Most accurate. There was a time when they preached that ALL Amer-Indians were Lamanites. http://www.freewebs.com/lamanitegeneration/ Now the party line is one of: Some of them are, just not the ones who got their DNA tested, or some such.

The only Mormon belief that bothers me at the moment is the belief that they have a right to a Federal tax exemption after organizing their considerable membership to dump money into the Prop. 8 debate in California, essentially becoming an instant PAC dedicated to revoking the freedoms of Americans who had done them no harm. The rest of their beliefs don't really interest me that much, except for the delightsome ones.

Individuals may have somewhat different beliefs, but the Church strives to keep the doctrines consistent and to correct false beliefs when they crop up. We have a central authority that sets down doctrine for the whole Church. Various individuals may misunderstand these doctrines and need correction from time to time, but it has been my experience living in many different areas and going to many different congregation that the doctrines of the Church as a whole are quite consistent. However, if one is going to level this as a criticism of us, then what does that say for various branches Protestantism? Most Protestant faiths do not have a central authority to set down doctrine. Because of this different congregations of the same religion can have preachers that preach very different things to their congregations. They may be united in certain basic beliefs, but the details can change from one congregation to another.

It's funny looking at some of the accusations critics throw at Mormons. We are accused of being "the Morg" (Mormon Borg), "Morbots" (Mormon Robots) and "Sheeple". Yet here is an accusation of individual members having differing, sometimes contradictory, beliefs and opinions. So, which is it? Latter-day Saints are free to speculate and formulate their own opinions unless it contradicts with the official stance of the Church. Once the Church issues an official stance, the story's over; members need to readjust their personal beliefs to be in harmony. However, members can still speculate about /why/ the Church took that stance, or /why/ that stance is the correct one.

There some truth there wrt all religions, not just Mormonism. Individuals are wont to adapt as suits them. Specific to Mormonism, the Church attempts (particularly within the last few decades) to maintain a pretty consistent baseline of official teaching and practice in authorized publications, but there are a lot of ideas that might have never been formally accepted as doctrine but are established within the popular consciousness. Such "doctrines" are often less known to converts, but are known (if not necessarily believed) by long time members born into the Church.

On the one hand we are criticized for having different opinions among us, and on the other hand we are accused of being a brainwashed, all-exactly-the-same cult. . This illustrates the truth of the proposition that "Man who walk in middle of road get hit by cars going both ways."

In the early days of the Church, Joseph Smith received many, many revelations from the Lord. All of which were true Gospel principles. And in the beginning Joseph and others simply taught what ever truths fit the occasion. However, sometime after the Saints settled in the Salt Lake valley, the brethren decided to be more specific in what was taught from the Pulpit and from the Brethren in general. They found that the purpose of the Church was to be a vehicle to help its members attain their Salvation and Exaltation in the very highest degree of the Celestial Kingdom. So they decided from that point on the Church would only teach Doctrines that would help the members achieve their final goal of Exaltation in the Kingdom of God. This didn't happen overnight, but progressed over a period of years. And today in the Church you will find many, many truths available for study, but not all of them are taught as Church doctrine. For instance, our knowing whether God the Father had sex with Mary or not, will not effect our Exaltation one way or another, so why waste our time on something that has no actual answer? Even though it may or not be true. And did Brigham Young teach that Adam was God the Father? What difference does it make, knowing the answer will not effect our Exaltation one way or the other. So yes you will find a variety of beliefs among the members of the Church, but only doctrines that will effect our final destiny will be taught as Church doctrine. All other truths are for our own knowledge and enlightenment...as I see it...Later

"the church is true, the people are not" No one on earth is perfect and we all think differently. If we would all as Mormons just listen to the prophet and apostles and just follow the doctrine that they give us and not twist it up in our own selfish justifications then we wouldn't have these problems. This is what we believe. I am a Mormon. Let me just share with you our thirteen basic beliefs. Without going into extreme detail. 1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost 2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression 3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. 4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by Immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. 5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof. 6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth. 7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth. 8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. 9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. 10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem)will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisaical glory. 11. We claim the privilege or worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may. 12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rules, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining, the law. 13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed 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 of praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

To paraphrase a great motto I've seen flying about lately: Where the Lord has spoken unity. Where He is quiet liberty. In all things charity.