Ask a Mormon, Part 3

[holy king]

if you really believe the book of mormon was written around 600BC, how can you not really believe that adam and eve lived in 4000 BC?
i mean how can you take one prehistoric date for granted and the other as metaphorical?

 

[stormbind]

In my questioning, all dates are taken for granted provided they are at least consistent.

 

[holy king]

In my questioning, all dates are taken for granted provided they are at least consistent.

but eran isnt a young earth creationist...

 

[stormbind]

You've lost me, and I don't even know what a young earth creationist is - sorry.

I'll disclose my point of view: I am not athiest and I also do not follow an organised faith. I do what feels right and have found this is largely compatible with many formal religions. Most people accuse me of being Christian and I suspect their assumption is based on vocabulary and racial profiling.

My question relates to the arbitrary time between Adam & Eve and the writing of a book. I'm not really concerned with the dates.

Mormons believe that their religion has been known since Adam & Eve (a perceived point in time).

I'm assuming that the relatively recent Book of Mormon provides some information that is relevant to Mormonism.

My question is: How do Mormons justify drawing on a book that was written thousands of years after the religion was first known? For example, how did the Mormons of around 1000BC become aware of their religion and why is that earlier method of religious learning no longer adequate?

 

[andrewgpisme]

My question relates to the arbitrary time between Adam & Eve and the writing of a book. I'm not really concerned with the dates.

Mormons believe that their religion has been known since Adam & Eve (a perceived point in time).

I'm assuming that the relatively recent Book of Mormon provides some information that is relevant to Mormonism.

My question is: How do Mormons justify drawing on a book that was written thousands of years after the religion was first known? For example, how did the Mormons of around 1000BC become aware of their religion and why is that earlier method of religious learning no longer adequate?

Mormons believe that the religion of Adam, Abraham, Moses, King David etc... is their religion. Thoese were prophets of their day. Monson is the prophet of today.

The Bible is believed to be the word of god pertaining to the old world (Eurasia and Africa)

The Book of Mormon is considered similar to the Bible, it is the word of God but it pertains to the new world (North and South America)

Story goes Lehi a guy in Jerusalem around 600 BCE fled over the oceans to America. He starts a line of peoples called the Nephites and Lamanites. Jesus comes to these people in his resurected form after the crucifiction in the old world. All this stuff the story of Lehi and his desendents is the story of the Book of Mormon.

Mormons believe in continuing revelation so first their was the Bible, then Book of Mormon then Joseph Smith came along and gave people the Doctrinie and Covenents (also considered scripture by mormons but not largly known)

One day a future prophet may write another book....

 

[stormbind]

Do Mormons believe that religious adherence to an ancestor of Mormonism is equally valid? For example, do Mormons believe that it is right to practice an ancestral religion when visiting the old world?

As Mormonism relates to the new world, does Mormonism advocate forking earlier versions of Mormonism into decendent versions for new geographic locations?

 

[holy king]

and if mormonism is the new world version of christianity, why do you convert old world christians?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

It isn't just "the New World version of Christianity", it is the fullness of the Gospel - ie all the authority and doctrine of the original Church, which was lost by the rest of Christianity. The Mormonism of today isn't exactly the same as the religion of Adam and Eve, as many practices are different and more doctrine has been revealed, but the essentials are the same.

(As far as YEC and Adam and Eve, I will just say that since Genesis leaves out a lot of detail - understandably - what happened between the creation of the earth and the Fall of Adam is what took so many billion years. But that is not official Church doctrine, it is my view.)

 

[holy king]

It isn't just "the New World version of Christianity", it is the fullness of the Gospel - ie all the authority and doctrine of the original Church, which was lost by the rest of Christianity. The Mormonism of today isn't exactly the same as the religion of Adam and Eve, as many practices are different and more doctrine has been revealed, but the essentials are the same.

(As far as YEC and Adam and Eve, I will just say that since Genesis leaves out a lot of detail - understandably - what happened between the creation of the earth and the Fall of Adam is what took so many billion years. But that is not official Church doctrine, it is my view.)

so official church doctrine is that the earth was created 6000 years ago?

 

[andrewgpisme]

the most current prophet always trumps the past

so what Monson says today take precedent over what Moses said in the past

also like Eran of Arcadia was saying the distinction isn't really between geogrpahic places it's more about the fullness of the gospel. Mormons believe after Jesus's time the old world began to fall away from the true church of God, so Catholics, Lutherans etc... possess part of the truth but are misled partially too. A catholic for example could once again come in line with the fullness of God's truth by joining the LDS (mormons).

 

[andrewgpisme]

so official church doctrine is that the earth was created 6000 years ago?

the church is careful about what they make official. It's common belief among mormons that the church is about that old but I don't think the leaders of the church have made a stance on the issue. The leaders tend to try to leave interpertaion of details like that to indivdual members.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

The Church has no official position on the age of the earth, although I think BYU (Church run university) teaches standard evolution.

 

[Ansar]

Today in my class, my teacher talked about some guy with 20 wives and turns out he was Mormon.

1. What are these extremists part of? Is it some orthodox sect of Mormonism?
2. Are these even Mormons or just people who have the wrong idea of Mormonism?
3. Why do you think many people STILL think polygamy is part of Mormonism?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

The person to whom your teacher referred was probably a member of the FLDS Church (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) as they have been in the news lately. They broke off from the LDS Church around the time we ended plural marriage. They are "Mormon" in the sense that the word "Mormon" can describe any number of religions with similar doctrines and practices, but have absolutely no affiliation with the mainstream LDS Church (whose membership is about 95% of those who can be called "Mormon", and likely the only one whose members you or most people have met). I assume that people still associate us with polygamy because it is such an unusual practice in the Western world, and can be quite lurid and sensational.

 

[Nylan]

Do Mormons believe that religious adherence to an ancestor of Mormonism is equally valid? For example, do Mormons believe that it is right to practice an ancestral religion when visiting the old world?

Christ fulfilled the Law of Moses, and it was no longer necessary as a new law was put in it's place. Otherwise, we'd still be sacrificing goats.

That being said however, we do follow the organization of the early church as directed by Christ (which has not been fulfilled), which is why we have things like apostles.

 

[Gecko1]

This was probably asked already, but do you believe you will be a god?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

I believe I might be a god, one day. Not everyone will be.

 

[zxcvbnm]

I assume that people still associate us with polygamy because it is such an unusual practice in the Western world, and can be quite lurid and sensational.

What about modern consentual polygamy? What do you think about it?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

The LDS doctrine is that polygamy is acceptable only when authorized by God specifically, and not at any other time - and it usually isn't. Thus modern consentual polygamy is immoral. It is my opinion that it shouldn't be illegal, but that is a different matter.

 

[zxcvbnm]

The LDS doctrine is that polygamy is acceptable only when authorized by God specifically, and not at any other time - and it usually isn't. Thus modern consentual polygamy is immoral. It is my opinion that it shouldn't be illegal, but that is a different matter.

What may be the reasons behind things being authorized sometimes and not in some other times?