"Mormonism is the truth"

[Guest]

Here are some choice excerpts from Ray over at MAD:

Mormonism is the truth. No one who has read the Book of Mormon can dispute this! Okay, except those angry with the words of God. Can you tell me, in all honesty, that Nephi didn't hit the bulls-eye here? This is so plain a child could understand it. I am not talking about Islam, or Billy Graham, I am talking about the modern revelation known as the Book of Mormon, a book which Ezra Taft Benson said "divides the wicked from the righteous".

The Book of Mormon is an inspired, divine revelation. To mime Cecil B. de Mille, we cannot break it, we can only break ourselves against it. It speaks the truth about us, about human nature, fallen human nature, and chides, encourages, praises and laments our condition. We are the offspring of God, and it beckons us to be better, to meet its call and standards, even if it takes a lifetime of effort. We resist and criticise and rationalise it at our own peril. There is, simply, no comparison to this book. In vain will you look for its equal.

I find the ramblings of discontent to be based on vain self-justification. Therefore, here is my thought - cease from your angry rebellion, and if you cannot accept it, then at least don't fight it, because in so doing, you will seal your own doom. You will, eventually, lie down in great sorrow, and you will regret every evil word uttered against the truth of God, which came down to us as a voice from the dust, chastening and encouraging us at the same time. We are carnal, sensual, and devilish by nature, but we have a standard to always look to, and if we neglect it, shun it, deny it, then we are denying the most divine part of our being.

What the hell happened to Ray?

The fact is most people who read the Book of Mormon are not convinced it is "divine." But Ray says nobody who reads it ever disputes this?

Someone needs to give him a crash course on circular reasoning. He sounds like a Muslim who says the Quran is God's word because it says so, and if you don't believe it then you are against God's word, because, well, the Quran says that too.

I se Ray is still wrapped up in this irrelevant dispute about ex-Mormon motives and anger. Doesn't he see that the ex-Mormon has to be understood as hateful and angry because that is the picture of them that had already been drawn for them by the Church?

For him to acknolwedge that ex-Mormons or critics aren't the rabid clones of Hitler, would shatter his entire worldview of what we're supposed to be like. And hell, that might actually cause some conflict with his understanding of the Book of Mormon as divine.

Confirmation bias anyone?

[_Runtu]

What the hell happened to Ray?

The fact is most people who read the Book of Mormon are not convinced it is "divine." But ray say nobody who reads it ever disputes this?

Someone needs to give him a crash course on circular reasoning. He sounds like a Muslim who says the QUran is God's word because it says so, and if you don't believe it then you are against God's word, because, well, the Quran says that too.

It is a little odd to believe that those of us who reject LDS scripture would be swayed by having someone quote LDS scripture at us.

[_truth dancer]

I haven't read the tread at MAD nor do I understand Ray however...

I will say the idea that one's religious beliefs are correct and everyone who does not believe is of Satan, or evil, or whatever, is in my opinion, the very belief that must be released if our world is ever to find peace and healing.

~dancer~

[_Blixa]

What the hell happened to Ray?

The fact is most people who read the Book of Mormon are not convinced it is "divine." But ray say nobody who reads it ever disputes this?

Someone needs to give him a crash course on circular reasoning. He sounds like a Muslim who says the QUran is God's word because it says so, and if you don't believe it then you are against God's word, because, well, the Quran says that too.

It is a little odd to believe that those of us who reject LDS scripture would be swayed by having someone quote LDS scripture at us.

That's why I read it as a case of someone actually preaching to himself. You know, proclaiming "the truth" over and over, more and more loudly, hysterically, and violently to an audience most of whom presumably already agree.

It's kinda hard not to read that psychoanalytically.

[_Infymus]

This is the point where reason goes out the window. People like Ray have gone into what I term as “rabid” TBM. It is a self-preserving kind of thought process one usually goes through when pure cognitive dissonance has kicked in. It is a way of preserving the mental thought process it takes in order to maintain a belief system. You can liken this to a person who must go through a disruptive emotional breakdown in order to start fresh again.

There is no point at all in conversing with Ray at this point. Look at his words carefully. He has no proof that reading the Book of Mormon once gives absolute proof that it is true. I’ve read the Book of Mormon 17 times during my time as a Mormon. Look at how he justifies his position with his own position and doctrine. Dartagnan is right about circular reasoning – but we all know that Mormonism is full of such circular illogicalities.

Interestingly enough, Ray doesn’t try to read the original Book of Mormon before the thousands of changes were made to it. He has to read the sanitized, “Pure” version that is now available by the LDS Corporation.

Ray is someone you cannot reason with, but it is interesting to note how his totalitarian or “do or die” words are accepted by the MAAD folks. Even I as a TBM at the time would have objected to his line of reasoning.

Also something to note, Mormonism teaches this exact version of black and white thinking. It was this line of thinking that ultimately lead me out of the Corporation and into freedom.

[_Mercury]

Fosters: Australian for a wallaby's pooper

[_Mercury]

This is the point where reason goes out the window. People like Ray have gone into what I term as “rabid” TBM. It is a self-preserving kind of thought process one usually goes through when pure cognitive dissonance has kicked in. It is a way of preserving the mental thought process it takes in order to maintain a belief system. You can liken this to a person who must go through a disruptive emotional breakdown in order to start fresh again.

There is no point at all in conversing with Ray at this point. Look at his words carefully. He has no proof that reading the Book of Mormon once gives absolute proof that it is true. I’ve read the Book of Mormon 17 times during my time as a Mormon. Look at how he justifies his position with his own position and doctrine. Dartagnan is right about circular reasoning – but we all know that Mormonism is full of such circular illogicalities.

Interestingly enough, Ray doesn’t try to read the original Book of Mormon before the thousands of changes were made to it. He has to read the sanitized, “Pure” version that is now available by the LDS Corporation.

Ray is someone you cannot reason with, but it is interesting to note how his totalitarian or “do or die” words are accepted by the MAAD folks. Even I as a TBM at the time would have objected to his line of reasoning.

Also something to note, Mormonism teaches this exact version of black and white thinking. It was this line of thinking that ultimately lead me out of the Corporation and into freedom.

Hey buddy, I thought you were on Vacation! :)

Get back to werk! LOL

[_Sethbag]

by the way, I've been told by several different Australians that Fosters is strictly an export product - nobody drinks that in Australia. They all laughed at the notion, saying it's funny Americans all think the Aussies drink Fosters, when they actually don't.

[_Pokatator]

by the way, I've been told by several different Australians that Fosters is strictly an export product - nobody drinks that in Australia. They all laughed at the notion, saying it's funny Americans all think the Aussies drink Fosters, when they actually don't.

What do they drink?

[_The Nehor]

I am curious about one thing Ray said though. I have noticed that very, very few people read the Book of Mormon again after leaving the LDS faith. This was my experience when dealing with inactives and critics. Have any of those here who have left the LDS Church read the whole book again after leaving? I've personally never found anyone who did.

Infymus, I have a replica of the 1830 Book of Mormon and have read it several times. I haven't found any substantive changes that would justify calling the current version 'sanitized'.