Ask a Mormon a question!

[Snowbear]

I'll do my research elsewhere.

Thanks anyhow.

 

[Bishka]

I'll do my research elsewhere.

Curious, where would that be? We are answering your questions, but also trying to see what you are getting at, is that a sin? Or bothering you? Please, if there is something that you are trying to get at, just let us know.

You have to understand, that we believe God speaks to our prophets, and we believe this very sincerly, just as you sincerly don't believe God speaks to the leaders in our Church.

I would particularly like you stay, so that I can answer your questions. It's better to get answers from the source instead of some skewed version of our truth.

Have a wonderful day.

 

[Comprehend]

We don't. It doesn't need explaining. The Book of Mormon is scripture, not an archeology textbook.

The Book of Mormon covers roughly a 1000-year period. That that the European conquerers did not find horses when the arrived in the Americas is not particularly significant. Consider the fact that for the Huns of Central Asia and Eastern Europe, horses represented wealth aned the basis of their military power. Scholars believe that each Hun warrior may have had a many as ten horses. Of the hundreds of thousands of horses that the Huns indisputably had, not a single, solitary [FONT=Geneva,Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][SIZE=-1]usable horse bone has even been discovered anywhere where the Huns were known to have lived.[/SIZE][/FONT]

We can even find discrepancies of this sort when looking at Bible archeology. Ever student of the Bible is aware that lions were known in Israel in Biblical times. The very first two lion skeletons ever unearthed in that part of the world were found as recently as 1983. Prior to the 1960's, not even any artistic depictions of lions had been found.

By the way, you listed your religion as FSM. Sorry to be so dense, but what does that stand for?

hey Katz, did you catch my post #243?

also check out this link to the horses found in La Brea Tar Pits. Pretty neat how things end up being proven over time...
http://www.tarpits.org/education/guide/flora/horse.html

they also found camels and lions in there.

 

[Katzpur]

hey Katz, did you catch my post #243?

also check out this link to the horses found in La Brea Tar Pits. Pretty neat how things end up being proven over time...
http://www.tarpits.org/education/guide/flora/horse.html

they also found camels and lions in there.

Yup. All we need is patience. :yes:

 

[jonny]

Refined sugar is physically and psychologically addictive and not healthy for our bodies.... why is it not prohibited or at least discouraged?
​

I think that's an interesting question. There are a lot of things that are not specifically addressed in the Word of Wisdom. Sugar is one of them. Different types of fat are another unhealthy food that is not addressed.

The Word of Wisdom itself doesn't specifically command us to do anything. It provides general guidelines that should be followed and asks us to use our wisdom to make decisions. In later years, the church implemented guidelines that members should follow in order to enter the temple (no alcohol, no coffee or tea, no tobacco, etc).

I really don't think that the members of the LDS church really understand the Word of Wisdom completely. If they did, I think that more of them would realize that it is deeper than "don't drink and smoke" and realize that is encompases things like sugar. What it comes down to is that we need to be taking care of our bodies and treating them with dignity and respect.

 

[jonny]

Another question if I may....

If a recognized mormon prophet says, 'God says...' and that prophesy is not fulfilled, is that prophesy considered a false prophesy?

I think that it has to be taken on a case by case basis. For example, Jonah made a prophesy that wasn't fulfilled, but it was because God changed his mind and decided to spare Nineveh. I guess that might be a false prophesy, but I wouldn't call Jonah a false prophet. I think that in order to answer this question for certain, we'd have to look at a specific case and the facts surrounding that case to draw any conclusion.

 

[jonny]

Not really. Other than I don't believe God is a liar.

So.... if the prophesy was not fulfilled, then it didn't come from God. I agree on this point. Which brings up the next question - If the prophecy was not fulfilled even though the prophet said it did, does that make the prophet a false prophet (in the mormon opinion of course)?

Going with the example of Jonah, I'm going to have to say no. We really can't know the mind of God completely and know all the circumstances surrounding the prophesy. Something I've grown to understand is that the actions of God can be influenced by our decisions. For example, if a prophet prophesies a blessing, and we do something to make ourselves unworthy of that blessing, God may not grant us that blessing that was prophesied because of our actions. Not because God is a liar or the prophet is a false prophet, but because we didn't keep our end of the bargin and are not worthy of the blessings from God.

 

[Katzpur]

Curious, where would that be? We are answering your questions, but also trying to see what you are getting at, is that a sin? Or bothering you? Please, if there is something that you are trying to get at, just let us know.

Don't let it get to you, Becky. We've done our best, and that's about all we can do. Sometimes it's a mistake to push the issue. As much as we would like to be able to present our beliefs in a way that will be understandable to people, sometimes it just doesn't happen. At this point, I'm inclined to let Snowbear see if she can find answers to her questions elsewhere.

 

[jonny]

My first question here. How do Mormons explain the fact that there was no horse in America when Columbus discovered the continent. Horses in America were introduced by the Europeans. The Book of Mormon mentioned horses in many places.

I don't know. Maybe Nephi and his family brought a bunch of them over on their boat. I mean, if Noah can fit two of every animal in the world in one boat, Lehi could certainly drag a horse or two with him.

Seriously, we don't know for certain one way or the other. Since I believe the Book of Mormon is scripture, I tend to give it some credibility and believe that there were horses or something that could be considered a horse here at that point. Whether or not they were abundant and ran wild through the land - that I don't know. My belief in the Book of Mormon is based on faith, not evidence. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the lack of evidence doesn't mean that the evidence isn't there. It just means that we don't have any evidence either way.

 

[athanasius]

I have a question. In mormon theology, is hell eternal for the damned? Just curious?

Thanks,

God bless,
Athanasius

 

[Katzpur]

I have a question. In mormon theology, is hell eternal for the damned? Just curious?

Short answer: Yes and No.

Long answer: http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43384 (Posts 1, 3 and 4 will give you a pretty comprehensive answer, if you're up to it. )

We have two concepts of hell. The word can be used to refer to the Spirit Prison, which is just a bit on the order or Purgatory. (Best not confuse them, though.) It is not -- or at least it need not -- eternal. The word is more often used to refer to the state of Outer Darkness which is reserved for those who commit the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. All other sins, on the condition of repentence, are "pardonable." Outer Darkness is eternal.

 

[FFH]

I'll do my research elsewhere.

Thanks anyhow.

Do we blow people out of here as soon as they ask what seems to be an antagonistic question ??? I think Snowbear deserves to be heard and respected for hes/her point of view...

Ask me your questions Snowbear, you seem to have asked some good questions along the same lines I tend to think....

I answered your sugar question... go back and read my response again...Sugar is not a whole food, which is covered in our health code, but it wouldn't be in their specifically because the Lord wants us to use our heads and figure it out ourselves, and it would stand to reason that we should avoid it as much as possible, although Reeses' Peanut Butter Cups are a big indulgence of mine, at least I'm getting some peanut butter (something healthy) with my sugar and chocolate to balance it all out... But I agree sugar should be avoided, especially straight sugar on cereal etc.. I've had some crazy dreams, sort of felt like I was halucinating in my dreams, after eating too much chocolate just before going to sleep, that it was enough to make me cut way back..the dreams freaked me out...Twizzlers cuase these halucinating type dreams the worst.. I won't touch a Twizzler...They are demon possessed.

Try again...ask away ...

 

[jonny]

IF the Book of Morman, as Mormans claim, is "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" & it "co-insides" with the Bible, then please explain to me why in the bible Paul declares in Galatians 1:8+9 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so I now say again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." (KJV)

Paul taught that because it is true. The Book of Mormon doesn't teach a different gospel than what Paul was teaching. Are you implying that Paul was referring to the New Testament, because it didn't exist when he was alive?

Paul proclaimed in Acts 19:1-6 in short that he taught & believed in the Water Baptisim in the name of JESUS & the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in another tongue as God gave the utterance.

I don't know if this is a question or just an interesting fact.

Mormons also believe in a water baptism in the name of "the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." In fact, the exact words that are stated when a Mormon is baptised is, "Being commissioned by Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

After baptism, members are confirmed and given the gift of the Holy Ghost. As for speaking in tounges, our seventh article of faith is "7 We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth."

 

[jonny]

What is the meaning and purpose of any human's existence within this mortal and earthly realm, according to LDS beliefs?

The purpose of our life is to live in such a way that we can reach our highest potential which is to live with God and become like him.

 

[Katzpur]

Do we blow people out of here as soon as they ask what seems to be an antagonistic question ??? I think Snowbear deserves to be heard and respected for hes/her point of view...

Excuse me, FFH, but who are you implying to be guilty of "blowing people out of here?" Snowbear said she would prefer to look elsewhere for her answers. None of us suggested that she do that, but if our combined efforts to answer her questions have been less than adequate, perhaps someone "elsewhere" can do better.

 

[PHOTOTAKER]

do you guys thank that what people bleive will also depend on what kindom they go to?

 

[FFH]

Excuse me, FFH, but who are you implying to be guilty of "blowing people out of here?" Snowbear said she would prefer to look elsewhere for her answers. None of us suggested that she do that, but if our combined efforts to answer her questions have been less than adequate, perhaps someone "elsewhere" can do better.

Okay, fair enough, maybe I just read people, like Snowbear, wrong.

I'm just as guilty as anyone else and so I wasn't pointing the finger at anyone without pointing it right back at myself...it's just that we are the ones offering answers to questions and it seems we are so defensive and on guard at times because of antagonistic people in the past but it seems there are those genuinely interested in certain things and we become defensive and lose an opportunity to really discuss with someone what they are really trying to get at or out of us...

Are we falling short by assuming the person asking a question is thinking something they're not ??? I do this constanttly by trying hard to read between the lines...Sometimes I misread people...

 

[nutshell]

Do we blow people out of here as soon as they ask what seems to be an antagonistic question ??? I think Snowbear deserves to be heard and respected for hes/her point of view...

Snowbear had its questions answered, but didn't like the answers. That's the impression I got.

 

[FFH]

do you guys thank that what people bleive will also depend on what kindom they go to?

Yes, absolutely....

For instance I see the three degrees of glory and outer darkness this way in simple terms, but there is obviously more to it than this....

Example of a simplified version of beliefs among those in these spheres of existence.

Celestial (highest degree of glory where the Father and Son live)

Those who live here accept the Father, the Son and the "fullness" of their gospel along with the Holy Ghost.

Terrestrial-(middle degree of glory where Christ visits, but the Father does not)

Those who live here accept Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost, but not the Father neither His "fullness".

Telestial-(lowest degree of glory where the Holy Ghost visits, but not the Father and the Son)

Those who live here accept the Holy Ghost, bot not the Father nor the Son nor the "fullness" of their gospel.

Outer Darkness-Type of Hell where neither the Father nor the Son nor the Holy Ghost visit)

Those who live here don't accept the Father, the Son nor the Holy Ghost, but reject all three, by denying them.

 

[FFH]

Snowbear had its questions answered, but didn't like the answers. That's the impression I got.

Yeah, it just seemed like there was more he/she wanted to know which we could talk about, that's all...

Did you notice what looked liked "romaji" (english Japanese writing) under his/her username ??? it says "Nita Okhata" possibly Japanese do you think ??? I know there is a missing vowel or an extra consenant but close enough to something Japanese...