Wiki Wars: In battle to define beliefs, Mormons and foes wage battle on Wikipedia

Deseret News ^ | January 30, 2011 | Michael De Groote

[greyfoxx39]

................... Nicholson learned that if people have questions about the LDS Church and its founder Joseph Smith Jr., they will often turn to Wikipedia for answers first — and trust what they read. Even if they use the search website Google.com, Wikipedia's articles are invariably one of the first listed responses to almost any query.

-SNIP

Most people don't really understand that they can change anything they want on Wikipedia. All they have to do is click on the "edit" tab on any page.

-SNIP-

Two main factions battle for control of Mormon articles on Wikipedia. On one side are Mormons who want articles to leave room for belief. They want positive facts of history to be prominent. On the other side are people who do not believe in the LDS Church. They want negative aspects of history to take precedence. Both sides think they are being neutral.

-SNIP-

A recent report from the Pew Research Center's Internet and American Life Project found that 42 percent of all American's 18 and older use Wikipedia to look for information. This means 53 percent of adults that use the Internet use Wikipedia. The survey also found that 69 percent of Internet users that have college degrees turn to Wikipedia to look up topics. It is more popular than instant messaging.

But Wikipedia wasn't the only wiki in town. The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR) had a wiki about Mormon topics at Fair/Mormon .org. Nicholson got out his frustrations by posting the text of several Mormon articles from Wikipedia and then citing every Wikipedia rule Foxe and other editors broke.

[narses]

teppe wrote:

Christ himself uttered these words during the First Vision “... and all of thier {SIC} Creeds are an abomination to me ....”

the Creeds
unscriptural ....
indefensible ....
an Abomination ...

[SZonian]

The one who made the post regarding the creeds being an abomination is who I was challenging, not you.

I cc’d you as a courtesy.

[ReverendJames]

Ok, thanks for letting me know. I didn’t realize that.

[Elsie]

bttt

[Elsie]

The meaning of peace is the absence of opposition to socialism.
-Karl Marx

The meaning of sincerity is the absence of opposition to MORMONism.
- ELSIE

[T Minus Four]

How EXACTLY is the creed a fraud?

Obviously Mormons can't get past the first line:

"I believe in one God...

[svcw]

Which first vision:

1832

personage: Smith claimed the first vision only Jesus was there

Nov. 1835

personage: Smith claimed the first vision only an angel was there

1838

personages: Smith claimed the first vision both the Father AND the Son were there

I don't know about you but if Jesus visited me I would remember every detail and my recollection would never change.

[svcw]

I have asked this question before maybe you know Grey. If as the lds state the church fell away about 200 years after Christ, why did He wait another approx 1600 years to restore it? Wouldn’t a loving God want His own to be with Him? I mean really He just blew off 1600 years of souls, waiting for Smith. And if as they state Smith was pre mortal, why didn’t he ask to be born before he was to get the ball rolling so to speak.

[Cronos]

Beliefs — I’ll respect a guy’s choice if he wishes to worships a chinese squirrel — that’s his choice. I’m more interested in the fact that Mormonism claims the historical inaccuracies of the Lamanites — and there is ZERO historical/archaeological/genetic/linguistic proof for any semitics in pre-Columbus America.

[Cronos]

errr... the Athanasian Creed dates from the 5th century, not the 13th.... The Nicene Creed dates from the 3rd century.

How exactly did anyone find either to be a "fraud"?

[ArrogantBustard]

(Islam is not just a religion, it is their entire existence)

Just out of curiosity, is Christianity "just a religion", or is it the Christian's "entire existence"?

[ejonesie22]

How exactly did anyone find either to be a "fraud"?

They pulled it out of a magic hat...

[T Minus Four]

If as the LDS state the church fell away about 200 years after Christ, why did He wait another approx 1600 years to restore it?

I've just been informed by a Mormon FReeper that the three Nephites never died and are in fact still around somewhere, so the priesthood never did leave the earth. What's up with that?

[svcw]

So were these three guys whooping it up all those years? What were they doing?

[T Minus Four]

Let’s go to PD’s links and see what’s taught :-)

back in a minute...

[T Minus Four]

Heer's a quick overview from the official LDS.org

Three of Christ’s chosen Nephite disciples referred to in the Book of Mormon.

The Lord granted to these disciples the same blessing granted to John the Beloved—that they might stay on the earth to bring souls to Christ until the Lord comes again. They were translated so that they would feel no pain and would not die (3 Ne. 28).

Christ granted the three disciples’ desire to tarry until his coming, 3 Ne. 28:1–9

They will never suffer the pains of death or sorrow, 3 Ne. 28:7–9

They shall have fulness of joy, 3 Ne. 28:10

They were temporarily caught up into heaven, 3 Ne. 28:13–17 They ministered unto the people and endured persecution, 3 Ne. 28:18–23

They ministered unto Mormon, 3 Ne. 28:24–26 (Morm. 8:10–11).

They will minister to the Gentiles, Jews, scattered tribes, and all nations, 3 Ne. 28:27–29

Satan has no power over them, 3 Ne. 28:39

[T Minus Four]

Heer's a quick overview from the official LDS.org

Three of Christ’s chosen Nephite disciples referred to in the Book of Mormon.

The Lord granted to these disciples the same blessing granted to John the Beloved—that they might stay on the earth to bring souls to Christ until the Lord comes again. They were translated so that they would feel no pain and would not die (3 Ne. 28).

Christ granted the three disciples’ desire to tarry until his coming, 3 Ne. 28:1–9

They will never suffer the pains of death or sorrow, 3 Ne. 28:7–9

They shall have fulness of joy, 3 Ne. 28:10

They were temporarily caught up into heaven, 3 Ne. 28:13–17 They ministered unto the people and endured persecution, 3 Ne. 28:18–23

They ministered unto Mormon, 3 Ne. 28:24–26 (Morm. 8:10–11).

They will minister to the Gentiles, Jews, scattered tribes, and all nations, 3 Ne. 28:27–29

Satan has no power over them, 3 Ne. 28:39

[T Minus Four]

And so down through the years and through the great apostasy, which developed until the so-called Christian era, there have been individuals on the face of the earth holding divine authority. . . . We understand that John the Revelator asked for the privilege of remaining on earth until the coming of Christ, and that was granted to him. Three Nephites asked for the same privilege and it was granted. They have been here on the face of the earth—advocates of righteousness and contending against Satan and his adversaries. (Joseph Fielding Smith [prophet] Seek Ye Earnestly 419-20; see also Lee 161-62)

[T Minus Four]

Here's one from PD's Mormonwiki:

The Three Nephites are three Nephite disciples of Jesus described in the Book of Mormon who were blessed by Jesus to "never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven."[1] As related in Third Nephi chapter 28, this change occurred when they were caught up in to heaven.[2][3] Since they will never "taste death", the Nephite prophet Mormon contemplates if they are immortal already.[4] After Mormon prays for wisdom, Jesus tells him that there would be another change made at his coming so that they may become immortal.[5]

[svcw]

So are lds saying these persons will never die? If so I guess those umpty ump versus about everyone dying like: Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

Must have been translated incorrectly.