Ask a Mormon

[bcguardian0]

Well. The Title pretty much sums it up. Ask me a question and I'll do my best to answer it. This is not a atheist vs. religion thread. There are already threads for that. A few requests on my part. Don't attack people who post questions that you might think has an obvious answer or is pointless. As long as it pertains to Mormonism or maybe even religion in general, it's a fair question. Of course on the flip side of that I don't want questions like: "How do you spell God?" or "Does God have a bellybutton?" Sorry, but I do have a limit on the amount of immaturity I will listen to. Okay, that's about it, ask away. I hope that we can clear up a few concerns that people might have.

[itismesaj]

Do you live in Salt Lake City?

[bcguardian0]

Nope. That's Northern Utah. Then again, we are a world wide church. There's over 13 mil of us. We'd be pretty crowded if we all lived in Utah. Thanks for the good start.

[freetibet]

Why couldn't Joseph Smith retranslated the part of the book of Mormon that was lost?

Why did Brigham Young ex-communicate everyone else who might have been prophet when they weren't sure who was supposed to replace Joseph Smith?

Why do you only let certain mormons in the temple?

Why do you think substances that are mind altering affect your soul, even when you use them in a way that doesn't harm your body?

I have more... but i'll stop there

[ramalamafafafa]

The idea of a new, American prophet (Smith) is more than a tad absurd. Got any proof that this crap was revealed to Smith? Or that his prophesys are at all valid, or true?

[bcguardian0]

Why couldn't Joseph Smith retranslated the part of the book of Mormon that was lost?

Why did Brigham Young ex-communicate everyone else who might have been prophet when they weren't sure who was supposed to replace Joseph Smith?

Why do you only let certain mormons in the temple?

Why do you think substances that are mind altering affect your soul, even when you use them in a way that doesn't harm your body?

I have more... but i'll stop there

Joseph Smith couldn't retranslate the part of the book of mormon that was lost, because the translation had fallen into the hands of enemies of Joseph and the church. Their plan was to alter what they had in such a way that if Joseph translated again what was lost, they could prove him to be a fraud. Say that he couldn't be a prophet if he couldn't write the same thing twice.

I don't know anything about that. I have heard of people who claimed to be prophets in the early days of the church, but that was due largely to the confusion of a fast growing church without all the proper leadership set up. The church didn't make Brigham Young the second leader of the church until three years after Joseph Smith died. They didn't know what to do, I don't exactly blame them, as none of the other leaders of the church knew how this kind of situation was supposed to be handled. That's actually when the first split in the church happened, some wanted Joseph's son to be the next leader of the church. While others chose to follow Brigham Young when he was chosen by the apostles. I don't know if that answers that question, I might have to look that up.

The temple is the most sacred place in our religion. When you are in the temple, it's what we believe to be a piece of heaven on earth, much like an embassy for a country. You are in the presence of God, and no unclean thing can be in the presence of God. However, seeing as we are unclean by default. We only ask that those who wish to enter the temple are following the principles of our church, and that they're trying the best they can to be like our Savior. I think that answers that one, and if any of my answers don't quiet seem to cover it, ask for clarification.

Mind altering substances, like weed, meth, etc. Do just that, a person doesn't think the same when they are using these things. Their senses become dulled, particularly their ability to hear the promptings of the Lord. Even if they could hear, would they be able to act on that which they had been told? Probably not, they'd be more likely to fall flat on their face.

Thank you for these questions, they were all very good and I enjoyed answering them.

[bcguardian0]

The idea of a new, American prophet (Smith) is more than a tad absurd. Got any proof that this crap was revealed to Smith? Or that his prophesys are at all valid, or true?

I haven't forgotten about you ramalamafafafa, but I'm going to be late for work if I don't head so I'll have to answer that later. sorry.

[bcguardian0]

The idea of a new, American prophet (Smith) is more than a tad absurd. Got any proof that this crap was revealed to Smith? Or that his prophesys are at all valid, or true?

Is it really any more absurd than any of the other things that religions around the world profess? Why couldn't there be a prophet in America? Do Americans have any less right to salvation than others. Proof? What could I possibly provide as proof? There are no formula's, no equations, that I can show you. Mormonism, religion in general, can not be proven. If it were, there wouldn't be nearly as many atheists in the world as there are now. Sorry, there probably just isn't any good way to answer that question. But it was a good one, I'm glad you asked, thank you.

[MotherRussia]

lol actually you both make good points. if you take christianity as fact, then yah having an american prophet is complete absurd.

but if you take that fact that anyone who has voices talking to them is legally insane... it's all absurd anyway. so proving my point of.. mormonism 99.9% absurd and christianity being 99.8% absurd


rama - do you have any proof that your peter or paul were anything more then absurd?

actually i have prove that it was - for example, not one gospel was written by one person. infact, they had like 10 authors each and none of them used their real names. just said they were peter or paul, etc, and they even went as far as to write first person accounts as much as 200 years and 300 years later.

come on people this is ALLLL bullshit

we also have proof that certain mountains, where many of these prophets were said to have spoken to god, for example - these mountains were full of chemical deposits and vents, including ether vents. they were just tripping balls man. XD this is all such bullshit

[bcguardian0]

lol actually you both make good points. if you take christianity as fact, then yah having an american prophet is complete absurd.
How does taking christianity as fact make an american prophet absurd, I don't see the correlation.

[MotherRussia]

you wouldn't.


fuck i was gonna leave it at that - but for the sake of knowledge ill continue.

it makes it absurd because of geography. nothing in the bible had anything to do with anywhere but the middle east/asia/europe.

which actually is indicative of these stories all being made up - because of course writers of the time period would know NOTHING about the america's at this point in history. point being made clear; if god created all the world, and jesus is his son - then how the hell does he not know about america's??? why didn't jesus tell us the world was round?!?!! hahahahahahaha once again, the absurdity of religion cracks me up

[bcguardian0]

you wouldn't.

Care to enlighten me then. I'm curious as to how accepting christianity and an american prophet, doesn't work.

[skullcandy]

BcGaurdian, I'm also a mormon, though i may step out of the boundaries of what President Monson, or any other prophet, has wanted of us. i will do my best to try and answer these peoples questions alongside you in a manner we will both find agreeable, and If you leave anything out i'll be sure to fill in the blanks.

[bcguardian0]

BcGaurdian, I'm also a mormon, though i may step out of the boundaries of what President Monson, or any other prophet, has wanted of us. i will do my best to try and answer these peoples questions alongside you in a manner we will both find agreeable, and If you leave anything out i'll be sure to fill in the blanks.

Thanks. I'm bound to drop the ball somewhere. It'll be great to have another person on this.

[skullcandy]

no problem. I take it your waiting for your mission call?

[bcguardian0]

you wouldn't.


fuck i was gonna leave it at that - but for the sake of knowledge ill continue.

it makes it absurd because of geography. nothing in the bible had anything to do with anywhere but the middle east/asia/europe.

which actually is indicative of these stories all being made up - because of course writers of the time period would know NOTHING about the america's at this point in history. point being made clear; if god created all the world, and jesus is his son - then how the hell does he not know about america's??? why didn't jesus tell us the world was round?!?!! hahahahahahaha once again, the absurdity of religion cracks me up

Why would he tell them about the America's, or that the world was round? Does the knowledge of the shape of the earth or the existence of other continents, affect a person's salvation? Say he did tell them that the earth was round, and that there were some continents way out west. There's something else he forgot, like the theory of relativity, or the study of DNA, or the percentage of the universe that is composed of... oh, let's say argon. What relevance would these things hold in preparing mankind to return to God? lol. This thread was supposed to be a thread pertaining to the Mormon religion, but it seems to have branched off into encompassing all religion.

[bcguardian0]

no problem. I take it your waiting for your mission call?

Yes I am. Hoping to go someplace interesting, but whatever. I'll accept it wherever it is.

[freetibet]

Joseph Smith couldn't retranslate the part of the book of mormon that was lost, because the translation had fallen into the hands of enemies of Joseph and the church. Their plan was to alter what they had in such a way that if Joseph translated again what was lost, they could prove him to be a fraud. Say that he couldn't be a prophet if he couldn't write the same thing twice.

So the wife of the man funding the BoM translation was an enemy of the church? Couldn't he just have translated it again and ignored the people who 'altered it', I mean if he wasn't a fraud, then he wouldn't really need to worry about it.

That's actually when the first split in the church happened, some wanted Joseph's son to be the next leader of the church. While others chose to follow Brigham Young when he was chosen by the apostles. I don't know if that answers that question, I might have to look that up.

So how am I supposed to know if the RLDS or LDS church is the true church? I also think its rather silly that God would wait over 1000 years to bring the true church back, and then it would schism again in less than 50 years.

The temple is the most sacred place in our religion. When you are in the temple, it's what we believe to be a piece of heaven on earth, much like an embassy for a country. You are in the presence of God, and no unclean thing can be in the presence of God. However, seeing as we are unclean by default. We only ask that those who wish to enter the temple are following the principles of our church, and that they're trying the best they can to be like our Savior. I think that answers that one, and if any of my answers don't quiet seem to cover it, ask for clarification.

Well the people allowed in are still sinners right? So if no unclean thing can be in the presence of God, then nobody can be in the presence of God. and wouldn't the worst sinners need to temple the most?

Mind altering substances, like weed, meth, etc. Do just that, a person doesn't think the same when they are using these things. Their senses become dulled, particularly their ability to hear the promptings of the Lord. Even if they could hear, would they be able to act on that which they had been told? Probably not, they'd be more likely to fall flat on their face.

Did you seriously just put weed and meth in the same category? Let me guess... you've never tried either right? I have felt 'the promptings of the lord' while under the influence of different substances. In fact i'd say there are times that it has helped me better prioritize my life.

I know a mormon who wasn't going to go on a mission, did mushrooms, and then decided he should go. What do you have to say about that? and not because he had a bad experience either, he actually had a very very good experience with mushrooms.

What about kava? Kava relaxes the body, but keeps the mind sharp. Kava is a drug, a drug that is used often by Polynesians, an ethnic group that has many mormons. Kava is actually good for the body too, thats a right, a drug that will improve your health. Are you going to tell me God doesn't want me to be healthy?

Drug use in no way affects my ability to commune with God, so why should I not be allowed to participate in all your church rituals/activities?

[skullcandy]

To enter into the temple you must have been baptized and have recieved a temple reccomend prior to going. While it is true that we are unclean by our nature, We all, and i mean everyone, have been saved by the grace of Christ, who paid the ultimate price of the atonement. By our works we strive for perfection, but we will never be able to reach it on our own, which is why we have the Atonement and the ressurection.

I see no problems with Kava, unless it was taken often enough to become an addiction. Addictions enslave the mind and body to that particular substance, whether it be drugs, pornography, or booze.

[ramalamafafafa]

Pornography and Booze are two of the greatest pleasures to beset mankind.

[MotherRussia]

hahahahahaha mormon's suck so bad.

told you their religion was complete bullshit xDDDD

if you ever actually befriend one in real life, you'll realize they exist in a completely different world the rest of us know.

[freetibet]

To enter into the temple you must have been baptized and have recieved a temple reccomend prior to going. While it is true that we are unclean by our nature, We all, and i mean everyone, have been saved by the grace of Christ, who paid the ultimate price of the atonement. By our works we strive for perfection, but we will never be able to reach it on our own, which is why we have the Atonement and the ressurection.

I see no problems with Kava, unless it was taken often enough to become an addiction. Addictions enslave the mind and body to that particular substance, whether it be drugs, pornography, or booze.

I already know all about mormon temples, I used to be a very devout mormon. You didn't answer my question though...

and what if you consumed cannabis(aka weed, pot, marijuana) and were not addicted to it? Then would it be ok with you? I know for a fact that it is possible to consume cannabis without becoming addicted to it.

[MotherRussia]

lol there are absolutely 0 addictive properties to weed.

it's as addicting as brushing your teeth - a habit.

[superflysuperwhite]

you wouldn't.


fuck i was gonna leave it at that - but for the sake of knowledge ill continue.

it makes it absurd because of geography. nothing in the bible had anything to do with anywhere but the middle east/asia/europe.

which actually is indicative of these stories all being made up - because of course writers of the time period would know NOTHING about the america's at this point in history. point being made clear; if god created all the world, and jesus is his son - then how the hell does he not know about america's??? why didn't jesus tell us the world was round?!?!! hahahahahahaha once again, the absurdity of religion cracks me up


why do you have to act like an ass to everyone >.<

i actually think that at this point in time, a majority of people KNEW the earth was round. It wasnt really untill the Dark Ages that that knowledge was.. well i have no clue what they did with it.

[MotherRussia]

why do you have to act like an ass to everyone >.<

i actually think that at this point in time, a majority of people KNEW the earth was round. It wasnt really untill the Dark Ages that that knowledge was.. well i have no clue what they did with it.

i disagreed with you so for the sake of finding out, i looked it up.


That knowledge predates renaissance by millenniums.
Eratosthenes, who lived between 276 and 194 BC (yes: 2200 years ago!) had noticed that the light fell straight down into a well in Syene during the summer solstice, but at an angle in Alexandria on the same date. Knowing (roughly) the distance between the two cities, he conclude that the Earth was round, with a diameter he estimated at 252000 stadia (but we do not knwo how big is stadia were, the common value of stadion used back then would however make the answer 16% larger than reality -- which is not really that bad).

The flatness of the Earth was some sort of imposition by religious fanatics of the middle age.

got that from yahoo answers, and i don't know how much i trust it, though this seemed legit - so i got a second opinion

The ancient Greeks knew the Earth wasn’t flat 2000 years before Columbus was even born. The theory was actually birthed by Pythagoras in the 16th century, B.C. long before he came up with his famous theory. The theory was actually proved by Ptolemy in the 2nd century A.D. Before Columbus even thought about sailing to “The New World” he had been studying with maps depicting a round Earth. And the idea that he could not get support for his journey because people thought he would simply fall off the edge is just silly. He couldn’t get funding or support because people thought it was ridiculous to reach the Orient by sailing west.


so yah, i was wrong lol. but shit, text books actually say columbus discovered it - bible says this; reality is that.




seeeeee i'm not such an asshole

[freetibet]

well i don't think its so ridiculous to think someone reached the americas before Columbus. In fact i'm just about certain the vikings beat him too it.

I do think its pretty silly to think the first people to come to the americas were from israel though. I mean what israeli in their right mind would pass by an entire continent and not think "hmmm you know we could stop there and it would be just as good sailing across the ocean".

[MotherRussia]

lol, and think - they're jews!!! any prospect of making money right!?!

[freetibet]

yes, they obviously went to America so they could start the first bank there haha.

The fact that they were jews raises another issue...

Native Americans are more closely related to Mongolians than semitic people. Which kinda blows away the whole native Americans =jews theory. I've heard people argue that after they were cursed to have dark skin their genetics changed, but what kinda idiot god curses jews by making them into mongolians?

[MotherRussia]

yes, they obviously went to America so they could start the first bank there haha.

The fact that they were jews raises another issue...

Native Americans are more closely related to Mongolians than semitic people. Which kinda blows away the whole native Americans =jews theory. I've heard people argue that after they were cursed to have dark skin their genetics changed, but what kinda idiot god curses jews by making them into mongolians?

a HA!

i like this kid

[freetibet]

some sources for you guys:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics_and_the_Book_of_Mormon

http://www.mormoninfo.org/news-info/film-reviews/critical-films/dna-vs-book-mormon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svfxSscxh8o