Is this what mormons believe?

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GandalfTheWhite

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youtube.com/watch?v=zy0d1HbItOo

I came across this video that has a cartoon that summarizes what the Mormons are to believe (mainly about the beginning of the world). It then goes on speaking about the Mormonism and why people leave it. Anyways, I’m not posting this to argue against the LDS, I feel no need to do that. I’m not trying to prove mormons wrong and I’m not even thinking about joining mormonism. I just want someone to confirm whether this cartoon represents what mormonism teaches and what J. Smith taught. I am really really really not planning to discuss whether what they say is true, whether mormonism is correct, whether the Book of Mormon is authentic etc. so please don’t bring ANY apologetics into this thread. All I want is facts, facts and facts.

Thank you,
~G
 
The cartoon is correct in its essential characterization of LDS teaching on the “prehistory” of the the earth, the pre-existence, eternal progression, the nature of Christ, etc. I believe this cartoon originated from a rather inflammatory movie called The God Makers, which came out several years back. The cartoon, I presume, would be highly offensive to most LDS persons in the rather mocking manner in which it presents these teachings. I am unaware of it being “banned,” but I am aware that the LDS church routinely discourages its members from viewing or reading things that are not faith-promoting, a category this cartoon clearly would fall into, at least if one were a Mormon. (I am not, and I do not think this video would ever be a highly effective evangelizing tool, IMHO.)

Many of the doctrines referred to by the cartoon, especially the teachigs on eternal progression and the prehistory of mankind, originate from the Book of Abraham (part of the Church’s “Pearl of Great Price”) and from Joseph Smith’s “King Follett Discourse”, a sermon he preached shortly before his death.
 
RobHom said:
At the risk…I think, and I reiterate “I think” at one time, our fellow humans of “dark skins” were not allowed to be Mormons, however that has changed.
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That’s incorrect. Dark-skinned people were allowed to be Mormons, but they couldn’t hold the Mormon “priesthood”.

The Mormon priesthood is quite different from Catholic priesthood. Essentially EVERY male member is a priest.

So excluding dark-skinned people from the priesthood in actuality did exclude them from full membership.
 
GandalfTheWhite said:
youtube.com/watch?v=zy0d1HbItOo

I came across this video that has a cartoon that summarizes what the Mormons are to believe (mainly about the beginning of the world). It then goes on speaking about the Mormonism and why people leave it. Anyways, I’m not posting this to argue against the LDS, I feel no need to do that. I’m not trying to prove mormons wrong and I’m not even thinking about joining mormonism. I just want someone to confirm whether this cartoon represents what mormonism teaches and what J. Smith taught. I am really really really not planning to discuss whether what they say is true, whether mormonism is correct, whether the Book of Mormon is authentic etc. so please don’t bring ANY apologetics into this thread. All I want is facts, facts and facts.

Thank you,
~G
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The short answer is No. This cartoon does not “represents what mormonism teaches and what J. Smith taught”. If you want to know what “Mormonism teaches,” I recommend that you visit the official LDS website.

zerinus
 
I have read many discussions re: The God Makers and Ed Decker (the maker of the film).

Ed Decker went on to make God Makers 2, which contained unsupported accusations. But, by and large the first God Makers is considered to be accurate in the main. Even in its inflammatory nature. You can pick it apart along the lines of each “doctrinal” claim and find errors. The largest being the bit about demons.

Ed Decker has no credibility with the mormons. He left mormonism and became a born again Christian. He has written many books and made several films that criticize mormonism. I doubt that you could find many mormons who have actually seen or read any of his work(all or part).
 
RebeccaJ said:
I have read many discussions re: The God Makers and Ed Decker (the maker of the film).

Ed Decker went on to make God Makers 2, which contained unsupported accusations. But, by and large the first God Makers is considered to be accurate in the main. Even in its inflammatory nature. You can pick it apart along the lines of each “doctrinal” claim and find errors. The largest being the bit about demons.

Ed Decker has no credibility with the mormons. He left mormonism and became a born again Christian. He has written many books and made several films that criticize mormonism. I doubt that you could find many mormons who have actually seen or read any of his work(all or part).
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I don’t think it is relevant if great numbers of LDS have read or watched his material, would you take the time or spend the money on material that was highly offensive toward Catholic thought. There are enough of us that have taken the time, myself being one (have you?), to determine the value of Mr. Decker’s offerings. In my opinion, the only purpose of “the god makers” was to arouse emotions of alarm, hostility, and fear in others, while being as offensive to LDS as he could. Mr. Decker has no creditability even with prominent LDS critics, and his latest work, in my opinion, is offered to try and make himself relevant in the anti Mormon business. After all there is millions of $ to be made.

Paul
 
Nearly all of what is presented in The Godmakers is what Mormonism taught at the time the film was made, but Decker presents it so poorly and in such a sensationalist manner that he ruins his own credibility. I have not seen Godmakers II yet.

The Mormon church has changed their teaching tactics in the past 20 years or so, and many younger Mormons are not even aware of these doctrines. But if they dig into the Church’s recent past, they will find all those things taught clearly and openly.
Paul
 
Paul_G said:
I don’t think it is relevant if great numbers of LDS have read or watched his material, would you take the time or spend the money on material that was highly offensive toward Catholic thought. There are enough of us that have taken the time, myself being one (have you?), to determine the value of Mr. Decker’s offerings. In my opinion, the only purpose of “the god makers” was to arouse emotions of alarm, hostility, and fear in others, while being as offensive to LDS as he could. Mr. Decker has no creditability even with prominent LDS critics, and his latest work, in my opinion, is offered to try and make himself relevant in the anti Mormon business. After all there is millions of $ to be made.

Paul
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It is relevent to the question, as it was asked if the film portrayed mormonism accurately. It seems to me some mormons would need to answer. The only answer you will get out of a mormon is based on what was heard through the mormon grapevine. Which of course would be along the lines of what zerinus posted.

I read a lot of things. Pro and anti, regarding all religions, including Catholicism. I am not a Catholic, though I am very drawn to it and will start RCIA in a few days. Doesn’t mean I turn off this info-junky tendency that I have. I am not expecting perfection in Catholicism. And I didn’t expect it in mormonism either.

I have read some of Decker’s work, in the world of post mormons his runs along the more inflammatory nature. And as time went on he started to get into almost a tabloid type mode. And yes, I know that he has lost credibility with most of the mormon world, pro and con. Doesn’t mean that everything he has made is entirely false.

This Godmakers clip presents mormonism as it is. It treats what mormons would call sacred as crass. It shows no respect whatsoever to another person’s beliefs. But there is not much in there that is not based on what mormons actually believe.
 
zerinus said:
The short answer is No. This cartoon does not “represents what mormonism teaches and what J. Smith taught”. If you want to know what “Mormonism teaches,” I recommend that you visit the official LDS website.

zerinus
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So, can you outline which of these thing are correct and which are not?

Dark skin colour to those who stayed neutral? Yes/No?
God the Father had sex with Mary? Yes/No?
Good Mormons may become Gods and rule over their own planets? Yes/No?
etc.
 
GandalfTheWhite said:
So, can you outline which of these thing are correct and which are not?

Dark skin colour to those who stayed neutral? Yes/No?
God the Father had sex with Mary? Yes/No?
Good Mormons may become Gods and rule over their own planets? Yes/No?
etc.
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The answer to all of those is No.

zerinus
 
zerinus said:
The answer to all of those is No.

zerinus
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Not right now…😃

Seriously, in defense to the Mormon people and all religions in general, anything that presents itself the way that Mr. Decker did is a disservice to the respect and dignity that all persons should have.
 
RebeccaJ said:
This Godmakers clip presents mormonism as it is. It treats what mormons would call sacred as crass. It shows no respect whatsoever to another person’s beliefs. But there is not much in there that is not based on what mormons actually believe.
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Is it based on LDS thought, sure there are some things that are, but the clip has interpreted and portrayed them in such a way that, for the most part, is unrecognizable as common LDS belief. So to answer the original question, there are things in this clip that are LDS belief and others not so much. I’m not going to take time to critic the whole clip, but will answer specific questions about it.

Paul
 
GandalfTheWhite said:
So, can you outline which of these thing are correct and which are not?

Dark skin colour to those who stayed neutral? Yes/No?
God the Father had sex with Mary? Yes/No?
Good Mormons may become Gods and rule over their own planets? Yes/No?
etc.
Click to expand...
mormon scriptures claim dark skin to be a curse from God on particularly wicked people. spirits chosen to be born into those “cursed” races are the ones that were “less valiant”. Black Africans used to be denied priesthood and temple ordinances because they were supposed to be descended from Cain.

Mormon leaders in the past did in fact claim that God the Father is an exalted man and that he took Mary as his wife in a literal sense.

Mormons still teach today that they ca become Gods with their own planets. the fact that they lie about it should be cause for concern. you can verify all of these things form LDS sources on their own website.
 
I doubt that zerinus has even seen the film, as to do so would be against his own teachings.

As an ex-Mormon, I agree with Paul and (someone else said it too) that although it’s in essence what we were taught as Mormons, it is highly inflammatory… much like those who are against Catholicism will say that we are “canibals” because we believe in transubstantiation.

in Christ
Steph
 
"GandalfTheWhite:
So, can you outline which of these thing are correct and which are not?

Good Mormons may become Gods and rule over their own planets? Yes/No?
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zerinus said:
The answer to all of those is No.

zerinus
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Really, Zerinus? Your church disagrees with you.

From “Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual”, the current LDS church manual. You can read the whole thing on www.lds.org
. .
“Christ became perfect through overcoming. Only as we overcome shall we become perfect and move toward godhood. . . . The time to do this is now, in mortality.“(Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, 210).
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■ “Each one of you has it within the realm of his possibility to develop a kingdom over which you will preside as its king and god. You will need to develop yourself and grow in ability and power and worthiness, to govern such a world with all of its people." (Spencer W. Kimball, “. . . the Matter of Marriage” [address delivered at University of Utah Institute of Religion, 22 Oct. 1976], 2).
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Is that not becoming a god and ruling over your own planet?

Zerinus, are you just ignorant of your church’s teachings, or are you deliberately “lying for the Lord”?

Paul
 
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