DiscussMormonism.com

Obviously, Jesus' earthly life ended nearly 2,000 years before Mormonism appeared on the earth. The question represented in the title of this thread is (using more words than the title bar permits): Did the Lord Jesus Christ ever believe, teach or practice the distinguishing doctrines and practices of the LDS church which exists on the claim to have "restored" his gospel and which we would recognize as uniquely "Mormon" doctrines and practices.

The very reason, purpose and existence of the LDS church stands on this essential, fundamental claim to have "restored" the supposedly lost gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore Mormons SHOULD be able to show us where Jesus Christ taught the things that distinguish their religion from the Christian world. For example, can Mormons show us where Christ ever taught:

1.) the Jesus-Satan brotherhood
2.) polygamy
3.) polytheism
4.) That God the Father is a mere demigod
5.) Adam is God
6.) That men can become Gods, just as all Gods before them did
7.) That men become Gods by, in part, learning secret handshakes and passwords and participating in 17th century revisions of ancient Babylonian initiation rites?

...?

While not all Mormons personally believe each of these supposedly "restored" doctrines, they most certainly ARE (or at least were) part of the "restored" gospel claimed by the Mormon church. But unless Mormons can show us some reasons to think that Christ himself actually believed, taught and/or practiced these things, its hard to see why anyone should believe the claim that the LDS church has "restored" anything other than the figments of the collective, fevered imaginations of Mormons. Furthermore, if Jesus himself did NOT teach the distinguishing claims of Mormonism, why should anyone give a hoot about what the LDS church claims?

The challenge here is for Mormons to SHOW US some reasons to think that Christ himself ever taught the doctrines and practices listed above. Please do not simply state what you have been told to "think" by the LDS church. All of us here already know WHAT Mormons have been led to believe. What you must do, if you want to meet the challenge here is to tell us WHY we should think that what you believe is actually TRUE.

thank you

-BH

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BrianH wrote:Obviously, Jesus' earthly life ended nearly 2,000 years before Mormonism appeared on the earth.

Well, let’s not forget that “Mormons” (so-called) are not the ones who invented the term “Mormonism.” Terms like “Mormon” and “Mormonism” were fabricated by anti-Mormons for the express purpose of persecuting members of the Church of Christ which, by the way, is the original name of the organization founded by Joseph Smith in 1830.

BrianH wrote:The very reason, purpose and existence of the LDS church stands on this essential, fundamental claim to have "restored" the supposedly lost gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore Mormons SHOULD be able to show us where Jesus Christ taught the things that distinguish their religion from the Christian world. For example, can Mormons show us where Christ ever taught:

You are demonstrating a lack of understanding of the Mormon worldview by making this argument. They believe that crucial and important doctrines were lost from the earth and a prophet was needed to restore them.

So in the Mormonism worldview it would make prefect sense that there are some doctrines which cannot be found anywhere but through the restored gospel.

BrianH wrote:The challenge here is for Mormons to SHOW US some reasons to think that Christ himself ever taught the doctrines and practices listed above.

Jesus said he did. To Joseph Smith. It’s in writing.

You’re telling us you’re gonna argue with Jesus?

...too easy.

Stormy Waters wrote:

BrianH wrote:The very reason, purpose and existence of the LDS church stands on this essential, fundamental claim to have "restored" the supposedly lost gospel of Jesus Christ. Therefore Mormons SHOULD be able to show us where Jesus Christ taught the things that distinguish their religion from the Christian world. For example, can Mormons show us where Christ ever taught:

You are demonstrating a lack of understanding of the Mormon worldview by making this argument. They believe that crucial and important doctrines were lost from the earth and a prophet was needed to restore them.

So in the Mormonism worldview it would make prefect sense that there are some doctrines which cannot be found anywhere but through the restored gospel.

That's odd. How is it that when I point out that Mormons say that their doctrines were "lost" (and then subsequently "restored"), I am "demonstrating a lack of understanding", but when YOU say the same thing, its what ...."demonstrating great understanding"?

Dude, we all know that Mormons claim their doctrines were "lost" and then "restored". That most certainly is their view (though it is not a "world view" as you say). The challenge I have presented here is for them to show us some reasons to think that view is actually true.

What ...did some vast evil conspiracy of assassins and vandals travel the known world erasing words from thousands of documents, killing witnesses who could bear an oral tradition, burning down churches such that not a single trace of any evidence of these doctrines and practices could survive?

-BH

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Corpsegrinder wrote:

BrianH wrote:Obviously, Jesus' earthly life ended nearly 2,000 years before Mormonism appeared on the earth.

Well, let’s not forget that “Mormons” (so-called) are not the ones who invented the term “Mormonism.” Terms like “Mormon” and “Mormonism” were fabricated by anti-Mormons for the express purpose of persecuting members of the Church of Christ which, by the way, is the original name of the organization founded by Joseph Smith in 1830.

While you are correct, the question here is not about who invented the term "Mormonism". Please read the whole post again and, if you have something to contribute that provides a material explanation to the actual question I asked, please offer it.

thank you

-BH

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Corpsegrinder wrote:

BrianH wrote:The challenge here is for Mormons to SHOW US some reasons to think that Christ himself ever taught the doctrines and practices listed above.

Jesus said he did. To Joseph Smith. It’s in writing.

You’re telling us you’re gonna argue with Jesus?

...too easy.

Too easy for you do show that you have failed to understand the issue I have raised.

Look, I know you are, for whatever personal reason, virtually compelled to break in and cat call and try to divert any discussion here. But please do your best to begin acting like a big girl and either get involved in this discussion like a responsible adult (you ...ARE an adult, right?), or ...get lost.

Your childish disruptions and jeering represent you as something I hope you do not want to be.

-BH

edited by harmony: this post is why this thread is dropped into Terrestial.

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Brian H,

Why do you think Mormons bear the burden of demonstrating those seven things from the text of the New Testament?

MrStakhanovite wrote:Brian H,

Why do you think Mormons bear the burden of demonstrating those seven things from the text of the New Testament?

Can you show me where I limited their source to the New Testament? I don't recall saying that.

-BH

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BrianH wrote:Can you show me where I limited their source to the New Testament? I don't recall saying that.

But that is more or less what you’ve limited them to. You can add in Jesus’ own words from the Book of Mormon, but it doesn’t add a lot. Haven’t you heard of the phrase, “you can’t get Mormonism from the Book of Mormon”?

The LDS Church is more like the Roman Catholic Church, or the eastern churches, there is so much more that goes into their beliefs than some standard canon of scripture.