11 Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Mormons

Business Insider ^ | 2011

[Colofornian]

...The church's assets are thought to be worth more than $30 billion.

...The church reportedly receives more than $5 billion in tithes every year.

The church also has substantial real estate and for-profit business investments, managed by Deseret Management Corp. The company is one of the largest owners of farm and ranch land in the U.S. It owns the country's largest nut producer, AgReserves, Inc., the 14th largest radio chain, Bonneville International Corp...

Economic entrepreneurialism is...part of Mormon doctrine — 88 of...112 revelations received by... founder Joseph Smith deal with fiscal matters.

SNIP

The Twilight saga is actually about the Mormon belief in eternal marriage.

The Twilight series, by Mormon author Stephanie Meyers, is an allegory for the Mormon concept of "celestial marriage" - the belief that a couple that is "sealed" in a Mormon temple will stay bound together forever...

Edward and Bella's bond is sealed when Edward bites Bella. As with a Mormon marriage, there's no turning back for Bella, who is transformed into a vampire for eternity.

SNIP

The Mormon church thinks polygamy might be okay in the afterlife.

...(the official Mormon church)...still believes...the divine principle of plural marriage may apply in heaven. In the case of death or divorce, Mormon men can be sealed to another wife and all of their celestial marriages will be honored in eternity.

The LDS...tried to distance itself from...40,000 fundamentalist Mormons who still practice polygamy...

SNIP

Mormons wear special undergarments called a "temple garment"...designed to give "protection against temptation and evil."

Many Mormons believe the underwear provides spiritual protection.

SNIP

Mormons believe that when Jesus returns, he's coming to the U.S.

Mormons believe...all the...Christian churches fell into apostasy...

...Jesus will personally return to reign over a paradisaical Kingdom on earth. His headquarters will be at the...temple in Jackson County, Missouri...

[benhoganfan]

Great! See you there!!!

[MHGinTN]

The key to your eternal destiny can begin with the posts at #216 and #218. Will you read the entire posts?

[Godzilla]

I really think there is a fear, that if someone else found out Mormonism is a lie, then the nagging feeling comes that ‘what if it isn’t true?’ or ‘what if I have been lied to like they say?’.

Fear is a strong emotion, and to doubt is verboten in mormondom.

The LDS ‘testimony’ is only what they claim they know based upon their feelings (burning in the bosom) but God never tells us that is how we gain knowledge or what personal revelation is.

Substitute book of mormon for the bible and the 'testimony' of the missionaries. . . . .

The point being you can make anything ‘true’ using LDS standards if you apply their methods.

Probably why we see romney flip - flopping every other day.

[benhoganfan]

Listen, I was a hardcore atheist in high school. I spent years studying The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have read all of the attacks on the church. I know all of them. I would bash Mormons in high school. So yes I read those posts. Same old arguments I have known for decades.

Take care and thank you for your concern. I mean it sincerely, I hope only the best for you and your family.

[Godzilla]

Some fruity tooting a horn is going to intimidate me?

[Tennessee Nana]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

What happened to just dust off your shoes at them and go on

Ity seems the mormons can leave the so called “church”

but the so called “church” cant leave them alone

[benhoganfan]

Dude,

Let go of all the pent up hatred.

On my mission to Tokyo Japan in the 80’s there was a Buddhist sect that would engage in vein repetitious prayer and hand out flyers saying there was millions of members of this buddhist sect in the U.S. There were photos of a Super Bowl game that they claimed was a Soka Gakkai (google it) rally in here in the U.S. I would spend so much time worrying that they were lying, etc. It made me so mad! I finally learned to let it go. They wouldn’t change me and I wasn’t going to change them.

You are wasting too much of your life worrying about Mormons when you could be spending time being so much more productive in helping others around you.

Take deep breaths and let it go. You are sure you are going to Heaven, so good for you!

Ben

[Tennessee Nana]

Dear Ask Tommy

What should I do when a mormon becomes an apostate ??

My breother left the only twoo and “restored” church” andf now the family are going all over town calling him names and getting other mormons to ignore him.

I want to speak to my breother but he’s on a “Do not speak to” list on the bulletin board at the steak err stake house and I have to obey the profit err bishop err well you know who ever

Signed

I hate them apostates

Dear IHTA

You just keep on being the good unthinking mormon you are and dont sweat the apostates

Your thinking will be done for you and we will take care of any and all attacks on err troubles with the apostates.

You did not say whether or not you are obeying the profit and tithing regularly

You know we are behind in the building of the celestial shopping mall and costs are mounting up

I am sure your brother and the other hateful apostates are causing the displeasure of one of our gods to fall on our treasury errr heads at this crucial time.

I hope you are not eating meat during this warm weather. Please consider sending the usual cost of meat for your household as a special offering for the many needs of the church and tell your parents god expects the same from them.

Since your brother has left, there is now a gap in your family tithes and offerings. I know that the profit Joseph would want your family to continue to contribute his usual tithe as a memorial towards his return to the fold.

Although we, the LDS. do not usually practice memorial offerings, these are desparate times and we must hope and change with the ebb and flow of the corporate coffers.

And as usual when I speak all the thinking you will ever need to do has been done for you.

(That is why I get the big bucks)

Signed

Ask Tommy

[Tennessee Nana]

You need to stop the hatred and love your neighbor.
_____________________________________________

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Joey Smith did that

with at least eleven neighbors...

The neighbors husbands didnt like it one bit

[Tennessee Nana]

Just how did Jesus lose His Bride ???

[Tennessee Nana]

Just when did Jesus lose His Bride ???

[benhoganfan]

****Yawn****

Wow, never heard that one before.

****Yawn****

[Godzilla]

Wow, another mission to Japan - did you get the two week degree from a monastery too?

There were photos of a Super Bowl game that they claimed was a Soka Gakkai (google it) rally in here in the U.S. I would spend so much time worrying that they were lying, etc. It made me so mad! I finally learned to let it go.

Significant point here - the claim that the super bowl was a Soka Gakkai rally was demonstrably false. Same with mormonism. Oh, yes, I read that you were an atheist and attended a high brow private school, etc. Just shows what little you learned.

You bragged about being the one who kept the commandments. I demonstrated to you that it was impossible for you to do so and that you indeed failed - particularly in bearing false witness here. So what does that make you - Soka Gakkai or a super bowl fan?

You are wasting too much of your life worrying about Mormons when you could be spending time being so much more productive in helping others around you.

You apparently missed out on your poorer missionary brethern who could only afford / be worthy of a stateside assignment. Remarkable thing - they go door to door telling everyone that their church is false, apostate and of the devil. Hmmmmm 2 years out of one's life 'worrying' about us Christians. Oh, btw, I am productive in helping others around me - mormons do not have a corner on that market either.

Take deep breaths and let it go. You are sure you are going to Heaven, so good for you!

Riiigght ben, again, you bear false witness that I have 'pent up hatred'. No, it is more likely you are projecting your fears towards me in a effort to deflect the attention from the state of YOUR soul. I'm like one of those poor, underfed missionaries on a bicycle ben - except the field is here on the internet and FR in particular.

So Dude - let go of all that pent up denial

[Tennessee Nana]

So sunday school teacher is an entrance level job in the mormon religion ???

Maybe this kid is a convert

and not mpormon royalty

The convert get the dirty work of messing with the Christians

Or he could be a mormon boy scout working for one of those badges they pass out like candy

or maybe this is just a relief society task

Those girls are always looking for more busy work

It must get boring making trash bins from ice cream containers

and how many papered pencil cans does a child need ???

When do the women get to be real mormons ???

[Tennessee Nana]

Ben have you met Williard ???

[benhoganfan]

***yaawwnnn***

Let it go...

You can’t have an intellectually honest conversation...like so many liberals I grew up with in Seattle.

I paid for my education through student loans.

You have got to move on in life. You are like a Sierra Clubber crying about “big oil.”

I feel sorry for you now.

[benhoganfan]

Have no idea who “Williard” is.

[Tennessee Nana]

I am very happy in my faith and would never consider changing.
________________________________________

Moslems say that all the time

But they do get saved

Just as mormons get saved and become Christians

The way to the LORD God is through the blood of the LORD Jesus that He shed on the Cross

and not through the ideas on “faith” of the unGodly Joey Smith who rejested the LORD Jesus Christ and invented his own putrid religion

Jesus said to Ben, “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man or woman comes to the father except by Me.” John 14:6

[benhoganfan]

Jesus said to Ben, “I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man or woman comes to the father except by Me.” John 14:6

Amen to that! Absolutely the truth.

Who is “Williard?”

[Tennessee Nana]

I was a hardcore atheist in high school.

Of course you were ...you still are...nothing has changed..

I spent years studying The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

I studied the false religion of Mormonism in one afternoon and had enough common sense to leave it alone.. The glaring comparisons of the book of mormon and the history of Joey Smith to the words of the Bible and Christianity stood out for me as so blatantly false it was shocking You should have spent years studying the Christian Bible Then you may have learnt something worthwhile that you could have contributed to the thread... and you would have known the difference between the false religion of mormonism and the Truth of the LORD Jesus Christ and Christianity..