Mormon question?

Question

I'm not asking this to offend any Mormons, but does Mormonism sound a little...ludicrous? I mean, Joseph Smith (allegedly) found golden tablets in a cave in upstate New York (if any of my facts are wrong, feel free to correct me, please) and read them with the help of "magic peekin' stones" (notice the quotation marks; I didn't come up with that.) Then an angel came down and took the tablets away and only the Prophet is allowed to see them now. Did I mention that Smith was an alcoholic? Just express your views and please keep in mind that I am against ALL religions. I'm not just a Mormon attacker. Catholics are next.

Sorry, Chris B.

I don't exactly remember why I thought he was an alcoholic. Sorry.

Answer 1

Some corrections and comments (in a kind vein...)

Joseph Smith didn't "find" gold tablets in a cave...he was directed to them by an angel of God. He translated them by the gift and power of God.

Nobody, as far as I know, have seen the gold plates since the thirteen or fourteen people who saw them while he was translating them...

The plates were taken away by the same angel who guided him there after several people were shown them...

Joseph Smith was not an alchoholic.

I understand that you are not a mormon-attacker but you must understand the sheer number of absolute lies which are found about the LDS Church. It never ceases to amaze me. Lie after lie. Sometimes a little bit of truth with a lot of lies and a horrible spin.

If you actually know the reality of the doctrine of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it makes absolute sense. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any more quesitons. You can also check out http://www.fairlds.org ...although it isn't an official site of the LDS Church, they are trying to clear up the corrupted ideas about the church floating around. They aren't perfect but they're a start.

Keep searching for truth with an open mind! :o)

Answer 2

Your statements are based in truth, but are not entirely accurate.

Joseph Smith was guided to the location of where the golden plates wer buried by the man who buried them himself. That is, the resurrected being named Moroni. Moroni was an inhabitant of ancient America, that lived around 400 AD. He was instructed to bury the plates in a stone box, in order to preserve them for this day. Moroni, instructed of God, revealed the location of the plates to Joseph Smith who had learned about them as an answer to prayer.
The plates were written in a langage identified by a scholar at Columbia University as "reformed Egyptian." Joseph Smith used a tranlation tool, buried with the plates, called a "Urim and Thumim." A Urim and Thumim is a device identified in the Bible for such a purpose.
Joseph used the device to tranlate the plates into a book which today, we call the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is a record of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas who recorded their faith and bleifs about God. It also has recorded in the book of Mormon, the visit to the Americas by Jesus Christ after he was resurrected.

The golden plates were observed by some 15 other people who have recorded their "witness" of having seen and felt them. The angel Moroni did take the plates away and they are no longer in the possession of any known person. The current LDS prophet does not have them, nor is he the only one who can see them as they have been taken back by the angel Moroni.

Joseph Smith was not an alcoholic and was not known to drink any alcoholic drinks. In fact, Joseph Smith received a revelation from God that such drinks were not for man. That revelation became known as the "Word of Wisdom," which instructs Mormons not to use alcoholic drinks.

In the Book of Mormon, a scriptural verse near the end of that book promises the sincere in heart to have the truth of the Book of Mormon made known to them by the power of the Holy Ghost, if they would ask God in sincerity and faith. That invitation is open to ALL men and women.

Answer 3

You protest that you arent an attack but then you dont really ask anything just make outrageous and untrue statements.

I suggest you read the Book of Mormon. The second you open the Book you will read the testimony of 12 witnesses who saw and handled the plates.

And for an alcoholic, Joseph really went against himself establishing a dietary code that forbids alcohol. really consistant for an alcoholic dont you think?

Answer 4

Actually, yes. To hear the many odd stories and accounts, which sadly many of them are flat out lies or misconceptions, I am sure it is weird.
To paraphrase something President Hinckley (our current prophet) said about Joseph's visitation from God the Father and Jesus Christ and the restoration of the gospel....It is either all a hoax which has snowballed into a 12 million member church, or it is the most glorious, miraculous and wonderful revelation ever given to men in this dispensation...
I am sure it was hard for people to hear a young 14 year-old boy saying he saw God and Jesus, they spoke with him and instructed him on organizing the restored gospel. But, we are all told to seek these things out for ourselves, not rely on someone else's word. We are encouraged to seek truth from the only source that is 100% truthful - the Lord. That's what I have done and I am sure that is what millions have done. I know the gospel is true. I know it is the restored gospel. I know Joseph saw and spoke with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I know the priesthood was restored in these latter days. I know the Book of Mormon was translated from ancient plates, that it was through the power of God that these things transpired.
All those things I know because I have asked of the Lord, I have studied and pondered these things and many others and have received countless answers to my questions.
I challenge any person to do the same.

Answer 5

I saw a pbs show on mormons the other day...they seem to focus more on family and whatnot and naturally are not taught the negative things about their religion's founders and dogmas. Personally I believe the mormon religion is as valid or invalid as every other religion I've investigated. Right now scientology seems the most far-out religion but give it a couple hundred years and people will just accept that as a way of life too. Religion is funny that way.

Answer 6

There was no offense taken. If you wold like to read Joseph Smiths story from his perspective go to the link in my sources. I have no problems answering questions if you would like to email me. I cannot guarantee that I will have the answer but I will do my best.

Answer 7

Minor inconsequential corrections:
He was directed by an angel who buried the records (engraved on 'gold plates') originally to a glacial moraine - not an Indian burial mound.
Prior to this event, Smith used a "Peep-stone" that he borrowed (and never returned) in order to find buried Spanish treasure on various farms in NY and Pennsy. Except for the alleged 'plates', he was not successful.

Smith never actually referred to these plates for translating the "reformed Egyptian" glyphs into Old English text with all the grammatical errors. He looked at his peep stone while his head was buried in his hat. I think the angel took them away because he wasn't actually using them, but the rumor of the plates certainly caused much local interest.

Smith wasn't characteristically described as a drunkard or had any particular fondness for over-drinking, but did enjoy wine. His family briefly opened a Beer and Biscuit shop in Manchester. This seems actually like a very cool idea.
Smith was renown for his ability to embellish stories to the incredulous, and always had an experience bigger, better, more exciting or frightening story than yours. We've all experience this kind of guy in High School: the likable braggart.

Anyway, the origins of the mormon church are steeped in rural folklore, magic and the occult, and from there gets even more bizarre with it's emphasis on 19th century 'new-age' philosophy.

Answer 8

They have the standard ludicrous beliefs shared by all Christians as well as there own.

Christens: Mary gets pregnant with out having sex, gives birth to a half god half man, raises the dead, heals the sic, walks on water and other various miracles.

Mormons believe all that nonsense plus what you described.

Answer 9

So what is your question? Sounds like a statement to me.

Answer 10

facts are that it was allegedly under a rock, not in a cave. I doubt he was an alcoholic at the time,but may have been later on. He also liked sex with teenage girls, and had a record for defrauding local farmers.