Let's see if this goes anywhere. We were talking about Mitt Romney in the election thread and it devolved into talking about Mormonism, thus we arrive here.
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of Restorationist religious denominations and adherents who follow at least some of the teachings and revelations of Joseph Smith, Jr., publisher of the Book of Mormon in 1830. The Latter Day Saint movement is one of a number of separate movements, known collectively as Restorationism, intending to transcend Protestant denominationalism, and to restore a form of Christianity thought to be more consistent with the New Testament. The church founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. was first known as the Church of Christ. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement divided into several groups, the largest of which, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) migrated to Utah Territory and became known in the 19th century for its practice of plural marriage. The LDS Church discontinued this practice in 1890. Other denominations, who refer to themselves as Mormon fundamentalists, continued the practice.
Other groups originating within the Latter Day Saint movement followed different paths in Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. For the most part these groups rejected plural marriage and some of Smith's latest and most controversial or disputed teachings. The largest of these, the Community of Christ (originally known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), was formed in Missouri in 1860 by several groups uniting around Smith's son, Joseph Smith III. Most denominations existing today who follow the teachings of Joseph Smith, Jr. have some historical relationship with the movement.
Some stuff Mormons believe in (incomplete):
- After Jesus' resurrection he travelled to the Americas
- Everyone can receive messages from God (or be a prophet)
- [strike]Plural Marriage[/strike] Not any more!
- People should baptize their dead ancestors so they can join everyone in heaven
- Black people were not allowed to be ordained or participate in temple ordinances (highest rituals) in the Mormon church until the 1970s
Some famous people are Mormons!
- Mitt Romney!
- Steve Young!
- Orson Scott Card!
- Glenn Beck!
- The Osmonds!
So do what you will. I know Mormonism is scary and weird because it's new. Don't crap this up with "LOL MAGIC UNDERWEAR" or we're screwed.
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A MORMON SO DON'T SHOOT ME IF I GOT THINGS WRONG
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God used to hate black people, but changed his mind in 1978
Also, I love to hear the arguments from Christians about how mormons aren't christians. It's like watching republicans try to disown Ron Paul.
Also, I think very highly of the practice of sending their young people abroad for a year to do mission work. More for the going abroad than for the mission work.
Let's see if I remember.
•*When your soul starts out, there's a 33% chance that it gets thrown into "outer darkness," with Satan. The rest of the souls are born onto earth.
• On earth, you can get saved by Jesus, so when you die, you go to one of three levels of heaven.
• The first level is called the terrestial sphere. It's kind of normal.
• The second level is called the telestial sphere. I think it's a little better than earth.
• The third, top, level is called the celestial sphere. This is the place to be. In fact, a small number of people in the celestial sphere get to go off to other planets, where they become Gods of their own world. Our God is actually one such example of this.
•*Some people die without being saved, but they aren't immediately thrown into outer darkness. The people from the three spheres have a chance to a purgatory-like place and save them.
(I'm probably remembering a lot of the details wrong. Mormons—please verify!)
It's worth noting that in most denominations "mission work" is primarily charity-type stuff, while in mormonism it is rather exclusively converting people to mormonism.
When I met her parents I told them that my only knowledge of Mormonism was from Wikipedia and South Park. They were not familiar with Wikipedia, but they loved the South Park Mormon episode. Apparently they have it on DVD.
Sounds like par for the course as far as religious cosmology.
Having said that, I am friends with a lot of Mormons and, as a whole, they are the nicest people I know.
Their one flaw is that although they try to familiarize themselves with other cultures both inside and outside the US (through their missions), they are ultimately encouraged to spend 99% of their time with fellow Mormons. They go to church growing up, go on a mission some time after high school (and hang out with Mormons and Mormon converts), then they are encouraged to go to BYU. It basically makes them completely sheltered as to how the real world operates.
Also, what happens to multi-racial people, like Obama himself? Do they get half-souls?
I was raised in a Mormon church til I was about 14 yrs old.
I don’t remember anything about a 33% chance of failure for new souls
But one thing that was very prominent was the belief in baptism for the dead. Meaning people on earth can be baptized on behalf of those who died without being baptized themselves. Doing so saves them from the "Outer Darkness"
That’s why Mormons are so big on genealogy
We used to make long roadtrips to the nearest Temple and have weekend long baptism sessions in these crazy big baptismal fountains sitting on top of 12 golden bull statues which represented the twelve tribes of Israel
I also remember an elder telling me that I was not to discuss what goes on in the temple with people outside the church.
meh.
your list of famous mormons makes me furious.
Eh, I could probably just look it up on Wikipedia. I should really get around to reading the Book of Mormon one of these days. My mom gave me a copy—she stole it from a hotel room in Utah.
Shogun Streams Vidya
Well since you are already a blasphemer, perhaps you could answer a question I've had for a while:
Is it true there is a certain room in a Mormon temple where newlywed couples consummate the marriage?
They also have books called the Pearl of Great Price, The 13 Articles of Faith, and the Doctrine of Covenants
as the basis of thier religon.
Being just a kid, all this shit seemed normal to me. Looking back now, it seems pretty damn far out there
We got a Mormon guy at work here who will simply not have anything to do with Birthdays or holidays like Christmas. What's up with this? Is he just being a douche or is there something religious to this?
You sure he's not Jehovah's Witness?
Only thing I remember about couples who got married in the temple was that their vows are different in the aspect that they are sealed for all of eternity, as opposed to the traditional "Til death do us part"
Families can also request to visit the temple to be "sealed"
My father tried to pressure my mother and I to do it even though they were divorced and I had abandoned my faith
Yeah, I distinctly remember celebrating xmas as a kid. Tree and all.
And the Old Testament ... the Genesis creation and flood stories are straight-up Babylonian mythology. If you replaced the name "Yahweh" with "Marduk" and personified the chaotic waters a little more you would have the Enuma Elish. The flood story is almost identical with flood stories in two Babylonian myths that predate the Bible by hundreds of years. And don't get me started on the Leviticus sacrifice system, with its instructions to adequately salt and season the sacrifices because "Yahweh loves salt" (and don't forget to give the corrupt priesthood a cut of the sacrifice, of course.)
/rant. Mormonism is just a newer cult; it seems stupider because people are more used to the older, stupid cults.
Would there be a religious reason if he is?
Yes. They don't celebrate any holidays or birthdays.
I imagine it's kind of like the religious equivalent to being really depressed.
On the plus side, aren't they the ones initially responsible for removing the obligatory Pledge of Allegiance?
Mostly I judge Mormons as individual "asshole / not asshole", much the same way I judge other Christians. In general, "not asshole" wins out, but there's a Glenn Beck in every sect.
That cosmology Qingu posted earlier sounds like a D&D supplement, though.
No birthday parties? Nope that's the Jehovah's Witnesses
Can't take medication? Try again! Christian Scientists
Church is on Saturday? Nope! Seventh Day Adventist
Speaking in Tongues? You were looking for Pentecostals
Coffee and Tea are evil? Bingo! we have a winner!
I was far more annoyed at Scientologist Katie Holmes showing up in Batman movies than I was Mormon Aaron Eckhart, though that has more to do with, you know, actual acting talent.
Mormons will tell you to vote for Orrin Hatch, Harry Reid, and Pedro.
I'm not a Mormon myself but I've lived in SLC all my life and as I understand it they're not supposed to drink caffeine.
Probably a quarter of the people I know are Mormon and I've never seen anyone practice this though.
They don't drink caffeine, although the inclusion of Tea kind of leads me to believe that it may be something more? Tea doesn't have caffeine does it?
Edit: Apparently its not the caffeine that prohibits coffee drinking >_>
There's a whole section of Mormon doctrine that lays out a bunch of lifestyle prohibitions, referred to as the word of wisdom. It's kinda like the mormon version of eating Kosher. One of the things it prohibits is "hot drinks," which is generally thought to include Coffee and (black) Tea. Intrepretations of the various prohibitions in this document vary widely, even geographically.
No hot cocoa? No spiced, hot cider?
oh this is going to be fun...
Arch,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_goGR39m2k
Yea, she had a baby at 17, like one year after we broke up.
Technically, she wasn't even supposed to date me. Oh well.
What???
Was she married at the time? Mormons tend to get married crazy young from what I've noticed.
Nope. Just felt like having wild, unprotected sex.
Some interpret "hot" to mean caffeinated, so Coke is also out.
It's not misleading at all actually. Section 132 of "The Doctrine and Covenants" declared that a man can't enter Heaven unless he's married at least three women. I paraphrased. And I'm not sure that's in the current edition, and no, I can't tell you what edition it would be in.
And apparently it was so widespread among Mormons that James Buchanan sent the U.S. Army into Utah to dismantle the then Brigham Young led church due to the anti-polygamy sentiment that had gripped the country.
Just because it fell out of favor and it's historical importance removed from the teachings, doesn't mean it didn't happen, and wasn't at one point, one of the most important aspects of the religion.
The nice thing about Mormonism is that all their beliefs, from the beginning of the religion to current day, are all available to research. Everything's been published, so it's easy to have an actual, fact-based discussion about it.
And just for the record, I prefer any religion that I am a part of to have its central figure long dead and untouchable. I'm not saying I hold to a particular belief, I'm just saying I don't want to personally know my prophet. That's just ripe for a big letdown.