I have been a member of the church for 45 years and I've never seen any discrimination against nonbelievers.

@@user-pv4px2ji5w What do you mean by discrimination? We may just have a difference in how we use the word. How I use it - Even in general conference there is frequent messages that "the world", is wicked, dangerous, and only getting worse. Those who leave are "lazy"/"deceived'/etc. If your children stop believing in this church doctrine it is a great aweflness, and likely means you won't have much connection with them FOREVER. This is a threat to the family that few other organizations make. This sets things up similar to other high control organizations. It definitely looks down on outsiders, and inhibits relationships etc. If you haven't seen this then you've been living is a fortunate scenario indeed.

Hogwash. Members treat non- members just the same as they treat each other. We're a missionary Church.

@@user-pv4px2ji5w Unfortunately it's not hogwash.

@@joshywash911 They aren't saying that you'll go to hell if you aren't Mormon. As all denominations know, only faith in Jesus of Nazareth can save us. However, what they are pointing out is that we are living in the Great Apostacy. Many people are afraid to call themselves "Christians" out of fear of judgement from friends, family, and "loved" ones. The LDS have been holding firm against such things, by being strict and teaching to keep the commandments, teaching to love God, love thy neighbor, requiring baptism, and that salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. But like Paul states, faith without works is dead, so we should aspire to feed the homeless, help people, and love people, even those that hate us. 2 Thessalonians 2:3 "Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness (sin) is revealed, the man doomed (of perdition) to destruction."

Yes we'll definitely get around to the Fanny Alger topic. Here's one on the Nauvoo Expositor: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/gMuPZbGDvbiyYas.html

@@davidsnell2605 awesome ! Thanks David !

Respectfully, what obligates you to find a religion at all?

@@talisanoberlandr This is a good question, i Honestly just want to find the truth, the truth led me to this church. that's all i can say:)

@@Herosoulstone have you studied SDA beliefs?

@@truthbebold4009 I have for a bit there, Would you like to tell me more about what you know about it?

I got a serious question for Mormons:I was looking at this article of these anti-religious leftists, atheists, and “satanists” who think and say “if God is real, then he’s a tyrant” and seem to want to start criticizing and death-threatening those who have faith in God. Does the Bible or Book of Mormon predict these things?

Cool insights! Thanks for sharing and for having an open mind with an often misunderstood religion. Feel free to DM us on Instagram if you'd like to chat more :)

@@SaintsUnscripted Definitely! I feel excited to begin this journey with the LDS. My mom left the Church of Christ and she's now going with me to the LDS temple. My dad is harder to convince but interested. And will do. :) I sent you a follow on IG.

I think that a church that prides itself in having prophets having to defend the many, many shortcomings of said prophets is a house built upon an incredibly weak foundation.

Well one good rule of thumb is looking at context and comparing what they are saying to the Articles of Faith. There is a big difference between a General Conference talk on Repentance and a personally published book encouraging one to get eight hours of sleep at night. The same is true when reading about past Prophets. When did they say or write something, and for what purpose. Many Prophets and Apostles have written books long before they were called. Being called to the Twelve does not retroactively make everything they said before Scripture. Lastly, just because something is a Prophets personal opinion, does not mean it can not also be good advice. If it is in harmony with the Standard Works of the Church, the I would give it the benefit of the doubt.

Hear him. (Christ) and is what the prophet is saying Christ like. Often times their is more to learn that even a prophet might need to learn. We need to remember 40 Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. 41 Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; 42 And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost. 43 And the Father and I are one. I am in the Father and the Father in me; and inasmuch as ye have received me, ye are in me and I in you. 44 Wherefore, I am in your midst, and I am the good shepherd, and the stone of Israel. He that buildeth upon this rock shall never fall. 45 And the day cometh that you shall hear my voice and see me, and know that I am. 46 Watch, therefore, that ye may be ready. Even so. Amen.

@@BrendonKing if it such a weak foundation how come you still haven’t disproved it

the ancient church: God gave Abraham a land that was already inhabited and they were people and ordered them to be removed from their homes, plural marriage was practiced, a prophet gave favors for money and was still called a prophet, a prophet was deceived and right after to give a prophecy and he died by falling into the deception, a prophet ordered to destroy an entire town and that they did not take pity on the babies, the king and prophet "David" committed adultery and murdered a man and then wrote the beautiful book of psalms, several prophets used instruments to perform miracles (the staff of Moses, the mantle of Elijah, the stones of urim and tummin, the apostles cast lots to choose a new apostle, etc.), of the twelve tribes only One was given the priesthood, for many centuries the gospel was not preached to the Gentiles because they were considered impure, there were events almost impossible to believe, the Red Sea split in two, a chariot of fire came and took a prophet, and the more wonderful a woman got pregnant without the need to be with a man (Maria), Moses' law was fulfilled but despite that Peter still says that homosexuality is an abominable sin (totally homophobic), God called a murderer (Pablo) to be an apostle. I wonder what those who attack the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would do with respect to the ancient church of God in our time, would they also say that it is false that Moses was a racist and homophobic?

Built into your statement is the beginnings of the no true scottsman fallacy

Most of their videos are under ten minutes.

I'll take "reasons Mormons should not and cannot be considered Christian" for 400, Alex.

@@BrendonKing Your argument is not logical. you are comparing Mormonism to today's Mainstream Christianity and not to true and biblical Christianity. This is your and most others' shortcoming in the argument.. I said that Mormonism is not merely the stagnant or wheel spinning Christianity of the mainstream Christianity that we see today, but is rather forward moving, revelation based Christianity as in scripture, and you argument is that Mormons can't be Christians because they aren't stuck in the same theological rut like the rest of today's Christianity?! if you don't understand Mormonism then it is no wonder why it is hard for your to understand how it compares to either mainstream Christianity or biblical Christianity. But then again I'm guessing that you think Mainstream Christianity is Biblical Christianity. In which case good luck with that.

@@allieooop3923 yes I would agree that Mormonism and today's mainstream Christianity are essentially two separate belief systems, not because they lead to different Gods, but because they are on completely different levels of belief in general and that is why Mormonism sticks with Biblical Christianity as it's basis for doctrines and beliefs, rather than borrowing from mainstream Christianity beliefs. Mainstream Christianity is an evolutionary belief system derived from the already corrupted and lacking system of Catholicism. I think you and I have already had this conversation. You can't put new tires, window, and paint on a broken car and expect it to get you anywhere. Catholicism is the broken car, and the reformations that brought about today's mainstream Christianity are the new tires, windows and paint job, but the functionality of the car never changed. the car still can't get you to where you need to be. true Christianity is not found in today's so called Christianity, at least not in it's fullest and purest form. So, in that regard I agree with you, but I'm sure you'd disagree with that sentiment, and thus would not accept that as your desired reality. and that is your prerogative, but I think some unbiased research into biblical Christianity might bring to light some serious flaws in your belief system, and I'm not even talking about flaws of contradictions of scriptural inaccuracies necessarily, but more so flaws of not being fully obeying the gospel, or completely accepting f all of Christ's teachings. it may also open some windows into how you could actually worship deeper and more meaningfully through a more Biblically centered Christian belief system like that of Mormonism. Mormonism is a restoration of Christ's original doctrines and organization, not a reformation of previously impure beliefs, from religious forefathers.

@@allieooop3923 but again you are thinking of it as if the belief systems are on the same level. the LDS belief system is a continuation or progression of Christ's Christianity, while mainstream Christianity is only a portion of Christ's Christianity. So while they do in fact diverge somewhere along the same path, it is really only because one stops not because either goes all that far off course, so to speak. I'm not at all saying that mainstream Christianity is all wrong, I'm saying that it falls short of being complete. Basically mainstream Christianity stops at seeking Christ and salvation through Him, while LDS theology sees beyond that salvation, and strives to seek the Father through Christ. that is why you likely see LDS and mainstream Christianity as seeking different Gods, but from an LDS perspective they are the same God, just on different levels of glory and plains of existence. Really it comes down to there being two different contexts and mainstream Christianity trying to figure out how to mash them into one while LDS theology understands the need and reality for them to remain different. it can be boiled down to the manner in which Christ taught using parables. on both the shallow and deeper levels the teaching is still true, but it is more meaningful on the deeper level, but those who refuse to accept or view them on the deeper level, but understand them on at least the shallower level, they aren't necessarily wrong, just not understanding things as deeply and meaningfully as the could and as Christ would want them to. it's just a matter of perspective and willingness to follow truth no matter where it leads you, because sometimes we must be lead into what we think is the darkness in order to have God show us a brighter light.

I think advocating for racist policies is grounds for leading people away from Christ

Interesting that you would use the verse from Matthew. According to JS, God's words DID pass away. They passed away with a thousand cuts; people removing plain and precious truths little by little as time went on. I am told quite often that Biblical Christianity is not contained within the Bible, because it has been altered or warped to appeal to men. Sounds to me like God's words did die and fade into obscurity.

The kingdom of God had to be restored back in the last days according to the prophecies of Daniel. For Jesus said that the gospel would be given to another nation.

@@germanslice Point to me where Jesus said his Word or church would have to be restored on the earth, and I will point to you a verse that's been taken out of its Biblical context.

That's why you have ceased learning....and going around in endless circles because you want to follow traditional teachings of men and don't want to hear the word of God through the prophets. Jesus said the gospel would go to another nation because the Jews had rejected the gospel. And so he gave the gospel to Joseph Smith to give to the Gentiles in America in fulfilment of Jeremiah Chapter 30 about God drawing the man all out to meet him in the woods and then to establish his latter-day kingdom of Zion and a zion people from that man that God will draws all to himself.' 'Truth shall spring forth from the earth (Book of Mormon buried plates), and righteousness shall look down from heaven above (1st Vision) Pslams 89:11.. ... If you think God puts everything all in context, you re wrong. And that's how you're not gonna see the time jumps that prophets make between different places in the world's history. . That's why Jesus said SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES if you think you have eternal life. Not just arrogantly assume that everything prophets say is all row by row in perfect context, some of it is in context and other parts are not and you have to search and cross reference through all the scriptures to find the pieces and fragments that are scattered in it. That's why LDS Doctrine pieces all together with the Bible and the parables of Jesus when you assemble up all the scattered fragments.. Now if the Gentiles reject the gospel and refuse to accept more of the Lord's word through Joseph Smith his servant and harden their hearts then the gospel will go back again to the Jews. if the gentiles reject the Father's Gospel. And that is where Christ will appear to some of the Jews to show his hands to them and then they will know who he is. Zechariah 12-13. The prophet Daniel knew that the kingdom of God would not be fully established at the time Jesus was on the earth with his 12 Apostles in the early church and the gospel only got preached around Asia Minor and did not go out to all of the world because all the Apostles were all killed before they even got out of Asia so the charge was given to Moroni one of the Angles in the Book of Revelations to preach the gospel to the world in the last days to prepare for the Second Coming of Christ, and how that would be acconplished>, the prophet Isaiah explained it all clearly in Chapter 29 about reading a sealed book in the last days and that reading this sealed book that would speak from out of the dust of the earth (so we know the book would be translated) because it would come from one single man and then the book would be given out into the hands of the people and when the gentiles in the last days read of this book they would be converted to the true knowledge of God and come out of blindiness and obscurity and out of all their stumbling blocks and learn doctrine, so we know that this sealed book would be SCRIPTURE because it contains doctrine of God but the sealed portion of the book won't be read by Joseph Smith but the unsealed portion of the book would be translated by him and then published out to the world and it would be translated in 65 days by the power of the Holy Ghost....Because its not the bible Isaiah is talking about because the bible needed 45 translators to translate it for King James from around 1602 to 1611. So it took the king James Translators years to translate the Bible but not the Book of Mormon that Isaiah saw being published out and given to the people around the world to read it in vision.. For God already had a branch of prophets on the other side of the world through the Remnant of Joseph of Egypt one of the scattered lost tribes of Israel and that's why we have the Book of Mormon record from the remnant of Joseph.. For at the time Jesus was on the earth Rome was in power. But the kingdom of God would come at a later time after the roman empire was all broken up and was no longer in power.... But first the reformation had to happen to provide the right conditions for the restoration of the gospel in 1830.. People have to realize that God the Father had bestowed his blessings on not just only Judah's Line but also on Joseph's of Egypt's Line, (See Genesis Chapter 49) so when the apostles were killed, the blessings of God carried over on the other side of the world on Joseph's Line his remannt. Jesus had two sheepfolds to preach the gospel to not just only one sheepfold. it is ignorance to beileve that Christ only had one sheepfold to teach the gospel to when the fact is there are ten lost tribes. Why do Bible Only Believers teach incorrectly to the people that there's only one second coming for the whole world where he appears in the clouds in red robes in power and great glory of his Father with all the angles, they will acknowledge that scripture but ignore all the other scriptures of other visits and meetings that Jesus will make BEFORE the Main Second Coming event occurs. Also we know in the last days, that the law of God shall go forth from out of Zion in Jerusalem and also out of Zion in America. The law will not be going out by millions of Bible believing panicking Christians running about in the streets crying apoclaypse with their bibles. God says there will be two main locations on the planet that his law will be issued out from....Found in Isaiah Chapter 2:2-3

@@germanslice but tell me where God says his church will be taken from the earth once more, only to be restored later on by a boy from New York. You said a lot, but you didn't answer my question. I want to know where Christ told His followers that His church would succumb to the machinations of men, only to be brought about almost 2000 years later.

I think we are often too ready to blindly accept quotes attributed to Brigham Young without investigation. We really can not talk about purported BY quotes without also talking about George Watt and his twisting of rhetoric.

@@brettmajeske3525 who's George Watt?

@@CarlosWashingtonMercado George Watt was the newspaper reporter who edited and published the Journal of Discourses. After he was excommunicated in 1887, the Church realized they did not own the copyrights for many of the early published works, and started there own effort to record and publish the sermons of the Prophets and Apostles. Many people mistakenly think that the JD was an official publication of the Church, but it was not. It was owned by Watt who collected all of the profits from its sale.

Brigham Young was an actual racist‼

@Anti Anti Mormon yes and no, see the restriction of blacks in the priesthood cake from Brigham Young... Not Joseph Smith. Yes many people were racist and Brigham Young is definitely one of them, but couldn't God simply say to his prophet "don't be a racist asshole" or "hey, don't have a personal murder squad like the danites", or even "hey, God here, slavery is bad... Tell people slavery is bad". We have been told though that prophets will never lead us astray right? So does that mean slavery and racism was good then?

I think so, but what did you mention?

@@nocturnoculto9445: I ask because they seem far-fetched, to the point that the speakers both laugh at some of the details, but I’m assuming Bible believers take them to be literally true.

Ok got it , thanks for explain.😊

@@nocturnoculto9445: Out of curiosity, what would it take for you to not believe these stories to be historically accurate?

No reason. Go a head and grow it! Nothing in the scriptures about the length of ones facial hair.

Hahaha I can’t as well 🥺

Try to be a student at BYU with a full beard....Rules say: REMOVE FACIAL HAIR‼

@@McCool80 The OP said nothing about BYU. Frankly BYU's honor code is its own topic barley tangential to the Church.

But my testimony though! You can't just say the methods I and another religious person used led us to different conclusions and are unreliable even though we both did almost all the same things! The Muslim that did the same things as I did can't be right because I have a testimony and *feel very very strongly* that they're wrong./s

Sean S. Actually, different religions have different methods.

@@Hamann9631: True, some religions don’t interpret their own thoughts and feelings as coming from god. Perhaps my point could have been made clearer. How about this: It seems curious that so many religions hold mutually exclusive truth claims, yet they use the same methods to arrive at them. Does that make more sense?

@@seans5289 Islam believes in a pure revelation to a last prophet. Judaism believes in a revelation in the Tanach and wisdom of Rabbis. They don't claim the Rabbis who wrote the Talmud and Mishnah to have received revelations. Catholics believe that traditions have the weight of revelations despite making to claim to having prophets or apostles receiving those traditions. Evangelical christians believe is things being proven and don't walk by faith. They believe in an old revelation and don't claim to know by the Holy Ghost. The members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in continuing revelations which don't tell us everything. The way I see it is that some people are making guesses. Some people are saying what ever will fill up a stadium so they get money. Some people might be directly inspired by the devil. That is how I explain the differences.

@@Hamann9631: All of the different religions you noted believe that men in ancient Mesopotamia received angelic messengers. They all believe that god is at the helm of their religion, yet all of those religions hold contradictory claims which stem from the same source: Somebody else relaying messages from god. Even if you are the person receiving these messages, you would need a reliable method of determining whether the messages were divine, delusions, or deceptions. Do you know of such a method?

because it is dumb

Anyone who claims to be a prophet

@@joshuaboehner4652: I like those odds

True. But it does mean that an intelligent, reasonable person like David can find the arguments in favor of the Church more compelling than those against it.

@Juliette Tellimm your comment is certainly true in some cases. But for what it's worth, I actually do believe what I profess to believe.

the ancient church: God gave Abraham a land that was already inhabited and they were people and ordered them to be removed from their homes, plural marriage was practiced, a prophet gave favors for money and was still called a prophet, a prophet was deceived and right after to give a prophecy and he died by falling into the deception, a prophet ordered to destroy an entire town and that they did not take pity on the babies, the king and prophet "David" committed adultery and murdered a man and then wrote the beautiful book of psalms, several prophets used instruments to perform miracles (the staff of Moses, the mantle of Elijah, the stones of urim and tummin, the apostles cast lots to choose a new apostle, etc.), of the twelve tribes only One was given the priesthood, for many centuries the gospel was not preached to the Gentiles because they were considered impure, there were events almost impossible to believe, the Red Sea split in two, a chariot of fire came and took a prophet, and the more wonderful a woman got pregnant without the need to be with a man (Maria), Moses' law was fulfilled but despite that Peter still says that homosexuality is an abominable sin (totally homophobic), God called a murderer (Pablo) to be an apostle. I wonder what those who attack the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would do with respect to the ancient church of God in our time, would they also say that it is false that Moses was a racist and homophobic?

@@nocturnoculto9445 I would look at those men as what they were: fallen creatures duly deserving of punishment from a perfect and just God, just as we all are. That's why the Psalms attributed to David are about redemption, about purification. He knew he had nothing to go before God with, and yet he knew that God would wash away his sins. David understood his place, and was joyous that God was in control. You have a bunch of men who claim to this day that David was not saved, nor will be. That is the difference between "the primitive church" and the supposed "restored" gospel. And, just to be clear, your church still hates homosexuality as much as the next, and was one of the last congregations in the continental US to accept blacks into full membership. Those in glass houses.

Double standards

Would being atheist be such a bad outcome?

@@talisanoberlandr Not if there is no God, but I know there is so yes it would be a bad outcome on many levels.

@@allieooop3923 Happy to share more. Without the additional evidence for God provided by such things as the miraculous Book of Mormon and the modern evidence that introduces I find the other denominations case for God almost non existent compared to the atheist arguments. Bare in mind as a Latterday Saint I have all the other evidence from all the other denominations to support my faith and the additional evidence introduced with the Book of Mormon (modern prophets who speak to God starting with Joseph, additional miraculous scripture delivered by God, assurance of direct personal revelation up to and including visions of the Living God myself if necessary) to add to that support. Without that additional evidence I have the testimony of one small group of people in one small out of the way land reported in a compilation of books that reads like mythology and all its attendant errors, contradictions, and potential interpretations. To put it more mundanely traditional denominations evidence are like a stool with one leg, and Latterday Saint evidence is like a chair with at least 3 legs and multiple cross braces.

@@allieooop3923 You may be amused to learn that from my perspective all protestant churches are based on Catholic creeds while denying Catholic Authority. The Greeks are in different reconcilable position from the Catholic from my perspective. I can respect your 3 legged position. The trouble I have is that like any 3 legged stool if one of those legs can be shown to be unstable the whole thing is unstable. In my case I have seen many convincing attacks on the Bible, but for me the Book of Mormon cross braces the testimony of the Bible as well as being its own support of the divinity of Christ and his atonement. Now if the Book of Mormon were proven to be a fraud which is getting harder to do each year then its support of Christ, The Bible, and Revelation would collapse and I would then have to question the veracity of the Bible given all of its errors and contradictions. I would be left with no additional witness from the Book of Mormon, No Modern prophets and their attendant authority to speak for God, and a Bible leg with termite holes to support my possible faith. Correct me if I am wrong but if there are enough holes in the testimony of the Bible doesn't that also damage your tradition and authority legs as well? I know I wouldn't have confidence in the Catholic church's authority and tradition with the holes in the Bible if it was the only record, and I would be even less inclined toward Protestantism because of sola scriputura based on the holey Bible putting in question whether it could be called Holy. I would even have to question my own internal determination that there is a God as a possible self delusion. Even if I eventually accepted that there is a God I would have to face the possibility that God is ambivalent not loving so pointless to worship anyway given all the suffering in the world that broke Bart Ehrman's faith in the end. Correct me if I am wrong but isn't your tradition based on the Bible at its core and then your authority based on that tradition at its core? In my case our claim to authority is based on Joseph being a prophet and receiving authority directly from the men who held it in the past returning as angels to bestow it. As a prophet Joseph testifies of Christ, beyond that he claims to be an apostle which is an eye witness to Christ's resurrection. The Book of Mormon is the strongest evidence that Joseph was a Prophet and it bares on its own as well that Christ was resurrected and of the veracity of the Bible. The Bible also bares witness of the resurrection of Christ and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in at least Isaiah and Revelations. Imperfections then in all three: The Bible, The Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith, do not disprove their shared witness that Jesus is the Christ since even an imperfect person or thing can still testify of The Truth especially when corroborated by each other as these are. Of course if any of them are proven false then all are proven false, and there is a huge gap between imperfect and false.

Ever heard of NDE's?

first reply... lol

@@celestemorgan606 first like

@@chaseallen7499 crud. I can't like my own reply. totally unfair.

I am not sure what you are trying to say here. No one has the Priesthood confirmed without holding an office.

God's revealed that the prophet right now holds these keys. The church currently is the holder of these keys. Further keys will come to. But gods told me the prophet indeed holds the keys.

Brendan Wilson Revealed this to who ? You can’t have keys without the priesthood and you can’t hold the priesthood without it being conferred upon you ...

@@horton6951 it was conferred upon them. President Nelson hold's these keys because they where conferred to him:)

Brendan Wilson Well, neither you or I have that information.

Yeah our church is really suffering. With 36 more temples announced, 27 temples under construction, with over 16 million members, and almost 250,000 converts baptized in 2019, you are right. Our church has maybe two years max left LOL.

@@quinn4206 It's interesting that you mention real estate holdings first instead of the amazing membership growth numbers that used to be touted in the 90s. The church itself probably can survive indefinitely on its own regardless of how many members it has, but we are close to a point where actual practicing members may have peaked. Have you noticed how they stopped reporting membership numbers in conference? They saw the trend and knew this was coming.

@@johnram2172 Yes it is true in the 1990s, the Church expanded and had quite a few more convert baptisms as opposed to now. However, in 2019 convert baptisms were up by six percent. Honestly, it's common sense that some years have better numbers than other years LOL. And honestly, everyone will eventually have access to the Gospel and will have the ability to choose if they want to accept it. And I don't really focus on if they report on Church statistics in General Conference, I and everyone else is more focused on hearing from the Prophet and learning more about God and Jesus Christ. And if someone does want to know about Church statistics, it's in the Ensign and on the Church's website. They're not hiding anything LOL.

@@quinn4206 Yeah, numbers fluctuate, but the overall trend has been a slowing growth rate for the past 30 years. If the trend continues we are near the peak. Of course things can change, but it doesn't look like that's happening anytime soon, especially considering some of the most common reasons people are leaving, like the Book of Abraham mistranslation, DNA evidence, etc. aren't just going away.

@@johnram2172 when you calculate member numbers do you account for who is actually active? I mean technically I'm still on the church records.... But I am definitely not active nor will I ever be.

We are Christian’s and always have been. The Book of Mormon compliments the Bible in numerous ways. The things that you argue that say we aren’t Christian were decided by man not God or Christ