Youtube Apologetics

[cdowis]

"The missionaries had nothing to say to that in response to my brilliant statement, and were clearly moved by the realization that I am vastly superior to them intellectually."

Yawn.
OK, they used a poor analogy. They held no PhD in rhetoric. debate and philosophy, and they would have known better But they were simple folk called by God to preach his gospel, no to play clever games with you.

Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? Christ responds, [Silence]

"Roman Catholics champion something called “bishopric succession”.

If I had known that you were Catholic, I would not have used this scripture. They have a sense of authority similar to our own and we would not have had that discussion. Basically I would talk about our common beliefs and introduced them to the Book of Mormon. YOU have set the rules to this game, and I have zero interest in playing.

May I suggest that you check out mormondialogue.org for such discussions.

----And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him;
---- Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.

---For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.
---- (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)........
-----And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead [ and other strange things], some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.
------So Paul departed from among them, [left the city and traveled elsewhere]

Edited May 14, 2018 by cdowis

[cdowis]

"neglecting the poor"?
Overview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bnhU1bh_RM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEt721ZwACI
See the PBS investigation
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2016/06/24/mormon-welfare-program/31091/
TV news story -- Bishop's warehouse 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow6mnAowINw
John Stossel -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz-SUYq4lkM

Teaching Self-Reliance in Haiti  --     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofTqWNf4KDg
A personal story -- helping a family https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O3qGLjRYeM

See also
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXMrum6-vEY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3J2vLNGdWY&t=1s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTN-0v9vyZU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q8y8FdUeBY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLyaZGb3FLo
etc etc etc etc

[cdowis]

Bamboozled by the CES letter -- the truth about the CES Letter

https://www.fairmormon.org/answers/Criticism_of_Mormonism/Online_documents/Letter_to_a_CES_Director

 

[cdowis]

Bamboozled by the CES letter -- the truth about the CES Letter

https://www.fairmormon.org/answers/Criticism_of_Mormonism/Online_documents/Letter_to_a_CES_Director

 

[cdowis]

The "mormon doctrine" presented here is not actually mormon doctrine at all. Instead it is the commonly misunderstood and false perception of mainstream Christianity looking into a faith they either have not studied nor understand.

Edited May 23, 2018 by cdowis

[cdowis]

> the Kinderhook plates that J.Smith translated
There is no evidence of any  attempt for a complete translation of those fake plates. except for a single word or phrase.  Here is a detailed historical analysis which refutes rhe most popular apologetic explanation.  He then suggests another,  based on a recent discovery.
https://youtu.be/XQ1eoW7-q9k

[cdowis]

As Stephen Colbert put it: "Mormons believe Joseph Smith received golden plates from an angel on a hill,  and everyone knows that Moses got stone tablets from a burning bush on a mountain.

Edited May 25, 2018 by cdowis

[cdowis]

The BOM lands were in mesoamerica and this is tropical rainforest.   

A recent discovery reported by CNN ======>>>>>>>>>
Advanced laser mapping has revealed more than 60,000 ancient Mayan structures beneath the jungles of northern Guatemala.

Set across dozens of hidden cities, the discoveries include houses, palaces and a 90-foot-tall pyramid that was previously thought to be a hill.
Made possible through special laser-equipped airplanes that can "see" through dense jungle, the groundbreaking research suggests that Mayan metropolises were far larger and more complex than previously thought.
Evidence of agriculture, irrigation, quarries and defensive fortifications were widespread, and extensive road networks point to initially unknown levels of interconnectivity between settlements.

The extent of the findings, first reported by National Geographic, may transform our understanding of how Mesoamerican civilization operated, according to one of the study's co-directors, Marcello Canuto from Tulane University in New Orleans.

"We're discovering that there is more of everything, and the scale is much bigger," he said in a phone interview. "In any given area there were more structures, more buildings, more canals and more terraces (than expected).'"
By extrapolating data from the 2,100-square-kilometer (811-square-mile) site, researchers have also revised their population estimates for the region. **They now believe that 10 million people lived in the Maya Lowlands (an area covering parts of present-day Guatemala and Mexico), a number that is "many times larger" than indicated by previous research**

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/ancient-mayan-structures-discovered/index.html

Edited May 26, 2018 by cdowis

[cdowis]

The Bible
Gen.1 [26] And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
[27] So God created man IN HIS OWN IMAGE, IN THE IMAGE OF GOD CREATED HE HIM.

Gen 3 [22] And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil

John 17:19-23, specifically,  [22] And **the glory which thou gavest me I have given them** that they may be one, even as we are one:
[23] I in them, and thou in me, **that they may be made perfect in one**

Rev 3 [21] To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

Rom 8 [17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and **joint-heirs with Christ** if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

Matt.16   Christ said to Peter
[19] And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matt 19  He said to the apostles
[28] And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, **ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel**

The Bible says it, we believe it. Mormons are Bible believing Christians.
God has restored His Gospel and the priesthood authority upon the earth through a living prophet

[cdowis]

"another gospel"
Here is a warning from Peter
2 Peter 3 [16] As also in all his [Paul] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

2 Peter 1 [20] Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation
[21] For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God [prophets] spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost [revelation]

And finally., Paul teaches us
Eph 4 [11] *And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;* and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; [12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: [13] *Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God*, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: [14] That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

The historic Christian church has replaced the apostles and prophets with theologians and philosophers. They disagree among themselves even on basic salvation doctrines, such as the necessity for baptism, faith vs works, etc.
They teach "another Gospel" from the one taught by the prophets an prophets and God restored His Gospel through a living prophet.

II wish you all the best

Edited May 27, 2018 by cdowis

[cdowis]

Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ called Joseph Smith as a prophet in our day.  
This is his  testimony of Christ with Oliver Cowdery in the Kirtland Temple ==
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The veil was taken from our minds, and the eyes of our understanding were opened.

2 We saw the Lord standing upon the breastwork of the pulpit, before us; and under his feet was a paved work of pure gold, in color like amber.

3 His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

4 I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.

5 Behold, your sins are forgiven you; you are clean before me; therefore, lift up your heads and rejoice.

6 Let the hearts of your brethren rejoice, and let the hearts of all my people rejoice, who have, with their might, built this house to my name.

7 For behold, I have accepted this house, and my name shall be here; and I will manifest myself to my people in mercy in this house.
---------------------------------------

11-12;  Moses and Elias each appears and commit their keys and dispensations; 13–16, Elijah returns and commits the keys of his dispensation as promised by Malachi.

The keys of the priesthood were restored to the prophet, which Christ had bestowed upon Peter.

Matt.16
[19] And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/110.2?lang=eng&clang=eng#p1

Edited May 27, 2018 by cdowis

[cdowis]

The Bible tells us that there are missing books ==>> book of the Wars of the Lord (Num. 21:14); book of Jasher (Josh. 10:13; 2 Sam. 1:18); book of the acts of Solomon (1 Kgs. 11:41); book of Samuel the seer (1 Chr. 29:29); book of Gad the seer (1 Chr. 29:29); book of Nathan the prophet (1 Chr. 29:29; 2 Chr. 9:29); prophecy of Ahijah (2 Chr. 9:29); visions of Iddo the seer (2 Chr. 9:29; 12:15; 13:22); book of Shemaiah (2 Chr. 12:15); book of Jehu (2 Chr. 20:34); sayings of the seers (2 Chr. 33:19); and some prophecies of Enoch, known to Jude (Jude 1:14).

 

 

 

REPLY

[cdowis]

I wish all the best and thank you for fulfilling prophecy in my life,  Christ said 

 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.  
Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets

Your hatred,  your  bitterness, and evil  speaking ==  Praise God, I leap with joy!  Hallelujah!
Standing, standing. standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour....... (one of my favorites)

Edited May 29, 2018 by cdowis

[cdowis]

This is a film called "The God Makers" 
Here is from the Wiki article on this movie ==>>
The film created considerable controversy in some of the communities in which it has been shown,[9] and was described by Truman G. Madsen, LDS professor of religion and philosophy, as "religious pornography".[10][full citation needed] The negative reaction came from both Mormons and non-Mormons.

The Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith publicly presented their concerns of the film which they described as "Mormon bashing" and "invidious and defamatory".[11] Rhonda M. Abrams, Regional Director stated the following:

I sincerely hope that people of all faiths will similarly repudiate The God Makers as defamatory and untrue, and recognize it for what it truly represents — a challenge to the religious liberty of all.[12][13]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_God_Makers

It is hate mongering propaganda full of misinformation and distortions of Mormon doctrine.

[cdowis]

"Not the work itself doing the saving. "
Of course works do not save us.   But faith without works is dead and dead faith cannot save us.

[cdowis]

Joseph Smith was married to Fanny, with her father's permission. You are just repeating gutter gossip.

I have nothing to hide, but the internet is not necessarily a trusted source of information. It is a mixture of fact, rumour and biased interpretation of events. I suggest that you get the facts, ALL of the facts, and decide for yourself, as I have done for the past 30 years. Joseph Smith was a human and made mistakes, just as Peter made mistakes by denying Christ and almost killing a servant in the Garden with a sword. If you want to condemn them, then remember that God called them as prophets, and you will be judged by the same measure as you yourself judge, especially if you are not in possession of  the facts.

[cdowis]

Joseph Smith Death at Carthage by Mormons

There have been conflicting reports about injuries to members of the mob during the attack, and whether any died. Shortly after the events occurred, Taylor wrote that he heard that two of the attackers died when Joseph Smith shot them with his pistol.^[5]:v7,p102

Most accounts seem to agree that at least three mob members were wounded by Smith's gunfire, but there is no other evidence that any of them died as a result. John Wills was shot in the arm, William Voras was shot in the shoulder, and William Gallaher was shot in the face.^[35][36] Others claimed that a fourth unnamed man was also wounded.^[36] Wills, Voras, Gallaher, and a Mr. Allen (possibly the fourth man) were all indicted for the murder of the Smiths. Wills, Voras, and Gallaher, perhaps conscious that their wounds could prove that they were involved in the mob, fled the county after being indicted and were never brought to trial.^[37] Apart from Taylor's report of what he had heard, there is no evidence that Wills, Voras, Gallaher, or Allen died from their wounds.^{[38]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Joseph_Smith}

 

The defining work in the area is " Carthage Conspiracy: The Trial of the Accused Assassins of Joseph Smith " by Dallin H.Oaks. See his biography at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dallin_H._Oaks Anyway, the assertion that members of the church instigated and participated in the mob is nonsense. Even the professional antiMormons have made no such claim.

An inconvenient truth ==>> The Illinois state attorney prosecuted  members of the mob, and NONE of them were Mormon. The acknowledged instigator and leader of the mob was Thomas C. Sharp, owner and editor of the newspaper the Warsaw Signal.  For example, he wrote: War and extermination is inevitable! Citizens ARISE, ONE and ALL!!!—Can you stand by, and suffer such INFERNAL DEVILS! To ROB men of their property and RIGHTS, without avenging them. We have no time for comment, every man will make his own. LET IT BE MADE WITH POWDER AND BALL!!![2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warsaw_Signal
After the mob killed the prophet, he wrote an editorial justifying the mob action.

 

Edited June 17, 2018 by cdowis

[cdowis]

Wiki --
Some 19th- and 20th-century Baptist ministers in the Southern United States taught the belief that there were two separate heavens; one for blacks, and one for whites.[22] Southern Baptists have either taught or practiced various forms of racial segregation well into the mid-to-late-20th century, though members of all races were accepted at worship services.[23] In 1995, the Southern Baptist Convention officially denounced racism and apologized for its past defense of slavery.[24] The curse of Cain was used to support a ban on ordaining blacks to most Protestant clergies until the 1960s in both the United States and Europe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_and_mark_of_Cain

Official statement from the church on racism --
The Church unequivocally condemns racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church. In 2006, then Church president Gordon B. Hinckley declared that “no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church. Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children.”

Recently, the Church has also made the following statement on this subject:

“The origins of priesthood availability are not entirely clear. Some explanations with respect to this matter were made in the absence of direct revelation and references to these explanations are sometimes cited in publications. These previous personal statements do not represent Church doctrine.”
https://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/race-church

[cdowis]

" the fullness of the everlasting gospel"
What is the "gospel/doctrine" of Christ?
3 Ne 11 [31] Behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will declare unto you my doctrine.
3 Ne 27 [13] Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you
Read to the end of the chapters on what constitutes "the gospel"

The Book of Mormon gives us the fullness of the "gospel", While there are other doctrines, such as tithing, temple worship,  sacrament etc they are left to modern revelation.
Also, look up "fullness" in the dictionary.  It does not mean what you think it means in this context.
 

[cdowis]

dup

Edited June 22, 2018 by cdowis

[cdowis]

The difference in doctrine always boils down to interpretation of the Bible. The same arguments by the anti-Mormon can be used to condemn Christianity in general. The same science that says no Mormon angel, no gold plates, no revelation from God, also says no parting of the sea, no walking on water, no resurrection from the dead. The same standard of proof, and argument, that says Joseph Smith was a conman and criminal, can be said about Jesus as well. Anti-Mormons are masters at kicking against the pricks.

(posted on youtube)

[cdowis]

>Joseph Smith claimed they had been written by Abraham's OWN HAND.

I have the Book of Abraham "written by the hand of Abraham" published on a PRINTING press. Are you saying  that this was was written by Abraham?
Of course not.

It is a *************************COPY*********************

The antiMormons have poisoned your brain, and they have made you say something stupid.

Edited July 2, 2018 by cdowis

[cdowis]

>The thief on the cross wasn't baptized
You are adding words to the Bible. 
"And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom"   He immediately recognized Christ, and was certainly a disciple of John the Baptist.
You are risking salvation on something the Bible does NOT say and you are rejecting the explicit words of Christ.

Edited July 19, 2018 by cdowis

[cdowis]

The *Smithsonian letter* on the Bible

The Smithsonian's department of Anthropology has received numerous inquiries in recent years regarding the historicity of the Bible in general, and the Biblical account of Noah's flood in particular. The following statement has been prepared to answer these questions: Most Biblical scholars and Near Eastern archeologists and historians regard the Biblical story of the flood and Noah's Ark as a story handed down by oral tradition. This story has obvious relationships with the Mesopotamian account of a flood found in the Epic of Gilgamesh. The Biblical and Mesopotamian accounts differ in important details--The respective boats are of different sizes and shapes; the Biblical boat lands on Mount Ararat, the Mesopotamian boat lands on Mount Nisir--and both stories may go back to a still earlier common source which remains unknown to us today.

 

Many people ask if the Biblical flood actually took place, i.e. a flood which literally covered the entire earth and wiped out all living things except those which managed to board the ark? The occurrence of a flood story in both the Bible and the Epic of Gilgamesh, as well as in other folk traditions, does hint that there may have been enormous flooding of river valleys in a far distant time. However, thus far, after literally hundreds of archeological excavations at different times in the Near East, no all-encompassing flood stratum has ever been found. During the 1920's, Sir Leonard Woolley found a six foot...:thick flood layer at Ur with evidence of earlier occupations below the flood layer and later occupations above it. We now know that this flood stratum was deposited by a change in the course of the Euphrates River that meandered rather widely over the flood plain, much as the Mississippi River once did before flood control measures were taken. Other sites near Ur display no such evidence of a flood stratum. Another difficulty in verifying the Biblical story is that the identification of the particular mountain now known as Ararat goes back to no more than a few hundred years, and, in fact, we have no idea where an ancient Mount Ararat might have been located. In addition, there is no hard evidence of an early ship resting on top of any mountain anywhere in the Near East.

http://www.csnradio.com/tema/links/SmithsonianLetter.pdf

 

 

 

REPLY

[cdowis]

ANTIMORMON -- BOM copied from many other books.

 

Let me understand, he had no typewriter, no copy machine, no computer .... and only did "part" of books. He was a subsistence farmer, but had time to do this by hand.

 

Now THAT is truly a miracle, when you consider that he dictated this with his head in a hat for hours at a time -- the hat had no table, no candle, no manuscript (unable to turn pages).

The antiMormons have poisoned your mind with their nonsense. They are idiots.

 

Edited July 27, 2018 by cdowis