What is the book of Mormon all about

[why_me]

From Mark Twain’s “Roughin’ It”:

Mark Twain and the bible:

BIBLE
It is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies.

• Letters from the Earth

The two Testaments are interesting, each in its own way. The Old one gives us a picture of these people’s Deity as he was before he got religion, the other one gives us a picture of him as he appeared afterward.

• Letters from the Earth

The Christian’s Bible is a drug store. Its contents remain the same; but the medical practice changes…The world has corrected the Bible. The church never corrects it; and also never fails to drop in at the tail of the procession- and take the credit of the correction. During many ages there were witches. The Bible said so. the Bible commanded that they should not be allowed to live. Therefore the Church, after eight hundred years, gathered up its halters, thumb-screws, and firebrands, and set about its holy work in earnest. She worked hard at it night and day during nine centuries and imprisoned, tortured, hanged, and burned whole hordes and armies of witches, and washed the Christian world clean with their foul blood.
Then it was discovered that there was no such thing as witches, and never had been. One does not know whether to laugh or to cry…There are no witches. The witch text remains; only the practice has changed. Hell fire is gone, but the text remains. Infant damnation is gone, but the text remains. More than two hundred death penalties are gone from the law books, but the texts that authorized them remain.

• “Bible Teaching and Religious Practice,” Europe and Elsewhere

When one reads Bibles, one is less surprised at what the Deity knows than at what He doesn’t know.

• Mark Twain’s Notebook

MarkTwain did not have the nicest of personalities.

 

[why_me]

Seriously, PLEASE explain how you can be both LDS and Catholic. TSuzuki also tried that trick. Since the beliefs are mutually exclusive in so many areas, this appears to be deceptive.

Well, I don’t know. I was born catholic, converted to mormonism and now attend Mass. I am both. Each church does not recognize the others baptism. So, I am still a catholic according to the catholic church and regardless if I attend mass, I am still considered lds.

It makes sense to me. :yup:

 

[Catholic20064]

Well, I don’t know. I was born catholic, converted to mormonism and now attend Mass. I am both. Each church does not recognize the others baptism. So, I am still a catholic according to the catholic church and regardless if I attend mass, I am still considered lds.

It makes sense to me. :yup:

It only makes sense to you. I would guess if the Catholic Church knew you were taking communion at the Mormon Church it would be a problem. I attend sacrament meeting with my family as well, but I don’t take the sacrament. It would be a sacrilege. I am actually looking forward to the day when I don’t feel any obligation to attend church with my family. It may happen soon.

 

[po18guy]

Born catholic, converted to the lds faith, and now attend Mass. But I can also attend the lds service. And since no one recognizes each others baptism, I can be both.

You sound confused. Either you believe in total apostasy, or that the other is a false religion. You want to be both fire and water. Since I cannot recall you ever defending the Catholic faith, and since you have ties with other LDS members, appear here when they do, and seem always to defend the LDS, It appears that the truth is you are LDS.

 

[ParkerD]

Hi again, SWPlan,
I appreciate your sincerity. I’ll take some time now to respond.

Joseph kept them hidden. His wife Emma, who wrote down some of the things Joseph read out of the hat, never saw the plates. Martin Harris also wrote things down for Joseph as he read out of the hat. Harris never saw the plates either.

Imagine if a thousand people knew you had a million dollar treasure that would be theirs for the taking if they could get it out of your hands. Would you keep such a treasure hidden, or start showing it around to everyone? If you knew many such people had guns and the lawfulness of the time was obscurely upheld, would you have a sense of needing to be careful?

Emma never denied her knowledge that Joseph had received the golden plates, and translated from them. When she acted as scribe, I don’t think he was using the seer stone and the hat with a hole in it that was used to block out sunlight and candle light so that he could see the words on the seer stone without a glare.

Martin Harris did see the plates, and testified of the truthfulness of Joseph’s account, even though his wife mistrusted the whole situation and wanted proofs herself.

From what I know Joseph revealed the plates to a few people as he was instructed by Moroni (if the plates existed).

It is a little strange that Joseph had them, translated them, but kept them hidden from people who wanted to believe in them and then they were stolen… odd.

The plates were never stolen. What was lost was an early part of the translation, because of Martin Harris’ wife and Martin’s having trusted her even though he had promised Joseph that he would keep the translation in his possession and keep it safe. Joseph learned a lot from that experience about needing to be even more careful than he had been.

The contents of the ‘Book of Mormon’ is said to have been on the plates, but at least one book Joseph was forbidden to translate because Martin Harris took a page to show his wife and she hid it. She wanted Joseph to translate it again to verify that he was actually reading from a source that was hidden in his hat. Joseph went to pray and then came back and told Harris that God was very angry that he had taken the page away and as a consequence Joseph would never be able to translate from that book again.

What was lost was a 116-page historical text about Lehi’s family and the early history of their doings in the New World. Joseph learned that that part of the record was not necessary, since there were spiritually inspiring writings that covered the same time period and were prepared for reasons known to God, which are what we now have. Within those writings is a dream you may be interested in about the tree of life.

I think the LDS argument is that God wanted people to believe in it, not because they had seen the plates, but because of its divine authority.

Yes. God does not work by signs and outward proofs, of course. Otherwise there would be no such thing as an atheist nor but one religion on the face of the earth.

I’ll add more later. 'Got to go. Thanks for your inquisitive heart and mind.

 

[ricko]

I think that you better read it again. The gentiles heard his voice? I don’t think so. The gentiles heard his word but not voice. The other sheep according to lds doctrine would include the book of mormon peoples. The verse begins by stating: And other sheep I have which are not of this fold… A little change of direction of the previous verses. My point: verses can be interpretated and the lds have an interpretation.

Amazing. From your very own link that you provided it states that the “other sheep” are the gentiles. I think you had better read it again.

Before the LDS, before the BOM and before that rascal Joseph Smith ever existed that verse has always been interperted correctly as referring to the gentiles. Every bible scholar has interperted that verse that way and still does. Only, only the apostatized Mormon LDS reads that verse as referring to the non-existent people of the BOM.

 

[po18guy]

Amazing. From your very own link that you provided it states that the “other sheep” are the gentiles. I think you had better read it again.

Before the LDS, before the BOM and before that rascal Joseph Smith ever existed that verse has always been interperted correctly as referring to the gentiles. Every bible scholar has interperted that verse that way and still does. Only, only the apostatized Mormon LDS reads that verse as referring to the non-existent people of the BOM.

Its the best evidence they have.

 

[GodIsGracious]

Its the best evidence they have.

I remember in the late 70’s and early 80’s there were commercials by the Mormons to recruit. I remember the commercial using this line. My mom would laugh and say, “They don’t even know what they are talking about.” Then she’d tell me that’s not what that line meant. It was referring to the gentiles.

I also laughed at their use of the phrase, “Ancient America.”

 

[po18guy]

I remember in the late 70’s and early 80’s there were commercials by the Mormons to recruit. I remember the commercial using this line. My mom would laugh and say, “They don’t even know what they are talking about.” Then she’d tell me that’s not what that line meant. It was referring to the gentiles. I also laughed at their use of the phrase, “Ancient America.”

As well, it is obvious that their efforts here are predatory, in violation of forum rules. Try this: go to www.southparkstudios.com and type “Mormons” into the search block. There is an animated episode (caution: some crude and vulgar language) which, in the flashbacks, breaks down the foundation of the LDS faith. It is the most easily understood explanation I have seen. We can only pray for them.

 

[SonofMonica]

Well, I don’t know. I was born catholic, converted to mormonism and now attend Mass. I am both. Each church does not recognize the others baptism. So, I am still a catholic according to the catholic church and regardless if I attend mass, I am still considered lds.

It makes sense to me. :yup:

As much as I hate to say it, it’s about the only thing on this thread that has made sense to me so far. If a baptized Catholic starts going to a protestant worship service and joins its parish, he is still Catholic. So I guess from a LDS perspective, the same is true for them. Then again, I guess that’s always true from a LDS perspective since they have the advantage of being able to baptize folks after they’ve died in another religion, right?

 

[GodIsGracious]

As well, it is obvious that their efforts here are predatory, in violation of forum rules.

Which is why I asked ParkerD and others why, REALLY, are they here. I knew he’d say he wanted to “correct misconceptions.” They never ASK about the Catholic faith. All they do is rationalize, justify, and as with Joseph Smith’s “interpretations” of these phantom mystical plates, much of their explanations seemed to be pulled out of a hat.

There is no discussion going on, just a constant barrage and long winded explanations of the Mormon “faith.”

Try this: go to: www.southparkstudios.com and type “Mormons” into the search block. There is an animated episode (caution: some crude and vulgar language) which, in the flashbacks, breaks down the foundation of the LDS faith. It is the most easily understood explanation I have seen.

I think I know what episode that one is. I’ll have to check it out. I do like “South Park.”

 

[yubasux95901]

The Book of Mormon was written in the late 1800s by a man named Joseph Smith Jr., who is considered to be the founder of Mormonism. The simple, short version of how the book came to be is that an angel named Moroni came down, showed him some golden tablets, and told him to record what was written on them. He did so, and the results became the Book of Mormon. He is believed to be the last great prophet, and the book is regarded as an essential supplement to the Bible. Many people of the Mormon faith memorize the teachings that are in the book because it is regarded as being completely historically accurate and is a main pillar in their faith.

 

[Mike1886]

What I spectated is when the lds people get stumped with a question they take a long while before they respond back. These guys probably write this questions down go to their elder and make up a story to cover it. WOW!

 

[GodIsGracious]

What I spectated is when the lds people get stumped with a question they take a long while before they respond back. These guys probably write this questions down go to their elder and make up a story to cover it. WOW!

Hey, Mike, welcome to the forums!

 

[po18guy]

The Book of Mormon was written in the late 1800s by a man named Joseph Smith Jr., who is considered to be the founder of Mormonism. The simple, short version of how the book came to be is that an angel named Moroni came down, showed him some golden tablets, and told him to record what was written on them. He did so, and the results became the Book of Mormon. He is believed to be the last great prophet, and the book is regarded as an essential supplement to the Bible. Many people of the Mormon faith memorize the teachings that are in the book because it is regarded as being completely historically accurate and is a main pillar in their faith.

Have you watched the South Park episode regarding it? It’s totally pop-culture crude, but accurate in its flashback story. You and I can see the utter improbability of JS’s story, but many have been lead astray, as Jesus predicted. Their favorite hunting ground is Catholic territory, as so we often see them here. This is not a happy place for them, however.

 

[po18guy]

What I spectated is when the lds people get stumped with a question they take a long while before they respond back. These guys probably write this questions down go to their elder and make up a story to cover it. WOW!

Most of them are young missionaries, trying to gain converts. This is, of course, against forum rules, but it is no sin for them to lie or deceive in the name of the faith. It shows.

 

[po18guy]

Which is why I asked ParkerD and others why, REALLY, are they here. I knew he’d say he wanted to “correct misconceptions.” They never ASK about the Catholic faith. All they do is rationalize, justify, and as with Joseph Smith’s “interpretations” of these phantom mystical plates, much of their explanations seemed to be pulled out of a hat.

There is an artificial nature to their wide-eyed happiness. I think you and I both know why.

There is no discussion going on, just a constant barrage and long winded explanations of the Mormon “faith.”

Unfortunately for the truth, the Catholic Church is their main hunting ground.

 

[GodIsGracious]

Have you watched the South Park episode regarding it? It’s totally pop-culture crude, but accurate in its flashback story. You and I can see the utter improbability of JS’s story, but many have been lead astray, as Jesus predicted. Their favorite hunting ground is Catholic territory, as so we often see them here. This is not a happy place for them, however.

I just saw it and

 

[Mike1886]

Hey, Mike, welcome to the forums!

Thanks GodisGracious. Nice to meet you guys.

 

[mjf001]

Well, I don’t know. I was born catholic, converted to mormonism and now attend Mass. I am both. Each church does not recognize the others baptism. So, I am still a catholic according to the catholic church and regardless if I attend mass, I am still considered lds.

It makes sense to me. :yup:

There can only be one truth. Either the Mormons are true, one of the protestant sects, the Jews, or the Church Christ founded, the Catholic Church. One truth. Not everyone can be correct. Only one group is right. I converted to the Catholic church because I believed it was right. I left the LDS faith because I became convinced it was wrong.

Can the other groups have pieces of the truth? Of course, but only one group has the fullness of the truth. I received a witness, backed up by reason, that the Catholic Church is the true church of God.

With all due respect. It doesn’t matter whether neither church recognizes each other’s baptisms. That’s a specious argument. Both churches would reject that you can be “in communion” with both faiths, while affirming the creeds of both. Not that I’ve ever seen you affirm anything but LDS beliefs in any thread you responded to.

In matters of faith, you can’t sit on the fence. I pray you come home to the true church of God.