LDS Question:Lying for the Lord

gmcbroom · #1 Feb 7, '11, 9:46 am

Hello all, I have a question for the LDS followers or ex mormons, kind enough to be on this forum. I was watching a TV show called Big Love. It's a ficticous show about a Mormon family that practices polygamy. In it there was a refernce to something called Lying for the Lord. I was wondering if this was an actual practice or if that was just hollywood slander? If it is a real practice, why, and where does it say they can do that?

Peace be with you
gmcbroom

Javl · #2 Feb 7, '11, 10:01 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmcbroom

Hello all, I have a question for the LDS followers or ex mormons, kind enough to be on this forum. I was watching a TV show called Big Love. It's a ficticous show about a Mormon family that practices polygamy. In it there was a refernce to something called Lying for the Lord. I was wondering if this was an actual practice or if that was just hollywood slander? If it is a real practice, why, and where does it say they can do that?

Peace be with you
gmcbroom

First I've heard of it. I would like to know also.

PAX DOMINI

Shalom Aleichem

GaryTaylor · #3 Feb 7, '11, 10:08 am

The referrence to the lie is concerning polygamy I'm assuming?

wmscott · #4 Feb 7, '11, 10:31 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmcbroom

Hello all, I have a question for the LDS followers or ex mormons, kind enough to be on this forum. I was watching a TV show called Big Love. It's a ficticous show about a Mormon family that practices polygamy. In it there was a refernce to something called Lying for the Lord. I was wondering if this was an actual practice or if that was just hollywood slander? If it is a real practice, why, and where does it say they can do that?

Peace be with you
gmcbroom

A google search brings up several interesting bit of info.
In short Lying for the Lord refers to the practice of lying to protect the image of and belief in the Mormon religion, a practice which Mormonism itself fosters in various ways.

ParkerD · #5 Feb 7, '11, 10:49 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmcbroom

Hello all, I have a question for the LDS followers...
Peace be with you
gmcbroom

GMCBroom,

Big Love is not about Mormons, at all, and obviously your assumption that Hollywood delights in sensationalism is correct--that is what sells, and that is their aim: to sell.

Here is a link to an authoritative talk about the answer to your question, and it covers the entire scope of your question:

http://www.lds-mormon.com/oakslying.shtml

Peace to you also. Enjoy your day.

campeador · #6 Feb 7, '11, 11:05 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParkerD

GMCBroom,

Big Love is not about Mormons, at all, and obviously your assumption that Hollywood delights in sensationalism is correct--that is what sells, and that is their aim: to sell.

Here is a link to an authoritative talk about the answer to your question, and it covers the entire scope of your question:

http://www.lds-mormon.com/oakslying.shtml

Peace to you also. Enjoy your day.

Interesting.

I suppose knowingly withholding important information about your beliefs is not considered the same as lying and is therefore permissible?

GaryTaylor · #7 Feb 7, '11, 11:19 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by campeador

Interesting.

I suppose knowingly withholding important information about your beliefs is not considered the same as lying and is therefore permissible?

I take it you actually read that link.

campeador · #8 Feb 7, '11, 11:29 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaryTaylor

I take it you actually read that link.

Yeah, most of it. I link a LOT of stuff so as a courtesy I at least scan over the links presented by others here.

To sum it up: lying is bad.

GaryTaylor · #9 Feb 7, '11, 11:32 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by campeador

Yeah, most of it. I link a LOT of stuff so as a courtesy I at least scan over the links presented by others here.

To sum it up: lying is bad.

lol, I hear you, I scanned it also.

ParkerD · #10 Feb 7, '11, 11:50 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by campeador

Interesting.

I suppose knowingly withholding important information about your beliefs is not considered the same as lying and is therefore permissible?

Since the Savior withheld information and Paul did also and John did also, I hope you don't consider that they were doing what your question has suggested.

campeador · #11 Feb 7, '11, 12:28 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParkerD

Since the Savior withheld information and Paul did also and John did also, I hope you don't consider that they were doing what your question has suggested.

So, the LDS do belief it's OK to knowingly withhold important information about their beliefs?

ParkerD · #12 Feb 7, '11, 12:37 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by campeador

So, the LDS do believe it's OK to knowingly withhold important information about their beliefs?

Campeador,

Speaking for myself, yes.

Anytime I write something on this forum, I am going to be withholding important (to me) information about my beliefs, or in other words, I don't say all that I know because it is not going to be important to others (who read this forum) and would do them not one bit of good other than give them reason to go off grumbling.

I think the Savior taught an important principle when He taught in parables. Parables allowed the listener to have it go "over their head" if they were only ready for partial knowledge (or no knowledge) about what He was teaching.

God gives mankind knowledge at the level they are ready to receive it.

Big Dummy · #13 Feb 7, '11, 12:50 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmcbroom

Hello all, I have a question for the LDS followers or ex mormons, kind enough to be on this forum. I was watching a TV show called Big Love. It's a ficticous show about a Mormon family that practices polygamy. In it there was a refernce to something called Lying for the Lord. I was wondering if this was an actual practice or if that was just hollywood slander? If it is a real practice, why, and where does it say they can do that?

Peace be with you
gmcbroom

Yes, it is a common practice,

Quote:

Lying for the Lord refers to the practice of lying to protect the image of and belief in the Mormon religion, a practice which Mormonism itself fosters in various ways. From Joseph Smith's denial of having more than one wife, to polygamous Mormon missionaries telling European investigators that reports about polygamy in Utah were lies put out by "anti-Mormons" and disgruntled ex-members, to Gordon B. Hinckley's dishonest equivocation on national television over Mormon doctrine, Mormonism's history seems replete with examples of lying. Common members see such examples as situations where lying is justified. For the Mormon, loyalty and the welfare of the church are more important than the principle of honesty, and plausible denials and deception by omission are warranted by an opportunity to have the Mormon organization seen in the best possible light. This is part of the larger package of things that lead many to describe Mormonism as a cult. "Lying for the lord" is part of Mormonism's larger deceptive mainstreaming tactics, and conversion numbers would drastically lower if important Mormon beliefs were fully disclosed to investigators.

http://www.mormonwiki.org/Lying_for_the_Lord

Big Dummy · #14 Feb 7, '11, 12:58 pm

http://newnewsnet.byu.edu/flv/overcomingobjections.html

Robert Millet on "how to handle anti-mormon criticism" (Flash Video) - Millet speaks about how to handle the tough anti-Mormon questions missionaries may face while on their missions or afterward. "We never provide meat when milk will do." "We seek to answer any serious question by finding the most direct route to the Sacred Grove." "Don't answer the question they ask, answer the question they should have asked."

Jim Dandy · #15 Feb 7, '11, 1:15 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ParkerD

Campeador,

Speaking for myself, yes.

Anytime I write something on this forum, I am going to be withholding important information about my beliefs, or in other words, I don't say all that I know because it is over most everyone's head (who read this forum) and would do them not one bit of good other than give them reason to go off grumbling.

I think the Savior taught an important principle when He taught in parables. Parables allowed the listener to have it go "over their head" if they were only ready for partial knowledge (or no knowledge) about what He was teaching.

God gives mankind knowledge at the level they are ready to receive it.

Ummmm. So Mormons withhold knowledge until "I am ready to receive it"? And if I had this knowledge, I would "go off grumbling?"

Missionaries are trained not to talk about certain subjects to avoid shocking people -- to 'give them milk before meat.'

Mormons want to distance themselves from polygamy, but the LDS Church is the source of polygamy in the USA and Mexico. The requirement is written into the Doctrine and Covenants, one of their "scriptures." They just put it on hold until they are in charge and can change the laws; it is now practiced in the Mormon "heaven" -- by Mormon men who have become gods and their goddess wives (plural) -- and by Mormons on earth who insist on following the original teachings of their extremely polygamous founder, Joseph Smith.

Jim Dandy