Ask a Mormon, Part 4

[Eran of Arcadia]

QUESTION: As far as I know, you don't have to be Mormon in this life to get to the celestial kingdom, correct? What benefits exactly go to Mormons in the afterlife, when compared to someone else.

We have just gotten a head start.

If a Mormon leaves the faith, is this in itself considered a serious sin?

Pretty much, given that they are denying something that is true.

Unless I'm mistaken, God was once a human like us according to Mormons, correct?

It's sort of implied, but it isn't quite doctrine as far as I recall.

If so, how do we know everything he does is perfect?

Whatever or whoever God was, what He is now is what matters.

And an individual question: Were you born Mormon, or did you convert?

I was born into the Church.

If you were born into it, have you ever doubted it? (Not talking about a passing doubt, talking about a time when you seriously considered whether your faith was true.)

Without going into too much detail, there have been moments in which I had questions with major implications regarding whether the Church is true.

 

[GhostWriter16]

We have just gotten a head start.

Fair enough.

Pretty much, given that they are denying something that is true.

How serious? How does it rank amongst other sins?

Whatever or whoever God was, what He is now is what matters.

How does one become perfect?

 

[ParkCungHee]

I'd find that pretty hard to believe, given that Mormons make up maybe 3% of the population, and in places with lots of publishing houses or academic research centers, faaaaarr less.

You know, maybe we should start a thread together. "Ask someone who secretly controls the world."

 

[caketastydelish]

You know, maybe we should start a thread together. "Ask someone who secretly controls the world."

Would no longer be a secret.

 

[Ajidica]

What are the best, worst, and strangest aspects of Mormonism itself and being a Mormon?

 

[_random_]

You know, maybe we should start a thread together. "Ask someone who secretly controls the world."

Are you sure Methos would allow that?

 

[Red Key]

How serious? How does it rank amongst other sins?

As far as I know there are only 3 sins that are ranked in Mormon doctrine. The three worst sins are: 1. Blaspheming the Holy Ghost 2. Murder 3. Adultery/Fornication

Blaspheming the Holy Ghost is the worst because Jesus himself said "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." (Matt. 12:31) However, the definition of what counts as blaspheming the Holy Ghost isn't very clear to me. I don't think leaving the church would count as blaspheming the Holy Ghost, and it definitely wouldn't count as murder or adultery so it is not really ranked.

How does one become perfect?

That is a profound question. I will give a short answer that just scratches the surface.

In Mormon theology, becoming perfect is a process that requires following the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only person who lived perfectly in mortal life. The rest of us must do the best we can, but ultimately must rely on his grace to receive forgiveness of sins and overcome our mistakes. As we continue following Christ's teachings and keeping the commandments (and repenting when need be) we should become better and better at resisting sin and avoiding mistakes. We are taught that this process continues over into the next life, so it is highly unlikely that we will become perfect in this life but it is possible because Jesus did it. Becoming perfect involves not only our actions but also who we are as a person. In other words, just going through the motions will not make you perfect. Eventually we must develop all the attributes God and Jesus have to perfection such as love, wisdom, forgiveness, etc...

 

[Red Key]

What are the best, worst, and strangest aspects of Mormonism itself and being a Mormon?

This is an interesting question because few take the time to ask what we find strange about our religion. Many just tell what they find strange.

In My Opinion:

The best part of Mormonism is a belief that God will communicate with you personally. You may receive revelation for yourself, and develop your own relationship with God.

I can't think of a worst but to me the strangest is polygamy. Mormons do not practice polygamy today, and you would be excommunicated from the church if you did. The fact that it was practiced in the past is strange.

edit: The worst part of being Mormon is having your beliefs frequently misrepresented. Some try to marginalize or falsely stereotype us by saying things like Mormons are not Christian, Mormons are racist, Mormons wear magic underwear, and Mormons believe they will become Gods of their own planets. All of these are false or are mischaracterizations meant to make Mormons seem weird or strange.

 

[GhostWriter16]

As far as I know there are only 3 sins that are ranked in Mormon doctrine. The three worst sins are: 1. Blaspheming the Holy Ghost 2. Murder 3. Adultery/Fornication

Is adultery considered worse than fornication?

Blaspheming the Holy Ghost is the worst because Jesus himself said "All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." (Matt. 12:31) However, the definition of what counts as blaspheming the Holy Ghost isn't very clear to me. I don't think leaving the church would count as blaspheming the Holy Ghost, and it definitely wouldn't count as murder or adultery so it is not really ranked.

What would you consider blasphemy of the Holy Ghost? And did the Pharisees blaspheme the Holy Ghost?

In Mormon theology, becoming perfect is a process that requires following the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the only person who lived perfectly in mortal life. The rest of us must do the best we can, but ultimately must rely on his grace to receive forgiveness of sins and overcome our mistakes. As we continue following Christ's teachings and keeping the commandments (and repenting when need be) we should become better and better at resisting sin and avoiding mistakes. We are taught that this process continues over into the next life, so it is highly unlikely that we will become perfect in this life but it is possible because Jesus did it. Becoming perfect involves not only our actions but also who we are as a person. In other words, just going through the motions will not make you perfect. Eventually we must develop all the attributes God and Jesus have to perfection such as love, wisdom, forgiveness, etc...

Was Jesus the only begotten Son of God while on Earth, or just a man?

 

[GhostWriter16]

edit: The worst part of being Mormon is having your beliefs frequently misrepresented. Some try to marginalize or falsely stereotype us by saying things like Mormons are not Christian, Mormons are racist, Mormons wear magic underwear, and Mormons believe they will become Gods of their own planets. All of these are false or are mischaracterizations meant to make Mormons seem weird or strange.

I know most Mormons are not racists, and didn't actually know the last two, but calling Mormons non-Christian is not necessarily intended to make them feel weird or strange. It goes back to the Nicene Creed.

Now, I'm not making any sort of judgment in this thread. This is your thread, and in the interest of "Do Unto Others" I will never tell you you are wrong about your answers in your thread. I'm here to ask because I do want to know what Mormons actually believe and what they don't. That said, the definition of the word "Christian" does change a bit depending on who's using it, but excluding Mormonism does not necessarily have the intent you described above.

 

[Red Key]

Is adultery considered worse than fornication?

What would you consider blasphemy of the Holy Ghost? And did the Pharisees blaspheme the Holy Ghost?

Was Jesus the only begotten Son of God while on Earth, or just a man?

I'll let others like Eran or downtown answer the first two because I'm not 100% on them.

Jesus was (and still is) the only begotten Son of God.

I know most Mormons are not racists, and didn't actually know the last two, but calling Mormons non-Christian is not necessarily intended to make them feel weird or strange. It goes back to the Nicene Creed.

Now, I'm not making any sort of judgment in this thread. This is your thread, and in the interest of "Do Unto Others" I will never tell you you are wrong about your answers in your thread. I'm here to ask because I do want to know what Mormons actually believe and what they don't. That said, the definition of the word "Christian" does change a bit depending on who's using it, but excluding Mormonism does not necessarily have the intent you described above.

I sometimes read what the media is saying about Mormons in articles. Due to Romney's run for POTUS there have been more of these articles recently. The things I listed are some of the more common accusations you would see some throwing around in the comments of those articles.

This thread is refreshing to me compared to those comment sections because here people are asking about what we believe instead of accusing us of things we don't actually believe. My previous answer was not aimed at anyone in this thread. It was just what came to mind after thinking more about Ajidica's question.

Some may sincerely classify us as non-Christian from an academic point of view based on the things you mentioned. We definitely do not accept Nicene creed because we consider it and similar creeds man-made. Our doctrines are not decided by council debates. We believe our church is a restoration of 1st century Christianity when Christ's apostles lead the church. So from a Mormon point of view only a very narrow definition of Christian would not include Mormons. However, the primary reason some classify or call us non-Christian seems to be to portray us as strange to their fellow "Christians".

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Is adultery considered worse than fornication?

yes - adultery is essentially the same thing as fornication plus a violation of the bonds of marriage.[/QUOTE]

calling Mormons non-Christian is not necessarily intended to make them feel weird or strange. It goes back to the Nicene Creed.

Be that as it may, it never made any sense to me to make the Nicene Council the ultimate definer of Christianity. After all, the Christians who loved before the Nicene Council never accepted its decisions (of course), and I don't see what authority it suddenly had to determine for all time what makes someone a Christian.

 

[downtown]

What are the best, worst, and strangest aspects of Mormonism itself and being a Mormon?

Well, I guess the obvious "best" thing is that I think its true. Understanding where you came from, where you're going, and what happens after life (and that your relationships on earth can continue in the afterlife) is very significant knowledge that has been a tangible benefit in my life.

I'm proud of my church for other reasons though. Mormons tend to do a great job of taking care of their own. I know wherever I can move, I can count on a church family. I love that my church has made helping others become educated a significant priority, (the church is about to launch another major education initiative for the US, which may end up primary benefiting illegal immigrants and those without GEDs). If one follows the teachings of the church closely, you'll end up a good person, and I think most people's interactions with the Mormons reflect that.

I obviously chafe at the political stuff, especially Prop 8, which completely broke my heart. I believe the church will not engage in that overt level of political action again....at least on the subject of gay marriage.

Utah Mormons tend to have their own weird subculture, which I find kinda bizarre.

I'll let others like Eran or downtown answer the first two because I'm not 100% on them.
.

My understanding is that true blasphemy against the holy ghost requires a particular witness of it...one that you and I do not have. An Apostle could be guilty of that sort of thing, but I'm not sure we can.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Yeah, the overwhelming majority of people will never even be in a position to commit that sin, let alone actually do it.

 

[Borachio]

edit: never saw reason why the "Nicene Council the ultimate definer of Christianity".

That. (messed up, see above)

 

[mayor]

Utah Mormons tend to have their own weird subculture, which I find kinda bizarre.

This is not the first time that I read the Utah Mormons as being different or weird... Why is that?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Well, it's because the overwhelming majority of people where they live (especially in cities like Provo) are also Mormon. Being surrounded by people who are a lot like you tends to make people, and their culture, a little weird. Whereas someone who grew up in a place like Ohio, or New York, or Mexico, and was surrounded mostly by non-Mormons, will live in a different culture.

 

[_random_]

What are some especially weird elements of the Utah Mormon subculture?

 

[downtown]

Well, it's because the overwhelming majority of people where they live (especially in cities like Provo) are also Mormon. Being surrounded by people who are a lot like you tends to make people, and their culture, a little weird. Whereas someone who grew up in a place like Ohio, or New York, or Mexico, and was surrounded mostly by non-Mormons, will live in a different culture.

Yeah, I'd also add that the Salt Lake Valley is a pretty isolated place, period. It's about a 5 and a half hour drive from the nearest other city, and that's Boise. It's pretty easy to fall into your own little bubble out there, especially since it's so damn homogeneous.

What are some especially weird elements of the Utah Mormon subculture?

1) Bizarre baby names (either old timey Mormon names, or names that are typically given to black people)
2) Marrying *really* young
3) ALL THE JELLO
4) Being terrified of booze or swears
5) Big Hair

 

[NBAfan]

What is the reason you Mormons are Mormon? Do you believe in the great apostasy?