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Originally Posted by FancyFeast5000
I know nothing about Mormonism, other than they have a good choir in Utah.
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Well, thanks for that. Yes, it is a very "good choir."
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Is it true that Mormons believe in multiple gods? Is there one supreme god and other lesser gods?
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Some people accuse us of being polytheistic, and this is probably because we do not accept the creedal definitions of God (i.e. the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed, etc.).
We definitely do believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost, but we see them as being physically distinct from one another. We see their unity as being a "oneness of will, purpose, power and glory," but not of "substance." We believe that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost share the name of "God" and function as "God," working together as "one," in a state of absolute harmony and perfect unity. We believe that all three existed "in the beginning", i.e. at the time our universe was created. We believe the Father to be the supreme member of the Godhead, the Son (or the Word) to be our Savior and Redeemer, and the Holy Ghost to be the comforter and revelator. Because we see them as three individuals, each of whom can rightfully be called "God," people say we believe in multiple gods. We also believe that the Father is the "supreme God," which is exactly what the Bible teaches.
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Where are people getting all this information about blacks, etc.?
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Probably from anti-Mormon websites. For a number of years, the LDS Church held what I believe to have been a doctrine rooted in racism: Black men were not permitted to hold the Church's lay priesthood. (They actually were able to do so during the early years of Mormonism, but there were many years when a ban was in place.) During the period of time when they could not hold the priesthood, Blacks were allowed to join the Church, and never in our 182-year history have we had segregated congregations. A big part of the reason the early Mormons were driven out of Missouri was that they were so opposed to slavery; obviously, in a southern state, this didn't go over well. Still, the policy -- while it existed -- can only be described as discriminatory. At any rate, the ban was lifted in 1978, and since then, Blacks have had every single solitary right and privilege in the Church as Whites. Interracial marriage is also accepted.
As far as Blacks being considered "cursed angels" or anything of the sort, this is not what we believe. And during the years when many Christians justified their horrible behavior towards Black people by saying that they didn't have a human soul, the LDS Church never taught this. As a matter of fact, Joseph Smith, founder of the Church, once stated his opinion about Black people, and pointed out that the only reason that they were not as culturally and intellectually advanced as Whites was the lack of opportunity. (This would have been in the 1830s, by the way.)
"Change their situation with the whites," he said, "and they would be like them." The racist policy began with Brigham Young, who was unfortunately a product of his culture and apparently didn't rise above it in this regard.
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How is Mormonism different from "other" Christian religions? Is there no difference?
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There are many differences between Mormonism and other Christian denominations, but there are also a great many similarities. Here's what I can tell you about what Mormons believe about Jesus Christ specifically. There is not, in this list of 20 key items, a single statement that is in opposition to the beliefs of traditional Christians.
1. He was the Only Begotten Son of God.
2. He was with His Father "in the beginning."
3. Under His Father's direction, He was the Creator of our universe.
4. His birth was prophesied of by the Old Testament prophets.
5. He was conceived by and born to a virgin in the small middle-eastern village of Bethlehem.
6. He lived a perfect life, never once sinning.
7. At about 30 years of age, He began His roughly three-year earthly ministry.
8. He taught a gospel of love, mercy, charity and forgiveness.
9. He called and ordained twelve men to be His "Apostles."
10. He performed many miracles, such as feeding several thousand with a few fish and a few loaves of bread, turning water into wine, calming the elements by merely saying, "Peace, be still," walking on water, giving sight to the blind, healing the lame, curing the leper, and even bringing a man who had been dead for days back to life.
11. He told His Apostles that He was going to establish His Church.
12. He was denied three times by one of His Apostles and betrayed to His enemies by another.
13. He suffered excruciating pain on our behalf, taking upon Himself our sins that we might be forgiven of them and allowed Himself to be tortured to death to save us.
14. He forgave even those who put Him to death.
15. His body lay in a borrowed tomb for three days after His death, after which time, He took it up again and was the first individual ever to be resurrected.
16. He appeared as a resurrected being to His Apostles and to several woman disciples on what has come to be known as the first "Easter."
17. He spent an additional forty days among His Apostles and disciples before then ascending into Heaven where He reigns at His Father's side today.
18. He will someday return to the Earth to reign for a thousand years.
19. When that time comes, He will stand with us as we appear before God to be judged, and will be our Mediator.
20. Because of His unimaginable love for us, He has made it possible for each of us to be resurrected and to live forever in the presence of God.
Basically, the reason for our existance can be summed up as follows: We believe that Jesus Christ established His Church as a part of His ministry. We believe that after His death and the deaths of His Apostles, men changed that Church. We believe that He has reestablished it in this day and age.