Lstinthwrld

But how do you know it is true when laymen contradict prophets and even prophets contradict prophets?

I can understand being frustrated but you know that's not the case. Other wise they would have banned me by now and sent the Danites after me:D

But see this is my point. how do you know that your way is the right one to believe. and I assume that by we you refer all LDS. How do you know that everyone believes your view.

I adhere to the Taoist philosophy/belief more than any other. At the core it is agnostic...but with room to learn. I hope that makes sense.

Not true I have weekly meetings with missionaries and other local LDS church members and my best friends father was one of your GA's. So please do not make assumptions.

Wow I go to give my daughter a bath and we are already on the second page. Awesome! Let me elaborate a little. 1 Was HF originally a man who Attained deification? If so he had a God he worshiped (and by implication still does? Does this open a door for a polytheistic/henotheistic debate? (I have talked to mormons off of the internet who admit yes this does and those who deny god ever had a god. So it runs the gamut. 2 Doctrine vs scripture. They don't always jive and neither do the individual opinions about them and I have noticed that there seems to be a huge debate over a lot of what the prophets have said through history and how do you know if it to be taken as doctrine or just individual opinion. 3 A lot of the core beliefs/doctrines aren't scriptural So are they in fact true or just someones opinion of what should be practiced. How do you know the difference? Even Joseph Smith is questioned on this (I.E. the king follet discourse as a example.) These are just a few examples of what I mean.

I have participated in a few discussions on this forum so far. And as an outsider the only thing that seems clear is that with very few exceptions no two mormons believe the same thing about their religion. Having said that (and I am sure that most people will concentrate on this statement instead of the following question and what I hope will be the focus of this thread) How if you can not decide a universal way to believe some of the core points in your own faith can you ever expect to be understood and not questioned by the outside world that may or may not be looking at mormonism with interest of joining but still have honest questions and curiosities?

Go back and read the post. Try and understand a little concept called sarcasm and then get back to me.

It is nice to know that the mormons have people that just hang around these boards that are here to start crap just like non mormons.

You redeem this thread. Thank you very much. I agree with most of what you say and I am trying to work it out. It has been a long road for me and I am tired. I just want to find a home spiritually I guess. But I can not join something just to join. I have to believe and belief is hard for me. So the road is long and unfortunately it ain't getti'n any shorter. But honestly thank you Misshalfway. There is wisdom in your words.

I don't even know why I responded to you. Religious fanaticism = ignorance plain and simple. I will not respond to you in the future. Thank you for your contributions. Now back to topic.

Don't know the difference between Hitler and Islamic extremism huh?

Hey Vort I have an idea.....lets all the true believers start strapping on bombs and get rid of the unbelievers. Martyrdom yay.

See you think the only way to God is through mormonism I dont.

This a purely mormon stance on biblical interpretations. Go talk to any nonLDS scholar about it.

Yes and what I am saying is the LDS church does NOT have the only set of key for this 'revelation'.

Pauline Christianity was considered heresy until the first council of Nicaea did you know that?

Thank you for the fanatical LDS perspective now we can all return to a proper discussion not a church propaganda fest.

What you are saying here is basically "I believe so you should to" right?

Don't you find this response a little...proud?

This is an issue for me. This kind of "the LDS church is the only way" egotistic junk is the main reason I haven't joined the church. I personally don't believe God and salvation are or can be exclusive to one religion much less one church organization. This whole my way or noway crap was not in vogue until the book against heresies by Irenaeus came out in early Christianity. This view has got to stop. Christianity in general and the mormon church in particular is not the only way to get to 'heaven'.

I am very willing to believe. But to me all the various churches are just kind of like used car dealers. Each one trying to convince me they have the best car that I need and I cant live without their car. Problem is I already own a car.

Ok if its so cut and dry....prove it beyond a shadow of doubt.

This is a stupid come lately argument. By this logic what authority did he need? There was no church no authority before him so if we follow the logic of your argument I can baptize and don't need anyone elses authority for any type of religious rite. Therefore negating organized Christianity as we know it today. Everything is a progression. From church authority to knowledge. Also there was not much knowledge because of a little thing called illiteracy in the first century as well. The standards of the time are much different from then to now. Keep perspective please.