Why Is the Mormon Church Secretive Of Their Primary Doctrines?

Question

The spokesman of the Mormon Church Elder M. Russell Ballard is very careful to reveal the primary doctrines of his church to the public. I believe this is because it might affect the candidacy of Mitt Romney (a Mormon) who is running for the presidential race. Visit this site and check for yourselves: http://www.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=3543487ded665110VgnVCM100000176f620aRCRD&vgnextchannel=9ae411154963d010VgnVCM1000004e94610aRCRD

Answer 1

For Justyn:

Matthew 7
6 ¶ Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and tear you apart.

For Wally

Criticism
Critics claim that the Book of Mormon cannot be true because nothing should be "added to" or "taken away from" the Holy Bible.

Source(s) of the criticism
"[Joseph] Smith apparently was either oblivious to the expressed warning about adding to or substracting from the Word of God, or willfully disobedient to it (see Rev. 22:18,19)." - "Dr." Walter Martin, Mormonism (Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethany House Publishers, 1984), 29.
Response
The verse often cited (as by Martin, above) is Rev. 22:18-19:

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Critics claim that this verse states that the Bible is complete, and no other scripture exists or will be forthcoming.

However, the critics ignore that:

The book of Revelation was written prior to some of the other biblical books, and prior the Bible being assembled into a collection of texts. Therefore, this verse can only apply to the Book of Revelation, and not the Bible as a whole (some of which was unwritten and none of which was yet assembled together into 'the Bible'). While the traditional date of the book of Revelation is A.D. 95 or 96 (primarily based on a statement by Irenaeus), most scholars now date it as early as A.D. 68 or 69. The Gospel of John is generally dated A.D. 95-100. (For more information on the dating of Revelation, see Thomas B. Slater's Biblica article).
The New Testament is made up of first the four Gospels and then second the epistles of the apostles. Since the book of Revelation is neither a gospel nor an epistle, it was placed at the end of the canon in its own category. Therefore, John cannot have intended the last few sentences of Revelation to apply to the entire Bible, since he was not writing a 'final chapter' for the New Testament and since the Bible would not be completed and canonized for some centuries later.
Other scriptures (such as Deuteronomy 4:2, Deuteronomy 12:32, and Proverbs 30:6) likewise forbid additions; were the critics' arguments to be self-consistent, they would have to then discard everything in the New Testament and much of the Old, since these verses predate "other scripture" added by God through later prophets.
Further evidence that Rev. 22:19 is not referring to the entire bible when it reads "words of the book of this prophecy" is found if one reads Rev. 1:11:
Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send [it] unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.
It is self evident that the book referred to at the very beginning of Revelation is the same book being referred to at the very end of Revelation. Everything that John saw and heard in between these two statements are the contents of that book.

The Bible forbids men to add to the Word of God; it does not forbid that God may, through a prophet, add to the Word of God. If this were not possible, then the Bible could never have come into existence.
Noted Biblical scholar Bart Ehrman wrote:

The very real danger that [New Testament] texts could be modified at will, by scribes who did not approve of their wording, is evident in other ways as well. We need always to remember that the copyists of the early Christian writings were reproducing their texts in a world in which there were not only no printing presses or publishing houses but also no such thing as copyright law. How could authors guarantee that their texts were not modified once put into circulation? The short answer is that they could not. That explains why authors would sometimes call curses down on any copyists who modified their texts without permission. We find this kind of imprecation already in one early Christian writing that made it into the New Testament, the book of Revelation, whose author, near the end of his text, utters a dire warning [quotes Revelation 22:18–19].
This is not a threat that the reader has to accept or believe everything written in this book of prophecy, as it is sometimes interpreted; rather, it is a typical threat to copyists of the book, that they are not to add to or remove any of its words. Similar imprecations can be found scattered throughout the range of early Christian writings.[1]
This threat was a real threat in John's eyes. Unfortunately, it appears that the threat went unheeded. The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi saw the same things that John the Beloved saw, but was not authorized to write them (1 Nephi 14:21-25). He made this interesting prophesy.

Wherefore, thou seest that after the book [the Bible] hath gone forth through the hands of the great and abominable church, that there are many plain and precious things taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God (1 Nephi 13:28).
Nephi is later promised that the Lord would send forth other books such as the Book of Mormon to restore those precious and plain things that were taken away.

These last records [The Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, etc], which thou hast seen among the Gentiles, shall establish the truth of the first [The Bible], which are of the twelve apostles of the Lamb, and shall make known the plain and previous things which have been taken away from them... (1 Nephi 13:40)
Conclusion
The critics misuse Revelation, misunderstand the process by which the Bible cannon was formed, and must ignore other, earlier scriptures to maintain their position. Their use of this argument is a form of begging the question whereby they presume at the outset that the Book of Mormon and other scriptures are not the Word of God, which is precisely the point under debate. In its proper context, the passage in Revelation actually supports the teachings of the Book of Mormon that many plain and precious things would be taken away from the Bible. It also shows clearly the need for another book of scripture like the Book of Mormon to restore those lost and sacred teachings. If the Book of Mormon and other modern scriptures are the work of uninspired men or the arm of flesh, then of course one ought not to trust them. If, however, they are indeed the word of the Lord to prophets, then all who desire to be saved ought to carefully heed them.

The ancient Book of Mormon prophet Nephi understood how critics would respond to the Book of Mormon. His answer for the critics is thus:

Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more! And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall. Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough! For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost. (2 Nephi 28:26-31)
Endnotes
[1] Bart D. Ehrman, Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why (HarperSanFrancisco, [2005]2007), 54–55. ISBN 0060859512. ISBN 0060738170

Answer 2

Our country is at war now and we need a true leader to guide us through the perilous times ahead. Mitt Romney is exactly the kind of person we need to run this country. Before any of us were born, we all lived together in Heaven with Heavenly Father. Some of us rebelled and started a war with those who were faithful . This event was called "The War in Heaven". Eventually the bad guys lost and became demons . the good guys won and were born with white skin here on Earth. Those who did not fight very hard or were indifferent were born on Earth with dark skin. The bravest of the brave leaders of the Lords Army were born here on Earth with White skin to good Mormon families.
During the war, Romney must have been one of the top Commanding Generals. Just look at his awe inspiring persona and strong Mormon family. Amerika needs General Romney to help us win the war on terror and bring Salvation to the world. Vote Romney in '08.

For more info , see your nearest Mormon

Answer 3

<> Purgatory has consistently been and consistently would be an component of Catholic Dogma. i think of you're complicated Purgatory with limbo. together as the assumption of limbo exchange into "time-honored", limbo exchange into never an component of Catholic Dogma. back, by way of limbo's "attractiveness", the Church ought to usually denounce limbo as an component of Catholic Dogma. <> All you have shown is confusion between limbo and Purgatory! <> Catholic Dogma has never replaced, and not will. <> The Bible canon that the Catholic Church makes use of hasn't replaced because of the fact the 2d century; 40 six OT books, 27 NT. That exchange into the Bible until Protestants got here alongside, some 1500 years LATER and bumped off seven books from the OT, between some different drops. as a result, that isn't any longer that the Catholic Church has "further" something - that is that the Protestants have DROPPED factors of the Bible. Protestants prefer to accuse Catholics of allegedly including to the Bible in an attempt to cover up the incontrovertible fact that Protestants have so for sure dropped content fabric from the Bible. slightly historic attitude is going a protracted way, you recognize.

Answer 4

Depends on who you ask. However, I dug deeper into Mormonism and this is what they believe that they wont tell you up front:

*Jesus is the brother of the devil
*Jesus visited the Americas after he was resurrected
* God had real PHYSICAL sex with Mary on earth (contradicts the "Immaculate Conception" held by christians)
* Native Americans are really Israelites (tho modern science has proven they are related to Asians)
* When you die, you will have your wife and you will have sex numerous times and inhabit your own planet and become a god (in essence, you will become equal with God)
* You will be judged by God, Jesus, and the Prophet Joseph Smith
* You have to wear certain undergarments in order to be "pure"
* Those who are 19 or older MUST serve a "mission" (Go out on your own trying to convert people. You also MUST pay your travely and living expenses out of your OWN pocket)
* No caffeine (coffee, tea, soda, etc), drugs, or tobacco
* They believe in baptism of the dead (Which would, in my opinion, contradict the "Final Judgement" by God)

If you ask a Mormon, they will tell you that they are the "one true church on the face of the earth" founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 after publishing the "Book of Mormon".

You will have to decide up front if you want to base your beliefs on faith or reason. Other Christians will dismiss the Mormon faith, as the Book of Mormon contradicts many parts of the bible. So if you want to base your beliefs on reason, then you will have a very difficult time the Mormon faith with other "mainstream christians".

If, on the other hand, you believe faith is stronger, then you probably would be a good member of the mormon church

Answer 5

Mormons are extremely forthcoming about the primary doctrines of our church. We actually have over 50,000 volunteer missionaries trying to teach people about these primary doctrines.

My site, http://www.allaboutmormons.com , also explains basic Mormon doctrines.

Answer 6

What the church doctrine is, can be found on any church site.
lds.org is one. if you have any other questions, you can contact any member on R&S, and they will be glad to tell you whatever you want to know. if they don't know, they will find out for you.
All you have to do is ask.and no they are not secret.
We are however protective of our Holy ceremonies in our Temples, as they are covenants we make with God,and are private, between us, and Him, and they are the business of no one else.
Do you let someone listen in on your prayers, when you are having a private conversation, between you and God?
Temple sacraments are the same thing. Is that so very hard to understand?
Mitt Romney's religion, has nothing to do with how he runs his office. If he were in office in MY state, I would have him hold his religious beliefs to himself, and keep it OUT of his office. Separation of church and state, is critical, to good governing.

Answer 7

I didn't find that he kept any secrets of our primary doctrines. What didn't he tell you taht you wanted to know?

edit: clarix, boy, do YOU have it wrong!!!!!

Answer 8

Secretive primary doctrines like......?

Without any examples of such I have no idea what you're talking about nor can I answer your question correctly.

Answer 9

Our church is not secretive of our doctorines, at all actually. The article is simply about how Romney does not want to discuss his beliefs in depth, because he does not think that they are relavent to his candidacy, and they should not be the merrits by which someone would vote for, or not vote for him. The basic principles of our religion are as follows:

"The basic beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are summed up in 13 simple statements penned by Joseph Smith as a response to frequent queries on the teachings and doctrines of the Church. These statements are now known as the Articles of Faith? of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

They are:
"1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost?.

2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.

3. We believe that through the Atonement? of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances? of the Gospel? are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance?; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands? for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy?, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority?, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles?, prophets, pastors, teachers?, evangelists, and so forth.

7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy?, revelation?, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

8. We believe the Bible? to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon? to be the word of God.

9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel? and in the restoration? of the Ten Tribes; that Zion? (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon this the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

11. We claim the privilege of worshiping? Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.

12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. "

Answer 10

What Elder Ballard has spoken, is plain and simple.

Pretty straight forward. Why people have illogical ideas about what LDS believe?

LDS is cool !

Answer 11

Where is the secrecy?

Please feel free to e-mail me. I, while not an apostle, will gladly address any of your concerns.