A Treasured Testament (The Book of Mormon) (OPEN)

Ensign Magazine ^ | July, 1993 | Russell M. Nelson

[Godzilla]

Well, enjoy, spending the rest of the weekend in the mountains and away from the internet.

[Alan2]

My Bible tells me to pay directly to the Father but to do so in the name of Jesus Christ. This procedure has worked very well for me so far.

[greyfoxx39]

But if you are trying to use such fallacious standards to prove that the LDS is the “true church” (the irony in typing that alone kills me LOL) you may want to run that by the Catholic Church as well as the Muslims, each numbering over a billion adherents and growing.

You have to wonder at the continued boasting by mormons of their numbers when the Pentecostal churches and the Christians who are, as in my case, in non-denominational churches are dwarfing their 13 million number.

This is a list of Christian denominations by number of members. It is inevitably partial and generally based on claims by the denominations themselves. The numbers should therefore be considered approximate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations_by_number_of_members#Christian_denominational_families

 

Contents

• 1 Christian denominational families
• 2 Largest denominations in the world
  • 2.1 Catholicism - 1.2 billion
  • 2.2 Protestantism - 540 million
  • 2.3 Eastern Orthodoxy - 210 million
  • 2.4 Oriental Orthodoxy - 75 million
  • 2.5 Anglicanism - 82 million
  • 2.6 Nontrinitarianism - 27 million  ( The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints[55] - 13.2 million^[15][16])
  • 2.7 Nestorianism - 1 million

Non-Denominational Evangelicalism - 40 million

• Calvary Chapel - 25 million
• The Vineyard - 15 million

 

Modern Protestantism - 190 million

• Pentecostalism - 129 million
  • Assemblies of God - 54.7 million^[9]
    • Assemblies of God, USA - 2.83 million
  • New Apostolic Church - 11 million

[Colofornian]

My Bible tells me to pay directly to the Father but to do so in the name of Jesus Christ. This procedure has worked very well for me so far.

Well, your Bible & Book of Mormon tells you to worship Jesus (prayer set to music), & if you check NOT ONLY 3 Nephi 19, but your Bible carefully, you'll note Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."(Acts 7:59)

But, ya know, I was thinking of developing & marketing "Bible scissors and Book of Mormon scissors" -- you know, scissors that readers could utilize to help them navigate around problematic passages that don't match up with pre-determined doctrines & worldviews. (This way, you won't have "scripture" conflicting with your leaders, anymore!)

Would you like to order a pair?

[SpeedRacer]

Joseph Smith would put the seer stone into a hat, and put his face in the hat, drawing it closely around his face to exclude the light; and in the darkness the spiritual light would shine. A piece of something resembling parchment would appear, and on that appeared the writing. One character at a time would appear, and under it was the interpretation in English. Brother Joseph would read off the English to Oliver Cowdery, who was his principal scribe, and when it was written down and repeated to Brother Joseph to see if it was correct, then it would disappear, and another character with the interpretation would appear.

Quick question - how does one "translate" from one language to another, one character at a time?

AND

Why was the Book of Mormon written in Old English, similar to the King James Version of the Bible? Perhaps to make it appear more "holy"?

[ejonesie22]

The Strib article did pretty good.

LDS numbers are hard to pin down (more nail and jello) due to their now famous marketing and lack of candor, so mostly anecdotal evidence has to make do.

However even their own numbers, at 13 million world wide, doesn't even put them in the running for success if measured buy sheer butts in seats standards.

[ejonesie22]

Have fun.

[ejonesie22]

According to you, your bible also essentially tells you he who dies with the most toys wins, ie the numbers game you have been speaking of.

If you are so keen on doing what your bible says do, go with the numbers, why are you not in Mass or bowing to Mecca?

If you are going to be logically consistent, those are your only choices...

[Elsie]

He was attractive, smart, and had a future in politics.

Did he do anything with the Olympics?

[Elsie]

I will bet that will get ignored, Elsie and I already tried it.

Anything that they CANNOT disprove out of hand WILL be ignored.

It a safety mechanism; designed so that DOUBT will not enter the MORMON mind.

DOUBT is the way the Holy Spirit uses to pry them away from the false teachings that are so throughly ingrained.

[Elsie]

This procedure has worked very well for me so far.

I'm not so sure I'd say that my religion was WORKING for me!

Something seems mighty backward about that.

[greyfoxx39]

I bet you grabbed that chart for your files, didn’t you??

[Saundra Duffy]

Stop quoting other quotes from other quotes from other quotes to the point where it is ridiculous.

The pioneer women of my Church were persecuted every bit as severely as the men of my Church. And to this day we have to put up with it, which we do, as it is proof that our Church is true. Persecution comes with the territory. Keep it up if you must.

Jesus is my Savior, Soon-Coming King, the Great Jehovah, the Creator, my Redeemer. I love Him. This is Heavenly Father’s plan by the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

[Saundra Duffy]

I don’t feel superior, just safe in my Savior’s care.

[Saundra Duffy]

“This ‘testimony’ you just gave — how often do you hear one like it about Jesus Christ in your stakes & wards?”

24/7 - That’s all we ever talk about. How much we love and adore the Savior, our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost.

[Saundra Duffy]

Oh, I just wanted to make the point that we are faithful tithe payers which kind of sets us apart.

You know, we are a peculiar people.

[Graybeard58]

The pioneer women of my Church were persecuted every bit as severely as by the men of my Church.

[svcw]

I have an lds friend who receives a bill from her bishop every month based on her last years W2s.
I can not tell you if that is common practice, but tithing is between you and God not between you and the ward bishop. The reality is no one should even know you are tithing and for that matter what the amount is.......between you and God.
I sure hope billing for tithes is not common.

[Colofornian]

24/7 - That’s all we ever talk about. How much we love and adore the Savior, our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost.

I'm specifically talking about the monthly testimony meetings. For every testimony mentioning Joseph Smith, how many mention Jesus?

[Elsie]

Actually; I didn’t.