Experience tells me that religion is a touchy subject. The title of my blog alone may have already ignited fiery opposition in the hearts of some readers and sent them straight to the comment box, opinions blazing and fingers flying in a mad frenzy across keyboards and touch screens.
For the record, it is unlikely I will respond to any derogatory or malicious comments. I simply would like to have my say and then let it be. I also encourage all commenters, in agreement with my views or not, to please be kind and respectful to each other.
But back to the title of this post. I wish I was writing this piece to brag about my own picture being on a billboard. (Bucket list, anyone?) I am writing as a supplement -- perhaps preemptive, depending on your location -- to something you may notice cropping up in your communities in the near future. It's true: Billboards, radio ads and TV commercials are about to get a little religious. If you're in New York, you may have already seen it. If you're in Phoenix, it's headed your way. (And if you're in Salt Lake, you probably can't miss it!)
What's a Mormon?
Well, we don't have multiple wives, for starters. The term Mormon is a nickname for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, derived from the title of our primary religious text, the Book of Mormon. We believe in Jesus Christ. We believe every human being is a son or daughter of a loving Heavenly Father. We believe in living prophets. We believe in the Bible. We believe in eternal marriages and families. We believe in faith, hope, love and charity.
Why the media blitz?
The truth is, there are many misconceptions about my religion. Additionally, there are many people who have simply never heard of us. The purpose of our mass media initiative is to inform people. In my experience, simple facts and knowledge can do much to quell rumors, assumptions and inaccuracies. You may notice the theme of our ad campaign: "I'm a Mormon." Our website, www.mormon.org, features thousands of profiles of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (Check me out here!)
We want you to know that we are normal people. We are not zealots or fanatics. We are everyday human beings. We have jobs, education, hobbies and interests. Chances are, whoever you are, there is a Mormon you have something in common with and can relate to.
But even as I emphasize that we are normal, relatable people, I want to openly acknowledge that we are different in many ways. Among other things, we do not drink, smoke or engage in premarital sex. We avoid crass and vulgar entertainment, whether it be in cinema, literature or everyday conversation. We aim to seek after things that will let virtue and purity garnish our thoughts at all times. Our religion is a lifestyle, one that we aim to live 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Why am I writing this?
In the Bible, Peter instructs to "be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you." I want every person who reads this to know that the lifestyle I lead and the beliefs I prescribe to do indeed fill me with hope and inexpressible joy. I am an ordinary person in many ways. I go to work every day, I paint my fingernails outlandish colors, I frequently eat cereal at midnight and I read more blogs than I care to admit to.
But I am also not ordinary, simply because of a religion that has changed my heart and defines me more than my career, hobbies or possessions could ever do. I have a knowledge of and close relationship with my Savior, Jesus Christ. I have a Heavenly Father who I know hears me every time I get on my knees and pray. I have an eternal family. I have a living prophet I can turn to for guidance in a world that grows ever more unstable. So much in life is unpredictable, but I have hope and peace because I have a knowledge of a God who makes promises of eternal happiness -- promises He does not break.
And, I'm a Mormon.
Want to know more? Want the happiness I feel? Find out for yourself.
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Come on Katie, stop playing the same "ask the right question" game that the LDS church plays!
The correct answer is "Well, we don't have multiple wives RIGHT NOW. We used to, and some day when Christ returns to the earth to rule and reign we will again. We believe polygamy to be the celestial order and in order to enter the highest level of heaven one must enter into it."
Now THAT would have been a truthful, complete answer.
...off to read the rest of your essay.
One of the many myths she refers to. I find it odd that one can NOT believe in the concept of heaven and eternal familes, yet can still make the accusation that mormons believe in polygamy in the after life...yes, the very afterlife that you acknowledge as fantasy.
Per mormon belief, one does not have to be a polygamst to enter heaven...they don't even have to be married. They simply need to live a life in accordance with the teachings of Jesus Christ. It's not easy, but it's very simple.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703766704576009361375685394.html
I believe they do. But as with any religious organization, they have to seem somewhat religious and different from the world. That's why they can't endorse same sex relationships. Although, if it's state law, they would have no choice. I would ask you to examine the Journal of Discourses written mostly by Brigham Young. These entail laws that were relective of society's at that time. Slavery was prominent and the Mormons were told not to marry or mix blood with blacks or you were to be killed. Please ask yourself why God would forbid blacks to hold the priesthood when Jesus never forbad any. And why when the Carter administration was going to pull the LDS tax exempt status because of racism that a revelation came allowing them to hold it. Did it take God six thousand years to forgive the descendants of Cain? Satan is Christ's brother? God lives on a planet? Required hand gestures to make it past the pearly gates? And you forever having babies on your own planet? Think about it girl.
"""""We aim to seek after things that will let virtue and purity garnish our thoughts at all times."""""
Another poster commented on how hard it was for him (a Mormon) to have non-Mormon friends, he has to avoid religious discussion or correct misconceptions. I find the trouble with religious conversation with Mormons to be just what this whole article is. It is nothing more than another tiresome "testimony" from a Mormon believer who just can't restrain themselves. This is how religious conversation always winds up when talking to a Mormon, emotional testimony and an invitation to read the book of Mormon, talk to the missionaries and so on.
I'd also note that I find Katie Hawks article lacks that rarely seen Christian virtue of humility. I distrust those who go on about how virtuous they are.
Your last line reminds me of what Susan B. Anthony once said: “I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires."
Answer: They constantly and repeatedly attempt to convince you how normal they are by telling you they are normal.
As I recall, when I was a child (in the early 1980s), the selling pint for the church was on emphasizing their differences with the rest of the world. "We are a PECULIAR people" was the favorite catch phrase of Mormons back in the day. The church spent the first 150 years of its existence trying to prove how different and peculiar they were, from the rest of society. Now for the past couple of decades the focus has been, "We're not peculiar anymore, we're normal, just like you."
If Mormons are normal, then I prefer to be peculiar. Go sell your PR stunts somewhere else, I'm not buying.
Also, a person who doesn’t believe in state’s rights and is willing to pour money into political campaigns in another state if important religious principles are at stake, such as gay marriage, especially because the leaders of the Church asked their members to do so (Prop 8 in CA).
Finally, a Mormon is usually a conservative who is against social services for the poor unless they are provided by religious institutions. Utah is a very red state.
Why the media blitz – One of our favored sons is running for Prez! We are so excited, and think that we could really go mainstream bigtime if he wins! We are already the fastest growing religion in the US, just think what we could do if Romney wins!
But thank you for bringing up an issue that has been skirted around, favorability of Mormon candidates. I believe this was also a reason for their engagement in prop 8. It wasn't necessarily that they cared about protecting traditional marriage, it was to get the evangelical republican base more on their side and more likely to support a Mormon presidential candidate. Just my opinion.
The actual mormon doctrine on the topic of the US Constitution is that very soon, Jesus is going to come back from the dead and overthrow the US government and the US constitution. The constitution will be replaced by a theocracy run by Jesus as it's ruler with an all mormon bureacracy to do the work of governing.
This actual doctrine is far more scary than the white horse urban legend, so mormons don't like non-mormons to know about it. Mitt Romney went so far as to lie to George Stephanopoulus in an interview in the 08 presidential race when questioned about it. Geaorge was not familiar enough with the subject to bust him on the lie but did further homework and called him out in the day or so after the interview.
I have thought about how to respond to this statement for some time. So with all due respect, I found it rather controlling. Once you engage in political discourse in a free society you can expect debate and disagreement. At times it get contentious. I find it interesting, particularly during and after Prop 8, there are continued calls for civility. There have even been claims of persecution. Which in my view looked like political discourse, and debate. "Being kind and respectful to one another," should have been the ground rules during Prop.8. It wasn't. And isn't. I have experience rather cruel personal attacks on this web page by Mormons that don't even know me. my family or background. Indeed, "I would also encourage all commentary to be kind and respectful to one another."
Stop trying to pass laws that restrict my choices.
Keep your religion in your church or don't be surprized at the degree of anger directed at you by those youi bully.
Look in the mirror much? Isn't that the VERY same argument you use above? Mormons disagree and vote their conceisnce and they are "cruel and disrespectful"?
http://mormonscholarstestify.org/
http://mormonscholarstestify.org/category/testimonies
And the collection continues to grow steadily.
http://www.pbs.org/mormons/interviews/coe.html
Michael Coe is an emeritus professor at Yale. He spent his life in archeology in one of the places mormons like to claim is a strong candidate for the BoM lands. In short, the archeological record provides no support for those who like to claim the BoM is a historical record of early inhabitants of the americas. The most damning evidence is that no pollen has ever been found *anywhere* for cereals the BoM claims were grown.
That is completely separate from the lack of DNA evidence. The BoM claims arrivals from the Middle east were amongst the "principal" founders of the native americans, though the DNA record indicates this is strikingly not the case. The time periods concerned are practically overnight in genetic terms so any trace should be easy to pick up - no one has come close to finding any supporting evidence. Several LDS geneticists have fallen from the faith when they realized the evidence in the DNA challenged the central occurrences in the BoM. By contrast, the genetic history of world Jewry is so clearcut that Jewish or non-Jewish heritage of any group of people has been trivial to determine.
You will find no scientific support if you choose to believe in the BoM and Occam's Razor would suggest that the whole story is fantasy.
http://mormonscholarstestify.org/2166/john-e-clark
And perhaps also
http://mormonscholarstestify.org/114/john-l-sorenson
(By the way, Michael Coe has had very laudatory things to say over the years about the scholarship of both of these men.)
And more is on its way.
On the DNA issue:
http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/display/topical.php?cat_id=488
Several quite prominent geneticists happen to be believing Latter-day Saints. DNA neither proves nor disproves the Book of Mormon.
Since there are FAR more scholarly folks in the world who believe Mormonism is a fraud, than support the church's claims, then by your own reasoning, Mormonism must be a fraud. Otherwise STOP using the bogus assertion that having large numbers of people who agree with you makes your claims valid.
But I've got to hand it to you: Calling me "Danny" is devastating.
You think job loss, foreclosure, death of loved ones happens any less in other states? Utah has actually been on the more fortunate end of the slumping economy, and still have these mental problems. "The adversary" throws these problems at *everyone* but somehow everyone else doesn't get as depressed about it. The trend was in place before the recession, BTW.
Most importantly is the concept of personal worthiness. Patients of this faith report that they work and work and work on being worthy and never seem to be worthy. They do not feel valued.
Finally, statements from leadership and from parents of children of shame or worse about sexual orientation is depressing.
In treating depression, there many psychological, social and biological factor that play into this disease process. While the LDS church is not to be blamed in totality for the large percentage of its population that suffers; it does hold responsibility for how those that suffer are treated.
To combat this you can begin by understanding you are perfect and are worthy just by being. You can love one another without having to prove worthiness.