It's the annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And every time I hear these great men and women speak about the Church I know with every part of me that this Church is true. However, I also hear the teachings from other religions and know that while they may not be right for me that they are correct for someone else. The problem this leads me to is that I find it very difficult to live what I believe because of certain issues I cannot resolve (i.e. the Church's views on homosexuality and misc. other things). I'm not asking for a one word answer. If someone with a similar situation could explain how they've resolved the issue that would be great. Thank you.
132665
I did have a similar situation and I left that religion. If you truely believe in something you will not have issues with it, like you said here that you have issues you can't resolve. If you truely believe in something you can't take part and leave another part.\n\nYou said everytime you hear them speak of the church you know it is true. You need to know it is true though it beliefs and teachings not what other people say about a church. What people say and do, don't make something true. Thats one of the reasons I left Christianty.\n\nLook inside your heart. Does it really all make sence, does it really seem like the truth. If you do this and it does then you should not have any issues. If you still have issues maybe it is not as true as you feel it is.\n\nPray to God, any only God. Ask him to guide you to the truth. God willing he will lead you to the one true faith.
497419
Overall, they are nice people, and more respectful and respectable than the evangelical christians I know.  I would not recommend getting into a dating relationship with one of them, though.  They have been told that they need to be with a mormon.  Some of them say that they do not mind being with a nonmormon, but as the relationship gets more serious, they tend to freak out.  Eventually it comes down to the talk where the mormon says "it doesn't feel right".  This means they were just playin' and now they are afraid they are going to have to reap the consequences (give up the possibility of getting married in the temple).  I live in Utah, and I shiver in dread everytime one of my non-LDS friends says they are dating a member of the church.  And it always ends the exact same way.  It's like there is a script on how to date non-mormons, and people who are not mormons are not as valuable in Heavenly Father's eyes or something.\n\nBest of luck to you.  I sincerely hope for your sake that she really does not believe in her church.  Even if she is inactive but still believes, you are headed for heartbreak.\n\nOh, and if you want to learn about the religion from someone that believes, look at www.lds.org  This is a website that is put out by the LDS church.  It is pretty informative.
238937
Church is not the goal... a relationship with God is the goal, and I think you need to understand that better before deciding on a church. Read Letters From a Skeptic by Dr. Gregory A. Boyd. You can get it at Books a Million, or do a search and buy it online. Some libraries have it, too. It'll explain logically everything from God's existence to the Bible. \n\nThere are some major problems with the Book of Mormon, and I urge you to also see the videos on the link. You can watch them online for free.
572981
Yes, I understand all of these things. But it is the nature of people to find it confusing that other people disagree with them after having thought about the issues. Many religious folk can't understand why anyone would be an atheist and many atheists don't understand how anyone who has considered the issues could be religious. Both sides seem to think the other is missing something crucial.\n\nWith that said, there are many believers that *are* trying to convert others. They do so because their religion says they should or because they feel that they have a way to 'salvation' and want others to share in their joy. There are also many morons on both sides who either follow their religion blindly or are atheists for the rebellion aspect of it. very few on either side think deeply about their beliefs.\n\nMy problem begins when the believers say that we have to teach their doctrines in school or avoid scientific or historical findings that contradict their beliefs. I have problems when they make it difficult for people to get birth control, or study stem cells, or love they people they find to love. believers have a long history of trying to control the minds and bodies of others. That is why I have problems with many of them.
631420
Hmm, the match is interesting, maybe we should all become Mormons, the only trouble is, I keep mis-reading it as morons, sorry, I don't want to upset anyone, it's just that my word eyes aren't too good.\n\nYes, I could, but no, I wouldn't want to.
39329
What is Abduladu interest in this woman?\nI notice most of his post are pro-Mormon.\n\nTell me Abduladu are you Mormon?\nHave you been on a mission trip?\nDo you know this lady?\nAre you or do you know Matthew Vanderpool?\n\nWhat she did was wrong but the brand of compassion you and other Mormons are showing her, doesn’t speak well of your church either.\n\nYou must admit it is a questionable practice to send young boys un accompanied by a female into homes of unsuspecting stay at home moms\n\n2 Tim 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,\n3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,\n4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;\n5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.\n6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,\n7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.\n\nProblems like this arise all the time as a result of that practice. You might do better to reconsider the practice than to condemn this lady. One can hardly help but imagine what Jesus would do. My suggestion is that only the Mormon who is without sin throw the first stone.\n\nAs for you joann_46er, you would do better to forget this boy, repent of what you have done, pray the forgiveness of your husband and kids even if he doesn’t take you back. If you confess your sins and ask him, God will forgive you. This will hurt for a long time but you will get over it. Be responsible and take the results of your acts as deserved outcomes. Be humble and contrite. Who knows your husband with Gods grace and power and time might be forgiving. Many who have read your post are praying for your forgiveness’, your reunification with your family if that is Gods will and His grace in your life. More importantly you should join us in praying for the best possible outcome for your children and husband.\n\n2 Tim 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,\n3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,\n4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;\n5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.\n6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,\n7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
460077
No offence taken :) \n\nThere are a lot of rumours about things like this.  The truth is, people from all religions can be abusive, but it's certainly not supported in any way by the Mormon church.  There is a pamphlet published by the church that you might be interested in peering at, called 'The Family' which actually touches on this.  It says that it's a terrible thing to do to beat your partner, and that God looks down on it.  It also says that anyone who does this will lose their blessings from God, and may have their membership in the church suspended.  There is even a brief suggestion that you will not get to continue your marriage after death (there is an idea in the Mormon church that if you get married in the temple, the marriage continues after you die, for all eternity) if you abuse your spouse.  \n\nHope this helps! \n\nAmaya \nxXx
672091
Jesus said to love one another, but I have yet to meet a JW who has not criticized my own beliefs when coming to my door. Its not a case of not liking JW's but when they have come to my door, instead of accepted my own beliefs and wishing me well they decide to attack. They instigate this attack not me. I accept the views of others who knock on my door and respect that they are doing work according to their beliefs but I won't accept behaviour in this way. Maybe I have been unfortunate with the JW's who have come to my door in that they may have be over zealous in their approach but I have never had a problem with the Mormons. They knock. We chat and we wish each other well on our respective journeys. That is how it should be with two people who feel equally proud of their own beliefs.\n\nI hope this is respectful enough without declaring myself as a true Christian above all other denominations etc etc.
44977
What is Abduladu interest in this woman?\nI notice most of his post are pro-Mormon.\n\nTell me Abduladu are you Mormon?\nHave you been on a mission trip?\nDo you know this lady?\nAre you or do you know Matthew Vanderpool?\n\nWhat she did was wrong but the brand of compassion you and other Mormons are showing her, doesn’t speak well of your church either.\n\nYou must admit it is a questionable practice to send young boys un accompanied by a female into homes of unsuspecting stay at home moms\n\n2 Tim 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,\n3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,\n4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;\n5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.\n6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,\n7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.\n\nProblems like this arise all the time as a result of that practice. You might do better to reconsider the practice than to condemn this lady. One can hardly help but imagine what Jesus would do. My suggestion is that only the Mormon who is without sin throw the first stone.\n\nAs for you joann_46er, you would do better to forget this boy, repent of what you have done, pray the forgiveness of your husband and kids even if he doesn’t take you back. If you confess your sins and ask him, God will forgive you. This will hurt for a long time but you will get over it. Be responsible and take the results of your acts as deserved outcomes. Be humble and contrite. Who knows your husband with Gods grace and power and time might be forgiving. Many who have read your post are praying for your forgiveness’, your reunification with your family if that is Gods will and His grace in your life. More importantly you should join us in praying for the best possible outcome for your children and husband.\n\n2 Tim 3:2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,\n3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,\n4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;\n5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.\n6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,\n7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
432344
I had some very personal unexplained experiences that helped me.  I'm not religious though. I believe religion is politics and people. I love God and I believe in the virgin birth, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I was not raised with any sort of Christan up bringing.  I also do not currently attend church. I was hurt by people there. I still love God and Jesus, they did not hurt me.  I want a church that is a reflection of heaven...all races, gay and straight, bikers, rappers, prostitutes, homeless, rich and poor, skinny and fat and everything in between, no judgments everyone just doing their best to be more like Christ. Sometimes we get it right and sometimes we will fail miserably but in this church it will be OK to fail. You'll admit it and do better next time and the people will love you and encourage you just the same.  If you know where this church is let me know, I've got to meet these people.
651059
I'm a mormon and proud to be one. I don't understand how people can take one religion and twist it around so much. If you want info on a religion, ask someone who is part of it, don't take what everyone says at face value. I've done a lot of soul searching and studied different religions and I believe mine to be the one that was meant for me. I don't answer questions by bashing someone elses beliefs. I think that is rude and inconsiderate and makes them sound like idiots. If you want answers to questions about mormons, ask a mormon!!!
237586
I appreciate your wisdom.  It is true that growing up in a church doesn't necessarily make it true.  It doesn't necessarily make it untrue either.  When I was serving as a full-time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I went through a period where I encountered many people who said that the only reason I was a member of this church was because I was born into it and taught the religion by my parents.  At first I didn't know how to deal with this concern because it is true that my parents are Mormons and I have been associated with the church since birth.  However, upon further reflection, I realized that THIS IS NOT A BAD THING.  Just because I am blessed enough to have been acquainted with the church my whole life does not make it untrue.  Therefore, after that, my answer to people who brought this up was, "I'm very grateful that I had parents who taught me to follow Jesus Christ when I was a child."  My belief that the church is true is not based only on the teaching that I received as a child, but also on many personal experiences I have had since where I felt that the Holy Ghost was testifying to me that the teachings of the church were true.  Because of this, I would very much like other people to join my church so they can experience the happiness that I know comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ.\n\nI completely agree with you that it is not our place to say whether a certain person is going to hell or not.  In fact, I think that, after it's all said and done, many people are going to be surprised with the results of the final judgment.  I appreciate your reminding us that it's not for us to judge.  I hope there is never reason to accuse me of having done this on this website.
10376
Well, I didn't have to open the above link to know what it would say.\n\nYour question was extremely eloquent, and very valid to question these things.\n\nIn all fairness, I gave up on religion (at least my religion, catholicism, anyways), as I did not agree with many of their outdated views. They continue to ban homosexuality, rating it as a sin, and continue not to allow women priests.\n\nBeing gay myself, I know, as you know yourself, that this is how you are made. This is who you are. No amount of praying or trying to be anything else is ever going to change that.\n\nDeep down, I think we all know that this is how God made us. Infedelity, murder, greed, all easy to see how they are sins - they are perpetrated and can be redeemed... but wanting to be in loving relationships with members of your own sex - I could never understand how sinful that is.\n\nI know this is how I always was, I know that there is a lot of good I do in my life, and I try to lead a good and honest one, by being kind to my fellow human beings, respecting them, and overall trying to do some good.  The fact that I want to spend my life with a man instead of a woman - well I am positive that if I'm going to hell, it won't be because of this - how can it possibly? \n\nThe people on this earth who say we will go to hell, have not personally died and witnessed where straight and gay people go after they die. Hence they have no authority to tell us what will happen to us in an afterlife, and your guess is as good as theirs.\n\nAt least you know this is who you are - do not fight it, live a good and happy life, try to do good and live a moral life - one that you will be happy and fulfilled with, not one you will be miserable in and struggle to overcome something that is not overcomable. And know that while some will think you are sinning, there are others who are sure you are not. Its all opinion anyway.\n\nNo quoting bibles guys, the law of the bible is more strict than what is being practiced now anyway - statements such as slavery being acceptable are clearly wrong in this day and age, so why can people selectively discard these statements but hold onto its thoughts about homosexuality?\n\nToo many youths are depressed and sometimes comitting suicide due to society's inacceptance to gays. This has got to end. It's been a long time coming.
638542
I am Mormon which of course is a very strict religion. Regardless of what they tell me is wrong I have to believe that if God did not want there to be homosexuals in this world then the idea would never have been placed in anyone's head. God has total control as he made this world. If it is totally unacceptable then why do these things exist. We are taught not to judge as we will be judged later. If we treat those people unjustly just becasue of sexual preference then God will judge us harshly for breaking his rules. Homosexuals and Every other person in this world has the right to follow and obey God's commandments so why should they not be allowed in a church.
99450
"FIND YOURSELF" it took a while but I did it and I recommend it to anyone.  Forget what the church says, organized religion in the modern day is little more than corrupt brainwashing.  For once, follow your hearts.  Form your own oppinions because your mind and heart say it is right, not because a man of God tell you to think that way.  If you find that with no persuassion you still seek out God or whoever, than that is your way, but if you find you stray from their teachings, than perhaps you need something more than they could offer you.  None are right, none are wrong, you cannot prove otherwise and arguing is pointless.  Let God make the arguments and choose the rightcheous.
324993
Please read. \n\nI am a convert to the Church, having joined my senior year of high school. It has now been 16 years of blessing after blessing from the Lord for that decision. During all of those 16 years, I have read and re-read the Book of Mormon countless times as well as the other standard works and tried to live by their teachings. My testimony of the Book of Mormon is that it is God's word and work and it is true. You still get that burning in your bosom because despite what any critic says because the Church is true!\n\nAs far as the anti-mormon claims on this site, I agree that we should study and investigate OUR FAITH, not someone's mis-interpretation of our faith. Studying anti-mormon literature is hardly worth the effort and its sole purpose is to create doubt and lead people away from Christ. Many such sites simply isolate, twist doctrines or blatantly lie about the church. A great site for explanations to many such claims can be found at: http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/\n\nYou must remember, however, that the witness from the Holy Ghost is infinitely more valuable then any proof that man can provide. \n\nHaving said all of that, I will address some of the criticisms of the website to help you see that they are not as substantial as they appear. Nor could the Bible stand up to many of the same standards that they use to measure the Book of Mormon and the church.\n\nThere were no figs in America yet the Book of Mormon mentions figs (3 Ne 14:16). This is actually a great piece of evidence in favor of the historicity of the book of Mormon.  Since the Nephites came from Jerusalem, where they have figs, it would make perfect sense that they talk about them. The website does not mention Jacob 5 which talks about olives. The Nephites did not have olives, nor could Joseph Smith have had the knowledge he did to discuss, in accurate verifiable detail, how to care for and graft olive trees. Why mention only the things that they think will cause doubt?\n\nSince the site mentions breatplates, I will touch upon this briefly. I showed a film to my Spanish class today on the ancient Mayan civilizations. One of the first things that they discussed was how the Maya people, until recently, were seen as a peaceful people (one of archaeology’s errors). Evidence has been found of massive warfare. Cities with bunkers of dirt have been located and described as far back as Cortez himself (all of which support the Book of Mormon). The host of the video then shows a Maya carving of a warrior and points out, none other than, his breastplate. Much of the information on your anti-mormon site has long since been repudiated by current archaeologists.  \n\nThe witnesses are another good example. This website claims that the Book of Mormon is false because they apostatized from the church and may or may not have had other problems (I do not see isolated quotes, taken out of context from an anti-Mormon site as reliable). \n\nIs the Bible then also false because some of its prophets and leaders were unfaithful? The prophet Balaam disobeyed God and compromised the ancient Israelites and was killed.  Aaron allowed the Israelites to build a golden calf and worship it. Paul persecuted the Christians. Jonah failed to preach to the people of Nineveh. Peter denied Christ three times. Thomas didn't believe Christ could resurrect, even when Christ was standing right in front of him. Judas betrayed the Savior. All of these offenses seem much more serious than those of the Three Witnesses, yet we unquestioningly accept the bible. Christ was perfect, no one else. This is no reason to discredit the Book of Mormon. \n\nThis site claims that the lack of archaeological evidence as a reason to discredit the Book of Mormon. This only shows their lack of knowledge about archaeology in the ancient Americas. It is in an embryonic state when compared with the amount of time that similar research has been conducted in biblical lands. Only a very small pe
223938
I am a christian and i dont belive that Joseph smith is a true prophet of God. Nor do i believe that the lds church is christian. Since they belive in earning them selfes in heaven. Just ask them, this is what they belive. There is no eternal marriage Jesus said there is no reason for it that is why we have a marriage till death do you part. Speaking as a true christian and not as other.