lets remember what the bible and saint paul says….
Galations 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
Gal 1:7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. References : not only is moroni something pulled right out of thin air,moroni would has not taught the same gospel jesus taught.
Just some things to keep in mind. During the time before Joseph Smith supposedly found his golden tablets and translated them using a magic seer stone in a top hat, con artists were known to charge people to look for buried treasure for them and they would use seer stones. This con was so common, there was a law instituted against it and Joseph was arrested and put in jail on at least one occassion for claiming to be able to find treasure using a seer stone. Shortly there after, he supposedly had a new word from God, translated using a seer stone…go figure.
The eleven so-called witnesses to the golden tablets never actually claimed to have seen the tablets with their eyes, but said they had a vision of the tablets….and now the tablets can’t be observed because they were taken up into heaven. Hmmmm.
As you have detected, the book of mormon is written in King James English. This is the style of English that was spoken in 1611 when the King James Version was translated. Some extended passages in the book of mormon are exact quotes from the King James Bible, word for word. This is interesting because Joseph Smith supposedly translated these "new scriptures" from a source that was in the first century A.D. and did it in the 1800′s so there’s no earthly reason why the Book of Mormon should be in King James English. My guess is he makes the same mistake old timers in church do now when they’re praying and they start speaking King James English using thee and thou as if there’s something particularly holy about this type of speech, not recognizing the real Bible character didn’t speak like this, but only people around Shakespear’s time when the KJV was written.
Please understand. Our belief that there is one God and one only is one of the most basics of our doctrines. To abandon that is to abandon true Christianity. Read these passages:
"Ye are My witnesses", saith the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no savior." (Isaiah 43:10-11)
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and His redeemer the LORD of hosts; "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6)
"Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even My witnesses. Is there a God beside Me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." (Isaiah 44:8)
Once when I was discussing this with a mormon, he told me that these scriptures merely mean that there are no other gods in THIS eternity but that there are other eternities. I said to him, "ok, consider for a moment that I am right and there is only one God period; no other gods in other eternities. If that’s the case, how could God say it any more clearly than what He did in Isaiah 44:8 (above)". It couldn’t have been said any more clearly and he knew it because he didn’t have an answer to my question. I’ve found that when you stump a mormon they fall back on their burning in the bosom experience, and that is a VERY dangerous proposition to base what you believe about the nature of God and His salvation on a physical sensation. It seems to me that Satan could easily effect this or perhaps even the subconcious, but only God can open someone’s eyes to a simple knowledge of the truth. They preach a work based gospel and the true gospel says that we are saved by grace alone through faith, not by works. Paul wrote to the Galations that if even an angel from heaven (think Moroni) comes bringing a different gospel, he should be accursed. Mormonism is very clearly a false gospel; one like what the scriptures warn us about. Please don’t fall for this deception. References :
Here are a couple of comments:
1. Mormons do not pray to Jesus. They pray to God the father in the name of Jesus Christ. Heavenly father is the great supreme being. Jesus Christ is also God by virtue of the fact that all things and all authority have been committed to him. All things were created by him before he was born into mortality. Because of his sacrifice, we can be saved. Our prayers are answered by him. Mormons believe that Jesus (also known as Jehovah) was the God of the old testament who spoke to Moses. All things however are under the direction of the Father. But because the father and son are one in purpose and because Jesus is the perfectly faithful son, what Jesus would do is the same as what the father would do.
2. I remember when I joined the church. I got to a point where I wanted to receive a revelation that the Book of Mormon is true. I knew that I would receive it. What I did not realize is that I already knew that it was true. However, at a time shortly after I joined the church, I received a strong spiritual witness that the book is true.
Here is something that may work for you. Continue to pray and read. Everytime you read, ask yourself "could any man have written this book?" Once you become familiar with what is being taught, you realize that the teachings in the Book of Mormon are deep and are good. Your conscience will tell you that the teachings are good and there is no bad in it. You will come to realize deep in your being that no bad, deceitful person could have written the book and no good person would have if it was not true. Forget about people who tell you that it is written too simply or there is no evidence for it. The evidence IS the Book of Mormon. Find out what it teaches. It is amazing. It amplies what is in the bible. For example, the bible teaches that Christ atoned for our sins. The Book of Mormon explains the how’s and why’s and lays out the entire plan of salvation. Get to know the book. Understand what the writers were thinking.
3. There are no alternate translations of the Book of Mormon. You can get used to it. It is actually easier to read than the king James version of the bible. References :
I can’t see why your question would disappear simply for posting a link to a song. Still…
1. We don’t really say the whole "Jesus pray for me" thing, because aren’t we the ones doing the praying? Yes, Christ is our Advocate and interceded on our behalf. We still don’t ask Him to pray for us. I can’t say that I’ve EVER heard that phrase in our church, so this isn’t really something you need to be concerned over.
2. You know, God is always ready and willing to give us answers to our prayers. The difficulty lies in recognizing those answers. When I prayed to learn the truth, it took me several days before I realized that I’d been getting an answer all along. I just hadn’t realized it, because I was waiting for lightening or some huge thing, and the answer was quiet and calm. Maybe you should begin praying also for an answer you can recognize?
3. Devotional images? We don’t really have those. Yes, lots of Mormons have pictures of the First Vision in their homes, but that’s not really about Joseph Smith at all. It’s about Christ and the restoration of the gospel. If we have devotional images, I think they’d be of the temples or of Christ. If you want something like that, go to deseretbooks.com or ensignbooks.com.
4. There are not any more modern versions of the BOM. Translations and versions of the Bible abound, and that’s not a good thing. Every time someone decides to change something, something else is lost. We don’t want that to happen to the BOM, though you could try looking for a kid’s version. You’ll miss out on a lot, but at least you’ll get the stories down.
Word of advice? You probably shouldn’t ask Joseph Smith to pray for you. He’s not the Savior. Though I firmly believe our loved ones watch out for us from the other side, he can’t really intercede for you on that level. You need to turn directly to God, because only God can give you the answers you’re seeking. Joseph Smith can’t. He was a great prophet, but again, he wasn’t the Savior. He wasn’t God. You need to turn to them instead. It may help. References :
1.I have never considered not saying Jesus Pray for me as a limitation of His power and I’ve been raised and believe in the LDS faith. There are so many other ways that I feel Christ’s love, His power and His influence in my life. I’ve have felt it when someone uses His priesthood upon me when I’ve been feeling low or I have been sick.
2. This is something that you’re going to have to find out on your own and no amount of suggestions or helps are going to make you come to your own conclusion. Prayer is probably the only way you’re going to find out on your own.
3. Mormon/LDS faith doesn’t really use too many iconic type worship figures or images. But we do have symbolism on our Temples and in the ordinances that we preform that show our devotion. Most of our devotion is an active form of Worship.
4. Well there is is one link I have to a website that is titled The Plain Book of Mormon. It’s not sanctioned by the First Presidency though so I recommend reading it alongside the version you have now. See: http://plainbookofmormon.com
I agree with what one poster stated, we don’t ask for Joseph Smith’s help to understand the Book of Mormon. We ask God and believe that the Holy Spirit/Ghost will reveal to us the truth. Christ is our intermediary with the Father and not Joseph Smith.
It sounds obvious to me that the Spirit is working upon you and causing you to see the importance of the Book of Mormon. I testify to you that it is truly another witness, a true witness, that Jesus is in fact the Christ, the Savior of the world.
Always remember that God, our Heavenly Father, loves you and that He does hear your prayers and will answer them. You do not need to ask Jesus or Joseph Smith to pray for you. You can do it for yourself.
May God bless you as you continue to learn and may you have ears to hear the promptings of the Spirit. It sounds like you have already received a witness in your heart and in your mind. References :
1- Yes, Jesus is our Intercessor, but He does not pray for us. We are perfectly capable of speaking to our Father ourselves… although, we do close our prayers "… in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.".. or ".. in Jesus’ name, amen."
I suspect that most of His intercessor-ing is 2-part… The first part happened in the Garden of Gethsemane (where He did actually pray for us- John 17), and the second part will happen at the Final Judgment, where He will be our Advocate (like an attorney?).
2- I’ve found a pattern in my own life. Clarity of though IS the answer.. as is confusion… Clarity being an affirmative, confusion being a negative. Now go back and read the first paragraph of your question, and I think you may have your answer.
3- Devotional items? We don’t really use props in our worship (sorry if that word doesn’t fit quite right- it was the only one that came to mind). We certainly have images of Christ available through various LDS-leaning establishments. Try deseretbook.com- They carry books by LDS leaders, as well as music and various kinds of images (photography, painting, drawings, etc) by LDS artists.
4- No, there are no other English versions of the Book of Mormon. When Joseph Smith translated it, he used the language that he’d experienced in the Bible (which only came in KJV at that time). Of course, the BoM comes in other languages…. again, I think you can get at least some of them via deseretbook.com
Regarding your last paragraph- please refer to my response to #1. A prayer intercessor is unnecessary. Here’s the basics of what we believe about prayer.
My favorite part of this is, "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part."
In other words, it is almost automatic for a child to seek help from his/her parent, no intercessor necessary. Speaking directly to our Father is a wonderful way to gain the help we need, as well as develop the close relationship with Him that He desires for us. References : deseretbook.com
lds.org
scriptures.lds.org
A recent talk went into the subject of Joseph Smith and the divinity of The Book of Mormon. I highly recommend it and keep in mind that during the persecutions, the mobs would ask believers to renounce The Book of Mormon and be spared (they did not renounce). Also look up tarring and feathering on Wikipedia and ask yourself how long you would last if what you were saying was not true. One final thought, the mobs tried to force acid down the throat of Joseph Smith and several family members died defending the truth. Here is video of the talk: http://broadcast.lds.org/genconf/2009/10/50/GC_2009_10_503_HollandJR___eng_.wmv
or a transcript (not as powerful): http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1117-28,00.html
Even if you have no intention of converting I appreciate your efforts at understanding that we can have slightly different beliefs and still be faithful. Take things in baby steps and you’ll see it’s not such a leap. References : LDS
you have some really good answers here from my fellow LDS – I’m just going to add a couple of points that help clarify for me…..
1)
Hebrews 9:15 calls Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant.
Jesus is the Mediator between God and humanity John 14:6, 1 Timothy 2:5, 2 Nephi 2:28, D&C 76:69 (I included LDS scripture)
2)
because of free agency – you really have to come to a conclusion over whether you accept scripture as the word of God, and then pray about whether your choice is correct – but you HAVE to make the choice yourself. no saint, nor relative, nor Joseph Smith or anyone else can help in this process….we each have to make the choice on our own – and sometimes we have to learn line upon line upon line before we reach the point where we are ready to make that choice correctly……
thank you for your respectful manner – it is appreciated. References :
For a prayer to be answered, it must be given with real intent. That means that the person who prays must be willing to act on the information. God doesn’t answer prayers just to satisfy our idle curiousity.
As far as witnesses; there are also two more that aren’t in the official list of 11; Joseph Smith himself, and Mary Whitmer, who was the wife of David Whitmer. Mary Whitmer reported seeing both the angel Moroni and the gold plates. Emma Smith didn’t see the plates, but also gave an interesting testimony: she reported that she felt the plates, moving them in the course of cleaning, never having unwrapped them from the cloth that was used to conceal them.
As the Book of Mormon explains, in the tenth chapter of Mormon, we are to ask God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ if these things (the record of the Book of Mormon) are not true. We don’t pray to Jesus or Joseph Smith or Peter or anyone other than God. We always end the prayer "In the name of Jesus Christ", as this is how we have been instructed to pray. References :
Remember this: ALL good things come from God. IF you are feeling good when you read the Book of Mormon, there’s your answer. Same with the song about Joseph. Those good feelings are the Holy Ghost testifying to you the things that are true. You may not be recognizing those as "answers" because either 1) you’ve never felt that before and/or 2) it’s not a "yes" or "no" voice telling you…
The Holy Ghost teaches and testifies through thoughts, feelings, comfort, peace and joy.
Others have answered your question well, I just wanted to add my two cents. Continue to pray, continue to seek for answers. Attend the church meetins. I promise you, if you are sincere, you will get your answers. Sometimes we have to go through the learning first and that helps us come dependent upon the Lord.
I know the gospel is true! References : Eternally LDS
1. We pray to God through Jesus Christ. The phrase we usually use while praying is "Dear Heavenly Father" or "Dear Father in heaven", and then we end it "in the name of they Son Jesus Christ, Amen". Jesus is still a deity even though he’s not God the Father. For example, we believe that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament. He is the Lord Jehovah and he created the world under the direction of God the Father.
read more about that here http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bd/g/43
2. I think you’ve got your answer already, or you’re close to getting it. You already can’t stop thinking about it.
4. I think some people have made more up to date ones, but we’re encouraged to read the original and let the spirit help us interpret them, instead of reading some uninspired person’s translation. There are foot notes on the bottom of the pages with other scriptures you could read relating to the subjects, and that helps.
And you probably shouldn’t ask Joseph Smith to pray for you…
Maybe you could talk to some missionaries and discuss some Book of Mormon verses and see if they’ll help you understand them better. References :
Ok. There have been a lot of good answers here, but I just felt the need to add a few things.
1- Christ is our Savior. He is our advocate to the Father. Because of His atonement, we are able to have Him on our side. We don’t pray to Him because He isn’t our God. He is the Son of God, which is awesome and wonderful. We pray to our Father in Heaven. He is the one who allows a way for our prayers to be answered. Now, remember, just because we ask for something doesn’t mean we will always get the answer we think we will get. Sometimes answers to prayers come through feelings, or thoughts. Sometimes they even come through someone else. Don’t limit yourself to just one path for an answer.
2- You have to come to the conclusion yourself and then ask if you are right. From what you are saying, you have received an answer already. It seems that yours is in the form of feelings and ponderings. Maybe what you should do is take some time to be alone, and in a quiet spot where you can think and really understand those feelings. Sometimes the best moments of clarity come when we have no distractions, and are open to feeling the promptings and answers the spirit can give.
3- We don’t use any devotional images. To us, worship is about learning and feeling the spirit, not about images. Sometimes, images are a distraction and can actually take away from the promptings of the Spirit. If you would like to look at some pictures that we enjoy, you can go to http://deseretbook.com/store/category/8 That is all the art that they offer, and is the best selection that is available.
4- There is only one translation of the Book of Mormon. The reason is simple: One translation means less chance of mistakes being made. There have been some minor changes over time, but they have been things like spelling, grammer and punctuation. I understand what you mean when you say it’s hard to understand. Old english is hard to understand, until you get used to it. Keep reading, and it will get easier to understand.
That song is also one of my favorites!!!! Have you ever heard the Mormon Tabernacal Choir? If not, you should! The are amazing and really help to invite the Spirit. Check that website I posted for a list of their albums.
Also, if you go to http://www.mormon.org, you can chat with a live person that can answer some of your questions in more detail. References :
I too am a former Catholic who converted to the LDS Church over 40 years ago now. For me personally, the nature of the Godhead as taught in LDS Doctrine and as seen through the vision personally witnessed by Joseph Smith was for me the main thing that brought me to the LDS Faith and a testimony of it. Christ’s divinity and atonement for mankind, the knowledge that God has not left us in this day but continues to speak for man through Modern Prophets and the beautiful knowledge and message within the pages of the Book of Mormon are resounding eternal truths that I could not and can not deny.
Where I once felt lost and uncomfortable with who the Catholic faith had taught me God "was" – I found peace, comfort and a rightness and truth with the nature of Heavenly Father and His holy Son, Jesus CHrist within the bounds of the LDS doctrines. THey were immediately ‘home" to my heart & soul. I found WHO I always felt my Heavenly Father and Christ to be finally and it remains so for me today.
We all need, seek and find spiritually TRUTHS very differently. It was not a effort to find my personal testimony because the spirit born witness of it from the onset of my instruction and learning. Some must take a leap of faith, others need to test the word for themselves in different ways, prayer, fasting, much study & adversity as Enos fought with the spirit in the Book of Mormon until he finds forgiveness at God’s grace after MUCH time & work. We are each different.You must find your path based on your personal relationship with your Heavenly Father. Praying to Him, your Father in Heaven, who knows & loves you completely and perfectly in the name of His son, your Savior & Redeemer Jesus Christ I would hope would be an easy and very personal and comfortable thing to do…. References :
You may not want to convert, but you are a far sight better off than several others who "answered" here who don’t know a single thing about the religion, yet speak so authoritatively about it. Kudos to you for open-mindedness. Those are probably the same people who claim Catholic isn’t Christian, either. References :
1. We do not pray to Jesus. We pray directly to God or otherwise called Heavenly Father. We pray in Jesus’ name. He is not an intercessor.
2. After you pray, sit still and contemplate what you have prayed about and what you have read. If you get that "warm fuzzy" feeling, that is the Holy Spirit testifying to you that it is true. Besides all that, if you have already closed yourself off to "conversion" then you won’t feel anything because you must be open to allow the Holy Spirit to give you that witness.
4. The Book of Mormon is written in the same language as the KJV of the Holy Bible which was the only version available in English until about 1960 or so.
No one intercedes for us when praying. References :
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church of Jesus Christ (as recorded in the New Testament) now restored to earth by Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith. You are beginning to realize this, but still understandably view things from a Catholic perspective. Joseph would not want you to ask him to pray for you, but rather that you pray to your Heavenly Father always in the name of Jesus Christ, as Jesus instructed His disciples:
16 … that whatsoever ye
shall ask of the Father in my name,
he may give it you.
(John 15:16)
The original Church of Jesus Christ was lost from the earth as men killed the apostles and other church leaders and began to change the doctrines and ordinances of the true gospel. Baptism in the New Testament was performed only by immersion, never by sprinkling, for example. So the true church had to be restored by God through modern revelation.
Is this the link where you find the song you like? http://www.lds.org/cm/catalogsearchalpha/1,17929,4782-1-1,00.html#nullLink
It contains all the songs in our hymn book; choose "Words and Music" under the play arrow for the Interactive Church Music Player. In addition to the Hymns, try the Children’s Songbook!
The other answers by fellow Latter-day Saints are good ones and hard to follow. I’ll try to be brief as possible.
1. Jesus Christ is to be revered as the Creator of Heaven, the earths, and the universes as we know them, but He has commanded that we always pray to the Father in Heaven and in His name, Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Mediator, Redeemer, and Savior through whom we address the Father in all prayers.
2. Sometimes answers to prayers are vague or distant. Most often, anything worthwhile must be prayed for numerous times with a contrite heart and broken spirit. Continue with your prayers; an answer that you will eventually understand will come.
3. The First Vision that Joseph Smith had is certainly the most well-known image concerning the Church, but so too are the images portrayed of John the Baptist conferring the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph and Oliver and then the conferring of the Melchizidek Priesthood upon Joseph and Oliver by Peter, James, and John. Images as these and prints of paintings depicting the Christ can be purchased through LDS Distribution Center. You need to ask a member to get them for you as the Distribution Center is accessible only to Church members.
4. The language of the Book of Mormon closely resembles that of the KJV of the Bible and I see it as more comprehensable, understanding, than of the Bible. Some people bother themselves over the trite sayings of some verses, such as "Now it came to pass" and "Behold . . . " but think of the triteness that most people say today in every sentence beginning with the words "well," "like," and "ok." Different words and phrases, but still habits. References : LDS
Everyone has done a great job at answering, I don’t think I really could elaborate on it any better, but I think you would enjoy watching this. It is taken from this past LDS General Conference, and the man speaking is Elder Holland, one of the Twelve Apostles. He spoke about the power of the Book of Mormon. People cannot stop talking about how great it is. I think you would enjoy it, even though you do not plan on converting. See the link below. References : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mPIm_OGw7o
I guess you have never looked at the lyrics!!!
"Mingling with Gods, he can plan for his brethren" GODS!!! so how many gods do they beleive in???
"
Plead unto heav’n while the earth lauds his fame" sounds like we will all prais ehis name ay?
" Great is his glory" once again praising him not Jesus?
"Crowned in the midst of the prophets of old." so he is better then Moses???
"
Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven;
Earth must atone for the blood of that man"
come on now you arn;t seeing anything wrong with these lyrics??? we all must atone for his death???
Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven!
C G C G D G
Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain."
sounds real prideful and full of Joseph worship to me!
November 2nd, 2009 | 
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lets remember what the bible and saint paul says….
Galations 1:6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel,
Gal 1:7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Gal 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
Gal 1:9 As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
References :
not only is moroni something pulled right out of thin air,moroni would has not taught the same gospel jesus taught.
Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words.
Do unite yourself with mormonism (all-knowledge); but don’t pray to Joseph Smith. God will handle your problems.
I am you.
References :
Just some things to keep in mind. During the time before Joseph Smith supposedly found his golden tablets and translated them using a magic seer stone in a top hat, con artists were known to charge people to look for buried treasure for them and they would use seer stones. This con was so common, there was a law instituted against it and Joseph was arrested and put in jail on at least one occassion for claiming to be able to find treasure using a seer stone. Shortly there after, he supposedly had a new word from God, translated using a seer stone…go figure.
The eleven so-called witnesses to the golden tablets never actually claimed to have seen the tablets with their eyes, but said they had a vision of the tablets….and now the tablets can’t be observed because they were taken up into heaven. Hmmmm.
As you have detected, the book of mormon is written in King James English. This is the style of English that was spoken in 1611 when the King James Version was translated. Some extended passages in the book of mormon are exact quotes from the King James Bible, word for word. This is interesting because Joseph Smith supposedly translated these "new scriptures" from a source that was in the first century A.D. and did it in the 1800′s so there’s no earthly reason why the Book of Mormon should be in King James English. My guess is he makes the same mistake old timers in church do now when they’re praying and they start speaking King James English using thee and thou as if there’s something particularly holy about this type of speech, not recognizing the real Bible character didn’t speak like this, but only people around Shakespear’s time when the KJV was written.
Please understand. Our belief that there is one God and one only is one of the most basics of our doctrines. To abandon that is to abandon true Christianity. Read these passages:
"Ye are My witnesses", saith the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He: before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no savior." (Isaiah 43:10-11)
Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and His redeemer the LORD of hosts; "I am the first, and I am the last; and beside Me there is no God." (Isaiah 44:6)
"Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even My witnesses. Is there a God beside Me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." (Isaiah 44:8)
Once when I was discussing this with a mormon, he told me that these scriptures merely mean that there are no other gods in THIS eternity but that there are other eternities. I said to him, "ok, consider for a moment that I am right and there is only one God period; no other gods in other eternities. If that’s the case, how could God say it any more clearly than what He did in Isaiah 44:8 (above)". It couldn’t have been said any more clearly and he knew it because he didn’t have an answer to my question. I’ve found that when you stump a mormon they fall back on their burning in the bosom experience, and that is a VERY dangerous proposition to base what you believe about the nature of God and His salvation on a physical sensation. It seems to me that Satan could easily effect this or perhaps even the subconcious, but only God can open someone’s eyes to a simple knowledge of the truth. They preach a work based gospel and the true gospel says that we are saved by grace alone through faith, not by works. Paul wrote to the Galations that if even an angel from heaven (think Moroni) comes bringing a different gospel, he should be accursed. Mormonism is very clearly a false gospel; one like what the scriptures warn us about. Please don’t fall for this deception.
References :
Here are a couple of comments:
1. Mormons do not pray to Jesus. They pray to God the father in the name of Jesus Christ. Heavenly father is the great supreme being. Jesus Christ is also God by virtue of the fact that all things and all authority have been committed to him. All things were created by him before he was born into mortality. Because of his sacrifice, we can be saved. Our prayers are answered by him. Mormons believe that Jesus (also known as Jehovah) was the God of the old testament who spoke to Moses. All things however are under the direction of the Father. But because the father and son are one in purpose and because Jesus is the perfectly faithful son, what Jesus would do is the same as what the father would do.
2. I remember when I joined the church. I got to a point where I wanted to receive a revelation that the Book of Mormon is true. I knew that I would receive it. What I did not realize is that I already knew that it was true. However, at a time shortly after I joined the church, I received a strong spiritual witness that the book is true.
Here is something that may work for you. Continue to pray and read. Everytime you read, ask yourself "could any man have written this book?" Once you become familiar with what is being taught, you realize that the teachings in the Book of Mormon are deep and are good. Your conscience will tell you that the teachings are good and there is no bad in it. You will come to realize deep in your being that no bad, deceitful person could have written the book and no good person would have if it was not true. Forget about people who tell you that it is written too simply or there is no evidence for it. The evidence IS the Book of Mormon. Find out what it teaches. It is amazing. It amplies what is in the bible. For example, the bible teaches that Christ atoned for our sins. The Book of Mormon explains the how’s and why’s and lays out the entire plan of salvation. Get to know the book. Understand what the writers were thinking.
3. There are no alternate translations of the Book of Mormon. You can get used to it. It is actually easier to read than the king James version of the bible.
References :
I can’t see why your question would disappear simply for posting a link to a song. Still…
1. We don’t really say the whole "Jesus pray for me" thing, because aren’t we the ones doing the praying? Yes, Christ is our Advocate and interceded on our behalf. We still don’t ask Him to pray for us. I can’t say that I’ve EVER heard that phrase in our church, so this isn’t really something you need to be concerned over.
2. You know, God is always ready and willing to give us answers to our prayers. The difficulty lies in recognizing those answers. When I prayed to learn the truth, it took me several days before I realized that I’d been getting an answer all along. I just hadn’t realized it, because I was waiting for lightening or some huge thing, and the answer was quiet and calm. Maybe you should begin praying also for an answer you can recognize?
3. Devotional images? We don’t really have those. Yes, lots of Mormons have pictures of the First Vision in their homes, but that’s not really about Joseph Smith at all. It’s about Christ and the restoration of the gospel. If we have devotional images, I think they’d be of the temples or of Christ. If you want something like that, go to deseretbooks.com or ensignbooks.com.
4. There are not any more modern versions of the BOM. Translations and versions of the Bible abound, and that’s not a good thing. Every time someone decides to change something, something else is lost. We don’t want that to happen to the BOM, though you could try looking for a kid’s version. You’ll miss out on a lot, but at least you’ll get the stories down.
Word of advice? You probably shouldn’t ask Joseph Smith to pray for you. He’s not the Savior. Though I firmly believe our loved ones watch out for us from the other side, he can’t really intercede for you on that level. You need to turn directly to God, because only God can give you the answers you’re seeking. Joseph Smith can’t. He was a great prophet, but again, he wasn’t the Savior. He wasn’t God. You need to turn to them instead. It may help.
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1.I have never considered not saying Jesus Pray for me as a limitation of His power and I’ve been raised and believe in the LDS faith. There are so many other ways that I feel Christ’s love, His power and His influence in my life. I’ve have felt it when someone uses His priesthood upon me when I’ve been feeling low or I have been sick.
2. This is something that you’re going to have to find out on your own and no amount of suggestions or helps are going to make you come to your own conclusion. Prayer is probably the only way you’re going to find out on your own.
3. Mormon/LDS faith doesn’t really use too many iconic type worship figures or images. But we do have symbolism on our Temples and in the ordinances that we preform that show our devotion. Most of our devotion is an active form of Worship.
4. Well there is is one link I have to a website that is titled The Plain Book of Mormon. It’s not sanctioned by the First Presidency though so I recommend reading it alongside the version you have now. See: http://plainbookofmormon.com
I agree with what one poster stated, we don’t ask for Joseph Smith’s help to understand the Book of Mormon. We ask God and believe that the Holy Spirit/Ghost will reveal to us the truth. Christ is our intermediary with the Father and not Joseph Smith.
Hope that I could help you.
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LDS
It sounds obvious to me that the Spirit is working upon you and causing you to see the importance of the Book of Mormon. I testify to you that it is truly another witness, a true witness, that Jesus is in fact the Christ, the Savior of the world.
Always remember that God, our Heavenly Father, loves you and that He does hear your prayers and will answer them. You do not need to ask Jesus or Joseph Smith to pray for you. You can do it for yourself.
May God bless you as you continue to learn and may you have ears to hear the promptings of the Spirit. It sounds like you have already received a witness in your heart and in your mind.
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1- Yes, Jesus is our Intercessor, but He does not pray for us. We are perfectly capable of speaking to our Father ourselves… although, we do close our prayers "… in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.".. or ".. in Jesus’ name, amen."
I suspect that most of His intercessor-ing is 2-part… The first part happened in the Garden of Gethsemane (where He did actually pray for us- John 17), and the second part will happen at the Final Judgment, where He will be our Advocate (like an attorney?).
2- I’ve found a pattern in my own life. Clarity of though IS the answer.. as is confusion… Clarity being an affirmative, confusion being a negative. Now go back and read the first paragraph of your question, and I think you may have your answer.
3- Devotional items? We don’t really use props in our worship (sorry if that word doesn’t fit quite right- it was the only one that came to mind). We certainly have images of Christ available through various LDS-leaning establishments. Try deseretbook.com- They carry books by LDS leaders, as well as music and various kinds of images (photography, painting, drawings, etc) by LDS artists.
Here’s my favorite image if the resurrection!– http://deseretbook.com/item/3866448/He_Is_Risen
4- No, there are no other English versions of the Book of Mormon. When Joseph Smith translated it, he used the language that he’d experienced in the Bible (which only came in KJV at that time). Of course, the BoM comes in other languages…. again, I think you can get at least some of them via deseretbook.com
Regarding your last paragraph- please refer to my response to #1. A prayer intercessor is unnecessary. Here’s the basics of what we believe about prayer.
http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bd/p/54
My favorite part of this is, "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part."
In other words, it is almost automatic for a child to seek help from his/her parent, no intercessor necessary. Speaking directly to our Father is a wonderful way to gain the help we need, as well as develop the close relationship with Him that He desires for us.
References :
deseretbook.com
lds.org
scriptures.lds.org
I gave a fuller answer regarding modern English translations in another question, but here is the link for reference:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Book_of_Mormon_(Plain_English_Version)
or
http://plainbookofmormon.com/
A recent talk went into the subject of Joseph Smith and the divinity of The Book of Mormon. I highly recommend it and keep in mind that during the persecutions, the mobs would ask believers to renounce The Book of Mormon and be spared (they did not renounce). Also look up tarring and feathering on Wikipedia and ask yourself how long you would last if what you were saying was not true. One final thought, the mobs tried to force acid down the throat of Joseph Smith and several family members died defending the truth. Here is video of the talk:
http://broadcast.lds.org/genconf/2009/10/50/GC_2009_10_503_HollandJR___eng_.wmv
or a transcript (not as powerful):
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-1117-28,00.html
Please bookmark our site about Jesus Christ as it’s full of great information and images:
http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/
Even if you have no intention of converting I appreciate your efforts at understanding that we can have slightly different beliefs and still be faithful. Take things in baby steps and you’ll see it’s not such a leap.
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LDS
you have some really good answers here from my fellow LDS – I’m just going to add a couple of points that help clarify for me…..
1)
Hebrews 9:15 calls Jesus the mediator of the New Covenant.
Jesus is the Mediator between God and humanity John 14:6, 1 Timothy 2:5, 2 Nephi 2:28, D&C 76:69 (I included LDS scripture)
2)
because of free agency – you really have to come to a conclusion over whether you accept scripture as the word of God, and then pray about whether your choice is correct – but you HAVE to make the choice yourself. no saint, nor relative, nor Joseph Smith or anyone else can help in this process….we each have to make the choice on our own – and sometimes we have to learn line upon line upon line before we reach the point where we are ready to make that choice correctly……
thank you for your respectful manner – it is appreciated.
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For a prayer to be answered, it must be given with real intent. That means that the person who prays must be willing to act on the information. God doesn’t answer prayers just to satisfy our idle curiousity.
As far as witnesses; there are also two more that aren’t in the official list of 11; Joseph Smith himself, and Mary Whitmer, who was the wife of David Whitmer. Mary Whitmer reported seeing both the angel Moroni and the gold plates. Emma Smith didn’t see the plates, but also gave an interesting testimony: she reported that she felt the plates, moving them in the course of cleaning, never having unwrapped them from the cloth that was used to conceal them.
As the Book of Mormon explains, in the tenth chapter of Mormon, we are to ask God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ if these things (the record of the Book of Mormon) are not true. We don’t pray to Jesus or Joseph Smith or Peter or anyone other than God. We always end the prayer "In the name of Jesus Christ", as this is how we have been instructed to pray.
References :
listen to these perspectives:
http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/the-restoration-of-truth/the-restoration-of-the-gospel#d
http://www.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/basic-beliefs/members-stories/members-stories
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Remember this: ALL good things come from God. IF you are feeling good when you read the Book of Mormon, there’s your answer. Same with the song about Joseph. Those good feelings are the Holy Ghost testifying to you the things that are true. You may not be recognizing those as "answers" because either 1) you’ve never felt that before and/or 2) it’s not a "yes" or "no" voice telling you…
The Holy Ghost teaches and testifies through thoughts, feelings, comfort, peace and joy.
Others have answered your question well, I just wanted to add my two cents. Continue to pray, continue to seek for answers. Attend the church meetins. I promise you, if you are sincere, you will get your answers. Sometimes we have to go through the learning first and that helps us come dependent upon the Lord.
I know the gospel is true!
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Eternally LDS
1. We pray to God through Jesus Christ. The phrase we usually use while praying is "Dear Heavenly Father" or "Dear Father in heaven", and then we end it "in the name of they Son Jesus Christ, Amen". Jesus is still a deity even though he’s not God the Father. For example, we believe that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament. He is the Lord Jehovah and he created the world under the direction of God the Father.
read more about that here http://scriptures.lds.org/en/bd/g/43
2. I think you’ve got your answer already, or you’re close to getting it. You already can’t stop thinking about it.
3. You should try going to Deseret Book, they have some LDS art. http://deseretbook.com/store/browse/156
4. I think some people have made more up to date ones, but we’re encouraged to read the original and let the spirit help us interpret them, instead of reading some uninspired person’s translation. There are foot notes on the bottom of the pages with other scriptures you could read relating to the subjects, and that helps.
And you probably shouldn’t ask Joseph Smith to pray for you…
Maybe you could talk to some missionaries and discuss some Book of Mormon verses and see if they’ll help you understand them better.
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Ok. There have been a lot of good answers here, but I just felt the need to add a few things.
1- Christ is our Savior. He is our advocate to the Father. Because of His atonement, we are able to have Him on our side. We don’t pray to Him because He isn’t our God. He is the Son of God, which is awesome and wonderful. We pray to our Father in Heaven. He is the one who allows a way for our prayers to be answered. Now, remember, just because we ask for something doesn’t mean we will always get the answer we think we will get. Sometimes answers to prayers come through feelings, or thoughts. Sometimes they even come through someone else. Don’t limit yourself to just one path for an answer.
2- You have to come to the conclusion yourself and then ask if you are right. From what you are saying, you have received an answer already. It seems that yours is in the form of feelings and ponderings. Maybe what you should do is take some time to be alone, and in a quiet spot where you can think and really understand those feelings. Sometimes the best moments of clarity come when we have no distractions, and are open to feeling the promptings and answers the spirit can give.
3- We don’t use any devotional images. To us, worship is about learning and feeling the spirit, not about images. Sometimes, images are a distraction and can actually take away from the promptings of the Spirit. If you would like to look at some pictures that we enjoy, you can go to http://deseretbook.com/store/category/8 That is all the art that they offer, and is the best selection that is available.
4- There is only one translation of the Book of Mormon. The reason is simple: One translation means less chance of mistakes being made. There have been some minor changes over time, but they have been things like spelling, grammer and punctuation. I understand what you mean when you say it’s hard to understand. Old english is hard to understand, until you get used to it. Keep reading, and it will get easier to understand.
That song is also one of my favorites!!!! Have you ever heard the Mormon Tabernacal Choir? If not, you should! The are amazing and really help to invite the Spirit. Check that website I posted for a list of their albums.
Also, if you go to http://www.mormon.org, you can chat with a live person that can answer some of your questions in more detail.
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I too am a former Catholic who converted to the LDS Church over 40 years ago now. For me personally, the nature of the Godhead as taught in LDS Doctrine and as seen through the vision personally witnessed by Joseph Smith was for me the main thing that brought me to the LDS Faith and a testimony of it. Christ’s divinity and atonement for mankind, the knowledge that God has not left us in this day but continues to speak for man through Modern Prophets and the beautiful knowledge and message within the pages of the Book of Mormon are resounding eternal truths that I could not and can not deny.
Where I once felt lost and uncomfortable with who the Catholic faith had taught me God "was" – I found peace, comfort and a rightness and truth with the nature of Heavenly Father and His holy Son, Jesus CHrist within the bounds of the LDS doctrines. THey were immediately ‘home" to my heart & soul. I found WHO I always felt my Heavenly Father and Christ to be finally and it remains so for me today.
We all need, seek and find spiritually TRUTHS very differently. It was not a effort to find my personal testimony because the spirit born witness of it from the onset of my instruction and learning. Some must take a leap of faith, others need to test the word for themselves in different ways, prayer, fasting, much study & adversity as Enos fought with the spirit in the Book of Mormon until he finds forgiveness at God’s grace after MUCH time & work. We are each different.You must find your path based on your personal relationship with your Heavenly Father. Praying to Him, your Father in Heaven, who knows & loves you completely and perfectly in the name of His son, your Savior & Redeemer Jesus Christ I would hope would be an easy and very personal and comfortable thing to do….
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You may not want to convert, but you are a far sight better off than several others who "answered" here who don’t know a single thing about the religion, yet speak so authoritatively about it. Kudos to you for open-mindedness. Those are probably the same people who claim Catholic isn’t Christian, either.
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1. We do not pray to Jesus. We pray directly to God or otherwise called Heavenly Father. We pray in Jesus’ name. He is not an intercessor.
2. After you pray, sit still and contemplate what you have prayed about and what you have read. If you get that "warm fuzzy" feeling, that is the Holy Spirit testifying to you that it is true. Besides all that, if you have already closed yourself off to "conversion" then you won’t feel anything because you must be open to allow the Holy Spirit to give you that witness.
3. http://www.ldscatalog.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10151&storeId=10151&categoryId=13794&langId=-1&cg1=&cg2=&cg3=&cg4=&cg5=
or
http://deseretbook.com/store/category/8
4. The Book of Mormon is written in the same language as the KJV of the Holy Bible which was the only version available in English until about 1960 or so.
No one intercedes for us when praying.
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church of Jesus Christ (as recorded in the New Testament) now restored to earth by Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith. You are beginning to realize this, but still understandably view things from a Catholic perspective. Joseph would not want you to ask him to pray for you, but rather that you pray to your Heavenly Father always in the name of Jesus Christ, as Jesus instructed His disciples:
16 … that whatsoever ye
shall ask of the Father in my name,
he may give it you.
(John 15:16)
The original Church of Jesus Christ was lost from the earth as men killed the apostles and other church leaders and began to change the doctrines and ordinances of the true gospel. Baptism in the New Testament was performed only by immersion, never by sprinkling, for example. So the true church had to be restored by God through modern revelation.
Is this the link where you find the song you like?
http://www.lds.org/cm/catalogsearchalpha/1,17929,4782-1-1,00.html#nullLink
It contains all the songs in our hymn book; choose "Words and Music" under the play arrow for the Interactive Church Music Player. In addition to the Hymns, try the Children’s Songbook!
Other great links about the Church:
http://www.mormon.org
http://www.LDS.org
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The other answers by fellow Latter-day Saints are good ones and hard to follow. I’ll try to be brief as possible.
1. Jesus Christ is to be revered as the Creator of Heaven, the earths, and the universes as we know them, but He has commanded that we always pray to the Father in Heaven and in His name, Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Mediator, Redeemer, and Savior through whom we address the Father in all prayers.
2. Sometimes answers to prayers are vague or distant. Most often, anything worthwhile must be prayed for numerous times with a contrite heart and broken spirit. Continue with your prayers; an answer that you will eventually understand will come.
3. The First Vision that Joseph Smith had is certainly the most well-known image concerning the Church, but so too are the images portrayed of John the Baptist conferring the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph and Oliver and then the conferring of the Melchizidek Priesthood upon Joseph and Oliver by Peter, James, and John. Images as these and prints of paintings depicting the Christ can be purchased through LDS Distribution Center. You need to ask a member to get them for you as the Distribution Center is accessible only to Church members.
4. The language of the Book of Mormon closely resembles that of the KJV of the Bible and I see it as more comprehensable, understanding, than of the Bible. Some people bother themselves over the trite sayings of some verses, such as "Now it came to pass" and "Behold . . . " but think of the triteness that most people say today in every sentence beginning with the words "well," "like," and "ok." Different words and phrases, but still habits.
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LDS
Everyone has done a great job at answering, I don’t think I really could elaborate on it any better, but I think you would enjoy watching this. It is taken from this past LDS General Conference, and the man speaking is Elder Holland, one of the Twelve Apostles. He spoke about the power of the Book of Mormon. People cannot stop talking about how great it is. I think you would enjoy it, even though you do not plan on converting. See the link below.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mPIm_OGw7o
I guess you have never looked at the lyrics!!!
"Mingling with Gods, he can plan for his brethren" GODS!!! so how many gods do they beleive in???
"
Plead unto heav’n while the earth lauds his fame" sounds like we will all prais ehis name ay?
" Great is his glory" once again praising him not Jesus?
"Crowned in the midst of the prophets of old." so he is better then Moses???
"
Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven;
Earth must atone for the blood of that man"
come on now you arn;t seeing anything wrong with these lyrics??? we all must atone for his death???
Hail to the Prophet, ascended to heaven!
C G C G D G
Traitors and tyrants now fight him in vain."
sounds real prideful and full of Joseph worship to me!
"
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