Study Shows That Latter-day Saints Know Very Little About Other Religions


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On ‎8‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 9:20 AM, Mores said:
On ‎8‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 9:51 PM, mordorbund said:

1. Who is most closely associated with boys in white shirts and ties riding bicyles?
2. What was the religion of Hugh Nibley?
3. The first Sunday of April commemorates what in the LDS faith?
4. What do Mormon scriptures say about the U.S. Constitution?
5. Which of these is NOT one of the Articles of Faith?
6. Which religious tradition is fast Sunday associated with?
7. Pioneer day is...?
8. Which Book of Mormon figure is most closely associated with traveling through the wilderness to sail a ship to the Americas?
9. What is the most populous religion in Utah?
10. Where did Joseph Smith live during his young adulthood?
11. Which is one of the first principles and ordinances of the gospel?
12. When does the Mormon Sabbath begin?
13. The "Community of Christ" teaches...?
14. A Latter-day Saint is...?
15. Which best describes the LDS concept of God?
16. Which text aside from the Book of Mormon is most closely associated with LDS tradition? 
17. How many adults in the U.S. are Latter-day Saints?
18. What religion has the highest percentage in Idaho?  (although this changes from year to year.  We're usually first or second).
19. Who in LDS history is known as "The Prophetess"?
20. Which religion requires people to wear ceremonial underwear?
21. What best describes Sealing?
22. Name one LDS historic site outside of Utah.
23. What is the LDS population percentage in Arizona?
24. What is the LDS belief regarding faith and works for salvation?
25. What was the religion of Joseph Smith?
26. In the LDS faith, the Telestial Kingdom is...?
27. Who delivered the "King Follet Sermon"?
28. What does the LDS belief called "The Word of Wisdom" teach?
29. A "Jack Mormon" is...?
30. How many adults in the U.S. are LDS?
31. Which LDS figure is most closely associated with being the sharpest shooter in the Old West?
32. Which religious tradition is baptism for the dead most closely associated with? 

@prisonchaplain, I would invite you (and any other non-LDS folks) to try these questions and see what you get.  And let me know if you think it is a fair comparison to the original questions.

Here are my answers/guesses: 1. LDS missionaries. 2. LDS  3. Jesus' bearing the weight of the world's sin in the Garden of Gethsemane. 4. They're inspired by God. 5. No choices in quote. 6. The money that would have been spent on the meal is to be given for missions. 7. Remembering sacrifices of first generation members. 8. Can't remember--too long since I saw the BoM movie. 9. LDS. 10. New York. 11. Prayer to receive the Holy Ghost. 12. Saturday sundown. 13. Believes BoM is inspired, but allows women priests and perceives the early LDS hierarchy to have some different authorized leaders. 14. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 15. A Godhead of three persons who are united in purpose. 16. Doctrine & Covenants. 17. Roughly 16 million. 18. LDS--especially in the southern part. 19. Joseph Smith's first wife. 20. LDS (and Judaism). 21. A man and woman's marriage becomes eternal. 22. Jefferson County, Missouri is where Jesus is expected to return. 23. 80%.  24. Salvation into heavenly kingdoms is by grace, through Jesus Christ. Placement within the three kingdoms comes in consideration of what we do in this life, based on our knowledge and effort. The Celestial Kingdom is mostly reserved for LDS who undergo and observe sacraments and covenants. 25. First President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 26. The lowest of the three heavenly kingdoms. 27. Brigham Young.  28. No consumption of alcohol, 'hot drinks' (coffee & tea) or tobacco. 29. A member who does not regularly attend church or faithfully observe covenants. 30. 8 million. 31. Butch Cassidy.  32. LDS -- often performed by young people.

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On ‎8‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 8:40 PM, Mores said:

Thanks.  I really am curious what your score on my list of questions would be.  For the purposes of fair comparison, looking at questions like "What religion is Hugh Nibley?"  the more applicable question would be: Do you know what Hugh Nibley is known for?

I knew Nibley was a writer of non-fiction, but had to look him up to remember that he was an avid apologist for the faith.

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3 hours ago, The Folk Prophet said:

This isn't hypocrisy. If I openly state that I think something is wrong but also openly admit that I do it anyway that isn't hypocrisy. In order for it to be hypocrisy I have to pretend to others I don't do it. There has to be a lie in there.

So if I have a long history of declaring all tattoos evil and morally wrong, but I wear a short-sleeved shirt that openly reveals the tattoos I got yesterday, then I'm not a hypocrite because I'm not pretending anything?

Some definitions of "hypocrisy" merely require the hypocrite to act in a way that contradicts the principles that the hypocrite claims to follow.  There is no requirement that these acts be done in secret, or that the hypocrite pretend he doesn't do them.  In fact, when Jesus describes the Pharisees as hypocrites, he explicitly says, "Everything they do is done for people to see"  (Matthew 23:5).  There has to be a contradiction in there.  The lie is optional.

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3 hours ago, The Folk Prophet said:

This isn't accurate, per se. One side claims they know the truth because they have it figured out right. The other side claims that God has revealed truth to them. That is not apples to apples.

I am unaware of any major Christian denomination that "claims they know the truth because they have it figured out right."  This is a terrible mischaracterization.  Every Christian church I'm familiar with has based itself on truth that God has revealed through the Scriptures, through the prophets, and most importantly through Jesus Christ.  To claim otherwise shows a profound misunderstanding of how other Christian churches view themselves.

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10 hours ago, prisonchaplain said:

I knew Nibley was a writer of non-fiction, but had to look him up to remember that he was an avid apologist for the faith.

I grew up in the neighborhood in which Hugh Nibley lived.  I went to school with one of his kids.  Nibley was a scientist (anthropologist) that was fluent in several languages - perhaps more than 20.  He was a very absent minded professor - often when he would quote material he would forget his audience and begin speaking the language of the quote - even after he finished the quote.  He had a most unique mind of amazing logic much like Albert Einstein but with the exception of a profound and devout belief in G-d.  Because of his beliefs and his brilliant mind he was expert in several ancient languages including Egyptian, Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, Greek and Latin.  It was impossible for anyone to have any kind of a debate with him because his mind maintained access to so much information from so many cultures and languages.  He is the smartest person I have ever encountered - though he lacked a lot of "social skills".

 

The Traveler

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10 hours ago, Texan said:

So if I have a long history of declaring all tattoos evil and morally wrong, but I wear a short-sleeved shirt that openly reveals the tattoos I got yesterday, then I'm not a hypocrite because I'm not pretending anything?

Some definitions of "hypocrisy" merely require the hypocrite to act in a way that contradicts the principles that the hypocrite claims to follow.  There is no requirement that these acts be done in secret, or that the hypocrite pretend he doesn't do them.  In fact, when Jesus describes the Pharisees as hypocrites, he explicitly says, "Everything they do is done for people to see"  (Matthew 23:5).  There has to be a contradiction in there.  The lie is optional.

I happen to agree with your understanding of hypocrisy.  However, I believe your reference to scripture is a little off the mark.  I am inclined to think that many of religious stripe forget that the sacred scriptures come to our modern English culture through contextual impression (not always direct translation) - this is why we refer to the Bible as a "version" rather than "translation".  Sometimes very important points are altered or somewhat disputed slightly through process.  Some editions of the King James version of the Bible print disputed terms in italics to assist the reader that a particular term could have other translation possibilities the shift the understanding slightly.  So, when Jesus spoke of the Pharisees he did not use the English term "Hypocrite".  Since I am not fluent in ancient languages I must rely of expert commentary and according to my religious understanding that G-d still and always has spoken to his covenant followers through prophets .  I believe the term use by Jesus could also be translated as "government bureaucrat".

For me the term hypocrite has vast extensions but I believe it is impossible to act contrary to one's beliefs.   I believe it is quite possible for one to lie to others and even to one's self concerning what they believe.  I do not think the lie is optional but is the very core of the problem.  Satan can quote exactly the truths of scripture but because of who he is and his intent to deceive - his utterance is a lie and the perfect example of hypocrisy. 

 

The Traveler

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10 hours ago, Texan said:

I am unaware of any major Christian denomination that "claims they know the truth because they have it figured out right."  This is a terrible mischaracterization.  Every Christian church I'm familiar with has based itself on truth that God has revealed through the Scriptures, through the prophets, and most importantly through Jesus Christ.  To claim otherwise shows a profound misunderstanding of how other Christian churches view themselves.

I am under the impression that you have a disconnect with reality.  There is a reason that there are hundreds of Christian sects all believing they have a better understanding of "doctrine" than others.  If there were no doctrional disputations among two "Christian churches" they would identify as being the same sect.   Jesus did not establish his followers to be sects (denominations).  Jesus clearly stated that his followers (disciples) are one - in fact I believe in John 17 Jesus indicates that his disciples be one as he (Jesus) is with the Father.  Which if one remotely believes in the doctrine of the Trinity - I am of the opinion that there is a gross doctrinal disconnect. 

However, Isaiah talked about apostasy with three references. 1. A transgression of the law.  2. Changing the ordinances.  And 3. Breaking the Everlasting Covenant.  I do not see doctrine listed.  Obviously, however, the execution of heretics (especially because of doctrine) in the early "Traditional Christian" churches was and still is a transgression of the law and proof of an apostasy (turning from G-d) as testified by Isaiah.

 

The Traveler

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13 hours ago, Texan said:

So if I have a long history of declaring all tattoos evil and morally wrong, but I wear a short-sleeved shirt that openly reveals the tattoos I got yesterday, then I'm not a hypocrite because I'm not pretending anything?

Some definitions of "hypocrisy" merely require the hypocrite to act in a way that contradicts the principles that the hypocrite claims to follow.  There is no requirement that these acts be done in secret, or that the hypocrite pretend he doesn't do them.  In fact, when Jesus describes the Pharisees as hypocrites, he explicitly says, "Everything they do is done for people to see"  (Matthew 23:5).  There has to be a contradiction in there.  The lie is optional.

Whew lad.  If this is the way you see it, then ALL PARENTS are hypocrites.

If you tell people not to get tattoos because it is bad, then you go and get a tattoo because you don't see anything wrong with getting a tattoo then that's hypocricy - there's a conflict between what you say and what you do.

Now, here's the difference - if you tell people not to get tattoos because it is bad, then you go and get a tattoo knowing it is bad and admitting to people you are doing something bad then it is not hypocrisy.  There's no conflict between what you say and what you admit you should be doing.  I could think of several reasons how somebody would end up in this situation.  For example - you got deployed with the Marines to fight a war knowing you got a 90% chance of dying and having a tattoo will get your dead body identified and sent home if you ever get separated from your necklace.  Anyway, whatever the reason, it is not hypocrisy if you do something contrary to what you preach when you admit you're doing something bad.  It is an admission of weakness.  It is like telling my kids - don't get into debt - when I am neck deep in debt.  That's not hypocrisy.  That's teaching my children to be better than I am.

 

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1 hour ago, anatess2 said:

Whew lad.  If this is the way you see it, then ALL PARENTS are hypocrites.

If you tell people not to get tattoos because it is bad, then you go and get a tattoo because you don't see anything wrong with getting a tattoo then that's hypocricy - there's a conflict between what you say and what you do.

Now, here's the difference - if you tell people not to get tattoos because it is bad, then you go and get a tattoo knowing it is bad and admitting to people you are doing something bad then it is not hypocrisy.  There's no conflict between what you say and what you admit you should be doing.  I could think of several reasons how somebody would end up in this situation.  For example - you got deployed with the Marines to fight a war knowing you got a 90% chance of dying and having a tattoo will get your dead body identified and sent home if you ever get separated from your necklace.  Anyway, whatever the reason, it is not hypocrisy if you do something contrary to what you preach when you admit you're doing something bad.  It is an admission of weakness.  It is like telling my kids - don't get into debt - when I am neck deep in debt.  That's not hypocrisy.  That's teaching my children to be better than I am.

 

I disagree, a little.  Perhaps it is the difference of how I was taught in my youth.  Or as said in scripture - those that know to do good and do not do it - to them it is SIN and I would add hypocrisy - specifically the hypocrisy that Jesus suggested be avoided.   Jesus encouraged all to follow him - he never suggested to do what he says and not what he does.  I suggest that Jesus is the perfect example (perhaps the best and even only example) of what it means to not be a hypocrite.   But in stating this - it is possible that I am more or a hypocrite than you.  As a side note - my parents were very strict but it was clear that we would never have to ask permission to do anything they did.  Of course in my youth; I would attempt to take this to the extreme to which my parents would point out that I had missed a critical step in my preparations and had not been truthful or faithful in following their example.

 

The Traveler

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14 hours ago, Texan said:

I am unaware of any major Christian denomination that "claims they know the truth because they have it figured out right."  This is a terrible mischaracterization.  Every Christian church I'm familiar with has based itself on truth that God has revealed through the Scriptures, through the prophets, and most importantly through Jesus Christ.  To claim otherwise shows a profound misunderstanding of how other Christian churches view themselves.

You misunderstood me.

Believing God has revealed truth to the prophets and in the scriptures is different than believing God has spoken directly to you. I'm talking about the latter.

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1 hour ago, The Folk Prophet said:

You misunderstood me.

Believing God has revealed truth to the prophets and in the scriptures is different than believing God has spoken directly to you. I'm talking about the latter.

Not sure if it is the same point you are making - but Jesus said that those that claim to know him (the Christ) and do not keep his commandments - he went beyond calling them hypocrites - he said there is no truth in them.  But as I think on this; maybe the two are synonymous.  Claiming to know Christ but not keeping his commandments.

 

The Traveler

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1 minute ago, Traveler said:

Not sure if it is the same point you are making - but Jesus said that those that claim to know him (the Christ) and do not keep his commandments - he went beyond calling them hypocrites - he said there is no truth in them.  But as I think on this; maybe the two are synonymous.  Claiming to know Christ but not keeping his commandments.

I understand what you're referring to, but I'm not sure what to make of it. I think you may be misunderstanding or misrepresenting Christ's words. Or maybe I'm just being self-serving. I understood the Lord to be talking about those who claim to come in his name while making no real effort to do his works. If we take your words at face value, then I personally am one of those überhypocrites in whom there is no truth; I suspect most or all on this board would likewise qualify. But I think that's not the case. I think there is room for sin-ridden, fallen men and women to come unto Christ, even in their imperfect state, and be able to say that they know Christ to some degree, even though they do stupid things. Peter certainly knew Christ, and he denied the Lord three times. I have to think that the commandment in Matthew 5:48 (cf 3 Nephi 12:48) to be perfect is ultimately a commandment for what we should strive for rather than a commandment for what God expects of us RIGHT NOW THIS VERY MINUTE WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU YOU STINKING HYPOCRITE.

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6 minutes ago, Vort said:

I understand what you're referring to, but I'm not sure what to make of it. I think you may be misunderstanding or misrepresenting Christ's words. Or maybe I'm just being self-serving. I understood the Lord to be talking about those who claim to come in his name while making no real effort to do his works. If we take your words at face value, then I personally am one of those überhypocrites in whom there is no truth; I suspect most or all on this board would likewise qualify. But I think that's not the case. I think there is room for sin-ridden, fallen men and women to come unto Christ, even in their imperfect state, and be able to say that they know Christ to some degree, even though they do stupid things. Peter certainly knew Christ, and he denied the Lord three times. I have to think that the commandment in Matthew 5:48 (cf 3 Nephi 12:48) to be perfect is ultimately a commandment for what we should strive for rather than a commandment for what God expects of us RIGHT NOW THIS VERY MINUTE WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU YOU STINKING HYPOCRITE.

We may think we know the truth but the truth comes through the power and "Gift" of the Holy Ghost (the 3rd Member of the G-dhead).  We may speak of our belief in Christ and be honest but to have knowledge - that must come through the Holy Ghost.  And as Isaiah said - we gain knowledge line upon line upon line and precept upon precept upon precept.  Myself I have only begun to know and understand Christ - and I believe I (and others) can truefull testify what we do understand -- but again that understanding will be (must be) consistent with his commandments - and the degree we understand them and Christ.  I also believe it is impossible to act contrary to one's beliefs.  It may be possible for some to do something they do not believe - but that make no sense to me.  I believe what a person does is the best possible example of what it is they actually believe is true.

 

The Traveler

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5 hours ago, Traveler said:

Not sure if it is the same point you are making

It's not.

I'm making the point that I know of no other religion that explicitly teaches that truth about God must be gained through personal revelation. At least I've never come across another one that taught that in order to know if they were the correct church or not one must get on their knees and ask God.

If and when another religion claims such, then we'll be talking apples to apples. But Texan's implication that other church's aren't claiming they just figured it out is spurious. The argument that the prophet's got revelation doesn't tell me in any way at all that the prophet actually got that revelation. How do I know they did? Just take their word for it? How do I know the Bible is true? Texan is saying that because some long ago dead people claim they heard the word of God from God that I must, blindly, just accept that -- and, moreover, blindly accept that so-n-so or so-n-so's interpretation of those words is accurate.

Why should I accept that the Bible is true instead of a bunch of made up stories? Just because my parent's said so? Just because some Baptist minister says so? Just because some LDS missionary says so? And why should I accept any given church as true? In short, what possible motivation would I have for following the Baptist church, or the Catholic church or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint? Without personal revelation there is no motivation. There is NO ability to find the truth of God without it. None. Nada.

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On 8/5/2019 at 7:34 PM, MormonGator said:

I've always wondered what our response would be if a devout Lutheran (pulling religions out of the sky here) asked us to a bible study or to go to a church function. If we ask him to come to one of our activities, we should be willing to do the same.  

Saw this one repeatedly with the local ward; they'd do open houses and other "invite the community" type things and wonder why they only ever saw the same couple dozen people who showed up for the snacks and then vanished. Only two people in the entire ward had ever participated in anything other churches hosted. 

The only one I could sort of chalk up to time conflict is the Methodist Blue Christmas service, which is generally on a Monday evening, but even then, I'd think giving thanks for the lives and memories of those who won't be at Christmas dinner is a fine FHE activity. 

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48 minutes ago, NightSG said:

Saw this one repeatedly with the local ward; they'd do open houses and other "invite the community" type things and wonder why they only ever saw the same couple dozen people who showed up for the snacks and then vanished. Only two people in the entire ward had ever participated in anything other churches hosted. 

Like I mentioned, I think it's just basic human interaction and some people fail to comprehend how that works. Generally speaking, if you ask someone to do something for you, you need to be willing to do the same thing in return. Yes, there are exceptions. If you refuse to do that, then don't stomp your feet and whine about them not doing anything for you. Outside of the internet, it's mostly understood. 

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image.thumb.png.3b55fa04837e535e8f7e493cb7fcfd7a.png

I'm late to the party (as usual) but I thought it'd be fun to take the quiz. Here is my result. I was worried they'd be absolutely ridiculous questions, but they weren't. I got the one wrong about the four truths of Buddhism. 

Questions are always easy when you know the answer, I'm surprised that more people wouldn't have done much better since I don't feel particularly well versed in world religion and only missed one. Amusing.

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Thanks to PC for playing along. So how did he do? The 32 questions actually boil down to 30, since one of them (#5) didn't have any answers given and two of them (#17 and #30) are a duplicate.

Here's the analysis. First, the no-show:

On 8/8/2019 at 8:48 PM, prisonchaplain said:

5. (Which of these is NOT one of the Articles of Faith?) No choices in quote,

Yeah, that's a shame. Missed opportunity, because that would have been a great question.

Next, the gimmes, those questions whose answers are "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" or something close to that, which in context is obvious:

On 8/8/2019 at 8:48 PM, prisonchaplain said:

1. (Who is most closely associated with boys in white shirts and ties riding bicyles?) LDS missionaries.
2. (What was the religion of Hugh Nibley?) LDS
9. (What is the most populous religion in Utah?) LDS.
14. (A Latter-day Saint is...?) A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
18. (What religion has the highest percentage in Idaho?  (although this changes from year to year.  We're usually first or second).) LDS--especially in the southern part.
25. (What was the religion of Joseph Smith?) First President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
32. (Which religious tradition is baptism for the dead most closely associated with? ) LDS -- often performed by young people.

These questions would work well for a multireligion format, similar to what the Pew survey covered.

So now we get into the right/wrong answers. First, let's Choose the Right:

On 8/8/2019 at 8:48 PM, prisonchaplain said:

4. (What do Mormon scriptures say about the U.S. Constitution?) They're inspired by God.
10. (Where did Joseph Smith live during his young adulthood?) New York.
13. (The "Community of Christ" teaches...?) Believes BoM is inspired, but allows women priests and perceives the early LDS hierarchy to have some different authorized leaders.
15. (Which best describes the LDS concept of God?) A Godhead of three persons who are united in purpose.
16. (Which text aside from the Book of Mormon is most closely associated with LDS tradition? ) Doctrine & Covenants.
20. (Which religion requires people to wear ceremonial underwear?) LDS (and Judaism).
21. (What best describes Sealing?) A man and woman's marriage becomes eternal.
22. (Name one LDS historic site outside of Utah.) Jefferson County, Missouri is where Jesus is expected to return.
24. (What is the LDS belief regarding faith and works for salvation?) Salvation into heavenly kingdoms is by grace, through Jesus Christ. Placement within the three kingdoms comes in consideration of what we do in this life, based on our knowledge and effort. The Celestial Kingdom is mostly reserved for LDS who undergo and observe sacraments and covenants.
26. (In the LDS faith, the Telestial Kingdom is...?) The lowest of the three heavenly kingdoms.
28. (What does the LDS belief called "The Word of Wisdom" teach?) No consumption of alcohol, 'hot drinks' (coffee & tea) or tobacco.
29. (A "Jack Mormon" is...?) A member who does not regularly attend church or faithfully observe covenants.
31. (Which LDS figure is most closely associated with being the sharpest shooter in the Old West?) Butch Cassidy.

Pretty impressive. Including the seven gimmes with the thirteen above, that's 20/30, or 67%. I would not have guessed it would be that high, even with someone like PC who knows us fairly well. Here is my commentary:

4. Close enough.
10. State, that is. Black gold. Texas tea.
13. The CoC has de-emphasized Joseph Smith's role and the Book of Mormon to the point that they're sort of more a generic Christian sect at this point. I'm not sure they even believe in an exclusivity of Priesthood authority.
15. I expect this was intended to be another multiple choice. PC's answer is fine.
16. Other answers are possible, but this one is IMO the best.
20. Well played. Maybe the question should be, "Which religion is mocked because many adherents wear ceremonial underwear?"
21. Looks like another intended multiple choice. PC's answer is acceptable.
22. Good one, one of many.
24. Another intended multiple choice, I think. I'm giving PC's answer full credit, though I would quibble with several elements. If most non-LDS understood this much about LDS doctrine, I'd be happy. (Until I got used to it, after which I'd complain that people don't really understand our doctrine well. That's the nature of human beings. Shame on us.)
26. Bingo.
28. Good enough.
29. Bingo.
31. Right! I'm a bit surprised you knew that. I suspect that even most Latter-day Saints would guess someone like Porter Rockwell.

Now, let's look at the half-credit answers:

On 8/8/2019 at 8:48 PM, prisonchaplain said:

6. (Which religious tradition is fast Sunday associated with?) The money that would have been spent on the meal is to be given for missions.
7. (Pioneer day is...?) Remembering sacrifices of first generation members.

6. I suspect the intended answer was, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints", but this is a reasonable interpretation. However, the Fast Sunday donations are not for missions, but for the caring of the needy. So half credit.
7. Another half score for sort of hitting the core of the issue. The actual significance of the date is that it is when Brigham Young and the first advance party reached the Salt Lake Valley.

So that's 14/23 (61%) if you don't include the gimmes, or 21/30 (70%) if you do.

It now becomes my unhappy duty to present...The Wrongs.

On 8/8/2019 at 8:48 PM, prisonchaplain said:

3. (The first Sunday of April commemorates what in the LDS faith?) Jesus' bearing the weight of the world's sin in the Garden of Gethsemane.
8. (Which Book of Mormon figure is most closely associated with traveling through the wilderness to sail a ship to the Americas?) Can't remember--too long since I saw the BoM movie.
11. (Which is one of the first principles and ordinances of the gospel?) Prayer to receive the Holy Ghost.
12. (When does the Mormon Sabbath begin?) Saturday sundown.
17/30. (How many adults in the U.S. are Latter-day Saints?/How many adults in the U.S. are LDS?) Roughly 16 million/8 million.
19. (Who in LDS history is known as "The Prophetess"?) Joseph Smith's first wife.
23. (What is the LDS population percentage in Arizona?) 80%.
27. (Who delivered the "King Follet Sermon"?) Brigham Young.

3. The Annual General Conference is always held (today) on the weekend of the first Sunday in April. In my childhood and in previous years, it was always held around the date of April 6. (Now that's not really a commemoration, and I suppose we'd have to ask @mordorbund to be sure what he had in mind, but I assume the commemoration mord mentioned is of the founding of the Church on April 6, 1830, with which the Annual General Conference closely coincides.)
8. I thought about deducting another point for mentioning The Book of Mormon Movie, but my compassion toward those who sat through it overcame me. BTW, the correct answer is Nephi (though any of Lehi's group would arguably be a correct answer).
11. As outlined in Article of Faith 4, the first principles and ordinances are (1) faith in Jesus Christ, (2) repentance, (3) baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and (4) the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
12. AFAIK, it's 12:00 am Sunday morning in whatever time zone you're in, unless you're in Israel (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown, coinciding with Israel's Sabbath worship) or in a Muslim country (Friday, coinciding with the compulsory Islamic Friday midday communal prayer). The Church seems to be less concerned about which day is used for the Sabbath or exactly what time the Sabbath starts and ends, and more concerned that one actually celebrates the Sabbath. If anyone knows better than me about this, please chime in.
17/30. This was our duplicate. PC's first answer appeared to go for total worldwide membership. Both answers appear to me to be incorrect. The LDS population in the US numbers a bit over 6 million, of which I would guess roughly two-thirds are adults. So I think the answer would be about 4 million.
19. Emma Smith was welll-respected among the early Latter-day Saints, at least until Joseph's murder and Brigham's exodus. But the woman dubbed informally as "the Prophetess" was Eliza R. Snow, I believe. A talented poet and the sister of LDS apostle and future Church president Lorenzo Snow—for whom one of my own ancestors, Lorenzo Snow Huish, was named—Eliza's work survives in some of the hymns we still sing today, including O My Father, a favorite of many Latter-day Saints. (By the way, Eliza was a plural wife of Joseph, so if PC had left out the word "first", I would have given him half credit. :) )
23. We wish. More like 5%. In previous years, it was probably much higher, since the Mormon pioneers settled much of that area.

27. The sermon delivered at the funeral of Elder King Follett was the capstone of Joseph Smith's prophetic teachings.

Well done, PC! And thanks again for playing!

Edited by Vort
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@Snow I'll take that 70% and run!.Butch Cassidy was a name I heard somewhere and threw out. A few of the wrong answers were similar educated guesses that missed. I credit a good number of my correct answers (including the halfies) to this site. The BoM movies was a bit of help, as well. 

Again, I suspect that members would probably score somewhat higher than average on a general religion knowledge quiz, and that suggestions of tunnel vision hurled your way would likely be more true for many other faith traditions.

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On 8/8/2019 at 10:48 PM, prisonchaplain said:

Here are my answers/guesses: 1. LDS missionaries. 2. LDS  3. Jesus' bearing the weight of the world's sin in the Garden of Gethsemane. 4. They're inspired by God. 5. No choices in quote. 6. The money that would have been spent on the meal is to be given for missions. 7. Remembering sacrifices of first generation members. 8. Can't remember--too long since I saw the BoM movie. 9. LDS. 10. New York. 11. Prayer to receive the Holy Ghost. 12. Saturday sundown. 13. Believes BoM is inspired, but allows women priests and perceives the early LDS hierarchy to have some different authorized leaders. 14. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 15. A Godhead of three persons who are united in purpose. 16. Doctrine & Covenants. 17. Roughly 16 million. 18. LDS--especially in the southern part. 19. Joseph Smith's first wife. 20. LDS (and Judaism). 21. A man and woman's marriage becomes eternal. 22. Jefferson County, Missouri is where Jesus is expected to return. 23. 80%.  24. Salvation into heavenly kingdoms is by grace, through Jesus Christ. Placement within the three kingdoms comes in consideration of what we do in this life, based on our knowledge and effort. The Celestial Kingdom is mostly reserved for LDS who undergo and observe sacraments and covenants. 25. First President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 26. The lowest of the three heavenly kingdoms. 27. Brigham Young.  28. No consumption of alcohol, 'hot drinks' (coffee & tea) or tobacco. 29. A member who does not regularly attend church or faithfully observe covenants. 30. 8 million. 31. Butch Cassidy.  32. LDS -- often performed by young people.

Thank you,

As I figured.  You got 65.6%.  Pretty good for a non-member.  I gave you credit for any question you answered correctly (like the Nibley one) even if (due to the nature of the test) the answer was obvious.  But that also meant that I took off points for a couple that you probably misread the question on or received bad information for (like #12 & #17).  Compare your answer to #17 and #30.

If you're curious, the following are the corrections (EDIT: I see Vort kinda covered some things.  But I'll add my 2 cents):

#3: This is the day of our Annual General Conference.  It is held in commemoration of the original date that the Church was formally / legally organized in the latter-days.  (April 6th, 1830).  It's a commemoration in the same sense that having Easter on the first Sunday after first full moon after...blah blah.

#5: I know that I've read elsewhere that you have read them and are quite familiar with them.  So, I figured you'd pass.

#6: The money goes to our welfare program to help the poor.

#7: Sorta.  It is the date when the LDS Pioneers first entered the Salt Lake Valley.

#8: Nephi.

#11: Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; Repentance; Baptism by immersion; Laying on of Hands -- Gift of the Holy Ghost.

#12: Very few people observe the sundown - sundown thing.  "Sunday" would have been the appropriate answer.  But you were close.

#17: That is the population in the world, not the US

#19: Eliza R. Snow

#23: More like 6%

#27 Joseph Smith

#31: Porter Rockwell -- yes, I disagree that most people "closely associate" Butch Cassidy with the LDS faith.  Fact or not.  Most don't.  Besides, I haven't actually seen any reliable source saying Cassidy was anything more than an "above average shot" with his guns.  Porter had a reputation for being a dead eye.

So, I'm going to say "incorrect" based on:

Which LDS figure is most closely associated with being the sharpest shooter in the Old West?

Edited by Mores
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IMHO most reasonably educated people have a very vague knowledge of faith traditions other than their own. Sometimes even within a faith tradition there is some incredible ignorance. Post-modernism de-emphasizes doctrine, so that many church members can't explain who God is or what makes them believe they are "saved." They know God loves them and they feel intimate with the Spirit, though. Work to do....for sure!

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On 8/5/2019 at 5:00 PM, Third Hour said:

To say that the majority of us  know little about other religions is, unfortunately, totally accurate. 

Multiple other studies have shown LDS to be in the top, ahead of athiests and agnostics. So don't let this one study depress you.

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