Ask A Mormon

[Nita]

… Nor does this explain how someone can be the literal parent of something that already existed.

This is the only part I DON’T have a problem with. (It’s “matter” that already existed.) When we become literal parents of a child, the matter that makes up the baby’s body already exists.

The more I read, the more questions arise for me; and unfortunately a lot of them fall into the category of what happened before this universe existed and that’s an area they don’t have answers for.
From “God the Father”
…Thus, the Father became the Father at some time before “the beginning” as humans know it, by experiencing a mortality similar to that experienced on earth. There has been speculation among some Latter-day Saints on the implications of this doctrine, **but nothing has been revealed to the Church about conditions before the “beginning” as mortals know it. **The statement provides an excuse to avoid answering some very obvious questions and inconsistencies that arise.
Eg. of an obvious question - If God the Father was once a human man as we are, physically born before the universe began, where did his human body come from – who were his human parents? Where did he live and die?

And that’s only the beginning of the questions that arise!

 

[Razanir]

1. It’s been mentioned before, but how do Mormons justify the Book of Mormon with Galatians 1:8? The same question can be asked of Revelation 22:18.
2. How do Mormons justify the King Follett discourse? Specifically with Isaish 44:6. God makes it clear that he is the only God.
3. What do Mormons believe about evolution v. Young-Earth Creationism?
4. On a similar note, what do they think of a round Earth v a flat Earth? I ask because one of my friends back home is Mormon and believes in a flat Earth, so I’ve been wondering the official position
5. If the KJV is the divinely inspired one, why wasn’t it the original translation?

I’ll just repost these questions. It’s only been a few days they’ve gone unanswered…

 

[zaffiroborant]

This is the only part I DON’T have a problem with. (It’s “matter” that already existed.) When we become literal parents of a child, the matter that makes up the baby’s body already exists.

Well it makes no difference if there is only one kind of matter that is just stuff you build out of. But when you have 3 different kinds of matter (one that may be self aware) it gets a bit more complicated. Just what kind of matter is “god the father” made of. This is rather important considering that his “literal offspring” are made of “spiritual matter” but he is a glorified human being. A human being is made of regular matter that somehow incorporates both spiritual matter and intelligent matter. How does a being composed of three different types of matter produce an offspring composed of one type of matter that somehow incorporates an independent “intelligent matter”?

 

[bzkoss236]

1. If the KJV is the divinely inspired one, why wasn’t it the original translation?..

Further to this point, why, if the KJV is inspired, was it written in the UK and not in America, and not by Mormons, but Christians who Mormons claim are in apostasy?

 

[kimg901]

Further to this point, why, if the KJV is inspired, was it written in the UK and not in America, and not by Mormons, but Christians who Mormons claim are in apostasy?

Also, if no authority was left on earth, how can the Bible be inspired?

 

[fredystairs]

ErinGoBragh and stokemeister – haven’t heard from you in a couple of days. Wondering where you are?

 

[brian614]

ErinGoBragh and stokemeister – haven’t heard from you in a couple of days. Wondering where you are?

I was thinking the same thing tons of good questions and points but no Mormon response

 

[TexanKnight]

I was thinking the same thing tons of good questions and points but no Mormon response

They have none…never have

 

[Karen107]

I got to hand it to the Mormons. They get out there in pairs and knock on doors, and take seriously their 2 year missions to evangelize the world. Even coming in here and facing fired up Catholics takes a bit of guts… And all those Youtubes that top the list “I am a Mormon”… They’re really working it!

 

[SpeSalvi]

^think that’s cool? We as Catholics can do that too!
streetevangelization.com/cave-junction/2013/02/19/st-paul-street-evangelization-teams-organizing-in-josephine-county-how-to-get-involved/

 

[RebeccaJ]

And all those Youtubes that top the list “I am a Mormon”… They’re really working it!

Colbert has a good idea for a Catholic version.

High five a tiger!

 

[lynnettejane]

I got to hand it to the Mormons. They get out there in pairs and knock on doors, and take seriously their 2 year missions to evangelize the world. Even coming in here and facing fired up Catholics takes a bit of guts… And all those Youtubes that top the list “I am a Mormon”… They’re really working it!

Don’t forget all the you tube articles by ex moromons who are also working it.

 

[lynnettejane]

They have none…never have

Don’t agree TK, if you were to post your questions on Mormon Dialogue for example you would find a ton of responses, some measured and tolerant, some vitriolic, because they believe they like us are defending the one true faith. Been there, done it, some posts were good for dialogue some very much less so, but there was certainly no lack of response. Maybe you are posting your questions in the wrong place.

 

[TexanKnight]

Don’t agree TK, if you were to post your questions on Mormon Dialogue for example you would find a ton of responses, some measured and tolerant, some vitriolic, because they believe they like us are defending the one true faith. Been there, done it, some posts were good for dialogue some very much less so, but there was certainly no lack of response. Maybe you are posting your questions in the wrong place.

I meant here.

here, they have answers for awhile. Then the answers get fewer as the questions gewt harder.

 

[LightFromLight]

I meant here.

here, they have answers for awhile. Then the answers get fewer as the questions gewt harder.

When have they ever?

I do not mean to offend but honestly, how can they believe Joseph Smith was a prophet? He was an awful man, I wouldn’t even want to be associated with him.

 

[lynnettejane]

I meant here.

here, they have answers for awhile. Then the answers get fewer as the questions gewt harder.

Having dipped my toe in mormondialogue, and experienced feeling overwhelmed by the volume of responses that are generated, I can understand how that can happen, you begin to feel that you are not making any headway and are bombarded by the same arguments from all sides. It’s like a wall you can’t scale, so eventually have to bow out, you can only take being broadsided for so long.

 

[TexanKnight]

Having dipped my toe in mormondialogue, and experienced feeling overwhelmed by the volume of responses that are generated, I can understand how that can happen, you begin to feel that you are not making any headway and are bombarded by the same arguments from all sides. It’s like a wall you can’t scale, so eventually have to bow out, you can only take being broadsided for so long.

I used to post there. I had a problem with the language used. Horrible! I did not get any better responses than I get here…and the language was much worse.

 

[Nita]

I was sorry to see Erin and Stokemeister leave because of questions that arose as I was trying to just read and understand a little what they actually preach and believe. (My source was the Encyclopedia of Mormonism)

But some of you are ex-Mormons, so maybe - hopefully - you can provide the answers.
My first questions have to do with "universe" - the first point I’m trying to understand in regards to their teaching.
.
I’d like to give a few quotes from what I read in the Encyclopedia O.M. that gave rise to the questions:

1. From EOM under “Godhood”
   Joseph Smith also wrote, “Every man who reigns in celestial glory is a God to his dominions”. This does not mean that any person ever would or could supplant God as the Supreme Being in the universe, …
2. From EOM under “God the Father”
   Latter-day Saints also attribute omnipotence and omniscience to the Father. He knows all things relative to the** universe in which mortals live** and is himself the source and possessor of all true power manifest in it…
3. From EOM under “God the Father”
   Creating worlds and populating them with his children are maor parts of God’s "works. He creates earths as dwelling places for his spirit children, where they receive physical bodies and learn to walk by faith.
   I presume the “worlds” and “earths” spoken of in number 3, are part of the one universe in which God the Father is the Supreme Being. **Is this correct? **

Number 2 above seems to restrict God the Father’s supremacy to the “universe in which mortals live”. Do Mormons believe there are many other universes besides the one where God the Father is supreme – universes where he is not supreme?

Thanks for any help you can give.
I’ll wait till I get answers to these 2 preliminary questions before going on.

 

[TexanKnight]

I was sorry to see Erin and Stokemeister leave because of questions that arose as I was trying to just read and understand a little what they actually preach and believe. (My source was the Encyclopedia of Mormonism)

But some of you are ex-Mormons, so maybe - hopefully - you can provide the answers.
My first questions have to do with "universe" - the first point I’m trying to understand in regards to their teaching.
.
I’d like to give a few quotes from what I read in the Encyclopedia O.M. that gave rise to the questions:

1. From EOM under “Godhood”
   Joseph Smith also wrote, “Every man who reigns in celestial glory is a God to his dominions”. This does not mean that any person ever would or could supplant God as the Supreme Being in the universe, …
2. From EOM under “God the Father”
   Latter-day Saints also attribute omnipotence and omniscience to the Father. He knows all things relative to the** universe** in which mortals live and is himself the source and possessor of all true power manifest in it…
3. From EOM under “God the Father”
   Creating worlds and populating them with his children are maor parts of God’s "works. He creates earths as dwelling places for his spirit children, where they receive physical bodies and learn to walk by faith.
   I presume the “worlds” and “earths” spoken of in number 3, are part of the one universe in which God the Father is the Supreme Being. **Is this correct? **

yes. In fact, in the temple ceremony, The Father instructs Jesus and Angel Michael to come down and create this earth like they have done in the other worlds they “heretofore have created.”

Number 2 above seems to restrict God the Father’s supremacy to the “universe in which mortals live”. Do Mormons believe there are many other universes besides the one where God the Father is supreme – universes where he is not supreme?

Yes. The Mormons believe in a plurality of Gods, but only one is OUR God, And God is only OUR God and the God of the other planets

Thanks for any help you can give.
I’ll wait till I get answers to these 2 preliminary questions before going on.

 

[lynnettejane]

I used to post there. I had a problem with the language used. Horrible! I did not get any better responses than I get here…and the language was much worse.

Heven’t experienced bad language, a lot of patronising stuff, and some nasty reponses but that’s all, maybe their mods have stepped in.