Mormonism's Inflated Sense of Self-Importance

[_Gazelam]

Kim,

If a person has heard the gospel properly taught, and still rejects it, then a baptism by proxy once they have died is a complete and total waste of time.

After reading your answers to the twelve questions, I have to ask, what in your view is the purpose of life as seen through the eyes of your goddess? ; )

What is necessary to enter her presence in the world to come?

[_msnobody]

Kim,

If a person has heard the gospel properly taught, and still rejects it, then a baptism by proxy once they have died is a complete and total waste of time.

After reading your answers to the twelve questions, I have to ask, what in your view is the purpose of life as seen through the eyes of your goddess? ; )

What is necessary to enter her presence in the world to come?

That's the catch, Gaz. In the TBM's eyes, baptism for the dead cannot be a total waste of time because if the person didn't accept Mormonism in this life, they couldn't have possibly been taught Old Joe's gospel properly.

[_mentalgymnast]

...how incredibly unimportant their church really is in the grand scheme of things.

And how do you know this to be a fact? You're talking about eternity, right?

Yoda asks, "Special insights you have?"

Regards,
MG

[_mentalgymnast]

Mormonism teaches that eventually everyone will be baptized a Mormon. Everyone.

Well, sort of. There's a bit more to flesh out here.

Because baptism is necessary to enter the Kingdom of God everyone must have the opportunity to be baptized, including those who have died. Heavenly Father has provided a way that all may have the opportunity to accept, or reject, the gospel of Christ and be baptized.
Gospel Taught to the Dead: Everyone born on earth will have the opportunity, whether in this life or in the next, to accept or reject the gospel of Jesus Christ and keep His commandments. The gospel is taught to the dead (in the Spirit World) to those who did not learn of it while living on earth. The Apostle Peter taught this principle in the Bible:

"For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit" (1 Peter 4:6.)

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are able to be baptized vicariously (meaning in the place of, by proxy) for their ancestors who have passed away. This way the dead can choose to accept (or reject) the baptism that was done in their behalf. The Apostle Paul also taught about baptism for the dead:

"Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?" 1 Cor 15:29.)

http://LDS.about.com/od/basicsgospelpri ... d_dead.htm

Opportunity. What's wrong with that?

Regards,
MG

[_The Nehor]

Don't talk that way about me. I'm a God for crying out loud. A GOD!!!!!!!!!!!! WORSHIP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

;)

Nehor, I thought of you when I re-read my post.

KA

In a good way or a bad way?

[_Ray A]

What Mormons don't seem to understand is how incredibly unimportant their church really is in the grand scheme of things. As far as world religions go, their influence is infinitesimal. Jews and almost everyone else, for that matter, couldn't care less what Mormons think. Most people view Mormonism as not much more than a weird cult that's adherents don't drink coffee or alcohol. Most of the people where I live think Mormonism was started by John Smith, if they can recall any name at all. Joseph Smith said his name would be known throughout the world for good or evil, but in reality, it isn't known by very many people at all, which would undoubtedly be disappointing to him, megalomaniac that he was.

I have to challenge you on the bold portion (which I put in bold). Maybe most "mainstream" Jews don't give much thought to Mormonism (how many Mormons give thought to Judaism?), but Jacob Neusner (Jewish scholar) did, so much that he wrote a whole book about Mormonism:

Jacob Neusner, The Glory of God Is Intelligence: Four Lectures on the Role of Intellect in Judaism, with an introduction by S. Kent Brown (Provo, UT: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1978); "The Case of Leviticus Rabbah," in By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley, ed. John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1990), 1:332–88; Jacob Neusner, "Conversation in Nauvoo about the Corporeality of God," BYU Studies 36/1 (1996–97): 7–30.

Note that he has also been published in BYU Studies (yes, I did read his article when it was first published, and he argues for strong connections between Joseph Smith's ideas, and beliefs that were lost from Judaism over the centuries). He was also a strong critic of David Wright, but for his motivations behind this, you'd have to get back copies of Sunstone, and check the "Letters to the Editor" section.

I loaned this book to my university professor who taught Church History, and never got it back. I guess he liked it. I think some of you need to get away from your blatant prejudices about the "unimportance" of Mormonism.

[_The Nehor]

The Mormon church can go along believing it's grandiose illusions and patting itself on the back while the rest of the world simply ignores it.

You don't.

[_LifeOnaPlate]

The Mormon church can go along believing it's grandiose illusions and patting itself on the back while the rest of the world simply ignores it.

You don't.

Down for the count.

[_KimberlyAnn]

The Mormon church can go along believing it's grandiose illusions and patting itself on the back while the rest of the world simply ignores it.

You don't.

No, I don't ignore it. Not yet.

Of course, there are small groups of former Mormons and some Ev's who do not ignore Mormonism, but the vast majority of people without personal connections to Mormons do simply ignore Mormonism. On the world stage, Mormonism simply doesn't matter.

I do not ignore Mormonism because as small and insignificant as Mormonism is, it still sends out missionaries to spread a false message. Some people might join up with the Mormons, not knowing the full picture. In my own way, I want to make sure folks in my area of influence know the whole story of Mormonism. I've done my part to give information to folks investigating the LDS church or who were studying with the missionaries. I've helped several people write their exit letters, including the woman I used to visit teach!

I've knocked on the door of a woman I don't know after I noticed misshie bikes on her porch several days in a row. She was kind enough to talk with me. Thankfully, after meeting with me a few times, her family did not join the church. Over a year later, I still keep in touch with that fine lady and her sweet kids.

Also, I've corresponded with several questioning Mormons via email and have helped them through the process of separating themselves from the church.

I do not randomly spread information about Mormonism, but I feel obligated to do something when I see people being sold a whitewashed version of Mormonism by unwitting missionaries. If people want to join after knowing the full picture, then more power to them. But they deserve the milk and the meat before they make a commitment.

That's why I don't ignore Mormonism.

But on a global scale, yes, Mormonism is insignificant.

KA

[_Inconceivable]

It made me feel like I was part of something very important as I dropped below the clouds in an airliner specifically invented to take me to Australia to preach repentance to that fallen people.

It was like I was one of the few insiders that really new why this technological phenomina was coming about. Gave me a feeling of importance because my purpose was far greater than even the technology.

I know find that I was as deluded as Al Gore is thinking he invented the internet - when everyone knows it was Satan that did it.