His Big Ticket?

Speaking of Joseph Smith, President Gordon B. Hinckley has said, "The instrument in this work of God was a boy whose mind was not cluttered by the philosophies of men. That mind was fresh and without schooling in the traditions of the day." ("The Marvelous Foundation of Our Faith," Ensign, Nov. 2002, pg 80)

Blatantly false. Joe Smith is a known glass-looker and treasure-digger, two common "traditions of (his) day". His mind not cluttered by the philosophies of men? Then why did Joe practice folk magic with seer stones and divination rods? This is more lies that those white guy Mormons tell about the beginnings of Mormonism and Joe Smith. They whitewash, 'sanitize', hideaway the truth so that unknowing people will be deceived into joining their church thinking it's all "'pure' and delightsome." What really pisses me off is that everybody uses the stories of Joe Smith to prove that he's a prophet and the church is true -but the stories they're telling aren't true!! When you look at the truth, Joe is just another kid in the burned-over district who got caught up in all this folk magic and revivalism. The only difference between him and the others is that his religion is still around today -can that be considered proof of Christ's true church? I think not!

Speaking of the revivalism in upstate/western New York, the LDS' version of the story is that "there were many different churches and Joseph didn't know which one to join" and that's when he supposedly prayed to God for wisdom and received the "First Vision". Okay, so at 14 (1820), Joe prays and God tells him "none of them are correct"...5 or 6 years later (1826) he is in court on accusations of swindling Josiah Stowell out of money by pretending to see in a stone the location of treasure buried by Spaniards and Indians [native Americans] (to which JS admitted he did pretend)....a year later (1827) he elopes with Emma Hale because of her father Isaac's disapproval of Joe and his treasure-digging....after a few months they finally go see Isaac where Joe promises to end his treasure-seeking ways...ONE MONTH LATER, Joe claims to have found the golden plates containing the writing of the ancient inhabitants of this land....one year later (1828) Joe joins the Methodist church to which Emma belongs. Hmm....then he begins 'translating' the Book of Mormon by use of his seer stone. You know, it looks to me like a boy caught up in the fanaticism in his area was looking for his "big break" and finally found it in a little story about some golden plates and revelations from God.

Are you worthy?

"When I was a Mormon I walked out into the field by our home. I spent a great deal of time there on my knees before God pleading with him for help and just a hint that he was truly there. Week after week after week I would cry out to him. ... I never heard an answer. Not once. Not a sign, not a vision, not a burning my bosom, no sensations in my heart or my mind - nothing. Not a single answer in all 16 years in Mormonism. ... Mormons told me that I had already received an answer. I was told to stop trying and to start obeying. If I was not paying my tithing, fulfilling my full duties to Mormonism including attending and callings - then I was not worthy enough to receive an answer." -Infymus(emphasis mine)

Who seriously believes God works like this? I mean, obviously Mormons do -this is the mindset I was taught and grew up with. When I didn't feel anything special doing baptisms for the dead, I figured it was because I was too rebellious, I wasn't a good little Mormon girl so I didn't deserve the blessings or whatever. Funny thing is, this is the exact opposite of God. The Good News of the Bible is that even though we are rebellious and disobedient, God still wants to save us!! If God only answered people who were being obedient, very few people would be saved -and then what would be the point of Christ dying on the cross for everyone's sins?? We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ and this grace is a gift. (Eph 2:8) If we have to work (pay, pray, and obey) for Him to give an answer, then it is not a gift -no longer "not of ourselves"- but a response. It's just such BS that you have to meet certain requirements first -it's part of that belief that Mormons are special people, the only ones with the whole truth. "We're good/holy enough that God reveals his true Gospel to us." I'm sorry I'm getting really upset right now with the absurdity of these statements/beliefs that I'm realizing as I'm typing.

Romans 5:8 says "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." This reinforces the teaching that there's NOTHING we can do to merit God's grace. Mormons were right that he had received his answer: God did not affirm his beliefs so the answer is no, "the Church" is not true, the Book of Mormon is not true, Joseph Smith was not a prophet of God. Silence can speak volumes.

So I've been posting a lot about things about Mormon Curtain, but I assure you it's not the only thing I read. Actually, most of my energies are currently spent on Mormon Coffee but most of my refutations to those posts get posted there. Mormon Coffee has no place for comments so I vent them out here. Check out the Links sidebar for a list of other helpful Mormon and Christian sites that are usually up in my browser.