I was approached by two young Mormon men at my job, by informing them that I was a practicing Catholic and being as kind and non-judgmental as I could. I happily accepted their leaflet, smiled, made some small talk and shook their hands. It was a pleasant experience and I look forward to the next. If religion ever comes up, I am well prepared to acquit myself well in defending the Faith, as a lifelong Catholic who has read the Bible and Catechism multiple times, as well as watch shows like this. I always keep in mind that I am Christ to the people I meet and it is my responsibility to present the Gospel with love, not with animus.
Thank you for your kind approach. I am an active member of the LDS. I served a mission in Argentina. I met many awesome Catholics! Wonderful people! Not to mention the beautiful Latin culture! It pains me to see that so many Catholics now a days are abandoning traditions that are over 1500 years old, of marriage, attending mass, etc. I used to razz some of my millennial age / gen z Catholic coworkers and say… you come from a rich tradition that is centuries old and YOU are the one that is breaking it and choosing to live together with girlfriend instead of getting married? You are the one abandoning the faith and tradition of your ancestors? I did it in good humor. But it is sad. Anyway, thank you for being respectful.
@@academyofchampions1 Hi, friend. I will say I have always found your missionaries to be polite and respectful. In fact they helped my neighbor, who is a vet with ptsd, in moving from his unit. I believe they provided this service for nothing. That is a true living of the gospel. Bless you! ❤️🙏♥️
Joe, from what I can tell of you from just seeing you online, you epitomize what any good apologist should be. You’re kind, gentle, and still speak truth to people. Thanks for setting a wonderful example
Of course. Joe is different from the others personality wise but they all on the defensive for the Catholic Church. Great talent brother Joe. You are defending the Body of Christ so biblically as St Peter the first Pope has exhorted us in his Catholic Letters. Don't let any wrong teachings go unnoticed and uncorrected. God bless.
@@mulipolatuuumataafatiufeaa4964 _"St Peter the first Pope"_ Peter wasn't the first pope and wasn’t a bishop, he was an apostle and leader of the church during this time. There is no evidence of Peter being the bishop in church in Rome. In fact, Iranaeus says “The blessed apostles, then, *having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate.”* (Against Heresies 3 chapter 3) Or after the apostles set up the Church area, the first Bishop was Linus, not Peter. So where do you get that Peter was the Bishop of Rome? Where does it say that Linus or even the Bishop of Rome was supposed to secede Peter as leader? Linus was bishop of Rome from 67 AD until his death in 76 AD and John the apostle is said to have died between 89 - 120 AD, why would the leadership not have fallen to one of Jesus’s apostles? Andrew and Thomas are said to have been alive as well during that time. Also, Peter is also supposed to have founded the Church at Antioch and Corinth, so why does the Bishop of Rome get to be the leader when 2 other Churches have the same claim of authority? And the Church at Antioch was founded in 34 AD while Rome was founded in 42 AD so it doesn’t even have a seniority position which makes the claim of Rome even weaker. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's and Jesus Christ one and only true church here on earth. We know and teach the Bible and gospel better than any other denomination. Join God and Jesus Christ in their Kingdom and join their true church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and learn all that they have to offer. Learn of their glory and mercy, learn of the plan they have of you.
Lol active members of the church have the paradigm of serving and pleasing God 24/7. And you’d be surprised how many daily meetings we have up to and including daily family scripture study, boys camp, girls camp, 2 year service missions, local activists, regional activities, biannual worldwide general conferences, Easter and a Christmas devotionals, firesides, youth pioneer treks, multi organizational service activities, disaster relief efforts, family history research, senior service and proselytizing missions, as well as virtually EVERY member of the church playing an active role in some type of calling to SERVE THE LORD. Every member is expected to participate and pull their weight. This is why many leave. This is why many justify that the church is incorrect, because they don’t want to have any responsibilities. They simply want to show up and hear the message.
@@academyofchampions1 We have the same paradigm fulfilled primarily through our vocations, the Catholic Church also calls all its member to serve the Church with their time, talent, and treasure though, as you said, unfortunately many would like to coast along and never really engage with what they're called to. Some people even leave over something as minor as the Sunday obligation, which is the bare minimum of required participation in the life of the Church. In our increasingly secular society many people see their religion as something to serve them rather than seeking to serve God.
This is awesome! I’m an ExMormon (convert) and I left in September a little after receiving the Temple Endowment. I’m looking into Catholicism and now make content about it. Latter-day Saints would make incredible Christians
The Catholic Church is false and filled with idolatry and all of its claims can be refuted easily. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's and Jesus Christ one and only true church here on earth. I don't know why you left but I can promise you there will be a time you will regret it, whether it be in this life or in the next. Oh, and we are Christian by the fact we *believe in Christ,* literally in the name. We know and teach the Bible and gospel better than any other denomination.
"Latter-day Saints would make incredible Christians" Some will, some wont. There's just something about a church named The Church of *Jesus Christ* of Latter-day Saints that *hints* at its founder.
@@villasenor5 "how does a chosen arbitrary name add objective meaning to a person?" It doesn't. But mostly because there's no such thing as "objective meaning". Subjective meaning can certainly exist but of course each person creates the meaning.
Thank you for this. Looked into the LDS church because I had Mormon family members. Soon found one wasn't allowed to question their theology and history. A few years afterwards I rediscovered the Catholic Church because of a powerful sermon during Mass. Keep up the good work.
"Soon found one wasn't allowed to question their theology and history." You are free, and sometimes encouraged, to "question" and occasionally you might even get a credible answer where an answer is available. But if the question is not seeking an answer, but merely a criticism, that behavior is less welcome. You'd get a similar response "questioning" the Catholic practice of selling indulgences. An answer exists; but usually a person is expressing negative emotion and isn't really interested in an answer.
Former Mormon and Returned Missionary here. I want to echo a point of planting seeds that were discussed briefly and the idea of leading others to the thought instead of telling them the thought. But first I want to bring up the culture of Mormons. The LDS faith is very community driven. Your ward (parish) is going to be like a second family and everyone is going to be involved in your upbringing and know most aspects of your life. For me, this put on a sense of not wanting to disappoint my family or my ward family. Everything I knew and loved was in the LDS faith. I wanted to be like everyone else and be happy and to have "faith". You're taught young that there are "enemies" of the church that will write or say things that will try and get you away from the faith. It's encouraged to not even give these things a chance but rather rely upon your testimony. So when you find yourself trying to use reason or logic to make a point, a Mormon will instinctly revert to their testimony because in LDS culture, testimony trumps all. And one gets a testimony by reading and praying and fasting about the book of Mormon. If you feel a "burning" in the "bosom" (their terminology, not mine) then you know its good and from God. The problem with this is that if you don't get that feeling then you just need to try harder because how can everyone else get that feeling but you? Every first sunday of the month is known as fast and testimony meeting where its basically an open mic to the congregation and everyone (even little kids) go up and bare their testimonies. Which usually follows the same pattern of, "i know the church is true", "joseph smith was a true prophet", "current prophet is true", "book of mormon is true", etc. Your expected to rely upon your parents and congregations testimony until one day you develop your own. So from a very young age, Mormons reaffirm to themselves the "truths" they have in the LDS church. This is why its so crucial for people to nurture and cultivate the idea of Mormons finding the truth themselves over being told their are just wrong. My departure was gradual, not instant. There was not 1 defining moment or conversation I had with a Catholic or protestant or anyone else that caused me to leave. But rather a culmination of research, discussions, and ultimately finding the truth myself that led me away. I know we want to help get Mormons out as fast as possible but thats simply not charitable and will do more harm than good. Cheers and God Bless.
I just spoke with a friend of mine yesterday that I hadn't seen in years. The last time we spoke, I was an atheist and he considered himself agnostic. Now we're both Christians, different denominations, but neither of us came to the faith because someone info dumped on us. We sought the truth in our own ways, and came to similar conclusions.
I was approached by two Mormon missionaries years ago. They were teenagers. The one missionary introduced himself as 'Elder Dixon'. I'm not the quickest thinker and I responded 'Your first name is Elder?' 😂
I kind of miss when the Mormons would come around. I've never seen them once where I live. When I was in my college town, the girl missionaries would come around so frequently that I knew them by name. They gave me a copy og the Book of Mormon for my birthday. I wasn't yet Catholic but I would like to have those kinds of experience again now that I am.
Start by reading the Book of Mormon if you still have it. If not, you can get one for free easily. You could also talk to me, I’m a Latter-day Saint preparing for a mission.
Yea, I remember young Mormon missionaries coming to my partment on two separate occasions. First is was apair of young men, then a pair of young ladies. They were so friendly and kind. I wish they would come around to my area where I now live too so that I can share my personal tstimony with them. They would make great Catholics.
@@KnuttyEntertainmentpraying that one day you return to Christ church. The LDS beliefs are not backed by archeology or texts. Please do your research such as the Bible vs Joseph smith. I hope one day you can be saved from the LDS my friend!
@@andrewmendoza1578 I thank you for your concern. I’ve been doing a lot of research actually, including watching the Bible vs. Joseph Smith. I’m actually studying Christianity in college. But my research has led me to the opposite conclusion. All the texts and archeology supports Latter-day Saint beliefs. And I’d love to share some with you if you’d like. As for the “Bible vs. Joseph Smith” it’s actually pretty underwhelming. It just recycles the same debunked arguments we’ve been hearing over and over again for decades. Here’s an entertaining video debunking it: m.ua-cam.com/video/xVYMCPknIYs/v-deo.html Of course if there’s anything you know that you think I’m missing that would help me see the truth and save my soul, then please tell me, I want to know. But so far every criticism of my faith I’ve come across falls through when you dig a little deeper and ultimately becomes evidence that strengthens my faith in Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.
I Just wanted to say, I love this channel! It's so insightful and such a great inspiration, I would like to get into apologetics and yourself, Trent Horn, Jimmy Akin ect have been incredible at not only helping me understand the faith but even conversations with Jws, Calvinists, Baptist's ect. I hope this comment helps Ur channel grow. Thank you.
I would love to see a discussion with you and Michael Lofton regarding our beautiful Catholic Faith and how that personal connection with the truth of our faith is so very relevant to all Catholics today.
As someone who was raised Mormon and is now Catholic (after a decade of atheism), this video is awesome. I love the empathy while not excusing the crazy (because I'm sorry, they are crazy) ideas. I want to use these strategies more when talking with my Mormon parents and other family members. Thank you!
@@JosephHeschmeyer Having studied the sources of Mormonism, I am aware of the documents you referenced in your video. When presenting this evidence to the missionaries their response has been, "Well, I know the book of Mormon is true because my testimony is true and you can have a testimony as well." To that I said, "I can have a subjective testimony to an objective falsehood, the fact that I have a testimony does not make it true." I am trying to be charitable and live 1 Peter 3:15 but I have found that their arrival at truth has been mostly emotional. This makes for difficult conversations because any evidence that I bring forward for the objective truth they trump it with, "I have a testimony " Please pray for me for fruitful diologue.
@@apostolicapologetics4829 yeah If God reavled to you Moses is a prophet, you wouldn't really need a history lesson would you? If you want a history lesson read the great apostasy. If you want revelation from God read the book of Mormon.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, just wanted to thank you for a respectful take on our similarities and differences. I’ve watched several of your videos as I like learning what other Christians believe from them and not by someone saying that’s what they believe. I encourage others to do the same about us.
My few interactions with him have been positive. He insisted to us that in forming students as disciples, we should be mindful like John of our own "four o'clock moments"-and simply be ready to evangelize from them.
I have a phone call scheduled for tonight with some local Mormon missionaries. :) I’m very excited about next weeks episode because that is what I always end up discussing with them. I haven’t gotten a straight answer on when they believe the great apostasy happened. One said the first generation after the apostles, another said Constantine. I genuinely want to know when the LDS church teaches this apostasy happened.
Perhaps the most commonly-cited book on the LDS idea of a "Great Apostasy" is James Talmage's book (which is just called "The Great Apostasy). In it, he concedes that the earliest Christian witnesses outside of the Bible were thoroughly Catholic. In his section on the history of transubstantiation, for instance, he cites to St. Ignatius (107) and St. Justin Martyr (160) on the Eucharist, and says, "there can be no doubt as to the antiquity of the idea of the real presence of the body and blood of Jesus in the eucharist; but that proves--as we said of infant baptism-not that the doctrine is true, but that soon after the apostles had passed away, the simplicity of the gospel was corrupted or else entirely departed from." (He's quoting B.H. Roberts there).In other words, the LDS argument is that Christianity had functionally ceased by the time of the generation after the Apostles. (I'm doing an entire episode on this next week, btw).
It's interesting to see the areas in which Mormonism preserves its Protestant roots, such as The Great Apostasy, it's racist and jingoist ideologies about blacks, etc. Southerners in the South had the same biblical defenses for bigotry (the children of Ham and so forth) as the Mormons. Mormonism is a reformation of the Great Awakening movement, which in turn was a reformation of Puritanism, which was a reformation of Anglicanism, and so forth. Reformation can become a religion itself, if one is not careful.
@@JosephHeschmeyer One group sent me a chapter from this book. But when I read it it was still vague assertions not pointing to anything concrete. Now it was only a chapter and I have not read the whole thing. That is interesting that he would concede the fact that the early church was Catholic. I mentioned Ignatius and Justin Martyr to missionaries and it’s an area they don’t seem to be well read up on. Going to your point about testament though, the missionary did tell me that I need to focus on a relationship with God, not just facts and history. I completely agreed and did begin to include how the Eucharist and confession have both changed my life for the better.
I'm a former Mormon and a RM (returned missionary). You won't get a definitive answer on this question because the church doesn't have one. Like others have stated you can get some "opinions" on it but you won't get an exact date. I remember teaching this as a missionary and stating that sometime after the last apostle died, truth was distorted and ultimately lost. When pressed on when, I would just say that its unknown exactly when but over time truths started being changed. I would teach that it was a gradual falling away. This is a crucial part of Mormon lessons because if there wasn't a "great apostasy" then there would be no need for a "restoration". What helped me eventually leave was the realization that the Mormon church was doing the exact same thing they were preaching. The present day Mormon church is vastly different than when it first started. "Truths" that were truths in the 1800's are no longer "truths" today. Why is it that the Mormon church can still be true if they've changed truth but when the early church did it, it was considered apostasy? Last note, when I was being raised in the church, I was taught that the "great and abominable" church was the Catholic church. This always didn't sit well with me because my family outside my parents are Catholic. They might not teach that anymore but its definitely one of those "deep doctrines" that everyone just knows but doesn't bring up. Cheers, God Bless
14:07 Im a Latter Day Saint, I have found evidence supporting the Book of Mormon. Now I like catholics, and I used to say it's either Catholic church or the LDS church that has the full truth. Thank you for being respectful, I'm LDS not just because of my testimony or feelings. Im LDS because I have found evidence for it, as well as my testimony. I do have a question though, what is the catholics view on the falling away? Did it happen or not yet?
Hi Joe, what would you do with Mormon missionaries who love to say "We believe that too," and they really don't. I don't want to reinforce their beliefs, especially when they believe in a different god.
I don't know the details of the particular case (of course), but I know the kind of approach you're talking about - one which exaggerates the common ground. In that case, I WOULDN'T start with disagreement ("no, you actually worship a different god!" isn't going to get you anywhere). Instead, I would ask clarifying questions. To give a few hypothetical examples: "You say we both agree that God created everything. Do you believe in creation from nothing?" "You say that your president is like the Catholic pope. But the Catholic pope is tasked with 'teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit.' Is that the role of the president in LDS theology, or does your leader also purport to be a prophet capable of giving NEW revelation?" Hopefully that's clear enough: instead of saying, "No, we're not the same because of X," simply ask if they agree with Catholics on X. And if they say "yes," keep refining and pressing in. It may be that there's more common ground than you thought, or that the missionaries are confused about their theology, or that you two are talking past one another, or that they're not being entirely forthright. But in each case, it's helpful to figure out exactly where the agreement is, and exactly where the disagreement is. (Not a Mormon example, but: many Catholics and Protestants misunderstand where one another are coming from on justification. But Catholics don't actually believe we need our own good works apart from Christ to be saved, and most Protestants don't actually believe that a person who believes Jesus is Lord but doesn't act on it in the form of good works will be saved. The real difference is closer to something like: "does faith CAUSE good works or does faith ENABLE good works?" It's a subtler distinction. There may be something similar here, although without knowing more, it's impossible to say).
@@JosephHeschmeyer _"You say we both agree that God created everything. Do you believe in creation from nothing?"_ No because Creation ex Nihilo (Creation out of nothing) is a false doctrine that first came into Christianity by Tatian and Theophilus near the end of the second century to convince the Greeks that the God of Christianity was superior to their gods by saying God created matter because of the Greek belief that matter was bad and was not the theology of which Genesis, John or anyone else in the Bible was teaching when talking about the creation. What we believe, God formed the earth from preexisting matter, was the theology of the ancient Church until this idea got popularized. Every research that has been put into the study of where Creation ex Nihilo came from has concluded that and you are more than welcome to look it up. Saying that God created matter and/or pre-existed matter is nothing but a second century invention and is ultimately unbiblical. Jesus, under the direction of God, was the one who organized matter and gave the earth form. 1 Corinthians 8:6, all things are of God by and through the Lord Jesus Christ. _"You say that your president is like the Catholic pope. But the Catholic pope is tasked with 'teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit.' Is that the role of the president in LDS theology, or does your leader also purport to be a prophet capable of giving NEW revelation?"_ Yes to answer your both of those questions but this is a strawman. No one claims they are exactly the same in every way, obviously there are differences. If a missionary were to say "we believe that too" in reference to the pope and prophet then it more be that we believe Christ's Church has 1 person here on earth directing and guiding his people. All missionaries are 18-24 and most are still learning our doctrine and would hardly know how to answer tougher questions. Ambushing them with questions like this does nothing but make you seem like Pharisees.
@@Forester- like always 🤣 Not gonna lie there are only 2 in the whole county, and every time they try to get more built the locals threaten to burn them down if they do lol. Do those ads are clearly in the wrong place🤣
In Galatians 1:6-9 Apostle Paul says "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Christ for a different religion. But even if an angel from heaven, should preach to you a different religion, let him be accursed." My question is: Do you think it possible this is a genuine text from God and He foresaw those taught a new religion by an angel?
It is absolutely a genuine text. However the Catholic Church has no official teaching on the text. We are allowed to interpret it in any way that does not violate Catholic teaching. Paul might be using hyperbole as an actual angel from heaven cannot teach heresy. The devil is a fallen angel and he could teach heresy.
No it's due to how quickly the Galatians would revert back to old ideas or mix in other religious practices from mystic or Pagan sources. Paul was given myriad reasons why they thought what they were doing was correct and he was fed up with it. He made 3 separate trips to Galatia and had to essentially start over each time. Catholics/ Protestants use this scripture to prove that Mormons are wrong...Mormons use it to show that the apostasy had already begun while the Apostles were still alive. Also it's worth noting that you get very different counsel in Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, etc based on what the saints are struggling with and where they are on the truth spectrum.
@@HaleStorm49 Jesus Visited America? The “Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel.” There it is again-the “fullness of the everlasting gospel.” Naturally, one must ask themselves just what that phrase means. Mormons teach that, after Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles taught the true doctrines of Christ and administered his sacred ordinances (roughly the equivalent of Catholic sacraments). After the death of the apostles, their successors continued the work of the gospel, but with rapidly declining success. Within a few generations, the great apostasy foretold in the Bible had destroyed Christ’s Church (contrary to Jesus’ own promise in Matthew 16:18). Consequently, the keys of authority of the holy priesthood were withdrawn from the earth, and no man any longer had authorization to act in God’s name. From that time onward there were no valid baptisms, no laying on of hands for the receipt of the Holy Ghost, no blessings of any kind, and no administration of sacred ordinances. Confusions and heretical doctrines increased and led to the plethora of Christian sects seen today. Mormons claim that to restore the true Church and true gospel to the earth, in 1820 God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in a grove of trees near his home. They told him that all the creeds of the Christian denominations were abominable, that those who believed them were corrupt, and that the true Church, having died out completely shortly after it began, was to be restored by Smith. Mormons run into no small difficulty in reconciling the “great apostasy” theory with Christ’s promise in Matthew 16:18: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.” How could it be that Christ would promise that his Church wouldn’t be overcome if he knew full well a great apostasy would make short shrift of it in a matter of decades? Was Christ lying? Obviously not. Was he mistaken? No. Christ’s divinity precluded such things. What are we left with then? Could it be that Mormons are mistaken in their interpretation of such a crucial passage? This is the only tenable conclusion. If there were no great apostasy, then there could have been no need for a restoration of religious authority on the earth. There would be no “restored gospel,” and the entire premise of the Mormon church would be undercut. The fact is that the only church with an unbroken historical line to apostolic days is the Catholic Church. And as even non-Catholic historians admit, early Church writers such as Ignatius of Antioch, Eusebius, Clement of Rome, and Polycarp, had no conception of Mormon doctrine, and they knew nothing of a “great apostasy.” Nowhere in their writings can one find references to Christians embracing any of the peculiarly Mormon doctrines, such as polytheism, polygamy, celestial marriage, and temple ceremonies. If the Church of the apostolic age was the prototype of today’s Mormon church, it must have had all these beliefs and practices. But why is there no evidence of them in the early centuries, before the alleged apostasy began? Church History Is Catholic The fact is that there is no historical or archaeological indication of any kind that the early Church was other than the Catholic Church. Please produce any historical proof to support their claim that in the early centuries the Church was Mormon.
@@HaleStorm49You are making a mountain out of a mole hill. Paul in Galatians said SOME people, not everyone. Galatians is just one of many churches Paul visited. There have always been apostates and there will always be apostates. There was never a great apostasy. There have always been many who retained the faith. Mormons are totally ignorant of the history of the early Church. St. Irenaeus who lived from about 130-202 AD which is long after St. Paul died said "The Church, though dispersed throughout the WHOLE WORLD, even to the ends of the earth has received from the APOSTLES and their DISCIPLES this faith. St Cyril of Jerusalem 315-386 AD "[The Church] is called CATHOLIC then because it extends over ALL THE WORLD, from one end of the earth to the other; and because it teaches universally and completely one and all the doctrines which ought to come to men's knowledge..." St. Irenaeus and St. Cyril are two of many Early Church fathers that are absolute proof there was no great apostasy. Anyone who knows history knows the great apostasy is a LIE. I believe some of the historians in your Church know of these Church Fathers but don't mention them because all Mormons would then know Mormonism is a lie. Just like the Book of Abraham is a total fraud and fabrication. You cannot read the Early Church Fathers and believe Mormonism is true. I dare you to read them and find out. You can find them on New Advent.
One thing that should be mentioned is that the Latter Day Saint theology does not account for the first cause. If God was once a man who lived on another earth then where did he come from? Was he created by another God? If so then where did that God come from? Where exactly is the starting point? Who got the ball rolling?
Besides dialoguing with them on our similarities and differences on procured abortion, I'd ask them to explain what this means: "Following his marriage to Louisa Beaman and before he married other single women, Joseph Smith was sealed to a number of women who were already married" (Gospel Topics Essays: "Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo", The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, October 2014).
Joseph Smith wasn’t wed or married to these people in a traditional sense, they were sealed together. Sealing is a sacred ritual which basically joins the family trees of two people and allows them to live together in heaven. The women would only be his “wives” in the afterlife, not this one, and I don’t believe there’s polygamy in heaven anyway. So the only marriage sealing Joseph is going to maintain in the next life is the one to his first wife anyway. Of course Joseph will still be familially sealed to those others in a more general sense, but more like sisters-in-law. See Joseph wanted all mankind to be sealed together in heaven as on earth as one big heavenly family. Most commonly husbands and wives are sealed together right after their wedding, but parents are also sealed to their children, and other cases exist too. For example, Joseph Smith sealed men together as blood brothers, as well as other types of honorary family members like godfathers. This is not polygamy like how we would imagine it. Even after Joseph’s death when the practice was codified for the general church population, most often a plural marriage would occur as a result of the church calling upstanding men to marry old widows because they had the means to provide for them; sexual satisfaction was never one of the driving motivations, though allowing women the opportunity to start families and have kids sometimes was. And Joseph Smith actually condemned polygamy in all circumstances except for when God specifically commands it according to this practice, in such specific circumstances as this one. A system of polygamy set up for similar reasons was actually practiced in the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 25:5-10 Anyhoo, because Joseph Smith was the prophet, being sealed to him meant having the opportunity to access familial blessings through that connection to God, similar to how the children of Israel could receive blessings through their lineage from Abraham. And so dozens of people were sealed to Joseph, most imfamously the women who were sealed to him as “wives” in the afterlife. But Joseph Smith never actually had sex with these other “wives.” You may not be surprised to hear that Joseph had 11 children, but you may be surprised to hear that all were with his first wife. Of them, 6 died in infancy. One of those 6 was one of a pair of adopted twins. The sickly babe was killed by an angry mob as they tore Joseph out of his house at night while he was caring for the child in order to tar and feather him. Joseph himself claimed a near death experience from the mob’s torture. Now if Joseph Smith was a sex crazed pervert, I don’t see the through line between that and what he endured for his faith over the decade prior to instituting the practice. If sex was his end goal, he wouldn’t have put up with it. I also don’t see how it’s possible he never had children with any of these other women, nor why he would choose many unattractive, financially burdensome, old widows for his “harem.”
I just ran into two today, while walking my dog. They asked if they could say a prayer for me, and I said, sure. They asked what I would like them to pray about and I said, "I am an atheist so I don't believe in prayer, but I can respect your religion." So they said a generic prayer about how it was nice to meet me and they hope god can guide me to good things, we shook hands and they departed.
I'm lifelong LDS and would easily be Catholic as my 2nd choice. There are so many similarities and I love the history and tradition as well. I also feel the same kinship with devout practicing Catholics as I do my own faith. I feel we are cut from the same cloth. One of my favorite books is by the Catholic Apologist Robert Sungenis, "Not By Faith Alone - The Biblical Evidence for the Catholic Doctrine of Justification". A must read if you are into that topic and answering criticisms from Evangelicals.
You would be Catholic if you care about Truth. Don't count on your mormon "testimony". 2 Thessalonians 2:11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false,
Oh so God is to blame for people believing falsehoods? You sound like a Calvinist. Maybe he has sent you a powerful delusion so you can just blame him.
Hey Joe, would love to hear your opinion on a situation my family always leans back on when I try discussing abortion. My aunt was pregnant with twins and the doctor said they’d have to kill one to let the other live or both would die. I’m assuming they are inferring a 100% chance for both to die, as the argument would fall flat if there were any chance that one or both could live without killing one. Usually I try to defend this argument as “you can’t use 1 in a million instances to universalize/normalize your side of an argument”, but she always responds with “well you’re killing one of the babies by not doing anything”. I just can’t find the perfect thing to say to deconstruct this example
Joe’s heart is in the right place but unfortunately his approach to Mormon Missionaries is a bit lacking. Common ground can only be found if both parties are honest about their beliefs. It is important to know that the missionaries are taught Christian terms that hold a different meaning. “Trinity” and “God” are two of many examples. Joe’s first two steps are part of their evangelism as well. Since they do not tell you up front what they actually believe, it is difficult for the average layperson to engage the missionaries in a meaningful way. Another method when speaking with Mormon Missionaries is to sow doubts regarding their beliefs. Remaining meek/humble is vital. This approach requires you to do a little reading beforehand. Catholic Answers is good source. Be firm in your beliefs and confident that your Catholic faith is based in truth. The missionaries are skilled at taking Sacred Scripture out of context to justify themselves. The strategy is simple, ask them for answers to basic questions. For example, “If God is eternal, why do Mormons believe that God was born a man and became a god?” Or my favorite, “If God had a god himself, why not pray to him as well?” Questions that expose the errors in the founding of the religion can also be effective. These relate to the different versions of Joseph Smith’s conversion and the recanting of eye-witness reports. With any method you use, always remember that you may never see the fruit of the seeds you plant, so be kind and patient. Deus Vult.
Most of these questions would strengthen my testimony in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Some are false premises. When I was on my mission, 45 people joined the church of Jesus Christ. I was in Maryland, so you can guess how many where catholic. All I would have to teach people was the correct meaning of life, and ask them to read the book of Mormon and they'd be like... "yep". Thank you for being "kind and patient"
God is eternal and so is man. These questions will reinforce what most missionaries already believe...that churches don't teach their members doctrine of any depth.
Joe, A question : Is it possible to have a Bible Study with Protestants discussing issues we agree on and avoiding that on which we don't agree ? In other words ,keep to safe areas. 30:30
Why avoid areas on which we disagree. Go prepared to defend the truth. It’s exactly what my sister-in-law does. She has even converted people this way, including the Methodist pastor who led one of the Bible studies she attended. Just make sure your own Catholic education is very solid in advance so you don’t lose the Faith
Yes, I did this with a group of Baptists in Rome. Many Protestants have never met a Catholic who takes the Bible and knows the Bible well, so even when you're sticking to areas that you're not likely to have a disagreement, there is a real witness just in being a Catholic passionate about Jesus Christ.
You are incorrect in saying that a bishop can "ok" an abortion in these exceptional cases. That is not true. The decision is left with the individual. Counseling is not the same as okaying. Abortion is serious, period and is grounds for membership restrictions. In fact, if the bishop has evidence that the the abortion was conducted outside of these boundaries he is obligated to conduct a disciplinary council.
In the 1860's Brigham Young welcomed the Catholic missionaries and in 1871 presented Father Kelly and Father Walsh with a plot of land and $500 so it would be possible for them to build a church. When the purchased a lot for a second cathedral, a blemish on the title was discovered. Both the seller and Father Kelly agreed to go to Brigham to settle the matter, rather than suffer legal litigation, agreeing to stand by his decision. After examining the deed and listening to the evidence, Brigham ruled that the deed be handed over to the priest. "Father Kelly looked upon Brigham Young as a devoted and sincere friend." (Brigham Young by Susan Evans McCloud pg 236-7)
I appreciate your comment (meant to say your video). My experience as a Catholic Literature teacher in a classical high school with a large Mormon community I realized after fighting with Mormon teachers and struggling with teaching Mormon students that #1 Mormons are Not Christian. As a Catholic who has been told by non-Catholic Christians that Catholics are not Christians I felt a certain empathy towards Mormons having been accused myself of not being Christian. It wasn’t until I understood the fundamental differences between Mormonism and Christianity that I was able to tailor my language so as not to make statements that offend Mormons. For example when reading Paradise Lost I don’t say in the Bible the story of Adam and Eve is ….. Instead I focus on the author, John Milton believed …. According to Milton ….. I now know that Mormons do not believe in divine intervention and miracles, they do not believe murder is ever forgivable, the example being in the event of protecting another person from being murdered, it is wrong to defend the intended victim with deadly force. Everything is free will, for example if you are being coerced or tortured and do something wrong you are using your free will and therefore will be punished. Mormonism is a harsh religion that preaches obedience under the guise of free will, there is no grace and unless you are perfect you are going to hell. And then there is the whole God The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit are 3 different beings. Mormons demote Jesus to the status of an archangel because they believe Satan and Jesus are siblings. My point of all this is first you need to understand the fundamental differences so you can avoid the land mines when discussing the commonalities.
the Mormons are making very big waves in the entertainment industry right now. Angel Studios, who were behind the hit series The Chosen, is now cashing it in big time with the movie The Sound of Freedom, which is now a certified blockbuster. they're also the creators of Dry Bar Comedy, which is a great clean standup comedy venue. remember that hit cult movie Napoleon Dynamite? it was made by a Mormon couple! (btw, i once read that the divorce rate among Mormons are very low, is that true?)
As a Catholic, I agree that Angel Studios are definitely doing something very good with The Chosen and Sound of Freedom. I would like to know where SoF is showing in Canberra Australia.
I think Mormons are actually doing way better culture wise, and we ought to take notes in this particular facit. It doesn't make them right, but it is something we ought to learn from
Angel studios is NO longer distributing THE Chosen as there were differences that developed because Dallas is an Evangelical who attended the Same Christian University that I did: Biola University. The Chosen is based on the Authentic Jesus of the Bible: not the created Jesus of Mormonism which became a problem for them but also was created problem s for many trinitarians. So , this change should even improve the show as a major studio is now distributing the show on their channel.
@@davidjanbaz7728 Most curious indeed! This is the first I heard of it. Please provide me links to announcements indicating Dallas Jenkins is parting ways with Angel Studios. I note that my smartphone Angel Studios (AS) app is still streaming The Chosen seasons 1-3. AS is also streaming Sound of Freedom, starring devout Catholic Jim Caviezel.
@KnuttyEntertainment and @dylanwilliams2202 , I have two more videos on LDS theology in this (one on the Great Apostasy, and one on views of the Godhead). Would love to get your takes!
I would chat with JW, SDA, or LDS, Missionaries, for hours, sharing my Catholicism and allowing them to state their case. But I live with my Mom, and she refuses to allow them in our Apartment.
How many witnesses do you have the the making of the original bible? None How many witnesses are there for the origins of the Book of Mormon? 11, 12 if you count Joseph.
@7:55 its not that complicated if people understood that Peter James and John were the first presidency of the ancient Apostles. @21:51 This is a trade off from infant baptism. People aren't likely to live the gospel of they aren't converted to it... But they still wear the uniform. @28:40 This would have been a great two way discussion rather than straw Manning the birth defect theory.... But what seems illogical is really information deficiency. For example... There is no consideration to what happens to a baby that is "murdered" while the doctrines in the LDS church and Catholic church are very different in this respect. Believing that child was sinless vs sinful directs that child's eternal fate... For that reason Catholics should be running circles around Mornons on abortion....but that isn't what's happening. Quite the contrary.
To your point on St. Dominic, this is one thing catholics must do better than protestants. Catholic churches struggle to build a welcoming community. Protestants excel at this. It would do a world of good for catholic lay people to work hard on building a strong, loving, catholic community in each of their parishes. One where others coming in will feel welcome and will be able to make friends like them.
When faced with contradictions between personal experience and divinely revealed truth, the guidance is to follow the divinely revealed truth unequivocally. The ethical dilemma of conjoined twins in the womb-where one's survival endangers the other's and a doctor, fully credentialed, advises that without intervention both may die-presents a challenging scenario. This situation forces a heartbreaking decision: to intervene and end one life to potentially save the other. I believe that in such complex cases, the Savior would extend compassion to the parents regardless of their decision. However, this raises a profound question: is intentionally ending one life to save the other a sin? Personally, I do not believe so, and I remain open to correction. The Catholic Catechism (paragraph 2271) suggests that causing the death of one twin in this manner is morally indefensible, advocating instead for natural outcomes or divine intervention. This stance is clear, but the complexity of such scenarios-as extreme as they are-might elicit more sympathy for a decision made in desperate hope rather than through deliberate harm. This leads to a broader question about faith and church teachings. Is it more beneficial to tell someone that "There are no exceptions" to certain teachings, or to encourage them to seek divine guidance for potential exceptions? I argue for the latter. Encouraging individuals to seek God's will might lead them to a deeper contemplation of their circumstances, often concluding that they do not, in fact, represent an exception. This approach not only fosters a personal relationship with the divine but could also dissuade decisions like abortion under less extreme circumstances by reinforcing the gravity of such choices. In essence, inviting someone to discern God's will in their unique situation could reinforce the church's teachings more effectively than outright dismissal of potential exceptions, particularly in complex and extreme cases.
Wait… who’s showing up to your door, with the gospel, the good news of Christ? Oh, it’s NOT Catholic missionaries? I thought so. I kid, I kid. I’m obviously an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I served a mission in Argentina, a country full of wonderful and beautiful Catholic brothers and sisters. I love your religion and I love how that you understand the importance of central authority, something that our Protestant brothers and sisters do not understand. But we still love them. I enjoy the content on the channel. My testimony of Joseph Smith being a true prophet is one that God has given to me via the Hoy Spirit and it is as strong as my testimony of the living Christ. I was stoked to see Sound of Freedom. I absolutely love Jim Caviezel. He is one of my favorite actors. My favorite movie by far is The Count of Monte Cristo. Jim did an outstanding job playing Tim Ballard, an LDS man whose true story of saving children is one that is inspiring the world. Sure, we have our differences, but let’s remember that we’re in the same fight. Evil is seeking to enslave and destroy us all. God bless you, whoever reads this.
My man, the only reason you were able to go door-to-door in already-Christian Argentina was that Catholic missionaries got there first with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
@@JosephHeschmeyer for the record, I always boldly state to my Protestant friends that the Catholic Church *actually has a claim to being the original church. They don’t like to hear this. However, and no offense (obviously), I believe that the LDS church’s claim is stronger. 😉. Either way, god bless you Joseph!
No offense taken, just pointing out facts. Next week's episode is exactly on the subject you just mentioned -- that the Great Apostasy is THE question to get right for Catholic / LDS conversation. Hope you have a chance to check it out!
Of all Christian sects and denominations; two have a meaningful claim. The Catholics have succession, the Latter-day Saints have restoration (and apostles and prophets and so on). Everyone else has neither.
They have a very cult-like dishonest mindset of getting people through the door, saying whatever is necessary to do so. Only then when people are entrenched in the Mormon community do they point out the ways in which Mormonism is not Christian. They will insist they are really Christian, they really believe in the trinity and so on, but when you say "here's what is meant by the trinity, you might use that word, but here's what your own church documents believe," they just play dumb. It will be interesting to see how the next decades play out given how much Mormonism is liberalizing and assimilating to American secular culture, and how it's transforming to a third world religion from an Anglo ethnic religion especially with their perfidious support of mass immigration. On that last note Catholics should have no problem saying that while the Church gets more and more African we should not expect, and it would indeed be undesirable, to see a commensurate proportion of these people going into leadership roles because if you have such a low average IQ, you simply can't supply many people of an IQ over 120 to be leaders and scholars. But the Church despite being ok with certain types of slavery has, unlike Mormonism, always affirmed different groups humanity that they are made in the image of God. Unfortunately the Church undoubtedly has affirmative action albeit informally, and will continue to slide down that path like secular anti-white organizations.
I absolutely love Catholics. One of my fondest memories was working with a Catholic priest as an LDS missionary in France. He met with us in the library of an ancient cathedral in Lyon. Surrounded by piles of ancient books and parchments. He was a good man, but was an atheist. He viewed his priesthood as a job only. We had some wonderful deep conversations. I hope he felt the love of God. The best sign of the apostasy is that the bible ended. No more apostles, just bishops calling other bishops...which specifically cannot be done. Next best indicator of the apostasy is the Nicene Creed. But thats my opinion.
Mormons claim the Book of Mormon is 'another' testimony of Jesus Christ, but mormons also believe Jesus is the brother of Lucifer/satan which is really a testimony of 'another' Jesus. Apostle Paul warns of teaching another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4), and explains; “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. LDS President Gordon B Hinckley, in Oct 1961 said; “I would like to say that this cause is either true or false either this is the kingdom of God or it is a sham and a delusion. Either Joseph talked with the father and the son or he did not if he did not we are engaged in blasphemy.” Isaiah 43:10 says; ‘Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me’. (Proven correct by the Dead Sea Scrolls). Smith’s 1842 revelation of a Great Counsel of Gods, Jesus and Lucifer are brothers, and men can become Gods, is the most blasphemous of all LDS teachings, not supported anywhere in the Bible or Book of Mormon.
This means you don't know anything about Protestantism. I am a Protestant who may become Catholic at some point, but the thing I've found is Catholics have no idea what Protestantism is on a general level. Mormons deny so many fundamental traditional protestant beliefs they are completely a different religion
@@IffmeisterYou can't deny that every major theological heresy since the 16th c has come from the Protestant side, can you? What does that tell you about protestantism?
U under grace ,u can pick faults with others,but the Jewish leaders thought same,we have Moses and the prophets same with both the orthodox and catholic systems. Ur a sinner saved by grace and these apologists are unaware in their souls,just their own logic and biased approaches.. we have the church fathers as their defense like the rabbis of jesus day.
I'm an active Latter-day Saint and I think there are msny beautiful things about Catholicism. I definitely have some holy envy. There are two things that I just can't get on board with. One is infant baptism and the other is the Trinity vs. LDS theology about the Godhead.
Most of the world does not understand where we came from before coming to earth. Prior to this life we lived with our Heavenly Father. Satan was there as well as Michael who was known as Adam on earth. Satan was called Lucifer at this time. God created our spirits, which explains why Satan is a brother.
It also helps to understand that in the paradigm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that we are all Christians. That is, all people born into this world are all literal spiritual children of the Father and we all chose to follow Christ from before the Creation. Therefore, we are all spiritual siblings and followers of Christ regardless of our current religious affiliation right now. Further, because we all chose Christ from before the Creation, salvation from physical and spiritual death is already locked in for everyone. What the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is all about is helping everyone with their eternal progress by helping them get on the covenant path with Christ in this life as well. That is, as children of the Father, our goal in coming to this world is to continue our eternal progression by living as spirits housed in shells of flesh of weakness in a fallen world of adversity, to experience hard things and grow even more. And, we want that growth to continue on into the next world. That is the goal for all of us. Regardless of our present religious affiliation. Also, bonus, it helps to understand that the paradigm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints incorporates all truth. Article of Faith 13 “….we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
John 1:12 But to those that did accept Him (Jesus Christ) He gave power to become children of God. Matt 7:21 Not everyone who says to me. "Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one that does the will of my Father in heaven." 1Cor 1:10 I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose. Matt 7:13 Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the rode broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.
@@twoody9760 So, I too recognize those pieces of the puzzle. I just have more pieces of the puzzle. You have a puzzle piece that looks like an axe head, but I have more pieces that show that axe head is really a mountain top.
@@fujikokun Still a lot of pieces of the puzzle are missing on this topic, but based on the pieces in existence, it seems fairly clear that the Godhead and all of us are all eternal beings. That is, we all existed before the Creation.
What? Are you knowingly spreading lies or do you really not know? Jesus Christ is the son of God LDS ✅ Islam ❌ Jesus Christ is Jehovah LDS ✅ Islam ❌ Jesus Christ is redeemed the world and can save us from our sins LDS ✅ Islam ❌ Jesus Christ is living and resurrected LDS ✅ Islam ❌ Jesus Christ leads his church today through a living prophet LDS ✅ Islam ❌ Jesus Christ will come again in Glory to Judge the quick and the dead LDS ✅ Islam ❌
@@clearstonewindows I’m sorry, multiple wives is multiple wives and that’s lust. If you don’t think men followed Joseph Smith for the same reason men followed Mohammad, I have a bridge to sell you.
@@frekigeri4317 Again you're not talking about something you know about. Look at when and how the church was founded and Look at when polygamy started. You could make an argument for lust later, but no where near foundation. And if you knew anything about the practice of polygamy and actual People that lived it you would not say it was lust. The first state to let women vote was Utah the first US senator was a polygamous woman. Satan is trying to do anything he can to stop the restored gospel of Jesus Christ including getting people to diminish and dismiss it for baseless claims
Here again we have a man preaching down to women about the use of their own bodies. If a woman doesn't chose to have a child then she consults a doctor to rectify the condition. That this guy can't see his position is misogynistic it typical.
I was approached by two young Mormon men at my job, by informing them that I was a practicing Catholic and being as kind and non-judgmental as I could. I happily accepted their leaflet, smiled, made some small talk and shook their hands. It was a pleasant experience and I look forward to the next. If religion ever comes up, I am well prepared to acquit myself well in defending the Faith, as a lifelong Catholic who has read the Bible and Catechism multiple times, as well as watch shows like this. I always keep in mind that I am Christ to the people I meet and it is my responsibility to present the Gospel with love, not with animus.
Thank you for your kind approach. I am an active member of the LDS. I served a mission in Argentina. I met many awesome Catholics! Wonderful people! Not to mention the beautiful Latin culture! It pains me to see that so many Catholics now a days are abandoning traditions that are over 1500 years old, of marriage, attending mass, etc. I used to razz some of my millennial age / gen z Catholic coworkers and say… you come from a rich tradition that is centuries old and YOU are the one that is breaking it and choosing to live together with girlfriend instead of getting married? You are the one abandoning the faith and tradition of your ancestors? I did it in good humor. But it is sad. Anyway, thank you for being respectful.
@@academyofchampions1 Hi, friend. I will say I have always found your missionaries to be polite and respectful. In fact they helped my neighbor, who is a vet with ptsd, in moving from his unit. I believe they provided this service for nothing. That is a true living of the gospel. Bless you! ❤️🙏♥️
@@rhwinner have you seen Sound of Freedom yet??!! Jim Caviezel was magnificent! A solid movie but a more important message.
@@academyofchampions1 No, I plan to though. Perhaps next weekend, or when it comes to streaming.
@@rhwinner I encourage it! God bless
Joe, from what I can tell of you from just seeing you online, you epitomize what any good apologist should be. You’re kind, gentle, and still speak truth to people. Thanks for setting a wonderful example
Of course. Joe is different from the others personality wise but they all on the defensive for the Catholic Church. Great talent brother Joe. You are defending the Body of Christ so biblically as St Peter the first Pope has exhorted us in his Catholic Letters. Don't let any wrong teachings go unnoticed and uncorrected. God bless.
@@mulipolatuuumataafatiufeaa4964 _"St Peter the first Pope"_ Peter wasn't the first pope and wasn’t a bishop, he was an apostle and leader of the church during this time. There is no evidence of Peter being the bishop in church in Rome. In fact, Iranaeus says “The blessed apostles, then, *having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of Linus the office of the episcopate.”* (Against Heresies 3 chapter 3) Or after the apostles set up the Church area, the first Bishop was Linus, not Peter. So where do you get that Peter was the Bishop of Rome?
Where does it say that Linus or even the Bishop of Rome was supposed to secede Peter as leader? Linus was bishop of Rome from 67 AD until his death in 76 AD and John the apostle is said to have died between 89 - 120 AD, why would the leadership not have fallen to one of Jesus’s apostles? Andrew and Thomas are said to have been alive as well during that time.
Also, Peter is also supposed to have founded the Church at Antioch and Corinth, so why does the Bishop of Rome get to be the leader when 2 other Churches have the same claim of authority? And the Church at Antioch was founded in 34 AD while Rome was founded in 42 AD so it doesn’t even have a seniority position which makes the claim of Rome even weaker.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's and Jesus Christ one and only true church here on earth. We know and teach the Bible and gospel better than any other denomination. Join God and Jesus Christ in their Kingdom and join their true church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and learn all that they have to offer. Learn of their glory and mercy, learn of the plan they have of you.
I told some Mormon missionaries that Catholics have formal worship every day of the week in Daily Mass and they were in awe.
A lot of non-Catholics don't know that Mass is celebrated every day.
@@Forester-Sometimes twice a day our church celebrate Mass at 8 AM and 5:30 PM
@@mil-ns3rc yep, my parish has two daily morning masses during the week, including more in the evening if it’s a large feast day
Lol active members of the church have the paradigm of serving and pleasing God 24/7. And you’d be surprised how many daily meetings we have up to and including daily family scripture study, boys camp, girls camp, 2 year service missions, local activists, regional activities, biannual worldwide general conferences, Easter and a Christmas devotionals, firesides, youth pioneer treks, multi organizational service activities, disaster relief efforts, family history research, senior service and proselytizing missions, as well as virtually EVERY member of the church playing an active role in some type of calling to SERVE THE LORD. Every member is expected to participate and pull their weight. This is why many leave. This is why many justify that the church is incorrect, because they don’t want to have any responsibilities. They simply want to show up and hear the message.
@@academyofchampions1 We have the same paradigm fulfilled primarily through our vocations, the Catholic Church also calls all its member to serve the Church with their time, talent, and treasure though, as you said, unfortunately many would like to coast along and never really engage with what they're called to. Some people even leave over something as minor as the Sunday obligation, which is the bare minimum of required participation in the life of the Church.
In our increasingly secular society many people see their religion as something to serve them rather than seeking to serve God.
This is awesome! I’m an ExMormon (convert) and I left in September a little after receiving the Temple Endowment. I’m looking into Catholicism and now make content about it. Latter-day Saints would make incredible Christians
The Catholic Church is false and filled with idolatry and all of its claims can be refuted easily. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is God's and Jesus Christ one and only true church here on earth. I don't know why you left but I can promise you there will be a time you will regret it, whether it be in this life or in the next.
Oh, and we are Christian by the fact we *believe in Christ,* literally in the name. We know and teach the Bible and gospel better than any other denomination.
"Latter-day Saints would make incredible Christians"
Some will, some wont. There's just something about a church named The Church of *Jesus Christ* of Latter-day Saints that *hints* at its founder.
@@thomasmaughan4798This makes no sense to me how does a chosen arbitrary name add objective meaning to a person?
@@villasenor5 "how does a chosen arbitrary name add objective meaning to a person?"
It doesn't. But mostly because there's no such thing as "objective meaning". Subjective meaning can certainly exist but of course each person creates the meaning.
Thank you for this. Looked into the LDS church because I had Mormon family members. Soon found one wasn't allowed to question their theology and history. A few years afterwards I rediscovered the Catholic Church because of a powerful sermon during Mass. Keep up the good work.
I'm not sure if you're lying or misunderstanding?
"Soon found one wasn't allowed to question their theology and history."
You are free, and sometimes encouraged, to "question" and occasionally you might even get a credible answer where an answer is available. But if the question is not seeking an answer, but merely a criticism, that behavior is less welcome. You'd get a similar response "questioning" the Catholic practice of selling indulgences. An answer exists; but usually a person is expressing negative emotion and isn't really interested in an answer.
Former Mormon and Returned Missionary here. I want to echo a point of planting seeds that were discussed briefly and the idea of leading others to the thought instead of telling them the thought. But first I want to bring up the culture of Mormons.
The LDS faith is very community driven. Your ward (parish) is going to be like a second family and everyone is going to be involved in your upbringing and know most aspects of your life. For me, this put on a sense of not wanting to disappoint my family or my ward family. Everything I knew and loved was in the LDS faith. I wanted to be like everyone else and be happy and to have "faith". You're taught young that there are "enemies" of the church that will write or say things that will try and get you away from the faith. It's encouraged to not even give these things a chance but rather rely upon your testimony. So when you find yourself trying to use reason or logic to make a point, a Mormon will instinctly revert to their testimony because in LDS culture, testimony trumps all. And one gets a testimony by reading and praying and fasting about the book of Mormon. If you feel a "burning" in the "bosom" (their terminology, not mine) then you know its good and from God. The problem with this is that if you don't get that feeling then you just need to try harder because how can everyone else get that feeling but you? Every first sunday of the month is known as fast and testimony meeting where its basically an open mic to the congregation and everyone (even little kids) go up and bare their testimonies. Which usually follows the same pattern of, "i know the church is true", "joseph smith was a true prophet", "current prophet is true", "book of mormon is true", etc. Your expected to rely upon your parents and congregations testimony until one day you develop your own. So from a very young age, Mormons reaffirm to themselves the "truths" they have in the LDS church. This is why its so crucial for people to nurture and cultivate the idea of Mormons finding the truth themselves over being told their are just wrong. My departure was gradual, not instant. There was not 1 defining moment or conversation I had with a Catholic or protestant or anyone else that caused me to leave. But rather a culmination of research, discussions, and ultimately finding the truth myself that led me away. I know we want to help get Mormons out as fast as possible but thats simply not charitable and will do more harm than good.
Cheers and God Bless.
It’s an impressive trap. Satan is clever indeed.
How do you reconcile infant baptism and make sense of God having a split personality?
I just spoke with a friend of mine yesterday that I hadn't seen in years. The last time we spoke, I was an atheist and he considered himself agnostic. Now we're both Christians, different denominations, but neither of us came to the faith because someone info dumped on us. We sought the truth in our own ways, and came to similar conclusions.
@@DesertPrimroseGod doesn’t have a split personality
@@DesertPrimrose There's nothing to reconcile. The Church has baptised babies since the beginning.
I was approached by two Mormon missionaries years ago. They were teenagers. The one missionary introduced himself as 'Elder Dixon'. I'm not the quickest thinker and I responded 'Your first name is Elder?' 😂
I laughed.
I kind of miss when the Mormons would come around. I've never seen them once where I live. When I was in my college town, the girl missionaries would come around so frequently that I knew them by name. They gave me a copy og the Book of Mormon for my birthday. I wasn't yet Catholic but I would like to have those kinds of experience again now that I am.
Start by reading the Book of Mormon if you still have it. If not, you can get one for free easily.
You could also talk to me, I’m a Latter-day Saint preparing for a mission.
Yea, I remember young Mormon missionaries coming to my partment on two separate occasions. First is was apair of young men, then a pair of young ladies. They were so friendly and kind. I wish they would come around to my area where I now live too so that I can share my personal tstimony with them. They would make great Catholics.
@@KnuttyEntertainmentpraying that one day you return to Christ church. The LDS beliefs are not backed by archeology or texts. Please do your research such as the Bible vs Joseph smith. I hope one day you can be saved from the LDS my friend!
@@andrewmendoza1578 I thank you for your concern. I’ve been doing a lot of research actually, including watching the Bible vs. Joseph Smith. I’m actually studying Christianity in college.
But my research has led me to the opposite conclusion. All the texts and archeology supports Latter-day Saint beliefs. And I’d love to share some with you if you’d like. As for the “Bible vs. Joseph Smith” it’s actually pretty underwhelming. It just recycles the same debunked arguments we’ve been hearing over and over again for decades. Here’s an entertaining video debunking it:
m.ua-cam.com/video/xVYMCPknIYs/v-deo.html
Of course if there’s anything you know that you think I’m missing that would help me see the truth and save my soul, then please tell me, I want to know. But so far every criticism of my faith I’ve come across falls through when you dig a little deeper and ultimately becomes evidence that strengthens my faith in Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.
I Just wanted to say, I love this channel! It's so insightful and such a great inspiration, I would like to get into apologetics and yourself, Trent Horn, Jimmy Akin ect have been incredible at not only helping me understand the faith but even conversations with Jws, Calvinists, Baptist's ect.
I hope this comment helps Ur channel grow. Thank you.
I would love to see a discussion with you and Michael Lofton regarding our beautiful Catholic Faith and how that personal connection with the truth of our faith is so very relevant to all Catholics today.
This series is a great idea. Thank you very much for your hard work.
As someone who was raised Mormon and is now Catholic (after a decade of atheism), this video is awesome. I love the empathy while not excusing the crazy (because I'm sorry, they are crazy) ideas. I want to use these strategies more when talking with my Mormon parents and other family members. Thank you!
nothing ... nothing ...nothing is more crazy than the Catholic doctrine of the trinity.
Thanks for this. I am currently meeting with missionaries.
God bless you in your endeavor!
@@JosephHeschmeyer Having studied the sources of Mormonism, I am aware of the documents you referenced in your video. When presenting this evidence to the missionaries their response has been, "Well, I know the book of Mormon is true because my testimony is true and you can have a testimony as well." To that I said, "I can have a subjective testimony to an objective falsehood, the fact that I have a testimony does not make it true." I am trying to be charitable and live 1 Peter 3:15 but I have found that their arrival at truth has been mostly emotional. This makes for difficult conversations because any evidence that I bring forward for the objective truth they trump it with, "I have a testimony " Please pray for me for fruitful diologue.
How are you visits going? I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. I loved my mission.
@@clearstonewindows It seems they are more concerned with personal testimonials than church history.
@@apostolicapologetics4829 yeah If God reavled to you Moses is a prophet, you wouldn't really need a history lesson would you? If you want a history lesson read the great apostasy. If you want revelation from God read the book of Mormon.
I always loved when Joe was on catholic answers... this podcast is like taking his usual work ethic and turning into laser focus on a singular topic.
As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, just wanted to thank you for a respectful take on our similarities and differences. I’ve watched several of your videos as I like learning what other Christians believe from them and not by someone saying that’s what they believe. I encourage others to do the same about us.
What a fantastic video, especially starting off with St. Peter and Blaise Pascal. Keep up the great work, Joe!
I think Msgr. Swetland listened to your podcast before addressing all us Archdiocesan teachers yesterday morning.
Oh really? That's a delight. He's a good man (I used to work for him, sort of).
My few interactions with him have been positive. He insisted to us that in forming students as disciples, we should be mindful like John of our own "four o'clock moments"-and simply be ready to evangelize from them.
Edifying, very good!
Well done, brother!
I know I need to work on my "tone" as I come across very sharp and also very factually blunt when dealing with mormons.
Such a great episode. Thank you.
I have a phone call scheduled for tonight with some local Mormon missionaries. :) I’m very excited about next weeks episode because that is what I always end up discussing with them. I haven’t gotten a straight answer on when they believe the great apostasy happened. One said the first generation after the apostles, another said Constantine. I genuinely want to know when the LDS church teaches this apostasy happened.
Perhaps the most commonly-cited book on the LDS idea of a "Great Apostasy" is James Talmage's book (which is just called "The Great Apostasy). In it, he concedes that the earliest Christian witnesses outside of the Bible were thoroughly Catholic. In his section on the history of transubstantiation, for instance, he cites to St. Ignatius (107) and St. Justin Martyr (160) on the Eucharist, and says, "there can be no doubt as to the antiquity of the idea of the real presence of the body and blood of Jesus in the eucharist; but that proves--as we said of infant baptism-not that the doctrine is true, but that soon after the apostles had passed away, the simplicity of the gospel was corrupted or else entirely departed from." (He's quoting B.H. Roberts there).In other words, the LDS argument is that Christianity had functionally ceased by the time of the generation after the Apostles. (I'm doing an entire episode on this next week, btw).
It's interesting to see the areas in which Mormonism preserves its Protestant roots, such as The Great Apostasy, it's racist and jingoist ideologies about blacks, etc. Southerners in the South had the same biblical defenses for bigotry (the children of Ham and so forth) as the Mormons. Mormonism is a reformation of the Great Awakening movement, which in turn was a reformation of Puritanism, which was a reformation of Anglicanism, and so forth. Reformation can become a religion itself, if one is not careful.
@@JosephHeschmeyer One group sent me a chapter from this book. But when I read it it was still vague assertions not pointing to anything concrete. Now it was only a chapter and I have not read the whole thing. That is interesting that he would concede the fact that the early church was Catholic. I mentioned Ignatius and Justin Martyr to missionaries and it’s an area they don’t seem to be well read up on. Going to your point about testament though, the missionary did tell me that I need to focus on a relationship with God, not just facts and history. I completely agreed and did begin to include how the Eucharist and confession have both changed my life for the better.
I'm a former Mormon and a RM (returned missionary). You won't get a definitive answer on this question because the church doesn't have one. Like others have stated you can get some "opinions" on it but you won't get an exact date. I remember teaching this as a missionary and stating that sometime after the last apostle died, truth was distorted and ultimately lost. When pressed on when, I would just say that its unknown exactly when but over time truths started being changed. I would teach that it was a gradual falling away.
This is a crucial part of Mormon lessons because if there wasn't a "great apostasy" then there would be no need for a "restoration". What helped me eventually leave was the realization that the Mormon church was doing the exact same thing they were preaching. The present day Mormon church is vastly different than when it first started. "Truths" that were truths in the 1800's are no longer "truths" today. Why is it that the Mormon church can still be true if they've changed truth but when the early church did it, it was considered apostasy?
Last note, when I was being raised in the church, I was taught that the "great and abominable" church was the Catholic church. This always didn't sit well with me because my family outside my parents are Catholic. They might not teach that anymore but its definitely one of those "deep doctrines" that everyone just knows but doesn't bring up.
Cheers, God Bless
@@stormtroopermic1924 Being called abominable by the Mormon church is extreme irony.
Praise the Lord!
Thank you for this
14:07 Im a Latter Day Saint, I have found evidence supporting the Book of Mormon.
Now I like catholics, and I used to say it's either Catholic church or the LDS church that has the full truth.
Thank you for being respectful, I'm LDS not just because of my testimony or feelings. Im LDS because I have found evidence for it, as well as my testimony.
I do have a question though, what is the catholics view on the falling away? Did it happen or not yet?
Hi Joe, what would you do with Mormon missionaries who love to say "We believe that too," and they really don't. I don't want to reinforce their beliefs, especially when they believe in a different god.
I don't know the details of the particular case (of course), but I know the kind of approach you're talking about - one which exaggerates the common ground. In that case, I WOULDN'T start with disagreement ("no, you actually worship a different god!" isn't going to get you anywhere). Instead, I would ask clarifying questions. To give a few hypothetical examples:
"You say we both agree that God created everything. Do you believe in creation from nothing?"
"You say that your president is like the Catholic pope. But the Catholic pope is tasked with 'teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit.' Is that the role of the president in LDS theology, or does your leader also purport to be a prophet capable of giving NEW revelation?"
Hopefully that's clear enough: instead of saying, "No, we're not the same because of X," simply ask if they agree with Catholics on X. And if they say "yes," keep refining and pressing in. It may be that there's more common ground than you thought, or that the missionaries are confused about their theology, or that you two are talking past one another, or that they're not being entirely forthright. But in each case, it's helpful to figure out exactly where the agreement is, and exactly where the disagreement is.
(Not a Mormon example, but: many Catholics and Protestants misunderstand where one another are coming from on justification. But Catholics don't actually believe we need our own good works apart from Christ to be saved, and most Protestants don't actually believe that a person who believes Jesus is Lord but doesn't act on it in the form of good works will be saved. The real difference is closer to something like: "does faith CAUSE good works or does faith ENABLE good works?" It's a subtler distinction. There may be something similar here, although without knowing more, it's impossible to say).
@@JosephHeschmeyer _"You say we both agree that God created everything. Do you believe in creation from nothing?"_ No because Creation ex Nihilo (Creation out of nothing) is a false doctrine that first came into Christianity by Tatian and Theophilus near the end of the second century to convince the Greeks that the God of Christianity was superior to their gods by saying God created matter because of the Greek belief that matter was bad and was not the theology of which Genesis, John or anyone else in the Bible was teaching when talking about the creation. What we believe, God formed the earth from preexisting matter, was the theology of the ancient Church until this idea got popularized. Every research that has been put into the study of where Creation ex Nihilo came from has concluded that and you are more than welcome to look it up. Saying that God created matter and/or pre-existed matter is nothing but a second century invention and is ultimately unbiblical. Jesus, under the direction of God, was the one who organized matter and gave the earth form. 1 Corinthians 8:6, all things are of God by and through the Lord Jesus Christ.
_"You say that your president is like the Catholic pope. But the Catholic pope is tasked with 'teaching only what has been handed on, listening to it devoutly, guarding it scrupulously and explaining it faithfully in accord with a divine commission and with the help of the Holy Spirit.' Is that the role of the president in LDS theology, or does your leader also purport to be a prophet capable of giving NEW revelation?"_ Yes to answer your both of those questions but this is a strawman. No one claims they are exactly the same in every way, obviously there are differences. If a missionary were to say "we believe that too" in reference to the pope and prophet then it more be that we believe Christ's Church has 1 person here on earth directing and guiding his people.
All missionaries are 18-24 and most are still learning our doctrine and would hardly know how to answer tougher questions. Ambushing them with questions like this does nothing but make you seem like Pharisees.
You should like 100 plus subscribers, May God bless your ministry, along with Trent the truth of Christ is being proclaimed.
Looking forward to part 2
Idk about anyone else but I always get LDS missionary ads on UA-cam.
Not just on UA-cam but on Instagram, Reddit, Snapchat, Facebook etc
They are a huge organization that pays for advertisements online
I get Muslim ads for some reason🤣
@@codenametemplar i get those all the time too. Seems like they're always raising money for a Mosque
@@Forester- like always 🤣
Not gonna lie there are only 2 in the whole county, and every time they try to get more built the locals threaten to burn them down if they do lol. Do those ads are clearly in the wrong place🤣
I’ve been getting ads for cross-hormones male -> female 😳 I have no idea why🤷♀️
In Galatians 1:6-9 Apostle Paul says "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Christ for a different religion. But even if an angel from heaven, should preach to you a different religion, let him be accursed."
My question is: Do you think it possible this is a genuine text from God and He foresaw those taught a new religion by an angel?
It is absolutely a genuine text. However the Catholic Church has no official teaching on the text. We are allowed to interpret it in any way that does not violate Catholic teaching. Paul might be using hyperbole as an actual angel from heaven cannot teach heresy. The devil is a fallen angel and he could teach heresy.
No it's due to how quickly the Galatians would revert back to old ideas or mix in other religious practices from mystic or Pagan sources. Paul was given myriad reasons why they thought what they were doing was correct and he was fed up with it. He made 3 separate trips to Galatia and had to essentially start over each time.
Catholics/ Protestants use this scripture to prove that Mormons are wrong...Mormons use it to show that the apostasy had already begun while the Apostles were still alive.
Also it's worth noting that you get very different counsel in Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, etc based on what the saints are struggling with and where they are on the truth spectrum.
@@HaleStorm49
Jesus Visited America?
The “Book of Mormon is a volume of holy scripture comparable to the Bible. It is a record of God’s dealings with the ancient inhabitants of the Americas, and contains, as does the Bible, the fullness of the everlasting gospel.” There it is again-the “fullness of the everlasting gospel.”
Naturally, one must ask themselves just what that phrase means.
Mormons teach that, after Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles taught the true doctrines of Christ and administered his sacred ordinances (roughly the equivalent of Catholic sacraments). After the death of the apostles, their successors continued the work of the gospel, but with rapidly declining success. Within a few generations, the great apostasy foretold in the Bible had destroyed Christ’s Church (contrary to Jesus’ own promise in Matthew 16:18). Consequently, the keys of authority of the holy priesthood were withdrawn from the earth, and no man any longer had authorization to act in God’s name.
From that time onward there were no valid baptisms, no laying on of hands for the receipt of the Holy Ghost, no blessings of any kind, and no administration of sacred ordinances. Confusions and heretical doctrines increased and led to the plethora of Christian sects seen today.
Mormons claim that to restore the true Church and true gospel to the earth, in 1820 God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in a grove of trees near his home. They told him that all the creeds of the Christian denominations were abominable, that those who believed them were corrupt, and that the true Church, having died out completely shortly after it began, was to be restored by Smith.
Mormons run into no small difficulty in reconciling the “great apostasy” theory with Christ’s promise in Matthew 16:18: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.”
How could it be that Christ would promise that his Church wouldn’t be overcome if he knew full well a great apostasy would make short shrift of it in a matter of decades? Was Christ lying? Obviously not. Was he mistaken? No. Christ’s divinity precluded such things.
What are we left with then? Could it be that Mormons are mistaken in their interpretation of such a crucial passage? This is the only tenable conclusion. If there were no great apostasy, then there could have been no need for a restoration of religious authority on the earth. There would be no “restored gospel,” and the entire premise of the Mormon church would be undercut.
The fact is that the only church with an unbroken historical line to apostolic days is the Catholic Church. And as even non-Catholic historians admit, early Church writers such as Ignatius of Antioch, Eusebius, Clement of Rome, and Polycarp, had no conception of Mormon doctrine, and they knew nothing of a “great apostasy.”
Nowhere in their writings can one find references to Christians embracing any of the peculiarly Mormon doctrines, such as polytheism, polygamy, celestial marriage, and temple ceremonies. If the Church of the apostolic age was the prototype of today’s Mormon church, it must have had all these beliefs and practices. But why is there no evidence of them in the early centuries, before the alleged apostasy began?
Church History Is Catholic
The fact is that there is no historical or archaeological indication of any kind that the early Church was other than the Catholic Church.
Please produce any historical proof to support their claim that in the early centuries the Church was Mormon.
@@HaleStorm49You are making a mountain out of a mole hill. Paul in Galatians said SOME people, not everyone. Galatians is just one of many churches Paul visited.
There have always been apostates and there will always be apostates. There was never a great apostasy. There have always been many who retained the faith. Mormons are totally ignorant of the history of the early Church.
St. Irenaeus who lived from about 130-202 AD which is long after St. Paul died said "The Church, though dispersed throughout the WHOLE WORLD, even to the ends of the earth has received from the APOSTLES and their DISCIPLES this faith.
St Cyril of Jerusalem 315-386 AD "[The Church] is called CATHOLIC then because it extends over ALL THE WORLD, from one end of the earth to the other; and because it teaches universally and completely one and all the doctrines which ought to come to men's knowledge..."
St. Irenaeus and St. Cyril are two of many Early Church fathers that are absolute proof there was no great apostasy. Anyone who knows history knows the great apostasy is a LIE. I believe some of the historians in your Church know of these Church Fathers but don't mention them because all Mormons would then know Mormonism is a lie. Just like the Book of Abraham is a total fraud and fabrication. You cannot read the Early Church Fathers and believe Mormonism is true. I dare you to read them and find out. You can find them on New Advent.
One thing that should be mentioned is that the Latter Day Saint theology does not account for the first cause. If God was once a man who lived on another earth then where did he come from? Was he created by another God? If so then where did that God come from? Where exactly is the starting point? Who got the ball rolling?
This is so informative, thank you for sharing.
Besides dialoguing with them on our similarities and differences on procured abortion, I'd ask them to explain what this means: "Following his marriage to Louisa Beaman and before he married other single women, Joseph Smith was sealed to a number of women who were already married" (Gospel Topics Essays: "Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo", The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, October 2014).
I think that I'll cover this two weeks from today...
Joseph Smith wasn’t wed or married to these people in a traditional sense, they were sealed together. Sealing is a sacred ritual which basically joins the family trees of two people and allows them to live together in heaven. The women would only be his “wives” in the afterlife, not this one, and I don’t believe there’s polygamy in heaven anyway. So the only marriage sealing Joseph is going to maintain in the next life is the one to his first wife anyway. Of course Joseph will still be familially sealed to those others in a more general sense, but more like sisters-in-law.
See Joseph wanted all mankind to be sealed together in heaven as on earth as one big heavenly family. Most commonly husbands and wives are sealed together right after their wedding, but parents are also sealed to their children, and other cases exist too. For example, Joseph Smith sealed men together as blood brothers, as well as other types of honorary family members like godfathers.
This is not polygamy like how we would imagine it. Even after Joseph’s death when the practice was codified for the general church population, most often a plural marriage would occur as a result of the church calling upstanding men to marry old widows because they had the means to provide for them; sexual satisfaction was never one of the driving motivations, though allowing women the opportunity to start families and have kids sometimes was. And Joseph Smith actually condemned polygamy in all circumstances except for when God specifically commands it according to this practice, in such specific circumstances as this one. A system of polygamy set up for similar reasons was actually practiced in the Old Testament: Deuteronomy 25:5-10
Anyhoo, because Joseph Smith was the prophet, being sealed to him meant having the opportunity to access familial blessings through that connection to God, similar to how the children of Israel could receive blessings through their lineage from Abraham. And so dozens of people were sealed to Joseph, most imfamously the women who were sealed to him as “wives” in the afterlife. But Joseph Smith never actually had sex with these other “wives.”
You may not be surprised to hear that Joseph had 11 children, but you may be surprised to hear that all were with his first wife. Of them, 6 died in infancy. One of those 6 was one of a pair of adopted twins. The sickly babe was killed by an angry mob as they tore Joseph out of his house at night while he was caring for the child in order to tar and feather him. Joseph himself claimed a near death experience from the mob’s torture. Now if Joseph Smith was a sex crazed pervert, I don’t see the through line between that and what he endured for his faith over the decade prior to instituting the practice. If sex was his end goal, he wouldn’t have put up with it. I also don’t see how it’s possible he never had children with any of these other women, nor why he would choose many unattractive, financially burdensome, old widows for his “harem.”
@@KnuttyEntertainmentyou are gaslighting yourself so hard.
Beautiful analysis of St Peter's first papal encyclical ☺️
I just ran into two today, while walking my dog. They asked if they could say a prayer for me, and I said, sure. They asked what I would like them to pray about and I said, "I am an atheist so I don't believe in prayer, but I can respect your religion." So they said a generic prayer about how it was nice to meet me and they hope god can guide me to good things, we shook hands and they departed.
The Mormons recently produced a great video about St Joan of Arc. That is something we should thank and commend them for doing so.
What movie? The church doesn't produce comurtial videos, except for one that was a PR peice.
Any chance there has been a video like this that advises on how to talk do Jehova’a Witnesses?
I'm lifelong LDS and would easily be Catholic as my 2nd choice. There are so many similarities and I love the history and tradition as well. I also feel the same kinship with devout practicing Catholics as I do my own faith. I feel we are cut from the same cloth. One of my favorite books is by the Catholic Apologist Robert Sungenis, "Not By Faith Alone - The Biblical Evidence for the Catholic Doctrine of Justification". A must read if you are into that topic and answering criticisms from Evangelicals.
You would be Catholic if you care about Truth. Don't count on your mormon "testimony".
2 Thessalonians 2:11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false,
Oh so God is to blame for people believing falsehoods? You sound like a Calvinist. Maybe he has sent you a powerful delusion so you can just blame him.
Hey Joe, would love to hear your opinion on a situation my family always leans back on when I try discussing abortion. My aunt was pregnant with twins and the doctor said they’d have to kill one to let the other live or both would die. I’m assuming they are inferring a 100% chance for both to die, as the argument would fall flat if there were any chance that one or both could live without killing one. Usually I try to defend this argument as “you can’t use 1 in a million instances to universalize/normalize your side of an argument”, but she always responds with “well you’re killing one of the babies by not doing anything”. I just can’t find the perfect thing to say to deconstruct this example
Joe’s heart is in the right place but unfortunately his approach to Mormon Missionaries is a bit lacking. Common ground can only be found if both parties are honest about their beliefs. It is important to know that the missionaries are taught Christian terms that hold a different meaning. “Trinity” and “God” are two of many examples. Joe’s first two steps are part of their evangelism as well. Since they do not tell you up front what they actually believe, it is difficult for the average layperson to engage the missionaries in a meaningful way.
Another method when speaking with Mormon Missionaries is to sow doubts regarding their beliefs. Remaining meek/humble is vital. This approach requires you to do a little reading beforehand. Catholic Answers is good source. Be firm in your beliefs and confident that your Catholic faith is based in truth. The missionaries are skilled at taking Sacred Scripture out of context to justify themselves. The strategy is simple, ask them for answers to basic questions. For example, “If God is eternal, why do Mormons believe that God was born a man and became a god?” Or my favorite, “If God had a god himself, why not pray to him as well?” Questions that expose the errors in the founding of the religion can also be effective. These relate to the different versions of Joseph Smith’s conversion and the recanting of eye-witness reports.
With any method you use, always remember that you may never see the fruit of the seeds you plant, so be kind and patient. Deus Vult.
Most of these questions would strengthen my testimony in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Some are false premises. When I was on my mission, 45 people joined the church of Jesus Christ. I was in Maryland, so you can guess how many where catholic. All I would have to teach people was the correct meaning of life, and ask them to read the book of Mormon and they'd be like... "yep".
Thank you for being "kind and patient"
God is eternal and so is man. These questions will reinforce what most missionaries already believe...that churches don't teach their members doctrine of any depth.
Not at all related but I like your theme song at the beginning and the end. Is it publically available or is it custom?
Joe,
A question :
Is it possible to have a Bible Study with Protestants discussing issues we agree on and avoiding that on which we don't agree ? In other words ,keep to safe areas. 30:30
Why avoid areas on which we disagree. Go prepared to defend the truth. It’s exactly what my sister-in-law does. She has even converted people this way, including the Methodist pastor who led one of the Bible studies she attended. Just make sure your own Catholic education is very solid in advance so you don’t lose the Faith
Yes, I did this with a group of Baptists in Rome. Many Protestants have never met a Catholic who takes the Bible and knows the Bible well, so even when you're sticking to areas that you're not likely to have a disagreement, there is a real witness just in being a Catholic passionate about Jesus Christ.
Protestants don't agree amongst themselves on the issues.
I offer a glass of lemonade and pray for them.
You are incorrect in saying that a bishop can "ok" an abortion in these exceptional cases. That is not true. The decision is left with the individual. Counseling is not the same as okaying. Abortion is serious, period and is grounds for membership restrictions. In fact, if the bishop has evidence that the the abortion was conducted outside of these boundaries he is obligated to conduct a disciplinary council.
At the end of the day, just be kind.
They aren’t bad people.
How would Jesus speak to them?
But Joe, what if they bring up Amoris Laetitia and the five dubia after questioning the LDS bishops?
In the 1860's Brigham Young welcomed the Catholic missionaries and in 1871 presented Father Kelly and Father Walsh with a plot of land and $500 so it would be possible for them to build a church.
When the purchased a lot for a second cathedral, a blemish on the title was discovered. Both the seller and Father Kelly agreed to go to Brigham to settle the matter, rather than suffer legal litigation, agreeing to stand by his decision. After examining the deed and listening to the evidence, Brigham ruled that the deed be handed over to the priest. "Father Kelly looked upon Brigham Young as a devoted and sincere friend." (Brigham Young by Susan Evans McCloud pg 236-7)
I appreciate your comment (meant to say your video). My experience as a Catholic Literature teacher in a classical high school with a large Mormon community I realized after fighting with Mormon teachers and struggling with teaching Mormon students that #1 Mormons are Not Christian.
As a Catholic who has been told by non-Catholic Christians that Catholics are not Christians I felt a certain empathy towards Mormons having been accused myself of not being Christian.
It wasn’t until I understood the fundamental differences between Mormonism and Christianity that I was able to tailor my language so as not to make statements that offend Mormons.
For example when reading Paradise Lost I don’t say in the Bible the story of Adam and Eve is ….. Instead I focus on the author, John Milton believed …. According to Milton …..
I now know that Mormons do not believe in divine intervention and miracles, they do not believe murder is ever forgivable, the example being in the event of protecting another person from being murdered, it is wrong to defend the intended victim with deadly force.
Everything is free will, for example if you are being coerced or tortured and do something wrong you are using your free will and therefore will be punished.
Mormonism is a harsh religion that preaches obedience under the guise of free will, there is no grace and unless you are perfect you are going to hell.
And then there is the whole God The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit are 3 different beings. Mormons demote Jesus to the status of an archangel because they believe Satan and Jesus are siblings.
My point of all this is first you need to understand the fundamental differences so you can avoid the land mines when discussing the commonalities.
the Mormons are making very big waves in the entertainment industry right now. Angel Studios, who were behind the hit series The Chosen, is now cashing it in big time with the movie The Sound of Freedom, which is now a certified blockbuster. they're also the creators of Dry Bar Comedy, which is a great clean standup comedy venue.
remember that hit cult movie Napoleon Dynamite? it was made by a Mormon couple! (btw, i once read that the divorce rate among Mormons are very low, is that true?)
As a Catholic, I agree that Angel Studios are definitely doing something very good with The Chosen and Sound of Freedom. I would like to know where SoF is showing in Canberra Australia.
I think Mormons are actually doing way better culture wise, and we ought to take notes in this particular facit. It doesn't make them right, but it is something we ought to learn from
Angel studios is NO longer distributing THE Chosen as there were differences that developed because Dallas is an Evangelical who attended the Same Christian University that I did: Biola University.
The Chosen is based on the Authentic Jesus of the Bible: not the created Jesus of Mormonism which became a problem for them but also was created problem s for many trinitarians.
So , this change should even improve the show as a major studio is now distributing the show on their channel.
@@davidjanbaz7728
Most curious indeed! This is the first I heard of it. Please provide me links to announcements indicating Dallas Jenkins is parting ways with Angel Studios. I note that my smartphone Angel Studios (AS) app is still streaming The Chosen seasons 1-3. AS is also streaming Sound of Freedom, starring devout Catholic Jim Caviezel.
@@davidjanbaz7728
Season 4 is now shooting in Texas: ua-cam.com/users/shortsRsRcmHxGNQU?feature=share
You should do a similar video on JWs
Well, I’m a Latter-day Saint preparing to go on a mission. Feel free to practice on me.
Woah, you haven't served a mission yet? Bro, you are going to do amazing things on your mission.
@@dylanwilliams2202 Hey Dylan, I recognize you. And that’s right, I’m putting my papers in this week.
@KnuttyEntertainment and @dylanwilliams2202 , I have two more videos on LDS theology in this (one on the Great Apostasy, and one on views of the Godhead). Would love to get your takes!
@@JosephHeschmeyer I’ll check them out.
@@JosephHeschmeyer I’ll reply to this comment with my reaction.
I would chat with JW, SDA, or LDS, Missionaries, for hours, sharing my Catholicism and allowing them to state their case. But I live with my Mom, and she refuses to allow them in our Apartment.
i'd be happy to chat im a member of the church of Jesus Chris
I respond by not asnwering the door
How many witnesses do you have the the making of the original bible? None How many witnesses are there for the origins of the Book of Mormon? 11, 12 if you count Joseph.
@7:55 its not that complicated if people understood that Peter James and John were the first presidency of the ancient Apostles.
@21:51 This is a trade off from infant baptism. People aren't likely to live the gospel of they aren't converted to it... But they still wear the uniform.
@28:40 This would have been a great two way discussion rather than straw Manning the birth defect theory.... But what seems illogical is really information deficiency.
For example... There is no consideration to what happens to a baby that is "murdered" while the doctrines in the LDS church and Catholic church are very different in this respect. Believing that child was sinless vs sinful directs that child's eternal fate... For that reason Catholics should be running circles around Mornons on abortion....but that isn't what's happening. Quite the contrary.
I was really nice to them and talk to them a few times but I didn't want to waste there time.
I love talking to Mormon missionaries about God. Treat them like the lost brother they are.
To your point on St. Dominic, this is one thing catholics must do better than protestants. Catholic churches struggle to build a welcoming community. Protestants excel at this. It would do a world of good for catholic lay people to work hard on building a strong, loving, catholic community in each of their parishes. One where others coming in will feel welcome and will be able to make friends like them.
every theology bro has fantasized about arguing with a mormon or a jehovah's witness who comes knocking on their door
if you are smart you will listen to the missionaries.
Very little is ever said about abortion in the church (LDS). We have to go back decades usually to get the top leaders to take a stand on this. Sad
When faced with contradictions between personal experience and divinely revealed truth, the guidance is to follow the divinely revealed truth unequivocally.
The ethical dilemma of conjoined twins in the womb-where one's survival endangers the other's and a doctor, fully credentialed, advises that without intervention both may die-presents a challenging scenario. This situation forces a heartbreaking decision: to intervene and end one life to potentially save the other.
I believe that in such complex cases, the Savior would extend compassion to the parents regardless of their decision. However, this raises a profound question: is intentionally ending one life to save the other a sin? Personally, I do not believe so, and I remain open to correction.
The Catholic Catechism (paragraph 2271) suggests that causing the death of one twin in this manner is morally indefensible, advocating instead for natural outcomes or divine intervention. This stance is clear, but the complexity of such scenarios-as extreme as they are-might elicit more sympathy for a decision made in desperate hope rather than through deliberate harm.
This leads to a broader question about faith and church teachings. Is it more beneficial to tell someone that "There are no exceptions" to certain teachings, or to encourage them to seek divine guidance for potential exceptions? I argue for the latter. Encouraging individuals to seek God's will might lead them to a deeper contemplation of their circumstances, often concluding that they do not, in fact, represent an exception. This approach not only fosters a personal relationship with the divine but could also dissuade decisions like abortion under less extreme circumstances by reinforcing the gravity of such choices.
In essence, inviting someone to discern God's will in their unique situation could reinforce the church's teachings more effectively than outright dismissal of potential exceptions, particularly in complex and extreme cases.
Wait… who’s showing up to your door, with the gospel, the good news of Christ? Oh, it’s NOT Catholic missionaries? I thought so. I kid, I kid. I’m obviously an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I served a mission in Argentina, a country full of wonderful and beautiful Catholic brothers and sisters. I love your religion and I love how that you understand the importance of central authority, something that our Protestant brothers and sisters do not understand. But we still love them. I enjoy the content on the channel. My testimony of Joseph Smith being a true prophet is one that God has given to me via the Hoy Spirit and it is as strong as my testimony of the living Christ.
I was stoked to see Sound of Freedom. I absolutely love Jim Caviezel. He is one of my favorite actors. My favorite movie by far is The Count of Monte Cristo. Jim did an outstanding job playing Tim Ballard, an LDS man whose true story of saving children is one that is inspiring the world.
Sure, we have our differences, but let’s remember that we’re in the same fight. Evil is seeking to enslave and destroy us all. God bless you, whoever reads this.
My man, the only reason you were able to go door-to-door in already-Christian Argentina was that Catholic missionaries got there first with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
@@JosephHeschmeyer lol touché
@@JosephHeschmeyer for the record, I always boldly state to my Protestant friends that the Catholic Church *actually has a claim to being the original church. They don’t like to hear this. However, and no offense (obviously), I believe that the LDS church’s claim is stronger. 😉. Either way, god bless you Joseph!
No offense taken, just pointing out facts. Next week's episode is exactly on the subject you just mentioned -- that the Great Apostasy is THE question to get right for Catholic / LDS conversation. Hope you have a chance to check it out!
@@JosephHeschmeyer Joseph I support you
It's funny/sad , knowledge has increased.
Of all Christian sects and denominations; two have a meaningful claim. The Catholics have succession, the Latter-day Saints have restoration (and apostles and prophets and so on). Everyone else has neither.
They have a very cult-like dishonest mindset of getting people through the door, saying whatever is necessary to do so. Only then when people are entrenched in the Mormon community do they point out the ways in which Mormonism is not Christian. They will insist they are really Christian, they really believe in the trinity and so on, but when you say "here's what is meant by the trinity, you might use that word, but here's what your own church documents believe," they just play dumb. It will be interesting to see how the next decades play out given how much Mormonism is liberalizing and assimilating to American secular culture, and how it's transforming to a third world religion from an Anglo ethnic religion especially with their perfidious support of mass immigration. On that last note Catholics should have no problem saying that while the Church gets more and more African we should not expect, and it would indeed be undesirable, to see a commensurate proportion of these people going into leadership roles because if you have such a low average IQ, you simply can't supply many people of an IQ over 120 to be leaders and scholars. But the Church despite being ok with certain types of slavery has, unlike Mormonism, always affirmed different groups humanity that they are made in the image of God. Unfortunately the Church undoubtedly has affirmative action albeit informally, and will continue to slide down that path like secular anti-white organizations.
Jehova’s Witness next!
I love Mormons, they are a good example of what a Christian should be, no matter if we agree or disagree .
Never be sorry for mispronouncing French.
I absolutely love Catholics. One of my fondest memories was working with a Catholic priest as an LDS missionary in France. He met with us in the library of an ancient cathedral in Lyon. Surrounded by piles of ancient books and parchments. He was a good man, but was an atheist. He viewed his priesthood as a job only. We had some wonderful deep conversations. I hope he felt the love of God.
The best sign of the apostasy is that the bible ended. No more apostles, just bishops calling other bishops...which specifically cannot be done. Next best indicator of the apostasy is the Nicene Creed.
But thats my opinion.
Thank you for sharing this! My episode right after this is on the idea of the Great Apostasy. I'd love your take!
@@JosephHeschmeyer have you read the book the great apostacy
"How to Respond to Mormon Missionaries"
Offer cookies! Chocolate chip or oatmeal are best.
Mormons claim the Book of Mormon is 'another' testimony of Jesus Christ, but mormons also believe Jesus is the brother of Lucifer/satan which is really a testimony of 'another' Jesus.
Apostle Paul warns of teaching another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4), and explains; “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
LDS President Gordon B Hinckley, in Oct 1961 said; “I would like to say that this cause is either true or false either this is the kingdom of God or it is a sham and a delusion. Either Joseph talked with the father and the son or he did not if he did not we are engaged in blasphemy.”
Isaiah 43:10 says; ‘Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me’. (Proven correct by the Dead Sea Scrolls). Smith’s 1842 revelation of a Great Counsel of Gods, Jesus and Lucifer are brothers, and men can become Gods, is the most blasphemous of all LDS teachings, not supported anywhere in the Bible or Book of Mormon.
You are very uneducated
Offer them a Rosary and they flee it's like criptonyte to them
Mormons are the most consistent Protestants.
True
Your ignorance is typical of Catholics: LOL 😆at your pathetic statement 🤣
they are closet megaprotestants. They're non trinitarians and are scared of crucifixes
This means you don't know anything about Protestantism. I am a Protestant who may become Catholic at some point, but the thing I've found is Catholics have no idea what Protestantism is on a general level.
Mormons deny so many fundamental traditional protestant beliefs they are completely a different religion
@@IffmeisterYou can't deny that every major theological heresy since the 16th c has come from the Protestant side, can you? What does that tell you about protestantism?
U under grace ,u can pick faults with others,but the Jewish leaders thought same,we have Moses and the prophets same with both the orthodox and catholic systems. Ur a sinner saved by grace and these apologists are unaware in their souls,just their own logic and biased approaches.. we have the church fathers as their defense like the rabbis of jesus day.
I'm an active Latter-day Saint and I think there are msny beautiful things about Catholicism. I definitely have some holy envy. There are two things that I just can't get on board with. One is infant baptism and the other is the Trinity vs. LDS theology about the Godhead.
Most of the world does not understand where we came from before coming to earth. Prior to this life we lived with our Heavenly Father. Satan was there as well as Michael who was known as Adam on earth. Satan was called Lucifer at this time. God created our spirits, which explains why Satan is a brother.
Amos 3:7
Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets
Where are the prophets then?
Offer them some beer or coffee 😅😅😅
Just tell them "Hey, I'm in a cult too but we follow the pope and worship Mary."
It also helps to understand that in the paradigm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that we are all Christians. That is, all people born into this world are all literal spiritual children of the Father and we all chose to follow Christ from before the Creation.
Therefore, we are all spiritual siblings and followers of Christ regardless of our current religious affiliation right now. Further, because we all chose Christ from before the Creation, salvation from physical and spiritual death is already locked in for everyone.
What the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is all about is helping everyone with their eternal progress by helping them get on the covenant path with Christ in this life as well. That is, as children of the Father, our goal in coming to this world is to continue our eternal progression by living as spirits housed in shells of flesh of weakness in a fallen world of adversity, to experience hard things and grow even more. And, we want that growth to continue on into the next world. That is the goal for all of us. Regardless of our present religious affiliation.
Also, bonus, it helps to understand that the paradigm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints incorporates all truth. Article of Faith 13 “….we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul-We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.”
John 1:12 But to those that did accept Him (Jesus Christ) He gave power to become children of God.
Matt 7:21 Not everyone who says to me. "Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one that does the will of my Father in heaven."
1Cor 1:10 I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all of you agree in what you say, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and in the same purpose.
Matt 7:13 Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the rode broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many.
the road broad. My bad.
@@twoody9760 So, I too recognize those pieces of the puzzle. I just have more pieces of the puzzle. You have a puzzle piece that looks like an axe head, but I have more pieces that show that axe head is really a mountain top.
Do you believe that God is a created being? Do you believe that Christ is a created being? Do you believe the Holy Spirit is a created being?
@@fujikokun Still a lot of pieces of the puzzle are missing on this topic, but based on the pieces in existence, it seems fairly clear that the Godhead and all of us are all eternal beings. That is, we all existed before the Creation.
mormon = islam 2.0
What? Are you knowingly spreading lies or do you really not know?
Jesus Christ is the son of God LDS ✅ Islam ❌
Jesus Christ is Jehovah LDS ✅ Islam ❌
Jesus Christ is redeemed the world and can save us from our sins LDS ✅ Islam ❌
Jesus Christ is living and resurrected LDS ✅ Islam ❌
Jesus Christ leads his church today through a living prophet LDS ✅ Islam ❌
Jesus Christ will come again in Glory to Judge the quick and the dead LDS ✅ Islam ❌
@@clearstonewindowsit’s still founded in lust just like Islam
@@frekigeri4317 wrong. You don't know anything about its foundation. Based on your comment
@@clearstonewindows I’m sorry, multiple wives is multiple wives and that’s lust. If you don’t think men followed Joseph Smith for the same reason men followed Mohammad, I have a bridge to sell you.
@@frekigeri4317 Again you're not talking about something you know about. Look at when and how the church was founded and Look at when polygamy started.
You could make an argument for lust later, but no where near foundation.
And if you knew anything about the practice of polygamy and actual People that lived it you would not say it was lust. The first state to let women vote was Utah the first US senator was a polygamous woman.
Satan is trying to do anything he can to stop the restored gospel of Jesus Christ including getting people to diminish and dismiss it for baseless claims
Here again we have a man preaching down to women about the use of their own bodies. If a woman doesn't chose to have a child then she consults a doctor to rectify the condition. That this guy can't see his position is misogynistic it typical.