Hey Ted

[spursfan101]

Do Mormons follow the bible?  They believe that Joseph Smith discovered a tablet in the America's, and that Jesus actually visited the good ole USA, and did some early missionary work himself, right?

[Ted]

I did a paper on the Templars once in high school. Fascinating, but scary. They went from relying on charity to live to becoming the most powerful organization in the world outside of the papacy. They invented banking as we know it. The order was destroyed by the Pope and King of France, mainly for their vast holdings, and because their power scared the King.

There are some interesting myths to be seen on www.templarhistory.com

[Ted]

Yeah, you've pretty much got it. But scholars think Jesus probably actually visited South America, not North.

We follow the King James Bible.

[WayOutWest]

Mmmm... here's what I found for a list of Mason Presidents.


http://home.att.net/~presidents/


As for the roots in the Crusades part I assume your talking about the same thing I was, namely that the borrowed some of their ideas from what they thought The Templars and Hospitalers were about, and later the Teutonic Knights.  That's a whole fascinating topic in and of itself.

I wonder what the Templars did with the Holy Grail?  

The others were honorary Mormons.  Then again I read that fact on a web site so who knows.

[WayOutWest]

Do Mormons follow the bible?  They believe that Joseph Smith discovered a tablet in the America's, and that Jesus actually visited the good ole USA, and did some early missionary work himself, right?

Isn't there also something about the magic salamander or is that the Jehovahs?

It says in the bible that JC visisted other "sheep" or "flock", so it could very well be the America's but doesn't it also say in the bible that if you add or delete from the bible you're F'd?

[spursfan101]

And wasn't Joseph Smith a gold digger (literally?)  He was told of the tablets, or where to look for the tablets by some angel or something.  Then he was told to build this giant horse, and pull it up to the gat....erghhh...think I'm getting my stories mixed up... :blink:  

[spursfan101]

Where are the tablets that Joseph Smith stored?  Can they be viewed?  Just curious?

[WayOutWest]

Where are the tablets that Joseph Smith stored?  Can they be viewed?  Just curious?

You want proof?  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  

[spursfan101]

No....VALIDATION!! :lol:  

[jn]

Pssstt... special offer for you 101.  It's the skull of St. Augustus.  Let me know if you want it soon, I only have 3 left.  

I just finished reading the book Baudolino, by Umberto Eco.  It's all set around the time of the Crusades, particulary the Fourth wherein the Latins decided the Greeks weren't good Christians because they did wacky things like bathe, read, and they didn't automatically kill all Muslims.  So they destroyed Constantinople which gave them the added benefit of getting all the gold, plus a lot of Relics.

The book played on  the fact that there were often competing Relics of the same thing.  In this case the protaganists have 7 heads of John the Baptist.    

[Ted]

WoW, I've never heard of a magic salamander. I honestly don't know where that comes from, but I doubt it comes from Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm pretty sure they adhere strictly to the teachings in the Bible only, and I don't remember anything about a salamander in the Bible. Ask Laker Fan Dan, he could tell you.

But there's lots of wacky stuff that people say about Mormons. We have horns (on our head). We marry like rabbits. We worship Joseph Smith. Or Joseph Smith stole women and made them his wives. I'm sure WoW could come up with a few more good ones.

101, I think you're right. If I remember correctly, Joseph Smith was hired once by his future father-in-law to dig for gold and didn't find anything. There was some story about buried treasure somewhere in that region of New York/Pennsylvania, and they pursued it, to no avail.

WoW, I think the scripture on other sheep is in John 10:16.
As far as I know, there are two scriptures that talk about adding and deleting from scripture. There may be more, but I can't remember any.

1. Deut. 2:32 "What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it."
2. Rev. 22:18-19 "(18) For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. (19) And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."

1. Seems to be clear than man is not to add his own philosophy or take away anything from God's word. Doesn't really talk about new scripture, and if it did, then the New Testament and anything after Deuteronomy just went out the window.
2. "This book of this prophecy" = Revelations.

That's just my imperfect interpretation. But Jehovah's ways from Adam down to Peter were the same. When he wasn't on Earth himself, he spoke to his children through prophets/apostles. Why would God change his ways? Especially when his children today face so many new challenges. I still haven't found a scripture on Internet porn. Still looking.  

Okay, that's enough preaching. Sorry if some of you think I'm foisting this on you. I'm trying to answer questions succinctly and correctly; I'll try to be less verbose.




 

[Ted]

JN, that's a great book. I've just started it! I'm about forty pages in, but have had to put it away for a week or two thanks to a research paper. The Crusades and Christianity in general in those days were totally messed up.

101, sorry. The plates are said to have been taken back by the angel that showed them to Joseph Smith. I'd have liked to have seen them, too. It would have made things a lot easier for me, and I could have taken them and rammed them up WoW's unbelieving arse.

 

[WayOutWest]

There was a golden salamander that spoke to old Joe.  Makes it sound like a fairy tail so it's usually kept out of the limelight or brought up by the anti-mormons when dicussing/debating with them.  That's where I heard it, a Jehova was going at it with a Mormon.  Mormons are the latter day saints guys right?

[Ted]

I don't know. I'd never heard of it. But if someone said it and you heard, it must be true. Damn, a golden salamander?! This makes me question the whole basis of my faith, my life!

P.S. By the way Marge, I was being sarcastic!

 

[WayOutWest]

I don't know. I'd never heard of it. But if someone said it and you heard, it must be true. Damn, a golden salamander?! This makes me question the whole basis of my faith, my life!

P.S. By the way Marge, I was being sarcastic!

It's a white salamander who appeared to Joe when he discovered the tablet.  It then changed into an angel.

I'll try and dig up some info.