How many people have actually studied The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints?

Question

I am not asking who has read other books that voice their opinion on the church. I do not mean who's church talked about mormons in sunday school or a sermon.
I am asking who has honestly researched the church, read the Book of Mormon, and prayed to honestly find out if the church was true and the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

If so, what happened?

I guess some of you did not read the question, or really enjoy attacking people.
I am asking who has researched it for real. I am not asking if you have an opinion on the doctrine, or if you think you know some bad stuff about Joseph Smith (by the way, if you research Joseph Smith for real, you will find that most anti websites are incorrect - Try reading Rough Stone Rolling - Lyman Bushman, it's an unbiased biography, great reading)

Ok, additional info on me. I have studied the Bible for many, many years. I love the Bible more than any other set of scriptures on the earth.
Of course the Bible warns against false prophets, but it also prophecies that new prophets will come and will preach the gospel. It says you will know them by their fruits. Between this prophecy and the one that you bring up Red Dog, this means we have to be on the lookout and test the prophets that emerge. That's why it is important that those seeking the truth read the Book of Mormon with full intent to know if it is of God or not. That is what I am asking, who has truly done this? Our God is omnipotent. It is narrow minded to think that all the words of our God have been recorded in such a small book as the Bible. Don't limit God in that manner. He can speak to whomever He wishes. It is our responsibility to seek out all of God's words, to gain as much knowledge as possible about Him and His teachings.

Mr Peeper you are off on your claims. Not only do you have skewed facts. You are even wrong about things that are FACTS, not opinions or speculations. (The most obvious example would be the death place of Joseph Smith - wrong state) As to your other misinformation, please read Rough Stone Rolling - Lyman Bushman

The way you speak of Joseph Smith's history is like me saying "My brother killed a man" and leaving out "because the man broke in his house and was holding a knife to his wife's throat". See how the first piece of information can give you a skewed outlook on my brother until you understand the rest of the situation?

I wish you would have answered my question instead of trying to tell me what I believe (or trying to).

What convinced you Buzz?

Thanks Alvin, I didn't mean to word the question funny. I just know so many people that go off of what they heard at church or from friends rather than making their own judgement through their own research.

Answer 1

One thing that is probably snagging a lot of people is the phrase "honestly researched the church". How much effort should an individual do that best describes "honestly researched the church"? Taken to an extreme, we could be looking at decades! Ouch!! And LDS missionaries only have at the most 25 months to serve.

So in my opinion, I would say that for every LDS person who served a full time mission, that particular pairing of an individual and mission time would on average probably get four individuals. I say that because of the steep qualifications of this question:

1. Honestly researched the church (a big hurdle in itself, due to mass quatities of conflicting words from all sides)

2. Read the Book of Mormon. How much of it needs to be read?

3. Prayed to honestly find out if:
A. The church was true
B. The Book of Mormon is the word of God

There are probably some converts who may have read only the bare minimums from just the Book of Mormon and not done any outside independent research of the Church. There are also probably quite a few people who seemed interested in learning more about the church, but refuse to pray about it. And of course there are others who try to read everything positive and negative about the church because they wish to be sincere in their thoroughness, but neglect to read from the Book of Mormon and neglect to pray. Then of course there are the whole families that get converted to the Gospel because the father of the family says that is the wise thing for the whole family. So the kids sort of get taught and the missionaries hope that the kids would learn more effectively from primary and young men's and young women's during Sunday and Mutual Night and early morning Seminary (not "Cemetary" for you cultural Mormons...).

What's interesting is your second question that asks what happened. So now, does your first question supposed to really mean "Did you or know of anyone who actually studied The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints?"

What I can say of myself with that rephrased question is that I had some generic religious background knowledge that relates directly to the Dark Ages well before meeting the missionaries. When they told me of the Restoration, it was as if a dark cloud was lifted from me. I now had real hope for the first time for the human race. We had now come back to a position where we now could have living prophets and apostles walking among us, not dead ones that we vainly wish that could speak to us, to give us the counsel and direction we need. This was real knowledge that filled me with joy.

Before the missionary lessons, I only had the knowledge that "Modern History starts at the point of time where Jesus Christ and his Apostles died". That sounded so negative that it actually ate away at me for a while, and that pain did not stop until the missionaries taught me about Joseph Smith and the Restored Gospel.

So, if I were to look at the parts of my conversion to the LDS church, some of its seeds came from an almost "joyful" presentation of the death of Jesus Christ and his apostles. Such a presentation made me feel bad as teachers attempted to teach that to me in a history class. And the only way to heal such eroding is to introduce the idea of the Restoration and let that truth start a healing process.

Hopefully this answers two interpretations of your question/s.

Thanks,
Alvin R.

Answer 2

I have studied it alot. I was a missionary for the Mormon church and during that time I did alot of studying of the Bible and Book of Mormon together. I've read the History of the Church and will continue to study it and learn more until the day I die. I know the church is true with all my heart because I prayed to God to tell me, and through the Holy Spirit he did. I will never be able to deny that feeling I had when my prayer was answered about whether the Book Of Mormon was true and if Joseph Smith was a prophet, and I have never doubted it since and never will.

Answer 3

ask me! there are plenty of lds people who don't know much about the gospel, and I'm not an expert, but my husband is a convert to the church and can tell you why he switched from being catholic, and i can tell you why I have been a member all my life. I see lots of hated and judgment from in the other comments, why would someone say something like that if they are a true Christian. I don't belittle other churches just because i believe they are teaching some things wrong. I am happy when people go to any Christian church because christ is everyone's savior. I believe there is alot of confusion in other churches however, evident in their differences in interpretation to basic scriptures. The church of jesus christ of latter day saints is the restored gospel, when christ left the earth and there were no more men alive with the preisthood, the other churches had to try to sort out the truth with the advice of men (not god). there had to be a restoration of those things, to bring back Christ's church (the one he established when he was alive), and jesus and god decided joseph smith was the one that would bear the weight of establishing it. He had a 6th grade education, there was no way he could have written the book of Mormon. I love the prophet joseph smith, and all the prophets who have come before and after him. They were imperfect men, but they were good men, guided by the lord on how to lead his church. the LDS church is technically a cult but according to the definition, so are all churches and clubs. We do not do sacrifices, we do not live in camps, we are encouraged to live honest and good lives among society. We believe in eternal progression, and idea that means we can become better and better. We were spirits without real life experience before we came here, now we have learned pain, love, hate, and this experience gives us a choice to either follow God or to follow Satan. Its up to you on what you want to believe, but i would ask you to try the LDS church because I know it is true. I love the church and I know we have a real prophet on the earth that speaks to god on our behalf and can show us the way to be happy in this life. ask me anything!

Answer 4

I have studied the teachings and doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for the last 30 years. I know what the Church teaches, and I know what the members believe. I am not brainwashed, as many may think. I have also read a lot of anti-Mormon literature, and various websites that claim to be non-biased. I can truthfully say that you will not learn anything true about the Church if you read anything put out by anyone except the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I first heard about the Church over 30 years ago from a school mate. She told me what she believed, told me the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and gave me a Book of Mormon to read. Together we read the book. I liked what I read, I liked what I heard from my friend, and I liked the feelings that I had while I read the Book of Mormon. I joined the Church on May 29, 1976, and I have loved every minute of my life since then. I don't know where I would be today if I had not joined the Church. I've learned so much about life, about myself, and about my family through the Church.

Answer 5

I am a member. I guess you could say I've grown up in the church. I wen twith my grandparents until they moved when I was eight and then I started going alone.

When I was diciding to be baptized I really had to decide. No one was pushing me to it, or really away from it for that matter. my mother has always been supportive of my chioce, but I knew the rest of my life until I married I'd be going to church by myself. At the time I was baptized I was nine, none of this really occured to me. It wasn't until a few years later when I had to call up for rides. Some times I now even walk to church. I do belive. I've studied the words and i know, without a shadow of a doubt that it IS true. More than anything it is. Everytime I kneel to pray, every time I enter the church building, every time i go to the Temple, every time I take the sacrement, every time i read my patriarchal Blessing I know it's true. It's the most amazing feeling in the world. I have not been able to read all of the Book of Mormon, but I have read many verses and just those verses are enough to tell me. I've prayed and fasted VERY much. I know it's true.

Answer 6

I have for about two years within the church and outside the church before I got baptized and I also prayed and fasted because I really wasnt sure what to believe and now I know without a doubt that the church is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet.

Answer 7

The Mormons I have known have been fine, morale, honest, friendly people.

I have, however, found their doctrine to be false. The Book of Mormon contradicts the Bible, which I believe to be true.

The Mormon church does not practice and teach everything like taught in the Bible.

I respect the Mormon people. I admire the values they teach and the commitment to evangelism they practice, but I do not see their doctrine and church organization in the Bible.

Answer 8

I am one who looked at the church when I was trying to decide if I should join the church. I became convinced that the church is run by false prophets. God commanded us not to have anything to do with false prophets.

Answer 9

Studied it from bothsides now, inside and out, from up and down, Bible, Book of Mormon, etc., and that's why I've been LDS now for 28 years.

Answer 10

You said, "I am asking who has honestly researched the church, read the Book of Mormon, and prayed to honestly find out if the church was true and the Book of Mormon is the word of God."

That is exactly all you have to support your belief. I have studied. "Pray and following the peaceful feelings and join our cult".

Do you read the Bible?...not the other book ...the Book of Mormon.

I told those that knocked on my door many years ago that I needed to read the Bible first. Then I 'd get to the "other Book".

I'm glad I did that. The Bible is very clear.

1. Don't trust your feelings. The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.

2. Worship of Jesus Christ must be in spirit and TRUTH.

You must have TRUTH to worship Jesus.

Joseph Smith was a liar. Mormonism is based on lies.

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.