Many of you won't want to wade through this lengthy article (good for you). But check out the bold faced portions.
Also, here's an 8-point summary:
1. The Mormon spirit world is "on this earth."
2. Lds "prophet" Ezra Taft Benson declared that “the spirit world is not far away. Sometimes the veil between this life and the life beyond becomes very thin."
3. The wicked go to "spirit prison," which is not eternal hell. [Note: Lds remove eternal hell from their essential theology, even though the Book of Mormon talks about it]
4. The author references a spirit prison(1 Pet. 3:18–20, 1 Pet. 4:6) but then goes on to describe it as "chiefly a place of learning and waiting, not a place of suffering." [Oh. First Mormons eliminate the eternality of hell. Then they redefine actually as a "school," which I suppose for some students of our public schools, the same thing as "hell."]
5. "In short, the spirit world is the temporary home of the spirits of all mankind, whether they are good or evil. Thus Joseph Smith could declare that “the righteous and the wicked all go to the same world of spirits until the resurrection.” (Teachings, p. 310.) Yet some have wondered why Jesus promised the dying thief that after his death he would join the Savior in paradise. The Prophet Joseph taught: “King James’ translators make it out to say paradise. But what is paradise?"
6. So, instead of teaching that the righteous go to heaven, or really any "degree of salvation," Mormonism actually emphasizes a "dumbing down" where "all mankind" originally goes to the same place, no matter what! And guess what? God isn't there! Per Mormonism, "it is NOT the place where God the Father, the resurrected Lord, and other resurrected beings dwell. Rather, it is an intermediate condition or state where people await the resurrection—a sphere where disembodied spirits live in one of several conditions according to what their mortal lives have merited."
7. So, so far, trusting in Jesus Christ and relating to Jesus Christ amounts to what your life merits. You're just a cosmic Boy Scout.
8. Thus, Mormons remain "missionaries" on the other side. It's no place of rest as the Bible describes heaven. Yup, for Mormons "...the spirit world is the place where disembodied spirits go. It is a tangible, substantial sphere incorporated with our earth, the focal point of a massive missionary effort in which we share." Thus, they get to continue to earn their way to heaven by trying to bump up others along the way!
For the rest of...
The October Other-World Series:
Are ghosts among us? Many believe in spirits, but churches offer stern warnings
The "familiar spirit" in 2 Nephi 26:16
JOSEPH SMITH, JR: Founder and first "Prophet, Seer, and Revelator" (1805-1844)
JOSEPH SMITH’S INVOLVEMENT WITH MAGIC, MASONRY, AND THE OCCULT
JOSEPH SMITH’S INVOLVEMENT WITH MAGIC, MASONRY, AND THE OCCULT
GOD-MEN AND SPIRITUAL VEGETABLES: The Occult Worldview of Mormonism
When the critics cite these sources, it tends to be frowned upon by some Lds FREEPER Mormons. But when Mormons cite them, they're suddenly "A-OK."
Also, the fact that this author had to dig into 26 non-"canonized" sources to string together a Mormon doctrine of the dead and the spirit world shows you that Mormon doctrine is often laced together "on the run" and highly "experiential"...not cohesively formed based upon their "scriptures."
IOW, author had to go to these sources because no such explanation for what he came up with exists in their "scriptures." Even verses from the Bible where Jesus said, "today you will be with me in Paradise" was scoffed at by this author.
My question always has been; How can otherwise intellegent people swallow this rot, hook, line and sinker?
Nice article. Garbage assesments as usual from the anti-Mormon crowd.
Undecided readers,
If you peruse the Free Republic religion forums you will notice a pattern. There’s an anti-Mormon group of people here that spends a great deal of their time attacking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They post regurgitated propaganda on an almost daily basis.
They have a misguided obsession. You can witness many different tactics employed that you might find quite interesting. The straw man argument is a big favorite and is frequently preceded by cherry-picking quotes or other material. After the “quotation” the attacker will misrepresent what has been said or what was meant and then attack their own interpretation.
Another favorite is posting scripture or statements which on their own really present no dilemma. They make something out of nothing while never bringing up a single objection that hasn’t been addressed a hundred times before.
Sometimes they cruise the headlines of the day seeking any story that might be twisted into making the Church look bad. Anything will do, just watch the progression of posts following it and see what I mean.
After reading their posts, I invite you to seek the truth about whatever “issue” they seem to be “revealing” or “exposing”. I promise that if you do so with honest intent, the “ahah” moments you will have will be many and frequent. You will start to recognize the tactics employed to cleverly twist and attack and will likely chuckle the more you see. In actuality, there’s nothing new here. It’s all been addressed many times before.
Here’s a few links to get your started from a different viewpoint. I have found that the vast majority of the “issues” brought up can be found and addressed at http://www.fairlds.org/ but here’s more:
http://scriptures.lds.org/
http://www.lds.org
http://www.fairlds.org/
http://www.mormonapologetics.org/
http://www.mormonwiki.com/Main_Page
http://www.lightplanet.com/response/index.html
http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDS_Intro.shtml
http://www.answeringantimormons.com/index.htm
http://promormon.blogspot.com/
Now you will likely notice the “you never address our points” posts pop up as usual. All after providing the answers just as you have here. Will you wear blinders too? Seek truth. Find out for yourself.
Care to add your usual disclaimer about seeking the truth using official LDS sources?
Where this doctrine slips, first, is not acknowledging the Christian way of life IS a spiritual way of life. God made man in body, soul, AND SPIRIT.
Once a believer has faith in Christ, God performs all the rest, providing the regenerated human spirit to the believer.
Different believers have different spiritual gifts, which is one very important reason to remain grounded in Bible doctrine through faith in the Christ of Scripture, thereby being in the right time and place spiritually, for God the Holy Spirit to further sanctify our thinking, through the human spirit He has provided each of us.
Indeed there are locations in Hades which are prisons, and yes, unbelievers after the first death are in a place of torment, awaiting the Great White Throne Judgment.
For believers, we do not receive the resurrected body until the proper time, but absent the body we are still with the Lord, who we know today is in Heaven.
My view of Earth as a spirit reason,is that if you are remaining there if you’ve suffered something that should have killed you-you have to have your reasons.
Otherwise you’re just a masochist.Mind you I never understood the concept of natural death being some magical catalyst for spiritual transportation to somewhere else.
It will always be a process in this life or the next.
BTTT