You won’t get an argument out of me regarding mormons being good folks. I know all that you mention and more.
I’m sorry to say, based on your current status and mormon teachings, you will not be with your wife in heaven unless she chooses to come down to your “level of heaven”. Which means she will leave the presence of “god”. It does “hurt to believe in it” in the sense that attention is given to rituals and beliefs that are not biblical.
The Bible also teaches that we will not be married in heaven. Are Jesus’ words to be dismissed because JS said otherwise? For mormons, that is the “hinge point”. One must have complete confidence and faith in JS in order to believe in what mormonism teaches/believes.
I’ve had mormons use rationalizations such as “If x then y.” or “It only makes sense, right?”. No, it doesn’t always work this way. That’s why we’re to test what we hear against the Bible. But here is where mormonism creates their “out”. AoF - “as far as it is translated correctly.”. Yet none can tell any which parts are and are not “translated correctly”. The dichotomies present within the doctrine are just too many and too much.
But for me, the entire premise of mormonism is built upon a foundation of sand. A foundation that begins with a very dubious “prophet” of extremely questionable, behavior, morals and beliefs.
The entire complex of mormonism is suspect because of him. All that aside, trying to expose mormons to facts either hidden from them or not looked for, shouldn’t be construed as “bashing”, “hate”, “antimormonjihad”, etc.
SLC sends out 52k+ missionaries a year, not counting all the ward and stake missionaries to tell their message with impunity. To tell others that Christianity was in complete apostasy for centuries and that all they hold dear is false.
Why can’t a few folks in the FR Religion forum discuss/debate/reveal what they know about mormonism without being denigrated or being accused of many vile things?
I’m recently removed from the LdS church, so many things LdS are anathema to me. When I see them, I want to correct or dispel what I see or read. At first, I was very club fisted or ham handed. Now, not so much, I hope.
I don’t want to belabour the point, or as a Catholic FReeper said to me once, give you the impression that I’m trying to “mug you” into conversion.
Blessings to you and yours,
SZ
I appreciate your not beating me up. I appreciate a civil conversation.
If my wife has to come down to get me I am probably lost :)
You are correct that if you can’t believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet then you can’t be a Mormon.
I don’t have any problem with “as far as it is translated correctly” because every church seems to have it’s unique translation or meaning of various scriptures.
I have listened to many preachers what most of them have in common is that that they have a lot of unique ideas.
I remember at my fathers funeral at our church (Methodist at the time), the minister asked if I had any particular scriptures I would like for him to use. I did, it was about Job knowing that although worms eat his eyes . . . etc. that he would see God with his own eyes. The minister said he could not use that scripture because there would be some who would think that meant that there would be a literal resurrection. I then gave him a few more (actually at least 10) that referred to a literal resurrection and he refused to use any of them. From that point on I have had little to do with ministers and little trust in what they have to say as far as translating or interpreting the scriptures. I can read. Sometimes when I read the spirit whispers to me of the truth of what I am reading and how I understand it and I will not have another person tell me how I don’t understand it after that happens.
So “as far as translated correctly” I understand, it is not an issue to me.
Thanks for not beating up on me.