What is it about Mormons??

The only real division between a cult and a religion is the amount of adherants.

so Dok how many adherents does it take to make a cult into a religion?

Enough to make it palletable to the mainstream media.

but many times the media find some groups palletable and still call them a cult ..so surely thats not a definition???

It's not a bad working defination.

LoL I call bullshit.
Give me just one example of mainstream media using the word 'cult' in a positive context.

How many satanists does it take to change a light bulb?

Trick question...A satanist wouldn't screw in a lightbulb, as it would displease the Dark Lord.

Mormons believe in a unique form of reincarnation and I like that.

Mormons are the most inane (ok not the MOST) of all the cults. They are also very interesting. Their logic/belief system is absurd but that don't make them totally bad. I have a lifelong pal that has been mormon since he was born. He married a jewish chick from Manhattan, they spend 3 years trying to convert each other before the divorce. She got the kids and the car and the house.

I see Mormons as Christian Americans who felt left out of thick of things in The Big Book, so they had Another Book revealed to them to include the North American continent. The promised land is North America. It's a very patroitic religion.

Yeah, I've been to Utah a few times and talked some with an ex-Mormon. I don't remember all the details, but I recall thinking that it was pretty ridiculous. She told me something about these golden plates that supposedly exist but no one has been able to find them, yet. And on them is written some secret messages from God, or some kooky **** like that. (I know that's not exactly right, but it's probably close enough.) I'm sorry if I any Mormons are offended by my post, but damn, you got a nutty religion.

Salt Lake City, however, is pretty nice. I bet it's a great place to live.

I don't think Mormons are any nuttier than any other religion. Personally, I'd rather deal with any Mormon than with a more fundamentalist Christian.
The Mormons I know, quite a few of them, are certainly less judgemental and not so fired up about condeming me to Hell for all eternity.

One thing I really like about Mormons is their sense of community. Move to a new city? There are people there to help you unpack and settle in. Have a baby? Expect at least a weeks worth of dinners brought to your home. Get sick? Help is on the way. I think such behavior is one of the real secrets to their success.

As to finding golden plates - it can't be any easier than finding... say... I don't know.... a ark maybe.

I'm sure there are Mormons that are nuttier than fruitcakes. I haven't come across them yet.

You haven't read the Book of Mormon, obviously . . . in the goofy scripture sweepstakes, the Book of Mormon takes the prize . . . wait'll you get to Central America with Hey-Zeus ! ! !

The Official Online version of the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, brought to you by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.



The angel Moroni appears to Joseph Smith, September 21, 1823.

You gotta know how to pony
Like phony Moroni . . .

I think all religions are a bit goofy; Mormanism isn't any exception.

I'm just saying that the Mormons I know are all pretty nice people.

Plus, they have that absolutely amazing choir.

A lot of people believe goofy things, of all the goofy things I've ever heard "the shoes make the man" is probably the goofiest, closely followed by those annoying "you'll be remembered for your watch" ads currently infecting my television.

The Shoebyterians are so bizarre.

I don't subscribe to most religious doctrines but there are a few in the Mormon faith I could never subscribe too. The Mormon women I know are very nice and I count them among my closest friends but they all subscribe to the subserviency of women to their master husbands. No thanks!

I've known a few Mormons, some who actively practice, and some who were raised in that relegion, but don't seem active in their church now. I even know one quite well who converted to the religion.

I haven't found them to be spacy at all. On the contrary, I'd have to say each one of them are very pleasant people. As a matter of fact, I would have to say one of the kindest, most moral people I ever met happened to be a Mormon. Only knew this guy a brief time, and he doesn't know it, but he was very instrumental in a major positive change in my life, just by being himself. Thank you Arlo, where ever you are.

Boom is right, there is a big sense of community.

That said, from the readings I've done, I find the beliefs hard to swallow. However, what this made me realize is how bizarre, for instance christianity must sound to let's say a Hindu.

I won't get this all correct, so if there is someone who knows the history better, please step in.....

The religion was started by Joseph Smith, in the 1800's. He says he had several visions from the angel Moroni, which in part involved leading him to a place where he would find these golden plates, which only he would be allowed to see, and that he would transcribe into English.

Previous to this, both he and his immediate family engaged in activities not exactly on the up and up.......and IMO afterwards too.
He at one point, received another vision from Moroni regarding polygamy. There were apparantly dozens of wives he married, some I think as young as 14, all in secret ceremonies.

Between the polygamy and a few other issues that involve subterfuge, he was murdered by an angry mob.

In the words of Kurt Vonnegut....So it goes....

In brief, the history provided in the book of Mormon does not jive with historical fact, and must be taken on faith.

For instance, they believe Native American are decendants of people who traveled over here from the Middle East. Also, they speak of having horses, chariots, eating wheat, all of which were not in the North American Continent.

However, from what I read in Sundays paper regarding Christmas, there is actually a lot of discrepancy as far as when Jesus could have been born, since certain key players, like Herod for instance, where not even alive at the time of birth.

So it goes.....

I'm not sure I understand the original question, which I understand the irony, since you are saying Mormons seem 'spaced'. However, I believe you would actually find that most Mormons have a great desire to have higher education, and I don't really see where 'spaced' comes into play. I could understand seeing many as naive, since we do have high moral values and many who grow up in predominantly Mormon areas may not have experience with some people with other values. So naive may be an accurate term for some, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. I didn't grow up in a "Mormon" area though.

Anyway, if you want accurate answers to some of the questions posted here. www.mormon.org is a great place to visit. As for women being subservient to men, I have NEVER seen an instance of our church encouraging this at all. Yes, men only hold the priesthood, but this is not at all anything to do with subservience. I think you would find most Mormon men to be actively involved as parents and helpers in their homes. Men are always being encouraged to support their wives and help in all aspects. Yes, we do have traditional values and believe it's best when financially feasible, for the Mom to be at home raising the kids, but we also strongly believe in a 50/50 partnership. Mormon women are not at all subservient to their husbands, and do not ask permission for anything, or anything of the sort.

And we are definitely community-oriented. It's true. When we moved here, we called up our local ward (congregation), and we had people here to greet us, help us unpack, etc. And when our last baby was born, we probably had 10 meals brought in to help us out in those first few weeks.

By the way, my experience is definitely as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints. There are other groups that have spun off that may refer to themselves as 'Mormon', and I have NO CLUE what they believe.

What makes the religion interesting (to me, at least) is the fact that, unlike the other main religions, its origins are relatively recent.

"Under the Banner of Heaven" by Krakauer is a good read. I'm sure what he describes--the activities of some modern-day polygamists who call themselves traditional Mormons--won't please the LDS church, he also writes (accurately, I think) about the history of the religion.

And it's fascinating, to say the least.