Mormonism

[Biblereader]

Is there a post in here with information on Mormonism?

And, is there a topic in here which will give me an idea as to WHERE in the US
the posters in here are?

Do we have more east coast, west coast, or mid westerners?
More southerners or northerners?

 

[Rick W]

Is there a post in here with information on Mormonism?

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=20832&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

viewtopic.php?f=20&t=31831

You could also do an advanced search for mormonism in "Christianity & Other Religions"

 

[Barbara Allan]

East Coast, inland, closer to Lake Erie than the Atlantic. Kind of like East Ohio.

What do you want to know about Mormonism? One psychiatrist here is a Mormon, Nice guy, kind of bland. They don't call it "The Tapioca of World Religions" for nothing.

 

[Biblereader]

I'd never heard it called tapioca.

What do you know about Mormonism? Share!

What do they think of Jesus Christ, and how to live eternally in Heaven?

 

[Barbara Allan]

I'd never heard it called tapioca.

What do you know about Mormonism? Share!

What do they think of Jesus Christ, and how to live eternally in Heaven?

Mormons are not Orthodox Christians, but, in seeking to recruit those from evangelical traditions, they seem to at times pretend to be. They call Jesus "Brother Jesus" just as they call each other "brothers" and "sisters". They are not Trinitarians. They believe God the Father was once a man and the greatest Mormon men will become as gods. They believe all had a "pre-existence"- they are radically pronatal-that is they seek to have many children-to bring more souls over here quicker. After death they believe all go to a "spirit world". After judgment-presumably some thousands of years hence-all go to one of three Kingdoms: the Celestial Kingdom (of the stars), the Telestial Kingdom (of the moon) and the Terrestrial Kingdom (of the earth). Generally those rank 1,2,3. The horrendously evil go to "Outer Darkness". While based on a combination of evangelical tradition, freemasonry, and mysticism, you can see it is not a particularly "Christian" cosmology and (what's the one about eternal life-Eschatology?). They claim however to be a Christian sect. The Religious scholar Karen Armstrong has theorized that in the future Mormonism will evolve into a "fourth Abrahamic Religion" (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the three present Abrahamic faiths in that they descend from Abraham's Covenant with God).

 

[Barbara Allan]

BTW, that "Tapioca of World Religions" metaphor means they're bland. They advocate a middle class spirituality fraught with optimism.

 

[Biblereader]

Mormons are not Orthodox Christians, . They are not Trinitarians. They believe God the Father was once a man and the greatest Mormon men will become as gods. They believe all had a "pre-existence"- they are radically pronatal-that is they seek to have many children-to bring more souls over here quicker. .

I knew that.

What I didn't know was this: While based on a combination of evangelical tradition, freemasonry, and mysticism,

Please explain the freemasonry link, and tell which branch of mysticism Mormons are friends with.

 

[Barbara Allan]

Mormons are not Orthodox Christians, . They are not Trinitarians. They believe God the Father was once a man and the greatest Mormon men will become as gods. They believe all had a "pre-existence"- they are radically pronatal-that is they seek to have many children-to bring more souls over here quicker. .

I knew that.

What I didn't know was this: While based on a combination of evangelical tradition, freemasonry, and mysticism,

Please explain the freemasonry link, and tell which branch of mysticism Mormons are friends with.

Masonry has a ritual which provides a series of moral lessons; Joseph Smith incorporated that as well as hand signs and symbols to create a new religion. He was a Mason, and Masons say he "stole the secrets of masonry to create a new religion" but that's a matter of judgment. Mormons tend to stand on their own; they call Non-Mormons "Gentiles" like the Hebrews in the Bible called non-Hebrews. They tend to believe in things like psychic healing, teleportation, etc. but don't publish it; they kind of frame it in a bland middle-class exterior. It's like New Age except New Agers tend to be dreamers and independent while Mormons get their orders from their hierarchy.

 

[Rick W]

He was a Mason, and Masons say he "stole the secrets of masonry to create a new religion" but that's a matter of judgment.

If you mean judgment in that he "stole the secrets of masonry"....

Masonary has been around a lot longer than Joseph Smith.
I lived in Salt lake City for 14 years before I moved back to Pa a couple years ago. Much of that time was spent evangelising, debating and just talking to Mormons. I've seen smuggled clips of a lot of their ceremonies during those years.
Also I was a Mason but quit in '85 before I went to Utah seeking employment. I can assure you there is no judgment call concerning Smith's use of Masonic traditions in ceremonies. Smith copied a lot of the Masonic hand signs, hand shakes, gestures and even some of their teachings and symbols.

 

[waitinontheLamb]

Biblereader;

I am an ex-mormon. I was married in a mormon temple and served in many capacities. Actually came out and ended up falling back into it's snare at one point. Have been free of it's claws for about two years now, and for good.

Any specifics you would like to know?

 

[eagertolearn]

That's interesting Potluck. I have a lad working here with me that was married in the Mormon Church and is heavy into it. Question...does the average Mormon church goer realize they belong to a church that is not Christian and is considered a cult or are they oblivious to it? Were you aware? Is the stuff mentioned above true?

 

[Barbara Allan]

That's interesting Potluck. I have a lad working here with me that was married in the Mormon Church and is heavy into it. Question...does the average Mormon church goer realize they belong to a church that is not Christian and is considered a cult or are they oblivious to it? Were you aware? Is the stuff mentioned above true?

How do you define a "cult" other than as a religion you don't believe in?

 

[Biblereader]

Biblereader;

I am an ex-mormon. I was married in a mormon temple and served in many capacities. Actually came out and ended up falling back into it's snare at one point. Have been free of it's claws for about two years now, and for good.

Any specifics you would like to know?

Yes, why did you like Mormonism, and what religion are you now?
What drew you into, and back, into Mormonism
What is the best thing to say to these door knockers who come around trying to
convert me to their blasphemous religion?
What is a tripper upper reply, or question, to a Mormon?

 

[Biblereader]

That's interesting Potluck. I have a lad working here with me that was married in the Mormon Church and is heavy into it. Question...does the average Mormon church goer realize they belong to a church that is not Christian and is considered a cult or are they oblivious to it? Were you aware? Is the stuff mentioned above true?

How do you define a "cult" other than as a religion you don't believe in?

I think a good def of a cult, is, a group of people who follow a MAN, (or woman) unquestioningly, and where the practices involve promiscuous sex. Maybe taking drugs, too.
Simple definition.
Muslims follow their imam and have many sexual relations besides wife ones,
hindus have extramarital sex, and do not question their leader
mormons don't question their leaders, and they have extra wives

In short, any person who bull dozes people into believing HE has all the answers, and
then he ends up making them do things unbiblical, non-New Testament.

 

[Biblereader]

Potluck, what's up with the hand signs, anyways?

He was a Mason, and Masons say he "stole the secrets of masonry to create a new religion" but that's a matter of judgment.

If you mean judgment in that he "stole the secrets of masonry"....

Masonary has been around a lot longer than Joseph Smith.
I lived in Salt lake City for 14 years before I moved back to Pa a couple years ago. Much of that time was spent evangelising, debating and just talking to Mormons. I've seen smuggled clips of a lot of their ceremonies during those years.
Also I was a Mason but quit in '85 before I went to Utah seeking employment. I can assure you there is no judgment call concerning Smith's use of Masonic traditions in ceremonies. Smith copied a lot of the Masonic hand signs, hand shakes, gestures and even some of their teachings and symbols.

 

[Barbara Allan]

That's interesting Potluck. I have a lad working here with me that was married in the Mormon Church and is heavy into it. Question...does the average Mormon church goer realize they belong to a church that is not Christian and is considered a cult or are they oblivious to it? Were you aware? Is the stuff mentioned above true?

How do you define a "cult" other than as a religion you don't believe in?

I think a good def of a cult, is, a group of people who follow a MAN, (or woman) unquestioningly, and where the practices involve promiscuous sex. Maybe taking drugs, too.
Simple definition.
Muslims follow their imam and have many sexual relations besides wife ones,
hindus have extramarital sex, and do not question their leader
mormons don't question their leaders, and they have extra wives

In short, any person who bull dozes people into believing HE has all the answers, and
then he ends up making them do things unbiblical, non-New Testament.

Ah. So members of "The Christian Coalition" are members of the Cult of Ralph Reed?

 

[Rick W]

Potluck, what's up with the hand signs, anyways?

A couple examples:
Masons are sworn to secrecy. Thay are not allowed to speak about it with non-masons.
One gesture used during the oath of secrecy is the cutting of the throat if a mason is caught doing so. The thumb is placed under one ear with the other fingers outward. The thumb is then drawn across the throat to the other ear, "cut from ear to ear".
Another is disembowelment, the cutting open of the abdomen. It's pretty much the same gesture used in the same oath to secrecy. The Mormons use exactly the same ones.
There are various handshakes but a prominant one is called the lion's grip where each grabs the forearm of the other. This one is used mostly in a gesture of recognition as one brother to another.

The symbols used are the same such as the square, ruler and compass. These masonic symbols are stitched into a mormon's "garment" worn under the clothes.
Also there is no support or even mention for these symbols, gestures and ceremonies in any of their accepted scripture. It's all passed on from member to member by word of mouth as the masons do. I also believe some if not most of Joseph Smith's problems back then were due to his "borrowing" of masonic rites and rituals. The masons would not be at all happy about this. And back then things were taken much more seriously than they are today. But neither side would be at all willing to admit it.

 

[Rick W]

Barbara,
I have a feeling where you're going with that line of thought but Mormonism is not accepted as christianity regardless if one wants to consider them a cult or not.
A better term for mormonism may be a present-day culture that is not accepted as christian in nature. Besides, even Gordon Hinckley, one of their "prophets" admited their Jesus is not the same Jesus of traditional christianity at a semi-annual conference in Salt Lake City while I was living there.

 

[Barbara Allan]

Barbara,
I have a feeling where you're going with that line of thought but Mormonism is not accepted as christianity regardless if one wants to consider them a cult or not.
A better term for mormonism may be a present-day culture that is not accepted as christian in nature. Besides, even Gordon Hinckley, one of their "prophets" admited their Jesus is not the same Jesus of traditional christianity at a semi-annual conference in Salt Lake City while I was living there.

I think it is true Mormons are unorthodox and not specifically in a Christian tradition. That is not however the same as being a cult. "a religion with which I disagree" is not a correct definition for a cult.

 

[Barbara Allan]

Also there is no support or even mention for these symbols, gestures and ceremonies in any of their accepted scripture. It's all passed on from member to member by word of mouth as the masons do. I also believe some if not most of Joseph Smith's problems back then were due to his "borrowing" of masonic rites and rituals. The masons would not be at all happy about this. And back then things were taken much more seriously than they are today. But neither side would be at all willing to admit it.

It was said that just prior to his death Smith gave the Grand Hailing Sign of Distress (he was killed in an antimormon riot/range war/guerilla action/etc.).