Is this appropriate? Reading material

[RileyG]

Hello,

I am currently (very slowly) reading the LDS (Latter Day Saint AKA Mormon) Quad (OT+ NT KJV Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price).

It might take me years to get through the dry reading, and it's not exactly "easy reading."

Do you think it's spiritually harmful or neutral for a Catholic to read that material?

Peace

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

Hello,

I am currently (very slowly) reading the LDS (Latter Day Saint AKA Mormon) Quad (OT+ NT KJV Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price).

It might take me years to get through the dry reading, and it's not exactly "easy reading."

Do you think it's spiritually harmful or neutral for a Catholic to read that material?

Peace

As I have said before:

I spent 2024 (and some 2023) studying this history of Monotheism.

That's a hard read.

I read stuff written by Zoroastrians, Early Jews, Middle Jews and Rabbinical Jews. I read defenses of Hindi and Buddhism and Confucianism.

I read A LOT of Muslim Rational and Mystical thought. (I highly recommend the Sufi's, btw - they are the highest thinking on a Rational defense of the existence of God).

I didn't read any LDS, maybe I should have - it just looks so made up on it's face it's hard for me to take seriously.

My question is :

Why would any of this be harmful ?

Knowledge is power.

It's also paradoxical and I'm sure that's what bothers you.

The more you learn, the less you know for sure. (That's why a lot of your social conservative types don't like education - it's to force you to question the society in which you learned in the first place, and we can't have THAT, can we?)

You know what a paradox is ? It's a mystery you haven't solved yet.

If you hit a paradox, it means you have an incomplete understanding of the subject. And, of course, the more you know, the less you completely understand.

Don't be afraid of that, it is just part of the learning process.

 

[FaithT]

Hello,

I am currently (very slowly) reading the LDS (Latter Day Saint AKA Mormon) Quad (OT+ NT KJV Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price).

It might take me years to get through the dry reading, and it's not exactly "easy reading."

Do you think it's spiritually harmful or neutral for a Catholic to read that material?

Peace

I don’t know but if I were to guess I’d say that it depends on how strong one’s Catholic faith is. Yours seems to be very strong.

 

[fide]

Hello,

I am currently (very slowly) reading the LDS (Latter Day Saint AKA Mormon) Quad (OT+ NT KJV Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price).

It might take me years to get through the dry reading, and it's not exactly "easy reading."

Do you think it's spiritually harmful or neutral for a Catholic to read that material?

Peace

Why are you reading this? What are you seeking?

 

[FaithT]

Why are you reading this? What are you seeking?

He doesn’t have to be seeking anything. Knowledge is good.

 

[fide]

Knowledge is power.

The more you learn, the less you know for sure.

And, of course, the more you know, the less you completely understand.

Putting these statements together, I gather that knowledge produces ignorance. Sounds to me like the teacher of such "treasure" is the father of lies himself - the one in whom there is no truth, only deceit. Did I miss something?

 

[fide]

He doesn’t have to be seeking anything. Knowledge is good.

"Knowledge" in and of itself, no matter what the subject of study is, "is good"? Are you sure of that? Is it good to know all the false teachings of heresy, falsity and lies that the evil one promotes in his hunting of souls to capture?

Even knowledge of the good is empty - nothing - without love.

1Co 13:2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

 

[RileyG]

Why are you reading this? What are you seeking?

Just insight and knowledge. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[RileyG]

"Knowledge" in and of itself, no matter what the subject of study is, "is good"? Are you sure of that? Is it good to know all the false teachings of heresy, falsity and lies that the evil one promotes in his hunting of souls to capture?

I’m aware Mormonism is heretical and not Christian. I’m just reading also for pleasure.

 

[fide]

Just insight and knowledge. Nothing more, nothing less.

Please take this in the simplicity and good will in which I say it, with all respect: Can those sources - can any source - possibly be superior to the insights and knowledge of the one true Triune God? Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, sent by the Father to gather seekers of Holy Truth into the communion of eternal Love.

Jn 8:31 Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are in truth my disciples,
Jn 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

Indeed one moment with Him is enough to fill an eternity.

 

[RileyG]

Please take this in the simplicity and good will in which I say it, with all respect: Can those sources - can any source - possibly be superior to the insights and knowledge of the one true Triune God? Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, sent by the Father to gather seekers of Holy Truth into the communion of eternal Love.

Indeed one moment with Him is enough to fill an eternity.

Thank you

 

[concretecamper]

Hello,

I am currently (very slowly) reading the LDS (Latter Day Saint AKA Mormon) Quad (OT+ NT KJV Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price).

It might take me years to get through the dry reading, and it's not exactly "easy reading."

Do you think it's spiritually harmful or neutral for a Catholic to read that material?

Peace

I think it is spiritually harmful.

 

[FaithT]

"Knowledge" in and of itself, no matter what the subject of study is, "is good"? Are you sure of that? Is it good to know all the false teachings of heresy, falsity and lies that the evil one promotes in his hunting of souls to capture?

Even knowledge of the good is empty - nothing - without love.

I think it’s good to learn about other beliefs. In fact in can often strengthen one’s faith. I read The DaVinci Code and after learning it was so fictional, it helped lead me back to the Catholic Church.

 

[fide]

I think it is spiritually harmful.

Bottom line, yes. Wisdom of saints past have said, if one is not advancing in the spiritual life, he is regressing. There is nothing "spiritually neutral." Life in this fallen world is like being in a stream of water that is always flowing downstream. We must always swim against the stream, to advance to our destiny upstream. If we tire of the work, and want to "just relax" for a while and enjoy some pleasure of the past, we will immediately drift with the current, and that is downstream, away from our goal and calling.

Thus, if one is not advancing, he is regressing. And life is brief. If we are not remaining in Jesus, ever advancing toward the fullness of the will of God for us, in Him, what are we doing with the graces He has entrusted to us? It is one thing to sleep for the night, but another to take an extended vacation from Holy Truth.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

The problem is that Mormonism has inaccuracies, both historically and theologically.

Reading such material can cause confusion for you.

 

[RileyG]

I think it is spiritually harmful.

Thank you

 

[RileyG]

The problem is that Mormonism has inaccuracies, both historically and theologically.

Reading such material can cause confusion for you.

Agreed. I’m aware, it’s more like KJV fan fiction, and Joseph smith was no one to emulate.

 

[RileyG]

Bottom line, yes. Wisdom of saints past have said, if one is not advancing in the spiritual life, he is regressing. There is nothing "spiritually neutral." Life in this fallen world is like being in a stream of water that is always flowing downstream. We must always swim against the stream, to advance to our destiny upstream. If we tire of the work, and want to "just relax" for a while and enjoy some pleasure of the past, we will immediately drift with the current, and that is downstream, away from our goal and calling.

Thus, if one is not advancing, he is regressing. And life is brief. If we are not remaining in Jesus, ever advancing toward the fullness of the will of God for us, in Him, what are we doing with the graces He has entrusted to us? It is one thing to sleep for the night, but another to take an extended vacation from Holy Truth.

Thank you for the insight. I appreciate it.