Posted on 07/20/2008 9:36:13 PM PDT by Graybeard58
Mormons focus on accessible, social aspects of their religion. Although the Mormon system of doctrine is genuinely attractive to many of its members, many have argued that the primary "glue" of Mormonism is the heritage, culture, and family ties, not the doctrine and theology.
In other words, the typical allegiance to the Mormon organization primarily stems from something other than doctrinal concerns. The average Mormon sitting in a pew does not care how or why their religion works, they only care that it works for them.
They are not concerned with the real character of Joseph Smith or how the LDS scriptures coincide with biblical teachings. A common element often overlooked when Christians share their faith with Latter-day Saints is that many Mormons are not Mormon merely for doctrinal reasons. This view of not being concerned with theology is considered to be atheological. If a person does not care about their theology, they miss the importance of rooting their entire life in the true knowledge of God and a coherent, rational, theological worldview.
A person's relationship with God is built on the foundation of what one believes about God and what it means to be right with God. This is the most important determining factor in shaping the way a person lives.
An atheological person does not seriously reflect on their own foundational worldview assumptions (e.g., what is truth, who is God, does this matter?), nor do they see how doing so would be relevant to everyday life.
South Park, a fictional, satirical cartoon, depicted a Mormon named "Gary" with the following words:
"Look, maybe us Mormons do believe in crazy stories that make absolutely no sense. And maybe Joseph Smith did make it all up. But I have a great life and a great family and I have the Book of Mormon to thank for that. The truth is, I don’t care if Joseph Smith made it all up. Because what the church teaches now is loving your family, being nice and helping people. And even though people in this town might think that’s stupid, I still choose to believe in it."
Grey Echols, a Mormon, writes the following in a review of By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus:
"This is a well written book which manages to not push an 'anti-Mormon' agenda. However as an LDS I do not think others should read it. Why? Because it could destroy your faith in the church. I am not trying to be clever. If you enjoy all of the good things the church has brought into your life, do you care where it came from?
No other church has so short a history that it can be examined so closely by science. Otherwise we would find that they are all created on the backs of con-artist. I am willing to bet every religion was founded by a fraud. So who cares. Does religion bring us together? Does it bond a nation, a town, a family? If so then let it be.
The truth is fleeting, and life is short. If believing in Santa makes children smile then believing in God makes adults smile. When children find out Santa isn't real, you kill a certain spark you can never get back. When you expose a church as a fraud, you kill a little spark in all of us."
Genesis 3:1a
"Did God really say, `You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
"Look, maybe us Mormons do believe in crazy stories that make absolutely no sense. And maybe Joseph Smith did make it all up. But I have a great life and a great family and I have the Book of Mormon to thank for that. The truth is, I don’t care if Joseph Smith made it all up. Because what the church teaches now is loving your family, being nice and helping people. And even though people in this town might think that’s stupid, I still choose to believe in it."
Is this a common Mormon philosopy?
Christians would look at Scripture and say if we are wrong let the world pity us!
1Corinth 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
Either he was a true prophet of God or he wasn't, either everything he reports being told by God himself is true or none of it can be. The first thing that comes to mind is Polygamy, and given harry Reid's bill, I think we know how that stands in today's "church".
If prophet Smith was wrong about that, how can he be correct on anything else?
I stand rebuked...
LOL...
Well the past leaders are only correct when we need them to be.
Irony, it is so ironic...
thats because they only had those little spare tires to go with them.
Thats ok, I couldn't find the classroom for Mormon Geography
Was that the mastodon curelom or the monkey one...
Utah's High Anti-Depressant Usage
Is the Problem the Mormon Church or Another Factor in the State?
http://mormonism.suite101.com/article.cfm/utahs_high_antideprresant_usage
But the elevator only goes to the first floor.
You have to wear your special glasses to see the buttons...
It CAN'T be the Church - must be all of those GENTILES that are living there: 47%
--MormonDude(I'm ok - not so sure 'bout you!)
Then show me the contractions from Paul's firsthand accounts.
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Since you think that two difference visitations are the same vision, you show a lack, of knowledge of what really happened.
Was this because you followed what someone else said and did not study it yourself?
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