Mormon believers. Why do you believe what you believe?

Question

OK. If you have read any of my questions in the last couple of days you know where I stand and I really don't mean any disrespect in this question.
I have read a lot of pros and cons as well as some of the Book Of Mormon and it's teachings.
Many of those teachings are simply unrealistic and have been proven to be false...how can you over look the lack of archiological evidence, the fact that the Mayan and Aztec ruins do not have a single shred of similarity to the ancient egyptian pyramids or language or the timeline Joseph Smith wrote in the Book Of Mormon. DNA evidence that American Indians are not decendants of Israelites/Egyptians and of course the convenience of rules changed by the church when there is political pressure and the people being told it was God who changed the rules??????? and there are many more examples.

Beta fishy, I have personally visited the Mayan ruins in Mexico, Beliz and Guadamala and I have been to Giza in Egypt and many pyramids that surround the great pyramid. Hyroglyphics in Egypt and in the Mayan ruins are not even similar nor is the type of pyramid. True they are bth pyramidical...that is a logical choice due to nature...ie...mountains, sand sculptures, etc. hebrew of the ancients and Mayan writings are nothing alike either.

DNA is an extremely reliable science and shows a direct correlation to Euro/Asians. Not to Middle Eastern descent.

OK, beta fishy. here, at your request are a few other inconsistencies. The Mayan ruins were built around 1200 ad. verified by the stars the Mayans charted as well as carbon dating. Joseph Smith said they were built sometime BC. The big war between the Lamanites and the Nephites was around 600 BC and was a fight with chariots and swords. There were no horses until the spanish brought. There were no wheels or metalurgy in the Americas either until the Spaniards arrived...I will quantify this by saying there has not been any found.....ever.
The Mormon church owns the site that the "big war" occured at and they have done no excavating on it to try and find evidence of the battle.
And of course there is the fact that the gold plates are gone. How convenient.

Can you please pray and get me the undeniable lottery numbers!!!

miss phrog....you need to re-read your book of Mormon.

After reading all the answers to this question I will say this. There is no rhyme nor reason to belief, especially a belief in a higher power. There is no explanation for your testamonies and no denying you believe your right.
Best wishes to all and as you have missionaries trying to convert the world I will always make my opinion known as well....and I will continue to do research to back up my own point of view. Who knows maybe some evidence will show up to support what Joseph Smith wrote.

Answer 1

They are pretty extreme in their beliefs. Maybe they all have addictive type A personalities...whon knows....
I have asked my Mormon friend several times to explain the thing about the indians to me and she just says "Its not for us to know everything. You should just pray and ask Heavenly Father to reveal it to you." The thinig is, i think they realize that they are wrong about alot of things (that have been proven to be false) so they just say for you (the unbeliever) to pray about it so that they dont have to give a definitive answer.

Answer 2

I, like LDS mom and many others, have prayed and sincerely asked questions to my Heavenly Father. He has answered and I cannot deny or set aside those answers. It is through faith that we receive answers. There would be no religion in my opinion if everything was based on "fact". I mean, seriously, can you PROVE to me that Jesus ever lived, that he performed miracles, that He rose the third day as a resurrected being? "Well, that's what the bible says." Ok, if I have no faith that the bible is true and I want physical evidence, how would those events ever be proven??
I have my evidence and it is my testimony. It would be no stronger than it is today if all of a sudden there was some "discovery" that "proved" the Book of Mormon was true. I already know it is true. Evidence is in the eye and heart of the beholder!
You say you have read some of the Book of Mormon...were you reading it to find fault in it or because you sincerely wanted to know if it was true?
You speak of teachings being "unrealistic and proven false".. the Book of Mormon teaches the same principles as the Bible, so you would also be calling the bible false.
And, you know, the great thing about this life is we all have our agency and are free to make our own choices. You have chosen to believe certain things and so have we.

Answer 3

I took into consideration many of your contrary 'facts' before I joined the Church.

In the end I am on a spiritual journey. The teachings of the Church reinforce what the Spirit teaches me. If I read the Bible or the BOM as science or history, I would debate it still. What the scriptures teach are the lessons for life and happiness, which are far more important. Since I received my own personal confirmation, why would I deny it?

Answer 4

I've studied, pondered and prayed and have recieved spiritural witness of the truth. I know (most) of the arguments against my faith, and (most) of the counter arguments in defense. I am satisfied with most of the answers that either I've come up with, or have heard from other LDS people. I know there are things that I don't understand and that there are people on both sides that are much smarter than I am. I've decided on most cases that if there is a conflict, I'll listen
to the LDS perspective of the critic. On other cases, I've just decided that God's ways are not man's ways. None of us will be able to understand everything in this life so why try. I'm more concerned with building my faith and understanding and living the gospel then proving it to people who aren't interested in living it.
In my mind, I understand that God is organized, and would have an organization on Earth. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers what I think is that organization.

Thank you for the serious question. (Although I have enjoyed some of your others)

Answer 5

"...fact that the Mayan and Aztec ruins do not have a single shred of similarity to the ancient egyptian pyramids..."

LOL You haven't spent much time looking at the general shape of ancient American temples, have you? ;-)

There is plenty of archeological evidence that multiple advanced cultures lived in the ancient Americas. Most scholars believe that the book of Mormon events happened in South and Central America - NOT North America. But regardless, there are too many variables involved for any DNA test of modern Native Americans to tell us much about the Book of Mormon.

You say there are many more examples, but I haven't heard one yet that has conclusively "proven false" the Book of Mormon.

Having said ALL that, my testimony doesn't stem from archeological evidence or DNA evidence or any other kind of physical evidence. It stems from the fact that I prayed to God to know whether the Book of Mormon was true and I received undeniable answers to my prayers.

Answer 6

HOW DARE YOU BE SO INSULTING! You may not mean to be disrespectful but you sure are! You obviously don't agree with the LDS Church. Fine - STOP BASHING US!

The teachings have NOT been proven false or unrealistic. There isn't lack of archaeological evidence. Why do the Aztec ruins have to look like the Egyptians. These people lived in Jerusalem before coming here, not Egypt! If you had actually read parts of the Book of Mormon, as you claim, you would know that!

BTW, where's your proof? Rules have never been changed due to "political pressure."

If you are going to make insulting statements, try to indicate that these are your opinions! And yes, I do strongly believe in the things that my church believes and teaches!

Answer 7

You could say the story of a man, walking the streets of Jerusalam, healing the sick, and raising the dead is simply too unrealistic to believe as well. He even claimed to be the begotten son of God and the messiah to the world. Believe it or not, there's not a shred of credable proof outside the accounts taken from the Bible that prooves he ever lived. Nor is there any evidence of the Book of Exodus.

So you could say that our beliefs don't come from the outside, but instead, something deep inside of us. All I can tell you is to read the Book of Mormon for yourself, live the principals outlined within with honest intention, and you will see for yourself why and how we believe.

Answer 8

If you have studied the Book of Mormon at all, you know that there is promise near the end. In the 10th Chapter of Moroni, verses 3-5, it reads:

3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

These verses are the key. Study it in depth, ask God having faith that you will receive an answer, and the Holy Ghost will witness to you that it is true. I can't really explain how I know what I know in any other way, but I do know that it's true. You need to be honest enough with yourself to to look past all the intellectual arguments and research things sincerely.

Answer 9

the Book of Mormon does not claim to be a record of all the inhabitants of the American continent or deal with the ancestors of all the American Indians. It claims to be a spiritual record of three groups that came to America.

The findings of the scientific world reveal that prior to the arrival of the Spanish, the civilization of the American continent was fantastic. The people enjoyed great architectural achievements, engineered superb agricultural irrigation systems, were masterful goldsmiths and silversmiths, and were part of a well-planned civic, political, and religious organization.

This record centers around a strongly religious governing body constantly at war with those who opposed its teachings. Academic research reveals that religion seemed to be the underlying influence among many of the early American groups. The Book of Mormon’s central figure of influence is Jesus Christ, whose visits to this continent are recorded therein. All through ancient American legend, and even today in the various tribes living upon the American continent, we learn of one of the most enduring ancient legends—the story of the bearded white God who came to their ancestors, taught them, blessed them, and promised to return. One cannot help but contemplate upon these similarities. There was an advanced culture here anciently; the Book of Mormon tells of such a society that flowered and died anciently.

Answer 10

Before I got active in the LDS faith I spent a lot of time studying the faith, even though I was baptized at 8 when I was 18 I had no idea what they believed. then I spent 5 years with Anti-Mormons they would put stuff by my door and I spent many hours studying what they said and then finding my own answers. If it wasn't for Anti-Mormons I don't think I would be as strong in the faith as I am.

Answer 11

It would seem that the Adversary is certainly hard at work to shake our faith, and make us doubt!
But, it just won't work! No matter how hard you come at us, or how many times you slur, slander and attack us, it only makes our faith stronger! Otherwise, why bother!
I don't see Satan attacking other religions with the gusto, that he shows, going after us!
So, just keep on letting the Devil use you, to try to cause our downfall! it just aint gonna work baby!
COME ON, AND MAKE OUR DAY!!!!!