Encounter With Mormon Missionaries

[TheLightWithin]

A couple of weeks ago I was walking up the street and a white SUV stopped abruptly. A young man leaned out and asked me if I had heard of his church and asked me if I had ever wondered why there were so many denominations. I shared that I had looked into it quite a bit and let him share with me a bit about Joseph Smith having asked himself that question and praying about it in the mid 19th century. He assured me of the truth of the Book of Mormon, how necessary authority is to tell us the truth, while also asserting it was possible to ascertain the truth yourself about the Book of Mormon through petitionary prayer (asking for assurance). Their church really is just around the corner on another street. It was a very interesting conversation.

I used to romanticize the LDS or Mormon religion when I was a kid (but back then all religions seemed like romanticizable mysteries) but the more I learn about the theology the more puzzled I am about the role of women. I didn't ask the young man this, but if I understand correctly, men and women are supposed to have different afterlife destinies. I do not know if any other religion has this? I did not ask the young man that. He was most insistent on telling me things though, everything he could think of and having people in the back seat dig through boxes to give me handouts. I did manage to politely break away after a bit, but I think he really wanted a particular answer of some kind and wasn't really trying to let me go on my way...

Tell me your experiences, and your thoughts on their theology.

(I have chosen the general Abrahamic thread for this as that is how I see Mormonism. I realize both Christianity and the Modern Religions sections seem like plausible homes for discussions of Mormonism.)

 

[wil]

My interest in world religions, but also disdain for aggressive proselytizing has lead to me getting a copy of the gita from Hari Krishnas, Bibles from Baptists, and the Book of Mormon from LDS elders...

My format has always been to ask them what parts I should read before our next visit as I know little to nothing about their belief.

The when they return I have highlighted their book and have questions...

Some return once...some twice (with moral support) and then they avoid me.

I have seen the Baptist ladies cross the street and point at my house shaking their head...and the Mormons quickly ride by on their bicycles.

Back to Mormons... i and the communities they build benefjcial...but i already like the concept of communes, of working as a group for the common good as better than reliance solely on a nuclear family. I find their insistence on having survival food and striving for a 2-3 month preparedness of life without outside help valuable.

I question the plates and interpretations of the language, as well as Jesus speaking to the indigenous in precolumbian America all wuestionable....however I believe if I had the time and inclination to explore the belief further I would find other tidbits I would be willing to incorporate in my life.