Origen

The BoM was mainly intended as a historical record, not a revealed dictation by God such as the Qur'an is, so there are bound to be inaccuracies. That said most Mormons believe that the events described therein did literally occur - though perhaps not exactly as they were recorded.

Why would a LDS be any less prone to accepting conspiracy theories than someone of another faith? I think Christians in particular are MORE prone to this due to the end days prophecies found in the book of Revelation and the pervasive Christian belief that 'the Earth is lying in the power of the wicked one (Satan)'. Remember that Christianity began as an anti-authoritarian movement. Most early Christians were oppressed Jews living under Roman imperialism and plebian gentiles so it's no wonder that the religion has retained a suspicion towards government.

I think the LDS would go under the heading of 'Restorationist' along with Jehovah's Witnesses, Christadelphians, and Unification Church. See the Wikipedia entry.

Some kids are more sensitive than others so it's really impossible to make an accurate blanket statement about this. I think eventually everyone must accept that the world can be a cruel and brutal place, but some kids are better off learning later when they have matured somewhat. Even I thought the violence in The Passion was overdone - and I was able to sit through Kill Bill volume 1 without blinking. Don't get me wrong, it had it's moments (the flashback involving Mary Magdelene was especially moving) but I can't see anyone being moved to become Christian after watching that gore-fest (though apparently some people did drop on their knees in the theater and convert on the spot). Personally, I thought The Last Temptation was a much better movie and I gained a much deeper appreciation of Jesus' sacrifice after watching it.

Yes, it is; but it wouldn't be the worst of what I have to live with on a daily basis. I hardly ever think about it and I have to admit that some of it was so absurdly grotesque that it was funny. Pornography degrades sex, yes, by mocking and ridiculing an act that is supposed to be beautiful and intimate. However, it's been said that laughter is surest means to breaking any spell and I think that is why it had the effect on me that it did. Sex holds no more appeal for me because I see through it's charms. It's kind of like falling out of love with someone and realizing they aren't the hero you had been worshiping all this time - though not quite as soul rending.

It can lead to a lack of motivation. The desire for money, fame, and power usually has it's root in the libido since most women prefer rich, powerful, and famous men. If you no longer desire women, then what reason do you have to pursue these things?

This may sound a little crazy to some people but I will tell you how I stopped looking at pornography and how I did it without exerting any self discipline or struggle whatsoever. Ready? I overindulged in it! I looked at all the pornography I could find. The kinkier, the more bizarre, the better! Yes, I know how bad this sounds but the result was that I have lost all interest in porn of any kind whether it be pictures, movies, or books. Sex is actually very tedious and watching other people having sex is about as exciting as watching someone eat a big plate of spaghetti. It really is such a dull repetitive process... I hope that one day you will open your eyes and see this for yourself and regret all the time you have wasted; I know I have. I suppose the only down side of it is that, if you try this strategy and succeed as I have, you might loose all interest in sex and become celibate. But then, it isn't as if humans are an endangered species...

Looking at another religion that is very similar to the LDS in some ways might answer your question. I grew up as a Jehovah's Witness. Like the LDS church, the witnesses believe that a group of men (the Governing Body in Brooklyn NY) receive direct revelations from God. Like the LDS, JWs also have a president who basically fulfills the same role as the current LDS prophet. The governing body has repeatedly made false predictions concerning when they believed Armageddon would occur. Each time they have got it wrong, some JWs left but the vast majority stayed. I won't get in to the rationalizations the governing body has used to extricate themselves time and again but my point is that if people want to believe, it doesn't take much to GET them to believe. Even the flimsiest, most implausible rationalization will do it. People rarely, if ever, adopt a formal religion due to reason or the presence of evidence. Any argument a believer could use to prove the truth of their religion can also be used to prove the truth of any other religion. Any evidence which seems to disprove their religion can simply be dismissed as false. You can see this for yourself by studying the sophisms of Holocaust deniers or those who believe that the moon landing was faked. No matter how overwhelming the evidence is, they simply deny it's legitimacy while accepting the 'evidence' for their own beliefs without question.

It was both true and untrue depending on how you interpret death. In a sense they could not die because, while the body is mortal, the soul persists. However, they certainly did die in the flesh, as all things die. My take on it is that in reality Adam & Eve were always mortal (in the flesh). The death that Jehovah Elohim referred was not death, strictly speaking, but the awareness of death. Like all animals, preconscious humans had no conception of death before the fall and after it they suddenly had to confront their own mortality. This foreknowledge that they would die was the price they paid for partaking from the tree of knowledge (for becoming conscious beings). If there is no awareness of mortality, then mortality is not a burden. Another interpretation could be this: that in premortal existence we were immortal but when we entered mortal bodies it was, in some sense, like death because we forgot our identities as children of God. There were some early Christians (particularly the Gnostics) who considered the fleshly body to be a tomb. LDS doctrine is very gnostic in two aspects: 1. The pre-existence of all human souls in heaven. 2. Humanity's potential to become like God. In fact, it could be said that it was these two ideas which defined the Gnostics and set them apart from the other Christian sects; in all other beliefs they differed dramatically but these latter two were fundamental. Sorry, I tend to go on tangents when I get excited. I'm going to start a new thread in the LDS Gospel Discussion : LDS & GNOSTICISM.

What strikes me is that the LDS interpretation of the fall is the only one I am aware of which does harmonize with evolution. The more 'traditional' interpretation holds that human beings were already 'perfect' (compared to what?) when God created them - the pinnacle of creation - and that the fall was well, a fall. Even before I knew anything about LDS theology this interpretation never made any sense to me. I do, and have always, seen the story of the fall as an allegory of the evolution of human consciousness. In this allegory our ancestors (Adam & Eve) begin as highly intelligent animals who are nonetheless driven by pure, automatic instinct. They have no ability to reflect on their actions. No forethought. No power of conceptualization. All that exists for them is their perception of the present moment. Then they eat from 'the tree of knowledge' (how can this NOT be allegory?) and BOOM! Suddenly they are aware of their nakedness (self-consciousness), they feel guilt (animals don't feel guilt, only shame which is a very different thing), they become aware that they will die (remember that Jehovah Elohim says that if they eat from the tree they will die. Are we to believe that humans were literally immortal before the fall?). They are kicked out of Eden which means they can no longer survive by picking bananas (like our cousins the chimps do) and they must now either hunt for their food or grow it. Now I ask any fundamentalists or atheists who might be reading this: is this allegorical interpretation of the fall consistent with what anthropologists are saying about human origins or isn't it. Interpret the fall literally and it fails every test of objective truth. Interpret the fall allegorically and discover that the book of Genesis was ahead of it's time by nearly 3000 years! You might want to look into Transhumanism is this interests you. (maybe you already have). Medical science is getting very close to extending the human lifespan indefinitely. If only we invested as much money in preserving life as we did in discovering ways to destroy it, immortality treatments would probably already be within everyone's price range. The curse of logical positivism. To say that whatever cannot be known by the senses is 'meaningless' is a fine axiom for science but it is (in my opinion) an absurd proposition to live by for the reason you already mentioned. I'm sure the the bacteria living on my body aren't aware of my existence and have no means of ever becoming aware of it, but I certainly exist I agree completely. Galileo had something similar to say (though I can't recall the quote right now). Good post.

You were probably experiencing a hallucination, but not because you are schizophrenic. When humans are drifting off to sleep and right before they wake up they enter what is called the Hypnagogic state - a level of consciousness which is between full wakefulness and dream. Someone who is in this state can hear voices, see things, feel the presence of others and even experience tactile sensations (like a crushing weight bearing down on you). I can say this with authority because this often happens to me when I am drifting off to sleep at night and it can be disturbing even if you know what's going on. The trick is to remember that it isn't any more real than a dream and that it can be easily remedied by simply attempting to move a finger or toe, which will cause you to fully awaken.

That's sad. But, if it means anything, I can assure you that heavenly father loves you. I know that he loves ME, and if he can love a faithless sinner like me he must love you. Now, just because he loves us doesn't mean he is always going to protect us from pain. I think your troubled past may be at the root of this absence you feel. The problem of why God allows suffering has never been solved to my satisfaction by any theologian that I have read but what I can tell you is that even though God does not always deliver us from evil, he is always bearing it with us and if we turn to him, he consoles us. You might consider reading Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross. Having gone through my own dark night I now feel much closer to God than I did before the experience.

Even if you are slightly turned on I don't see how this could qualify as masturbation. Also, if you are male and, especially if you are young, having an erection does not necessarily imply sexual feelings. I once got one while petting my cat but I don't consider myself a zoophile. You mentioned that you had a dream before this happened. Scientific studies have shown that BOTH sexes naturally experience increased blow flow to their genitals when in REM sleep.

I think you are just a sweet, sensitive man who is only missing self-esteem. I am about your age, I have never dated, and yes, I am not exactly a chick magnet. But I sincerely believe that the right girl IS out there. I actually have a very clear image in my mind of what she looks like and whatkind of person she is. Now I am just waiting for her to manifest and I fully expect that she will manifest when the time is right. You say that most of the girls seem to prefer bullies and jerks? Well, yes there is a certain type of woman who loves jerks. These women (from what I have observed) all suffer from very low self-esteem. They desperately need EVERYONE to approve of them and like them so when a man comes along and preys upon their feelings of inadaquency, they are willing to do anything to earn his approval. Ignore these women. even if you got together with one of them she would drive you crazy with her insecurities. You can do better. Are you really repulsed by sex or do you just have a very low (or non-existent) sex drive? You should really be clear about this with yourself because they are two different issues. I also had a very prudish upbringing but when I really analyzed my feelings I realized that I just didn't have a high sex drive; my upbringing had nothing to do with my lack of a sex life. Maybe sex isn't what you are looking for. Maybe what you really crave is intimacy. This can be really hard for men because in our culture (I'm assuming you are American) men are not encouraged to form intimate friendships with each other and so you are only left with women who might mistake your desire for friendship for a sexual pass. What's worse, even if she does understand that you want to be her friend, her boyfriend or husband probably won't. I really wish I had a solution for you. Maybe try forming a friendship with another male who is more like you. Not macho or afraid of doing something 'gay' like giving his best friend a hug. If you still feel lonely then it may be that you really do need a woman in your life. Are you serious? Seriously? I have have never had a girlfriend, but I have had LOTS of female friends and I can assure you with absolute certainty that you have it completely upside down! Women get just as horny as men it's just that, due to social conditioning, it is very easy for them to get what they want. Some women would have you BELIEVE they don't desire or enjoy sex because they want it to seem like they are doing you a favor so you will feel obligated tor them. But I assure you it's all a facade! Don't fall for it! Any woman worth your time will not play games like this. The minute a woman plays any kind of game with you, drop her and find someone else. The trick is to only ask women out girls whom you don't know very well. That way, if they reject you, it has very little emotional impact. Why should you care what a stranger thinks of you? The worst thing in the world is to be rejected by a woman you are already in love with. I wish I could have been more helpful to you. When my dream girl comes into my life maybe I will have more to say.

Todd: My failed attempt at humor But yes, it actually did cross my mind, as I stepped into the SUV with them, are these guys really mormons? What if they kidnap me? Not the smartest thing I have ever done.And yes, I suppose I really should just talk to someone with authority on these matters. I just don't want to give anyone the impression that I'm going to be a hell-raiser or a rebel who will constantly question authority. I'm really not like that at all. Other people are as entitled to their opinions as I am. I would just like to know if I am free (or not free) to express my opinions in a friendly manner should the topic arise naturally in a conversation. You see, I made this mistake as Jehovah's Witness (assuming I had the right to disagree) and if I had been baptized, I would have gotten disfellowshipped for it. As it turned out, I was simply shunned instead; which is really just as bad.