Ditto.
What you relate about the LDS objective is the profession of every christian denomination I've ever come across, though I'll admit that in my experience the LDS' public display is better than many...
Addressing the things you specifically brought up--
Non-doctrinal speculation not discussed in LDS church and any person can disagree with it.
???
The stuff I brought up is no secret amongst the missionaries I've met, and the ones I've met answered direct questions with direct answers (well, all but one, a Maori guy who was in training and had to defer to his companion from Utah). The writings of Joseph Smith are still held in high esteem by the LDS faithful and were too widely distributed to hide. Same with Young, Cannon, Hunter etc etc
From LDS.org "The Fulness of the Gospel: The Nature of the Godhead". Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Ensign magazine, January 2006
The Fulness of the Gospel: The Nature of the Godhead - Ensign Jan. 2006 - ensign
The Prophet Joseph Smith once taught: “It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, … and that He was once a man like us. … When you climb up a ladder, you must begin at the bottom, and ascend step by step, until you arrive at the top; and so it is with the principles of the gospel—you must begin with the first, and go on until you learn all the principles of exaltation. But it will be a great while after you have passed through the veil before you will have learned them.”
The LDS has had so many detractors in its short history that your superiors don't bother to hide what is known, they just aren't in the habit of advertising the stuff that might make the new-comers & less committed nervous...
The Father is spiritually the father of the Son, as well as biologically-- Christ is the only begotten of the Father (though the "how" of that miracle are not known past what's described in Luke).
What about his pre-existence? How do you explain the son as "monogenes" as A.John insists?
The Father is also spiritually the father of everyone else that has ever lived and will ever live. Obviously you know who your biological father is.
If, as I understand the LDS correctly, we all pre-existed our earthly existence, then how were we originated? reated ex-nihilo, via copulation of the the Father & x, other?
The Father already had His plan: one where Christ would be the Savior of the world and things will play out as we know they have. This plan of the Father's means not everyone will be saved (a person can choose to reject God).
Which destroys the necessity of Satan in the LDS scheme of things as it has been explained to me.
When the Father spoke of this plan, Lucifer said "heck no, that's a horrible idea! I have a better one- let me force everyone to obey and I'll be the king and all the glory will be mine* ". He flat out rebelled against the Father. Versus Jesus Christ obeyed the Father and said "Here I am, send me". Jesus Christ willingly always obeyed the Father and drank the bitter cup.
That explanation sounds familir to me. In my earlier synopsis I obviously left out important details.
*Obviously I'm cartoonizeing this, I can get you the actual quote if you'd like.
She's cool...
Here we are suppose to be discussing the Trinity not general LDS opinion. We can do that esewhere.
So getting back on track...
I'll avoid describing the LDS as promoting polytheism or tritheism. We all should well know that such has been laid at the feet of Trinitarianism since the day dot, so the LDS has company amoungst the Nicean Churches.
One thing that particularly puzzles me in LDS teachng: What is the necessity for God our Father to have flesh & bones?
Joseph Smith uniquely taught that...the Father and the Son having bodies of “flesh and bones as tangible as man’s,”
Ensign magazine, January 1989
The Restoration of Major Doctrines through Joseph Smith: The Godhead, Mankind, and the Creation - Ensign Jan. 1989 - ensign