MORMONS

Mormons consider themselves to be the descendants of the Biblical Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (also known as "Israel") or adoptees into the House of Israel, and contemporary Mormons use the terms "House of Israel" and "House of Joseph" to refer to themselves.

The Book of Mormon tells of a family of the Tribe of Manasseh that migrated from Jerusalem to an unknown location in the Americas. According to Mormon doctrine, this migration fulfilled the prophecy of Jacob on his son, Joseph: "Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: Genesis 49:22 It also tells of a group from the Tribe of Judah who also came to the Americas, after its capture by Babylon around 600 B.C.E.

The official position of Latter-day Saints is that those who have accepted Mormonism or are a part of the Latter Day Saint movement are primarily from the House of Joseph. Adherents believe they are members of one of the tribes of Israel, either by blood lineage or by adoption, when the recipient is not a literal descendant of Jacob, also known as Israel. Latter-day Saints believe that all of the tribes exist within their numbers, though not every tribe in every country. Ephraim and Manasseh are by far the two largest tribes in the LDS Church. Some Latter-day Saint patriarchs believe the one country to have the most confirmed coexisting tribes is Mongolia, missing only the Tribe of Zebulun.

Tribal affiliation is not usually discussed in every day LDS life, and all members, regardless of tribal affiliation, worship together. The knowledge of ones tribal affiliation is usually only shared with their immediate family.

In modern Jewish culture, by contrast, it is generally accepted that knowledge of individual tribal affiliation has been lost to antiquity (despite Mormon claims to the contrary), except in the case of Levites and Cohens, where such knowledge is relevant to religious practice. Some Jewish families, however, hold family traditions of descent from certain tribes. The Sephardi Chief Rabbinate of Israel has recognized the Beta Israel of Ethiopia as the Tribe of Dan, and the Bene Menashe of India as the Tribe of Menasseh. The Bene Israel of India and the Lemba tribe of Africa claim descent from Kohenim - according to a government report, these claims are supported by DNA analysis.

LDS assert peaceful coexistence with the Jewish people, whom they recognize as Israelites who simply never lost the knowledge that they are Israelites. The Church is consequently very philo-Semitic by doctrine, and the Jewish people are generally held in high esteem; they are looked upon as a covenant people of God.

Latter-day Saint places of worship are frequently offered to Jews for their use in religious observances or celebrations. According to Orthodox interpretations of Jewish law, however, a Jew is forbidden from entering another religion's place of worship for most purposes.

Mormons, generally but not exclusively, are largely pro-Israel. Mormons, as well as many Jews, are also in favor of peaceful coexistence between Jews and non-Jewish (Muslim and/or Christian) Arabs in the Holy Land. The LDS people consider non-Jewish Arabs to be children of Abraham.

The LDS church has two congregations in Israel. These are the Galilee Branch in Tiberias and the Jerusalem Branch in Jerusalem. Latter-day Saints in Israel hold their worship services on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.

Descendants of Israelites who can verify a claim to that descent (genetically or religiously, including in some cases relatives of Jews who are not themselves Jewish) are allowed by the Israeli government to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return. Mormon theological claims of descent are not considered a sufficient basis for immigration under the Law of Return.

Brigham Young University has a study center in Jerusalem that is active in research and cultural activities (e.g. classical music concerts). Its creation was initially protested by Haredi Jewish groups which claimed, despite Mormon reassurances, that it would be a center of proselytizeing activities - but these soon died down. The courses at the center, attracting students from BYU in the US who wanted to do credit coursework in Israel, were suspended due to the security situation.

A longtime practice of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been to vicariously baptize their ancestors, both direct lineal ancestors and related lines. This stems from the LDS belief that all individuals must receive all saving ordinances to achieve exaltation. To receive the ordinances of baptism and other temple ordinances does not make an individual a Mormon, but rather allows them the option of accepting said ordinances performed on their behalf. From time to time zealous Latter-day Saint genealogists have submitted the names of other prominent individuals, including at one point the Holocaust's Jewish victims and others. Official Church policy states that Church members submit the names of their own relatives for these type of ordinances, and requires that permission of the closest living relative be obtained for any Baptism that is to be performed for deceased individuals born within the last 95 years. However, some Baptisms were done for Holocaust victims, without proper approval or permission. When this information became public, it generated vocal criticism of the LDS Church from Jewish groups, who found this ritual to be insulting and insensitive (attempting to contact the dead is forbidden under Jewish law, as one of the 613 basic commandments). Partly as a result of public pressure, Church leaders in 1995 promised to put into place new policies that would help stop the practice, unless specifically requested or approved by relatives of the victims.

In late 2002, information surfaced that members of the Church had not stopped this practice despite directives from the Church leadership to its members, and criticism from Jewish groups began again. The Simon Wiesenthal Center, Los Angeles, is on record as opposing the vicarious baptism of Holocaust victims. Rabbi Marvin Hier of the Center said: "If these people did not contact the Mormons themselves, the adage should be: Don't call me, I'll call you. With the greatest of respect to them, we do not think they are the exclusive arbitrators of who is saved." Recently Church leaders have agreed to meet with leaders of the World Gathering of Jewish Holocaust Survivors.

In December 2002, independent researcher Helen Radkey published a report showing that the Church's 1995 promise to remove Jewish Nazi victims from its International Genealogical Index was not sufficient; her research of the Church's database uncovered the names of about 19,000 who had a 40 to 50 percent chance of having "the potential to be Holocaust victims...in Russia, Poland, France, and Austria."

Genealogist Bernard Kouchel conducted a search of the International Genealogical Index, and discovered that many well-known Jews have been vicariously baptized, including Rashi, Maimonides, Albert Einstein, Menachem Begin, Irving Berlin, Marc Chagall, and Gilda Radner. Some permissions may have been obtained, but there is currently no system in place to verify that these permissions were obtained, which has angered many in various religious and cultural communities.

In 2004, Schelly Talalay Dardashti, Jewish genealogy columnist for The Jerusalem Post, noted that Jews, even those with no Mormon descendants, are being rebaptized after being removed from the rolls.

On April 11, 2005, Jewish and Mormon officials met and created a joint Jewish/Mormon committee with the goal of preventing future issues. The committee mey only once, in June 2005. At the meeting Mormon representatives cited Church policy that any individual Mormon could posthumous baptize any relative, no matter how remotely related, and this included Jewish relatives. Jewish representatives noted that the 1995 agreement limited posthumous baptism of Jews to direct ancestors. Mormon representatives stated they would not change Church policy.

"Zion" maintains several possible meanings within the Latter-day Saint lexicon:

1. Zion retains its Biblical meaning and refers to Jerusalem;
2. Zion is the name of a physical city founded by the prophet Enoch, also known as the City of Enoch;
3. Zion refers to the New Jerusalem, a physical, Millennial city expected to be located in Independence, Jackson County, Missouri
4. Zion metaphorically refers to any group of people that are unified and "pure in heart"; the City of Enoch is one example of "a Zion people"; for Zion to be fully realized, the society must be willing to live the Law of Consecration based on mutual feelings of charity, which is the pure love of Christ;
5. Zion is the central physical location to which Latter Day Saints have gathered; the term has been applied to Kirtland, Ohio; Jackson County, Missouri; Nauvoo, Illinois; and Salt Lake City
6. Zion is also, according to Joseph Smith, the Americas. Joseph Smith stated that "Zion is all of North and South America".
7. Zion is a metaphor for a unified society of Latter Day Saints, metaphorically gathered as members of the Church of Christ; in this sense any Stake of the church may be referred to as a "stake of Zion"

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How do you become a descendant of somebody just by converting to a religion? That doesn't change who begat your greatx100 grandfather.

>>5
How did Roman emperors suddenly magically discover that they were descended from the Gods whenever one of them bribed the other's bodyguards to bump him off?

PROTIP:  religion is a form of mental illness.  At least the Mormons don't hijack airliners full of hostages and then fly them into skyscrapers.

>>6 <---- Sucks nigger boners on Fridays after 6pm.

>>6

>At least the Mormons don't hijack airliners full of hostages and then fly them into skyscrapers

Translated:

At least the Moromons are gut für die juden.
Go n die für die juden, goyimfags.