Double sided question regarding Mormons.. No atheist opinions plz, I know u don't beleive in God anyways?

Question

Members of the LDS faith start your answer by LDS and the rest of you out there.. Christian or not just type non-LDS..
I've been living in mormonville (Provo, UT) for about two years now and I have been amazed by these peoples.. for mormons describe how you still beleive in your faith despite of the following points.. for non-members of the LDS church, give me a reasonable explanation how such a religion could still exist after 200 years despite of these points

1)The book of Mormon (a second bible to the mormons) is based on some golden plates that ONLY joseph smith saw and surprisingly nobody else was able to find them till today!
2)Utah was granted statehood only after it agreed to stop polygamy in the ranks of the church. God told the prophet then that it's ok to stop polygamy
3)God told the prophet to impose tithing right around the great depression
4) priesthood was given to blacks right after the civil rights movement..

co-incidence.. at least i don't think so.. what do u think

Answer 1

Non-LDS. My impression is that it not only exists but thrives because at its core, LDS is a feel good religion that promises people things that they want. Mormon ideas seem outlandish and even "nuts" to us, but insiders get a kind of "high" when they convince themselves those doctrines are really true, along with a fervor to go out there and convert others. In other words, it's more of a psychological phenomenon than a religious one.

Answer 2

>1)The book of Mormon (a second bible to the mormons) is based on some golden plates that ONLY joseph smith saw and surprisingly nobody else was able to find them till today!<

Someone has found the plates? Wow. News to me!

There were eleven other witnesses who saw the plates. Officially. I'm sure there were a few more unofficially.

>2)Utah was granted statehood only after it agreed to stop polygamy in the ranks of the church. God told the prophet then that it's ok to stop polygamy<

That's not the reason the Lord excused the church from practice of plural marriage. He did it because of the persecution of the church by the US government (who had conveniently dispenced with the first amendment).

>3)God told the prophet to impose tithing right around the great depression<

"IMPOSE" tithing?

Tithing had always been a commandment. But NO one as EVER been forced to pay tithing. The most that ever happens is that one is denied a temple recommend. But, yes, at that time, there was a push to get people to pay their tithing.

>4) priesthood was given to blacks right after the civil rights movement..<

The Civil Rights movement was in the '60's. The priesthood revelation wasn't until 1978. If it was so tied to the CRM, then it should have come in, say, 1969.

I think you are trying to justify not believing. If you don't believe, then don't believe. Why nit pick on reasons why?

Answer 3

1. You don't know LDS history that much because the Golden plates had 11 other witnesses to them. 3 saw them as the Angel Moroni presented it to them to hold & testify to it.
8 held them in their own hands and testified to them.

2. Utah was granted statehood after Polygamy was abolished, sort of. We had to obey the law of the land and Wilford Woodruff asked the Lord about it.

3. Tithing was instituted after the Law of Consecration was abolished. The Law of Consecreation or United order was an economic church based financial order that the rich in the church would consecrate their offerings to the church, then the church would give land, homes and food etc to the more poorer people in the church. It didn't work because the rich wouldn't give the fat of their holdings and the poor wouldn't work for theirs. So tithing was institued around 1838 that followed the biblical standard found in Malachi of giving 10%
of their gross pay and giving it to the church. The church didn't really get cracking about tithing until 1899 when Lorenzo Snow got a revelation from the Lord that the blessing from the windows of Heaven shall come to the people of the church if they would pay their tithing.
Tithing was already institued when the great depression came around.

4. Priesthood to the blacks didn't come around because of the civil rights marches of the 60s. They were no court cases made by civil rights people to make the church give the blacks the priesthood. The priesthood was finally granted to people of african ancestry ( and I was against the ban on blacks) until the chruch was finally growing in Brazil. Brazil in its history has a lot of african ancestry in the majority of the people. The mullatos are the majority of the brazilians with maybe over 50 % of the population. The Church president Spencer Kimball had to make a decision whether to give the priesthood to the blacks around the world. The church leaders asked in prayer whether to change the doctrine and the church changed its policy. Actually the first black to have the priesthood wasn't in 1978 but Elijah Abel in 1833.
It wasn't until Brigham Young took over that Black were barred from the priesthood. The church has grown in Africa, Brazil and other black areas of the world and Gladys Knight is now LDS.

Answer 4

LDS

You just opened up a can-o-worms. I hope you are ready for all you are going to get from everybody.

1. The Book of Mormon is a book that was translated from the golden plates which were seen by a lot of different people, not just Joseph Smith.

2. Mormons denounced Polygamy 6 years before they became a state and had nothing to do with Utah becoming a state, at least not that I have read anywhere, you had better provide some proof of this before you make statements like this.

3. Tithing was introduced very early in the life of the Church in 1838.

4. http://www.blacklds.org/ get the true story, not someones twisted way of thinking.

If you live in Provo, UT then you must spend a lot of time on Anti Mormon websites to get the twisted views you put up here.

Answer 5

It is not true that only Joseph Smith saw the metallic plates on which the Book of Mormon record was engraved. In fact, at least 12 people saw the plates (perhaps more). In many cases they gave a detailed physical description of the plates.

Your remaining questions presuppose that God cannot be a pragmatist. From a Mormon perspective, these questions are pointless. The whole point of receiving modern revelation is so that eternal principles can be applied to changing social circumstances. The whole point of modern revelation is so that God can be pragmatic if He so desires.

By the way, ignore most of the answers posted by "Serving Lord Jesus." She does not understand Mormonism as well as she thinks she does; her answers are simply inaccurate.

http://www.allaboutmormons.com

Answer 6

Former LDS (and officially still am I guess) - I wonder these points myself, but I have to say I love the family values, warmth, and willingness to help others that I have found more in the LDS Church than anywhere else in my life, and I have looked. Some beliefs may seem off, but I'd be very slow to criticize these wonderful, caring people.

Answer 7

Non-LDS - The Mormon religion has continued to function for several reasons.

1. They read the Book of Mormon and other supporting books more than they do the Bible.

2. They are taught to believe their "prophets" and doctrines more than the Bible.

For example, they teach that men of the church are priests after the order of Melchizedek, yet the author of Hebrews states that Melchizedek had neither beginning of days or end of life;

Hebrews 7:3

3Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; He abides a priest continually.

No man can fit this description, as while our spirits are indeed eternal, we all had a beginning, having been created by God. So the only one who can claim the Melchizedek priesthood is Jesus Christ.

Jesus, being one with the Father, has no beginning of days, and no end of life. Granted, he had a physical father and mother when He became flesh, but He took on flesh so He could destroy sin. The fact remains however that He existed before Creation with the Father, and He will never have an end of life.

Therefore God in Psalms stated of Him;

Psalms 110:4

4 The LORD has sworn and will not relent, You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

This belief is just another example of man trying to be as God, and where man's doctrines contradict Scripture. If the Mormons truly knew Scripture, they would see this error immediately.

Answer 8

Non-LDS

Joseph Smith couldn't be trusted with earthly matters, let alone Spiritual matters.

1) The book of Mormon is in direct contradiction to the Holy Bible. Remember, the last thing that Jesus said was, "It is finished." There was nothing added to that, like..."until I get to America" or "after I talk with Joseph Smith Jr." ect. No one has found the tablets because they don't exist.

2) There are still some in the state of Utah that practice polygamy. It's wrong, it's illegal and therefore contradicts Scripture (Romans 13:1-7)

3) The Holy Bible covers tithing.

4) They still believe (but usually won't admit) that black people are cursed.

5) They also teach that good Mormon males grow up to be gods of their own planet.

6) They are taught that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are three separate Gods.

7) They have secret meetings and rituals that only higher up Mormons can attend.

Answer 9

No religion is immune from scrutiny.

People ascribe to LDS for the same reasons that anyone participates in any religion.

Answer 10

I am Christian, as opposed to mormon... and the answer to your question is found in Mark 13:22 - "for false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will show signs and wonders, in order to lead astray, if possible, the elect."


Have a blessed day.