Why do people rely on second hand accounts to gather knowledge?

Question

Why do people rely on popular opinion to determine truth? I recently read the answers to a question called "What do Mormons believe?" I am a Mormon, and I was surprised to find out what I am supposed to believe as a Mormon, according to the things that people who had never set foot in an LDS church. First of all, I do not believe that women are not equal to men (as suggested in one answer to that question) nor have I ever heard anyone preach this in Church; in fact, many talks that are given in Church and by the prophet are about the equality of men and women. All you have to do is ask a current Mormon, and he/she will explain what they believe. Blogs and accounts of former members often give false accounts. People who leave the LDS church often do so based on a misunderstanding, because they rely on second hand sources like many other people. I am not judging. I am just asking you to find out for yourself.

I did not intend to imply that all people who leave the LDS church do so based on a misunderstanding of doctrine; however, it is very common among people who leave the church and then write about what Mormons believe. Even members, including myself, do not have a full knowledge of the Gospel. That is why God has given scripture to keep the doctrine pure. I suggest above all, reading the Book of Mormon and the Bible to find out what Mormons believe.

Yes, I have noticed that they do this about everything. My original question was to the fact that we rely on second hand sources for everything fom politics to religion, and I was using this as an example, because I know more about my religion, than I do the inner workings of the White House. I had to trim the question down the one that is posted to get it to all fit in.

KristyChristy Your are one of those people who I was talking about. I noticed that you quoted several second hand sources. I must apologize to you for using what you call a second hand source. My source is God. I have prayed and seen God's hand in my life. If this is the second hand source you are saying Mormons use, I must extend my apology to you; otherwise, I feel that you are mistaken about the LDS religion. Thank you for you comments though. It is always interesting to see what other people think about things.

KristyChristy You are one of those people who I was talking about. I noticed that you quoted several second hand sources. I must apologize to you for using what you call a second hand source. My source is God. I have prayed and seen God's hand in my life. If this is the second hand source you are saying Mormons use, I must extend my apology to you; otherwise, I feel that you are mistaken about the LDS religion. Thank you for you comments though. It is always interesting to see what other people think about things.

Answer 1

Usually people rely on second-hand accounts because they are (1) lazy; (2) not interested in a factual response; and (3) the erroneous popular opinion feeds their already biased position on the subject.

They did it in connection with Christ. They do it in connection with Latter Day Saints and they do it with Jehovah's Witnesses.

Those who are truly interested in a sincere response will come to you. Those who are not will eagerly listen to your retractors.

Hannah J Paul

Answer 2

I am sure that many people leave the LDS for the same reason that other people leave other churches--they either decide they don't like what they hear and see, or they actually begin studying the Bible and asking questions but they get no satisfactory answers.

At any rate, I don't see that the Mormon church is suffering much because of it. Aren't they one of the fastest-growing denominations in the world? And all because of some silly book written around 1830 by a guy who claimed to be visited by angels Just goes to show, people will believe any old thing that is written, if you just throw in the words "Jesus" and "God" somewhere in it.

Answer 3

I know! This is so ANNOYING! For instance, I saw one question that was "If Mitt Romney is elected president, will there be a second or a third lady?" I agree with you. There are way too many false second hand accounts.

People do this because they have heard too many of these accounts to want to actually learn about our church for themselves.

And to KristyChristy... That's exactly what he is talking about! Stop spreading anti-LDS information! I don't know what you are even talking about that is so made up.

Answer 4

They are like a wave of the sea, tossed with all winds of doctrine. We know what's true, because we actually took the time and faith to study, pray, and accept God's answers.

Modern day parable: Don't ask the Ford dealer about the Chevy. Look at the Chevy, study it, go to other Chevy owners.

Answer 5

Because they are basically lazy, and it's easier to repeat a statement than to formulate one on your own. I'm not a Morman, won't ever be a Morman, but I dont know any who have ever offended me or my principles. I would never judge another religion based on someone elses opinion, but I will feel free to question other religions based on their merit.

Answer 6

I agree. Mormons shouldn't rely on what they are told today, they should go to the original sources of what exactly Mormonism is all about, what their prophets and leaders have been preaching all these years. A century ago the Mormon Church was widely viewed as a morally and politically dangerous sect. Mormons should not rely on the Mormons who have rewritten history to suit their own purpose.

For example, If Smith Joseph Smith had been the virtuous leader that upheld constitutional rights as Brigham Young proclaimed to LDS Church members, Joseph Smith's death would not have been an indirect result of his infringement of the First Amendment right:
Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, pp. 40-41
LDS History of the Church Vol. 6, p. 448
History of the Church, Vol. 7, p. 103

Also, see The Secret History of the LDS church:
http://www.spiritwatch.org/mosechist.htm

In 1993 , Jan Shipps wrote an article that was published in Christian Century entitled, “Dangerous history: Laurel Ulrich and her Mormon sisters” (Also included in Shipps’ recent book Sojourner in the Promised Land: Forty Years Among the Mormons). Shipps seems to be saying that Mormon women’s history is “dangerous” because of the feminist theology that flows from it and claims that Mormon women do not have the “authority” to interpret their own history.

She states that LDS leaders have a “… concern about how Mormon women’s history is being used to call into question the church’s conservative stance on the role of women, and also how history seems to be driving the development of an LDS feminist theology centered on the Mormon concept of a Mother in Heaven, a deity (consort to God the Father) whose existence was described in an 1845 poem written by Eliza R. Snow (arguably the most notable female Mormon in the history of the movement).

For 150 years the Mormon Church taught as "official" doctrines the "Negroes" are the "accursed" descendants of Cain, and less-valiant in the War in Heaven. As punishment, they were denied the Mormon Priesthood in mortality "until" the Curse of Cain was removed from the "posterity of Cain" (i.e. black Africans).
In 1978, LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball removed the Priesthood-ban, but did NOT repudiate the Curse of Cain legacy.
Today, the LDS Church is DENYING it ever taught that Negroes were "cursed" or the descendants of Cain, nor that they were less-valiant in the War in Heaven.

In 1997, the First Presidency of the Mormon Church and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles decided to publish a manual entitled: "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young."
"'Whoever compiled the manual is extraordinarily embarrassed by the church's second president,' says Ron Priddis of Signature Books.
'It's a religious tract, not history,' scoffs historian Nancy J. Taniguchi. . . .

"Within months of assuming the church presidency in March 1995, Gordon B. Hinckley told the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to begin updating the curriculum of the adult male priesthood quorums and the Relief Society, both of which had always been separate . . . Soon, a writing committee was formed, using Discourses of Brigham Young, a 1954 compilation of Young's teachings by Apostle John A. Widtsoe, as the primary source for a new priesthood manual . . .

"Widtsoe's work, narrowly windowed from the hundreds of Young speeches contained in the multivolume Journal of Discourses, had served to spruce up and sanitize the rough-and-ready frontier prophet for modern audiences. Widtsoe eliminated many of the cantankerous, contradictory, hyperbolic rantings for which Young was known . . .

"Polygamy, which church founder Joseph Smith secretly practiced . . . and which Young publicly championed, was dropped 13 years after his death . . . and appears nowhere in the Widtsoe index or the new manual.

"Also missing from the manual are Young's theories that Adam was God the Father and that Eve was just one of God's wives, the rest having been left on other worlds. Blood atonement was another casualty.

"Worse than a glaring lack of context, though, say critics who have closely compared statements in the manual of Young's sermons, are the resulting misrepresentations of his ideas.
"'I'd say that about 10 percent of the quotes are overtly lifted out of context, with about another 10 percent that are more subtly altered. In addition, about 5 percent have been abbreviated to avoid offense regarding race, nationality, gender and so on,' Priddis said."

As noted above, the manual authorized by the church's highest leaders carefully plows around the question of polygamy.

The manual does contain a "Historical Summary" that mentions Young's first wife, Miriam Works, and tells of her death. It then states that he married Mary Ann Angell in 1834 (see page vii). On page 4, the manual notes that "six children were born into their family." Unfortunately, the fact that Young actually had 55 wives and 56 children during his lifetime is entirely omitted from the record!

http://www.xmission.com/~country/slcm/slcm94b.htm

Answer 7

People do that with EVERYTHING. Haven't you noticed?

Answer 8

Alls I can say is, here here!