[Grig]

"He doesn't come right out and condemn it."

The context of the verse is that Paul is arguing against false teachers who claimed there would be no resurection. Paul points out the inconsistance of practicing baptism for the dead and denying resurection at the same time. It is very reasonable IMHO to assume that Paul would not reference baptism for the dead in this way if it too was a false practice.

"Now everybody (in the west at least and much of the rest of the world) knows about Jesus. "

Knowing ABOUT Jesus is one thing, knowing Jesus is another. Most people do not know Jesus, and billions have lived and died, and still live and die, without even knowing about Jesus. God's love and salvation is not limited to those who happen to be born in the right time/place to have access to the gospel durring their life.

"I think the Mormons rationalize it that they have the true Christian practices, as restored by Joseph Smith."

Sort of, we belive that the preisthood authority of God to perform ordinances was withdrawn due to apostacy, so we don't see the baptisms done by other churches as valid in God's eyes. We also belive that baptism is required, so it is important to extend to all mankind the opportunity to meet that requirement.

"How would Mormons react to having a Catholic mass said for them?"

I would not be offended in the least. In fact I would be touched that someoned cared enough about me to express it that way. I don't understand how someone who actually understands what we do (and disagrees with the validity of it) can feel offended by it. If there is no validity to it, then we are all wasting our own time and resources and not changing anything.

[Aliska]

Sort of, we belive that the preisthood authority of God to perform ordinances was withdrawn due to apostacy, so we don't see the baptisms done by other churches as valid in God's eyes.

The Book of Mormon didn't seem to think much of "priestcrafts", I guess their own being an exception. I doubt Joseph Smith was ever exposed to Catholic or Orthodox priests in the narrow confines of his existence.

I really wonder how it will all fall out on Judgement Day. I don't know and don't pretend to know, but the bible does say all liars will be excluded from heaven. Now if the person sincerely believes what he spreads as gospel is the truth, I don't know how it will be for them.

I once had a vision of a picture of Joseph Smith turned upsidedown surrounded by some lemons. Now make of that what you will. I was concerned about my Mormon friend who I think committed suicide because of several possible reasons. Her was a Mormon bishop and they had a bad marriage but stuck together seemingly because that was all they knew socially and religiously. After her death, the husband had a brief marriage with a new wife and my son saw them down at court one day for abuse. I don't know where my friend went in the hereafter, but I had a dream about her going up on an escalator somewhere. I don't presume to know what the dream meant and my vision with the lemons could have been a projection of my own disbelief towards the Mormon religion. So we are back to square one.

I am still a little upset about my friend because she wanted her body taken back to Salt Lake City for burial and they buried her here and then all left for Salt Lake. To this day I am sad that they didn't respect her wishes. They had several boys who were all Mormon missionaries. I guess the thing that never ceases to amaze me is how otherwise intelligent people can so stubbornly cling to whatever it is they believe in, myself included. I believe certain basics, but don't presume to know about the rest of it, and know at this point in my life that I am not going to know.