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."
What did you saY?
(They haven't yanked PRIVATE stuff - AFAIK - yet)
Well if I say it again...
Ask him he'd like me to dip my finger into some water for him?
"How do I love thee?"
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)
What ARE the requirements?
YOUR bishop will now call on you; for you KNOW that you are not allowed to criticize those over you in the Organization®.
Never freelance and never get off script...
Yeah. We got a REALLY bright one just up the road from me in Lebanon, IN.
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=t&ie=UTF-8&rls=HPIC,HPIC:2005-18,HPIC:en&q=wiccan+stab+foot
No one made an abuse report.
Yeah you showed that to me yesterday...
LOL, priceless...
You think they could have cast a spell or something...
whiteout
Ok, not sure what that was, but ok...
Can he re-post it without the bad word(s)?
I guess.
Of course.
Hey, that explains your tag line...
Darned to heck it is, though that will leave out some excellent sermons I have heard over the years...
I see it now, though I will admit to never thinking of that as potty language. Guess that comes from growing up in the fire and brimstone South.
The moment is gone.
Hey Spiff, you misquoted one of Joseph Smith's "articles of faith". He only believed the Bible to be the word of God "AS FAR AS IT IS TRANSLATED CORRECTLY".
Besides didn't you know that Joe Smith "retranslated" the KJV Bible ? It was such an obvious fraud that even the church heirarchy of the time suppressed it.
Many an LDS prophet has proclaimed the Book of Mormon to be the "Most accurate Book on the face of the Earth", and that "Where the Bible and Book of Mormon are in seeming disagreement to follow the words of the living Prohets, who have the power to see through translation errors."
Your statement that the LDS consider the KJV Bible to be the foremost body of LDS Scripture is an outright lie.
... thou seest the foundation of a great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches; for behold, they have taken away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord have they taken away. And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men. Wherefore, thou seeth that after the book hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God. ... because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceeding great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them (Book of Mormon, I Nephi 13:26-29).
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