Lstinthwrld

So you would consider someone like the Dalai Lama as lost? What about Siddharta Gautama? I could go on for about 20 pages or so my point is God and Jesus are not the only way. Just as Buddhism Taoism Islam Judaism etc. etc. are not the only ways. Religion is more cultural than spiritual more often than not. No one religion has the market of truth cornered.

I am a father of three myself and I am with you on this one.

I have been looking into the LDS Church for some time and these are important things to know in making any kind of decision about any religion. So acting under the only stupid question is an unasked question rule I ask.

I tried the church website but got a message stating that the page was unavailable. So I thought "why not post on my favorite lds forum?" So I am trying to understand the preexistence a little better from the initial intelligences to full mortal birth. What condition are the intelligences in before spiritual formation? How does the spiritual formation (I have also heard it refered to as spiritual birth. Hopefully someone can elaborate) take place? What is the reason we are formed into spiritual bodies? Why is it required that we take a mortal form for the period of time that we have to? When does the 'soul' populate the human mortal body? And I guess the final question I have is why does all this have to take place? Sorry to be long winded here but I am trying to understand these concepts. Thank you all for your time.

After reading the posts and looking at the website I am looking foreword to this movie. I enjoyed Religulous and am sure I will enjoy this as well. You know the one thing that really stands out to me about this post is the whole thing about reaching the lost. Why if someone is not christian do they have to be lost? Once again here we are with narrow minded point of view my religion is the only/best one. Christian or lds or catholic or anything is not the only way to "heaven" or a good place in the afterlife. Doesn't most religion teach that ego and being proud is a bad thing? And isnt believing your way is the only/best way a form of egotism? Something to think about before you judge people who are not of the christian persuasion as "lost" eh?

This is quite the unconstitutional statement. A secular non religiously biased government is necessary for fair governing of a religiously diverse people. Or would you see the right to practice whatever religion is appropriate to the individual be removed as a constitutional guarantee?

Since I have been on this forum this my be the first time I have seen a sincere intelligent investigator...wow they do exist. I will say as a nonmormon that I do believe Joseph Smith was a prophet. He knew to many things that he shouldn't have to not to be one. So I do believe he was a prophet just not my prophet.

What about the lady that was excommunicated a few years beck for 'believing' that women have a place in the priesthood. Seems like she was punished for her beliefs to me.

Wow good thread.

Religion is the invention of man not God. We invent what we don't have at the time in the case of religion we invent a greater purpose for ourselves in a very absurd way. These concepts may have held up 2000 years ago but they do not in the present. People need to recognize religion as the myth it is and was. I laugh at the insecurity of the human race. We are pathetic in our need to turn allegory into fact just to feel bigger than the world around us.

found this thought it was interesting. As proposed evidence that the idea of multiple hypostases is borrowed from pagan sources, nontrinitarians often cite a book On the Holy Church, whose author is referred to as Pseudo-Anthimus, because its traditional attribution is thought to be false. Scholars now attribute the book to Marcellus of Ancyra, a strongly anti-Arian and anti-Origenist bishop who was accused of being an apologist for a modalistic conception of God. The book contains the following declaration: “ Now with the heresy of the Ariomaniacs, which has corrupted the Church of God...These then teach three hypostases, just as Valentinus the heresiarch first invented in the book entitled by him On the Three Natures. For he was the first to invent three hypostases and three persons of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and he is discovered to have filched this from Hermes, Plato and Aristotle. (Source: AHB Logan: Marcellus of Ancyra (Pseudo-Anthimus), On the Holy Church: Text, Translation and Commentary. Verses 8-9. Journal of Theological Studies, NS, Volume 51, Pt. 1, April 2000, p.95 ).

No the only thing you can do is live a good and humble life trying to put the good and happiness of others before you because it is the right way to live and treat others. See no dogma or apologetics needed. I dont need a 'faith' in the absurd to try to be a good person. I still believe I will get to "heaven" I believe in a "God" I just choose not to cheapen him in the process. We, the boss and I are friends and I don't treat my friends that way.

What are you talking about?

I have heard the kolob thing and the inhabited moon theory as well, this is going to get interesting.

The book follows Jesus through his adult life and his ministry all the way to the crucifixion. After Jesus was hung on the cross Satan appears to Him in the form of a guardian angel. He tells Jesus that he has done enough that he is not the messiah and does not have to die for mankind. So he takes Jesus off the cross and Jesus lives his life until he runs into Saul/Paul at market one day while he is preaching about how Jesus was crucified and rose after three days. Jesus' angel/Satan tells him not to go listen but Jesus does anyway and hears it. Jesus is angry at what he heard confronts Saul/Paul and tells him he did not die and to quit lieing about him. This angers Saul/Paul and he tells Jesus to look around at the hopeless people who have hope now through the story of the resurection. He tells Jesus that If figuratively he has to crucify him for the story to give people hope then he will do that and there is nothing that Jesus can do about it. Jesus says he will tell them the truth Saul/Paul tells him that no one will believe him its not what they want to hear. During the destruction of Jerusalem the apostles find Jesus on his deathbed and they see the angel for what he is. The angel believing Jesus to be past the point of return reveals himself and states that now that Jesus is going to die as a man not a sacrifice satan wins. Jesus prays to God apologizing for his mistake and beging to be able to die for mankind. At that moment he is back on the cross and utters "It is acomplished." and dies. To me the exchange between Saul/Paul and Jesus at the market sums up Christianity and in fact all religion. Man has to have hope and where there appears to be none we will manufacture some.

Has anyone here read Nikos Kosantzakis book 'The last temptation of Christ'?

Heck the crazy lies are one of the reasons I come here and annoy everyone. I figure there must be something to any religion that generates the level of criticism that the LDS does.

I don't believe in the book of mormon as you believe in it. That would be like me telling you to read an excerpt from the bagavadgita and wondering why you don't take it as scripture like they do in India. How about relating it to me in a dialoge that is not mormon specific?

I put up link in post #3 that goes over the 5 sources of the transcription. Kind of neat to see how each different person heard what was being said.

The mormons need outside help for this?

I dont worry about it much just trying to figure out how it fits in thats all. By the way Misshalfway...2.5 carrots colorless platinum setting ....

I once heard that in order to have faith you must suspend reason in order to believe in the absurd. I have no use fro the absurd. Since you "assure me as one who knows" what do you know? Show me what you know so that I can know as well.

Thank you very much. Yeah they were going over a lot of the principals with me. I have some formal theological training so I guess they figured I could handle it. We were going over the concept of eternal progression and I have to say they are very knowledgeable young men. The type that gives me hope for the future of organized religion. They brought me a copy of 'the teachings of the Prophet Joseph smith' Haven't read it yet though.

I have also recently heard that this isn't even supposed to be the BoA papyrus anyway. That it is just one in the collection that they bought. If that's the case it makes it all moot anyway. And yes I stand by "unknowable and unprovable"

I seriously hope this was a result of a dream and not true.