Ask a Mormon, Part 3

[Nylan]

Do Mormons have anything to say to the Pope's occasional calls to reunite all of Christianity under the banner of the catholic Church?

I've heard some cardinal said that there were only two possible "true churches". One would be the Catholic Church, assuming authority was never lost. The only other church he said could possibly be true is the LDS church, because if authority was lost it needed to be restored. They believe they still have God's authority, we believe it was lost and needed to be restored. It doesn't really bother me any, no.

 

[Methos]

The Pope could also be talking about the Episcopalians. Recall that they split off from the Catholic Church and are very similar in their beliefs and structure.

 

[andrewgpisme]

Do Mormons have anything to say to the Pope's occasional calls to reunite all of Christianity under the banner of the catholic Church?

Mormons view the Catholic Church as the Great and Abominable Whore of the Earth........ so no the mormons don't even listen to the Pope or care what he has to say

 

[downtown]

Mormons view the Catholic Church as the Great and Abominable Whore of the Earth........ so no the mormons don't even listen to the Pope or care what he has to say

Not true. Bruce R. McConkie might think that, and some misguided members might think that, but that is *not* church policy or docterine. Recent church presidents, as well as the current missionary manual, have gone on record as such

 

[Cutlass]

The Pope could also be talking about the Episcopalians. Recall that they split off from the Catholic Church and are very similar in their beliefs and structure.

The Pope was referring to all Christians AFAIK. Not that he has a chance in hell of accomplishing that. But it's interesting to see if other groups have other opinions concerning it.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Also, "great and abominable church" is a phrase used in the Book of Mormon, and "whore of Babylon" in the Book of Revelation, but as far as I know no one uses the phrase "great and abominable whore of the earth".

 

[Methos]

The Pope was referring to all Christians AFAIK. Not that he has a chance in hell of accomplishing that.

Interesting, though I find that extremely unlikely. There's just too many denominations with too many differences in beliefs and structures of worship for that to ever happen.

But it's interesting to see if other groups have other opinions concerning it.

I'm not Episcopalian, if that's what you mean.

 

[stormbind]

Is there a contradiction in drawing on historical events and also restoring a faith that apparently predates those historical events?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

What do you mean by that?

 

[stormbind]

As I understand it, Mormonism draws on records written in the 19th Century to assert the belief that their religion existed before it was written.

I would not knowingly undermine a faith and just wondered how the knowledge is passed from a time before records were made.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

If you mean the Book of Mormon, we say that it is much older than that - it was first published in 1830 however.

 

[stormbind]

When do you say the Book of Mormon was written?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

By ancient prophets, between 600 BC and 421 AD.

 

[stormbind]

Is that when you say Adam & Eve lived?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

No, it isn't. Adam and Eve are held by Christian tradition and Ussher's chronology to have lived around 4000 BC.

Post 15K! For now . . .

 

[stormbind]

Is there a contradiction in drawing on historical events (apparently 600BC to 421AD) and also restoring a faith that apparently predates those historical events (by perhaps 3950 years)?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

No, not that I can see. We don't claim that the events of the Book of Mormon (those between 600 BC and 421 AD) are the foundation of Mormonism - in fact, the Book of Mormon mentions Adam and Eve, who would have lived before it. I really don't see what you are trying to say - that a religion can't draw on events of two different time periods?

 

[stormbind]

How was the foundation of Mormonism passed to those who wrote the Book of Mormon?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

They were prophets of God, that's how.

(And if you say they weren't, that doesn't matter; it is enough that Mormons believe they were. One of our foundations is prophecy.)

 

[stormbind]

The claim is that Mormonism was known since Adam & Eve of 4000BC, not since the prophets of 300BC.