Ad campaign re-branding Mormons as regular folks

Pittsburgh Post Gazette ^ | 8/22/2010 | Ann Rodgers

[Godzilla]

That’s weird. The local group encourages non-mormon kids to join their scouting if they want.

Simple recruitment tool to find converts to mormonism. Wonder how many of those boys advance in leadership positions without being mormon?

[greyfoxx39]

I really hate all the invective and mockery aimed at Mormons. It seems politically calculated.

I really hate all the 52,000 mormon missionaries going out every day to tell Christians that their faith is wrong and only through mormonism and their temple rituals can they be saved. And I really hate that the mormon church has a multi-million dollar PR campaign ongoing to try and convince the world that just because some of their members are "regular folks" that the doctrine is Christian.

As to the "politically calculated" factor, this push to whitewash and polish up Romney's religion certainly seems "politically calculated" to me.

[airborne]

I am always amazed (and somewhat disappointed) by how much people use the word “hate”.

[greyfoxx39]

I am always amazed and disappointed when someone responds to a post I made without noticing the context in which I use a word. When someone throws the word "hate" at me, the word may be used in return for emphasis.

BTW do you have a dog in this particular hunt, or are you just here to make editorial comment?

[nmh]

“Isn’t it about the purity of heart? And even if Mormons are wrong on some issues of dogma, the fact “No one comes to the Father except through me.” has them covered. No?”

If you don't believe in HIS teachings and follow HIS teachings, does it really matter how “pure” your heart is based on YOUR standards or Joseph Smith's standards?

This goes beyond, “dogma”. How do you get to the Father if you have rewritten the teachings of Christ? The Bible and the Book of Mormon - ANOTHER Testament of Jesus Christ are NOT compatible.

BTW none of us have "pure" hearts. Yes, you may be better than me in somethings and I better that you in other things, BUT does it matter when you are comparing sinners? When you compare yourself to CHRIST, then you see where you really stand as an individual. We should always compare ourselves to Christ, not other sinners, for a true picture of our heart etc..

The differences and false teachings between Mormonism and Christianity matter! Read any book by Paul. He was practically pulling out his hair with false teachers. They sounded good but they were not following the teachings of Christ. The same is true here.

Yes, Mormons are very nice people - at least the ones we know. They are typically conservative, excellent work ethic and care about our country. That is our common ground politically. Spiritually, Christians do not have anything in common with Mormonism.

These out reach questions are to help bring Mitt to the primary. We voted for Mitt in the primary. We like the guy but his health care turned out to be disastrous in Mass.. We won't be voting for him again for President.

[Deb]

If you were a Mormon for 40 years, why not have more empathy for them? Why not some generosity of spirit for the ones still "immersed" in the "cult"?

I didn't "tell" you anything. I was asking questions because I don't know, not because I "dare". Calm down.

If you're an example of someone who was "saved into Christ", you need to read up on the parts about Love. You seem sorta tense and cranky.

[colorcountry]

Isaiah 64:8 But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
Isaiah 29:16

Romans 9:20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?
21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

[Deb]

I'm asking questions because I don't know. That would be the same as "research". Right?

Just constantly campaigning against Mormons instead of promoting the word of God seems like a waste of time and only causes them to defend their beliefs.

Leave them to Heaven. At least they believe in a loving God and his Son.

[colorcountry]

You seem to be here to stir the pot. It was you who first made it personal.

I am married to a Mormon, my mother is a Mormon - my brother and inlaws are Mormon too...and yes, I certainly DO love them...enough to tell them the difference between the Jesus of Mormonism and the Jesus of Christianity...and I love them enough to stay with them even though they HATE my Christ and denigrate His word, and claim that the Bible is corrupt.

You, if you are an example of a Christian should learn that to love someone means you would give your very life to save them.

Do you always insert yourself into discussions you know so little about. I have just one word for that.....

[Servant of the Cross]

You seem sorta tense and cranky.

Now you're posting on LDS threads???!!! What is up? First you take on the entire hunter clan, and now this? It might make you tense and cranky ... or lyao.

[Deb]

I understand what you're saying, and I was just trying to look at Mormons the way God may be looking at them. I'm certainly not defending anyone. I was curious if maybe there was another approach or do you feel that because of Joseph Smith and his strange path, they are doomed? I hope not.

My conservative friends in Boston say Mitt stopped the Democrat health plan and put up a more benign, less Socialist one thru private companies. They say he did everything he could so it would have as small an impact as possible. but when the Dems took complete control and Deval Patrick was elected, the plan became totally government run. Do you agree?

[nmh]

From their own website:

A BRIEF EXPLANATION ABOUT
THE BOOK OF MORMON

The Book of Mormon is a sacred record of peoples in ancient America, and was engraved upon sheets of metal. Four kinds of metal record plates are spoken of in the book itself:

1. The Plates of Nephi, which were of two kinds: the Small Plates and the Large Plates. The former were more particularly devoted to the spiritual matters and the ministry and teachings of the prophets, while the latter were occupied mostly by a secular history of the peoples concerned (1 Nephi 9: 2-4). From the time of Mosiah, however, the large plates also included items of major spiritual importance.

2. The Plates of Mormon, which consist of an abridgment by Mormon from the Large Plates of Nephi, with many commentaries. These plates also contained a continuation of the history by Mormon and additions by his son Moroni.

3. The Plates of Ether, which present a history of the Jaredites. This record was abridged by Moroni, who inserted comments of his own and incorporated the record with the general history under the title “Book of Ether.”

4. The Plates of Brass brought by the people of Lehi from Jerusalem in 600 B.C. These contained “the five books of Moses, . . . And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, . . . down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah; And also the prophecies of the holy prophets” (1 Nephi 5: 11-13). Many quotations from these plates, citing Isaiah and other biblical and nonbiblical prophets, appear in the Book of Mormon.

The Book of Mormon comprises fifteen main parts or divisions, known, with one exception, as books, each designated by the name of its principal author. The first portion (the first six books, ending with Omni) is a translation from the Small Plates of Nephi. Between books of Omni and Mosiah is an insert called The Words of Mormon. This insert connects the record engraved on the Small Plates with Mormon’s abridgment of the Large Plates.
The longest portion, from Mosiah to Mormon, chapter 7, inclusive, is a translation of Mormon’s abridgment of the Large Plates of Nephi. The concluding portion, from Mormon, chapter 8, to the end of the volume, was engraved by Mormon’s son Moroni, who, after finishing the record of his father’s life, made an abridgment of the Jaredite record (as the Book of Ether) and later added the parts known as the Book of Moroni.

In or about the year A.D. 421, Moroni, the last of the Nephite prophet-historians, sealed the sacred record and hid it up unto the Lord, to be brought forth in the latter days, as predicted by the voice of God through his ancient prophets. In A.D. 1823, this same Moroni, then a resurrected personage, visited the Prophet Joseph Smith and subsequently delivered the engraved plates to him.
About this edition: Some minor errors in the text have been perpetuated in past editions of the Book of Mormon. This edition contains corrections that seem appropriate to bring the material into conformity with prepublication manuscripts and early editions edited by the Prophet Joseph Smith.

The Official Scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bm/explanation

Does ANY of that represent the Bible?

Or what about this?

THE
BOOK OF MORMON

ANOTHER TESTAMENT OF JESUS CHRIST

Title Page
Introduction
The Testimony of Three Witnesses
The Testimony of Eight Witnesses
Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith
A Brief Explanation about The Book of Mormon
First Nephi (1 Ne.)
Second Nephi (2 Ne.)
Jacob (Jacob)
Enos (Enos)
Jarom (Jarom)
Omni (Omni)
Words of Mormon (W of M)
Mosiah (Mosiah)
Alma (Alma)
Helaman (Hel.)
Third Nephi (3 Ne.)
Fourth Nephi (4 Ne.)
Mormon (Morm.)
Ether (Ether)
Moroni (Moro.)

This is NOT the what God gave us to know HIM and how HE would like us to imitate Christ.

When you read through this stuff, in no way shape or form does it lead you to Christ or to a personal relationship with Him. It distracts you and leads you AWAY from Him.

“For the complete record, see Joseph Smith—History, in the Pearl of Great Price, and History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, volume 1, chapters 1 through 6. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/js_h/1

BTW they don't list the whole things so let me give you an example of a troublesome belif of Mormons.

Here is one of many specific differences:

Joseph Smith - “And they (the Gods) said: Let there be light: and there was light (Book of Abraham 4:3).

Bible - There is only one God (Isaiah 43:11; 44:6,8; 45:5).

Joseph Smith - “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens!!! . . . We have imagined that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea and take away the veil, so that you may see,” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 345).

Bible - God has always been God (Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 57:15).

[Deb]

Geez, crabby, I wasn't "stirring anything". I'm "inserting" myself because I know nothing about Mormonism, not "little". I was asking questions and got a "don't you dare" from you, a Christlike, ex-Mormon.

Its not really up to you to judge my failure. Thank God.

[Deb]

Everyone’s so pissy today. I’m going to run my dogs and go shopping.

[Godzilla]

I'm asking questions because I don't know. That would be the same as "research". Right?

Not when you acccuse an individual with 40 yrs experience who is providing the info snarky and twisting the definitions.

Just constantly campaigning against Mormons instead of promoting the word of God seems like a waste of time and only causes them to defend their beliefs.

Part of promoting the Word of God is the identification of false beliefs and definitions and contrast to the Bible. One cannot be done without the other Deb. Read some of Paul's polemics against false teachings and teachers.

Leave them to Heaven. At least they believe in a loving God and his Son.

In mormon terms - two separate gods. Are you a Christian and understand the definition of the Trinity? If so, such leave them alone (wheres the youtube reference) would be nice, except that they - as non-Christians - keep wanting to define themselves as Christians - in fact THE REAL Christians Deb. Leaving them alone would result in them not hearing the truth Deb and giving them an opportunity to know the REAL Jesus, not the phoney one painted by smith.

[Servant of the Cross]

because I know nothing about Mormonism

I believe this is an earnest plea of a fellow FReeper to learn about Mormonism so I am pinging a couple of other FR experts.

[Godzilla]

Thanks Servant, I’m trying to reason with her, but seems more of a leave them alone rather than intent to learn, but will stick with it :)

[Deb]

If 40 years following a false God is supposed to allow you to strike out at anyone asking a question...YOU HAVEN'T LEARNED MUCH.

I also have no patience for victimhood. I'm sorry she was a cultist for 40 years. Let someone else answer me.

Nevermind. I'm going shopping.

[Servant of the Cross]

I think it’s a job for ejonesie.

[colorcountry]

:D