[fishtank]

How do Mormons and Muslims see each other? Both of these religions had very similar beginnings:

(1) both feature a single prophet received a revelation from an angel

(2) both had violent early histories (although Mormonism has become peaceful, while Islam has not)

(3) both religions teach the idea that humans will have sexual relations after death - an idea foreign to Judaism and Christianity

(4) both have similar views on 'lifestyle' issues, like alcohol, etc.

(5) both are post-Christian creeds, with a written scripture that contradicts the New Testament

(6) Although Islam denies the divinty of Jesus, Mormonism affirms His deity, however, in a peculiar way that affrims the potential godhood of all humans - again, a concept foreign to both the Hebrew Bible and the NT.

In sum, the conservative evangelical Christian stands opposed to Islam. How does the politically conservative Mormon view Islam?

Thoughts?

P.S. No flames please, let's keep this calm and civil.

[anniegetyourgun]

Why does it matter what LDS thinks of Islam when the bottom line for Islam is that LDSers are infidels?

[TheDon]

(1) both feature a single prophet received a revelation from an angel

Christianity and Judism also have a prophet, and revelation from an angel, John the Baptist, and or Jesus Christ, and Moses, respectively.

(2) both had violent early histories (although Mormonism has become peaceful, while Islam has not)

Hmmm...Mormon history is violent at times, mobs against Mormons anyway!

(4) both have similar views on 'lifestyle' issues, like alcohol, etc.

You mention alcohol, but that is about the only item I can think of too. As we don't believe in smoking, but I don't think that is proscribed by Islam. I would think that Islam, Christianity and Judism all share many common lifestyle values.

(5) both are post-Christian creeds, with a written scripture that contradicts the New Testament

Well, at least you, and others, believe it contradicts the NT, but we believe the Book of Mormon is a Second Witness of Jesus Christ, and it explicitly witnesses that the OT and NT are divine in origin.

How does the politically conservative Mormon view Islam?

I can't speak for the faith, but being a member, I would think that Islam is an anti-Christ religion, i.e. they deny the divinity of Jesus Christ.

[ImphClinton]

Mormons "violent History" was that numerous people persecuted them. The religion was always peacful. They defended themselves on occasion but far more often did little as mobs forced them from city to city and eventually out of the US into terotarial land no one wanted (Utah where they began practicing pologamy). Even then Johnston sent an army after them to boost his political fortunes (he could care less about poligamy but had been incorrectly told the mormons were rasing an army to fight the US). Then all of their property was stolen by the government because of their belief in pologamy. The government eventually forced all these mariages (which were absolutely legal when entered into) to be ended. The church stopped the practice as soon as the SCTOUS rulled against them.

For over a hundred years now then church has not ben persecuted nor practiced pologamy.

[Reagan Man]

I'm not a Mormon, so I can't speak to any specific religious beliefs they may hold. I have read portions of the Book of Mormon and don't remember any references to having sexual relations after death. But I'm not saying it doesn't make an inference to that possibility.

I do know that Christianity, which Mormon's are considered part of, have a faith based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Jesus didn't condone terrorism and modern Christian's don't support terrorism either. When I look at how Muslim's interpret their Koran teachings, I see a definite desire to spread the word of Mohammand, at all costs.

It has been pointed out time and again that Middle Eastern Muslim's have a militant view towards anyone not part of the Islamic religion. Many anti-Jew and anti-Christian passsages from the Koran have been posted on FreeRepublic. They're very troubling even to some Muslim's. But since 9-11-2001, we've seen few serious remarks from the Islamic community, condemning those heinous attacks. There are over 1-billion Muslim's in the world. I would have expected a considerable amount of outrage coming from the Muslim leadership, at the very least. All we've heard from the entire Islamic religion is almost utter silence on the subject. Even American Muslim's have been very quiet.

[Technocrat]

(6) Although Islam denies the divinty of Jesus, Mormonism affirms His deity, however, in a peculiar way that affrims the potential godhood of all humans - again, a concept foreign to both the Hebrew Bible and the NT.

Not so fast - that concept is mentioned in passing in Psalms 82:6, in Isaiah, and by Jesus Himself in John 10:34.

[Technocrat]

(3) both religions teach the idea that humans will have sexual relations after death - an idea foreign to Judaism and Christianity

Also incorrect - Mormons believe that there is a potential for eternal increase after death, but the exact method is not known or described.

How does the politically conservative Mormon view Islam?

After pride, Islam (as an old-style secret combination) is the single greatest threat to civilization of our day, and must be destroyed.

[Nephi]

How do Mormons and Muslims see each other? Both of these religions had very similar beginnings:

Only in the simplest of terms.

(1) both feature a single prophet received a revelation from an angel

Not really. Mohammed is the one and only prophet for Muslims. Joseph Smith was the first. Today, Gordon B. Hinckley is our living prophet...just like in Old Testament times.

(2) both had violent early histories (although Mormonism has become peaceful, while Islam has not)

This statement is slanderous toward Mormons. Mormons have never espoused violence in word or scripture as Muslims do.

(3) both religions teach the idea that humans will have sexual relations after death - an idea foreign to Judaism and Christianity

While, Mormons believe the families created here on earth are eternal, I have never heard of "eternal sex."

(4) both have similar views on 'lifestyle' issues, like alcohol, etc.

Not really. Remember the lifestyle of the terrorists? Generally, active Mormons follow the Word of Wisdom, but it is enforced by a personal committment, not by public beatings, stoning, etc.

(5) both are post-Christian creeds, with a written scripture that contradicts the New Testament

Islam is a corruption of Judaism and Christianity. Jews rejected the Christ that their/our Old Testament prophets foretold of. Mormons embrace the New Testament because we believe it to be the word of God. Any contradiction is merely your perception.

(6) Although Islam denies the divinty of Jesus, Mormonism affirms His deity, however, in a peculiar way that affrims the potential godhood of all humans - again, a concept foreign to both the Hebrew Bible and the NT.

This is a similarity?

In sum, the conservative evangelical Christian stands opposed to Islam. How does the politically conservative Mormon view Islam?

As a conservative Mormon I personally view the Muslim religion as a modern pagan religion. Based upon their scripture which advocates murder, lying, breaking oaths and so on, their actions, the silence of their people and leaders in the wake of the attrocities of September 11, 2002 I am convinced that Satan is Allah.

While I have answered this question in good faith, I realize that some Christians and even Jews will disagree with the premise of my answers. That's fine, but I'm not interested in a debate.

[TheDon]

"(2) both had violent early histories (although Mormonism has become peaceful, while Islam has not)"

Upon further reflection, Judism and Christianity both have violence associated with them in the past as well. King David slaughtered men, women and children to rid the land of Israel of "infidels". In Christianity, we have the Inquisition, the Crusades, and more recently, the murder of abortion providers by "Christians".

Of course, the mainstream of these faiths do not engage or support such violence anymore, while Islam does.

[Grig]

Several of your points are factually incorrect or misleading with respect to Mormon history and beliefes.

1) Mormons recognize all the biblical prophets as such, including the apostles, as well as all of the latter-day prophets, not just Joseph Smith, we 'feature a single prophet' less than the rest of christianity.

2) Mormons were by far the victims of violence in their early history. There were times that they got so fed up with it that they did strike back, but to portray them as a dangerous violent group is not an honest protrayal of their history, nor was forced conversion condoned in any way shape or form.

3) Although Mormons belive that the family unit will continue after this earth life, there is no doctrine on weather that afterlife will include sexual relations or not.

4) To my knowledge, Muslims don't have any prohibition against coffee, tea, or smoking. Mormons enjoy bacon and ham like everyone else.

5) We do not view the BoM as contradicting the NT, we do see it as contridicting men's false interpetations of the NT however. Orthodox christians have their own post-christian creeds.

6) Mormons affirm the divinity of Christ as the 'only begotten of the Father' (John 1:14) No other person can make that claim. The phrase: 'in a peculiar way that affrims the potential godhood of all humans' is misleading and seems to suggest that we don't consider Christ any different than any of us. He is the Son of God and a member of the Godhead, unlike any other.

As for how Mormons view Islam, we extend the love of Christ to them and pray for the day when those nations open up to recieve our missionaries so that we may bring to them the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We do not go around slamming the faith of others, but we humbly testify that in this dispensation the fullness of the gospel, and the authority of God to baptize etc. is only to be found in the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

[restornu]

I am confused fish for when I first read this I thought it was the text and not your VANITY!


This is the original text!
http://www.byui.edu/Ricks/employee/PECKDD/LDS_View_Muhammad.pdf


Thank you for keeping it polite, but when one read the text there is nothing relative to your vanity!

[Alex Murphy]

I'd be interested to find if the LDS Church, or it's members, have ever produced scholarly works about, or guides specific to evangelizing Islamic/Eastern Mystic/Satanic or Wiccan believers. I once asked this same question of a Jehovah's Witness, and found that virtually all of their proselytizing efforts were directed at lapsed Catholics and ignorant Protestants.

So, for all of you literate Mormons out there, can you direct me to any specific books?