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To: lmiller007
Hopefully we who believe in the teachings of Christ, and the values he represents, can get passed the silly sectarianism.

Joseph Smith: “My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join. I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were ALL WRONG; and the Personage who addressed me said that ALL their creeds were an ABOMINATION in his sight; that those professors were all CORRUPT; that: ‘they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.’ He again forbade me to join with any of them…I went home. …I then said to my mother, ‘I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.’”

Like this?
86 posted on 02/20/2008 8:37:16 AM PST by rickomatic
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To: rickomatic
Let's read a little more of what Joseph Smith wrote about what drove him into the woods to pray about where he should find the truth, shall we?

"Some time in the second year after our removal to Manchester, there was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion. . . . [G]reat multitudes united themselves to the dfiferen religious parties, which created no small stir and division amongst the people, some crying, 'Lo, here?' and others, 'Lo, there!' Some were contending for the Methodist faith, some for the Presbyterian, and some for the Baptist.

"For, notwithstanding the great love which he converts to these different faiths expressed at the time of their conversion, and the great zeal manifested by the respective clergy, who were active in getting up and promoting this extraordinary scene of religious feeling, in order to have everybody converted, as they were pleased to call it, let them join what sect they pleased; yet when the converts began to file off, some to one party and some to another, it was seen that the seemingly good feelings of both the priests and the converts were more pretended than real; for a scene of great confusion and bad feeling ensued -- priest contending against priest, and convert against convert; so that all their good feelings one for another, if they ever had any, were entirely lost in a strife of words and a contest about opinions."

Joseph Smith correctly recognized that the pure love of Christ didn't exist in that setting. And, to be honest, I never fully understood those paragraphs until I started reading some of the anti-Mormon stuff on FR, posted by "Christians" who saw no irony in being ugly and insulting in order to prove that they are more "Christian" than us Mormons.

88 posted on 02/20/2008 8:49:08 AM PST by lady lawyer
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To: rickomatic

Good point!


89 posted on 02/20/2008 8:53:13 AM PST by presently no screen name
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To: rickomatic; Tennessee Nana
Unless you quote the ENTIRE "vision" you will be accused of "taking that out of context." /s

Here's a link you "should have provided" so that you wouldn't be accused of lying, misrepresenting, or LEAVING ANYTHING OUT. And since I'm not into "leaving anything out," at the link provided below, there are the 10 DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS of the "first vision," so that no one can claim "the" accurate account "hasn't been posted."

Joseph Smith's Changing First Vision Accounts

As to what constitutes the "accurate" account, I guess as of today, the "official version" continues to be the 10th account of 1838.....but, who knows, a super-improved "edited" account could come out.

91 posted on 02/20/2008 8:57:36 AM PST by nicmarlo
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