Hi everyone! Questions from a non-Mormon

[lappy1245]

Hi everyone,

I hope this post finds everyone well! I'm not Mormon (I'm actually Jewish) but I'm very curious about the Mormon community. I never met a Mormon person until I was 24 and really enjoyed learning about their life and beliefs. I'm also a researcher that studies the relationship between members of different religions (don't worry, I'm a statistician who works with raw numerical data, I don't gather data from Internet forums and use it for my projects!). I have a lot of respect for the self discipline and restraint that Mormons practice - abstaining from alcohol and tobacco are very impressive!

I'm very interested in the similarities between Judaism and Mormonism. Many of the people that I know who are Mormon have names very similar to Jews and many of the religious beliefs that are followed by Mormons, including undergarments, fasting and an extreme importance of abstinence are also very similar. Is there any reason for the similarity of the religious beliefs?

I'm not a religious Jew at all but I'll try to answer any questions honestly if you have any you want to ask.... Also, since the last thing I want to do is offend anyone, do the members on this site prefer to be called "Mormons" or "LDS" or something else?

I look forward to being part of your forum!

[skippy740]

I think you'll find this particular sub-forum very interesting:

A Jewish Perspective on the Book of Mormon - LDS Social Network Forums

The reason for the similarity of beliefs & practices is that we believe this to be the "dispensation of the fullness of times" where all things old are renewed again.

Personally, I prefer LDS.

Welcome!

[pam]

Welcome lappy. I think Mormons and Jews have much more in common than many will admit to. I am always interested in learning more from our Jewish brothers and sisters as well.

[MormonMama]

Welcome! :)

[Sicily510]

Welcome I prefer LDS, there may be similarities yet there is a spiritual difference our focus is on the promise we make to accept Jesus Christ for our eternal exaltation through striving to live like him and evolve our lifestyle upon his teachings. Clearly this is my own testimony of why I believe that this church is a true church of Jesus Christ, it has taught me distinctively the sacredness we possess to choose to live like he did.

[NeuroTypical]

Hi Lappy - welcome!

I go to church with a Jewish guy who converted to mormonism. He is a fascinating guy - one of the best Old Testament gospel doctrine teachers I've ever seen. He threw a passover feast for our ward one year, explaining the OT roots of many of the traditions of Christianity.

[Blackmarch]

Hi everyone,

I hope this post finds everyone well! I'm not Mormon (I'm actually Jewish) but I'm very curious about the Mormon community. I never met a Mormon person until I was 24 and really enjoyed learning about their life and beliefs. I'm also a researcher that studies the relationship between members of different religions (don't worry, I'm a statistician who works with raw numerical data, I don't gather data from Internet forums and use it for my projects!). I have a lot of respect for the self discipline and restraint that Mormons practice - abstaining from alcohol and tobacco are very impressive!

Greetings and welcome welcome!

Well let me say this i have been likewise impressed by the Jewish faith.

In fact when i joined this site there is a whole section that has been dedicated to a Jewish researcher that used to post here (i think he stopped mainly due to health reasons, very unfortunately), who went through our book of scripture (the book of Mormon) and was able to pull things out of it, left and right, that I never noticed or knew about it.

Here; A Jewish perspective on the book of mormon

I'm very interested in the similarities between Judaism and Mormonism. Many of the people that I know who are Mormon have names very similar to Jews and many of the religious beliefs that are followed by Mormons, including undergarments, fasting and an extreme importance of abstinence are also very similar. Is there any reason for the similarity of the religious beliefs?

I believe there is; the foundation our religion is God. The main cornerstone of that foundation comes through a book of religious records we have that chronicles God's dealings with a group of israelites who are seperated from Jerusalem shortly before it was destroyed around 600ish BC, eventually this group ends up on the american continent and colonize there. Their record covers about a little over 900 years of their dealings with god, and some of their history as kept by prophets that God had called among them up until their destruction and dispersal. This record is caleld teh Book of Mormon because of the prophet who compiled it together shortly before and during the destruction of his people. This goes hand in hand with the records kept by the jews in Israel. (we also use the ones that compose the Bible, as well as the ones that make up the New Testament")

We also have prophets called among us by God, and we are given instruction and Gods word today as well.

I'd imagine that between The Israelites in olden times, the ones that ended up on the american continent, and our people today, and other groups who have had dealings with God (but have yet to find their records) will end up being really close in similarity.

I'm not a religious Jew at all but I'll try to answer any questions honestly if you have any you want to ask.... Also, since the last thing I want to do is offend anyone, do the members on this site prefer to be called "Mormons" or "LDS" or something else?

I look forward to being part of your forum!

Cool. Mormon, LDS, Christian, Israelite, or "that funny guy down the street" are all fine to me.

and wwelcome again :)

Edited August 28, 2012 by Blackmarch