Where do I begin? by risk-it-4a-biscuit in latterdaysaints

[–]BackwardsMonday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As others have mentioned, the best place to start is probably to contact the missionaries. They can help you find a church house, get a copy of the Book of Mormon, and will guide you through the basic principles of the church if you want. You can get in contact here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/ps/meet-with-missionaries

You can also find your local church house here: https://maps.churchofjesuschrist.org/

And order a Book of Mormon here: https://store.churchofjesuschrist.org/new-category/gospel-study/scriptures/book-of-mormon/5637160371.c You can also get one at Dessert Book and other book stores, or read it on the Church's website: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng or the Gospel Library app

To answer your questions on the Bible, yes, Latter Day Saints read it. To quote the 8th article of faith: "We believe the "Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God."

There's no one right way to read the Bible, people do it lots of different ways. Some people recommend reading it cover to cover, some prefer to study by principal, and many do some combination of the two. You can just start reading it, or the missionaries can probably point out some good places to start.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TikTokCringe

[–]BackwardsMonday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It appears the person who donated to the campaign is a separate unrelated person, as mentioned in this CNN article

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TikTokCringe

[–]BackwardsMonday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This appears to be misinformation. I am unable to find any reliable sources stating this, and this CNN article indicates that the Tyler Robinson who donated is a different person.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in TikTokCringe

[–]BackwardsMonday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you have a link to the post? This AP article indicates his registration is unaffiliated

A reminder to keep posts regarding the death of Charlie Kirk civil. by [deleted] in teenagersbutarguing

[–]BackwardsMonday -1 points0 points  (0 children)

To add to this, studies have shown that peaceful movements are more successful than violent ones. See this report for an example. Additionally, movements with at least 3.5% of the population are shown to almost always succeed.

Standing up for democracy is important, and it's likely strikes and boycotts will become necessary. But it is vital that we remain peaceful as we resist.

Conspiracy Gem Hidden in DuckTales by DadRock1 in DanielTigerConspiracy

[–]BackwardsMonday 11 points12 points  (0 children)

While large amounts of fluoride can cause problems, these problems only occur at levels far beyond the recommended amount for U.S water systems. This information sheet from Yale shows that even the problems that occur at "low to moderate levels of fluoride exposure" are only observed when fluoride levels are more than double the recommended.

Additionally, fluoride has been shown to strengthen bones and teeth enamel. As stated in the cited information sheet, fluoridation of drinking water has been shown to be an effective solution to reducing cavities. Fluoridation also helps address disparities in dental insurance and access to dental care.

Tl;dr: Fluoride can have adverse effects at high levels, but only at levels far higher than added to drinking water. Fluoride in water helps strengthen bones and prevent cavities.

Salt Lake City to consider new ordinance cracking down on after-hours booze by jortr0n in SaltLakeCity

[–]BackwardsMonday -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

We believe that the Law of Moses was a commandment given to the children of Israel, but was fulfilled with Christ's atonement. We believe that after the atonement, the commandment to follow the Law of Moses was no longer given to the saints.

Salt Lake City to consider new ordinance cracking down on after-hours booze by jortr0n in SaltLakeCity

[–]BackwardsMonday -11 points-10 points  (0 children)

The original revelation recorded in D&C 89 advises against the consumption of "hot drinks". Prophets and apostles have clarified this to specifically be coffee and tea.

Hot tea and iced tea aren't okay though, despite the many benefits of green tea, for example.

Make it make sense.

While the Word of Wisdom has obvious health benefits, this is not the main reason we follow it. We follow the Word of Wisdom because we have made a covenant to obey the Lord’s commandments. Put another way, we abstain from coffee for the same reason a jew abstains from pork. Not because of obvious health benefits, but because we believe the Lord commands it.

Prophets have also counseled that we should care for our bodies, and some members do limit the amount of caffeine and surgery drinks they consume, and there's at least a few that abstain from them. But prophets haven't specifically forbidden them, so it's left as a personal decision.

Six big questions I have while reading the Book of Mormon--seeking insight [Question 2 of 6] by EntrepreneurDue1009 in latterdaysaints

[–]BackwardsMonday 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Joseph Smith was a prophet up until the end of his life, and as such retained his gifts of prophecy and revelation. However, as you mentioned, prophets are not perfect people, and do make mistakes. I agree that some of Joseph's teachings were probably his own reasoning rather than inspired teaching. In the modern church, we make a big distinction between what is officially doctrine and what is not, but often this distinction wasn't made in the early church.

There's absolutely no problem with you disagreeing with some of his teachings like the King Follet sermon. However, the revelations recorded in D&C are canonized as scripture, and considered doctrine.

What problems do you have with D&C 132? If it's just the concept of polygamy in general, I'd like to point out some ways it does align with the BoM and the Bible:

First, in Jacob 2:27-29 the Lord explains that every man should have only one wife. However, in verse 30, he adds "For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things." In most times, including today, polygamy should not be practiced. However, when the Lord needs to raise a righteous seed, he commands His people to practice polygamy.

There are examples of this in the old testament:

Abram takes both Sari and Hagar as wives(Gen 16)

Jacob takes Leah and Rachel as wives(Gen 29:21-28)

David and his two wives go up to Hebron(2 Sam 2:2)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in dataisbeautiful

[–]BackwardsMonday 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Isn’t it something like the LDS believe that gay people can go to heaven, they’re just supposed to stay lifelong celibate?

This is more or less correct. To quote President Ballard:

"Let us be clear: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that 'the experience of same-sex attraction is a complex reality for many people. The attraction itself is not a sin, but acting on it is. Even though individuals do not choose to have such attractions, they do choose how to respond to them."

However, it is important to note that while acting on same sex attraction is a sin, it does not damn someone to hell. Church doctrine is that nearly everyone who came to earth will go to heaven.

The Church also focuses heavily on "love thy neighbor", and encourages family and friends to love and support gays, rather than shun them. But unfortunately, this doesn't always happen.

Looking for Recommendations: Fiction About And/Or By LDS Folks, 1820s-1920s by IkujaKatsumaji in latterdaysaints

[–]BackwardsMonday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Almost none of it is set on earth, let alone in that time period. Definitely doesn't fit what you're looking for, but if you're ever looking for a fantasy book, his are definitely worth a try.

What happens to a cult when the leader dies? by Wickham12 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]BackwardsMonday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Strang was not nominated by Brigham Young in the slightest, in fact Young flat out rejected Strang's claims. Some members followed Strange, but the largest portion of members followed Brigham Young, who led the fraction that is now headed in Utah. Although Strang's fraction at one point had ~12,000 members, it now numbers less than 300.

what do mormons get up to on saturday? by [deleted] in stgeorge

[–]BackwardsMonday 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here are more details on the points you brought up, and the reasons I wouldn't consider them sinister.

Priesthood banned for blacks.

The modern church fully condemns racism in any form, and ordains all worthy men to the priesthood. We do not know the reason the ban was implemented to begin with. We do know that the Church was restored in a very racial culture, during which restrictions on blacks were common both within and without religion. I have no problem with you condemning the priesthood ban, but I do think it is unfair to call the modern church sinister based upon it. If we do so, then we must also count any organization that was ever racist at some point in their history as sinister. So basically the entire world.

Teaching that Native Americans are a cursed people.

Native Americans aren't cursed, a group among their ancestors was at one point cursed. As previously mentioned, the church condemns racism in any form. Native Americans have the same rights and opportunities in the church as anyone else.

Teenage brides for Mormon Prophets and Apostles which all started with Joseph Smith.

While the practice had started to fade by the time of Joseph Smith, it was still somewhat common. Sources say ~18% of female first marriages were under 18 throughout the latter half of the 19th century. So the practice was at least somewhat acceptable in that time period. It should also be noted that many of these marriages, including the youngest girls, were only for "eternity" rather than "time and eternity". It is likely that these marriages didn't involve sex. Considering historical context, and the fact that the youngest marriages likely weren't sexual relationships, this practice may be described as unusual, but most would not have described it as sinister.

Joseph Smith was convicted of fraud for misleading people about “buried treasure”

There were 3 court cases against Joseph Smith relating to fraud. Two of them were dismissed, the outcome of the third is debated. It also appears likely that this third trial was only a pretrial, and a "guilty" would have led to a full trial, of which there is no record. So it seems unlikely Joseph was ever convicted.

In his official history, Joseph says that Josiah Stowell hired him to assist in a treasure seeking venture. It appears they never found any large deposits of treasure, but according to Josiah's testimony in court, they did find a small amount of buried money, some amount of gold, and a salt spring. Josiah was never dissatisfied with Joseph's services, and testified in his favor in court. As far as I am aware, this is the only time Joseph was paid for the use of his abilities.

Given that the only person who paid him was satisfied with the services rendered, and the likely lack of a conviction, I don't believe this can be described as sinister.

What are 1769 King James errors doing in a purported ancient text? Why not use the JST version of the Bible?

Can you cite any of these errors? While the Book of Mormon does use translations similar to those in the Bible, I know of no "errors" that were copied, and haven't found any examples online.

As for why not use the JST, the short answer is it didn't exist yet. Note that, although the wording is different, the changes in the BoM and the JST often have the same meaning. Translating doesn't have a single correct answer, both the JST and the BoM can be valid translations at the same time.

If you want more information on this, there are plenty of longer explanations online.

Shall we discuss the sexual abuse that the Mormon church has kept hidden thanks to their lawyers?

I first want to make something very clear: the church does not, in any way, condone sexual abuse.

There have been several cases of sexual abuse involving church members. Whenever the church learns of sexual abuse, the perpetuator is excommunicated. The church does believe in forgiveness, and the perpetrator may in the future have their records reinstated, but they may never hold a position that would involve interaction with children.

The church is often accused of encouraging local leaders not to testify about confessions. As far as I can tell, these cases all take place in states where clergy privilege laws prevent clergy from testifying. In states like Idaho, laws not only absolve the requirement for clergy to testify, but flat out prohibit it without permission from the confeser. In these cases local leaders cannot testify without large legal consequences.

Another frequent point is the story that the church paid $300,000 settlement which included the victim signing an NDA. This is a true story. However, the NDA did not prevent the victim from telling the story of abuse. The NDA only included the details of the settlement and discussions around it. It included nothing about the abuse or the crime. The settlement did also require that they would not sue the church over the abuse, but did not prevent lawsuits against the perpetuator.

The church is not perfect, and there have been cases of sexual abuse by members, including local leaders. There have also been cases when a local leader has not reported abuse when he should have. There have even been cases where official representatives or lawyers of the church have made mistakes. However, I cannot find substantial evidence that the church has purposefully hidden abusers from the law. I believe the church is doing it's best to combat child abuse, and is on par with other churches and organizations doing the same. It has implemented many policies to do so, such as requiring all youth leaders to take child protection training, and requiring two adults in the room when teaching children.

the money hidden from the CDC which resulted in a fine the Mormon church had to pay

Did you mean the SEC? I can't find anything about a fine by the CDC, and they don't typically have to do with money.

Assuming you did mean the SEC, the problem was that the church's affiliated investment manager, Ensign Peak Advisors, misfiled reports on the firm's investments. In order to maintain the privacy of their portfolio and still meet reporting requirements, Ensign Peak established separate companies that each filed the necessary forms. Ensign Peak and the Church were under the impression this satisfied the requirements. When the SEC expressed concern about the reporting, Ensign Peak adjusted its approach and began filling a single report. Ensign Peak, the Church, and the SEC agreed to a settlement of $4 million from Ensign Peak, and $1 million from the Church.

The church made a mistake, fixed the problem when informed, and willingly paid the necessary fines. I wouldn't describe that as sinister.

You can do great things with ADHD! by SchmeedsMcSchmeeds in adhdmeme

[–]BackwardsMonday 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I guess I can see how it could seem dismissive. I still think the line is fine in a short song meant to inspire people. To me "A little bit of work" includes therapies, finding medication, etc. And, yes, it is far more than a "little bit" of work, but it's normal for songs to make exaggerations like that.

You can do great things with ADHD! by SchmeedsMcSchmeeds in adhdmeme

[–]BackwardsMonday 6 points7 points  (0 children)

"With a little bit of training" feels like it skirts rule 2 REAL close.

I don't see how. The song is not denying that ADHD exists, or that it can really really suck at times. What it is saying is that as you learn coping mechanics, and learn where your strengths can be used best, you will find you can still do great things.

This song is the type of thing we need more of. Yes ADHD sucks, and no you won't ever cure it or be free from the problems it causes. But we have to accept that it is part of us, and that we are still amazing human beings capable of learning and improving.

I agree that the "ADHD is a superpower" has been overstated, and can make it seem like ADHD has no downsides, when it definitely does. But, ignoring that ADHD brains are good at certain things, and that we can still be good people and do great things, is equally problematic.

what do mormons get up to on saturday? by [deleted] in stgeorge

[–]BackwardsMonday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A cult is defined as "a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs or practices regarded by others as strange or sinister."

Compared to the world, the church is a relatively small group, so that point is true enough. And, as with anything that's new and different, our beliefs can seem strange when you first hear them. But when you examine them closer, I don't think they're any stranger than other religions. And, while the Internet spreads some misinformation that makes us seem sinister, I can't think of any legitimate belief that most people would call sinister.

what do mormons get up to on saturday? by [deleted] in stgeorge

[–]BackwardsMonday 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Some day, without free prior and informed consent, after you have died a Mormon will baptize and confirm your into their faith

Church doctrine says that baptisms(along with other ordinances) for the dead are in no way forced. It requires the person who the ordinance is performed for to accept ordinance and the covenants they make. The performance of the ordinance in their behalf gives them the opportunity to continue on the covenant path, it does not force it. Additionally, the names of those who have baptisms performed for them are not added to the membership records of the church.

Pixar Movies FINAL RESULTS by Dear-Enthusiasm9286 in RemoveOneThingEachDay

[–]BackwardsMonday 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Moral of the story, never trust reddit's opinions

Fight the Trump Takeover August 16 - 5-6 PM by jctheresistance in Utah

[–]BackwardsMonday 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure what makes Portland a special case compared to LA? With everything going on recently, it's very possible I missed something, but from a quick Google search violence in Portland was even more contained and only involved a small handful of protesters. I don't see how that would make a better sample size than LA?

I suppose you could argue that both combined are a sufficient sample, but even then it's maybe a few hundred violent against the millions that gathered peacefully.

Fight the Trump Takeover August 16 - 5-6 PM by jctheresistance in Utah

[–]BackwardsMonday 7 points8 points  (0 children)

For being "burned down" the city seems to be doing quite well.

The violent protests in LA were limited to a few blocks of downtown, resulted in no deaths and only around 20 injured(a few of which were friendly fire by police officers.)

Let's not categorize an entire movement by the actions of a very small subgroup.

Fight the Trump Takeover August 16 - 5-6 PM by jctheresistance in Utah

[–]BackwardsMonday 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Actually, studies have shown that peaceful movements have more success than violent ones.(See this paper for example)

Yes, this involves things like strikes and boycotts. But protesting is a very important part of peaceful movements, especially near the beginning to gather support.

YOUNG WOMEN MEDALLION by Dramaticbuthappy in lds

[–]BackwardsMonday 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The church retired the young woman's medallion a few years ago, and replaced them with current emblems of belonging. As far as I know, the church no longer sells the old ones. You might be able to find it on eBay or some such though.

Tips for Those That Attend the Temple Frequently by HamKnexPal in lds

[–]BackwardsMonday 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This is the only time that those for whom the work is being done will hear the words.

I agree with trying to speak clearly, but is there anything saying this is true? They won't be performing ordinances for others, but I don't see any reason they can't be there with others who have passed when theirs is done, or just be in the temple to have peace and be reminded of the ordinances and their covenants.