So going to my point — why are the qualifications for entry into the ancient temple, which are no different with the temples now, such a problem to understand?
What do you think I meant in post #66?
You have no disagreement from me on that point.
Who says I was referring to the OP?
Someone must have been removed along with their posts.
Well, I think a living prophet would answer the question. Kind of, at least.
It’s one of those things that makes me look on the diversification of Mormonism with some approval- meaning, in and around Provo, Utah, things are going to be a lot more strictly orthoprax in general while in some other parts of the US or overseas, certain things won’t be adhered to as strictly. And rather than label these people as bad Mormons, maybe they can be seen as a slightly different expression of Mormonism. Or- rather than look at them as apostates, maybe it’s more like Orthodox Jews compared with Ultra-Orthodox Jews. I tend to look on it with approval when (imo) silly teachings are not adhered to, but I do realize the same principle can easily be applied to teachings that are not silly. Being a mixed bag as it is, it will be interesting to see how Mormon presidents and Quorum members handle those trends in the future.
Very true I have to agree with being raised momon they have a strong community. When I go to mass nobody really says hi hows your family nothing. In the LDS they are always there helping each other with it be moving or projects. I am glad that I went to RCIA but I have to say the mormons do have a way tighter community with in them selfs.
I have to agree with Army. Even my priest and deacon agree that as catholics, we are lacking in the love thy neighbor catergory. We are not a well put unit.
We are deployed right now also. You guys just got back right?
I am no longer in the Army. My old unit got back not to long ago. I was a 67 Romeo at the time (Apache Maintenence) They have come and gone a few times since 9/11.
Personally, I find LDS apologetics fascinating for this very reason. A few years back I was perusing an ex-LDS website that had lots of gripping stories. I read of one account where a missionary lost his LDS faith after reading about the Adam-God doctrine. As in, he had no idea it ever existed before some guy whose door he knocked on told him about it.Your church manuals have changed! I quoted from two of them from the 1970’s. The context is what I told you, as I was taught from these manuals. I had no doubt at that time, whatsoever, that exaltation meant billions of spirit children who would need a planet to live on, and a God to worship. (Which isn’t the heavenly mother of course, but would be the husband.)
But you can just keep pretending that your church never taught these things.
Ha, yeah, I’ve heard all of those, and more. There’s a really old one that says Mormons kidnap women to make them their polygamist wives. The women sometimes escape by jumping out a window of the SLC temple, into the Great Salt Lake. If you’ve never been to SLC, the SLC Mormon temple is miles from the lake!
The JWs consider us to be cannibals if we say that we eat the flesh of Christ.
Yeah, I have met some very sheltered mormons who believe all sorts of strange things about the world and people in it. As far as ‘persecution’ goes, I really have very little to complain about. I’ve read stories of real persecution. Never had a loved one killed, never been a victim of bigoted violence, never been treated like a 2nd class citizen (except once or twice by individuals at various christian-based homeschool co-ops).
I can’t’ answer for the JWs; but the best answer from a Mormon perspective is to put yourself in the situation of someone asking that question in the early days of Islam. Why would someone in the early days of Islam, or in the days of the Prophet Muhammad, want to be a Muslim? It had no “spiritual tradition” as yet. It was a young religion. Spiritual traditions take time to develop. Your question amounts to saying, “A religion is not worth joining until it is old!” Well that is silly. If a religion is true, it is worth joining at any stage in its history. If it is not true, then it is not worth joining at any stage in its history.
Mormonism fails both.
+1.
That is one possible perspective, obviously. I am not denying that. What I am saying is that the criteria by which he is trying to judge a religion is not the right one—whether it is Mormonism or something else.