LDS FAQ’s answered honestly
The following are a list of FAQ’s found on the LDS website. The answers they give leave a lot to be desired in terms of honesty and what they really believe. I have decided to give an honest accounting of these questions and I will keep this updated as they update their site.
What is the purpose of this life according to Latter-Day Saints?
The short answer is that this mortal life is one part of our existence and its purpose is for us all to be tested on our loyalty to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
When we die we will remain as spirits until everyone is resurrected, at which time we will once again receive a physical body. After this the majority of people will be assigned a kingdom of heaven depending on the depth of our conversion (how much we knew of the “true gospel”), and how obedient we were to the Lord’s commandments.
Those who are accepted into the highest kingdom of heaven will become gods and be able to create their own world(s) as our Heavenly Father did.
What Scriptures do Latter-Day Saints use?
The LDS church predominantly uses the Bible (KJV), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. They do have a special version of the Bible where Joseph Smith has provided revisions of the King James Version Translation.
Do Latter-day Saints practice polygamy?
Currently, the LDS church does not practice polygamy, but it is a part of their history (see D&C 132:61). A few years after the church was founded by Joseph Smith he made a “prayerful inquiry” about the ancient Old Testament practice of plural marriage. This resulted in the “divine instruction” to reinstitute the practice as a religious principle.
Members of the church continued to practice polygamy until 1890 when Church President Wilford Woodruff issued a statement advising the practice would be discontinued.
It is worth noting that their own scriptures advocate for plural marriage, and it is arguable that this change only came about because of new laws that were enacted by congress which forbid plural marriages. When Woodruff announced the new changes he stated “I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws, and to use my influence with the members of the Church over which I preside to have them do likewise”.
Who governs the LDS church?
The First Presidency is the highest governing body of the Church.The current First Presidency is:
These men are assisted in their role by The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Do Latter-Day Saints believe that they can become “gods”?
Yes. The Church now tries to downplay this teaching on their FAQ page where they advise that they believe it is God’s purpose to “exalt us to become like Him”. They try to argue that this teaching is no different than the bible teaching about us becoming “joint-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:16-17).
This is a disingenuous representation of their belief. The church doesn’t teach we will be “like God”, it teaches that we will become gods and have the power to create our own worlds to populate with spirit children. We will rule over these planets as Gods.
Are Mormons Christian?
Not in the typical sense. If you look at a standard dictionary definition of a “Christian” being simply someone who believes in Jesus Christ and follows his teachings you could reason that Latter-day Saints are Christians.
However, there are several ways in which LDS teachings diverge from traditional Christianity. Latter-Day Saints have a different view on the scriptures, the nature of God/the deification of believers, the plan of salvation/the afterlife, and what the Godhead/Trinity consists of.
What Scriptures do Latter-Day Saints use?
The LDS church predominantly uses the Bible (KJV), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. They do have a special version of the Bible where Joseph Smith has provided revisions of the King James Version Translation.
Do Latter-day Saint women lead in church?
While the LDS church argues that women do “lead” in the church and have equality with men, this is not the full truth.
Women do not serve as part of the Governing Body, and they are not able to hold the Priesthood. They can hold certain leadership roles in the church, but these are mostly presiding over other women/children. Additionally they do not have any meaningful say over the materials they use for teaching or the lesson plans.
When the church references the “equal role” women have in the church they advise that the “vital and unique contribution” women have is to raise children, and this “special privilege” is of equal importance to priesthood responsibilities.
Do Latter-day Saints believe in the Trinity?
Not in the typical Christian sense. They generally refer to God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost as the Godhead. While the LDS church believes that they all work towards one purpose, they are three distinct beings.
The Church teaches that both God the Father and Jesus Christ have physical bodies, and the Holy Ghost is a spirit being.
Does the LDS church have a history of racism?
Yes. This is not just a history of racist policies, but also racist doctrine. In 1852, President Brigham Young publicly announced that “men of black African descent could no longer be ordained to the priesthood”. This policy remained in place until 1978 when Spencer W. Kimball received a “revelation” that “all of our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood”.
This revelation coincidently came shortly after the NAACP filed a federal lawsuit challenging the discriminatory practice.
