What are some questions I can ask my seminary teacher?

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My seminary teacher knows I am looking into the Catholic faith, but he doesn’t know that I want to be Catholic. He and my parents want me to go and ask him questions about the Mormon faith. Frankly, I really don’t want to, but I a;ready told him I would. I have no idea what to ask him that won’t offend him, and I don’t want to offend him. Nor do I want him to think that I went around reading all this anti-mormon stuff.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what to ask? Also, if it’s a question that tries to make a point please provide a bible, BOM, D&C, or POGP verse or something because I don’t want to say something and then have him ask me where I got that and I don’t have anything to back it up.

TY. 🙂
 
BumpSetSpike said:
My seminary teacher knows I am looking into the Catholic faith, but he doesn’t know that I want to be Catholic. He and my parents want me to go and ask him questions about the Mormon faith. Frankly, I really don’t want to, but I a;ready told him I would. I have no idea what to ask him that won’t offend him, and I don’t want to offend him. Nor do I want him to think that I went around reading all this anti-mormon stuff.

Does anyone have any suggestions of what to ask? Also, if it’s a question that tries to make a point please provide a bible, BOM, D&C, or POGP verse or something because I don’t want to say something and then have him ask me where I got that and I don’t have anything to back it up.

TY. 🙂
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start with these…😃 …also your more than likely going to offend him …your questioning his cult.

If the Book of Mormon is true,
why do Indians fail to turn white when they become Mormons? (2 Nephi 30:6, prior to the 1981 revision).
  • If the Book of Mormon is true, then why has the Mormon church changed it? Examples are: 1 Nephi 11:21; 19:20; 20:1 and Alma 29:4. Compare these with the original Book of Mormon. (Gerald and Sandra Tanner have counted 3913 changes in the Book of Mormon, excluding punctuation changes.)
  • How did Joseph Smith carry home the golden plates of the Book of Mormon, and how did the witnesses lift them so easily? (They weighed about 230 lbs. Gold, with a density of 19.3 weighs 1204.7 lbs. per cubic foot. The plates were 7" x 8" by about 6". See Articles of Faith, by Talmage, page 262, 34th ed.)
  • If Moroni devoutly practiced the Mormon Gospel, why is he an angel now rather than a God? (Doc. & Cov. 132:17,37)
  • Why do Mormons emphasize part of the Word of Wisdom and ignore the part forbidding the eating of meat except in winter, cold or famine? (Doc. & Cov. 89:12,13).
  • Why did the Nauvoo House not stand forever and ever? (Doc. & Cov. 124:56-60).
  • If Jesus was conceived as a result of a physical union between God and Mary, how was Jesus born of a virgin? (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 1, page 50).
  • How did Nephi with a few men on a new continent build a temple like Solomon’s while Solomon needed 163,300 workmen and seven years to build his temple? (1 Kings 5:13-18 and 2 Nephi 5:15-17).
  • Why was Joseph Smith still preaching against polygamy in October 1843 after he got his revelation in July 1843 commanding the practice of polygamy? (Doc. & Cov. 132; and History of the Church Vol. 6, page 46, or Teachings of the Prophet, page 324).
  • God rejected the fig leaf aprons which Adam and Eve made (Gen. 3:21). Why do Mormons memorialize the fall by using fig leaf aprons in the secret temple ceremonies?
    The above Ask Your Bishop questions were taken from a booklet entitled, Ask Your Bishop by Ira T. Ransom
 
I assume that you are LDS and that you are in Middle School or High School. “Seminary”, for the LDS Church, is a reference to classes held for school-age teens either before or after regular school hours. Could you clarify this is what you are speaking of? It will greatly affect how one answers you to confirm that you are an unemancipated minor attending a high school ‘seminary’ rather than a legal adult attending a post-secondary school seminary or Bible college.
 
flameburns623 said:
I assume that you are LDS and that you are in Middle School or High School. “Seminary”, for the LDS Church, is a reference to classes held for school-age teens either before or after regular school hours. Could you clarify this is what you are speaking of? It will greatly affect how one answers you to confirm that you are an unemancipated minor attending a high school ‘seminary’ rather than a legal adult attending a post-secondary school seminary or Bible college.
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Yes, it’s high school LDS seminary.
 
Joseph Smith’s Changing Doctrine of Deity
VIEWED IN SCRIPTURAL ORDER
The Mormon scriptures are not progressive. Viewed chronologically, beginning from the most ancient period, they move from teaching the plurality of Gods, to monotheism, then back to the plurality of Gods.
2000 B.C. Book of Abraham 4:3-7 Plurality of Gods
600 B.C. to A.D. 400 Book of Mormon Modalistic Alma 11:26-29 Monotheism
A.D. 1830 Early (April 1830) Doctrine & Covenants 20:17, 19, 28 Monotheism
A.D. 1830 - Joseph Smith Translation Modalistic Monotheism
A.D. 1834-1835 Lectures on Faith, 5th Lecture Binatarian Monotheism, or Bitheism
A.D. 1839 Later (March 1839) Doctrine & Covenants 121:26, 28, 32 Possibility of Plurality of gods
A.D. 1839-1843 Doctrine & Covenants 131:17-18; 132:20, 37 Plurality of gods (but unlike in the Book of Abraham)
A.D. 1844 [King Follet Discourse*] Plurality of Gods
irr.org/MIT/changod.html

Original 1830 Text
Current, Altered Text
And he said unto me, Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of God,after the manner of the flesh.*
And he said unto me, Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God. (1 Nephi 11:18)

And the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb of God, even the Eternal Father!
And the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb of God, even the Son of the Eternal Father! (1 Nephi 11:21)

And I looked and beheld the Lamb of god, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Everlasting God, was judged of the world.
And I looked and beheld the Lamb of god, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the Everlasting God, was judged of the world. (1 Nephi 11:32)

These last records . . . . shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world.
These last records . . . . shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world. (1 Nephi 13:40)
Original 1830 Text
1 Nephi 3, p. 32 These last records … shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world.
Current Text
1 Nephi 11:32 And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the Everlasting God, was judged of the world.
etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/BooMorm.html
irr.org/mit/BOM/1830bom-p32.html

The King Follet Sermon By President Joseph Smith, Sunday, April 7, 1844. History of the Church, Volume 6, page 302.
God An Exalted Man
I will go back to the beginning before the world was, to show what kind of a being God is. God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! You have got to learn how to be gods yourselves. priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to anot! her, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation
A Council of the Gods
In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted [prepared] a plan to create the world and people it. the word create came from the word baurau, which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize; the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. Hence we infer that God had materials to organize the world out of chaos - chaotic matter, which is element, and in which dwells all the glory. Element had an existence from the time He had.
The Immortal Intelligence
All learned men and doctors of divinity say that God created it in the beginning; but it is not so: the very idea lessens man in my estimation. I do not believe the doctrine; I know better. Hear it, all ye ends of the world; for God has told me so. The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is coequal [coeternal] with God himself. I know that my testimony is true. There never was a time when there were not spirits; for they are coequal [coeternal] with our Father in heaven. I might with boldness proclaim from the housetops that God never had the power to create the spirit of man at all. God himself could not create himself…Knowledge saves a man; and in the world of spirits no man can be exalted but by knowledge.
The Doctrine and Covenants states, “God is a glorified and perfected man, a personage of flesh and bones. Inside his tangible body is an eternal spirit.” (130:22)
Brigham Young wrote, “We cannot believe for a moment that God is destitute of body, parts, passions, or attributes.”
Brigham Young, the second president taught “That God the Father was once a man on another planet who ‘passed the ordeal we are now passing through. . .’”

utlm.org/onlineresources/sermons_talks_interviews/kingfolletsermon.htm
 
I would ask for an explanation of eternal progression. If (the LDS) god created only this universe, then who created the other universes? If the Heavenly Father (and Mother) were once human and progressed to godhood then are you worshipping them or are you worshipping the god who created them, or the god who created that god, or the god who created that god…and so on? Ask him when you get to worship the ONE, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent God fully made known through Sacred Scripture?
 
dosdog said:
Original 1830 Text
Current, Altered Text
And he said unto me, Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of God,after the manner of the flesh.*
And he said unto me, Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God. (1 Nephi 11:18)

And the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb of God, even the Eternal Father!
And the angel said unto me, behold the Lamb of God, even the Son of the Eternal Father! (1 Nephi 11:21)

And I looked and beheld the Lamb of god, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Everlasting God, was judged of the world.
And I looked and beheld the Lamb of god, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the Everlasting God, was judged of the world. (1 Nephi 11:32)

These last records . . . . shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world.
These last records . . . . shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Son of the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world. (1 Nephi 13:40)
Original 1830 Text
1 Nephi 3, p. 32 These last records … shall make known to all kindreds, tongues, and people, that the Lamb of God is the Eternal Father and the Savior of the world.
Current Text
1 Nephi 11:32 And I looked and beheld the Lamb of God, that he was taken by the people; yea, the Son of the Everlasting God, was judged of the world.
etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/BooMorm.html
irr.org/mit/BOM/1830bom-p32.html

The King Follet Sermon By President Joseph Smith, Sunday, April 7, 1844. History of the Church, Volume 6, page 302.
God An Exalted Man
I will go back to the beginning before the world was, to show what kind of a being God is. God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! You have got to learn how to be gods yourselves. priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to anot! her, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation
A Council of the Gods
In the beginning, the head of the Gods called a council of the Gods; and they came together and concocted [prepared] a plan to create the world and people it. the word create came from the word baurau, which does not mean to create out of nothing; it means to organize; the same as a man would organize materials and build a ship. Hence we infer that God had materials to organize the world out of chaos - chaotic matter, which is element, and in which dwells all the glory. Element had an existence from the time He had.
The Immortal Intelligence
All learned men and doctors of divinity say that God created it in the beginning; but it is not so: the very idea lessens man in my estimation. I do not believe the doctrine; I know better. Hear it, all ye ends of the world; for God has told me so. The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is coequal [coeternal] with God himself. I know that my testimony is true. There never was a time when there were not spirits; for they are coequal [coeternal] with our Father in heaven. I might with boldness proclaim from the housetops that God never had the power to create the spirit of man at all. God himself could not create himself…Knowledge saves a man; and in the world of spirits no man can be exalted but by knowledge.
The Doctrine and Covenants states, “God is a glorified and perfected man, a personage of flesh and bones. Inside his tangible body is an eternal spirit.” (130:22)
Brigham Young wrote, “We cannot believe for a moment that God is destitute of body, parts, passions, or attributes.”
Brigham Young, the second president taught “That God the Father was once a man on another planet who ‘passed the ordeal we are now passing through. . .’”

utlm.org/onlineresources/sermons_talks_interviews/kingfolletsermon.htm
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Holy cow! I want to see that for myself! I can’t believe it… I mean I do… but dang! I knew there were changes but everyone told me it was just grammar corrections and whatnot…
 
LittleDeb said:
I would ask for an explanation of eternal progression. If (the LDS) god created only this universe, then who created the other universes? If the Heavenly Father (and Mother) were once human and progressed to godhood then are you worshipping them or are you worshipping the god who created them, or the god who created that god, or the god who created that god…and so on? Ask him when you get to worship the ONE, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omnipresent God fully made known through Sacred Scripture?
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That’s a good question. It is kind of confusing, if you think about it, and it doesn’t make me sound like I went looking for anti-mormon stuff, lol.
 
I would go with the eternal progression discussion. It can allow you to go a long way without “attacking” and thus allow you to get som eeye opening answers to a lot of questions without seeming offensive. Good seminary teachers like to “expound and exhort” and can go into great detail on this. You might ask about both directions on this. Going back into “heavenly Fathers” earth life equivalent and how he was exalted (who was his savior?) and also going forward. (if you become exalted and have spirit children of your own, who will atone for their sins?) You can spenda lot of time on this just seeming curious and get a lot answers (assuming they are truthful) that will show you that the LDS doctrine is wrong.
 
Isaiah 43:10 (King James Version)

Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

Isaiah 44:8 (King James Version)

Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses.** Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.**
 
majick275 said:
I would go with the eternal progression discussion. It can allow you to go a long way without “attacking” and thus allow you to get som eeye opening answers to a lot of questions without seeming offensive. Good seminary teachers like to “expound and exhort” and can go into great detail on this. You might ask about both directions on this. Going back into “heavenly Fathers” earth life equivalent and how he was exalted (who was his savior?) and also going forward. (if you become exalted and have spirit children of your own, who will atone for their sins?) You can spenda lot of time on this just seeming curious and get a lot answers (assuming they are truthful) that will show you that the LDS doctrine is wrong.
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Yeah, I think I will try to discuss that this time. Maybe if we get a little more comfortable talking about thi…what is your background education in religion other than “chat rooms”
 
Ask him where the “book of abraham” came from.

Smith supposedly “translated” it from a scroll he bought from a traveling antiques dealer. The scroll is real and it is still around, however it was nothing more than a burial scroll. Nothing at all do with what he claims was the basis of the book of
Abraham.

It has been throughly debunked.

Now you may hear them say that the scroll was just the inspiration for the book of Abraham. However clearly, and multiple, multiple times in Smith’s journal he says “I spent the afternoon translating the book of Abraham.”
 
Bump, you don’t have to go to anti-mormon arguments. You could do a bit of reading on church history. Ours and yours. In ours study the fathers like St. Justin and St. Ignatius of Antioch. They lived right after the apostles. Ignatius actually knew John personally. Then for mormon history I recommend No Man Knows My History by Fawn Brodie.
 
BumpSetSpike said:
Yeah, I think I will try to discuss that this time. Maybe if we get a little more comfortable talking about thi…what is your background education in religion other than “chat rooms”
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well, I used to teach LDS seminary…and gospel doctrine…and priesthood.(amongst other things) I was an EQP and a counselor in the bishopric prior to becoming Catholic. Since, I have served on a Catholic school advisory council, my wife has taught in catholic school and is currently teaching CCD at out parish.
 
majick275 said:
well, I used to teach LDS seminary…and gospel doctrine…and priesthood.(amongst other things) I was an EQP and a counselor in the bishopric prior to becoming Catholic. Since, I have served on a Catholic school advisory council, my wife has taught in catholic school and is currently teaching CCD at out parish.
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Sorry about that. I left the page up and my mom got a hold of it. Anywho thank you for the advice. I won’t be able to get on anymore! lol. Go figure. Oh well. It’s not that big of a deal, so talk to you all later!
 
BumpSetSpike said:
Sorry about that. I left the page up and my mom got a hold of it. Anywho thank you for the advice. I won’t be able to get on anymore! lol. Go figure. Oh well. It’s not that big of a deal, so talk to you all later!
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If you get to see this, we will miss you while you are gone Bump. Pray lots. Study everything you can get your hands on. Ask questions about everything. The True Church founded by Jesus will withstand any and all questions. Blessings. You remain in my prayers.
 
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