Pariah Dog
Well-Known Member
I'll try to keep the back story part of this short. I tend to get into too many details and make things unnecessarily long, and those details won't be important here.
On the job I encountered a beautiful young Mormon lady who wanted me to come see her in a choir performance another day. Which I did. She has the looks and voice of an angel. And to be perfectly honest a beautiful lady wanting anything to do with me is not exactly a common occurrence. I might have been easily lured. She wanted me to come see her perform on another day, but I happened to be out of town at the time. Then she wanted to meet with her and other missionaries on another night. So I went one evening, the missionaries were 2 girls (including the one that asked me there), and 2 guys. Many of you probably can guess how this part of the story goes.
They introduce me to the book of Mormon and the beliefs of the church and so on. I was already somewhat familiar with this as I hunger for knowledge and read different things all the time. They wanted me to say a couple prayers with them and so forth.
The point of my thread being, opinions on the mormon (LDS) church.
I have read much about the founder, Joseph Smith. I believe he is almost certainly a fraud. However to the Mormon church he is not some casual add on to the bible. His writings are a cornerstone to much of what they believe. While much of the bible can be proven accurate, at least in the sense of peoples, time periods, places (no so much when it comes to divine acts), Nothing of the book of mormon proves to be true, no archaeological evidence, nor is its claims of events even logical.
My opinion of the Mormon church is quite conflicted. I believe it is established on a fabricated book that many good intentioned but maybe naive and uneducated people started following which formed into an ever growing church body. I really can't say I understand the intention's of its founder, Joseph Smith. Mormons believe what they have makes them the one true church, and all other churches only have a piece of the story and not the truth allegedly revealed to Joseph Smith.
But that said, there is lots that I like about the Mormon church and it's people.
-The people are usually friendly and in good spirits. I don't seem to often find one of them miserable. It would seem they must typically live a fulfilling kind of life that much of the rest of the population lacks. I have encountered and worked with many of them.
-The church does much in the way of charity
-Family is of huge importance to them
-They are the only church I am aware of that seems to retain and engage large numbers of it's young people. I don't understand the reasoning for it, but it seems they must have some kind of good successful formula in that regard.
-I have heard a few say who have been to many churches that they find the Mormon church to be much less hypocritical than most, in that they practice what they preach.
-I agree with and admire some of their other taught aspects. It is my understanding that they are guided to be an independent people. Things like wise personal finances, preparedness, survival, and just general self sufficiency are taught to the congregation.
These missionaries want to meet with me again, and presumably more after that. I must say I enjoyed my time with them. I didn't think I was much of a spiritual person, I pretty much considered myself agnostic and haven't been to a church (non mormon) since I was a teenager. But I actually felt really good after the hour or so I spent with them, in a way that I can't explain, and left there in high spirits for reasons I don't understand. I like the idea of meeting with them again. But I know at some point they are going to get me to reveal some way or another my thoughts on the "profit" Joseph Smith and the book of Mormon. An interesting prospect. I like them, and I respect what they believe in, but I really can't buy it for myself it seems. I guess that is what I would have to tell them. If they wanted to baptize me in the name of the "profit" Joseph Smith or however that works... Damn that would be awkward. I would have to get out of there I think.
But then again I have known a few men who have married into Mormonism. By taking the women they love, they end up with the whole rest of the package too. None of them regretted it. I think they just kind of roll along with the parts they don't believe in. I suppose I could see myself go that way as well if the situation were to arise...
On the job I encountered a beautiful young Mormon lady who wanted me to come see her in a choir performance another day. Which I did. She has the looks and voice of an angel. And to be perfectly honest a beautiful lady wanting anything to do with me is not exactly a common occurrence. I might have been easily lured. She wanted me to come see her perform on another day, but I happened to be out of town at the time. Then she wanted to meet with her and other missionaries on another night. So I went one evening, the missionaries were 2 girls (including the one that asked me there), and 2 guys. Many of you probably can guess how this part of the story goes.
They introduce me to the book of Mormon and the beliefs of the church and so on. I was already somewhat familiar with this as I hunger for knowledge and read different things all the time. They wanted me to say a couple prayers with them and so forth.
The point of my thread being, opinions on the mormon (LDS) church.
I have read much about the founder, Joseph Smith. I believe he is almost certainly a fraud. However to the Mormon church he is not some casual add on to the bible. His writings are a cornerstone to much of what they believe. While much of the bible can be proven accurate, at least in the sense of peoples, time periods, places (no so much when it comes to divine acts), Nothing of the book of mormon proves to be true, no archaeological evidence, nor is its claims of events even logical.
My opinion of the Mormon church is quite conflicted. I believe it is established on a fabricated book that many good intentioned but maybe naive and uneducated people started following which formed into an ever growing church body. I really can't say I understand the intention's of its founder, Joseph Smith. Mormons believe what they have makes them the one true church, and all other churches only have a piece of the story and not the truth allegedly revealed to Joseph Smith.
But that said, there is lots that I like about the Mormon church and it's people.
-The people are usually friendly and in good spirits. I don't seem to often find one of them miserable. It would seem they must typically live a fulfilling kind of life that much of the rest of the population lacks. I have encountered and worked with many of them.
-The church does much in the way of charity
-Family is of huge importance to them
-They are the only church I am aware of that seems to retain and engage large numbers of it's young people. I don't understand the reasoning for it, but it seems they must have some kind of good successful formula in that regard.
-I have heard a few say who have been to many churches that they find the Mormon church to be much less hypocritical than most, in that they practice what they preach.
-I agree with and admire some of their other taught aspects. It is my understanding that they are guided to be an independent people. Things like wise personal finances, preparedness, survival, and just general self sufficiency are taught to the congregation.
These missionaries want to meet with me again, and presumably more after that. I must say I enjoyed my time with them. I didn't think I was much of a spiritual person, I pretty much considered myself agnostic and haven't been to a church (non mormon) since I was a teenager. But I actually felt really good after the hour or so I spent with them, in a way that I can't explain, and left there in high spirits for reasons I don't understand. I like the idea of meeting with them again. But I know at some point they are going to get me to reveal some way or another my thoughts on the "profit" Joseph Smith and the book of Mormon. An interesting prospect. I like them, and I respect what they believe in, but I really can't buy it for myself it seems. I guess that is what I would have to tell them. If they wanted to baptize me in the name of the "profit" Joseph Smith or however that works... Damn that would be awkward. I would have to get out of there I think.
But then again I have known a few men who have married into Mormonism. By taking the women they love, they end up with the whole rest of the package too. None of them regretted it. I think they just kind of roll along with the parts they don't believe in. I suppose I could see myself go that way as well if the situation were to arise...