Do any of you remember being 16? Do you remember how intensely you felt about EVERYTHING including absolute horror at being seen with your parents ANYWHERE in public? It is the nature of a 16-year-old to feel everything to the max, whether it deserves such intensity or not. It is remembering how we felt (and thought and behaved) at 16 that can get a parent through the years of parenting their own teenagers. Thank goodness it is a stage most of us eventually and successfully pass through on our way to more rational thought processes.
The teen being quoted in this thread says, "I will die for this church." No doubt he/she will also die if there is no date this weekend, the "right" person doesn't phone, if forced to eat broccoli, or if forced to go ANYWHERE with the most annoying and embarrassing little brother anybody on the whole face of the earth ever got stuck with. "If I HAVE to have a little brother, why couldn't he at least be semi-normal like everyone else's?????"
As with all overly-emotional teens, the posting he/she made was only partly factual. The rest was pure teen. Such as: "If you take ONE person away from the gospel you will be damned to spend eternity in hell!" Pure teen. We don't believe in hell. We don't condemn anybody to an eternity there.
"This is the only true church on the face of the earth!" Factual from our point of view, but expressed in such a way as to make it seem as though all other people are going to hell. (See previous paragraph.) The actual teaching is that all religions have a measure of truth, some more than others, and all religions are capable of doing great good in the world and in the lives of their members, again some actually accomplish this more than others, and that we are to respect and encourage other religion's efforts for these reasons. That is the doctrine. It has always been the doctrine. Know why one of the first churches in Salt Lake City was Catholic? Because Brigham Young paid for its construction, along with several Protestant churches. They were invited to come to Salt Lake and welcomed. They still are. We want everyone to find a church they can believe is true and follow its teachings.
"The priesthood is a true power." It is.
"The Book of Mormon is the only truly correct book on the face of the earth." Teen modification of doctrine. The actual doctrine is "The Book of Mormon is the MOST correct book." Not the only truly correct book. Big difference. The teen modification makes it appear that we are throwing out all other books when in fact we are taught to "seek wisdom out of the best books" and are left to decide for ourselves what those are. We are also taught to be "continually learning" and to value education. Again, we are left to decide for ourselves how to apply that in our own lives.
"Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God." He was.
"If you think one of all of these are false then I feel very sorry for you and your family." Teen talk. Although we believe our lifestyle to be wonderful, we are happy for anyone who has found a way of life that brings a measure of peace, serenity, and joy to his or her life through any genuine good lifestyle (sorry, but any possible joys of being a serial killer or a drug dealer just don't count!). We know there are many, many good people who are not of our religion, and are thankful to count them as friends, neighbors, co-workers, or family.
As for this teen having to be "taught" these things by parents, come now!!! How many of the foolish and extreme ideas you cherished as teenagers were "taught" you by your parents? Mine had no idea of some of my wild ideas! If you go back to the link where the teen's posting actually was, you'll see the teen wrote in angry response to something read. An angry teen is the most illogical of all, and hardly a fitting representative of what his or her parents have taught.
Hope this helps!!!
Susan