Not Sure Where To Introduce Myself...

[altersteve]

My name is Stephen, or Steve, whichever you prefer. I'm 19 years old right now and am currently getting prepared to start on my mission papers. I stumbled across this board by accident one day while researching. I was having a really rough time with my faith for quite some time, reading lots of anti-Mormon material such as Mormonism Research Ministry, CARM, etc., and it almost destroyed my faith until I stumbled across Jeff Lindsay's website, LDSFAQ, and this board. It really helped me out a lot.

Anyway, I enjoy music, literature, and philosophy and hope to study those things when I return home from my mission in 2 years.

If this is not the right place for a thread like this, I apologize.

Steve

[Kevin Christensen]

My name is Stephen, or Steve, whichever you prefer. I'm 19 years old right now and am currently getting prepared to start on my mission papers. I stumbled across this board by accident one day while researching. I was having a really rough time with my faith for quite some time, reading lots of anti-Mormon material such as Mormonism Research Ministry, CARM, etc., and it almost destroyed my faith until I stumbled across Jeff Lindsay's website, LDSFAQ, and this board. It really helped me out a lot.

Anyway, I enjoy music, literature, and philosophy and hope to study those things when I return home from my mission in 2 years.

If this is not the right place for a thread like this, I apologize.

Steve

Welcome Steve. I hope you enjoy your mission. Jeff Lindsay does very good work. As do FAIR and the Maxwell Institute. CARM, not so much. That's like having a stoning held in our honor.

Best,

Kevin Christensen

Pittsburgh, PA

[bluebell]

Welcome! This is the perfect place for an intro.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

My name is Stephen, or Steve, whichever you prefer. I'm 19 years old right now and am currently getting prepared to start on my mission papers. I stumbled across this board by accident one day while researching. I was having a really rough time with my faith for quite some time, reading lots of anti-Mormon material such as Mormonism Research Ministry, CARM, etc., and it almost destroyed my faith until I stumbled across Jeff Lindsay's website, LDSFAQ, and this board. It really helped me out a lot.

Anyway, I enjoy music, literature, and philosophy and hope to study those things when I return home from my mission in 2 years.

If this is not the right place for a thread like this, I apologize.

Steve

Welcome...take a fool's advice. Stay away from CARM, it is a snake pit I go to far to often. Also use the Topical Guide here, most questions have already be asked and answered. I have a son on a mission right now and he loves it!

[altersteve]

Thanks for the welcomes

And I agree about CARM. Matt Slick, the president, uses logical fallacies so often I don't think he even realizes it. And his articles read as if a high school student wrote them. It's really pretty ridiculous.

[RBoylan]

Thanks for the welcomes

And I agree about CARM. Matt Slick, the president, uses logical fallacies so often I don't think he even realizes it. And his articles read as if a high school student wrote them. It's really pretty ridiculous.

He sure does. One of his favourite arguments for Sola Scriptura, the formal doctrine of the Reformation, is to quote 1 Cor 4:6. The problem is that, at the time of writing, not all scripture was enscripturated (he would agree that the time of Paul and other NT writers were a time of enscripturation of new revelation), so Paul and the New Testament Christians would have been also relying upon, and privileging en par with the written word, non-written revelation and teaching (e.g. 2 Thess 2:15), so how is Slick justified in claiming that 1 Cor 4:6 teaches Sola Scriptura? The original readers of that text could not have deduced SS from such, and clearly, Paul did not intend such. Further, "go beyond what is written" more than likely refers to the OT texts that Paul cited ("it is written" was a term used to refer to OT texts just quoted by NT authors). In other words, pure eisegesis on the behalf of Slick. Pretty representative of CARM and other like-ministries.

As an aside, welcome to the board. I mainly lurk here.

[rodheadlee]

Welcome Steve. Our prayers will be with you.

[Okrahomer]

My name is Stephen, or Steve, whichever you prefer. I'm 19 years old right now and am currently getting prepared to start on my mission papers. I stumbled across this board by accident one day while researching. I was having a really rough time with my faith for quite some time, reading lots of anti-Mormon material such as Mormonism Research Ministry, CARM, etc., and it almost destroyed my faith until I stumbled across Jeff Lindsay's website, LDSFAQ, and this board. It really helped me out a lot.

Anyway, I enjoy music, literature, and philosophy and hope to study those things when I return home from my mission in 2 years.

If this is not the right place for a thread like this, I apologize.

Steve

Welcome to the Board, Steve! I went through something similar prior to my mission, but that was back when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Rather than dealing with an electronic onslaught, the attack on my faith happened via up close and personal "love" from certain misguided individuals living in the area. It took a while before it dawned on me that they were purposely (and hopelessly) mischaracterizing my faith. In all honesty, it made me quite angry. Time (and on-going repentance) has mellowed the anger; nevertheless, one still feels a certain desire to remain vigilant and aware; and when appropriate to offer up a faithful response. I'm guessing your experiences will help prepare you for some of the things you will encounter on your mission.

[altersteve]

Welcome to the Board, Steve! I went through something similar prior to my mission, but that was back when dinosaurs ruled the earth. Rather than dealing with an electronic onslaught, the attack on my faith happened via up close and personal "love" from certain misguided individuals living in the area. It took a while before it dawned on me that they were purposely (and hopelessly) mischaracterizing my faith. In all honesty, it made me quite angry. Time (and on-going repentance) has mellowed the anger; nevertheless, one still feels a certain desire to remain vigilant and aware; and when appropriate to offer up a faithful response. I'm guessing your experiences will help prepare you for some of the things you will encounter on your mission.

Thanks for sharing your story. And I was thinking the same thing (about the bold part). I wondered if God let that happen on purpose so that I will be able to answer the questions of critics I may run into while serving my mission, which will undoubtedly happen.

Thanks again for the welcomes!

[Calm]

I wondered if God let that happen on purpose so that I will be able to answer the questions of critics I may run into while serving my mission, which will undoubtedly happen.

Just remember there is nothing wrong with saying "I don't know" and then deciding whether it's worth or not to take the time to research that information (if it's not a sincere investigator, perhaps your time would be better spent helping with the needs of those who are sincere).

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Thanks for sharing your story. And I was thinking the same thing (about the bold part). I wondered if God let that happen on purpose so that I will be able to answer the questions of critics I may run into while serving my mission, which will undoubtedly happen.

Thanks again for the welcomes!

It will help...CARMites are everywhere. So are even here from time to time seeking to hide their identity.

[Messenger]

Welcome Steve.

[ChristKnight]

My name is Stephen, or Steve, whichever you prefer. I'm 19 years old right now and am currently getting prepared to start on my mission papers. I stumbled across this board by accident one day while researching. I was having a really rough time with my faith for quite some time, reading lots of anti-Mormon material such as Mormonism Research Ministry, CARM, etc., and it almost destroyed my faith until I stumbled across Jeff Lindsay's website, LDSFAQ, and this board. It really helped me out a lot.

Anyway, I enjoy music, literature, and philosophy and hope to study those things when I return home from my mission in 2 years.

If this is not the right place for a thread like this, I apologize.

Steve

Welcome Steve! That's awesome that you're preparing for your mission. I just rewatched "An Army of Faith: Inside the MTC" last night- http://www.ksl.com/?nid=296&sid=14959815 . If you haven't seen it already, check it out.

I also love Jeff Lindsay's website, as it addresses some of the criticisms against the Church, and shows evidences for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, Book of Abraham, ancient evidences for restored beliefs, etc. There are many other resources available to you on those issues, so feel free to ask here.

[Okrahomer]

Just remember there is nothing wrong with saying "I don't know" and then deciding whether it's worth or not to take the time to research that information (if it's not a sincere investigator, perhaps your time would be better spent helping with the needs of those who are sincere).

A very big "amen!" to this.