The LDS Concept of Faith is Unreasonable

== Rebuttal ==Pro's case is a strawman of the LDS concept of faith. His argument is solely founded upon the premise that faith lacks evidence, so to negate it I need show that there is a purpose to faith to allow it to contain reason.Faith is Part of a ProcessAs taught by the LDS religion, gaining spiritual knowledge requires a step-by-step process. Faith is likened unto a seed in Alma 32[1] which grows with nourishment. The process has these steps:1. Hope - having hope it a desire for something to be true is essential for faith to occur. Faith cannot start if one does not hope for or desire it to be true in the first place. Hebrews 11:1 states indeed that faith is the substance of things hoped for. The 21st verse of Alma 32 confirms this as well.2. Belief - having the faith that spiritual knowledge will come or that a question will be answered. Before Jesus administered to anyone in the New Testament (such as a blind man) he asked them if they had the faith that they would be healed. Without such this belief, no miracle could be performed.3. Knowledge - by having the previous two, hope and belief, which together complete faith, spiritual knowledge will be given. This may come in the form of an answer to a question/prayer, the presence of the Spirit, or something like it. Knowledge may come more different to some than to others, but it completes the process of faith. It comes by asking and being willing to receive, as James 1:5 states: “if any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask of God”. Faith is the means of obtaining this last step. ExampleTo illustrate this point, I’m going to provide an example of the faith process, which will be of one seeking the answer to whether the Book of Mormon is true. In the 4th verse of the last chapter of the BoM, Moroni 10:4, it reads: “I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.” This promises spiritual knowledge from having faith. If one follows this process, then they will come to know the truth, according to this verse.So here’s the process:1) A person reads the BoM. He or she hopes that it is true, as it promises many things to those who are virtuous and guarantees salvation to those who live worthily.2) They exercise belief that when they ask God if it is true, they will receive an answer. This does not mean they should believe that the BoM is true, although they can. It means that they must believe an answer will be given to them. Faith is simply the belief that answers will come. 3) The seeker asks and receives their answer. Not once did were they required to believe blindly or have faith that is irrational. It is perfectly reasonable to follow this method, because faith is being used in a way that is rational. D&C 9:8-9 [3] explains what happens when a humble seeker asks a question and what answers they receive indicate what.I have shown here that faith is reasonable because it is part of a process of finding truth in the LDS religion. Faith is like a ring on a ladder - its concept becomes reasonable when the whole ladder is put into view. If Pro’s assertions are correct, then faith is all that one needs to know that the BoM is true. This is completely false - faith, aka belief, is only one step in the process. It needs the rest of it for truth to be known. There is nothing irrational about believing something has the capacity to be truthful, especially when a process to gain such knowledge is outlined very clearly in the scriptures. Pro may be able to show how faith is irrational for some religions, but not this one.Faith & WorksJames 2:17-18 does state that “faith without works is dead.” Acting is asking a question in order to receive knowledge through the process of faith. It is applying Step 2 to Step 3 and receiving answers as directed in the scriptures.Negative FaithPro says, “Let say, for example, I have faith that the world is to end tomorrow. This means that despite lack of evidence of any kind I believe that the world is to end. I must now act in a way that demonstrates this belief.” This is completely ridiculous - just because someone hopes for something and believes it is true doesn’t mean it is true. This is not what I have advocated at all, nor what the LDS scriptures say. It is a misrepresentation of LDS faith, which is a 3-step process, not a 2-step one.Using this method of learning can be used to either affirm or negate the truth of something. D&C 9:8-9 states:“But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.”[3]There is an answer for questions to things that could be wrong as well as right. If I had faith that the world is to end tomorrow (I don’t know why I would hope for it in the first place) and asked, then a negative answer can be given as well.ConclusionFaith is completely reasonable, as it is a step in the process of finding truth. Pro seems to think that faith is all members base their religious beliefs around, but seeking knowledge by asking is very encouraged in the LDS church. I would define faith as the belief that the process of knowledge works, as outlined in the BoM and in D&C. The idea that faith is all that's needed for knowing something is wrong. Hope + faith = knowledge. [1] https://www.lds.org...[2] https://www.lds.org...[3] https://www.lds.org...