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Its not about "knowing more" its about being outside of the church and being able to walk around the building to better describe it. All views, all models, are better than a few. That means the ones "stuck out side", like me, have to go in and have a "look-a-about".
Actually, every time a new temple is dedicated anywhere in the world, there is an open house for the general public prior to its dedication. Right now, there is an LDS temple under construction in several US cities, among them Indianapolis, IN; Philadelphia, PA and Hartford, CT. Depending upon public interest, these open houses generally run from about a week long to a month long. You are taken into every room an LDS temple-goer will see when he or she goes to the temple. Missionaries are on hand to answer questions.
Just an early on mod cut to remind everyone that while the OP is a valid one, ANY religious bashing will NOT be tolerated, and will be infracted for. We're looking for fair and constrictive debate and discourse!
Thanks!!!
~June
Thanks for the reminder. Honestly...not my intention.
Actually, every time a new temple is dedicated anywhere in the world, there is an open house for the general public prior to its dedication. Right now, there is an LDS temple under construction in several US cities, among them Indianapolis, IN; Philadelphia, PA and Hartford, CT. Depending upon public interest, these open houses generally run from about a week long to a month long. You are taken into every room an LDS temple-goer will see when he or she goes to the temple. Missionaries are on hand to answer questions.
Moi? Wow, there's something so special about being "everyone's favorite Mormon poster" when you're the only Mormon poster.
I know I've seen a few others identify themselves as LDS in the past..can't remember who they were (I think one was male).
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Okay... Even though we definitely do have a great many things in common with other Christians, we also have some beliefs that are entirely different from those of most Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Protestants. I'll just begin by listing them and explaining them briefly, but not elaborating on any of them. Then, if you or anyone else would like to explore any of them in greater detail, we can do so.
1. We believe in a Godhead comprised of three divine beings -- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. We do not, however, accept the creedal statements and confessions of faith by which traditional Christianity describes the nature of God and the relationship between the members of the Godhead.
Are the 3 beings separate gods that exist independently of one another?
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2. We believe the Bible to be the word of God, but we do not believe it to contain all of what God has revealed to mankind or a complete record of his interactions with mankind. In addition to the Bible (we generally use the KJV), there are three other books that are part of our canon: The Book of Mormon, The Doctrine & Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price.
What do you believe these additional books add? Is a Christian missing anything important if he/she does not use these 3?
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3. We believe that Jesus Christ did, in fact, establish His Church as part of His earthly ministry, and organized it as He wanted it to continue to operate after His death. We believe that during the first few centuries after His death, the doctrines He had taught slowly evolved and became tainted with error. We also believe that the authority He gave His Apostles to act in His name was taken from the earth after their deaths. We believe that His Church has been reestablished in this day and age.
So you believe there was an apostasy. So are there any legitimate churches today that are not in line with the LDS church? If so...why did God have to reestablish it?
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4. We believe that the heavens are not sealed and that while revelation between Jesus Christ and His Church did cease for many years, He is once again directing His Church through a living prophet and apostles. Thus, it follows that we, like the Catholics, reject the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.
5. We believe in the pre-existence not only of Jesus Christ, but of all mankind. We believe each human being who has ever lived, once lived as a spirit (without a physical body) in God's presence. We believe that He designed a plan whereby we could leave His presence for a period of time and live on this earth with a mortal body. Furthermore, we believe that everyone was given a choice as to whether or not to take part in this plan. If you're here, whether you're a Mormon, a Lutheran, a Muslim or an atheist, you chose to come.
6. We believe that we humans are literally created in the image of God, who is the Father of our spirits. We believe that He wants nothing more than for us to find joy in this life by living righteously, come to the realization that His Son, Jesus Christ was sent here to atone for our sins, and be able to rejoin them in Heaven someday, living eternally with them and with our families.
How is God the "Father of our spirits"? Could you elaborate?
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7. We deny the doctrine of the original sin. We believe that Adam and Eve did disobey God, but that they did so without an understanding of good and evil. It was only when they ate the forbidden fruit that they gained the knowledge necessary that they could be justly held accountable for their future choices. We believe that we have all inherited their mortal traits (among them, the predisposition towards sin) but we do not believe we are born guilty of something Adam did.
8. We believe that when a person dies, his spirit leaves his body but does not go directly to Heaven. Instead, we believe it resides in a state of either Paradise or Prison/Hell (jointly known as the Spirit World), depending upon how he lived his life. We believe that Jesus Christ's gospel and God's Plan of Salvation is continuing to be taught there by the spirits of those who already know the truth, and that before anyone stands before God to be judged, he will have been given the opportunity to hear, understand, and either accept or reject the gospel. Those who lived at a time or in a place where the true gospel was non-existent will be able to accept it while in the Spirit World.
What is required for them to accept it? If one is not baptized into the LDS church during his life, is there a way for him to accept this true Gospel after death?
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9. We believe in the eternal nature of families, and that it is God's will that the family unit endure beyond the grave. In other words, I believe that in the next life, I will still be my parents' daughter, my husband's wife and my children's mother. The work we do in our temples (which are different from our churches) is focused on these relationships.
10. If I can think of nine things, I ought to be able to think of an even ten. I'm sure I'll think of the tenth right after the time passes during which I can still edit this post. If anyone else can think of something else they consider to be "a biggie," mention it and I'll make it number ten.
Thank you for your response. I appreciate you taking the time to do so.
I know I've seen a few others identify themselves as LDS in the past..can't remember who they were (I think one was male).
Yeah, they pop in and out. I can never really count on any of them when I need them, though.
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Are the 3 beings separate gods that exist independently of one another?
I'm not 100% sure of what you mean by the word "independently." We do believe they are physically distinct from one another, while being united in virtually every other way imaginable. It would be fair to say that the Godhead would be incomplete without all three of them. As to whether they are all equally divine, they absolutely are. Here's something I wrote several years back on another forum I post on:
Our first Article of Faith states: We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. While we believe that God is the Father of the spirits of each and every person who has ever lived, and that we are all His spirit offspring, Jesus Christ is most definitely in a class by Himself. He was with His Father in the beginning. Under His Father's direction, He created worlds without number. He was chosen to be "the Lamb" prior to the foundation of this world. He sits today on the right hand of His Father. Along with the Holy Ghost, the Father and the Son make up the Godhead.
We believe that our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ have a true father-son relationship. The words, "Father" and "Son," in other words, mean exactly what they say. They are not metaphorical or symbolic of a vague metaphysical relationship, in which two beings are somehow both part of a single essence. We are each the physical sons and daughters of our mortal parents. Jesus Christ is the literal, physical Son of a divine Father and a mortal Mother. He was conceived in a miraculous way, but like all sons, was in the "express image of His Father's person." That is to say, He looked like Him. Dogs beget puppies, and cats beget kittens. God beget a Son who is the same species as He is. They both have bodies of flesh and bone (although, until His birth in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ was a spirit being only).
The Father and the Son are physically distinct from one another, and yet they are also "one." This doctrine is taught in the Book of Mormon as well as in the Bible. We just understand the word "one" to mean something other than physical substance or essence. We believe they are "one in will and purpose, one in mind and heart, and one in power and glory." It would be impossible to explain, or even to understand, the degree of their unity. It is perfect; it is absolute. They think, feel and act as "one God." Because of this perfect unity, and because they share the title of "God," we think of them together in this way. It would be impossible for us to worship one of them without also worshipping the other.
Most Christians also use the words “co-equal” and “co-eternal” to describe the relationship between the Father and the Son. We do not. We believe that, as is again the case with all fathers and sons, the Father existed prior to His Son. No son's existence precedes his father's, and Jesus Christ is no exception to this rule. We also believe Christ to be subordinate to His Father. He is divine because of His relationship with His Father. It is, however, important to understand what we mean when we use the word "subordinate." We understand that the Son holds a subordinate position in the relationship; we do not believe Him to be an inferior being. As an example, a colonel holds an inferior position to a general, but is not an inferior being. To most people's way of thinking, an ant, however, is an inferior being to a human.
As for the Holy Ghost (or Holy SPirit, if you prefer), we believe that He is given this name for a reason. His name calls attention to the one attribute He and He alone has and the thing about Him that differs from the Father and the Son. He is a spirit without a corporeal body. For this reason, He is able to fill the universe and yet dwell in a person's heart. We believe the Holy Ghost to be the sole means by which truth is conveyed from God to man. He is also the Comforter. When we need God there with us right now, and when we feel His presence, it is most likely the Holy Ghost we are aware of.
Yeah, they pop in and out. I can never really count on any of them when I need them, though.
I'm not 100% sure of what you mean by the word "independently." We do believe they are physically distinct from one another, while being united in virtually every other way imaginable. It would be fair to say that the Godhead would be incomplete without all three of them. As to whether they are all equally divine, they absolutely are. Here's something I wrote several years back on another forum I post on:
I think you hit on it when you said that they are physically distinct. Historical Christianity has taught something different.
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Our first Article of Faith states: We believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God in the flesh. While we believe that God is the Father of the spirits of each and every person who has ever lived, and that we are all His spirit offspring, Jesus Christ is most definitely in a class by Himself. He was with His Father in the beginning. Under His Father's direction, He created worlds without number. He was chosen to be "the Lamb" prior to the foundation of this world. He sits today on the right hand of His Father. Along with the Holy Ghost, the Father and the Son make up the Godhead.
We believe that our Father in Heaven and His Son Jesus Christ have a true father-son relationship. The words, "Father" and "Son," in other words, mean exactly what they say. They are not metaphorical or symbolic of a vague metaphysical relationship, in which two beings are somehow both part of a single essence. We are each the physical sons and daughters of our mortal parents. Jesus Christ is the literal, physical Son of a divine Father and a mortal Mother. He was conceived in a miraculous way, but like all sons, was in the "express image of His Father's person." That is to say, He looked like Him. Dogs beget puppies, and cats beget kittens. God beget a Son who is the same species as He is. They both have bodies of flesh and bone (although, until His birth in Bethlehem, Jesus Christ was a spirit being only).
The Father and the Son are physically distinct from one another, and yet they are also "one." This doctrine is taught in the Book of Mormon as well as in the Bible. We just understand the word "one" to mean something other than physical substance or essence. We believe they are "one in will and purpose, one in mind and heart, and one in power and glory." It would be impossible to explain, or even to understand, the degree of their unity. It is perfect; it is absolute. They think, feel and act as "one God." Because of this perfect unity, and because they share the title of "God," we think of them together in this way. It would be impossible for us to worship one of them without also worshipping the other.
Most Christians also use the words “co-equal” and “co-eternal” to describe the relationship between the Father and the Son. We do not. We believe that, as is again the case with all fathers and sons, the Father existed prior to His Son. No son's existence precedes his father's, and Jesus Christ is no exception to this rule. We also believe Christ to be subordinate to His Father. He is divine because of His relationship with His Father. It is, however, important to understand what we mean when we use the word "subordinate." We understand that the Son holds a subordinate position in the relationship; we do not believe Him to be an inferior being. As an example, a colonel holds an inferior position to a general, but is not an inferior being. To most people's way of thinking, an ant, however, is an inferior being to a human.
As for the Holy Ghost (or Holy SPirit, if you prefer), we believe that He is given this name for a reason. His name calls attention to the one attribute He and He alone has and the thing about Him that differs from the Father and the Son. He is a spirit without a corporeal body. For this reason, He is able to fill the universe and yet dwell in a person's heart. We believe the Holy Ghost to be the sole means by which truth is conveyed from God to man. He is also the Comforter. When we need God there with us right now, and when we feel His presence, it is most likely the Holy Ghost we are aware of.
You touched earlier on the idea of a human being progressing to becoming a god someday. Do you believe that the Father was once a created being on another planet and he became a god by obeying his god, thus achieving exaltation?
Will this apply to raising issues about true historical facts and questions about doctrines of the faith based on the Book of Mormon and Journal of Discourses?
Joseph Smith:
T or F: Found gold plates left by the angel Moroni that was the Book of Mormon.
T or F: Placed the gold plates into a hat and stuck his face into the hat in order to translate them.
T of F: Was killed in Nauvoo Illinois for ordering the destruction of a newspaper that exposed his polygamy, his marriage to 4 women that were already married to other Mormon men and for having sex with a 12 year old girl he married.
Doctrine:
T or F: God (Elohim) lives on the planet kolob, has multiple wives.
T or F: Jesus and Lucifer are brothers.
T or F: Jesus and Lucifer came up with two different plans for salvation, Jesus' plan was accepted, this started a war in Heaven, 1/3 of the angels sided with lucifer and were cast into hell, 1/3 of the angels sided with Jesus and were born white, 1/3 of the angels remained neutral and were born black.
T or F: Jesus was conceived by physical sex between Elohim and the Virgin Mary.
T or F: Jesus had to become a god, devout Mormons can also become gods, have tellestial kingdoms with multiple spirit wives.
Are these or are they not what the Mormons believe?
You've got the tabloid version of it there. Mostly wrong, but some of it bears similarity to what Mormons actually do believe.
All of the following probably have somebody claiming that they are true:
And like all good conspiracy theories, tabloids can just dare all objectors to prove them wrong. Mormon-haters and Catholic-haters and Jehovah's Witnesses haters and haters in general like to sensationalize things. Then they do the same thing as conspiracy theorists: Demand that somebody prove them wrong.
Example: Christianity is a terrifying religion. They worship as God a guy who was put to death for inciting rebellion in the Roman Empire. They hold horrific rituals where they eat human flesh and drink human blood. Many of their leaders are castrated so they can never have sex. Those who are not castrated are given the right to have sex with any Christian children they want. Any parents found hiding their children from this fate are summarily executed. To become a Christian, you must strip naked in front of a large gathering and then be ritually washed.
See what I did there? There is reference to fact. There is reference to things that are actually true. But there's a lot of lies, fluff and sensationalism too. That's how haters tend to describe the religion they hate. You can do that for any religion you wish. It's actually pretty easy. If you want to know about Mormonism, I strongly suggest that you ask a Mormon. They're one of those religions that has more haters than just about any other religion in America, so you're not likely to get a fair and objective explanation from any non-Mormon.
Was that paraphrased in the D & C? I love that passage and find it so enlightening.
Also on this note, just what role does the Doctrines and Covenants play in the church and the lives of Mormons?
To the best of my understanding it would be like the Talmud was for the Jews. It is considered the revealed foundational Laws of God for modern times.
If I am wrong on that point, I'm sure I will be corrected.
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Wow, there's something so special about being "everyone's favorite Mormon poster" when you're the only Mormon poster. 
If anyone else can think of something else they consider to be "a biggie," mention it and I'll make it number ten.
