Does he?

[sjdean]

I've been trying to think about religion and which path to take for many years. Mormonism has initiated my interest in Jesus when I received a copy of the Book of Mormon out of the blue, but I've struggled with commitment in the face of some issues Im not very comfortable with.

But I continue to contemplate and explore my faith and my beliefs.

I started wondering the other day, whether all other religions are wrong. I read about the Plymouth Brethren yesterday who seemed to start their church in similar circumstances to Joseph Smith and have similar theology in I think calling themselves saints, and believing they have basically a living prophet at the head of their church, and having a dietary code etc.

All these religions with their own prophets. Are they all wrong but one?

Im starting to think, not necessarily.

Perhaps they're all prophets, and that they're all correct. We need organised religion to help us grow and be closer to God, but perhaps salvation is different for all of us? Perhaps we need to observe different laws, follow different rules.

Im actually reminded now by the Diff'rent Strokes theme tune!

Maybe God wants us all to come to our own understanding of him and Jesus and choose our own path, come to our own understanding. Some of us might need stricter rules than others, but ultimately whatever path someone chooses will be the most beneficial to them.

Could that be the case?

I just started researching the Quakers, and there's something very philosophical and liberal that I admire in them.

Cya

Simon

[PentiumInside]

So, your going to research the Quakers....through the internet.....on a computer? lol

I would say continue to read the BoM, pray about it and invite missionaries to come and speak with you. They sometimes have just the right answer to the question you really have in your heart, without having to ask it.

[Dr T]

I believe the path is narrow and Jesus is the only way to the Father. Religions are fundamentally different and superficially the same, not vice versa.

[Elgama]

What does God have to say on the matter to you? I love lots of religions and use them to help me be a better Latter Day Saint, my Hindu friend helped me understand the Godhead more and eternal progression, from my Druid friend I learned a wonderful meditation that increases my awareness of Heavenly Fathers creation - I have a prayer space in my home and prepare myself for prayer, keep a prayer journal etc

I have used ideas for advent like having a Jesse Tree and an advent crown that allowed us to prepare religiously for Christmas throughout December. I use the Jewish idea to have a meal for the Sabbath. And on the 2nd February we will do something about temples because of Candlemass - we take our Christmas decorations down on Ephiphany.

But I also add to it the LDS family councils etc I know my family are where Heavenly Father wants us to be - I have had too many miracles to walk away, recently my faith has been a bit flat but because of the priesthood I was able to obtain a blessing that gave me specific instructions about how to deal with it, and I am building it back up again - I would really recommend keeping a prayer journal and if you can obtaining a priesthood blessing.

_Charley

[sjdean]

So, your going to research the Quakers....through the internet.....on a computer? lol

Er... Yeah... Why not. That's Quakers. Not Amish.

I would say continue to read the BoM, pray about it and invite missionaries to come and speak with you. They sometimes have just the right answer to the question you really have in your heart, without having to ask it.

Is there not room to believe that all religions may be right for each individual person? Im sure the Plymouth Brethren might say the same thing about their religion. At the end of the day, with the Mormon view, one is true, and the others are wrong.

Again, your response comes down to, if at first you don't believe the book of mormon, read, read, and read again until you believe its true.

[the_jason]

I started wondering the other day, whether all other religions are wrong. I read about the Plymouth Brethren yesterday who seemed to start their church in similar circumstances to Joseph Smith and have similar theology in I think calling themselves saints, and believing they have basically a living prophet at the head of their church, and having a dietary code etc.

All these religions with their own prophets. Are they all wrong but one?

Im starting to think, not necessarily.

Perhaps they're all prophets, and that they're all correct.

To answer the first part, you're correct that many people have called themselves prophets. That doesn't make them so. A true prophet cannot take upon the title of prophet themself. They must be called of God, and only God. How can you know if a prophet is called of God? "By their fruits ye shall know them." A true prophet will bring forth fruits of a prophet. In other words, if it quacks like a duck, it's a duck. A testimony of the prophet is not going to come just by doing research on the internet. The only way to know if a prophet, or anything for that matter, is true is by study, prayer, and a confirmation of the Spirit.

To answer the second part, let's look at this logically for a minute. There are hundreds, thousands of churches who all claim to be true. No two churches, however, are exactly alike. No two churches teach exactly the same doctrine. Can more than one church be God's church if they teach different things? No. Would God have contradicting doctrine? No. Therefore, two churches that teach different things cannot possibly both be right. Either one is true or neither is true. So, now that we know that there can't possibly be more than one true church, it's up to you to find out which church is God's church. Again, study, prayer, and a confirmation of the Spirit will give you your answer.

[a-train]

What I see is that the various teachers of religion hold disagreements. One says one thing, another says something different. All religion holds common threads. All sorts of traditions through world history have held some belief in a special Being born of a virgin and associated with the sun, or the brightest celestial body.

The LDS belief is that all of the various traditions have come out of the truth known to our first parents. No matter what belief system we take up, we will find many characteristics in it common with Mormonism and any of the other systems. The question always comes down to the same: Which of all these is right? Is it only one? Is it a group? Is it none?

The answer is only obtainable through one channel: personal revelation. Paul said that 'no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.' (1 Cor. 12:3)

It is the will of God that each man come unto Him and know for himself the truth of all things. I can only testify that I have had the revelation come to me that Mormonism is true, I can do nothing to prove it. It is not the pattern that God has designed. He designed that each individual must come to Him for proof and there is no other way.

God bless you in your efforts.

-a-train

[sjdean]

What does God have to say on the matter to you?

To me? Personally?

Crumbs. Now you're putting me on the spot. I tell you what he isn't telling me. He isn't telling me which religion to join. He isn't telling me that the LDS is true or not.

Some of my conversations here have informed me that sometimes revelations change, or there's clarification, which isn't to say that anything that came before it is wrong, just that what is being told currently is what the people need to hear.

In my current exploration, this has struck a chord with me. I believe God is showing me what I personally need to know.

He says he loves me but he wants me to find my own path because we are unique and have different needs. He wants me to come close to him under my own beliefs and understanding.

Cya

Simon

[Elgama]

To me? Personally?

Crumbs. Now you're putting me on the spot. I tell you what he isn't telling me. He isn't telling me which religion to join. He isn't telling me that the LDS is true or not.

Some of my conversations here have informed me that sometimes revelations change, or there's clarification, which isn't to say that anything that came before it is wrong, just that what is being told currently is what the people need to hear.

In my current exploration, this has struck a chord with me. I believe God is showing me what I personally need to know.

He says he loves me but he wants me to find my own path because we are unique and have different needs. He wants me to come close to him under my own beliefs and understanding.

Cya

Simon

Then that is the path you should follow what God Himself has to tell you is far more important than anyone here can say to you. No human should come before God,

-Charley

[Dale]

I would think the Book of Mormon a 19th century work of fiction were i not impressed with evidences for it's antiquity. The geographic detail's in 1st Nephi fit real geographic location's in the middle east. I read a lot other type's of evidences for the book that i am mostly satisfied in. A book entitled Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon present's the case for the book.

I have not read the writing's of any other prophet that has impressed me as much as Joseph Smith did. If i felt the book had no evidence for it's ancient origin's that Joseph Smith Jr. was not a prophet. Not that a case for the book will force belief. But i like knowing my testimony of the book wasn't based on mere feeling's, but i can apply logic and reason to the book also. I have reason's for my belief. I still have doubt's and question's about the book, but what answer's i have give's me hope that Joseph Smith was a prophet.

[JonboySquarepants]

Dale, has the lds church come out publicly stating that a certain artifact or place is evidence for the book of mormon? i know the church believes that the garden of eden was in missouri, but there is no proof of that. what does the church say officially is evidence for the book of mormon? based on the book of mormon, the church can't even create an acurate map that fits anywhere in the americas. there is the limited geography theory and the theory of two cumorahs. what evidence has the church come out with?

[AnthonyB]

Jonboy,

Unfortunately this new site does not give the faith tradition of a poster in the post, although I have PM'd Heather to see if it can be changed.

Dale is RLDS or Community of Christ not LDS, so he could only answer what his tradition would say.

[JonboySquarepants]

anthony, sorry. i do now recall him mentioning that a few times. i guess i just skimmed over it and thus it did not store in my mind. are you lds? if you are, do you know of any archealogical(sp?) evidences that the church has come out with and formally claimed as true evidence of the book of mormon?

[Guest Malcolm]

Jonboy:

You should note that it is extremely interesting that most biblical archaeologist, linguists and scientists are secular researchers and non-religious for the most part. They spend years digging about and they write books about what they have found, creating in the process theories that almost inevitably die a long and painful death a decade later in the arms of yet another more novel theory. Now, the three largest religion on the earth believe in Moses and the biblical account of the exodus. However, not one artifact has come out of the desert even though 1 million people trifled for 40 years in a well documented route.

So, we research because of our thirst for knowledge and desire to understand history and people. There is more evidence contained within the pages of the Book of Mormon than any other religious book in history. I do not believe the Church has an official position on a particular relic or site and believe me there are many. They are not necessary to support the claim to antiquity of the BoM.

On a side note; after nearly a decade rummaging around the jungles in Central and South America while in the military I can tell you stories about things and places that I have seen that will surely cause you a mind meltdown. One day it will be available for the world to see. But I tell you, it was the voice of Alma in the pages of the Book of Mormon that converted me, not what I found inteh jungle.

[JonboySquarepants]

what evidences? we know the places where the stuff in the bible actually happened. do we know where the stuff in the book of mormon happened? i don't understand, and i know it's not all about me :), how there could be these huge civilizations and wars and battles and have no evidences for them, and not even know where they happened. the bible has maps in the back of it that show biblical places. do you think the book of mormon will soon have a map in the back of it that shows book of mormonical(?:)) places?

[Dale]

The LDS and Community of Christ does not point to artifacts of places. Both churche's stay out of pointing to such thing's. I know of no artifact's to point to. Most of the evidences for the book focus on it's internal reliability. LDS scholar's have pointed to place's in the book's they contribute essay's to share this research with the reader.

With Bible place's it's unlike Meso-American place's the name's of Meso-American cities during Book of Mormon time's has been lost. No critic of the Book of Mormon can point to an ancient map and say that city was not Zarahemla. Would the Bible be less true if we didn't know the name's? Scripture is true with or without a map.

Read Brant Gardner's review of Bible verses the Book of Mormon. It deal's with the problem of finding artifacts from large battle's. LDS FAIR Apologetics Homepage Proof's of large battle's do not alway's exist.

The evidence against the New York Cumorah being the Book of Mormon Cumorah seem's convincing to me. FAIR Wiki has an article on that topic i do believe.