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PerfectAsIAm

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Post: 1841013_1 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 01:17:16 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 01:17:16 +0000

I would like to commemorate the occasion, as we approach the 6th anniversary and 1000th page of this thread. First with a bit of it's history:

In the beginning, this thread was created to redirect questions about Mormonism away from myself and towards people who actually wanted to answer them. It quickly evolved into something else entirely: a thread for people to debate about the authenticity of Mormonism itself. There has always been a combination of simple questions and longer arguments. But the thread has been defined by those heated debates. That is what has given it it's longevity.

As such, I would like to redefine the purpose of this thread to incorporate what it has become:

This is a thread for all types of discussion directly or indirectly pertaining to Mormonism or the history thereof.

PerfectAsIAm

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Post: 1841013_2 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 01:18:05 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 01:18:05 +0000

I am tired of having assumptions made about me due to something I wrote six years ago, when I was still very much a child. People change. And I certainly have. Allow me to express my current feelings about this thread.

The act of apology negates faith. If having faith is to believe something without knowing it (Alma 32:21, Heb 11:1) then the need to explain or prove your belief with knowledge is not in the spirit of faith. Any believer should simply be able to say “That is what I believe. I have faith, and that is enough for me.”

If one believes in faith, then there is no point in arguing, debating, or apologizing for the validity of one's beliefs. I do not understand the need to rationalize your beliefs to other people.

If there is one thing I have learned in the last six years it is that the surest way to lose faith is to research it—especially the history—with an inquisitive mind.

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Post: 1841013_4 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 01:24:32 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 01:24:32 +0000

"It has often and confidently been asserted, that man's origin can never be known: but ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, and not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science."

spaceholderspaceholderspaceholderspaceholderspaceholderspaceholderspaceholderspaceholder ~Charles Darwin

Whorable Jesus

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Post: 1841013_5 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:12:17 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:12:17 +0000

I've got a qestion, why do you ride bikes around, are cars evil or something?

Chaoschic

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Post: 1841013_6 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:16:33 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:16:33 +0000

DescendMeltdown

I've got a qestion, why do you ride bikes around, are cars evil or something?

I'm assuming that you are talking about our missionaries. Not all of them ride bikes. It depends on the area in which they are assigned. Some have cars. My brother used a car some of the time on his mission. Some of them also walk. It all depends on the rules of that area. It is also more cost efficient.

Cats for Missiles

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Post: 1841013_7 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:18:12 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:18:12 +0000

I was actually going to change my Mormon discussion into a question/answer thing...but I guess you have already started one. Good. I don't have much time lately anyways.

As to that question ^ Probably just because bikes are cheaper and they usually aren't traveling that far. Sometimes, they do have cars. I think that the women missionaries are usually the ones with cars. Not always.

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Post: 1841013_8 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:21:47 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:21:47 +0000

Also what are your views on sexual taboos like masturbation, underage sex, pre-marital sex, how bad are they according to you , and what is needed to be forgiven?

Chaoschic

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Post: 1841013_9 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:24:34 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 03:24:34 +0000

DescendMeltdown

Also what are your views on sexual taboos like masturbation, underage sex, pre-marital sex, how bad are they according to you , and what is needed to be forgiven?

All of these would require going to the bishop. He would decide with guidance what steps need to be taken for full forgiveness.

PerfectAsIAm

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Post: 1841013_10 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:08:05 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:08:05 +0000

DescendMeltdown

I've got a qestion, why do you ride bikes around, are cars evil or something?

LOL. They're just not as obvious in cars. But bikes are cheaper, and missionaries need excercise too. I'm only 17. I wont go on my mission till I'm 21. Guys go when they're 19. *shrugs* And not everyone goes on a mission. I intend to, though.

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Post: 1841013_11 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:09:23 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:09:23 +0000

Wow choaschic, that makes it sound intimidating. eek

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Post: 1841013_12 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:24:30 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:24:30 +0000

DescendMeltdown

Also what are your views on sexual taboos like masturbation, underage sex, pre-marital sex, how bad are they according to you , and what is needed to be forgiven?

We believe that sex is Sacred to Marraige, and that to treat it casually is wrong. It is not something to be given freely, or in affection. It is an act of love, and a part of the ssacredness of marraige. It is Sacred, because it results in the co-creation of life with God the Father, our creator. As such, we are also against masterbation, as it is demeaning towards the Sacredness of creating life. Underage relationships are a moot point, considering that we base it more upon marrage, and some people do get married that young.

Forgiveness is, as Chaoschic said, something one should talk with their Bishop about. But, as in all things regarding repentance, I would follow the answer given above:

Your Heavenly Father wants you to be happy. Sin, or wrongdoing, makes people unhappy, for "wickedness never was happiness" (The Book of Mormon, Alma 41:10).

Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father has provided a way for you to repent and be forgiven for things you have done wrong.

To repent, it is necessary to:

* Confess your sins to God.
* Feel sincere sorrow for your sins.
* Ask God to forgive you.
* Do all you can to correct the problems your actions may have caused.
* Turn away from your sins and not repeat them.
Through the Atonement of Christ, sincere repentance brings forgiveness and greater peace in this life. It prepares you to live with your Heavenly Father in the life to come

Sukebei

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Post: 1841013_13 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:29:00 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:29:00 +0000

*Comes in here to prove to MahiaStar that he saw the posts*

hey it's just like what happened in GD except they're more evil, and have pictures.... domokun domokun

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Post: 1841013_14 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:40:29 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:40:29 +0000

MahiaStar

Frequently Asked Questions about Mormonism

Q: Are you Christians?

A: Gordon B. Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said:

"We are Christians in a very real sense and that is coming to be more and more widely recognized. Once upon a time people everywhere said we are not Christians. They have come to recognize that we are, and that we have a very vital and dynamic religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ."

"We, of course, accept Jesus Christ as our Leader, our King, our Savior. The dominant figure in the history of the world, the only perfect Man who ever walked the earth, the living Son of the living God. He is our Savior and our Redeemer through whose atoning sacrifice has come the opportunity of eternal life."

"Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pray and worship in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the center of our faith and the head of our Church. The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ and witnesses of His divinity, His life, and His Atonement."

Q: Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a Christian church?

A: M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said:

"There are many who say that Latter-day Saints believe in a 'different Jesus' than do other Christians and that we are therefore not 'Christian.' . . . We believe in the Jesus of the New Testament, and we believe what the New Testament teaches about Him. We do believe things about Jesus that other Christians do not believe, but that is because we know, through revelation, things about Jesus that others do not know. . . .

"What we want most of all is for Christian and non-Christian alike to understand that we love the Lord Jesus Christ. We revere His name. We count it a great honor and privilege to take upon ourselves the name of Christ as Christians and as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Q: Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a Protestant church?

A: Gordon B. Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said:

"We are not an institution which has broken away from the Roman Catholic or any other church. We are not part of a reformation. We declare that this is a Restoration. The teachings and organization of the Church are as they were anciently."

Q: Does your Church believe that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior?

A: Marion G. Romney, a former member of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said:

“To obtain life eternal one must so humble and purify himself that he in fact receives through the power of the Holy Ghost a personal witness that God is his Eternal Father and that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and our personal Savior as well as the Redeemer of the world.”

Q: If I've done something really wrong, will God forgive me?

A: Repentance:
Your Heavenly Father wants you to be happy. Sin, or wrongdoing, makes people unhappy, for “wickedness never was happiness” (The Book of Mormon, Alma 41:10).

Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father has provided a way for you to repent and be forgiven for things you have done wrong.

To repent, it is necessary to:

* Confess your sins to God.
* Feel sincere sorrow for your sins.
* Ask God to forgive you.
* Do all you can to correct the problems your actions may have caused.
* Turn away from your sins and not repeat them.
Through the Atonement of Christ, sincere repentance brings forgiveness and greater peace in this life. It prepares you to live with your Heavenly Father in the life to come.

Q: Wasn't Christ's sacrifice alone sufficient to save me?

A: Atonement:
It is impossible to put into words the full meaning of the Atonement, which is the most important event in the history of the world. Through His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross, the Savior atoned for our sins. This is the good news for all people!

We can’t fully understand how Jesus suffered for our sins. But we know that in the Garden of Gethsemane, the weight of our sins caused Him to feel such agony that He bled from every pore (Luke 22:39–44).

Later, as He hung upon the cross, Jesus willingly suffered painful death by one of the most cruel methods ever known.

The Savior tells us:

For behold, I . . . have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer . . . even as I. [Doctrine and Covenants 19:16–17]

Jesus Christ did what only He could do in atoning for our sins. To make His Atonement fully effective in our individual lives, we must have faith in Christ, repent of our sins, be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, obey God's commandments, and strive to become like Him. As we do these things through His Atonement, we can return to live with Him and our Heavenly Father forever.

Q: What do You Believe About Jesus Christ?

A: Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is Heavenly Father’s Only Begotten Son in the flesh. He is our Redeemer. Through Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father has provided a way for all people to become like Him and return to live with Him forever.

We love Christ. We worship Christ. He is our example and our Savior.

Q: How is the Book of Mormon different from the Bible?

A: The Book of Mormon is another witness that Jesus Christ really lived, that He was and is God’s Son. It contains the writings of ancient prophets One of these, Lehi, lived in Jerusalem around 600 B.C. God commanded Lehi to lead a small group of people to the American continent. There they became a great civilization.

God continued to call prophets among these people. The Book of Mormon is a collection of the writings of their prophets and record keepers. It is named after Mormon, one of the last of these ancient prophets.

These prophets knew about Heavenly Father’s Plan for His children and the mission of Jesus Christ. They recorded that Christ appeared, after His Resurrection, to the people in America, taught them His gospel, and formed His Church among them. The book contains the teachings of Jesus Christ, testifying of His Atonement and His love. It supports and verifies the Bible

The Book of Mormon concludes with a great promise that those who read it and sincerely pray about it can know by the Holy Ghost that it is true (Moroni 10:4)

Q: What Do You Believe Happens After we Die?

A: Death is not the end. Death is really a beginning—another step forward in Heavenly Father’s plan for His children.

Someday, like everyone else, your life on Earth will end and your physical body will die. But your spirit will not die. At the time of physical death, your spirit will go to the spirit world, where you will continue to learn and progress.

Death is a necessary step in your progression, just as your birth was. Sometime after your death, your spirit and your body will be reunited—never to be separated again. This is called resurrection, and it was made possible by the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

All of this information was found on www.Mormon.org

You do know that there is archaelogical proof that the native americans, both north and south, came from Asia not the middle east, right?

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Post: 1841013_15 created on Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:46:32 +0000
Posted: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 04:46:32 +0000

Have you ever bothered to read the Book of Mormon? Not all the peoples who lived in the Book of Mormon era were from the middle east. Some were, obviously(pertaining to the Nephites, Lamanites, and Mulekites), but there were the occasional peoples you see for a chapter who the Nephites never knew where they were from...

So you could have a small core group (specific archaeological evidence points to the Olmecs as the Nephites) of people from the Middle East, with other various tribes from elsewhere around the world.

Also, in archaeological terms, Russia is considered asiatic... So there's a lot of mixed blood that's ALWAYS been in the Americas, just like today.

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