Also, you'll notice a new feature at the top of my blog: Page tabs.
Home = the main page that shows all the blog posts.
Introductions = the first chapter of my book. As I add to this first draft, I'll put only the new stuff inside these blog posts, but the full text will appear on the Introductions page.
More tabs will come in the future as I get to those chapters.
Enjoy this first installment, and feel free to begin commenting.
What Is Mormonism?
Invariably when someone finds out I’m a Mormon, they ask me a slew of questions. What is you guys believe? What’s different about you? What’s the same? How many wives are you allowed to have?
There’s something—just—interesting about Mormons. They’re controversial, while at the same time, “normal.” How’s that possible?
In this book we’ll try to answer these questions. What is it that attracts the attention of the masses? Why are the Mormons considered to be controversial? Why do some revere the Mormons, while others despise them?
Of course, as a Mormon myself, you will most likely sense a positive bias in my presentation. However, I will try my best to provide a balanced view as much as I can. I will attempt to present different viewpoints, but along the way, I will also explain why I personally believe the way I do.
<Note to my friendly editors … I will most likely move some of these “disclaimers” to the foreword (which I’ll write last)>
Mormonism, in my opinion, is a Christian religion. Its doctrines are—I’d say—95% consistent with the doctrine of “mainstream” Christian religions. This includes the doctrines of the atonement. That is, Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He died for our sins, and it is only through Him that we can be saved. If we accept Him and follow his teachings, we can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
It also includes the concepts of baptism, communion, marriage, a belief in the Bible, the power and influence of the Holy Spirit, etc.
However, there’s another 5% that is “new.” These are the parts some consider to be controversial. In fact there may be many reading this today that would say, “5%? Bah! Try more like 60%, or even 90%.” To these readers, the 5% difference is very important stuff, even so much that perhaps Mormons should not be called Christians. This is an interesting discussion, which I’ll save for later. But for now, I’ll just agree that this 5% (or 90%) is of great interest to a lot of people.
This 5% includes the idea of prophets being alive today. It includes the introduction of new scripture: The Book of Mormon. It includes holy temples at a time when most Christian denominations don’t have them. Marriages are eternal instead of “till death do you part.” There are at least three levels of heaven instead of the binary heaven/hell. Angels and humans are two manifestations of our same existence instead of being separate. God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are three separate entities instead of being a single three-in-one entity. We are punished for our own sins instead of having “original sin.” And the list goes on and on.
So, how about we start at the beginning? I’ll start with a Mormon primer to introduce the non-initiate. Then I’ll follow a brother/sister set of twins throughout their lives as I present a “day in the life” of the typical Mormon. Keep in mind that this whole Introduction chapter will be mostly exposition, and hardly any discussion at all. That will come in the later chapters.
Where the Mormons Came From
<More coming on the way…>
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