Anti Mormon Crap.

[circusboy01]

I was just looking at a bunch of Anti Mormon Garbage on You Tube.Ran across them by accident. If your faith is weak, and your mind is weak, stay away from sites like these.
However if, like me, your faith is strong, and your mind is strong. Go ahead and check them out. You might get a good laugh. Brother Ray

[prisonchaplain]

My faith is strong, my mind is strong, yet somehow I've never felt compelled to view anti-Pentecostal youtube...or anywhere else. I'd like to think I'm ready for trouble when it comes, but I sure don't go looking for it.

[FunkyTown]

Yyyyyyes.

Not being challenged by anti-LDS stuff doesn't mean your faith is strong. It's not some kind of badge of honor. We all have our crosses to bear. Some might be challenged by the loss of a loved one, a strong drink or even a particularly abrasive YouTube video. That doesn't make them more or less strong - Merely challenged by different things.

[circusboy01]

Originally Posted by prisonchaplain

My faith is strong, my mind is strong, yet somehow I've never felt compelled to view anti-Pentecostal youtube...or anywhere else. I'd like to think I'm ready for trouble when it comes, but I sure don't go looking for it.

You make a very good point.

[circusboy01]

Originally Posted by FunkyTown

Yyyyyyes.

Not being challenged by anti-LDS stuff doesn't mean your faith is strong. It's not some kind of badge of honor. We all have our crosses to bear. Some might be challenged by the loss of a loved one, a strong drink or even a particularly abrasive YouTube video. That doesn't make them more or less strong - Merely challenged by different things.

Yes. But, if your faith is weak, those anti-LDS sites have a lot better chance of getting you to fall away from the church. Brother Ray

[Sicily510]

Originally Posted by circusboy01

I was just looking at a bunch of Anti Mormon Garbage on You Tube.Ran across them by accident. If your faith is weak, and your mind is weak, stay away from sites like these.
However if, like me, your faith is strong, and your mind is strong. Go ahead and check them out. You might get a good laugh. Brother Ray

I realized that when viewing these youtube videos, my emotions became overwhelmed with hurt, anger, and resentment. At the same time, I chose to allow myself to feel that way by viewing such contents. I can share this much....I never had the privilege of going on my mission. And the Youtube has opened my horizon in doing so, I bare my testimonies to those of how "The Church Of Jesus Christ Of these Latter-days" helps me through these hardships. I've been through the self-afflictions, disfunctional family, pubescent depression, etc....However, being blessed with the teaching and gospel of our heavenly father, savior and the holy ghost I was able to find peace and happiness through the "line upon line scriptures" and prayer. It's very hard to find people who are spiritual who seek inner peace, but its very common to find those who haven't identified with their own spirituality or themselves. I truly believe that this church stresses for us to be in tuned with our spirits for that's where the holyghost dwells. We must be spiritually capable of seeking the gospel and utilizing our savior to redeem us from our iniquities. I believe that Joseph Smith was seeking spiritually guidance and answers humbly, that he was able to restore the gospel for these latter days. I believe that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet of these latter-days and that he's serving our heavenly father by giving us good messages to utilize in our daily lives. I've questioned my faith to the point where I've no more questions to ask because I prayed and read. And I read, and when I read it felt like everything was falling into place. I can honestly say that this faith is unveiling an abundance of knowledge that not even American History can surpass. Not that I'm saying American History has no stature because I'm a firm believer in the declaration of independence and that we do have the right to our own life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. What I am saying is that we are given a god given knowledge and divine principle of helping the poor, sick, and weary. We are taught in our youth to be nurturing, loving, valiant individuals who will become parents, leaders, and educaters. We hum our favorite hymn to refrain us from vulgar languages, to not idle for we allow the adversary to work on us when we should work by serving whether it's labor or being a care provider. Imagine if the world was able to follow these teachings how much of a better place we could and would be. I'm going to end here...because like I stated it's an abundance of knowledge spiritually, intellectually, physically, all around that this church has to offer. No educational loans and fees, but the blessing of true happiness with our heavenly father. I say these things humbly in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

[pam]

Aren't we taught to stay away from things that are not uplifting spiritually? So why would I want to visit a bunch of anti Mormon sites and youtubes?

[Loudmouth_Mormon]

It's important to know what you believe and why you believe it. If you have a genuine testimony, this stuff won't dent it. If, however, your testimony is based on your parent's faith, or tradition, or urban myth, or cultural influences, or any individual besides Jesus Christ, then you can anticipate a bumpy road ahead - regardless of whether you encounter critical material or not.

[RipplecutBuddha]

After my own excursion through the ugly universe that is Anit-*enter religion here*, let me give some advice. If you do so, prepare to be challenged. I strongly advise small doses taken with massive amounts of prayer and serious forethought.

We suffer challenges to our faith on a moment-to-moment basis in our lives as it is. Who among us is strong enough to deliberately add more to the pile? As for my own experience, I have spent several years examining the most prevalent and most popular challenges to the LDS faith. I then also explored some of the Catholic faith and I found them to be much similar. The most important quality I can say they have is that they share absolutely no interest in truth or actually discussing the doctrines/issues that are brought up.

Each one is seen as a closed case merley being exmained. Call me odd but last I was paying attention, no faith-based religion has ever been, nor can be, proven false through human reasoning alone. The conclusion I rested on is that the sum total of any anti-religious material is totally useless, as every issue ever discussed has already been answered by the religion in question to a very satisfactory degree. Just because some refuse to leave dead horses and sleeping dogs alone doesn't mean we have to go join in the mess.

[changed]

If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
(Pearl of Great Price | Articles of Faith 1:13)


I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?(Old Testament | Nehemiah 6:3)


Our Stake pres told us that anti stuff is equivalent to porn. Our bishop reads it an writes rebuttals etc. etc. FAIR is a good resource.

I think everyone should be informed so they can intelligently respond when questioned - but that they should become informed by reading through sites like FAIR and Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship - Home rather than reading through anti stuff. Seek to stand in holy places, follow the advice of AF13, and pray that those who harbor anger within themselves will one day come to terms with whatever trials have led them to their current state. Pity them, try to love them, and you won't get the yucky angry feelings.