Originally Posted By utahjosh ...is found at <a href="http://www.mormon.org" target="_blank">http://www.mormon.org</a> or lds.org. Go to the source, people. It's not secret, it's not scary, it's not cult-like. It's there for you to discover for yourself. On LDS.or there are tens of thousands of pages of LDS discourses, church manuals, and doctrines - on any topic you can think of. This is what we believe. Wanna know? Go there. Also..Get a free copy of the Book of Mormon at the website and read it yourself to find out about that book. Don't rely on what members like me - or especially people with a grudge against the church - to tell you what to think. If you want to know what Mormons do and what they believe, ask a current, active member of the Church, or visit the official website. -- Note: There are many sites and people out there who will try to bring down the LDS church, bring up odd historical quotes, talk about tiny details of hard-to-understand doctrines, and generally just talk negatively about the church. Also, there are a few on this site who used to be LDS, but seem to no longer be practicing members of the Church. Their attitude toward the church varies from amiable to hatred, but I suggest you do not use them as your primary source of info about the LDS church. If the choose to respond with clever and witty remarks, they are welcome to. Just remember - the truth about the LDS church is readily available - at www.LDS.org. Judge for yourself. Don't let my bias persuade you to love it, and don't let others bias against it persuade you against it.
Originally Posted By EighthDwarf "Also, there are a few on this site who used to be LDS, but seem to no longer be practicing members of the Church. Their attitude toward the church varies from amiable to hatred, but I suggest you do not use them as your primary source of info about the LDS church." Um, just because we disagree doesn't mean we're wrong. In fact, one might argue that seeing both sides might give one perspective. But don't worry, I won't spoil your proseletyzing effort by sharing my opinions.
Originally Posted By DlandDug With all due respect... >>Go to the source, people... It's there for you to discover for yourself. On LDS... on any topic you can think of.<< <a href="http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/search-results" target="_blank">http://www.mormon.org/mormonor g/eng/search-results</a>? >>Your search for temple ceremony returned 0 results.<< >>Your search for "Book of Mormon" documentation returned 0 results.<< >>Your search for "emma smith" returned 0 results.<< >>Your search for "marriage for eternity" returned 0 results.<< >>Your search for "marriage for time" returned 0 results.<< >>Your search for priesthood change 1978 returned 0 results.<< As opposed to: <a href="http://www.google.com/search" target="_blank">http://www.google.com/search</a>? >>Results 1 - 10 of about 27,300 for mormon temple ceremony.<< >>Results 1 - 10 of about 41,300 for "Book of Mormon" documentation<< >>Results 1 - 10 of about 124,000 for "emma smith"<< >>Results 1 - 10 of about 1,390 for mormon "marriage for eternity"<< >>Results 1 - 10 of about 2,730 for mormon "marriage for time"<< >>Results 1 - 10 of about 135,000 for mormon priesthood change 1978<< I'm only sayin'...
Originally Posted By utahjosh Mormon.org only covers the basics. The things that are most important, the questions most people have. <a href="http://www.lds.org" target="_blank">http://www.lds.org</a> has articles on any topic you'd like: Searches on LDS.org yielded the following: Book of Mormon: 9927 Emma Smith: 652 Marriage: 4697 Priesthood 1978: 646 Temple: 15586 Each one is an official church article, document, speech, or handbook. Have fun!
Originally Posted By EighthDwarf Dang it, I checked the site and couldn't find a link to "Cipher in the Snow". Any idea where I can find that movie? Do they still produce the tear-jerkers they used to? I miss the intense spiritual experience that came with crying my eyes out. It's an ingenious technique though.
Originally Posted By utahjosh EighthDwarf, I hope most LDS people know the difference between an purely emotional experience and a spiritual experience. It's a good thing to discuss, because to me they are similar, for good reason.
Originally Posted By DlandDug And again, with all due respect... >>Temple: 15586<< But that wasn't the topic being sought. It was Mormon temple ceremony. Please understand, I don't ask Mormons about this myself (as I understand it is a private subject), but it is one which many are interested in and curious about. So when seeking that information from lds.org ("any topic you can think of," as the OP put it), the results are as follows: mormon temple ceremony: 506 Articles range from architecture to overseas efforts to public dedication ceremonies-- but none dealing with the actual ceremonies conducted in temple precincts. Perhaps if the search were refined? >>mormon "temple ceremony": 21<< Three lovely articles on the Mormon Church in Iceland, some Q and As on Temple marriages, but, again, nothing on actual Temple ceremonies. Please understand I am not being contentious. I am just pointing out that there are any number of questions that people may ask, and it is not likely that all answers will be available at the sites offered.
Originally Posted By utahjosh There is plenty on LDS.org about the ceremony, but you won't find the full thing there. It is to be had in the temple only. (Of course others who do not treat it with that respect have posted it online in a variety of places.) I hope this thread does not go back to that ONE issue of the Temple ceremony being discussed only in the temple. It's been discusses elsewhere ad nauseum. You will find many article and books about WHY the temple ceremony is sacred, what it is about, what it is for, etc. on LDS.org.
Originally Posted By utahjosh If a subject is important to the LDS people and Faith, that subject will be found on LDS.org. So if you want to know about the LDS church, that's the place to go.
Originally Posted By jonvn I know what your church believes, pretty thouroughly. I don't find it any more or less good or bad than any other. At least the people are mostly ok, although there are some aspects of it that are very disquieting.
Originally Posted By jdub I noticed that the new Grand Poobah was a man. Was a little surprised by that!
Originally Posted By utahjosh Speaking of, here is the press release about the new President of the church, Thomas S. Monson. He is a Navy man, a publisher, a father, and servant of Jesus Christ. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ypemxd" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/ypemxd</a>
Originally Posted By RC Collins Of course he is a father. But a servant which Jesus Christ? The one who is God, Creator of all things including Lucifer, and who reconciled us to God on the cross and who church has continuously existed? Or the one is who is a god, the spirit brother of Lucifer, whose work on the cross wasn't enough to make us right with God and whose church faded from the earth until it was restored the 19th century? Because they can't be the same person.
Originally Posted By pecos bill When I was a kid, our Boy Scout troop was sponsored by the Mormon Church. My best buddies were Mormons, and I spent a lot of time around them and their families. Even at a young age, I was simply not interested in any form of religion, and they knew it. Through years of close association with these people, I was never goaded or persuaded toward their religion in any way. I still respect that. I went to church, dances, youth conferences and seminars just for something to do with my friends. I was always completely comfortable, if not occasionally bored. Although we may be at opposite ends on the religion scale, I treasure the time I spent with these people, and still count some of them among my dearest friends.
Originally Posted By utahjosh If anyone is interested in how the LDS people view Jesus Christ, there are many statements about Him. Mormon.org has a lot of the basic beliefs we have about Jesus Christ. Here is my favorite. It's a testimony of Jesus Christ given by the apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ: <a href="http://www.lds.org/pa/library/0" target="_blank">http://www.lds.org/pa/library/ 0</a>,17905,5022-1,00.html
Originally Posted By utahjosh Oops...here it is: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/38uhur" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/38uhur</a> We believe in Jesus Christ, the one found in the Bible. (Our church's understanding of the Bible does differ from the traditional, even in the nature of Jesus Christ)
Originally Posted By utahjosh pecos bill, thanks for posting your experience. I hope that most neighbors of LDS people have similar experiences.
