I Gave Away A Book of Mormon to a Friend Yesterday!

[_consiglieri]

If I were to ask an apostle to recommend me the best book written in (say) the last forty years in which the distinctive doctrines of the CoJCoLDS are expounded and defended in a reasonably systematic way, what book would he be likely to recommend?

Although I have already given my two cents about A Marvelous Work and a Wonder, this comment makes me think back to a life-altering experience I had in institute class back in the late 1980's.

There was this sister in class who simply knew all the answers to whatever the teacher was asking, and not just the simple Mormon list answers, either; what she said continually showed profound insight.

Envious of her knowledge, I asked out loud in front of the class what books she read to get so smart.

After an embarrassing beat, she answered, "The scriptures."

Then it was my turn to be embarrassed.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

[_consiglieri]

I think I have him pretty sold on an early 19th century version of Mormonism.

The problem, I fear, lies in the path not taken.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

Why is this good, it seems to me it's only good if it's a version of Mormonism he can find now. Can he find it now?

Only in outliers like me.

And maybe Nightlion.

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

Hi Mr. Consiglieri,

You should have your friend drop by and ask us any questions he might have about Mormonism. I'm sure we'd be delighted to educate him.

V/R
Dr. Cam

[_Droopy]

I did, however, point out to him 2 Nephi 29:3 because it reminded me of something he had said to me; something about how we need to be more open to the religious texts of other cultures and find out for ourselves their various truths. (So you don't have to look it up, the passage is the famous one about "A Bible, a Bible! We already got a Bible and we don't need no more stinkin' Bible!")

Accept that this verse has no relation to religious texts outside the open corpus of scripture that has come to the Lord's servants, the prophets. It does not have any relation to the Vedas or the Elder Edda.

So here I am presented on a silver platter an opportunity to bear my testimony, which I naturally took full advantage of. But I did it in such a way as to avoid giving my opinion as to the truth of it, but just described in as much detail as I could the experience I had praying my way through the Book of Mormon at the age of 18.

In other words, you didn't really bear your testimony at all.

[_Droopy]

I did mention that the Mormon Church today is quite different from that founded by Joseph Smith, in that it is much more rigid and controlling.

In other words, you

1. Lied to him and misrepresented your own Church (for which you have little love lost, as we know...)
2. Expressed your own, subjective opinion about the contemporary Church (even though you made sure not to express any clear assertion that you knew the Book of Mormon was true - you wouldn't state your "opinion" about that).

I added a quote a like from Joseph Smith; that Mormonism embraces all truth, let it come from whatever source it may.

And? What does this statement mean, in an LDS context?

I mentioned that Alma 29 agrees with that, saying that God reveals to every nation and people through their own prophets everything . . . .

I was surprised that he filled in the rest of the quote for me by jumping in and saying, " . . . that they can handle."

I think I have him pretty sold on an early 19th century version of Mormonism.

The problem, I fear, lies in the path not taken.

Translation: the path of the Church of Consigliari has not been taken, and that's too bad, as the Church of Consigliari is so hip, cool, sophisticated and "graduate level."