The fact of the matter is, that Mormons want their religion to be true, very badly, so they aren't going to let a few criticisms or "problems" get in the way of their unquestioning faith and loyalty. If you can't deal with it then you must lump it, cause that's the way it is. blaugh (I don't mean to sound so serious). Mormons love their religion... at least many seem to...and I think I am able to see things from their perspective to a degree and understand why. For me however, Mormonism is more fascinating than anything for a number of reasons I don't want to take time to recall at the moment, sorry. But on the other hand, I'm fairly rational, and when Mormonism claimed to be the truth faith, I spent over 9 months looking into it to see if it were so. No I did not look at only faith promoting material, or only that which is church sanctioned. I try to research both sides before making my conclusion.
For a long time, the Mormon church was extremely critical of the Christian world, claiming it was destitute of any truth, that all of Christianity was an abomination. Now suddenly, in recent times, it is trying to associate itself more and more with the so-called "church of abominations" and be seen as just another Christian denomination. The fact is, the Mormon theology is radically different from that presented in Bible-based Christianity. Either Mormonism is false or the rest of Christianity is false. Mormons teach salvation by works while Christians teach salvation by grace, two very different ideas. Either man is able to justify himself, or he is not. If he is not, then Mormonism could be a very dangerous practice. They say their faith is in Jesus but in practice, their faith rests upon doing those ordinances which they have been instructed they must perform if they are to be saved --that is, exalted into eternal life. There is no believing ON Jesus in Mormonism, they only believe in him inasfar as general resurrection is concerned. Mormonism teaches that God was once a sinner... a man, like any of us, in another time on another earth similar to this one, and that our God had to save himself by doing that which his God and the Gods before them had previously done. Mormons may deny this, or avoid talking about it, but it is central to their doctrine of eternal progression. If you are not progressing then you are damned. If the Lord God Elohim is not currently progressing still, then He is damned. Therefore there is no such thing as absolute "perfection" in Mormon theology, but an endless ladder of progression.
That is closer to Hinduism than the Biblically supported God. And this is only scratching the tip of the problems I see in Mormon doctrine and belief, historical or current.
That being said... I feel a sort of melancholy for those who were born and raised in the LDS and grow up having full trust in Joseph Smith and in their church. I like all the Mormons I've met, and don't ask me why, but despite it all, I still really like Mormonism, but I can't ignore that they are trusting in something to be true which isn't, and if I can feel pained on their behalf from that realization, think what those Mormons feel who "realize" for themselves that they've invested so much of their life into something that never was. Maybe the fear of that possibility is partially why many choose not to deal with their own doubts. There's more to it than that, of course...
Anyway, sorry to those Mormons here. I understand your need to rationalize everything away, even this post which you will undoubtedly do, because of the need to feel secure and right. That's fine. Things become confusing and complicated otherwise, as I should know.
Anyway, to conclude:
There are too many problems in Mormonism for it to be true, in my view.
I don't intend nor am I expecting to "convince" the Mormons here that they are wrong, because that's obviously not going to happen, no matter how many "problems" I present.
I am hoping that believing Mormons (and sincere, loving ppl of other faiths) are not automatically disqualified from being saved (having eternal life) (yes I know that sounds kinda rediculous to you LDS, since you have the opposite view). I'm probably still far from concluding one way or the other, and I'd like to hear from other Christians if they have any evidence one way or the other on whether they think Mormons can really be Christians, meaning, have saving faith. I'm really interested in solving this one.
Take care peeps.
