A Deseret News article from August 5, 2013, reports that the U.S. Justice Department will begin tracking hate crimes against Sikhs, Mormons (members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), Buddhists, Hindus, Arabs, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Orthodox Christians in the wake of a deadly shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin in August of 2012[1].

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder released a blog post on August 2 announcing the new policy. He said, “Having accurate information allows law enforcement leaders and policymakers to make informed decisions about the allocation of resources and priorities—decisions that impact real people, and affect public safety in every neighborhood and community. Today, I am proud to report that we have taken steps to collect this information.”

Members of the Sikh community have wanted Sikhs added to the list of groups against whom the Justice Department tracks hate crimes. However, as Amardeep Singh, program director of the Sikh Coalition, said, “It will take more than tracking hate crime statistics to stem the tide” of violence against Sikhs.

Hate Crimes Often Stem From Ignorance

In August of 2012, Wade Michael Page walked into a Sikh temple in the Milwaukee area and began shooting, killing six priests and worshippers and wounding five others before taking his own life. The shooting is only one incident in a string of violence against Sikhs since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City. Since September 11, Holder reported that the Justice Department “has investigated more than 800 incidents . . . targeting Arabs, Muslims, Sikhs, South Asians, and those perceived to be members of these groups”[1].

The Justice Department’s announcement that it will record statistics of hate crimes against Sikhs, Mormons, and other religious groups is but one step towards greater religious freedom and equality in a country where no one should be afraid to practice his or her beliefs.

One of the biggest enemies is ignorance. When people misunderstand a religion and judge an entire population by the behavior of a small percentage of radicals, it becomes easier to target anyone belonging to that group, or even seeming to belong to that group. As a society, we need to make fewer snap judgments and to be more accepting of other people’s beliefs.

My friend was a Mormon. I’d known Mormon kids before and always liked them, but I’d never spent extended time with them. When I came home after the campout, my mother asked what we’d done. I said, “Prayed. Every time I turned around we were praying as a group or people were praying on their own or they were saying they felt inspired to do something. I’ve never seen such a praying people.”

Praying All Day

This was a whole new concept of prayer for me. I’d grown up saying bedtime prayers but not attending church much. Prayers were really more of a tradition for me than a central feature of life, but for these Mormons, prayer was something very different. They didn’t always get on their knees to pray. They had formal prayers in the morning and evening, before meals, before we went canoeing, before we drove to or from the campsite, and when some teens got lost for a short time. However, they also prayed informally for guidance, comfort, or wisdom.

Over the years, since becoming a Mormon, I’ve realized I can keep the lines of communication open all day long. I can talk to God just as if He was standing right here beside me as I do the dishes, write, or shop. Just as importantly, He can talk to me while I do all those things. It has led to a much more personal relationship than anything I’d ever imagined in my pre-Mormon days.

My early prayers hadn’t included waiting for answers. I got answers to action-based requests such as, “Please help me do well on my test,” but I didn’t know how to get answers that required God to send me information. I don’t think I even realized God could give me information.

Praying for Information

It made a huge difference to me to find out God could help me with anything at all if it was righteous and important. Prayer was a conversation, not a monologue. While I have formal prayers, those informal chats are essential to my spiritual growth. Often as I’m doing something that requires no thought, I talk informally about something that is on my mind. Somehow, those prayers, rather than the formal ones, are more productive. I don’t think about the formula for a formal prayer and I’m not in a hurry to get on with my day or to go to sleep.

When my children were young, car rides and housework were great times to get them talking and to share my ideas with them. It seems God uses that technique as well and so during those times of mindless work, I can talk quietly, openly, and in-depth with God about anything that is on my mind that day—my business, my family, my church work, or even just me. God is never too busy to stop and listen to me while I talk, no matter how long it takes. He never gives me pointless advice and He always knows just what I need.

How do I know when God is talking to me?

At first it was hard, simply because I’d never listened to Him before. I knew that during spiritual situations, I’d often felt my heart leap or feel full and I’d come to recognize it was the Holy Ghost confirming the correctness of something. When I asked a yes or no question, I frequently discovered I had that same feeling if the answer was yes and a negative feeling in my heart for a no. I was able to confirm that by keeping track in my journal of how things turned out. If I followed the warmth that I interpreted as a yes, things always went well. When I ignored it, or when I went ahead and did what I suspected I had been told not to do, things did not. It was a personal science experiment.

From time to time, thoughts came into my mind. It’s very difficult to explain how a thought placed there by the Holy Ghost, who delivers God’s answers, is different from my own, but again, I recorded my ideas about the source in my journals and then monitored the results until I could tell the difference. I suspect the way they come differs with each person—the method of idea delivery is one that is comfortable for me.

Waiting for Answers to Prayers

Sometimes God makes me wait. I have to pray for a long time in order to get an answer. I have realized that when those things happen, there is always a good reason. Often I already knew the answer but was hoping God would give me a pass on doing what I knew was the right thing. He sometimes didn’t answer in those situations because I needed to learn personal responsibility for my knowledge. Other times, I feel He wanted to know if I really wanted an answer. If I was willing to keep asking, I was also more likely to act on the answer. Other times, the timing simply wasn’t right or I was asking the wrong question. Often, I needed to ask a smaller question first. Sometimes, I hadn’t studied the issue enough to come to a decision on my own that I could confirm with God.

Over the years, I’ve come to trust God. He promised He would hear and answer prayers, and so He does. He is able to make sure I know the source of those answers. Whether I’m on my knees or elbow-deep in dishwater, God is ready to have a serious conversation.

According to Wikipedia, Lent is “the period of 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter.” According to Wikipedia, the length of Lent commemorates the 40 days that Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness and where he was tempted by the devil (Matthew 4:1-11). Lent is a time of preparation through prayer, fasting, penance, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial, according to the site. Often, believers give up a luxury or vice during this time.

Although members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints don’t observe Lent, the traditions of Lent are similar in nature to a monthly Mormon observance called “Fast Sunday.” Fast Sunday is usually the first Sunday of each month, unless other church-wide or regional meetings are scheduled. In that case, Fast Sunday is either the Sunday before or after. This Sunday is also a time of prayer, fasting, repentance and almsgiving.

Fast Sunday, as the name connotes, is a time of fasting. In the LDS Church, members usually abstain from food and drink for two full meals. Fasting is a way to humble ourselves before the Lord and purify, or chasten, our hearts. Psalms 35:13 says, “I humbled my soul with fasting.” Psalms 69:10 reads, “I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting.”

In the scriptures, fasting is rarely mentioned without prayer. When members fast, they prepare themselves to commune with God through prayer. Daniel 9:3 reads, “And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.” In the LDS Church, members are taught to fast with a purpose, and to begin with a prayer, asking for guidance and help. During the fast, in “sackcloth and ashes”—in other words, in humility— members prayerfully ponder and study their scriptures and the words of the prophets. It is also a time to repent and seek to do better, to recommit oneself to the Lord. These acts of humility allow our hearts to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and the answers we are seeking.

Last Fast Sunday, the members of my family (the ones who are old enough to do so) fasted for my 8-year-old daughter regarding some health concerns. She was sick, so she and I stayed home from church. Her health issues had been going on for years but were so subtle that I missed the signs. My friend texted me later that day and asked why I had missed church. I told her my daughter was sick. She asked what her symptoms were, and I told her. She told me it sounded like something she had when she was my daughter’s age. She explained it to me. I searched online for more information and then took my daughter back to the doctor, who gave her some much-needed medicine for temporary relief. I had a follow-up visit two weeks later with our family doctor, who scheduled lab work and tests to find out exactly what needs to be done for her. We are in the middle of that process now. My friend’s text and subsequent information was the answer to our prayers. The Lord does not always answer as quickly as He did that day, but He always answers our sincere prayers.

On Fast Sunday, members of the Church donate the money that would have been spent on meals to the Church. This donation is called Fast Offering, and the money is used to care for the needy both locally and around the world. The Savior teaches, in Luke 11:41, to “give alms of such things as ye have.” In Matthew 19:21, He teaches: “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give it to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven.” As part of the baptismal and temple covenants, LDS Church members promise to give of their resources to help others, especially those in need.

In the LDS Church, sacrament meeting has special significance on Fast Day. First, members partake of the sacrament, “an ordinance in which Church members partake of bread and water in remembrance of Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice. This ordinance is an essential part of worship and spiritual development. Through this ordinance, Church members renew the covenants they made with God when they were baptized,” according to lds.org.

In the Mormon Church, another component of Fast Day is the bearing of testimonies, which comprise the remainder of the sacrament meeting. Members, as they feel prompted by the Holy Spirit, stand before the congregation and share their feelings of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and His restored gospel. They sometimes share short experiences that have strengthened their faith.

Similar to Lent, Fast Sunday is a time for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to prepare themselves spiritually as well as to increase their faith and commitment to the Savior, Jesus Christ. At Easter, all Christians would be wise to spiritually prepare themselves to celebrate the greatest victory known to man—the resurrection of our Lord. If we will do this, our Easter celebrations will become more sacred and meaningful in our lives.

This article was written by Lisa Montague, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Additional Resources:

A Mormon Temple in a Catholic Country

Mormon Sacrament Meeting

Worship with Mormons

After the Eucharist (what Mormons call the “sacrament”) members of the congregations participate in what they call “fast and testimony meeting.” This is a time where there  are no scheduled sermons. In the Church of Jesus Christ, even Sunday sermons are delivered by assigned lay members, but there are no previously-made assignments on fast Sundays.   The privilege to address the congregations is otherwise by invitation from the Bishop or other church authority.  These individual addresses are called “talks.”
On Fast Sunday, the meeting is turned over to members who wish to share their personal testimonies (witness) of Christ, God, or the Church.  Their personal testimonies may include a simple witness or even highly personalized stories that have strengthened their testimony in Christ and His gospel.

There is no set formula,  and members young and old may participate by going to the podium to address the congregation or what Mormons call a “ward.” Sometimes the deacons will carry a microphone to any member who stands for this purpose, or the member may simply stand and bear their witness or testimony in a loud voice if no microphone is available, or the congregation is small enough  that all may hear with  clarity.

Quite often the younger generation participate in ‘bearing their personal testimonies (witness) of Christ and his Church. As a young person growing up in the Church of Jesus Christ, I recall bearing my testimony as early as five years old.  Technically, I was not even a member of the Church, because in Mormonism you are not eligible for baptism until eight years of age.  Prior to this “age of accountability,” Mormons do not consider a child to be capable of making the right and wrong choices that allow for sin.  Children are sinless before God.

After the services, Mormons then make a “Fast Offering” (a form of alms giving, which is also part of the Easter tradition among all Christians). Since Mormons have refrained from eating on fast Sunday, Mormons take the approximate value of those meals as an alms, or offering,   for the benefit of the poor.  Again, this is done on a monthly basis.
Fast offerings are collected on an honor basis.  These donations are distributed through the Bishop’s Storehouse and the LDS Church welfare system.  In an individual congregation a Bishop may request assistance for a family. Quite often, these benefits, particularly in natural disasters, do not even benefit members of the Church but go to anyone in need.

Some Mormons are not able to participate in fasting due to medical reasons like old age, diabetes and so forth. However, even if they are not able to participate in the actual fasting, they can still make an alms or fast offering.

Since Mormons do not take up collections in meetings, addressed envelopes are provided near the Bishop’s office with a form that can be filled out to make various types of donations to the Church.

These donations can be made by cash or check by filling out the form and giving the Bishop or one of his counselors before or after the meeting. They may also be mailed in the self addressed envelope with the Bishop’s name and mailing address. Sometimes donations may also be accepted in kind- by arrangement, meaning by donating actual goods, rather than cash or check.

Mormons also provide physical labor to help the poor, donating their time and effort at church welfare farms, orchards, ranches, and canneries.

In addition to fast offerings, Mormons also pay ten percent of their income to the Church of Jesus Christ in the form of tithing.  Tithing supports all of the activities of the LDS Church including building and maintaining Mormon temples and meetinghouses.  The Church of Jesus Christ also sponsors three universities and a remarkable system of religious education.  Tithing also supports missionary work with nearly 60,000 missionaries out in the field.

This article was written by Mel Borup Chandler, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Mel Borup Chandler lives in California. He writes about science-related topics, technological breakthroughs and medicine. He is a former member of the Los Angeles Press Club. Additionally, he has also served an LDS Mission in Argentina during Argentina’s “Dirty War.”

Additional Resources:

The Lord Jesus Christ in Mormonism

Worship with Mormons

Famous Mormons

The chief of the women leaders in every Mormon congregation is the Relief Society President. She, like the Bishop, serves with two counselors in leading the Ward. Unlike the Bishop, she does not govern within the ward, but is expected to help lead the membership and provide counsel and recommendations to the Bishopric on a regular basis.

Leadership positions within a ward are generally as follows:

Organization led by:

Bishopric — men
Relief Society — women
Elder’s Quorum — men
Young Women — women
Young Men — men
Primary (children’s organization) — women
Sunday School — men

One of the 4 purposes of the LDS Church is to care for the poor and needy. This is done jointly between the Bishop and the Relief Society President. Bishop’s orders for assistance are required to be signed by both of them, every time. (Unless the assistance is going to the Bishop or his family, in which case his ecclesiastical leader, the Stake President, must sign).

The Stake President (a stake is a group of wards under one regional administration) and his counselors serve alongside the Stake Relief Society President and her counselors. In the General Church leadership, the Prophet and his counselors also serve side by side with the General Relief Society presidency. In all this, ultimately the Church governance is held via the Priesthood of God through the men who bear that priesthood.  “Priesthood” in the Church of Jesus Christ does not mean clergy trained and paid in their profession.  Rather, “priesthood” is the authority and power to act in God’s name.  Thus, all worthy men in Mormonism may bear the priesthood and use it to serve others.  Through the priesthood, all spiritual gifts are manifest in this, God’s true and living church.

Priesthood responsibilities are given by revelation in the Doctrine & Covenants, Section 121;34-46, a collection of modern revelations for the LDS Church.   One such revelation is, in part:

Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen?

Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson—

That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.

That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man.

Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.

We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion.

Hence many are called, but few are chosen.

No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;

By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—

Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;

That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death.

Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.

The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.

This article was written by Cliff, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Additional Resources:

Mormons Bear Witness of Christ

Mormons and the Holy Bible

Worship with Mormons

It’s at such times that families of faith fare significantly better off than those without belief—even if it’s terminal–according to a study on the effects of chronic illness. Kneeling in prayer and humbly asking for comfort and a possible cure creates a resolve to support each other—that the illness is not stronger than you–as you move forward.

Comfort comes through knowing that a loving Father in Heaven is aware of our individual sorrows and has provided a way to find peace. Jesus asked us to give the burden to Him:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28–30)

To become submissive to God’s will—to relinquish fear and hand over an illness, problem or sin to Christ—is not easy, but the result is that it releases the stress of dealing with the illness alone.  Recognizing that He endured the pain of all mankind—your very own personal pain—as He atoned for the sins and sorrows of the world, helps you know He understands your anguish. He is always there.

Elder Dallin Oaks, an apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons or LDS) put it this way:

Like the Good Samaritan in His parable, when He finds us wounded at the wayside, He binds up our wounds and cares for us (see Luke 10:34). Brothers and sisters, the healing power of His Atonement is for you, for us, for all.

Another way that Mormons cope with illness is through fasting and priesthood blessings. In the case of a serious illness, whole wards (congregations) pray and fast for 24-hours in behalf of the sick. In addition, families or individuals often fast for a sick or needy person.

A vital tenet of Mormonism is that the authority of the Holy Priesthood, which Christ established in His original Church, has been restored. Most worthy Mormon men hold some level of priesthood.  In many homes, fathers hold the Melchizedek priesthood and are able to bless their own family members. They speak through the power and authority of God, administering the blessing as they are instructed through the Holy Spirit.

Such blessings are given today, just as they were when Christ lived. He gave the apostles the priesthood to “heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.” Once they had the priesthood power, they preached the gospel and healed the sick everywhere they went. The Seventy were also given the direction to heal the sick. (Luke 10:9; Acts 8:6-7). Elder Oaks explained:

Healing blessings come in many ways, each suited to our individual needs, as known to Him who loves us best. Sometimes a “healing” cures our illness or lifts our burden. But sometimes we are “healed” by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us.

The healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ—whether it removes our burdens or strengthens us to endure and live with them like the Apostle Paul—is available for every affliction in mortality.

Elder Oaks illustrated this point when he described a group of people in The Book of Mormon who were persecuted by their wicked king:

The people who followed Alma were in bondage to wicked oppressors. When they prayed for relief, the Lord told them He would deliver them eventually, but in the meantime He would ease their burdens “that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses … that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions” (Mosiah 24:14). In that case the people did not have their burdens removed, but the Lord strengthened them so that “they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord” (v. 15).

In the case of a terminal illness, sorrow is inevitable, but Mormon families realize that the separation is only temporary. The belief that families can be together forever reassures and comforts old and young alike. Because of the fervent belief that life began before we came to earth and continues after we leave, family members have confidence that they will be with their loved ones again.

Utilizing these tools of faith to cope with illness not only brings the family closer, they assure that each member will feel strengthened, connected and able to survive, rather than succumbing to the disparate thinking that leads to the disastrous statistics so prevalent in today’s world.

This article was written by Jan Mayer, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Additional resources:

Understanding Mormonism

Searching for Happiness

Recently, University of Pennsylvania professor Ram Cnaan and fellow researchers Van Evans and Daniel W. Curtis jointly published a study that measures the donations given by members of The LDS Church. The team analyzed data taken from 2,664 church-attending Latter-day Saints in the United States. Based on their research, the team concluded that Latter-day Saints who are active members “volunteer and donate significantly more than the average American and are even more generous in time and money than the upper quintile of religious people in America.” [1]

According to the data, while the average American volunteers some 48 hours per year to charitable causes, an active Latter-day Saint volunteers 427.9 hours annually — a contribution worth an estimated $9,140 annually. [1] This is no small surprise as Mormons, by nature, are a charitable people, and are always willing to “lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees” (Hebrews 12:12) whenever, and wherever needed. Mormons are good citizens and actively participate in their communities – always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need, whether they are a member of The Church of Jesus Christ or not.

The thirteenth Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints states:

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Joseph Smith, the first prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ taught:

We have no special instructions to give; he is to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to provide for the widow, to dry up the tear of the orphan, to comfort the afflicted, whether in this church or in any other, or in no church at all, wherever he finds them (Seasons of the Times, Volume 3, 15 March 1842, page 732.)

Therefore, Latter-day Saints believe that:

The charge to seek after virtue, goodness, honor, and all praiseworthy things is an obligation that flows from love for and devotion to God. Jesus declared, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matthew 7:12). Later in his ministry, Jesus further declared that loving God and loving our fellowmen are the two great commandments upon which “hang all the law and the prophets” (see Matthew 22:37—40). Latter-day Saints take these commandments very seriously, for love is the essence of true religion (see James 1:27). “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,” the apostle Paul wrote, “and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1—2; see Moroni 7:44—48). Latter-day Saints embrace the teachings of both ancient and modern scriptures that one’s love for God must also be manifested in love for one’s fellowmen. [2]

In addition to freely volunteering their service, they always give free-will donations through tithing in the LDS Church, as well as to charitable organizations outside of the LDS Church. The results of the research indicated that 88.8 percent of active members follow the biblical admonition to tithe (donate 10 percent of their annual income to the Church). [1]

Further results of the research indicated that:

Although much of Church volunteerism is religious in nature, members also dedicate 151.9 hours annually to serving in the Church’s social and community initiatives, such as Boy Scouts of America or the Church’s worldwide welfare and humanitarian aid programs.

In addition, active members not only donate, on average, a full 10 percent of their income to the Church, but donate $1,821 to other social and community causes. [1]

Latter-day Saints are taught and have an understanding of the Savior’s teaching when He said, “Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me” (Matthew 25:45.) “Overall, we found they are the most prosocial members of American society,” the study said. “Regardless of where they live, they are very generous with their time and money.” [1] In the words of President Thomas S. Monson, the current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “As we look heavenward, we inevitably learn of our responsibility to reach outward.”

Additional Resources:

Basic Mormons Beliefs and Real Mormons

Mormon Giving

Mormon Self-Reliance

An article in BU Today (Boston University), Why We’re Afraid of Mormons, offers a few insights, stating that many people have prejudices because they are uninformed. Some believe that the Church of Jesus Christ may hide polygamists, and there are questions about sacred undergarments, according to a staff reporter for the publication, Rich Barlow.

He interviewed scholar Christine Hutchison-Jones whose doctoral dissertation, Reviling and Revering the Mormons: Defining American Values, 1890-2008 takes a look at the reasons Mormonism has not been assimilated and accepted into the cultural mainstream.

When asked why negative images of Mormons still exist today, she explained:

There are a couple of reasons. You had the rise of evangelical Christianity in politics, and for conservative Protestant Christians, Mormons are not Christians; Mormons are a cult. So you had an increase in the amount of anti-Mormon propaganda coming out of religious communities.

The other people who are uncomfortable with Mormons are socially and politically liberal Americans. Polls ask, would you vote for a Mormon presidential candidate? People who self-identify as liberal have a tendency to say no. There’s a tendency to see Mormons as hegemony, as if they were en masse in thrall to church leadership. The Moral Majority reached out to Mormons, and because of that association, liberals tend to see Mormons as off-limits. I had to get over some of that myself. That was the expectation I came into my research with. I headed off to the Mormon History Association national conference, and the group of scholars there are by and large Mormon, and they are not in any kind of political lockstep. There’s a wide diversity of opinion.

Mr. Barlow also asked Hutchison-Jones what the perception of Mormonism says about America’s ideals and values. She responded:

It boils down to our sense of ourselves as a nation in which church and state are separate. I would argue that Americans aren’t separating all religion from all politics. We’re just not comfortable with groups that don’t fit into a generally moderate, Protestant mold. I’ve got a colleague who did his PhD on images of conservative Christians as villains in Hollywood cinema. You can almost certainly tell in any crime drama that if somebody quotes the Bible, you’re later going to find out that they’re a psychopathic killer.

And we’re nervous about groups who openly say the church should be involved in our politics, whatever that church might be for that group. And Mormons wear their religion on their sleeve. The average Mormon spends something like 20 hours per week in activities at their local congregation. It’s really the core and center of their community, and they are absolutely open that their religion informs their social and political values. And Americans don’t like that.

Another article, Many Americans uninformed, but still wary of Mormon beliefs  in USA Today points out additional reasons for skepticism:

•Mormons are unfamiliar to many. There are 6 million, adults and children, accounting for fewer than 2% of the U.S. population and 76% live in just a handful of Western states.

•Outspoken evangelical pastors…call Mormonism a “cult,” saying followers aren’t Christians… Christian private schools and home-schooling associations specify in their statement of faith that the Bible is the only Scripture, thereby excluding Mormons, who add three more holy books.

•Unlike Judaism, Mormonism is not a faith commonly studied in comparative religion classes. When Mormons show up in history books, it’s generally limited to a saga of persecution (they were driven from the Midwest to Utah in the 19th century) and legal conflicts over polygamy. Polygamy was banned by the Church in 1890. But many Americans are schooled by the fundamentalist Mormon splinter groups pictured in Big Love and Sister Wives on cable TV and in crime headlines, such as the trial and conviction of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs.

On a positive note, the article also cites surveys conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion and American Life which depict the traditional values of Mormons:

Most (71%) of adult Mormons are married, compared with 54% of the nation. And 61% have had at least some college education, compared with half of the overall population. College-educated Mormons also have the highest level of commitment to religious orthodoxy: 84% say they follow the teachings “wholeheartedly.”

Other Christians, not so much.

On Pew Forum’s 2010 U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey, which asked 32 questions on the Bible, major religious figures and core beliefs and practices, the average score was 16 correct. Just 19% of Protestants knew the basic tenet that salvation is through faith alone, not actions as well. Who scored best? Atheists, Jews and Mormons.

Mormons’ strong community structure, with significantly higher rates of church attendance than most other Christians, makes them a potent organized force, whether for joining in relief programs, campaigning for a moral cause or proselytizing by those ubiquitous young missionaries knocking on doors from Peoria to Peru.

I have to admit that as a member of the LDS Church, sometimes media exploitations feel blasphemous and suck the breath out of me. It is disturbing when your deepest beliefs are indelicately dangled as insignificant pawns to sensationalize what is sacred.

I greatly respect those who have asked me, as a Mormon, about the Church, instead of being swayed by those who are uninformed or prejudiced.

I was having such a discussion one day with a good friend who had interacted closely with several Mormon families. As we talked, he explained why the people in his church were skeptical of Mormons.

“You (meaning Mormons) are just too much,” he said. “You are always helpful and you’re so nice.” I told him thank you, but he was quick to correct me.

“No…no,” he said. “You don’t understand what I mean. You are nice and happy. But people aren’t used to that—they don’t trust that anyone is really that way. You’re just too good to be true—no one can be that good!”

I could only hope that he and the people in his church would continue to watch. They would observe lots of imperfections and mistakes—but also would come to understand that Mormons are devout people who deeply love and worship Jesus Christ by following His teachings.

And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually (Mosiah 5:2; Book of Mormon).

This article was written by Jan Meyer, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Additional Resources:

Basic Mormon reliefs and Real Mormons 

Mormon Scripture

Basic Beliefs of Mormons

In our class discussion regarding Egyptology, we were able to see just how much we learn from revelation. There are so many things we think that we know, only in later years to realize how wrong we really were. In my discipline, which is exercise science, I am able to learn about the body and its movement through biology and chemistry classes. Through my studies, I have learned first-hand how little we know. The book I used at the beginning of my study would no longer be applicable at this time in my trek. So much of modern science changes month to month upon receiving new information. These “revelations,” help us to be the most accurate in our study. That’s not to say that what we found first was wrong, just that it was incomplete information.

We discussed how revealed revelation helped the Church in understanding more about how to run. Joseph Smith was able to receive new scripture purely off of revelation; through those revelations we have learned more about this Gospel. Revealed revelation should add to our knowledge and help us understand that we are always learning. Something may not have been in our prior knowledge, but that doesn’t mean we won`t learn it at some point. In my discipline then, I need to make sure I am learning all that I can, but keeping an open mind that some things may later be revealed that add to or are contrary to a previous thought. Being stuck on one idea leaves us close-minded and naïve. Most areas of study would like to believe we know everything. That is fine, but we know better. Never take something as concrete, unless it is the sole fact that God lives and loves us. This knowledge will help me to realize nothing is quite set in stone. More information can be given to us at any point.

Obviously finding and discovering information for ourselves is a big way to learn in my field, but that doesn’t mean it is the only way to learn. I hope to become a physical therapist someday, and realize that different theories could change from now to when I am actually out working. This is fine. It will teach me that I need to have an open mind to received information. I know the Gospel, I know the principles, and I know my Heavenly Father is there and that He will reveal to us what we need to know, at the right time. With this information, I know that everything is second to the Gospel. That if I learn something in my field contrary to what I know to be true, I simply can pray and my Father will help me to understand what is to be learned. If I take my discipline as law, then I will find my faith shaken and confused. The Gospel is always true, though my field of study, scientifically founded as it is, is not. I need to listen closely to the prophets and to what my Father personally tells me and with and open mind  learn what my discipline has to teach me.

Additional Resources:

Read/watch/listen to a talk titled “In Tune with the Music of Faith” given by one of today’s apostles Quintin L. Cook.

Learn more about the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Also known as Mormons) believing in modern revelation.

Request a free copy of the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon.

Heavenly Father Loves All of His Children

In the Pearl of Great Price, a book of scripture held sacred by Latter-day Saints “Mormons”, we learn that the most paramount truth Moses learned from speaking with God is that he is God’s son (See Moses chapter one in the Pearl of Great Price). The relationship between a father and his son is dependable and familiar, filled with trust, admiration and love. This is never truer than when describing the relationship between our Heavenly Father and his children. As Moses came to learn of his divine nature as a son of the Father, it became a source of strength for him in difficult times. The knowledge that an all-knowing God, the creator of the universe, is ever-present and endlessly supportive was undoubtedly an immense comfort to Moses. When suddenly faced with Satan’s temptations in verse 12, Moses was able to say with confidence, “Who art thou? For I am a son of God…” No amount of enticement from the adversary could quell this inherent truth. As I learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “Mormon Church”, my testimony of this fact is continually reinforced. I am a daughter of God and as such I have an inherently divine nature. Like Moses, I gain strength and assurance from this every day. Though I may not conduct myself the way the world expects a young woman to, I know it does not matter. I know that I can walk in confidence as long as I measure up to God’s standard. The opinions of man hold little value and my worth is not contingent upon them. I know who I am and I have a loving Heavenly Father who knows who I am. He is aware of me and anxious for me to achieve the best things in this life. As my knowledge of what it truly means to be a daughter of God grows, I am constantly reminded of the profound love our Heavenly Father has for each of His children. As I strive to grow closer to my Heavenly Father and Savior each day, I know that I, much like Moses, will be continually edified and the knowledge of this sacred relationship reinforces my resolve to strive to live up to my divine potential.

Additional Resources:

Chat with Mormon missionaries online.

Learn simple ways to become more spiritual in life.

The Bible and the Book of Mormon are testaments of Jesus Christ. Request free copies today.