The basis of Mormonism is no more illegitimate than the basis of any relgion

[John Dibble]

Agreed.

[John Dibble]

To be fair, Mormonism does address a perceived problem with standard Christian doctrine that arose because of the discovery of the Americas.  If Christ is sole path to salvation, how could a just god condemn the residents of the Americas for fifteen centuries to eternal damnation because it was impossible for them to receive his message. It does so by inventing a tale of Christ himself delivering his message to the ancient peoples of the Americas, and it addresses the problem more generally through its doctrine of baptism of the dead.

why does the world have a problem with God having the right to have mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy?

Because it's quite obvious to any person who doesn't have a severely warped moral compass that condemning someone to eternal torment based on their ignorance of a religion they've never heard of is monstrously evil.

[John Dibble]

Because it's quite obvious to any person who doesn't have a severely warped moral compass that condemning someone to eternal torment based on their ignorance of a religion they've never heard of is monstrously evil.

of course, you are distorting what the bible actually says about the Judgment - it does NOT condemn anyone for lack of faith or knowledge, rather it condemns on account of sin and declares everyone a sinner.  And it declares that it is NOT the hearers who will be declared righteous, but those who have received mercy and grace through the gift of faith which lead them to repentance.

so, knowledge of the Gospel apart from the gift of faith allowing one to come to Christ, is useless.

So instead of condemning them because they don't have knowledge of the thing that would help them you're saying God consciously chooses not to help them when he's more than capable of doing so? I fail to see how that makes your deity any less monstrous.

[John Dibble]

So instead of condemning them because they don't have knowledge of the thing that would help them you're saying God consciously chooses not to help them when he's more than capable of doing so? I fail to see how that makes your deity any less monstrous.

Obliviously, you fail to see the irony in your attempt to condemn God for not helping them, while you yourself boldly proclaim to be an enemy to the Gospel and state that your purpose is to oppose those whom he has sent to spread the Gospel?

"Obliviously", you fail to see why this argument doesn't make a lick of sense in light of the fact that I don't believe in your god or the claims made in the Bible.