Irish Mormons

AuthorDarren's Blog Admin CategoryReligion DateJanuary 12th, 2009

“I’ve been on their sh** list quite a while now.”

I believe everyone in their life time will at one stage will eventually be confronted by a Mormon/LDS faith/latter day saint church member trying to sell their “religion” to them. Whether they come knocking at your door or calling you over on the street asking, “If you believe in Jesus Christ?” This sentence also seems to be an opening question for all Mormons trying to sell their “religion” to anyone who they greet. There is definitely a pattern there, they must do some sort of training course before they go out preaching or maybe have a little preaching manual other than the book of Mormon, Abraham and their bible. For those that have already been approach by Mormons recruiting I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.
Now lets get started, my first encounter with the Mormons preaching was just a few years ago on O’Connell street outside the G.P.O. unfortunately. But I guess this spot is known for a lot of political and religious movements onto the public. Like if it’s not a fight outside the G.P.O. its pro –choice Christians and Catholics protesting with pickets against abortions, stem cell research and homosexuality or the Atheists protesting God is imaginary (yes, I am an Atheist) or the local friendly un-happy taxi drives protesting there not making enough money and finally you also have the Mormons selling their “religion” there. They must have it marked on a Google map or something. Back to my story, one the Mormons approached me asked, “If I believed in Jesus Christ”. I actually had to stop and think about it, since I was kind of only sixteen at the time and came from Catholic roots, but I always questioned my faith when I was a Catholic. But then I just looked at him and said, “No”. I probably should have proclaimed “I don’t know” just like an Agnostic, probably would have saved me from a debate and a debate I was unprepared for since I didn’t know much about the Mormon believes at the time. So he said to do you a have a few minutes, I said “yep, fire away”. (I should have said NO). So he continued to tell me about there beliefs, like about there about prophet Joseph smith and his connection to Jesus Christ and what there church can do for me, like save my soul. At this stage the taught of this is a ”CULT” was in the back of my mind and I better get out her but my pride got the better off me as soon as I heard the sentence save my soul. I just had to ask the obvious questions, why does my soul have to be saved and what makes you think my soul needs to be saved when you just met me less than five minutes ago. A huge smirk all of a sudden came across this guys face and he just turned to another Mormon that was there and chuckled, another taught was in the back of my mind now and it went something like “what a …..”, but looking the two of them it just reminded me of Bill & Ben the flower pot men so I held my tongue and when the Mormon looked back at me he replied, “because you have not accepted God, Jesus and Joseph smith and judgement day you will stand before these three and they are to be worshiped if you want to go to Kolob” (Kolob is the Mormon heaven, which is also a planet that doesn’t exist). My answer was clear and loud,” WTF”? Well at least that stunned his smirk and it was now my turn to smirk because it’s just bizarre. I just asked him has he got any physical proof to back up his acquisition and he held out his Mormon leaflets and said, here is my proof. I just said bye bye and walked off. And as I was walking of he said to me have faith in Jesus Christ for Jesus Christ loves you. But what I think he meant to say was;

(I took the U out of the picture)
So I got the hell out of there as quick as I could before I found myself at one of Bill & Ben parties wearing a bubble wrap suit with a name tag on it and drinking soda with a hint of rat poison.
That was the last I saw of Bill and the Ben the two flower pot men, but unforgently it wasn’t my last encounter with the Mormons but only the beginning. They even found me on the internet and tried to convert me there while I was asking questions on Christian and Atheist blogs or simply just writing on a forum website. Once again I made the mistake of replying to them, I didn’t think that they had the books of Mormonism on E-book. There E-books and news letters filled my inbox like crazy on a weekly basis. I have read some of the stuff the sent me but found really bizarre, I do like a good sci-fiction like star wars etc… But their believes are just barking mad. They will tell you a lot of stuff that is related to Christianity and there little twist to it just to get you to consider going to one of there churches but don’t tell you about the really bizarre stuff until later. Stuff like -

Bizarre Mormon Beliefs

1. Mormons believe god was a man and then Aliens made him a God.
2. God lives on a planet called Kolob.
3. That God got basically physical with Mary. So she was not a virgin.
4. Jesus and Satan are brothers.
5. Black people are black because they stayed neutral and didn’t decide between Jesus or Satan so they were cursed with black skin by Elohim.
6. The also believe Native Americans are Israelites.
7. That Joseph Smith is a descendant of Jesus.
8. That when they die, they will become the God of there own planet.
9. That you need to know the secret Mormon password which is a handshake of some sort for when you meet Elohim (God), Jesus and Joseph Smith.
10. That you are more likely to get into the celestial kingdom if you have at least 10 wives not just one.
11. It is a Mormon tradition to baptize the dead.
12. They believe that the Garden of Eden was in Missouri in the USA.
13. That dinosaur fossils were created by Satan to deceive the world about the truth of creation.
14. Satan controls all the water in the world.
15. Jesus was married and he had more than one wife and a bunch of kids.
16. That only Mormon men can perform miracles and only the men but the women could receives these miracles.
17. They wear weird white underwear/ spiritual armor.

The Mormon magic underwear

Mormons believe the magic underwear can protect them against the following:

• Knife attacks
• Bullets
• Satan
• Fire
• Etc…
(Don’t try this at home, you will get hurt)

Other weird things about Mormons:

• Many Mormons use fake swear words like Fetch and Flip and what the heck.
• Mormons tend to have large families.
• Many Mormons do not drink anything with caffeine, so Caffeine-free
• Most men (ages 19) and many women (ages 21) dedicate 2 years or 1.5
• years respectively to being missionaries and not only do they not receive
Pay, they pay to do it! There is no dating or movies or schooling during that time.
• They also do not choose where in the world they go. Pretty remarkable, really.
• Mormons are commanded to not drink alcohol, tea or coffee, smoke,
or use recreational drugs.
• Mormons are commanded to not have sex outside of the bonds of marriage.
• Mormons pay 10% of their income to the church as a tithe.
• Mormons who have been to the temple wear sacred undergarments as a
Symbol of covenants made there.
• Mormons meet for 3 hours every Sunday (that’s a lot of meetings!).
• Mormons believe in other scriptures in addition to the Bible, particularly The Book of Mormon.
• Mormons address each other as Brother and Sister.
• Mormons believe in a lay clergy and so they often have? Callings or responsibilities within the church. For example, they may teach Sunday school, direct the youth program, or perform other similar duties for which they are not paid.


Irish Mormon history link…

Mormon Wikipedia info…


How to say NO to a Mormon missionary…

By Darren B
Aka

Thanks for reading

Ah, I just got bored one day and decided to draw an imaginary friend for the post. Not bad for an Atheist though.

28 responses on this post:

Commentsadmin

DateJanuary 12th, 2009 at 2:20 pm

Wow, what a first post! Jesus Christ how are you going to follow that? Oh hold on that was Joseph Smiths job, Oh yeah I forgot, I must be talking through my hat, eh. Southpark on Mormons http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LshjLS8VIiE

CommentsAnonymous

DateJanuary 12th, 2009 at 7:46 pm

Ah yes good old Joseph Smith, he really was a character. I should of added this quote by him,”I really did not want to start polygamy, but a powerful angel with a sword threatened me and made me do it”. LOl ha ha. Imagine if that was used by politicians like Mary Harney, “Hmm…I really didn’t want to take your medical cards away, but a powerful angel with a sword threatened me and made me do it”. I don’t think that would go down to well at all.

Also if your a fan of South Park here a link to their website http://www.southparkstudios.com/ . All episodes are free to watch online.

CommentsPhilip Hickey

DateJanuary 12th, 2009 at 9:37 pm

Hang on, hasn’t she got a face like a hatchet and she’s leathal, I mean have a look at some of her wonderful photos on my blog http://www.ballyfermot.ie/philiphickey there are multiple posts as I am a big admirer
Kickass post Cartman, i’m off to but some anti global warming pants right now LOL

CommentsDarrenB

DateJanuary 13th, 2009 at 9:26 am

Damn, thats one ugly beach whale, nearly went blind looking at those pictures. Every time I see a picture of her, an image Shamoo just comes to my mind. Well at least she has one admirer, lol ha ha

CommentsPhilip Hickey

DateJanuary 13th, 2009 at 4:39 pm

Thats not fair on the whales, for shame and stay away for the going blind stuff its bad enough shes getting attention enough as it is, don’t encourage her. ;-)

Commentsdixiechik

DateFebruary 23rd, 2009 at 4:57 am

I read your blog and it’s pretty interesting stuff. Where did you find all of your facts about Mormons? I have to agree with some of the info you put down, but other stuff is pretty dang crazy and incorrect. Maybe getting the facts right before you publish stuff online would be a good idea? Also, not all Mormons are out to convert you. We definitely believe in freedom of choice. That’s also really weird that the missionaries you spoke with referred to the word Kolob instead of Heaven & also the phrase “saving your soul.” Those aren’t the typical vocabulary that we use. Very interesting stuff.

CommentsDarrenB

DateFebruary 25th, 2009 at 9:48 pm

Hi Dixiechik,

Thanks for the comment. I am an Atheist but I guess I’m still kinda searching in a way for answers, so I have been studying all different faiths and religions as a hobby or an interest. But when I wrote this post I was in a lot of discussions/debates with followers of the Mormon church and also other followers of other faiths and beliefs and I guess it can get kind of heated at times. I was just reading over the post again and I have too admit I did put some pretty offensive words and sentences in there, I apologize for that and I will change it around during the week. Would you mind listing the parts of the post which you think are untrue by copying and pasting into the comment box and I will double check it again and if it is untrue I will remove that bit information immediately or change it. I used the word “Kolob” to explain and name the Mormon heaven. Every Mormon I spoke to used the word heaven instead of Kolob this is true, but I have noticed people from other faiths/beliefs call the Mormon heaven, Kolob or planet Kolob or the star Kolob. I know not all Mormons are out to convert people but when a Mormon is serving as a missionary doesn’t the Mormon missionary handbook(the white book) state the goals of a missionary like finding (knocking on doors), preaching and when possible baptizing potential converts?

Hope to hear from you soon.

Regards,
Darren

Ps. Thanks again for commenting, I was beginning to think this was a dying post until now.

CommentsElaina

DateFebruary 26th, 2009 at 2:03 pm

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Elaina

http://www.craigslistpostingtools.info

CommentsDarrenB

DateFebruary 27th, 2009 at 10:05 pm

Hi Elaina,

Thank you very much for the complement and the comment. Hope to hear from you again.

Regards,
Darren

CommentsKristen

DateMarch 3rd, 2009 at 7:54 am

I came across your website while doing some research online. I found many of your “facts” quite humorous and am curious as to where you gained some of this “knowledge”.

I think it’s great to study different religions and to search for your own truth. I don’t, however, think it appropriate to intentionally publish untruthful information about any religion.

It’s quite obvious you have learned a lot about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and that you have also soaked up a few stories/rumors here and there.

I’m still not sure what the point this specific post was trying to depict other than poking fun at some half-truths.

Good luck in your life’s endeavors. Hopefully you can find some positive things to post about in other religions instead of pointing out or making up negative ones about mine.

Regards,
Kristen

CommentsDarrenB

DateMarch 3rd, 2009 at 11:14 pm

Hi Kristen,

Thanks for taking the time to read, comment and vote. I gained a lot of my information from Mormons & ex-Mormons, Mormon websites, Mormon books etc…

Where exactly is the untruthful/half-truth information in this post too which you are referring to? I am fair guy, so if you can prove to me that a piece in the post is incorrect I will change it without hesitation.

Yes I am guilty as charged for poking a bit of fun out of your religion with two or three sentences. The point of the post is to answer a lot of questions that people have about the Mormon religion, well basically most people find this post by typing “Mormon weird beliefs” and “What the Mormon church does not tell you”. I have all the search engine stats to back this up.

But to be honest a lot of the Mormon beliefs are kind of strange, but it is not by far the strangest of religions. I suppose you can find strange customs in every religion like funny religious hats etc. I probably wouldn’t be wrong in writing that if you are religious, that you would/might find it strange that I live my life with the absence of religion which is the opposite too your life style.

I’m actually considering writing more posts on other religions, but to highlight the positive or the negative aspects is still a question I need to answer. The next post I am planing on writing a piece about the different branches of the Satanism religion or the Scientology religion.

But anyway, good luck with your research and I hope to hear from you soon.

Kind Regards,
Darren

CommentsJayson

DateApril 22nd, 2009 at 10:57 pm

Darren,

I am Mormon and I have to say I loved the “Other weird things about Mormons” section.

It seems a couple LDS visitors have mentioned that there was some false information, but they haven’t provided any specifics. I included your entire numbered list, but the items in () just include clarifications, they are not false. I provided some incite to each of the items though.

Some of the items are not main stream topics and seem to originate from that crazy, over the top cartoon on You Tube, or other anti-mormon sources. Here are the items that are false:

1. Mormons believe God was a man and then Aliens made him a God.
- I can honestly say I have never heard Mormons talk about aliens, especially in reference to God.

(2. God lives on a planet called Kolob. — True. It might sound weird, but he has to live somewhere and we know it isn’t on the moon or the planets in our solar system, so why not Kolob? I don’t know much any more than you do about this so I can’t offer any extra info.)

3. That God got basically physical with Mary. So she was not a virgin.
- Mormons refer to her as the virgin Mary. No talk of getting physical.

(4. Jesus and Satan are brothers. — True, not much to add here. Basically, in a nut shell, Satan presented a plan to God which guaranteed our salvation and Jesus presented a plan where we had the ability to choose between right and wrong. Jesus’s plan was in accordance with God’s plan. Satan was a poor loser and they haven’t gotten along ever since.)

5. Black people are black because they stayed neutral and didn’t decide between Jesus or Satan so they were cursed with black skin by Elohim.
- This is not church doctrine. Sounds like something from the crazy cartoon again. Black people can receive all the blessing in the church that white people can.

(6. They also believe Native Americans are Israelites. — Just a note that Mormons believe they are descendants of a group of people called the Lamanites which originated from Jeruselem.)

7. That Joseph Smith is a descendant of Jesus.
- Sounds like yet another cartoon reference. This is unfounded and not church doctrine.

(8. That when they die, they will become the God of there own planet. — Half-truth. If they live worthily they will be like God)

(9. That you need to know the secret Mormon password which is a handshake of some sort for when you meet Elohim (God), Jesus and Joseph Smith. — Half-truth. Jesus is our Savior, not Joseph Smith and therefor he is not part of our judgment. The secret password is more of a sacred ordinance.)

10. That you are more likely to get into the celestial kingdom if you have at least 10 wives not just one.
- The LDS religion does not practice polygamy and hasn’t for A LONG time. One wife is plenty.

(11. It is a Mormon tradition to baptize the dead. –
Half-truth. It is not a tradition, it is a sacred temple ordinance. Tradition makes it sound more like an annual family reunion.)

12. They believe that the Garden of Eden was in Missouri in the USA.
- I had no idea the mormons knew of the location of the Gardeen of Eden, but I am pretty sure this may have been contrived as gospel because a member stated an opinion.

13. That dinosaur fossils were created by Satan to deceive the world about the truth of creation.
- This is false. The LDS religion has not taken a stance on the idea of Darwinism or the origin of dinosaur fossils.

14. Satan controls all the water in the world.
- I probably shouldn’t swim then. I think this is based more on speculation as to why Missionaries aren’t allowed to swim. That probably has more to do with the temptation and distraction women in bikinis present to young men than Satan’s grasp on the sea.

15. Jesus was married and he had more than one wife and a bunch of kids.
- This is not a Mormon belief. The Mormons don’t know if Jesus was married to even one woman, much less three.

16. That only Mormon men can perform miracles and only the men but the women could receives these miracles.
- Anyone could be an instrument for God to perform a miracle. I think women do it every time they give birth. Only worthy mormon men can hold the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood. This gives them the ability to administer blessings, but God performs the miracle based on the faith of the person receiving the blessing and the worthiness of the person administering it.

(17. They wear weird white underwear/ spiritual armor — This is true, but…)

Mormons believe the magic underwear can protect them against the following:

• Knife attacks
• Bullets
• Satan
• Fire
• Etc…
(Don’t try this at home, you will get hurt)

- Other than the “Don’t try this… part, this is false. These sacred (not magic) garments are protective, but they are also a reminder to dress modestly. The garments are not supposed to extend beyond the outer clothing. They are also a reminder to make good choices as to not defile them. They are spiritual armor, not actual armor.

I enjoyed your post and I am sorry you had a bad experience with the LDS religion. It is interesting that your experience was so bad, while for me it gives comfort and purpose to an otherwise confusing existence.

I wish you the best!

Jayson

CommentsJayson

DateApril 23rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm

To further clarify 11, is not really a half-truth. It is false. Mormons do not baptize the dead. Instead, it is believed that all people must be baptized (side note: Mormons also baptize by immersion which confirms that Satan doesn’t control all water) in order to return to live with God, but it is an ordinance that must be performed here on earth. There is a baptismal font in the temple that is used for something called baptism by proxy, or baptism for the dead. The dead person is not put in the water, instead a living person is baptized on their behalf. The person being baptized for can still reject the ordinance, but all people will have an opportunity to accept the gospel.

CommentsDiana

DateJuly 7th, 2009 at 3:31 pm

Jayson, you summed this up quite nicely. I appreciate your efforts to set things straight.
Darren, we all search for answers in life. It is not important if you find the Mormon religion right for you, what is important is that you find what you are looking for. As Mormons, we do not beleive that any religion is wrong in whole. We believe that most everyone brings some wonderful aspect of God and/or Christianity to the table. Be that you are atheist, you may find it more difficult to find those individuals with strong core beliefs and integrity. But having a faith such as ours, allows you to commune and live amongst people who generally have a higher standard of life, and tend to be more trustworthy because they believe that there are much higher consequences then this world can dole out. Consequences that will go on for eternity. A formidable concept, to be sure. Our faith allows us to find a structure within ourselves. A path, if you will, and some answers to those questions. Our belief is also, that Joseph Smith simply restored the true church to the earth, since we feel it was gone for a long time, noted in history as the “dark ages”. It is not our job as Mormons to argue with you on what you have heard as truths or rumors, and I have to say after your initial post, I was quite impressed with your ability to remain open minded and respectful of those who attempted to set you straight on those things that you have heard erroneously. You may be surprised to know, I am a woman, 44 now, mother of two.. once a police officer, underwater surface air diver, oil piping designer. I have lived in both the world outside of the mormon faith for 40 years, and now inside for 4. I chose this faith free of any hard sell. I lived my life as a strong female involved in the world of professional men. I receive more respect and support from the men of this church, then I have experienced any where in the world, for being a woman. The faith revolves around the strength of the family. We beleive God wants us to be in “families” and that these units are the key to a true and happy life. Now, step outside the faith box for a minute. Think about what almost any dying person will think about in their last moments… I know this sounds cliche’, but it wont be the cars they drove, the money they made, how big their house was… it will usually be family, the ones you loved in your life. Odd that at that very significant moment in life.. “family” will most likely be your last thought. It is my opinion that it must be very important to hold such high regard as you leave this life. So, I think God got that one right. Many churches outside the LDS focus on “family”, therefore we are not unique in this. Families have had a great importance all through history. We are also assisted, by our spiritual leaders with great ideas how to have happy, healthy successful families. The men hold the priesthood, but the women, the mothers, the daughters.. we are the vehicles in which the families are built, taught and nurtured. We have the most important job of all, to raise the children. Not just for our families, but to go out into the world and try to make the world a better place for all beings. Also keep in mind, yes there are commandments, but entering into these commandments is a commitment, and it is a choice… everything in my church is based on choice and personal faith. God has given us our free agency. You choose whether you believe, He would have it no other way. He is not about forcing you, but freeing you to become the most you can be. Does that sound like a cult, or the same kind of love every child should receive from thier parents? If you do not have faith in a certain thing, then you should not embark on a commitment to be a part of it. (That is another reason that no one in this church will force you into this church.. and they do want to save your soul, whether they know you or not, we believe you love your neighbor as you love yourself)… Works are done by faith, without faith, there will be no real blessings to come from them, and ultimately, as you know firsthand.. faith is a choice. But once you do commit to a commandment, then you make a sacred ordinance with God, a two-way promise. You promise Him, and He promises you.. details are for those who want to know the blessings… so, now to the symbolism, or the “weirdness”… lol.. Every single faith out there has thier way, one or the other of expressing their faith and their spiritual connection to God. I could list some… Hindu pray on their knees at a certain time everyday, orthodox Jews, start sabbath on Friday at sunset, jews wear sacred garments as well as do muslims, catholics priests wear robes and swing little lanterns filled with insense, catholics dip their fingers into holy water, touch thier face and body in forming a cross, and pray repentence from the virgin mary, they sit in private boxes and confess their sins…Mormons profess to have a modern day prophet, strange, I know… but is that any different than the Pope? I could go on and on… and any one of them can look strange if you just landed here on earth from another planet. Why do some of these not look so strange and Mormonism looks really odd? because Mormonism is a baby religion, it is really only a couple hundred years old… Historically, you should read about what the catholics said about Lutheranism… oy vey!! was that an uproar. By the way, I just have to add here, that you mentioned that it seemed odd that satin and Jesus were brothers in mormonism. Every faith that I am aware of, beleives in some kind of pre-existence, also, every faith that I am aware of preaches that we were all brothers and sisters in this pre-existence, including satin, and Jesus. So, I am confused on how that one seemed so strange to you. Jesus is often referred to as “our Brother”, and it stands to reason that if God did create the earth and all the beings, then we are all His children. And Jesus would be our brother, and satin would also be our brother. This is also why we refer to eachother as Brother and Sister.. but you will find that oddity in many churches as well.. Baptist, etc.
So, in closing, I am very impressed that you are looking for answers. I hope you find the ones that are right for you. About those Missionaries… next time you see one, think of this.. Jesus sent all his apostles out into the world to preach the Gospel, “the good word”, these boys are usually 19 years old, they have committed 2 years of their temporal life to go out and be committed to something, and actually something pretty good. Something nice, something clean and wholesome. They commit 2 years of their young lives to go out and try to save souls. They leave families, friends, video games, swimming pools, and a lot of other really nice things, in many cases, for something they truly believe in. They have a choice.. they don’t have to and some boys don’t go, and some return because it is just really hard. But ask yourself this question, when was the last time you or someone you knew committed 2 years of your life, totally to something you believed in? I have friends in the military, but they get paid.. I have so much respect for them too, my deepest respect. I think of these kids like Olympic athletes.. because to be an Olympian, you have to get off your rump and go out and do something, anything… commit two years to anything you want( must be for the good of the world).. and see the feeling you get when your are done.. not what other people say about you, but what you think of yourself. These boys are strong and they grow into amazing men, with personal strength and humility and a love for mankind that you will not find commonly in this world. These boys are the Olympians for God, and consquentially they will be seen as such, according to our faith. These boys will gain blessings, that we will can only imagine. Please do not look at them as strange boys preaching a strange faith. Just step back, and realize whast they have sacrificed for what they believe and that, like Jesus, they are trying to show you that kind of love. I promise you this, there is nothing in this church that is not revealed upfront. But you also have to be asking the right questions, nothing in this world is spoonfed to anyone, so real interest in any topic, requires work on the person inquiring.
Good Luck to you, I truly wish you all the best in your endeavors.. I know you will find your way to a happy life. Stay true to yourself and open to what the world and mostly the people in the world will show you.. good or bad.
Diana

CommentsPatrick

DateSeptember 2nd, 2009 at 6:02 pm

If Joseph Smith recieved the gospel message from an angel, was there already a gospel message in the King James Bible already for anyone to read for themselves.

CommentsJohn

DateSeptember 20th, 2009 at 1:39 pm

Hi Darren

I was a Mormon for 27 years and I would like to make comment on some of these points. ***

1. Mormons believe God was a man and then Aliens made him a God.
- I can honestly say I have never heard Mormons talk about aliens, especially in reference to God.
(2. God lives on a planet called Kolob. — True. It might sound weird, but he has to live somewhere and we know it isn’t on the moon or the planets in our solar system, so why not Kolob? I don’t know much any more than you do about this so I can’t offer any extra info.)1. Mormons believe God was a man and then Aliens made him a God.
- I can honestly say I have never heard Mormons talk about aliens, especially in reference to God.
***This is true. People who live on other planets are by definition aliens. The couplet and very core of Mormon religion is “As man is God once was. As God is Man may yet become.” This defines that God was once a “God made Man” who lived on another world thus Aliens made him. Yes he lives on Kolob (Planet) that orbits the Star Kolob. God had a God and his God had a God etc etc so really there are countless Millions of Gods but we are to worship only one God.
(2. God lives on a planet called Kolob. — True. It might sound weird, but he has to live somewhere and we know it isn’t on the moon or the planets in our solar system, so why not Kolob? I don’t know much any more than you do about this so I can’t offer any extra info.)
*** This is true. People who live on other planets are by definition aliens. The couplet and very core of Mormon religion is “As man is God once was. As God is Man may yet become.” This defines that God was once a “God made Man” who lived on another world thus Aliens made him. Yes he lives on Kolob (Planet) that orbits the Star Kolob. God had a God and his God had a God etc etc so really there are countless Millions of Gods but we are to worship only one God.

3. That God got basically physical with Mary. So she was not a virgin.
- Mormons refer to her as the virgin Mary. No talk of getting physical.
*** God made Mary physically pregnant. As he is all powerful why can’t he impregnate Mary and allow her to remain a Virgin. We have the Technology to do this today.
(4. Jesus and Satan are brothers. — True, not much to add here. Basically, in a nut shell, Satan presented a plan to God which guaranteed our salvation and Jesus presented a plan where we had the ability to choose between right and wrong. Jesus’s plan was in accordance with God’s plan. Satan was a poor loser and they haven’t gotten along ever since.)
*** Yes true and thus caused the battle in heaven. The black people sat on the fence thus are black. Then Cain killed Able and became Bigfoot (Crazy) there is even an account of a Mormon general authority claimed to meet Bigfoot (Cain) as spoke to him on horseback, saying that Cain came up to eye level with him. (I know its crazy but there you are). Then after the flood Ham (Noah’s) son stole Noahs crays garments and was cursed as black. Therefore all decendants are black with “The Mark Of Ham” upon there heads. Thus when a black man becomes rightious he becomes white and so there are no Blacks in heaven.
*** Satan was the Morning star and was second only to Jesus and was the next born after Jesus but to Gods second wife and does not share the same mother. BTW God has millions of wives and they are all Gods.
5. Black people are black because they stayed neutral and didn’t decide between Jesus or Satan so they were cursed with black skin by Elohim.
- This is not church doctrine. Sounds like something from the crazy cartoon again. Black people can receive all the blessing in the church that white people can. *** So what happened to prevent blacks from having the Priesthood until 1978?
***So can they become “a white and delightsome people” as stated in the book of Mormon? Oh yes they changed that verse to be politically correct didn’t they? Blacks were neutral in the war in heaven and were cursed to be black however it is referred to as the “Mark Of Ham” Ham was Noah’s Son and he stole Noah’s crazy garments that Mormons wear now. Accepted by Mormons to be referred to in the Bible as “The Mantle of the Priesthood”. All the cursed neutral people are born into this line and are accepted by Mormons as being cursed. This is why until 1978 they could not hold the Priesthood. They are still regarded to be cursed and will become white when they go to Heaven. Yes there are no Blacks in Heaven. In the Book Of Mormon followers of God were refered to a “White and delightsome people” this later got changed to “Light and delightsome people” Why?

(6. They also believe Native Americans are Israelites. — Just a note that Mormons believe they are descendants of a group of people called the Lamanites which originated from Jeruselem.)
*** Yes these Lamanites (Red by a curse) are indeed believed to be Isralites yet is now physically disproved by DNA evidence. Yes but no hard evidence to prove this is there? How about all those battles where they are supposed to use steel weapons and millions were killed. Show some evidence ANY evidence?

7. That Joseph Smith is a descendant of Jesus.
- Sounds like yet another cartoon reference. This is unfounded and not church doctrine.
*** Yes it is Doctrine. Joseph is accepted by Mormons to be a descendant of David as Jesus is and Mormon mythology and widely accepted by those in the know to be DIRECTLY descended from Jesus.

*** Mormons believe that JSmith is indeed a direct descendant of Jesus in the line of the house of David.
(8. That when they die, they will become the God of there own planet. — Half-truth. If they live worthily they will be like God)
*** No a full truth. Again the core of the Mormon belief is that we are children of God and that we will grow to become Gods with our own kingdoms and multiple wives (Celestial Marriage) Doctrine and Covenants 132 (Plural Marriage approved by God) we will become like God and BE a God with not only one planed but a whole universe.

(9. That you need to know the secret Mormon password which is a handshake of some sort for when you meet Elohim (God), Jesus and Joseph Smith. — Half-truth. Jesus is our Savior, not Joseph Smith and therefor he is not part of our judgment. The secret password is more of a sacred ordinance.)
***No Full truth. To enter into the presence of God one must pass by Guardians and Angels. To pass them and go through the “Veil” you must know the first and second token (Handshake and special word) and the sign and sure sign of the nail (More handshakes and special Masonic derived words)
10. That you are more likely to get into the celestial kingdom if you have at least 10 wives not just one.
- The LDS religion does not practice polygamy and hasn’t for A LONG time. One wife is plenty.
Section 132 of the D&C states plural marriage is correct. They try to disguise Celestial Marriage as “Temple Marriage” but they are different. To obtain the highest level of the kolob heaven one MUST have several wives. The American Government forced the Mormon declaration of abandonment of Polygamy but it is still a doctrine and will be practices again when the Mormons achieve their new world order. They STILL practice polygamy. But you have to view this from their angle.
I cite Senator Garn as an example, A Mormon. He has one wife he was sealed to in the temple forever. Upon her death he married again and was sealed to a second wife forever. According to Mormon belief he has two wives and IS a practicing Mormon albeit the first wife is dead. The reverse is forbidden. A woman who is sealed (Temple Married) to a man CANNOT easily be sealed to another man. The first sealing has to be dissolved which is a very difficult process and almost never happens. Therefore a woman can never be sealed concurrently to two men as husband and wife but the reverse is true. One man can indeed be sealed to multiple wives in the temple and to this day it is possible for those sealing’s (Marriages) to be concurrent. So technically Mormons still practice polygamy. FACT!

11. It is a Mormon tradition to baptize the dead. –
Half-truth. It is not a tradition, it is a sacred temple ordinance. Tradition makes it sound more like an annual family reunion.)

12. They believe that the Garden of Eden was in Missouri in the USA.
- I had no idea the Mormons knew of the location of the Garden of Eden, but I am pretty sure this may have been contrived as gospel because a member stated an opinion.
*** No it is in Jackson County Missouri and is called “Adam oni aman” There will be a great Mormon gathering there and Zion will move there BECAUSE it is the garden of Eden. This IS Mormon Doctrine.

13. That dinosaur fossils were created by Satan to deceive the world about the truth of creation.
- This is false. The LDS religion has not taken a stance on the idea of Darwinism or the origin of dinosaur fossils.
*** The world was made (12k years ago LDS urban myth) out of disorganized matter as stated in the Temple Ordinance. The dinosaurs are now explained away as being created on other worlds that were subsequently destroyed and the matter was used to create this world. This neatly explains the age of the Dinosaurs and why they are not running about New York right now. The workd was made in 7 thousand years. 1 Kolob day = 1000 earth years. Then when Adam was in Eden me may have been there for countless millions of years before he took the apple.

14. Satan controls all the water in the world.
- I probably shouldn’t swim then. I think this is based more on speculation as to why Missionaries aren’t allowed to swim. That probably has more to do with the temptation and distraction women in bikinis present to young men than Satan’s grasp on the sea.
*** NO Satan controls the Waters and that is why Missionaries are not allowed to go by boat unless absolutely necessary. This is Mormon doctrine and NOT a half truth. Actually Satan was banished to Earth and is the prince of earth.

15. Jesus was married and he had more than one wife and a bunch of kids.
- This is not a Mormon belief. The Mormons don’t know if Jesus was married to even one woman, much less three.
*** Common belief is that Jesus married Mary, Martha and one other and that he has Brothers and sisters AND children. He had to have children to have Joseph as a direct descendant.

16. That only Mormon men can perform miracles and only the men but the women could receives these miracles.
- Anyone could be an instrument for God to perform a miracle. I think women do it every time they give birth. Only worthy Mormon men can hold the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthood. This gives them the ability to administer blessings, but God performs the miracle based on the faith of the person receiving the blessing and the worthiness of the person administering it.

*** Clarification here. Only Mormon men can Bless the sick etc using their magic priesthood and women can’t do this. Yes Birth is a miracle but is Caused by Man not women. Only men can change water to wine and raise the dead etc. Women cannot do this.

(17. They wear weird white underwear/ spiritual armor — This is true, but…)

Mormons believe the magic underwear can protect them against the following:

• Knife attacks
• Bullets
• Satan
• Fire
• Etc…
(Don’t try this at home, you will get hurt)

- Other than the “Don’t try this… part, this is false. These sacred (not magic) garments are protective, but they are also a reminder to dress modestly. The garments are not supposed to extend beyond the outer clothing. They are also a reminder to make good choices as to not defile them. They are spiritual armour, not actual armour.
*** Both these statements are true. Many stories abound of fantastical claims that the Mormon underwear has protected individuals. While yes they are Mormon Urban myths they are widely accepted as true.

CommentsJohn

DateSeptember 29th, 2009 at 6:58 am

“Jayson
April 23rd, 2009 at 12:43 pm
To further clarify 11, is not really a half-truth. It is false. Mormons do not baptize the dead. Instead, it is believed that all people must be baptized (side note: Mormons also baptize by immersion which confirms that Satan doesn’t control all water) in order to return to live with God, but it is an ordinance that must be performed here on earth. There is a baptismal font in the temple that is used for something called baptism by proxy, or baptism for the dead. The dead person is not put in the water, instead a living person is baptized on their behalf. The person being baptized for can still reject the ordinance, but all people will have an opportunity to accept the gospel.”

Yes I agree they do not douse a cadaver but they DO baptise the dead. Your statement contradicts itself. If they accept this ordinance are they not baptised? If so then Mormons Baptise the dead and to split hairs by calling it by proxy does not count.

CommentsAidan McCullough

DateDecember 1st, 2009 at 11:43 am

Hi,
Good discussion about Mormonism.Mormons are great people but have been taken for fools by Joseph Smith,Brigham Young et al.The basis of the whole con is that an angel produced golden plates to Joe.While it was possible to convince under-educated superstitious un-sophisticated rural folk in the 1830’s,fairy tales like this just would’nt work nowadays.Angels don’t exist now and didn’t exist in 1830 either.Joseph Smith’s criminal background and immoral greedy lifestyle are well documented.
Mormonism has no credible basis,however most of us respect Mormons as good folk,albeit misguided,
Aidan

CommentsHimself

DateDecember 28th, 2009 at 2:24 pm

Darren, is that yourself?

I’ve borrowed your list, sure you won’t be minding, not at all at all.

Cheers
Himself

http://goodqualitywristbands.blogspot.com/2009/12/faith-and-terrestrial-credibility.html

CommentsDarren's Blog Admin

DateJanuary 9th, 2010 at 6:06 am

Yeah sure no probs, work away dude.

Regards,
Darren

CommentsAllana

DateJanuary 29th, 2010 at 7:08 pm

Darren,

I enjoyed reading your article and couldn’t help but laugh as I read your two lists. I just turned 21 and am currently waiting for my call to serve an LDS (aka Mormon) mission. I don’t purport to know everything about Christ’s gospel because I am so young and still have much to learn but I do have faith that the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are true. I had a few instances in my life where I wasn’t so sure because as has been mentioned in the comments section there is no physical proof and because I wasn’t just going to take my parents word for it. lol. But I learned about different religions and belief systems and came to the conclusion that what my parents had taught me was the truth and found that it felt familiar and true to my soul.

I think Jayson and Diana did wonderful jobs explaining things to you about our religion and had some great points. Jayson especially did well responding to the misconceptions many people have about our beliefs that you mentioned. And so I won’t waste my time or your time saying practically the same things they did. I would like to mention though that even members of our church and those who serve missions do not understand and know all doctrine. For any real answers you want about official doctrine I would go to mormon.org which explains many of our basic beliefs and is geared to those who are not in our church. There are so many places you can get information about our church but unless a publication is approved by the First Presidency (the Prophet and other men set apart to lead the church) it is not doctrine and is the opinion of that person. I’m not going to lie, but this causes quite a bit of confusion for people in and out of our church.

I guess my main point is that the doctrine of our religion/Christ’s gospel is true and perfect but the people in the church are not perfect and often have misconceptions and make mistakes. That is a side effect of being human. I am not saying that other religions or belief systems are wrong…I just don’t believe they have the whole truth as was taught by Christ during his ministry on this earth. I don’t want to confuse you or anyone else and want to assure you that the following story is not doctrine but I (and many others in and out of our church) believe it poses a good point.

There is a story about 5 friends who were searching for the true church of Christ. Together they compiled a list of 17 points that this church would embody based on the Bible. After going their separate ways in life, they caught up years down the road and found that each one of them had independently found the church that they had been looking for: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The following are the 17 points they came up with:

1. Christ organized the Church (Eph 4:11-14)
2. The true church must bear the name of Jesus Christ (Eph 5:23)
3. The true church must have a foundation of Apostles and Prophets (Eph 2:19-20)
4. The true church must have the same organization as Christ’s Church (Eph 4:11-14)
5. The true church must claim divine authority (Heb 4:4-10)
6. The true church must have no paid ministry (Acts 20:33-34; John 10:11-13)
7. The true church must baptize by immersion (Matt 3:13-16)
8. The true church must bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands (Acts 8:14-17)
9. The true church must practice divine healing (Mark 3:14-15)
10. The true church must teach that God and Jesus are separate and distinct individuals (John 17:11; 20:17)
11. The true church must teach that God and Jesus have bodies of flesh and bone (Luke 23:36-39; Acts 1:9-11; Heb 1:1-3)
12. The officers must be called by God (Heb 4:4; Ex 28:1; 40:13-16)
13. The true church must claim revelation from God (Amos 3:7)
14. The true church must be a missionary church (Matt 28:19-20)
15. The true church must be a restored church (Acts 3:19-20)
16. The true church must practice baptism for the dead (1Cor 15:16&29)
17. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt 7:20)

Of course this list would only be significant to someone who believes in the bible and is looking to find a Christian church that is the same as the one Christ established during his ministry. But I figured if you were still searching for answers and researching different religions that it may be an interesting angle for you to look into. If you have any questions I would gladly answer them to the best of my ability and knowledge. I wish you luck in your endeavor to find truth and meaning in this life. I believe I have found it for myself and hope that in time you will also feel you have found it yourself. :-D

CommentsPhilip Hickey

DateFebruary 22nd, 2010 at 10:14 am

There’s one Hell of a lot of reading in this post Darren, way to get a healthy discussion going dude!

CommentsLindalou

DateNovember 2nd, 2010 at 9:38 am

I think it’s wierd that you think it’s wierd to have a large family, to make covenents with God and to do service work without being paid. Do you realize that Mormons also have real secular jobs as well as calling and big families and amazingly dvote enough time to all in order to raise kids who don’t drink, smoke or do drugs as well as not “flip” with every girl and guy they meet before they are married! Are you not aware of the Dead Sea Scrolls and many other books containing scriptures that are every bit as real but did not make the final cut of the Bible but are every bit as relevent to “Higher” learning. By the way not only is your grammar and spelling atrocious so are some of the beliefs you have listed. Real Mormans do not have more than 1 wife and in fact they do not recognize so-called branches or off shoots of the LDS religion than do so. It is illegal and therefore not practiced. I dare say if it were legal, that more non mormon men would be likely to partake in the activity/ritual than real Mormons! Furthermore my friend, the Catholic sect is not without spot and before you go bashing why not show a little self respect and consider that everyone has a right to believe as they wish and your right to exercise the use of the word no would serve you better than to roll your eyes, your tongue in cheek and doctrines of a christian group you really didn’t want to hear in the first place. Recognize that these men and women who CHOOSE to go on a mission are fresh from High School and much more cavalier and brave than you are as they go face to face to spread good news not derogitory bashing and mangling of the truth. They may be more prepared to speak th gospel than to deal with people who are rude. They are not perfect but they are trying and remember without pay. They pay for enough and all they are trying to do is get you to pay for less….less unkindness, less intolerence, less hate, LESS SIN.

CommentsRuth Pan

DateJanuary 2nd, 2011 at 12:49 am

I am very proud to be a Mormon and this is my right. I don’t need to ask you for your permission to be in the religion I want to be I live in the United States of America where there is freedom of religion - I don’t live in Iran. I was born and raised a Jew and protestants like you don’t inspire me in any way. Your or They are responsible for the Holocaust.

I am a Mormon - so what? It is my business not your. Don’t give the lie the Jesus loves me because I don’t believe - you killed my people in the Crusades, Inquisition, Holocaust, and much more

Please don’t bother to answer me back because I won’t bother to read it

Ruth Pan - Jewish LDS with all my hear and mind

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CommentsSarah

DateMay 6th, 2011 at 11:51 pm

Okay… I am LDS, and just let me tell you, this is kind of insane.
These things are not true, they are actually very false.
And I am amused by what you think of us.
And LDS members, even if they are of Irish heritage, have all the same beliefs.
Those “magic underwear” are actually garments, and they are sacred, not “magic”. I thought it was pretty hilarious how you posted that they protect against all that. To tell you the truth, LDS members are killed in vain all the time, and I can assure you, they do not protect against knives, bullets, nor any of the things you listed.
Just to let you know.

-Sarah

CommentsLany

DateJuly 3rd, 2011 at 6:02 am

This website is terrible, half of it isn’t true and i’m Mormon and proud of it!

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