Aquinas

puf_the_majic_dragon writes, So we see that the Bible can be interpreted in many ways, and that we are all individually lead by those things that seem most important to us. For some this is logic, for others it is feelings. Personally I find your story a very interesting one and I'd like to know more, if you don't mind sharing it. You said you left the LDS church before being converted to any other, I'm curious why you left? The emphasis in LDS Catechesis (that is, the method primarily used by full-time LDS missionaries) is on FEELINGS, not REASON, hence the reason that those investigating the LDS faith are constantly asked how they feel, rather then what they think. This is designed to and assists, IMO, in navigating around the difficult parts of LDS history and theology. Curious why I left? Pick a favorite stereotype from a typical LDS mindset...personal sin, couldn't hack the commandments, etc. To be honest I think most LDS are not the least bit curious in any intellectual sense of the word (sorry, but that is my observation), and in asking such a question are more akin to someone with an idle sense of curiosity. Still, if you are genuinely interested, drop me an email as I am too busy to keep up with internet forums, such as this most of the time. [email protected]

puf_the_majic_dragon writes, I'm curious about this Bible verse :) Be curious no more, here they are, Proverbs 14:12 There is a away which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 16:25 There is a away that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. Proverbs 28:26 He that atrusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered. Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord... and then my favorite, James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Why is James 1:5 my favorite? Because it clearly tells us to seek wisdom, not knowledge, as a starting point for leading lives of holiness. I was never asked once in the entire process of becoming Catholic what my feelings were...not once. I was however asked what I thought of this or that, and did it make sense.

aclaire11 writes, I've been seeing the missionaries and attending an LDS church since before my Christmas break (this is while I'm at school, not at home). I was almost sure that I was going to get baptised, but then over spring break I went back to Mass, started praying the rosary again, etc. And I felt just as good doing that as when I had been going to the LDS church. And it was actually easier for me to refrain from sin. Aquinas here... Since I have served as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter the LDS Church), and I am now a baptized and confirmed Roman Catholic of 5 years I can understand a little of where you are at on this dilemma. I am not going to tell you to remain Catholic, or that the LDS Missionaries are trying to deceive you. What I will tell you is about my own experience. I left the LDS Church before I ever attended my first Catholic Mass, though I had attended many Protestant churches (too many to number). So unfamiliar was I with what is a Catholic Mass that I brought something along to read and keep me amused. I was busy, busy, busy the entire hour...standing up, sitting down, knelling, etc. I was amazed at how truly interactive it all was. On the way out, I was handed a parish bulletin, not sure if I would ever return (it all seemed a little strange, as it still does to my still LDS wife). I opened up the bulletin, and read an announcement for the RCIA program (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) - "Want to become Catholic, or simply want to know more?" So, I went to a preliminary/introductory meeting with the RCIA Director one evening. What impressed me the most about this first personal encounter with Catholicism was just how open it all seemed. We were told that RCIA is a process that we would decide just how far we wanted to go, and that if the Catholic faith was not the correct "fit" for us, that she and everyone else involved wished us well on our faith journey. That was late August, 2002. This is *not* to suggest that there was no commitment to RCIA, since if one wanted to learn more about catholicism then one had to attend class, and the RCIA class met every Tuesday night (from 7 to 9 pm) every week except Thanksgiving and two weeks at Christmas until Easter, in April (that year). It was a remarkable process, and one that I look back upon fondly, as I had others that helped me along the way. So the missionaries keep asking me how I "feel" after going to the LDS church, reading the BOM, and having the meetings. Like this is supposed to be some sort of indicator. Well most of the time I actually feel worse because I get all confused and stressed out when I wonder if maybe the LDS church IS right. This is an element of Mormonism that I think is rather odd...the emphasis on "feelings". What makes it puzzling is that in an LDS Church Fast and Testimony Meeting what happens in nearly every instance is that a member/leader gets up and testifies that they *know* that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, that the Book of Mormon is "another Testament of Jesus Christ" and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only church with the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Question: how exactly is an emphasis on "feelings" consistent with statements of belief phrased as *knowledge* statements? I mean, before spring break I was so sure about the LDS church, but right after that when I was home and didn't see the missionaries or read the BOM I was sure about the Catholic Church. Tough spot to be in... And is "feeling good/happy" really a good basis for choosing a religion? Some of the nicest, kindest, happiest people I know are Catholics, some are Evangelicals, and some are LDS. How do I sort this all out? Since you are asking the question I will give you my best answer: no, it is not. Why? Well, I am not going to quote you a Bible verse (though I am tempted), but what I will simply state as something most everyone readily understands: feelings can and do change one day, week, month and year to the next. For example, Monday evening I was feeling very low after I experienced some setbacks at school (sigh, in my mid 40's and back in school...ugh). And then last night, after going for a bicycle ride to run an errand, I felt on top of the world and slept peacefully. Bottomline: religious truth should never be primarily based upon subjective feelings.

Daniel stated that a book, implicitly understood to be Mormon Doctrine, was refuted by the First Presidency. This is a statement of fact that does not hold up under scrutiny as there was never any sort of public refutation because as the quote that LM provided, the Brethren were concerned "and that the book should be repudiated in such a way as to save the career of the author as one of the General Authorities of the Church." As a former member of the LDS Church, I attended four full years of LDS Seminary and Institute, and graduated from both. I also served a full-time mission for the LDS Church. So, when I say that this was a popular and widespread belief (I grew up in Southern California), the belief being what McConkie wrote in the First Edition of Mormon Doctrine with regards to the Roman Catholic Church, it is a fair and accurate (if unflattering) description. Now, this certainly has changed...alot. When Pope John Paul II died a member of the LDS Church ward I live in called to express her condolences, knowing that I had converted to Catholicism only a couple of years before that time. And of all the churches that are out there, the LDS and Catholic are two of an ever dwindling number that believe in truth, BIG "T"...that is, the truth that does not change to appeal to modern sensibilities.

The book in question, Mormon Doctrine, by Bruce R. McConkie, is still in print (both hardback and paperback, and it has *never* been refuted by the First Presidency (though there was an effort to do so, but McConkie's father-in-law, Joseph Fielding Smith was rumored to have put the kabosh on such an effort). And yes, this was the popular understanding of the Roman Catholic Church for many years in the LDS Church.