I want to know a little about the Book of Mormon?
93939
The book of Mormon is a book that according to the original title page Joseph Smith claimed to have authored. It was later changed to translated.\nHe claimed that golden plates were given to him by an angel named Moroni (hence Mormon) the book tells a story of a Jew living in Jerusalem about 600 BC who was left behind when the first captivity took place. As the story goes he seems unaware that all of the educated and skilled Hebrews had already been taken into captivity. He did not accept the teachings of the prophet Jeremiah but rather left Jerusalem and migrated to the Americas. He along with those in his party and a previous group who had also migrated there became what we know of as the American Indians, They allegedly built cities had all kinds of enterprise, agriculture, architecture and commerce etc (no archeological evidence exist for any of this,) they lived for another 600 years without leaving any evidence of their existence, then they were visited by Jesus Christ who had just been crucified in Jerusalem. Jesus spent much of the 40 days he was on earth between his resurrection and ascension here in America with them. A war between good and evil ensued resulting in the death of all the good guys and the culture about which the book of Mormon was written, the story was preserved on golden plates, buried in a hill near where Joseph smith lived and later delivered to him.\n\nThough it was claimed to be an inspired work, much of the original work has been lost, many changes to the text have been made. God has even since changed his mind on some of its doctrines such as polygamy and membership for blacks.\n\nIt is not the only writing that guides and controls the Mormon faith. Even stranger things are taught in the Doctrine and covenants, and the pearl of great price. To make matters worse they believe that revelation continues today and therefore what they believe today may change tomorrow, if a group like the blacks sue or if a political issue like state-hood comes up.
362477
What Do Mormons Believe: The Primary Differences Between Mormonism & Christianity\n\n\nWhat Do Mormons Believe: Divine Authority\nThe Mormon church uses two sources as its primary authorities: the Book of Mormon and the Bible. The Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price are also viewed as divinely authoritative. The Christian church uses the Holy Bible alone as its authority from God. Joseph Smith is not recognized as a prophet. \n\nWhat Do Mormons Believe: The Nature of God\nThe Mormon church sees God as the Supreme Being of the universe. However, He gradually acquired that position over a long period of time by living a perfect and righteous life. God the Father has a body (flesh and bones). The Christian church proclaims God as eternally and infinitely supreme. He is the same today as always. He is a spirit Being. \n\nWhat Do Mormons Believe: The Nature of Man\nThe Mormon church teaches that humans exist as spirit beings before their birth. At physical birth, bodies are given to these spirits. They are also given an opportunity for free-will choice. The physical world represents a period of probation. The status of a person in the afterlife is determined by the way that person lived their life on Earth. If the person lived by a satisfactory standard, (including the fulfillment of Mormon temple obligations) that person has the potential to become a god in the after-life. They can also produce "spirit children" to populate a world of his own (like God did with the earth). The Christian church holds that humans do not exist as spirits prior to being born into the world. Humans cannot attain godhood or populate other worlds with "spirit children." \n\nWhat Do Mormons Believe: The Nature of Jesus Christ\nThe Mormon church views Jesus and Satan as spirit brothers and sons of God. God put forth His plan of salvation for the world, and Satan proposed his own plan. Jesus accepted the Father's plan and offered to implement it as the Savior. The Father chose Jesus, and the spirit of Jesus was given a body through the virgin Mary. He was crucified on a Roman cross, and rose from the dead three days later to establish His deity. The character and life of Jesus is attainable by anyone who performs at such a righteous level. The Christian church teaches that Jesus Christ has existed eternally as the Son of God, the second "person" of the Trinity. Jesus took on human flesh about 2000 years ago and was born into the world through the virgin Mary. He was crucified on a Roman cross for our sins, and rose from the dead three days later to establish His deity. \n\nWhat Do Mormons Believe: How do we Achieve Salvation\nThe Mormon church holds that Jesus Christ overcame physical death and guaranteed physical resurrection to all mankind. However, spiritual death can only be avoided through personal obedience of God's commandments. Forgiveness of sins requires faith, repentance and baptism by an approved Mormon priest. The practice of baptism for the dead is an extension of this belief, in which Mormons are baptized in proxy for those who have died without proper baptism. The Christian church teaches that we are unable to live a life righteous enough to meet God's perfectly holy standard. Therefore, we establish a relationship with God by faith in the work of Christ on the cross, not by our own works. Baptism and good deeds are acts of obedience to God, but not the means for gaining eternal salvation. \n\nWhat Do Mormons Believe: Life After Death\nThe Mormon church maintains that although there is temporary punishment for those that are most wicked, Jesus Christ will establish a new kingdom that will consist of three levels: the celestial kingdom, the terrestrial kingdom, and the telestial kingdom. The Christian church holds that there are only two possible fates after death, heaven or hell. These locations are final, both physically and spiritually. \n\nLearn More Now! by clicking the Answers bu
313316
that they can become gods . have sputural children and have there own planet .wifes . and my ex, brother in law was a mormon . ever see those silly underwear that they wear. looks very silly. being sealed in there temples for all time ref. www. mormonnomore. no masnknows my history. ?
594700
www.lds.org  go to basic believes. \n\nI wouldn't believe any of these others who told you crap about the church. I've researched every question I've heard about the church and I've always from answers from our scholars. The problem most people seem to have is they accept the word of so called "scholars" that supposedly had already asked the churches scholars about all these "facts" of why the church is wrong. These "scholars" never ask the churches responses in any of their publication, but always say they do, a pure lie. This makes the reader of these lies and deceptions believe that there is no answer other than what they just read.\n\nIf you want to know the truth for YOURSELF I challange you to talk to the LDS missionaries and read the Book of Mormon for yourself. If it is of God you will know it to be, if it is not you will know it to be. Read it and ask God in prayer if it is true. I read the book and found every part to agree wholeheartedly with the bible which I have read several times. I have prayed about it and know it to be a testimony of Jesus christ, a true book.
347069
I have never heard this before, and I have studied a lot on the religion.  Because they are so secrative rumors like this start.  However, there are so many wrong teachings of the mormons that there is no need to make stuff up about them!\n\nMormonism teaches:\n\nThat there is more than one God.\nThat God the Father is really just an exalted man with flesh and bones just like you and me.\nThat we also can become gods.\nThat the apostle John is still alive today, but yet believe that the church went into complete apostacy (meaning John must have left Jesus, too).\nThat Adam and Eve didn't really sin.\nThat salvation is earned and that grace is nothing more than "enabling power" that aids people as they seek perfection.\nTeaches that the Father actually had sex with Mary and that she was not a virgin.\n\nI have been told that the last one is not widely believed by the Mormon church, and is not an "official" church doctrine.  I know that Doctrines of Salvation vol. 1:18 says that Jesus was not begotten by the Holy Ghost.  I do not know if that is one of their "official" sources of doctrine.  I know this does, however, contradict both Matthew 1:18, and even the Book of Mormon (Alma 7:10).  \n\nMormonism IS a cult, IS a perversion of the gospel of Christ, and IS NOT the "true church" as they claim.
104058
yes i would care to know the deeper meaning to the story! it would interest me! good luck w/ ur research!
660906
I'm a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I can tell you. Members of the LDS Church (that's the prefered term, though most know us as "Mormons") believe that Joseph Smith, at the age of fourteen, was searching for God's church on the Earth. After looking into so many, he was a bit confused and asked the Bible. He read in the book of James, Chapter 1, verse 5, that: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." Continuing on in verse 6, it says: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering•. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." Reading this, Joseph wanted a quiet place to pray, so he went into  a grove of trees, where he knelt to pray. He asked God to tell him which church was His, which church to join.In the Joseph Smith History, it speaks of this account: "After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such an astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue so that I could not speak. Thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction.\n\nBut, exerting all my powers to call upon God to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction—not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being—just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.\n\nIt no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!\n \nMy object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.\n\nI was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all awrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”\n\nHe again forbade me to join with any of them; and many other things did he say unto me, which I cannot write at this time. When I came to myself again, I found myself lying on my back, looking up into heaven. When the light had departed, I had no strength; but soon recovering in some degree, I went home. And as I leaned up to the fireplace, mother inquired what the matter was. I replied, “Never mind, all is well—I am well enough off.” I then said to my mother, “I have learned for myself that Presbyterianism is not true.” It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and an annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?"\n\n\nI hope that ans
519383
can you elucidate it a little more please?
1028256
Which book are you talking about?  I've never heard of the book of Nehi.  And if you're talking about one of the books of Nephi, there is no verse that talks about a "masked man with a white horse and Indian sidekick".  Where do you hear this stuff anyway?  It doesn't make sense to me either.
286489
I'm kind of flaky with my actual faith, but I've been an active Mormon for a while now.\n\nI have to say that we believe in a pre-mortal existence. That we were all present at the Council of Heaevn when God was establishing his plan of salvation. Satan and Jesus both had ideas about how to do it. Essentially, Satan wanted glory for himself and Jesus wanted to give Glory to God. In order to actually believe this though you have to have a better understanding of the basic principles that under lie the LDS Church.\n\nAnd to say, out right, that the Church is wrong or that the book of mormon is bogus is really childish. There are millions of LDS people in the world today, I find it hard to believe that all of them are wrong.\n\nAnd the Bible says that the Father and the Son are One. This doesn't mean LITERALLY, look at the gospels, Jesus approaches the Father as his Father. They are One in purpose - To bring to pass the immortal life of man, but they are two seperate beings. Even if you look at Hebrew texts they use to words for God - elohim and yahweh. The reason for this is because God is no one being. But like I said, you have to have at least an undersatnding of where the book of mormon came from.\n\nI don't bash other religions. There are so many times I want to say, "No, you've got it all wrong" but I don't because I understand that every person has every right to be what they are.\n\n-------------\nTo Asker:\nI don't believe in one religion. When I say "we believe" in the Mormon church I should have been saying "they believe" My whole philosophy on life is that every religion is right... for someone. That doesn't mean is right or wrong. My friend and I have discussed religion at length and I've come to my own conclusions regarding it. She's Muslim and I am whatever I am. I used to say this to my brother, "Belief in something is better then belief in nothing." That something specific of course referred to God. But anywho, not sure if that answered your question. I'm not totally with it. Perpetually tired.\n\n-------------\nTo Asker:\nMy brother is an atheist and I find it hard to believe in nothing. I think to know that this is all we have and after this is only death is a really hard thing to cope with. Maybe it's what really is, but I think it's better to believe that there is some greater purpose for this life. The Book of Mormon has it's own set of doctrine and beliefs set out. The purpose of it is to testify that Christ is the Savior and help us understand how to live righteously. I'd strongly encourage everyone to read it. My faith is unique. I believe the teachings of the LDS church are correct in some sense. I just have too many things I'm questioning in my life. I'm working on resolving them and I don't know where it is going. Sorry for the confusion. don't base your views on the LDS Church on me because I'm far from the best person. If a person wants to know more I'd suggest lds.org and you can actually read the conference talks etc. Or even talking to missionaries. Anywho, sorry.
821585
Have a look at 2 books\n1. The Ossian Chronicles by James MacPherson\n2. Who Relly Wrote the Book of Mormon? by Cowdery Davis and Scales.\n\nThe first book has so many parallels with the BOM that it is not funny.  The author said that he found it in a hill when he was the same age as Joseph and that he translated it.  It was the story of an ancient land and its language.  He recanted in later life and admitted that he didn't find gold plates and that he wrote it off the top of his head.
514289
I need know a little more about the story to answer this question.
786813
Nice to hear fro Cami, however, according to Mormons if The Book of Mormon diagrees with The Holy Bible they believe The Book of Mormon to be the final authority.
1139296
Yeah, God's Army is good. There are also free movies that you can order online from the church. They don't cost a thing, and they explain our religion very well. Here is the link: http://mormon.org/seenontv/1,19733,6199-1,00.html
843425
Hi there!  It's me again!  \nYou know, I think the thing to look at in the Mormon religion is again, the verifiable concrete stuff. (no pun intended ha ha ha)\nDid you know that while archeologists use the bible to find places and things (Rockefeller used the bible to locate OIL, remember Noah and the PITCH he used on the inside and outside of the ark?  DING?!?!? ) they have been QUOTED saying that they have tried finding the places mentioned in the Book of Mormon and THEY CAN'T FIND any of the sites.  And Joseph Smith said that the new Jerusalem would be built in the midwest and, like it never happened.  ANd he said that Native americans were a lost tribe of the Hebrews.  And thanks to DNA testing it was like completely shot down too.\nNOW do Mormons suck?  NO WAY!!!??!!! Not at all but are they deceived?  YES  The reason I say this is again.  DUDE if you are a Prophet of GOD.  YOU don't get ANY prophecies wrong.  You don't have gramatical errors in your text.  And DUDE you are not MORE HOLY because of the special underwear bro.  \nNOW Joseph Smith mentioned stuff about concrete, COOL.  I'm glad he got that right but sad that it would bring someone to believe that he would have the answer of how to get closer to God.  Mormons are very wonderful thoughtful people.    But so are Christians and NO Mormons are NOT Christians.  They do not believe that Jesus did the redemptive work at the Cross. And that it's WORKS that gets you to your own planet when you die.  WHAT?!?!?\nYes, that's right I said it. PLA-NET. Here's the thing Texas Toast.  I don't know what church you have been attending, but you know what it looks like they havent been teaching you the TRUTH.  That Jesus LOVED PROSTITUTES AND MURDERERS and SINNERS, His Apostles DISSED HIM until AFTER He was resurrected and appeared to them.  He's not the JERRY FALWELL loving-tie wearing- O'Reilly watching-Republican.  He loves me a SINNER and YOU and the MORMONS too!!!!, and by His death I am able to come before a HOLY GOD and say WHASSSS-UPPPP!!!  \nThis is sooooo cool that you want to ask questions and think about who it is that you are Worshipping and praying to.  RIGHT ON!  Don't give up and keep asking questions and the REAL GOD will stand up!
959866
After reading thru your answers I gather that most anti - Mormons are highly mis-informed! The Book of Mormon tells of the first inhabitants of the America's. All the way from the southern tip of South America on up to the Alaskan territories!  The American Indian and the Native Peoples of Mexico are the decendants of these people.  We believe in the same God, the same Jesus, Trinity (Father, Son & Holy Ghost), We definately believe That Jesus suffered in behalf of the all the sinners of the worild that they might be forgiven of their sins. And died on the cross to seal that offer.  And yes we believe in the Bible as far as it is translated correctly!\nI have a challenge. All Mormon Bashers should prayerfully READ the book of Mormon., before deciding what it says. After you've read it and taken Moroni up on his challenge. Then  - lets talk!!
519025
Hum interesting. It's odd to see it portrayed in a South Park kind of way. \n\nIt hits a few points right--but it is mostly inaccurate. Here are just some of the points that are twisted:\n\nFor one, it makes it seem as though all the people accepted Joseph Smith or at least didn't make too big of a deal about it. Far from the truth. The far majority of the locals thought Joseph to be crazy and many even came out strongly against. As he further organized the LDS church, they were even further persecuted. Joseph Smith was eventually martyred because of people's hatred of him and other Mormons. \n\nIt depicts that Joseph Smith translated the entire Book of Mormon using seer stones in a hat. That simply isn't the case. There are a few accounts (that are hard to even verify) that he in perhaps one or two cases translated with the aid of seer stones without the presence of the actual plates. All other accounts specify that the plates were in front of him. \n\nIt depicts that Martin Harris never saw the Gold Plates. In fact, he was one of the witnesses to it's existence. \n\nIt suggests that Martin Harris agreed with his wife in taking some of the pages to test Joseph Smith. Martin Harris's own account refutes this, further there is no clear evidence that of his wife's sole involvement. It is thought that others that were trying to expose Joseph Smith were involved.\n\nIt suggests that Joseph Smith made up the entire account while looking into a hat. Even anti-Mormons are having trouble explaining how it would be possible for Joseph Smith to recite such a complicated account simply from memory.\n\nSo all in all--it isn't very accurate. It left out any details that lend to the credibility of the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith. But it did get one thing right--the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith are vital to the LDS faith. It just left out the true depth of the BoM and Joseph Smith.