JOSEPH sMITH'S Character

[_Nightlion]

What happens if two Nightlions meet, each committed with all their soul to two incompatible beliefs? The rest of us who are not interested in putting ourselves in harm's way for theological propositions had better take cover when that happens.

Like a particle of anti-matter that suddenly comes into contact with a particle of matter? They both annihilate each other in an explosion that destroys all those in proximity.

.

There cannot be two Nightlions of incompatible beliefs. In order to become Nightlion you must begin right and be taught of God daily.
Thanks for your kind words all the same.

All Nightlions shall reason well together and rejoice with exceeding great joy in our praise of God whom we know.

[_Nightlion]

I really can't join you in your admiration for beliefs held with a much greater strength of commitment than any known evidence warrants.

How do you figure my beliefs are held without evidential warrants? Do you really want a list?

You cannot be an honest investigator having made up your mind that evidence CANNOT exist.

I got $100.00 that says you cannot study The Apocalrock Visitor Center and call it NO EVIDENCE for the existence of God.
And that is just the icing on the cake of my faith. We could plumb deeper and I can recite minute details of day to day evidence.
Such as, if I were just making stuff up, how is it that to a man and without exception, LDS shut their mouths at me and will not contend earnestly for the hope of Zion?

Bring your dough and I will pin my to my lapel.

[_Quasimodo]

There cannot be two Nightlions of incompatible beliefs. In order to become Nightlion you must begin right and be taught of God daily.
Thanks for your kind words all the same.

All Nightlions shall reason well together and rejoice with exceeding great joy in our praise of God whom we know.

No worries, Night. I know that there can be only one of you. I wouldn't have it any other way, my friend.

[_Nightlion]

Other than just Mormon say so, what evidence is there that the gift and power of the HG is actually present in LDS lives?

I know! Hardly anyone sees God's messages in mountains. Very sad.

Exactly my point. The Mawrmons was blind to it for 180 yars.

[Guest]

You truly do not know the power of God unto salvation. The gospel was hidden in the beast??????

Layers and layers Nightlion. For someone enlightened you sure don't know much. There were hidden sects within the RCC for almost two thousand years. They have actually come out now that the world will not kill them. The Word in the RCC was all screwed up and chopped into pieces. But the power of the Word is such that a small fragment is all that is needed for the Holy Spirit to use and expand. And since we have the second witness we can using our minds find the original message in scripture. The beast that Daniel saw was the Roman empire. It still exist to this day. It is in parts but never conquered.

If you can not see my devotion to God and my devotion to truth then your discernment lamp is out.

We must all follow our own path. Good luck with what you need to learn. I know that I have so much more to learn. I am a babe being fed milk. The more difficult things will follow.

[_Franktalk]

I'm not Quasimodo, but I agree with him. Mormonism isn't going to go into a rapid decline and disappear, but it will likely never be more than it is now: a fringe religion, a curiosity that most people don't think about at all. There will probably always be a core membership, but the days of rapid growth and "coming out of obscurity" are over.

I have reason to believe you are wrong. If I am posting a year from now remind me and I will tell you what I refer to.

[_Franktalk]

I find that amusing. Had it not been for the Roman Empire and it's promotion of Christianity (Constantine), there would be no Christian religion now.

Yes indeed God's ways are not the ways of men. Case in point is a major stumbling block caused by the RCC in the time of the inquisition. If someone ties the Word to the actions of men they stumble. In the balance we are to see ahead and not look behind.

[_Quasimodo]

I find that amusing. Had it not been for the Roman Empire and it's promotion of Christianity (Constantine), there would be no Christian religion now.

Yes indeed God's ways are not the ways of men. Case in point is a major stumbling block caused by the RCC in the time of the inquisition. If someone ties the Word to the actions of men they stumble. In the balance we are to see ahead and not look behind.

Then again, often (maybe always) religion is used as a tool by ambitious rulers. As in the case of Constantine (who it seems never actually became a Christian). He made friends of the Christians in the Eastern end of the Roman Empire to help in overthrowing his rival for the complete rule of Rome. It worked quite well for him. A long and fascinating story, you should look it up.

Again, in Roman times Christian cults in the Western Empire were gradually overtaken by Mithraic cults (very similar religions). Something else you would enjoy looking up.

Its easy to see the hand of God in events if you are hoping to see it. Personally, I prefer looking for the truth.

I don't believe that the inquisition was a stumbling block for the Catholics in Spain and Rome. It was a horrible thing, but it served their purposes quite well and they don't seem to have suffered any repercussions except maybe the bad PR.

[_Franktalk]

Then again, often (maybe always) religion is used as a tool by ambitious rulers. As in the case of Constantine (who it seems never actually became a Christian). He made friends of the Christians in the Eastern end of the Roman Empire to help in overthrowing his rival for the complete rule of Rome. It worked quite well for him. A long and fascinating story, you should look it up.
..
Its easy to see the hand of God in events if you are hoping to see it. Personally, I prefer looking for the truth.
..

But would you know truth if it was standing in front of you? I know for most of my life I would not have known truth and even now I am sure that the powers of evil could make a good case that might fool me. So telling me you search for truth means nothing unless you can tell me how you will know it when you find it.

[_Quasimodo]

But would you know truth if it was standing in front of you? I know for most of my life I would not have known truth and even now I am sure that the powers of evil could make a good case that might fool me. So telling me you search for truth means nothing unless you can tell me how you will know it when you find it.

Quite right, Frank! Knowing what is true is pretty tricky. In fact, the longer I'm on this planet, the less sure I am of those things I used to be sure were true.

I've come to this conclusion. I don't need to know the truth of all things. I would like to know, but that might not be possible. I also have become less impressed with the value of faith. In the end, it's only pretending. I would much rather admit that I don't know than pretend that I do.

I have discovered that it is sometimes possible to know what is not true. I'm pretty sure that there is no such thing as the powers of evil. It's such an illogical premise. A God of evil? Silly on the face of it.

It doesn't bother me at all that you have doubts about my ability to know truth when I see it. I have doubts about my ability to do that too. I am starting to have confidence in my seeing what is just not true and only someone's fabrication.