How is the LDS a cult?

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Do some research. THEN make your judgments.

And then, unless YOU have gone thru it, with people in Michigan AND Utah AND Idaho conspiring…and the Stake Pres. doing nothing, perhaops you can withhold what YOU see is normal or not.

Just a suggestion
You are the only person I have ever heard this from, in all honesty.

Did you or others ever press criminal charges?
 
I haven’t read all the posts or arguements, so forgive me. I’d like to give my two cents, seeing as I was born and raised in UT.

I’m on the fence: part of me believes it’s a cult. The reason? It’s leaders. My friends live and breathe the word of the LDS leaders. There is no separationg of church and state here; the LDS majority rules. The people are extremely judgemental. I don’t believe it’s christianity. In fact, the Catholic church does not recogonize LDS baptisims. The Mormon church believes in the word of Joseph Smith. It’s the one part of the Church I absolutely cannot stand. I don’t believe in the Book of Mormon.

However, I’ve met a few good LDS people. They are good people, and understand my position. I’ve also met pushy missionaries. They often come to my door, trying to get me back into the Church.
The missionaries I met were also nice and we always parted ways happily agreeing to differ. Usually my encounters with them are on the subway. It’s not so common to have them come to your door here, but it happened twice. Once my stepfather answered the door and when when he told them that he was Muslim, they still tried convincing him and then I revealed my Catholicism and than they were really confused. LOL a moment to remember! I have a question, what is it like being a non-Mormon living in Utah? Here in NYC we have everybody, but when one thinks of Utah, Mormons immediately come to mind. I don’t mean to be sterotypical, I’m just saying!
 
Yes, everyone knows that they are known for being entrepreneurial, but who owns those shopping malls? The leaders of their temples? I haven’t looked into this as it does not concern me, my search is only in regards to what they believe.
J, building shopping malls is not separated from what they believe. 🤷
 
J, building shopping malls is not separated from what they believe. 🤷
I think J was referring to their doctrine.

In that sense, it’s not doctrinal for them to build shopping malls.
Where as, building temples is. 🙂
 
I think J was referring to their doctrine.

In that sense, it’s not doctrinal for them to build shopping malls.
Where as, building temples is. 🙂
I have been trying to find out, figure out, what their doctrine even is … for about a year now. :rolleyes:
 
I have been trying to find out, figure out, what their doctrine even is … for about a year now. :rolleyes:
It’s not that hard! 🙂

What is hard for them is having to defend it as the years go by, though. 🙂

It’s starts off from their view of what the plan of salvation is and how that all started in what they term the “pre-existance”

I was always able to explain their beliefs, even when I was LDS. I just couldnt defend it. 😉
 
Yes, everyone knows that they are known for being entrepreneurial, but who owns those shopping malls? The leaders of their temples? I haven’t looked into this as it does not concern me, my search is only in regards to what they believe.
My post addressed your earlier post where you stated we shouldn’t call them a “cult”, or a “business”.

I was just showing you that they are in fact a “business” The mall is not their only “business”

If you are searching into their “beliefs”, I would suggest looking at how they view finances.
 
My post addressed your earlier post where you stated we shouldn’t call them a “cult”, or a “business”.

I was just showing you that they are in fact a “business” The mall is not their only “business”

If you are searching into their “beliefs”, I would suggest looking at how they view finances.
I have to admit I am not sure what you mean, either.

Do they have a side of them that is a business? Sure.
But they also do have a belief system that is spiritual in nature. To suggest otherwise is unjust and unfair, in all honesty.

My foundational formation of praying and love of scripture comes from my having been LDS. And it was very much apart of the lives of my friends, roomates and others of my acquaintance when I was LDS.
 
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

I LOVE that it came from lds dot org. There is no getting around it now 😃
My definition of cult did not change just to call Mormonism a cult. Within Catholicism we have our cult of the saints. I never thought of Mormons as a cult because I assumed their President was like our Pope; they followed a position and not a person, like Catholics do. But the more I learned about how Mormon belief can turn 180 degrees because of what the current President of Mormonism teaches; I began to look at Mormonism differently. I hate to use the word cult because it seems to have a lot of baggage but I think even the older pure definition of cult fits them; as explained by Ezra Taft Benson.
 
You are the only person I have ever heard this from, in all honesty.

Did you or others ever press criminal charges?
Marie,

My family has been on the receiving end of this kind of attention from the LDS “church” as well. I will not go into details without permission of my family members who were involved, but suffice it to say that the LDS were petty, vengeful and entirely money-driven in their motives. Judges have agreed with us.
 
I think J was referring to their doctrine.

In that sense, it’s not doctrinal for them to build shopping malls.
Where as, building temples is. 🙂
It’s possible their doctrinal belief that temporal blessings, manifest in a materialistic fashion, spurs them to show just how “blessed” they are.
 
Marie,

My family has been on the receiving end of this kind of attention from the LDS “church” as well. I will not go into details without permission of my family members who were involved, but suffice it to say that the LDS were petty, vengeful and entirely money-driven in their motives. Judges have agreed with us.
I am sorry to hear this, Lochias. I will pray for you and all others in this kind of position.

I guess what I am wondering though is it the LDS church itself that is doing this or individual members of it?

I tend to separate what is the policies and doctrine of the church from the behavior of the individual members, just like I do with the Catholic Church and Her members. 🙂
 
In response to MtOlympus’ charge implying Mormons are allowed to have a different concept of Christ, that it is OK because we are to love one another, justifying a different concept of Christ, I am bringing forth here Pope Benedict’s work, ‘Dominus Jesus’, August 6, 2000, ‘The Lord Jesus’.

Dominus Jesus refutes relativism.

'The Church’s constant missionary proclamation is endangered today by relativistic theories which seek to justify religious pluralism, not only de facto but also de iure --or in principle.

As a consequence, it is held that certain truths have been superseded; for example, the definitive and complete character of the revelation of Jesus Christ, the nature of Christian faith as compared with that of belief in other religions…the roots of these problems are to be found in certain presuppositions of both philosophical and theological nature, which hinder the understanding and acceptance of revealed truth. Some of these can be mentioned: the conviction of elusiveness and inexpressibility of divine truth, even by Christian revelation; relativistic attitudes towards truth itself, according to which what is true for some would not be true for others…"

Mormonism evades many times here on CAF direct answers to its beliefs and practices…its disregard for the history of Christian truth, spirituality, and practice, the concept that our beliefs are an abomination, but to be a member of the LDS, one is automatically made a saint, superior to all other beliefs, irregardless of spirituality and practice, and integrity of faith.

Pope Benedict stresses in this theology, the centrality and uniqueness of Jesus Christ.

He further states that Christians could not be relativistic about Jesus Christ and remain Christian!

He defines false concepts of Christ: 'Jesus of Nazareth that views him as a particular, finite, historical figure who reveals the divine not in an exclusive way, but in a way complementary with other relavatory and salvific figures. The Infinite, the Absolute, the Ultimate Mystery of God would thus manifest itself to humanity in many ways, and in many historical figures: Jesus of Nazareth would be oen of the many faces which the Logos has assumed in the course of time to communicate with humanity in a salvific way."
 
So who does Pope Benedict define as the True Christ? I note that ‘Dominus Jesus’ was written when he was still Cardinal Ratzinger.

So what is the true definition of the authentic Jesus? The answer is, “the doctrine of faith must be firmly believed which proclaims that Jesus of Nazareth, son of Mary, and he alone, is the Son and the Word of the Father.”

Jesus is 'The Word, which “as in the beginning with God” (/Jn/1?2) is the same as he who “became flesh” (/Jn/ 1:14). In Jesus, “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (/Mt/16:16), "the whole fullness of divinity dwells in bodily form: (/Col/2:9), He is the "only begotten Son of the Father, who is in the bosom of the Father: (/Jn/1:18), his “beloved Son, in whom we have redemption…in him the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him, God was pleased to reconcile all things to himself, on earth and in the heavens, making peace by the blood of his Cross” (/Col/1:13-14, 19-20).
 
In response to MtOlympus’ charge implying Mormons are allowed to have a different concept of Christ, that it is OK because we are to love one another, justifying a different concept of Christ, I am bringing forth here Pope Benedict’s work, ‘Dominus Jesus’, August 6, 2000, ‘The Lord Jesus’.

Dominus Jesus refutes relativism.

'The Church’s constant missionary proclamation is endangered today by relativistic theories which seek to justify religious pluralism, not only de facto but also de iure --or in principle.

As a consequence, it is held that certain truths have been superseded; for example, the definitive and complete character of the revelation of Jesus Christ, the nature of Christian faith as compared with that of belief in other religions…the roots of these problems are to be found in certain presuppositions of both philosophical and theological nature, which hinder the understanding and acceptance of revealed truth. Some of these can be mentioned: the conviction of elusiveness and inexpressibility of divine truth, even by Christian revelation; relativistic attitudes towards truth itself, according to which what is true for some would not be true for others…"

Mormonism evades many times here on CAF direct answers to its beliefs and practices…its disregard for the history of Christian truth, spirituality, and practice, the concept that our beliefs are an abomination, but to be a member of the LDS, one is automatically made a saint, superior to all other beliefs, irregardless of spirituality and practice, and integrity of faith.

Pope Benedict stresses in this theology, the centrality and uniqueness of Jesus Christ.

He further states that Christians could not be relativistic about Jesus Christ and remain Christian!

He defines false concepts of Christ: 'Jesus of Nazareth that views him as a particular, finite, historical figure who reveals the divine not in an exclusive way, but in a way complementary with other relavatory and salvific figures. The Infinite, the Absolute, the Ultimate Mystery of God would thus manifest itself to humanity in many ways, and in many historical figures: Jesus of Nazareth would be oen of the many faces which the Logos has assumed in the course of time to communicate with humanity in a salvific way."
Yes, it is as our new Pope Francis said at the beginning of his papacy. Without proclaiming Christ, the Church is nothing more than an NGO (non-government organization). It is how Mormons must view Church, in order to justify themselves.
 
Finally, Pope Benedict brought even stronger reaction when he stated that the Catholic Church is alone the one to interpret and define Who Christ Is.

Not only is Jesus Christ unique, but “also His mystical body, --the Church.” The Roman Catholic Church.

"The Lord Jesus, the only Savior, did not only establish a simple community of disciples, but constituted the Church as a salvific mystery: he himself is in the Church and the Church is in him (cf Jn 15:1ff.; Gal 3:28; Acts 9:5). Therefore, the fullness of Christ’s salvific mystery belongs also to the Church, inseparably united to her Lord. Indeed, Jesus Christ continues his presence and his work of salvation in the Church and by means of the Church (cf. Col 1:24-27), which is his body(cf.1 Cor 12:12-13, 27; Col 1:28)…

Therefore in connection with the unicity and universality of the salvific mediation of Jesus Christ, the unicity of the Church founded by him must be firmly believed as a truth of Catholic faith. Just as there is one Christ, so there exists a single body of Christ, a single Bride of Christ: ‘a single and apostolic Church’…
 
In contrast to the Latter Day Saints religion that does not have continuity of faith, Pope Benedict declares, "The Catholic faithful are required to profess that there is an historical continuity – rooted in the apostolic succession – between the Church founded by Christ and the Catholic…

This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter, and by the bishops in communion with him."

Finally, one final remark in this document, considering the continuity of faith and practice, Pope Benedict affirms: “The ecclesial communities which have not preserved the valid Episcopate and the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery are not Churches in the proper sense.”
 
What we are witnessing in retaining the Successor of Peter in the Church is not only continuity of faith but also of communion, the very essence of the Eucharist, where we receive divine life, and become more Christ like every day…not as a god, but as a humble servant, detached from the world and all its vainglory and riches.
 
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