In case you’re interested, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is broadcasting its semi-annual General Conference this weekend (Saturday and Sunday). Chances are, it’ll be on a cable station in your area, or you can listen to it on the web at http://www.ksl.com . These are real prophets speaking on relevant topics for today’s world.
**Times are U.S. Mountain Time, both Saturday and Sunday:
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.**
Moderator’s Notes: Witnessing, which from your phrase “These are real prophets,” I consider this to be, belongs in Great Debates as stated on the front page of the message board. I’m moving this thread over there.
[Edited by UncleBeer on 10-05-2001 at 04:50 PM]
Also, you can hear/watch the Conference at the following web site:
I’d like to encourage anyone who’s curious about what we Mormons believe tune in. There have been plenty of questions and plenty of misconceptions thrown around here, and this is a perfect opportunity to hear what the LDS leaders say we believe.
Along those same lines, it was just announced in General Conference that the Church has a new website, www.mormon.org, that is designed to answer the basic questions, and dispel those misconceptions.
That shouldn’t stop anyone from asking questions here, of course. Especially as I’ve noticed that not all of the links on that site are working correctly quite yet. Oops!
I always know when this event is coming around because it’s the same weekend BYU plays Utah State on a Friday night.
Sorry, but I’m in the middle of this great book - A Gathering of Saints - and I just can’t put it down right now.
I may have some questions later, though. 
I’m wondering what misconceptions you folks feel have been accepted as true here? My (admittedly limited) reading of Mormon-based threads has shown that very little in the way of untruth has gone unchallenged around here.
Y’all got some, errr, uh…shall we say “unexpected” beliefs, though. The most unusual of them are not, I’m guessing, going to be discussed on TV.
stoid
From A Gathering of Saints:
LDS Apostle Dallin H. Oaks, August 16, 1985: “Evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed is in a class by itself. It is one thing to deprecate a person who exercises corporate power or even governmental power. It is quite another thing to criticize or deprecate a person for the performance of an office in which he or she has been called of God. It does not matter that the criticism is true.”
You never know what you will learn by heeding the Semi-annual General Mumblefest of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Six months ago, the prophets revealed to us God’s will concerning earrings: one pair allowed for women and none for men. And no other piercings anywhere.
And you never know what you will learn by turning towards other sources for information.
Stoid:
I’ve actually been pretty impressed with the handling of LDS-related material on this board in general. It seems that some misconceptions have already been cleared up (hopefully) for the readers of those threads. General Conference is simply a great opportunity to hear what the Church leaders are saying right now. Maybe some questions might be made more clear.
I have zero interest in debating Mormon stuff with anyone who comes at it from a Mormon-bashing perspective. Questions about beliefs and practices are fine, but I’m not going to respond to accusations and mockery, either here or in real life.
For example, one misconception that has just been made is this:
Angela Adverse:
I’ll ignore the snide tone in which this post opened, and provide the actual quote, which wasn’t from a General Conference, but a special talk to the youth of the Church (emphasis added):
Here President Gordon B. Hinckley is stating his opinion on the matter. Nowhere did he say “Thus saith the Lord.” This was not a revelation. Not every word which comes out of a prophet’s mouth is prophecy. Think of it as akin to the Catholic doctrine of papal infallibility. When the Pope is speaking ex cathedra, his word is dogma. Unless the Prophet states clearly that what he is saying is the word of God, it is advice.
That being said, when I heard those words, I had a bit of a dilemma on my hands. I had been wearing earrings for quite some time, and really didn’t want to give them up. I didn’t for quite some time. Not one person said a word to me about them, not even the member of the Quorum of the Seventy who was present when I received a blessing. But we are counseled to listen prayerfully to the advie of the Prophet, and so, after much prayer and contemplation, I removed them.
Personally, I think I look better with them. But I really do feel good about following the advice of the Prophet. I haven’t regretted my decision, and certainly do not look at it as blind devotion. And I still hardly look like your average Mormon.
Quickly, in regard to the quote by Elder Dallin H. Oaks-- I agree with it. We believe that our leaders–all of them, from a Quorum President in a local ward, all the way to the Prophet, are appointed by God. We may not agree with everything they say, may think that they are making mistakes, but it does no good to criticize them. If there appear to be serious problems, we may discuss those problems with other leadership. If necessary, the person in question will be removed from the leadership position. That much has been revealed to us.
RTFirefly, I hope that you are getting information from sources other than a book specifically designed to refute the LDS church. I haven’t read the book in question, so I can’t address the particular accusations made–nor would I likely want to in this forum. I only hope that it is not your only source.
Or you could get yourself a copy of this month’s American Heritage magazine for its article about the Mountain Meadow Massacre and the church’s past and present attempts to stifle any honest investigations of those deaths.
Robert Lindsey, the author of the book I quoted from, is also the author of The Falcon and the Snowman. AFAIK, he’s got a good rep.
I haven’t made any accusations; Lindsey has quoted an Apostle of the LDS, and I’ve repeated that quote here. Any accusations involved were made by Apostle Oaks.
A Gathering of Saints: A True Story of Money, Murder and Deceit was not “specificially designed to refute the LDS church.” I feel completely safe, as a LDS member myself, saying this about a true crime procedural novel. The story’s authors went to great lengths in both the preface and the text to indicate they were not attacking the Church, but the recognized some would see the story as that.
And you have never read the story? Dang, that’s mighty nice of you to judge the book without reading it. I did not let FoG or ARG/Zion off with that stunt here and I will not let you off with it either. If you have not read the book, you can’t legitimately judge it.
Anyway, there are two other books on the same story, both books as good as, if not better, than AGOS:ATSMM&D: Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders, and I can’t recall the actual title of the other one, something along the lines of “The Mormon Murders.”
Hey, I hope they are providing doodle pads for the attendees. Don’t want anyone doodling hieroglyphs on sheet metal and causing a schism now, do we?
Any chance AIM will build an earthern dike around the site of the conference. It was kinda neat when the Blood band did it to the town of Cardston.
Monty:
My apologies. I was actually just made aware of that book, and what I had heard, from (supposedly) good sources, was that it was an attack. You’re absolutely right, I shouldn’t have made those comments. I think I’ll have to read it now–sounds interesting. Anyway, I don’t want to be on your bad side. I’ve been impressed by your efforts in fighting ignorance regarding Mormon stuff.
RTFirefly
Those apologies go to you as well. I didn’t mean to imply that you were making accusations. I was referring to the accusations I was told (again by supposedly good sources ) were in that book. I guess I just bristled unduly.
Schadenfreude,
Be sure to read all three. Sorry I can’t remember the actual title of the third one.
Apologies accepted.
Subject: Come on everyone and listen to a prophets voice…Date: Oct 07 17:36Author:Brigham S. MonsonMail Address:
…& hear the Word of God:
If you listened to conference for insights on today’s important issues, this is what you would have heard:
Excerpts from President Gordon B. Hinckley’s address during the Sunday morning session of the 171st Semi-annual General Conference on Oct. 7, 2001.
My beloved brethren and sisters, I accept this opportunity in humility. I pray that I may be guided by the spirit of the Lord in that which I say. I have just been handed a note that says the United States missile attack is underway…We do not know how long this conflict will last. We do not know what it will cost in lives and treasure. We do not know the manner in which it will be carried out. It could impact the work of the church in various ways…Among our own people this could affect welfare needs, and also the tithing of the church. It could affect our missionary program… No one knows how long it will last. No one knows precisely where it will be fought. No one knows what it may entail before it is over. We have launched an undertaking the size and nature of which we cannot see at this time…I do not know what the future holds… I do not wish to be a prophet of doom. …Now, my brothers and sisters, we must do our duty whatever that duty might be…
Yes, Schadenfreude, I know all about the blurry line between prophecy and counsel. The earring thing is counsel, but you and all like-minded members are abiding by it because the prophet is the Lord’s annointed. So it might as well be prophecy, no?
Besides which, Hinckley has never once made a “thus sayeth the Lord” kind of prophecy, to my knowledge.