More than half my students right now are Mormons. Honestly, I feel bad for them, because I can only assume they don't know the foundational beliefs and history of their faith. They, like most other Mormons you and I have met, are the greatest families. The type who never miss lessons, whose kids practice every week and like learning.
I hope I'm as good at parenting as they are.
But how can they persist in a faith created by such a crazy character? Yes, I know. Jesus was nutty, too. But he didn't dress all in black and claim to use necromancy in order to receive revelations written on metal plates no one else could see. I mean, would you trust a new religion brought forward by a guy who made a habit of making up languages and tales? Do Mormons know that Smith told an 11-year-old girl that God said she should marry him, or that he sold his skills as a skrier with both the stones (like the ones he later used to "translate" the plates) and one of those forked stick-thingies for finding water long before he, uh, met the angel Moroni? Uh. huh...
You can find some interesting things on the internet both by looking up Mormon Exit Letters (letters written by folks who want to leave the faith- like my father-in-law's family) and by checking out this site. It has good explanations of the differences between Christianity and Mormonism.
For example, "Mormonism teaches that God was once a man and men can become Gods, Jesus and Satan are "spirit brothers," God married the virgin Mary, Jesus was married, etc." just to name a few. Another thing that always freaks me out is their belief that we were once on the same level as God and Jesus, but are now here on earth to progress toward godliness. (We're in the remedial school known as earth.)
Studying this after reading Under the Banner of Heaven and talking to some Mormons who came to our door (bet they put a big black "x" on our address for all future missionaries) has absolutely convicted and inspired me to delve into my own Christian faith. What I know for sure is that God exists, the Bible is true, and at some point I had to make a decision about how that Truth would affect my life. Now I am making that decision- the working out of my faith- on a daily basis. I need to understand well the basis of it and to be capable of defending my beliefs.
At some point I would love to support the Child Protection Project, which helps children raised in fundamental Mormon sects.
Growing up in a christian romance reading household, I read a whole bunch of books sort of "exposing" mormonism in these historical romances of rescue from mormonism to Christianity, from polygamy to monogamy. Looking back at how weird it all seemed, I think it might be just as odd for this author or two to spend all those THCK THICK books romantically laying siege to the mormon faith. Practically speaking, having had a close friend in High School that was a committed mormon and that I believe still is, things were harder to pin down. I mean, she really loves God. Howdoes one decide what to do with that?
ReplyDeleteTotally.
ReplyDeleteI mean, I would even go so far as to say they have a better concept of living with God involved in their everyday lives. Practicing the presence of God...
I don't understand why God allows so many to pray to Him and Jesus and yet doesn't show them the darker side of their church. I think my Mom-in-Law Debbie would say that we have a responsiblity to show them, as parts of the body of Christ and all. Sometimes her absolute conviction and ease with telling folks about it astounds me. I vascilate between deepest respect and vague discomfort for which I immediately feel guilty.
Mormons do not rely on Christ- they're on a constant re-assessment sort of system that requires not only faith in Him but also baptism, and striving to act as God would want at all times. You don't want to die on a day where you were acting up.
You know, the romantic idea a Christian holds of rescuing folks- from Mormonism, from secularism... I've been thinking it's a little much on that "In/Out" view of faith. I'm not dissing the idea of missions... just trying to nail down exactly what my motivation is.