. (Let's see if they'll fall for the 'Defend a freak' ploy.)	(Need a source)
20. And the MOST used... IGNORE what they posted and answer the question that SHOULD have been asked.	http://www.youtube.com:80/watch?v=UMJvqBq_Qa8

" The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success

unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly -

- it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over."

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