bethw said:
Joseph Smith died at a young age because he was murdered by a mob. This was during an illegal incarceration when he was supposed to be protected by the law.
There were several men who wrongly claimed the right to lead the Church after Joseph Smith's death. The Church has 12 men who serve as apostles, just as in the time of Christ. The senior apostle always follows as the next prophet, and president of the Church. At that time, that man was Brigham Young.
Hebrews tells us that there is no longer a need for a prophet because Christ has spoken the last words, which also contradicts the need for the Book of Mormon.
Plural marriage/polygamy has been permitted at some times in history, and at some times not. It was in practice during the days of Jacob/Israel, but not during the days of the Book of Mormon. It was in practice in the 1800s, but not today. We don't really know why. The polygamists that you hear about in the news, are not of our church.
Define "permitted". Certainly not by God!! Just because acts are described in a narrative account (ie, Genesis) does not mean that God permitted such things. Polygamy in the OT never ended well which means it was never condoned or blessed by God. So, how can the founding men of the LDS church (Smith & Young) have plural marriages, but then now it's condemned? Does God change His mind?
We also do not know why Blacks were not permitted to receive the priesthood until the 70's. Any reason you may hear, is only someone's guess. I do know that it was earnestly prayed for by the leaders of the Church, and when it happened, we all rejoiced. During the days of the Old Testament, the priesthood was only given to certain groups. We don't know why.
Blacks were not accepted into the priesthood because the dark skin was a sign of God's curse, which was initially given to Cain.
I don't know that Joseph Smith ever said Black people were inferior. IF he did, it would be because in the 1800s, that was the common opinion. Black people have never been denied membership. Never. They have always been welcomed to worship in the LDS Church, regardless of race, even during the racially bigoted days of our country's history. There are many Black people who are members of our faith. In fact, in Africa, the conversion rate is high.
Maybe never denied membership, but denied priesthood...and in LDS theology that makes them inferior.
I'm just coming into this thread and I saw some interesting things on the first page that I just thought I'd sum up my thoughts on. The young man who is going to be a missionary said that we all worship the same Jesus & God but we just have different views about them. Ummmm...then that's not the same!
Christians worship a triune God that is one being made up of three persons - Father, Son, Holy Spirit. They are all co-eternal and co-equal. That is WHO and WHAT God is! If you change that, then it's not God. Period. You can't have a Jesus that was created (LDS doctrine) and a Jesus that is eternal (Trinitarian Christianity) and call them the same. They're completely different Jesus's.
Another comment was that "Mormons are Christians" too. Sorry, no you're not. Now this doesn't mean that you're a "bad" person, but it does mean that you don't fit the definition of a Christian. Mormons do not believe in grace alone by faith alone salvation, they do not believe that Jesus is fully God and co-eternal and co-equal w/ the Father, and they do not believe that the Bible is infallible and sufficient. The denial of those 3 beliefs alone disqualify you, by definition, of being a Christian. Furthermore, official Mormon authorities never claimed that evangelical Christians and Mormons were one in the same. Bruce McKonckie refuted that idea several times.
What about in 1 Nephi 14:10 that states:
"And he said to me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is a the whore of all the earth." Now, every LDS member I've heard acknowledges that the LDS church is the "one, true church" and they are the church of the "Lamb of God" referred to here in this passage - so that leaves everyone else (not Mormon) in the "church of the devil", doesn't it?
It was even in Joseph Smith's vision that he was supposedly told by God that none of the churches were correct and that he would show him a new one, so how come now, all of the sudden, Mormons are associating themselves as the church (Christians) that God supposedly told Smith to avoid altogether because they were all apostate and the LDS church is the only "reformed" church??
I don't have time to post them right now, but I will probably start another thread sometime to establish them. Once you see these "ground rules" and actually understand them, you will find out that around 95% of the anti-Mormon garbage out there is not relevant and bunk.