I’m going to be civil in my reply.
[Church President Gordon B. Hinckley stated the following about polygamy in the Church’s October 1998 general conference: “I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy.” ]
That would all be fine, except Celestial marriage IS part of your church doctrine, and Celestial marriage IS polygamous (else how do you populate all those worlds with one god?
[They are not members of this Church. Most of them have never been members …]
So, you are saying that Mormons are Christians because they believe in Christ but FLDS are not Mormon even though they believe in Joseph Smith and follow more Mormon doctrine than Mormons follow Christian doctrine? My head hurts.
[If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church.”]
And we aplaud your church for it. But that isn’t the only problem going on, it’s also the heavy handed brainwashing and shunning that are used by the FLDS to control their victims, which also exists in various forms in the LDS and are a vestige of Brigham Young’s polygamy and blood atonement practices. In fact, you yourself are a heavy handed enforcer, using the same tactics a Warren Jeffs uses to deride opponents and call them “evil”.
[• Some news reports, especially those outside the U.S., still fail to draw clear distinctions between Mormons and polygamous sects whenever stories arise about polygamy in the Intermountain West.]
Well, considering you still worship Joseph Smith who started the whole polygamy thingy (”God will strike me dead if you don’t marry me”), I think the confusion is understandable.
[• The term “Mormon” is correctly used to apply ONLY to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Mormon” should never be used to describe polygamous sects.]
Now that is mighty delightsome of you guys. Yet, if any of us question your being a distant sect of Christianity not deserving of the name, the same rules no longer seem to apply and the Bigot word is used. My how convenient Quemosabe.
[• Latter-day Saints are offended when elementary mistakes are made in the news media or when printed or posted photographs fail to make the distinction between the Church and polygamous groups.]
Christians are offended when you fail to make distinctions between your plural gods and Christianity. I think you will survive.
[• Elder [M. Russell] Ballard [of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] stated: “You would think that after over 100 years, media organizations would understand the difference. You can’t blame the public for being confused when some of those reporting on these stories keep getting them wrong.”]
Like I believe anything from a self-proclaimed Apostle.
[• There could not be two groups of people more different. ]
Oh yeah? How about the difference between Mormons and Satanists, could that be more different? I think so. Consequently that is a deceptive premise.
[Mormons do not look like members of the polygamous group in Texas — they do not dress like them, worship like them, or believe the same things.]
Oh come now, they are conguent is soooo many ways.
Awww! Come on, man. This is the 21st century. We can have it as many different ways as we want it.
Yeah, My head hurts too when ever I try to figure out all the worldliness we are exposed to.
In response to your typically deceptive posting:
From the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:
• The Church reiterated on 6 April that it has no affiliation whatever with the Texas-based sect that has been subject to investigation by state law enforcement officers and child protective services in recent days, and whose leader, Warren Jeffs, was jailed in 2006.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued polygamy officially in 1890. Some people left the Church to continue the practice of polygamy, or were excommunicated because they refused to give up the practice. Some of their descendants are found in polygamous communities today in various parts of the United States and Canada, but especially in the West. They are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• [The late] Church President Gordon B. Hinckley stated the following about polygamy in the Church’s October 1998 general conference: “I wish to state categorically that this Church has nothing whatever to do with those practicing polygamy. They are not members of this Church. Most of them have never been members … If any of our members are found to be practicing plural marriage, they are excommunicated, the most serious penalty the Church can impose. Not only are those so involved in direct violation of the civil law, they are in violation of the law of this Church.”
• Some news reports, especially those outside the U.S., still fail to draw clear distinctions between Mormons and polygamous sects whenever stories arise about polygamy in the Intermountain West.
• The term “Mormon” is correctly used to apply ONLY to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “Mormon” should never be used to describe polygamous sects.
• Latter-day Saints are offended when elementary mistakes are made in the news media or when printed or posted photographs fail to make the distinction between the Church and polygamous groups.
• Elder [M. Russell] Ballard [of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] stated: “You would think that after over 100 years, media organizations would understand the difference. You can’t blame the public for being confused when some of those reporting on these stories keep getting them wrong.”
• There could not be two groups of people more different. Mormons do not look like members of the polygamous group in Texas — they do not dress like them, worship like them, or believe the same things.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a global faith with 13 million members worldwide. We teach the gospel in 90 languages. There are members of our faith in every country. We are the 4th largest denomination in the U.S. We have donated over $1 billion in humanitarian aid worldwide. We operate Brigham Young University. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints could not be more different than these small, secretive, polygamous societies.
(LOL)
That would all be fine, except Celestial marriage IS part of your church doctrine, and Celestial marriage IS polygamous (else how do you populate all those worlds with one god?
I think, FC, you've hit on one of the most least discussed aspects of 19th century Mormonism that people least understand.
It's the fact that a key reason LDS were told to practice polygamy--that it was after the order (as in pattern) of how marriage was practiced in the Celestial Kingdom. Now that just doesn't mean how folks who died practiced it, but rather that the Mormon god himself was an alleged polygamist.
Therefore, how could mormon folk expect to...
(a)...be created exactly in the mormon god's image???
(b)...become a god associate in the council of gods???
(c)...& live in the celestial kingdom???
...if they didn't have wives like the Mormon god did???
So, you are saying that Mormons are Christians because they believe in Christ but FLDS are not Mormon even though they believe in Joseph Smith and follow more Mormon doctrine than Mormons follow Christian doctrine? My head hurts.
Now do you see, FC, why despite the fact that lds tend to be highly educated folks, head knowledge is always greatly subverted to feelings & burning bosoms? (Too many headaches & headspinnings over their pretzellogic).