I am not Calcsam. I may be the awkward guy at the party that no one wants to talk to but doesn’t understand that no one wants to talk with him. I am LDS, though and will try to answer questions truthfully and to the best of my ability. I have been leaving alone questions that I have thought of as being directed at Calcsam specifically.
If Joseph Smith was not a prophet, do you desire to believe that Joseph Smith was not a prophet?
If he was not a prophet then I do desire to believe that he was not a prophet because I would rather have truth than error. I know however that he was a prophet.
Are you a rationalist?
Depends on what is meant by the term rationalist. I try to be rational but also realize that other people have different ideas of what is meant by being rational. Certainly as apparently defined on this site in the sequences I am incapable of being rational as I believe in God and that that belief is a rational belief.
Did you convert because you were rationally persuaded to convert?
If by rationally persuaded you mean given a convincing argument then no and while I do not discount the possibility of that happening that I do not see that as a desirable outcome.
If by persuaded rationally you allow the inclusion of an personal experiment then yes.
ironclad rational argument for Mormonism,
I do not have one and do not expect to have one until Jesus sets his foot on the mount of olives splitting it in two and speaks and the whole world hears.
I can only suggest you read and follow what is given in Alma 32 and Moroni 10:3-5. I have already covered this elsewhere. Alma 32 does give a brief explanation of why no ironclad rational argument is to be given but how even so one can know for oneself if the Book of Mormon (and anything else) is true.
Eugine Nier does have a very good point about a moving standard. If you do happen to actually follow the experiment laid out in those scriptures I would suggest including in the prayer the request that the experience given be convincing to you. If God does not exist or the Book of Mormon isn’t true then you will have lost very little by doing so.
It is actually Moroni 10:4 that says that. If you reference Alma 32, which I listed first for this reason, then you should note vs. 21 and 26-28 from which you should be able to recognize that being willing to follow the advice seriously is sufficient. Also, the whole think about it and then pray about it is a pattern (as Moroni 10:5 notes) that can be used for anything. Therefore, in your case, I would probably ask about God or Christ before asking about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
I am not Calcsam. I may be the awkward guy at the party that no one wants to talk to but doesn’t understand that no one wants to talk with him. I am LDS, though and will try to answer questions truthfully and to the best of my ability. I have been leaving alone questions that I have thought of as being directed at Calcsam specifically.
If he was not a prophet then I do desire to believe that he was not a prophet because I would rather have truth than error. I know however that he was a prophet.
Depends on what is meant by the term rationalist. I try to be rational but also realize that other people have different ideas of what is meant by being rational. Certainly as apparently defined on this site in the sequences I am incapable of being rational as I believe in God and that that belief is a rational belief.
If by rationally persuaded you mean given a convincing argument then no and while I do not discount the possibility of that happening that I do not see that as a desirable outcome.
If by persuaded rationally you allow the inclusion of an personal experiment then yes.
I do not have one and do not expect to have one until Jesus sets his foot on the mount of olives splitting it in two and speaks and the whole world hears.
I can only suggest you read and follow what is given in Alma 32 and Moroni 10:3-5. I have already covered this elsewhere. Alma 32 does give a brief explanation of why no ironclad rational argument is to be given but how even so one can know for oneself if the Book of Mormon (and anything else) is true.
Eugine Nier does have a very good point about a moving standard. If you do happen to actually follow the experiment laid out in those scriptures I would suggest including in the prayer the request that the experience given be convincing to you. If God does not exist or the Book of Mormon isn’t true then you will have lost very little by doing so.
Moroni 10:3 tells me I need to have faith in Christ before I ask for a sign. That kind of defeats the purpose.
It is actually Moroni 10:4 that says that. If you reference Alma 32, which I listed first for this reason, then you should note vs. 21 and 26-28 from which you should be able to recognize that being willing to follow the advice seriously is sufficient. Also, the whole think about it and then pray about it is a pattern (as Moroni 10:5 notes) that can be used for anything. Therefore, in your case, I would probably ask about God or Christ before asking about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.