Ask Anything about Me or my Religion (Restored Gospel/Mormonism).

[Jacob Samuelson]

I have noticed there are recent posts about Mormonism written by non-members.

Most information shared has misrepresented our actual beliefs

If you really want to know source beliefs from an active Elder of the Church who served a two-year mission in Russia and lives in Utah. I'm all ears. I can answer as much as I have knowledge of about the History of the Church, its doctrine, and the political, cultural, and social environment within highly concentrated LDS populations. (Utah, Idaho, North America, South America)

If you know everything about the Church already, I'm impressed and would like to hear something you think I haven't heard before about my Church so I can confirm if I had heard it before or not.

Oh and if you just have questions about me and why I personally am a member, I will try to answer that as well to the best of my knowledge.

 

[Psalm23]

I have noticed there are recent posts about Mormonism written by non-members.

Most information shared has misrepresented our actual beliefs

If you really want to know source beliefs from an active Elder of the Church who served a two-year mission in Russia and lives in Utah. I'm all ears. I can answer as much as I have knowledge of about the History of the Church, its doctrine, and the political, cultural, and social environment within highly concentrated LDS populations. (Utah, Idaho, North America, South America)

If you know everything about the Church already, I'm impressed and would like to hear something you think I haven't heard before about my Church so I can confirm if I had heard it before or not.

Oh and if you just have questions about me and why I personally am a member, I will try to answer that as well to the best of my knowledge.

What is a summary of your main beliefs? What are the misrepresented beliefs and what is the accurate portrayal of those beliefs?

 

[loverofhumanity]

I have noticed there are recent posts about Mormonism written by non-members.

Most information shared has misrepresented our actual beliefs

If you really want to know source beliefs from an active Elder of the Church who served a two-year mission in Russia and lives in Utah. I'm all ears. I can answer as much as I have knowledge of about the History of the Church, its doctrine, and the political, cultural, and social environment within highly concentrated LDS populations. (Utah, Idaho, North America, South America)

If you know everything about the Church already, I'm impressed and would like to hear something you think I haven't heard before about my Church so I can confirm if I had heard it before or not.

Oh and if you just have questions about me and why I personally am a member, I will try to answer that as well to the best of my knowledge.

Glad to meet you. Welcome to RF.

 

[Orbit]

I haven't noticed any posts about Mormonism--what did they get wrong?

 

[epronovost]

How does the Mountain Meadows Massacre impacted your perception of your religious community's history in Utah?

For those who don't know about it

Mountain Meadows Massacre - Wikipedia

 

[JustGeorge]

What do you find to be the most positive and beneficial things about your religion for yourself?

 

[Audie]

I have noticed there are recent posts about Mormonism written by non-members.

Most information shared has misrepresented our actual beliefs

If you really want to know source beliefs from an active Elder of the Church who served a two-year mission in Russia and lives in Utah. I'm all ears. I can answer as much as I have knowledge of about the History of the Church, its doctrine, and the political, cultural, and social environment within highly concentrated LDS populations. (Utah, Idaho, North America, South America)

If you know everything about the Church already, I'm impressed and would like to hear something you think I haven't heard before about my Church so I can confirm if I had heard it before or not.

Oh and if you just have questions about me and why I personally am a member, I will try to answer that as well to the best of my knowledge.

I read "Joseph Smith tells his own story"
the pamphlet a Mormon gave me in Taipei.

My Q. is- how can you believe such a story?

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

What is a summary of your main beliefs? What are the misrepresented beliefs and what is the accurate portrayal of those beliefs?

That is a very difficult task you gave. So I'm going to leave you a Youtube video, that I think gives a fairly basic uncontended understanding of my beliefs. I would mirror everything said by the Member.

What is Mormonism? - YouTube

As far as misconception go, there have been a few. I'll include the short answer after the hyphen.

1) We are not polytheists - Or rather we are just as polytheistic as any Christian who believes in the Trinity or Godhead.
2)We do not excommunicate anyone who questions authority - It is very difficult to get excommunicated if you don't want to be. We do not disfellowship, we do not shun, we do have a judicial system of excommunication that has many stages and where we ask if the Member wants to be excommunicated based on their actions. I question a lot of leader's beliefs on Covid Vaccination. I can do that openly, but If everything I am saying about my leaders shows that I don't want to listen to them regardless of what they say, than I am probably in the wrong church anyways and I don't want to be there. So just as someone gets fired for publically insulting their CEO on twitter, that is what you would have to do consistently every day and get a following to get excommunicated. Questioning beliefs and history of the church is perfectly fine. Creating a rally to give an opinionated and unauthorized portrayal of events happening to the church for the purpose of leading people to leave the Church or not join, I think it's fair that any church excommunicate a person that is actively opposing their members.
3)We do not want to be referred to as Mormons. Our politically correct title is Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS for short. This was a change made over 2 years ago to remind people that we are part of Christ's Restored Church and have been set up that way for almost 200 years. We state that our religion shouldn't be referred to as Mormonism but the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. Most of us wont be mad if you call them Mormon, but to be polite, we would respect you more if you refer to us as our political correct title.
4) We believe in the Bible - We definitely believe in the Bible. Just because we have other testaments of Jesus Christ does not mean we reject the already given Word of God. We hold to the KJV version, but most of our scholars prefer the NIV, and we are not prohibited to read any other version as well. There is a Joseph Smith Translation, but we normally treat that version as a guide to the Bible and not the Bible itself. Joseph Smith did not create a new version of the Bible as many other sects did at the time. We again hold to the traditional KJV.

There are so many more so I'm going to answer as they come in.

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

How does the Mountain Meadows Massacre impacted your perception of your religious community's history in Utah?

For those who don't know about it

Mountain Meadows Massacre - Wikipedia

I was taught in my Utah Government class in High School about the Mountain Meadows Massacre and that was the first I have heard of it. The way I was taught in a secular way stated that it was a completely unauthorized and extremist act of the inhabitants of Southern Utah. After being kicked out of the U.S. and many other places, the leaders, who were typically members during the murder of Joseph Smith, the exodus of the U.S and Nauvoo, had major PTSD and when they saw foreign emigrants coming to Utah, must have been completely mad and untrustworthy of everyone who took away their land.

My perception wasn't changed. While their actions are inexcusable, and they were judged as any person of mass murder, I do know the effects of PTSD and war hysteria to exist in many veterans that end up doing bad things. While this is was a part of Utah History, it is not included in the Mormon Community as a whole. We still embrace our introduction to the U.S as Utah and not Deseret and have non-members who govern our towns and cities and State. For most communities that have lived in fear of oursiders their whole lives, like what is happening in Palestine and Israel. I think the LDS, although not perfect, has behaved as a whole better than most.

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

I read "Joseph Smith tells his own story"
the pamphlet a Mormon gave me in Taipei.

My Q. is- how can you believe such a story?

I have never heard of the pamphlet before, LDS missionaries will give you short one page pamphlets about general topics light the Restoration or Jesus Christ, but any publication more than one page will only be the Book of Mormon. You are going to have to be more specific if I can give you confirmation of these beliefs in this pamphlet.

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

What do you find to be the most positive and beneficial things about your religion for yourself?

If you visit Utah, you will find out two things 1) We are horrible drivers. and 2) We are some of the nicest people you will meet. I have benefited from the environment where if your car breaks on the road, it would only take a few minutes for someone to ask if you need help. If you just had a baby, you will be fed for a week by people from the Church or Neighborhood. If you ask someone on the street if they know a direction, most often they will walk with you to make sure you are not lost. People in our church want to serve everyone. We don't have a list that we check off and hand to our Biship of all the good we do, we just do good because it feels nice. Also Ive been to many cities and towns. In Moscow, it would be rare to find a single person that would care about anyone but themselves, except the LDS members. There is something about the doctrine or the type of people my religion attracts that make us stand out than most in that regard.

 

[Audie]

I have never heard of the pamphlet before, LDS missionaries will give you short one page pamphlets about general topics light the Restoration or Jesus Christ, but any publication more than one page will only be the Book of Mormon. You are going to have to be more specific if I can give you confirmation of these beliefs in this pamphlet.

Its the story of angels directing him to the
gold books and how he translated them.

 

[Audie]

If you visit Utah, you will find out two things 1) We are horrible drivers. and 2) We are some of the nicest people you will meet. I have benefited from the environment where if your car breaks on the road, it would only take a few minutes for someone to ask if you need help. If you just had a baby, you will be fed for a week by people from the Church or Neighborhood. If you ask someone on the street if they know a direction, most often they will walk with you to make sure you are not lost. People in our church want to serve everyone. We don't have a list that we check off and hand to our Biship of all the good we do, we just do good because it feels nice. Also Ive been to many cities and towns. In Moscow, it would be rare to find a single person that would care about anyone but themselves, except the LDS members. There is something about the doctrine or the type of people my religion attracts that make us stand out than most in that regard.

Mormons make excellent citizens

 

[JustGeorge]

If you visit Utah, you will find out two things 1) We are horrible drivers. and 2) We are some of the nicest people you will meet. I have benefited from the environment where if your car breaks on the road, it would only take a few minutes for someone to ask if you need help. If you just had a baby, you will be fed for a week by people from the Church or Neighborhood. If you ask someone on the street if they know a direction, most often they will walk with you to make sure you are not lost. People in our church want to serve everyone. We don't have a list that we check off and hand to our Biship of all the good we do, we just do good because it feels nice. Also Ive been to many cities and towns. In Moscow, it would be rare to find a single person that would care about anyone but themselves, except the LDS members. There is something about the doctrine or the type of people my religion attracts that make us stand out than most in that regard.

I can probably handle the drivers; I'm from Iowa.

I find this very intriguing! Would help extend to someone who was notably not a LDS member? I don't ask to be rude, but because in my own locale, I've had some extend help to me, but then later revoke when they found I had no interest in their church(I had a guitar teacher as a kid quit teaching me because I wouldn't come to his church!) I'm curious how things work in Utah for those who are not LDS members.

I also notice you mention Utah a lot. Is Utah pivotal for the faith? What is it like for LDS members living elsewhere?

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

Its the story of angels directing him to the
gold books and how he translated them.

I personally believe that God is interactive with His creations using his agents, or Angels, as messengers and His spirit. I also believe that Joseph Smith was a recipient of that divine interaction. If God does exist, I believe He will make it know those who truly ask.

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

I can probably handle the drivers; I'm from Iowa.

I find this very intriguing! Would help extend to someone who was notably not a LDS member? I don't ask to be rude, but because in my own locale, I've had some extend help to me, but then later revoke when they found I had no interest in their church(I had a guitar teacher as a kid quit teaching me because I wouldn't come to his church!) I'm curious how things work in Utah for those who are not LDS members.

I also notice you mention Utah a lot. Is Utah pivotal for the faith? What is it like for LDS members living elsewhere?

In my experience help would especially extend to the Non members. My wife was a Single mother before we got married, she lived in Utah for 4 years with her daughter in an apartment going to Non denominational Christian Church. There were a couple members in her apartment, but she hated the church because that is what she was taught and didnt like talking to them. Every Christmas she would receive an anonymous basket of food and money for gifts and a box of toys for her daughter. It was only after becoming a member did she realize that the box of toys and basket was from the members living in her apartment. The only time we dont serve other people is when they explicitly ask us not to, usually because of our faith.

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

I can probably handle the drivers; I'm from Iowa.

I find this very intriguing! Would help extend to someone who was notably not a LDS member? I don't ask to be rude, but because in my own locale, I've had some extend help to me, but then later revoke when they found I had no interest in their church(I had a guitar teacher as a kid quit teaching me because I wouldn't come to his church!) I'm curious how things work in Utah for those who are not LDS members.

I also notice you mention Utah a lot. Is Utah pivotal for the faith? What is it like for LDS members living elsewhere?

Haha I've been through Iowa once, I was cut off at least a dozen times mostly because they saw my Utah license plate.

 

[Jacob Samuelson]

L

I can probably handle the drivers; I'm from Iowa.

I find this very intriguing! Would help extend to someone who was notably not a LDS member? I don't ask to be rude, but because in my own locale, I've had some extend help to me, but then later revoke when they found I had no interest in their church(I had a guitar teacher as a kid quit teaching me because I wouldn't come to his church!) I'm curious how things work in Utah for those who are not LDS members.

I also notice you mention Utah a lot. Is Utah pivotal for the faith? What is it like for LDS members living elsewhere?

LDS are pretty uniform anywhere you go. Although the culture differences can affect anyone systemically, I think because we are very organized and are taught common principles, I couldnt say I've seen a LDS start fights over doctrines, be mean to another because of their religion differences. I think it might be due to our doctrine that we genuinely regard others as spiritual brothers and sisters.

 

[JustGeorge]

Haha I've been through Iowa once, I was cut off at least a dozen times mostly because they saw my Utah license plate.

Don't take it personally. They cut everyone off...

 

[Jack11]

Explain to all the Christians here how everything they believe is wrong and how the LDS is right.I mean really explain it which you won't. Tell them that they all have to accept the book of Mormon at death because they are all wrong. Tell me how my red skin is a curse and will magically turn white when I accept the book of Mormon. You can't and you won't.

The LDS belief also is in direct odds with Islam which would give it a completely new origin who is now a man God. Also it would make all of Islam wrong too.