Thread: Mormonism

Originally Posted by Sandform

I just have to ask, do you believe in everything Joseph Smith wrote? Because he did write that men can become Gods...

I believe in everything he wrote when he was acting as a prophet. Prophets are imperfect men who are entitled to their own opinions outside of what is reviled to them by God. Some prophets had racist tendencies which are, of corse, not in line which church teachings. I've yet to read anything Joseph wrote that I disagree with, but there may well be some.

[Edit]

Didn't catch the second part of your post. Could you share the quote you mean?

Originally Posted by 27

I believe in everything he wrote when he was acting as a prophet. Prophets are imperfect men who are entitled to their own opinions outside of what is reviled to them by God. Some prophets had racist tendencies which are, of corse, not in line which church teachings. I've yet to read anything Joseph wrote that I disagree with, but there may well be some.

I don't own Mormon texts so I can't look it up but...

“God was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens.” (Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Aug. 1, 1844)(is this even a religious text?)

LDS Prophet Joseph Smith taught that God was once a mortal man:

"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. ...I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil,...

It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, ...and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did; ...you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another,... from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings. and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power" (History of the Church, Vol. 6, Ch. 14, p. 305-6).

He wrote this but I'm not certain what he actually incorporated into religion.

It could be a complete fictional narrative that he wrote (his family often said that he created wild stories). This leaves open the possiblity that people used his fictional stories to state what he believed.

Originally Posted by Sandform

(Joseph Smith, Times and Seasons, Aug. 1, 1844)(is this even a religious text?)

No this is not a religious text I found out. It was a monthly periodical. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_and_Seasons

Originally Posted by me

(History of the Church, Vol. 6, Ch. 14, p. 305-6).

A book by J. Smith. http://www.amazon.com/History-Church.../dp/0875794866

Sorry I keep trying to answer my own questions lol.

Heh, no problem, but like I said before, Joseph was entitled to his own opinion, but only the united voice of the First Presidency and the Twelve can establish official LDS doctrine. I don't know whether or not we will have an opportunity to become Gods after we die, but I do know that it is not an official doctrine of the church.

Ok. So we have established that considering Smith wrote a book stating that you could become a god, that you disagree with at least some of what he has said?

I also wanted to ask, if you pick some things to include, and some to exclude, can't anyone who is a Mormon just decide to exclude things that Smith said as truth?

BTW, please feel free to add information on important things I didn't cover, I have a hard time finding information about Mormon religion. It seems like a lot of it is tried to be kept inside of the constraints of the religious people (like for example the meaning of the underwear). Oh I forgot, you may have missed it cause I posted so many things, but what about the Oath that says if you speak of what the symbols mean you signify that you must now allow them to kill you. Does that oath actually exist, or have you had to take it?

Also do you have your own secret name? I hear they give you a secret name that only you are allowed to know.

I really appreciate the conversation your adding to the thread.

Originally Posted by Sandform

Ok. So we have established that considering Smith wrote a book stating that you could become a god, that you disagree with at least some of what he has said?

Well, first of all, Joseph never wrote a book. The quotation you used came from a book that quoted him, not from a book he wrote.

Originally Posted by Sandform

I also wanted to ask, if you pick some things to include, and some to exclude, can't anyone who is a Mormon just decide to exclude things that Smith said as truth?

Like I said, the opinions and thoughts of prophets are just that, opinions and thoughts. But if something is agree upon by the first presidency of the church and the 12 apostles, it become doctrinal, something no one could exclude.

Originally Posted by Sandform

BTW, please feel free to add information on important things I didn't cover, I have a hard time finding information about Mormon religion. It seems like a lot of it is tried to be kept inside of the constraints of the religious people (like for example the meaning of the underwear). Oh I forgot, you may have missed it cause I posted so many things, but what about the Oath that says if you speak of what the symbols mean you signify that you must now allow them to kill you. Does that oath actually exist, or have you had to take it?

Also do you have your own secret name? I hear they give you a secret name that only you are allowed to know.

I really appreciate the conversation your adding to the thread.

Like I said before, I have not been to the temple, and the ordinances that take place in a temple are considered to sacred to discuss. So even if I knew about the oaths, symbolism, and so on, I couldn't discuss it.

I'll get to your questions in my thread as soon as I can.

Originally Posted by 27

I'll get to your questions in my thread as soon as I can.

K thx =).

I know it takes a lot of time to talk about religious views because you don't want to say something that A doesn't accurately say what your trying to say and B can be misinterpreted into some ridiculous semantic debate.

Originally Posted by 27

[Edit]

Didn't catch the second part of your post. Could you share the quote you mean?

Sorry I have posted so much, what is it your asking me to do? I "think" that the post above mine gives you the quotes.

also clarified my last statements...

That may very well be, Sandform, but these records are (false) made on false accusations.

changed to

That may very well be, Sandform, but these records are false or made on false accusations.