MormonFAQ/Myths and Questions - Revision history

GregSmith: /* "Mormons believe in being baptized for dead people." */

2024-06-01T23:08:12Z

"Mormons believe in being baptized for dead people."

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	{{~~Main~~\|Baptism for the dead}}		{{Related articles
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			\|link1=Baptism for the dead
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	'''Other references'''		'''Other references'''

GregSmith: /* "Mormons wear 'magic' underwear. This is one of their strange, 'out there' beliefs." */

2024-06-01T23:07:56Z

"Mormons wear 'magic' underwear. This is one of their strange, 'out there' beliefs."

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	It is true that adult members of the Church who have participated in an ordinance in our Temples, called the "endowment," wear a special undergarment. One of the purposes of this garment is to serve as a reminder of the covenants one has made to God. Keeping the covenants made brings with it the blessings of ''spiritual'' protection. Anecdotal stories of the garment offering physical protection are sometimes related by members of the Church, and this is, perhaps, where some critics of the Church ascribe the "magic" quality to the garment. However, calling it "magic underwear" only serves to ridicule and sensationalize a belief we hold sacred. It is tantamount to making light of the priestly vestments of other faiths, or the yarmulke of the Jews, or the cross jewelry of another Christian. An added benefit of the garment is that wearing it requires that one also wear clothing that is modest.		It is true that adult members of the Church who have participated in an ordinance in our Temples, called the "endowment," wear a special undergarment. One of the purposes of this garment is to serve as a reminder of the covenants one has made to God. Keeping the covenants made brings with it the blessings of ''spiritual'' protection. Anecdotal stories of the garment offering physical protection are sometimes related by members of the Church, and this is, perhaps, where some critics of the Church ascribe the "magic" quality to the garment. However, calling it "magic underwear" only serves to ridicule and sensationalize a belief we hold sacred. It is tantamount to making light of the priestly vestments of other faiths, or the yarmulke of the Jews, or the cross jewelry of another Christian. An added benefit of the garment is that wearing it requires that one also wear clothing that is modest.

	{{~~Main~~\|Temple garments}}		{{Related articles
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	=== "Mormons believe they can be married forever in heaven." ===		=== "Mormons believe they can be married forever in heaven." ===

GregSmith: /* "Mormonism is 'exclusive,' that is, if you're not a Mormon, you can't be saved." */

2024-06-01T23:07:42Z

"Mormonism is 'exclusive,' that is, if you're not a Mormon, you can't be saved."

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	Not true, though our view of salvation is different in some ways. We believe in different levels of salvation, stemming from the idea that God will judge us according to our works and award us accordingly. Paul alluded to differences in the glories of resurrected beings, comparing them to the sun, moon, and stars (1 Cor. 15), and coupled with modern revelation (D&C 76, for example), we believe that there are degrees of glory in the hereafter, and that each is a "kingdom of ''glory''," where a degree of salvation is granted through the grace of Christ. In order to attain the highest, people must accept Christ, exercise faith in him, and endure to the end of their lives in faithfulness.		Not true, though our view of salvation is different in some ways. We believe in different levels of salvation, stemming from the idea that God will judge us according to our works and award us accordingly. Paul alluded to differences in the glories of resurrected beings, comparing them to the sun, moon, and stars (1 Cor. 15), and coupled with modern revelation (D&C 76, for example), we believe that there are degrees of glory in the hereafter, and that each is a "kingdom of ''glory''," where a degree of salvation is granted through the grace of Christ. In order to attain the highest, people must accept Christ, exercise faith in him, and endure to the end of their lives in faithfulness.

	{{~~Main~~\|Salvation of non-members\|l1=Salvation of ~~non-LDS~~}}		{{Related articles
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			\|link1=Salvation of non-members
			\|subject1=Salvation of those who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ
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			}}

	==Temple==		==Temple==

GregSmith: /* "Mormons don't believe in being saved by grace though faith-only in Jesus Christ." */

2024-06-01T23:07:18Z

"Mormons don't believe in being saved by grace though faith-only in Jesus Christ."

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	Mormons believe they are saved by Jesus Christ. Without Christ, it wouldn't matter how many good works or ordinances you did, it would not lead to your salvation. Similarly, it matters not how much you profess Christ if you do not try to follow Him by obedience to what He taught.		Mormons believe they are saved by Jesus Christ. Without Christ, it wouldn't matter how many good works or ordinances you did, it would not lead to your salvation. Similarly, it matters not how much you profess Christ if you do not try to follow Him by obedience to what He taught.

	{{~~Main~~\|Works and grace}}		{{Related articles
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	=== "Mormonism is 'exclusive,' that is, if you're not a Mormon, you can't be saved." ===		=== "Mormonism is 'exclusive,' that is, if you're not a Mormon, you can't be saved." ===

GregSmith: /* "Mormons are racists, or have a history of racism in their church." */

2024-06-01T23:07:10Z

"Mormons are racists, or have a history of racism in their church."

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	Mormons have always allowed those of black-African descent to join the Church and worship in the same congregations as everyone else. They also served as Sunday School teachers and in many other callings in the church. Sometime in the mid-19th century, a policy was introduced that denied blacks the benefits of membership in our lay priesthood. This policy was in place until 1978, at which time (then) Church president Spencer W. Kimball announced that the priesthood could be held by any eligible male member. We do not know the reasons for this pre-1978 policy, because there is no recorded revelation given for it. Many have pointed to statements by past Church leaders which, by today's standards, would be considered racist. We would not try to justify statements by our leaders that carried racist connoations. But other Christians who point the "racist" finger at Mormons should certainly not apply a different standard to our past than they do to their own.		Mormons have always allowed those of black-African descent to join the Church and worship in the same congregations as everyone else. They also served as Sunday School teachers and in many other callings in the church. Sometime in the mid-19th century, a policy was introduced that denied blacks the benefits of membership in our lay priesthood. This policy was in place until 1978, at which time (then) Church president Spencer W. Kimball announced that the priesthood could be held by any eligible male member. We do not know the reasons for this pre-1978 policy, because there is no recorded revelation given for it. Many have pointed to statements by past Church leaders which, by today's standards, would be considered racist. We would not try to justify statements by our leaders that carried racist connoations. But other Christians who point the "racist" finger at Mormons should certainly not apply a different standard to our past than they do to their own.

	{{~~Main~~\|Blacks and the priesthood\|l1=Race issues and the Church}}		{{Related articles
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			\|link1=Blacks and the priesthood
			\|subject1=Race issues and the Church
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			}}

	For more detailed information on this topic see:		For more detailed information on this topic see:

GregSmith: /* "Mormons believe you must practice polygamy to be saved." */

2024-06-01T23:07:03Z

"Mormons believe you must practice polygamy to be saved."

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	In the Church, plural marriage (or polygamy) was a practice and a belief that was appropriate for its time in the 1840's through the 1890's. In the 1890's the Church ended the practice. They follow a Book of Mormon scripture which states plural marriage is not to be practiced except during times when God commands it.		In the Church, plural marriage (or polygamy) was a practice and a belief that was appropriate for its time in the 1840's through the 1890's. In the 1890's the Church ended the practice. They follow a Book of Mormon scripture which states plural marriage is not to be practiced except during times when God commands it.

	{{~~Main~~\|Polygamy a requirement for exaltation\|l1=Polygamy required to be saved?}}		{{Related articles
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			\|link1=Polygamy a requirement for exaltation
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			}}

	==Racism==		==Racism==

GregSmith: /* "Mormons believe that they are saved through obedience to Joseph Smith." */

2024-06-01T23:06:44Z

"Mormons believe that they are saved through obedience to Joseph Smith."

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	Christians who find this stance troubling should ask themselves, "Can I, as a Christian, reject Peter [or Paul, or whomever], and still accept Christ?" Since it is through these fallible mortals that we know about Christ, we cannot reject their witness. Likewise, Mormons cannot reject Joseph's witness of Christ.		Christians who find this stance troubling should ask themselves, "Can I, as a Christian, reject Peter [or Paul, or whomever], and still accept Christ?" Since it is through these fallible mortals that we know about Christ, we cannot reject their witness. Likewise, Mormons cannot reject Joseph's witness of Christ.

	{{~~Main~~\|Joseph Smith's status in LDS belief}}		{{Related articles
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			\|link1=Joseph Smith's status in LDS belief
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			\|subject1=Joseph Smith's status in the beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ
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	== Politics ==		== Politics ==

GregSmith: /* "But Joseph Smith said that all churches were wrong, and that they were an 'abomination' in God's sight. Doesn't that sound bigoted?" */

2024-06-01T23:06:16Z

"But Joseph Smith said that all churches were wrong, and that they were an 'abomination' in God's sight. Doesn't that sound bigoted?"

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	Joseph Smith went into the grove at age 14 to ask God "which of all the churches is right, and which should [he] join?" He assumed that the Lord's church had continued on the earth, unchanged through the centuries, and just wanted to know which one it was. What he was told by the Father and the Son in his vision appears to have been a surprising answer to him, that they were all wrong. But what he said was that all their ''creeds'' were an abomination in his sight, that the ''professors'' (as in professional clergy) were corrupt. That's a far cry from saying that there was nothing good or true or of value in those churches, or that their members were going to hell. God's purpose in the restoration of the fullness of the gospel to the earth was to bring people to a clearer understanding of Him and His Son and their plan for creation. So our message to the world is to bring all you have that is good and true and praiseworthy from your own tradition, and let us see if we can add to it.		Joseph Smith went into the grove at age 14 to ask God "which of all the churches is right, and which should [he] join?" He assumed that the Lord's church had continued on the earth, unchanged through the centuries, and just wanted to know which one it was. What he was told by the Father and the Son in his vision appears to have been a surprising answer to him, that they were all wrong. But what he said was that all their ''creeds'' were an abomination in his sight, that the ''professors'' (as in professional clergy) were corrupt. That's a far cry from saying that there was nothing good or true or of value in those churches, or that their members were going to hell. God's purpose in the restoration of the fullness of the gospel to the earth was to bring people to a clearer understanding of Him and His Son and their plan for creation. So our message to the world is to bring all you have that is good and true and praiseworthy from your own tradition, and let us see if we can add to it.

	{{~~Main~~\|~~Godhead_and_the_Trinity~~}}		{{Related articles
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			\|link1=Godhead and the Trinity
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			\|subject1=Godhead and the Trinity
			}}

	==Joseph Smith==		==Joseph Smith==

GregSmith: /* "Mormonism is a cult." */

2024-06-01T23:05:58Z

"Mormonism is a cult."

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	"Cult" is simply a word that powerful religions use to call another faith names. Early Christians were labeled as cultists by the Romans. We don't believe name-calling has any place in civil discourse.		"Cult" is simply a word that powerful religions use to call another faith names. Early Christians were labeled as cultists by the Romans. We don't believe name-calling has any place in civil discourse.

	{{~~Main~~\|LDS Church is a cult\|l1=~~Mormons are~~ a cult?}}		{{Related articles
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			\|link1=LDS Church is a cult
			\|subject1=The Church of Jesus Christ is a cult?
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			}}

	=== "But Joseph Smith said that all churches were wrong, and that they were an 'abomination' in God's sight. Doesn't that sound bigoted?" ===		=== "But Joseph Smith said that all churches were wrong, and that they were an 'abomination' in God's sight. Doesn't that sound bigoted?" ===

GregSmith: /* "Mormons don't believe in the God and Jesus of the Bible." */

2024-06-01T23:05:23Z

"Mormons don't believe in the God and Jesus of the Bible."

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	Mormons believe in the biblical ''Godhead'' (Father, Son, Holy Ghost), rather than in the "Trinity" the way many Christians do. We differ from other Christians in our beliefs about the nature of God, and reject the post-biblical creeds that attempted to define God's nature (Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Westminster Confession of Faith, etc.) and merge the essence of the Three into One. We believe that the members of the Godhead are three distinct, ontologically separate beings, who act in perfect unity to carry out the plan of salvation. The Father and the Son, in our belief, have perfect, glorified, physical bodies, while the Holy Ghost has a body of spirit.		Mormons believe in the biblical ''Godhead'' (Father, Son, Holy Ghost), rather than in the "Trinity" the way many Christians do. We differ from other Christians in our beliefs about the nature of God, and reject the post-biblical creeds that attempted to define God's nature (Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, Westminster Confession of Faith, etc.) and merge the essence of the Three into One. We believe that the members of the Godhead are three distinct, ontologically separate beings, who act in perfect unity to carry out the plan of salvation. The Father and the Son, in our belief, have perfect, glorified, physical bodies, while the Holy Ghost has a body of spirit.

	{{~~Main~~\|Worship_different_Jesus\|l1=Do ~~Mormons Worship~~ a "Different Jesus"?}}		{{Related articles
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			\|link1=Worship_different_Jesus
			\|subject1=Do members of the Church of Jesus Christ worship a "Different Jesus"?
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			}}

	=== "The Mormon God was once a mortal man on another planet." ===		=== "The Mormon God was once a mortal man on another planet." ===