I figure since I’ve got a question where I ask anti-Mormons and others to answer my questions, it’s only fair that I have a section where I take questions. Actually, it’s my blog and I can do what I want with it and fair has nothing to do with it, so let’s just say I’d enjoy entertaining any questions people would like to ask. I’m as interested in learning the truth as anyone, and I’ve found that responding to questions from anti-Mormons helps me learn more about my faith. If you’ve got a question feel free to post a comment asking it. If it’s a decent question I’ll answer it…when I get the time. You can ask questions like “Why are Mormons so stupid?” but I probably won’t answer that type of question. In fact, I’ll probably just delete it so as to not clutter up the legitimate comments.
Ask away.
Joshua,
I would appreciate the name of just one secular encyclopediaa and page which provides supporting information that:
1. “Reformed Egyptian” was really an ancient language.
2. “Domesticated” horses existed in the America’s prior to Columbus.
3. That ancient languages can be translated by looking at a rock in a hat. See: (Ensign » 1993 » July A Treasured Testament By Elder Russell M. Nelson)
Joshua,
How is it possible for you to support your church with it going against its own scripture? “We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government, whereby one religious society is fostered and another proscribed in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of its members as citizens, denied.” (D&C 134:9)
United Church of Christ
The resolution “In support of equal marriage rights for all”, supported by an estimated 80% of the 884 General Synod Delegates, made the United Church of Christ General Synod the first major Christian deliberative body in the U.S. to make a statement of support for “equal marriage rights” for all people, regardless of gender.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Church_of_Christ The Unitarian Church also supports gay marriage.
The Mormon Church spearheading Prop 8 in Californian has denied equal rights of a minority. The LDS Churches position toward gays is totally at odds with mainstream psychology. See the American Psychological Association statements:
http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/policy/marriage.pdf
http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/justthefacts.pdf
Hi Skeptic, I’ve answered your first question at “Egyptians, Horses, and Rocks in Hats” and your second question at “The Hypocrisy of Mormons in Opposing Gay Marriage“.
Thanks for the questions, and please feel free to comment on my answers. I don’t have as much time to discuss these topics as I would like to have, but I participate as much as I can and perhaps there are others out there who would like to discuss them further as well.
Hey Josh,
I have a couple of questions that I wrestled with for a long time. (not anymore though) I’m sure you’ve asked yourself the same questions. I’d be interested to see how you’ve managed to make peace with them.
You and I were both born into the church to LDS families. If Mormonism is the one true church, wow…..we really hit the jackpot. Extremely lucky, right? Out of the billions and billions of humans that have come and gone over the last 50,000 years, and the tens of thousands of organized religions, not to mention the other tribal/pagan/animist beliefs, we were so unimaginably fortunate to have been born into the Creator of the Universe’s own special organization on earth.
We could have been born into any other circumstance where we were taught to believe in the existence of various deities. We could have grown up in Northern Europe a thousand years ago believing in Odin or many thousands of years ago in Egypt believing in Min. After being taught those beliefs by our parents and surrounding culture, wouldn’t we have been believers? I think so.
So, what is more likely? That you and I were unimaginably lucky, or that everyone else feels the same way about the faith of their family/culture?
I have two follow up questions based on the above:
By what criteria do you discount the truth claims of the other 10,000 organized religions in the world?
And, what, if anything would lead you to the conclusion that Mormonism’s foundational stories, personalities and writings are not what they claim to be?
Alrighty John, you caught me at a good time. Normally it would take me a month to respond, if at all.
Am I Mormon Just Because I Was Born Into it?
Is There Anything That Could Convince You That Mormonism is Not True?
My question: I have a mormon friend whose husband is an anti-mormon Christian active in a ministry to save people out of mormonism. When he asks his mormon wife about the mormon church she will never have a discussion with him. Would she be able to get a temple recommend when she is married to someone who actively opposes mormonsm?
Also would she be able to go to the Celestial Kingdom living with this dogmatic non-believer in the LDS church and opposition to the mormon prophets, apostles, presidents?
In the interest of keeping this post on-topic, I am deleting any comments that are not legitimate questions that have led to answers being provided elsewhere on this site. This post was not intended to be an area for discussion, rather a place for questions to be posted, and links to answers (not actual answers) posted in response. Thank you for your participation.
Joshua,
I love to see the AntiChrist like you run. I know now that you are
full of Satan and hate Gods truth just like Smith did. You will face Jesus one day who is all truth, lets see you delete Him. You have no truth to answer any questions so why dont you quit fooling yourself like you do. I knew you were Rabid from the beginning and your throw-up makes me sick. Jesus still heals and Smith still Kills. Your choice to kill truth is shown. Your blood cannot be
blamed on me for not telling you the truth because I did. What a Joy you are to Satan. Hes proud of you.. From JimMissy
I asked a question on 6/6 about my Christian friend who is anti-mormon, but married to a mormon. I have subsequently found out that his wife does have a temple recommend and does go to the temple. This sounds like an oxymoron or should I say oxymormon because there is one temple recommend question that her life violates, that is she is closely affiliated with and married to a rabid anti-mormon Christian who has his own Christian ministry on the internet and goes to mormon events to hand out Christian literature.
Can bishops just violate the temple recommend questions anytime they want to? Are the questions meant to be followed or can anyone just decide which questions they will answer truthfully and which questions they will ignore?
Hi Ann, sorry, I’m just slow in answering questions. But I’ve finally done it here >>.
Re: Steady state, eternal universe vs. big bang
Do mormons believe in an eternal universe of eternal matter or a big bang type universe?
Hi Ann, I answered your question with the post “What do Mormons believe about how the universe started?“
I can’t find the post. How do I get to it?
As a Christian, after reading the New Testament, I am inclined to believe that Jesus was “IT.” He was the end all, the be all, the Alpha and the Omega. I feel that the New Testament clearly states that Jesus was the final answer to all of the problems of humanity, and that he was our final savior. I don’t see anything in the New Testament that indicates there will be another prophet to come (i.e., Joseph Smith). I feel that the New Testament clearly shows that Jesus is the final answer, the everything. So I guess my question is, why would there be a need for a Joseph Smith? God “got the job done” with Jesus, so to speak, didn’t he? What could God possibly give to the world after his only Son? I guess what I don’t understand why God would need anyone to come after Jesus. Is there really anything to teach after what Jesus taught? Thanks so much for taking the time to listen to the question.
Hi Leslie, that’s a perfectly reasonable question. Let me ask you this, why were proohets called of God before Jesus came, and why were apostles called after Jesus came?
Hi! I’m not a Mormon, but I recently started reading the BOM. I’m not reading it from cover to cover yet; I just looked in the index for topics that I thought would be interesting, and I love what Moroni 8 says about baptism. That’s the #1 thing that has bothered me about Christianity– I refuse to believe that a loving God would punish innocent children for their parents’ failure to have them baptized, and I’ve always wondered how anyone could worship God if they believed He would do that. I plan to read the whole BOM eventually (I don’t have a lot of free time), but if you could give me some chapters to start with that clarify other topics that have been misinterpreted or mistranslated in the Bible, that would be great! Thanks!
Well, if you liked Moroni 8, you might also enjoy 2 Nephi 29. But the important thing is to find out for yourself if the book is truly what it claims to be. Some people only need to read part of the book the find that out. Other people take years and read it over and over again, studying minute details. You’ll need to figure out what the right approach is for you. But in the end, you’ll need to follow the admonition in Moroni 10:3-5 to read the book, think about it, and then ask God if it’s true. If you do it sincerely, not just to satisfy your curiosity but to change your life based on the answer, you’ll get an answer, and it will change your entire life.
Josh with deleting comments I can sure tell you walk like Smith who deleted much of what God said for Smith to look good. Is it that you want also to look good like a wolf in sheeps clothing. Why do you call yourself a Christian when you deleted who God and Jesus is for the new improved GodHead that Smith made up? This dirty Liar was a true Con as he hid behind Holy looking words. Why do you continue to do the same by destroying truth that people send you and keeping only that which makes this Cult look Holy?
Smith is no where in Heaven for there is only one Way to Heaven and thats through Jesus. Your continued deletions of truth will delete you off of Heaven road. You reject truth that Smith was a Con man and then blame Gods word and true Christians of being the Con. This sick attempt to reverse didn’t work for Smith and neither will it work for you. You might look good to the girls but this is only skin deep… Jimm
@Jimm – I’ll leave your comment up, since you seem intent on reposting it over and over even though it does no service to your cause, but rather just makes you look like a fanatic. As I stated above:
“In the interest of keeping this post on-topic, I am deleting any comments that are not legitimate questions that have led to answers being provided elsewhere on this site. This post was not intended to be an area for discussion, rather a place for questions to be posted, and links to answers (not actual answers) posted in response. Thank you for your participation.”
I am not deleting things to look good nor am I deleting “truth”, I’m merely trying to keep this post from getting full of unrelated discussions, or in your case, pointless insults, that belong somewhere else and prevent people from posting legitimate questions.
Well thank you future god dreamer Josh. All I wanted was an answer that you couldn’t find the time to answer. I don’t care if you post it or not. I don’t really care what you think I look like. Since you work so hard to make Smith into a Saint of course I’m twisted to be an ugly con that deserves nothing. So in your mind I’m already condemned as a con along with God’s Word. God said be angry and sin not. Theres nothing wrong with being angry at Mormonisn when all it does is destroy who God is and who Jesus is and fighting to pervert who a Christian is so Mormons think they can replace them.
All this points to a BIG question… Why? Why do you allow so much Smith deletion of Gods Word to replace it with the words of a madman? You deny Gods Word as truth and accept a made up book called the Book of Abraham and all its proven lies of Smith? All the places in the Bible as proven to exist but Smiths made up places never was proven.
Even with all these lies Mormons says I will follow a madman. Why do Mormons do this? Why?
Jimm, I don’t know what you’re talking about when you say “All I wanted was an answer that you couldn’t find the time to answer.” I’ve spent a few hours on this website today. I don’t make money off this. This isn’t my full-time job. I spend time on this website as I have time to, which sometimes means I’m not able to respond to anyone for months at a time. If you’ve asked a question and I haven’t gotten around to it, I apologize, but the only questions I don’t answer are those I haven’t had time to answer yet, or those that aren’t real questions, such as “You deny Gods Word as truth and accept a made up book called the Book of Abraham and all its proven lies of Smith?” When you say things like this you sound like a raving, ranting madman and you do yourself a disservice if you want anyone to take you seriously. Here’s how a rational, composed person might rephrase some of what you’ve said:
Rather than “Why do you allow so much Smith deletion of Gods Word to replace it with the words of a madman?” you might ask “It seems to me that much of what Joseph Smith taught, wrote, and said is at odds with what is taught and written in the Bible. Here are some specific examples of what I mean…(here you would list those examples).”
Rather than “You deny Gods Word as truth and accept a made up book called the Book of Abraham and all its proven lies of Smith?” you might ask “It seems there is ample evidence showing that the Book of Abraham is not authentic but was created by Joseph Smith (here you cite some references or link to resources that do a credible job of expounding on the matter). How do you explain this matter?”
Rather than “All the places in the Bible as proven to exist but Smiths made up places never was proven.” you might ask “Many of the locations in the Bible have been proven to exist, but I don’t know of a single location in the Book of Mormon that has been proven to exist. How can you believe in the Book of Mormon when there is no geographical or archeological evidence to support it?”
Second, I don’t condemn you. We Mormons don’t believe anyone can or should try to judge who’s going to hell and who’s going to heaven. But in the spirit of speculation, I fully expect to see you in heaven, even if you never become a Mormon in this life. To again paraphrase Joseph Smith, when asked how Mormonism differed from other religions, “They believe we are going to hell, whereas we believe that even they can be saved.”
So, instead of asking emotional questions that aren’t really questions but rather insults, like “Even with all these lies Mormons says I will follow a madman. Why do Mormons do this? Why?” (Answer: Because we don’t believe Joseph Smith was a madman, what else?) try asking some logical, rational questions, and perhaps you’ll have better luck getting a response.
Josh, when I read your message I think about what the Lord said, “Many shall come to me that day and say Lord, Lord look what I have done to which the Lord says Go away, I never knew you. You give me alotta of excuses but there to delete my questions for two days with no problem. Then you tell me that all will be in Heaven which contradicts “Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby.
Atheist tell me the same thing that my english is not good but you did understand exactly what I was saying so the message got across. Then you say I degrade, so did Jesus. He called them whitewashed sepulchres and hypocrites. Your strange way sickens me as Jesus was sickened by the Scribes and Pharisee’s ways. You hate me the same as Jesus was hated.
The only question you really answered is your defense for this Con Man Smith that he’s not a Madman. Smith is no Saint and is no where close to Heaven. You sir will not be there if you not turn from this Con Man’s teachings to the Real Jesus teachings. Not the Mormon Jesus and god who Smith made up. Jesus meant what He said that He is the only way to Heaven. You will never be a god as Satan told Adam and Eve we could become. This is a prideful fall.
All cults teach that they are the only ones that will go to Heaven which condemns Christians an abomination in Gods sight. I am Gods Sheep and you sir are trying to steal me from God to jump in the bed of lies with Smith by calling yourself a Christian which you certainity are not because your faith is in a man made Jesus. You condemn my God, my Jesus and my witnessing because your a thief like Smith stealing Souls for Smith and a fleshly god away from the true God that is Spirit and truth.
Here is truth and I ask why you would want to delete it to replace it with the teachings of a Con Man Smith. Does teachings of Smith appeal to your flesh? God is Spirit and He never changes. Why can’t you take God at His Word and honor Him who brings life instead of Smith who is well known to take life. Smith has taken wives from husbands, daughters from parents and shot people to stop the heart. Why must you allow him to stop your heart today for the real God, Jesus to accept counterfeits? God is a jealous God and Hes not going to like it as you steal His children to a strange god. Jimm
Jimm, I don’t hate you, but I think you might be mentally unhinged. I don’t know what you’re talking about when you say I deleted your question. I’ve never condemned you. I’ve never condemned “your God”. If you want to ask some rational questions, I’ll answer them. But questions like “Does teachings of Smith appeal to your flesh?” don’t make sense.
Josh, I’m peculiar also. Is this your escape goat to accuse me of being mentally off as I stand by the true Jesus and God? You can’t see that this is hate as you would steal Gods sheep from their Christian Churches to worship man made gods. This is hate for I don’t whore after other gods to fall in the bed of lies that Smith made up. Smiths goal to reach was not the true God or Jesus but to girls in bed. He deceived so many and his bed of lies yet lurks in the darkness today.
My question, “Does teachings of Smith appeal to your flesh?” Doesn’t make any sense to you. Does it appeal to your flesh or to your spirit? If it promises you “power,” it is appealing to your flesh. If it is calling upon you to humble yourself before the True and Living God it is appealing to your spirit.
Test the spirits.” Here are some tests that will enable you to escape this deception:
(1) Does it claim to have a special revelation that ignores the clear teaching of the Bible?
(2) Does it lift up the Lord Jesus Christ or itself?
(3) Do you feel like worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ or the person giving the prophecy?
(4) Does it call upon sinners to repent of their sins or just give them an emotional experience?
(5) Does it inspire you to preach the Biblical doctrine of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? If it preaches a works salvation, it is not from God.
(6) Does it unite or segregate the body of Christ, the church? God is not the author of confusion. If it scatters the sheep, it is of the devil.
(7) Do people who follow their prophecy become more like the Lord Jesus Christ, or more like the world, the flesh and the devil? Christians are like the Lord Jesus Christ of the Christian Bible as expressed in the four Gospels.
Hi Jimm, I thought your “tests” were worthy of their own post, so I just created Does Mormonism Pass “The Test”? Enjoy!
You Josh sent, http://www.mormondna.org/ask-me-questions/mormonism-pass-test.html%22%3EDoes is “NOT FOUND” Apologies, but the page you requested could not be found. Perhaps searching will help. Looks like God doesn’t want me to see any more of your lies.
A Dead End Josh. A dead End that Smith is a Saint. All your messages to me has not one stand for Jesus. In my eyes you have denied Him for the love of a Con and I read whoever denies Jesus before men, He will also deny him before His Father who is in heaven.
I don’t care how big you look on your Websites or how big you think Smith is. If you don’t have the true Jesus then you have nothing but a Dead End… Byeee Jimm
Block me Josh but I am free that you are not. I pity u.. I know you can read this Josh. Enjoy
Hmm, the link I posted works fine for me, although the link you pasted in your comment does indeed not work. Want to try again?
I did try again but nothing. It wasn’t meant to be. Byeee Josh for I have seen enough… Jimm
How do Mormons explain Isaiah 44:6?
This verse says that God does not even know of another god. Now if Mormons believe that God the Father is married to multiple mother goddesses, who He would clearly know of if He was, then how can the possibly claim to believe the Bible and deny the basic doctrine of Isaiah 44:6.
Did you change something where all responses must wait moderation or is it just for me? I haven’t said anything mean or disrespectful for I’m a bit confused as it was not like this before. Thanks.
My questions: Mormons think the fall was necessary to bring about God’s plan, so why would Satan encourage the fall? Wouldn’t that be helping to bring about God’s plan? Wouldn’t he have tried to get Adam and Eve NOT to eat of the fruit, so no spirit children would get bodies?
Also, if God had a plan for all spirit children to come and get a body, but then sent Adam and Eve to earth telling them not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge which would bring about procreating…doesn’t that make Him a God of trickery? He essentially was saying “Don’t eat the fruit! (please please please disobey me and DO eat the fruit so all the other spirit children can get bodies!) Sounds deceptive. Could you please give the Mormon theology behind this belief and how it makes any sense? Thanks.
@Teacher Tester – Sorry for the delay in responding, but here’s a response about the Mormon interpretation of Isaiah 44:6.
@Leah – Here’s an answer to your questions regarding Satan and that fruit.
Why on a website all about Mormons, who say they are Christian, there is no main topic about Jesus? I see a heading for Joseph Smith and even Satan, but alas, Jesus is nowhere to be found. Why is He not discussed or the focus of a “Christian” website? I looked through most of the categories and did not see any discussions solely on Jesus…if someone were searching to see what Mormon “DNA” involved, would they get the impression that Jesus is at the head of your church and life, or in the heart of it’s believers? I see His picture, but that’s the extent of it. A prop…
I’m sure you could say because most people ask you questions about your belief in Joseph Smith or other topics more often, but why is that? Why are Mormons associated more with all these other men and issues, and not Jesus? Could it be because YOU don’t make Him a focus, even on your own website? This is more just a personal question I have I guess from observing this site, and if you do have topics on just Jesus where are they?
I have two legit question(s)
1) What is the theological basis for Mormonism’s relation to Judaism? As officially revealed in the Book Of Mormon?
2) What is the Mormon Church’s current relationship to Judaism, vis a vis clerical doctrine and or / lay persons? positions, prejudices, commonalities.?