This is standard anti-Mormon drivel.
And?
I am a lifelong member of the Church myself, so I thought I would briefly share some of our beliefs.
Ah, the standard anti-Mormon mantra of "I'm a member/former member, so I will tell the LDS people what they believe". You are mistaken if this fib gives you any credibility whatever.
The religious entity from which the LDS Church and the various other sects of the Mormon movement sprang began in the 1820's with "Joe Smith" (not his real name).
Well, that much is true. The prophet's name was Joseph Smith, Jr.
When he was 14, and also 15, and also 16, Joseph Smith had his First Vision. He prayed to know if God existed at all. He also knew that there was a God, but prayed to be forgiven of his sins. And also he prayed to know which church was the true one. In response, he saw angels, and also Jesus by himself, and also God the Father and Jesus together. All of these stories are completely consistent. From this miraculous event that he neglected to tell anyone about until years later, Joseph Smith was called as a
prophet to restore
the true gospel of Jesus Christ.
http://maxwellinstitute.BYU.edu/publica ... pts/?id=52Also
From the FAIR website wrote:Joseph's vision was at first an intensely personal experience—an answer to a specific question. Over time, however, illuminated by additional experience and instruction, it became the founding revelation of the Restoration.
—Dennis B. Neuenschwander, “Joseph Smith: An Apostle of Jesus Christ,” Ensign, Jan 2009, 16–22
I am not worried that the Prophet Joseph Smith gave a number of versions of the first vision anymore than I am worried that there are four different writers of the gospels in the New Testament, each with his own perceptions, each telling the events to meet his own purpose for writing at the time. I am more concerned with the fact that God has revealed in this dispensation a great and marvelous and beautiful plan that motivates men and women to love their Creator and their Redeemer, to appreciate and serve one another, to walk in faith on the road that leads to immortality and eternal life.
—B. Hinckley, “‘God Hath Not Given Us the Spirit of Fear’,” Ensign, Oct 1984, 2
Depending on which of the completely consistent versions of the First Vision one is going by, a few years later Joseph Smith was praying at night in his family's log cabin. In response to his prayer, Joseph was visited by a
resurrected being named Moroni,
Resurrected beings are not analogous to folklore about the undead. Have a little respect for other people's faith.
who was an ancient Christian prophet and military leader on the American continent. Taking advantage of Joseph Smith's expertise in using magic to find buried treasure, Moroni told Joseph about an ancient record on golden plates that Moroni had buried in a hill near Joseph's home around 421 A.D., just in case Joseph Smith would live there 14 centuries later.
No. Not "just in case" he would live there. It was all planned by God.
Aside from the childish links to unrelated items, this is mostly correct.
The good, white Hebrew people who practiced evangelical Christianity
Wrong.
centuries before the fact were known as
Nephites. The evil, black-skinned people who rejected Christianity and made war against the good people were known as
Lamanites.
Wrong. Skin color has nothing to do with being "good" or "bad".
After 1,000 years or so, the Lamanites destroyed the Nephites in a genocidal war. So complete was this massacre that it caused all the artifacts, cities, language, religion, domesticated animals, technology, and DNA of the people spoken of in the Book of Mormon to disappear without a trace.
Oh, it did?
Call for references.
Again, without the childish links this is mostly correct.
God ultimately revealed to Joseph Smith that in sacred temples dedicated to God, worthy members of the Church could also perform these ordinances
on behalf of the deceased. Joseph Smith was also
inspired to restore an important ordinance done in temples called the endowment, where we learn
sacred teachings that will help us return to God.
Aside from the unrelated links, mostly correct.
These scriptures and other teachings of Joseph Smith and other modern
prophets teach us that our Heavenly Father used to be a man who lived on another planet. After becoming God, He now lives on/near the planet/and or star Kolob. He sent us from our disembodied pre-mortal life to this world, where, if we give 10% of our money to His church and do as we are told, we can become like our Heavenly Father. This is known as the
Plan of Salvation.
The above is completely wrong. Call for references on all of it-
from scripture.