Ask a Mormon

[TasteForTruth]

2 Nephi 30:6.
"When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a new edition of the Book of Mormon in 1981, a change was made to the text of 2 Nephi 30:6. The 1830 and most earlier editions said that the descendants of Lehi would become “a white and delightsome people.” The new edition reads “pure and delightsome.” This change was first made in the 1840 Nauvoo edition of the Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith, but later editions did not rely on that one, so the change was not reflected for more than a century, until it was restored to the 1981 edition."

From bookofmormonresearch.org

How does this answer my question?

 

[Aryeh Jay]

This is another issue in which critics of the church tend to be lacking in their history.

At some point in the early 1800s, false reports began circulating in various newspapers to the effect that life had been found on the Moon.

It's entirely plausible, then, that Joseph had read such a false report in some newspaper somewhere and was merely repeating what he legitimately thought to be the big scientific discovery of his day.

I am not offering an excuse for Joseph Smith’s prediction, but…

On July 20th, 1969, men from the United States of America landed on the moon, the first humans to do so. On December 19th, 1972 the last men left the moon. Who was the President of the United States during this time period that men “lived” on the moon? Richard Milhous Nixon, a Quaker.

As for being dressed like Quakers, Nixon, the Quaker, wore business suits. Did any of the astronauts that visited the moon ever wear a business suit?

Weird

 

[drstevej]

Would you please knock on my door some day?

 

[LoAmmi]

True. But isn't it racist to believe you're special because you're Jewish? How is that any different from the Nazi belief in the "superiority" of the Aryan race, for example?

I suppose if someone knew so little of Judaism they thought that the religion taught that Jews were superior to other races, they could come to that kind of faulty conclusion. It isn't what is taught so, no, it isn't racist to believe that my ancestors agreed to keep the Torah.

 

[Hammster]

In the Joseph Smith Translation, John 1:3 says this:

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made which was made.

What is meant by all things?

 

[Rescued One]

Why would LDS find offensive that some people lose faith in their beliefs? I know Catholics who have joined the LDS church. That doesn't offend you, does it?

Apparently they do! My bishop yelled at me. And some Mormons turned around and walked the other way when they saw me in a store; I hadn't had a chance to even say, "Hello."

 

[Songsmith]

In the Joseph Smith Translation, John 1:3 says this:

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made which was made.

What is meant by all things?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and posit that all things means everything that was created.

 

[Tigger45]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and posit that all things means everything that was created.

What about Kolob?

 

[smaneck]

It doesn't offend me, no. But tell me, if the Book of Mormon is true, why do Indians fail to turn white when they become Mormons?

I asked that same question when I was taking the missionary lessons as a teenager.

 

[smaneck]

True. But isn't it racist to believe you're special because you're Jewish? How is that any different from the Nazi belief in the "superiority" of the Aryan race, for example?

Because they haven't been involved in genocide for the last three thousand years?

 

[smaneck]

Man it's a good thing famous Christian leaders like Popes never issued anything embarrassingly racist, otherwise this argument of yours could be used against your own faith.

You mean like Pope Nicholas V in the papal bull Dum Diversas to King Alfonso V of Portugal which included the following words: “we grant to you…full and free permission to invade, search out, capture and subjugate the Saracens and pagans and any other unbelievers and enemies of Christ…to reduce their persons into perpetual slavery”– “to invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens, and other enemies of Christ wheresoever placed, and the kingdoms, dukedoms, principalities, dominions, possessions, and all movable and immovable goods whatsoever held and possessed by them and to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery, and to apply and appropriate to himself and his successors the kingdoms, dukedoms, counties, principalities, dominions, possessions, and goods, and to convert them to his and their use and profit…”

 

[TasteForTruth]

Apparently they do! My bishop yelled at me. And some Mormons turned around and walked the other way when they saw me in a store; I hadn't had a chance to even say, "Hello."

My rhetorical question was why "would" they?...not "do" they? IE, they shouldn't. But some do anyway.

 

[smaneck]

Apparently they do! My bishop yelled at me. And some Mormons turned around and walked the other way when they saw me in a store; I hadn't had a chance to even say, "Hello."

That couldn't have anything to do with your behavior, could it?

 

[LoAmmi]

You mean like Pope Nicholas V in the papal bull Dum Diversas to King Alfonso V of Portugal which included the following words: “we grant to you…full and free permission to invade, search out, capture and subjugate the Saracens and pagans and any other unbelievers and enemies of Christ…to reduce their persons into perpetual slavery”– “to invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue all Saracens, and other enemies of Christ wheresoever placed, and the kingdoms, dukedoms, principalities, dominions, possessions, and all movable and immovable goods whatsoever held and possessed by them and to reduce their persons to perpetual slavery, and to apply and appropriate to himself and his successors the kingdoms, dukedoms, counties, principalities, dominions, possessions, and goods, and to convert them to his and their use and profit…”

How about Cum nimis absurdum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ?

 

[Hammster]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and posit that all things means everything that was created.

I thought someone else was the OP.

 

[Hammster]

In the Joseph Smith Translation, John 1:3 says this:

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made which was made.

What is meant by all things?

Still waiting.

 

[fatboys]

Well I don't know if it reassuring that nothing has changed since I have been away or not. I have been following the discussions for a while and even though I didn't want to come back I just can't help myself. It does my heart good to know that there are more religious people of other faiths that realize some of the negative feelings that are out there for the LDS.
I would like to answer a question pertaining to how Joseph smith translated the Book of Mormon. I have studied for many years. There were only two people that actually witnessed the translation process. That was Joseph Smtih and Oliver Cowdery. There have been several people including Emma write about how this process took place. They did not witness it. It was a common belief that a person used a peep stone by placing it in a hat. But both Oliver and Joseph said it was translated by way of the urim and thummin. Now Joseph did not just sit down and the words of the translation appear. When he first started to translate it was slow because it was exhaustive. He had to do this through the Holy Spirit. And those of you who believe in the Holy Spirit knows that to keep it with you for a long period of time can be taxing if one has not done so. But as he continued it became more easy. It's like working a muscle you don't use to much. Takes a while to strengthen it and you have more endurance. Another point is that God did not just give him the words. God used Joseph's own understand and current knowledge. This is one reason that he had to wait four years to start the translation. As the translation continued and Joseph's knowledge and understanding increased the translation was even more correct than when he first started.
To me this makes sense as to why he did not retranslate the lost book of Lehi. It would not have been exactly the same because his knowledge and understanding had increased. And as you know if something isn't perfect from a prophet he is a fraud. God works with imperfect man. Has from the beginning. It is just easy for those who want to criticize to find the negative as I am sure they will with this post.

 

[skylark1]

Well I don't know if it reassuring that nothing has changed since I have been away or not. I have been following the discussions for a while and even though I didn't want to come back I just can't help myself. It does my heart good to know that there are more religious people of other faiths that realize some of the negative feelings that are out there for the LDS.
I would like to answer a question pertaining to how Joseph smith translated the Book of Mormon. I have studied for many years. There were only two people that actually witnessed the translation process. That was Joseph Smtih and Oliver Cowdery. There have been several people including Emma write about how this process took place. They did not witness it. It was a common belief that a person used a peep stone by placing it in a hat. But both Oliver and Joseph said it was translated by way of the urim and thummin. Now Joseph did not just sit down and the words of the translation appear. When he first started to translate it was slow because it was exhaustive. He had to do this through the Holy Spirit. And those of you who believe in the Holy Spirit knows that to keep it with you for a long period of time can be taxing if one has not done so. But as he continued it became more easy. It's like working a muscle you don't use to much. Takes a while to strengthen it and you have more endurance. Another point is that God did not just give him the words. God used Joseph's own understand and current knowledge. This is one reason that he had to wait four years to start the translation. As the translation continued and Joseph's knowledge and understanding increased the translation was even more correct than when he first started.
To me this makes sense as to why he did not retranslate the lost book of Lehi. It would not have been exactly the same because his knowledge and understanding had increased. And as you know if something isn't perfect from a prophet he is a fraud. God works with imperfect man. Has from the beginning. It is just easy for those who want to criticize to find the negative as I am sure they will with this post.

Fatboys!

Wow, it's been awhile.

Welcome back.

 

[Tess]

Hey TasteForTruth, brave thread!

I have a question; I understand you do not drink tea/coffee. Does this include fruit or herbal teas?

 

[fatboys]

Hey TasteForTruth, brave thread!

I have a question; I understand you do not drink tea/coffee. Does this include fruit or herbal teas?

No. Hi sky. I have missed you