By Their Fruits You Shall Know Them

[sjdawg]

What are the "Fruits" of Mormonism? (Good and Bad)

[thesometimesaint]

The sure knowledge that Jesus is the Christ. All others are secondary addendum's.

[sjdawg]

The sure knowledge that Jesus is the Christ. All others are secondary addendum's.

Fair Enough.

I'll say as positives I think the LDS Church has a nice focus on Education and teaching youth to have well-rounded skill sets.

[sjdawg]

As negatives I think (my opinion only) members of the LDS Church often limit their inner circle of friends to fellow LDS people. They work with and are neighbors with non-LDS people buy my observation has been that rarely do they become close with non-LDS people.

[tyler90az]

Fair Enough.

I'll say as positives I think the LDS Church has a nice focus on Education and teaching youth to have well-rounded skill sets.

The "Priesthood School" is one fine leadership school. There is no organization on earth with a comparable program from birth to adulthood. That is my observation atleast...

[tyler90az]

The bad fruits would be some LDS thinking.

God let the Holocaust happen for revenge on Jesus

Excited at the prospect that non-believers will not be in the Celestial Kingdom especially about Sons of Peredition

Hope bad things happen to Apostates or Anti-Mormons

Hope bad things happen to non-believers so they will believe

Want your life to go to hell if you leave the church

Want people to be humbled in a bad way

Hope marriages fall apart f they do not go to church

At times mock other religions, Islam especially

If natural disaster happens they believe God did it and happy about it

Edited August 14, 2012 by tyler90az

[Gohan]

The bad fruits would be some LDS thinking.

God let the Holocaust happen for revenge on Jesus

Excited at the prospect that non-believers will not be in the Celestial Kingdom especially about Sons of Peredition

Hope bad things happen to Apostates or Anti-Mormons

Hope bad things happen to non-believers so they will believe

Want your life to go to hell if you leave the church

Want people to be humbled in a bad way

Hope marriages fall apart f they do not go to church

At times mock other religions, Islam especially

People that are LDS and teach and/or think those particular things - a very small minority I would hope - are going to rather quickly find themselves at severe variance with the teachings of the Savior and of the Church. Just my .02.

As to the OT, I'd say the Church's emphasis on Education and Welfare are two of its fruits.

[tyler90az]

People that are LDS and teach and/or think those particular things - a very small minority I would hope - are going to rather quickly find themselves at severe variance with the teachings of the Savior and of the Church. Just my .02.

As to the OT, I'd say the Church's emphasis on Education and Welfare are two of its fruits.

For the most part, the Gospel is the polar opposite of all the items listed. I think of Nephi? crying over people who would not convert as one example.

[Gohan]

Aye, 2 Nephi 33, a great chapter.

3 But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.

4 And I know that the Lord God will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people. And the words which I have written in weakness will be made strong unto them; for it persuadeth them to do good; it maketh known unto them of their fathers; and it speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in him, and to endure to the end, which is life eternal.

I'd also say the Book of Mormon as one of the good fruits, although it's usually classified as a fruit of Joseph than one of Mormonism in general.

[thesometimesaint]

tyler90az:

In any large group of people you are sure to find some peculiar personal beliefs that are not part what the larger group believes, or what its leaders teach.

If you found something that brought you great joy and happiness. Would you not want to share it with others? If they rejected you and what you found. Would you not cry?

[tyler90az]

tyler90az:

In any large group of people you are sure to find some peculiar personal beliefs that are not part what the larger group believes, or what its leaders teach.

Those thoughts are not an LDS problem in particular, rather a religion poblem. Those thoughts just made me cringe the few times they were spoken.

Edited August 14, 2012 by tyler90az

[CV75]

What are the "Fruits" of Mormonism? (Good and Bad)

According to an intellectually choerent definition of "Mormon" / "Mormonism" (see the thread ), there can be no bad fruits once this definition is properly applied.

[KevinG]

My seven children.

[cinepro]

According to an intellectually choerent definition of "Mormon" / "Mormonism" (see the thread http://www.mormondia...tion-of-mormon/ ), there can be no bad fruits once this definition is properly applied.

That's the brilliancy of it. If Mormons and what we do aren't "fruits of Mormonism", then it's a test the Church can't fail.

For example, does this article describe a "fruit" of Mormonism? To what degree does a trait need to exist in a population in order to be considered a "fruit"? (It looks like you need to select "Print Article" in order to read it).

Mormons may be More Gullible than Other Investors

Over the year I have spent some time thinking about why Mormons might be particularly vulnerable to unwise speculation and/or debt management. Most of the factors I have come to believe contribute to the problem are factors that are general to members of the Church everywhere and not just Latter-day Saints in Utah. These are not scientific, they are just my opinions. See if they don't make sense to you.

First, most people tend to judge others by themselves. If you are striving to be honest and always tell the truth, there is a tendency to assume others will do the same. Regrettably, that is not always the case. Honesty is a wonderful attribute. However, if it leads to naivete it can be dangerous. Christ was honest but he never for a minute misunderstood where the Pharisees and Sadducees were coming from. He knew when they were trying to trick him.

Second, Latter-day Saints have respect for people serving in visible Church callings. A salesman tells us that Bro. X, who happens to hold a prominent Church calling, is on the board of directors of the company. Or we are told that Bro. Y - who is a beloved stake president - is a big investor. Or the person doing the selling is on the high council of his stake. There is a tendency for us to set aside our own critical study and plunge in because people we respect spiritually are involved financially. This is not a leap of logic we are wise to make.

Third, some Mormons are guilty of what I call righteous greed. We sometimes reason that since we pay our tithing, attend the temple regularly and always get our visiting teaching done in the first half of the month we are entitled to a blessing. And the blessing we want is a lot of money. (It may not be the blessing the Lord wants for us.) We convince ourselves the Lord will make the get-rich-quick scheme or the debt we are looking at work out to our benefit. We reason to ourselves that as soon as we are rich we will use the money to retire to a lifetime of Church service. (Actual observation suggests many members first want an expensive home and a luxury car before helping out the poor and giving Church service.)

Edited August 14, 2012 by cinepro

[bluebell]

The bad fruits would be some LDS thinking.

God let the Holocaust happen for revenge on Jesus

Excited at the prospect that non-believers will not be in the Celestial Kingdom especially about Sons of Peredition

Hope bad things happen to Apostates or Anti-Mormons

Hope bad things happen to non-believers so they will believe

Want your life to go to hell if you leave the church

Want people to be humbled in a bad way

Hope marriages fall apart f they do not go to church

At times mock other religions, Islam especially

If natural disaster happens they believe God did it and happy about it

These same things can all be said about Christianity in general (and by the general human population as well), so i'm not sure how they are here applied only to mormonism?

[bluebell]

According to an intellectually choerent definition of "Mormon" / "Mormonism" (see the thread http://www.mormondia...tion-of-mormon/ ), there can be no bad fruits once this definition is properly applied.

I think one could legitimately ask the question in regards to mormonism and find bad fruits without misapplying the definition though, because mormon culture is very much a part of mormonism

[KevinG]

These same things can all be said about Christianity in general (and by the general human population as well), so i'm not sure how they are here applied only to mormonism?

Lists like these are likely to come from observations of functional and dysfunctional behaviors of families and church units. Trying to divine the fruits of Mormonism from lists like these would be like trying to decide who is saved and who is a sinner from observing outward behaviors. Somewhat instructive but generally impossible to determine.

On an individual level people can testify to the fruits of the gospel in their lives... strong marriage, loving family, charitable service, good health, etc.

[CV75]

For example, does this article describe a "fruit" of Mormonism? To what degree does a trait need to exist in a population in order to be considered a "fruit"? (It looks like you need to select "Print Article" in order to read it).

No, because the fruits of the fallen nature of man can exist side-by-side with the fruits of Mormonism. According to the definition in the link I provided, Mormonism is: affirmation that there is a God; that Jesus is the Christ; that Joseph Smith was a prophet; that President Monson is a prophet. These personal affirmations and beliefs, properly applied, will not bear the fruits of unrighteous judgment, undue respect, greed and gullibility. A man can yield both good and evil until he is perfected; Mormonism (the affirmations listed) yields only good fruits. Mormonism makes a bad man good, and a good man better than he was, and so forth, depending on how he applies Mormonism. But Mormonism itself is only good.

[CV75]

If Mormons and what we do aren't "fruits of Mormonism", then it's a test the Church can't fail.

Mormons and what we do are the fruits of Mormons and what we do. That would be a mixed bag, individually and collectively. We see good fruits when we properly apply ourselves, and bad fruits when we do not, and in either case, by degree.

Mormonism and what Mormnism does are the fruits of Mormonism. We only have to ask what God, Christ, Joseph Smith (in terms of the keys he holds), and President Monson (in terms of the keys he holds) do to see that only good fruits can come from Mormonism.

[sjdawg]

The "Priesthood School" is one fine leadership school. There is no organization on earth with a comparable program from birth to adulthood. That is my observation atleast...

I'll buy that but won't even limit it to the priesthood. I think the YW are also given ample opportunity to develop leadership skilss

[sjdawg]

In some ways I even find the Fundamentalist mormons to be a sad fruit of Mormonism. Joseph Smitth re-introduced polygamy and other doctrines which splinter groups have maintained.

[CV75]

I think one could legitimately ask the question in regards to mormonism and find bad fruits without misapplying the definition though, because mormon culture is very much a part of mormonism

I wouldn't say that what Mormons have done in the way of local or regional culture (some good, some bad) is all a product of Mormonism, as described above. It is a product of their still-fallen nature.

I would say whatever elements of a "Zion culture" exist within these cultures would be a fruit of Mormonism.

[Tacenda]

I like the fruit of VT/HT program, albeit can be a little on the phony side. But for the most part for those that take it seriously and serve and love the people they visit, it can be a life saver, and literally I mean life saver. I recall reading somewhere of an elderly man that had frozen to death in his own home from the heat being shut off, he apparently couldn't afford to pay the bill. No one had cared about this man and he was alone. And I thought to myself, if he'd been in an LDS ward, this would never have happened.

So I like that aspect in our church. Even the non lds have envy of this in our church, the structure and organization of taking care of one another.

Edited August 15, 2012 by Tacenda

[sjdawg]

I like the fruit of VT/HT program, albeit can be a little on the phony side. But for the most part for those that take it seriously and serve and love the people they visit, it can be a life saver, and literally I mean life saver. I recall reading somewhere of an elderly man that had frozen to death in his own home from the heat being shut off, he apparently couldn't afford to pay the bill. No one had cared about this man and he was alone. And I thought to myself, if he'd been in an LDS ward, this would never have happened and would bet my life on it.

So I like that aspect in our church. Even the non lds have envy of this in our church, the structure and organization of taking care of one another.

I think it is a good program too (as you said, when done sincerely)

[Ahab]

What are the "Fruits" of Mormonism? (Good and Bad)

Peaches in orange jello.

That's in there somewhere, whether you like it or not.