“The Mormons”
Last night on PBS the first part of “The Mormon’s” aired. I enjoyed what they did. It was neutral and not for or against the church, mostly just the facts. I learned a couple of things. One thing I just recently learned. I actually first heard about it from a south Park episode, which I was only watching because it was about Mormon’s, in which Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon by placing a seer stone inside a hat and looking into the hat. I knew about the seer stone, I didn’t know so much about the hat.
The second thing that came as news to me dealt with the Mountain Meadows Massacre. I had always envisioned and heard about it as upset LDS men who in rage one night went and killed a group or pioneers. I had no idea that it really happened in two sessions and that it was under false security for the travelers. It was really a planned killing of the survivors of the previous attack. That saddens me.
I do look forward to the second night. I find my faith changing. Partially because of Jon, but I do find that I like my faith, though I don’t always agree it.
May 1st, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Don’t let this shake your faith in our Heavenly Father (whom I normally refer to as God). The negative issues in the Mormon church don’t make God any less real, or His offer of salvation for us null and void. The negative issues just cast shadows on the humans who founded the church, not God.
May 1st, 2007 at 5:09 pm
I’ve been following some of the discussion about it. Reactions among faithful LDS members seem to be split. I am only guessing about why, but those who are less informed or accustomed to materials created by the LDS church seem to have reacted negatively:
* It was biased. (i.e. it didn’t feel like it came from church headquarters)
* Why dwell so much on polygamy and the Mountain Meadows Massacre? (It’s yesterday’s news.)
* Why did they give so much time to anti-Mormons? (i.e. Anyone who is even slightly critical of the church.)
* You can only learn the truth about the church from true believers. (i.e. Pay no attention to the opinions of historians who have spent many hours in research.)
* Did Joseph really use a seer stone in a hat to translate the Book of Mormon?
* There was more than one version of the First Vision?
* I didn’t feel the Spirit (i.e. I had a bad feeling) while watching it.
* Why spend so much time on the Mormon Fundamentalists? (i.e. We have exclusive rights to Joseph Smith’s legacy. Brigham Young was Joseph’s true successor because God said so.)
* They got the history wrong. (i.e. It did match up with what I learned in Sunday School.)
* I don’t care what history says. The gospel is true.
I was also heartened to see a good portion of LDS members who saw it as balanced. I can only assume that they had already heard most of it before and were therefore unfazed. While I don’t share their continued faith, I can respect that at least it isn’t rooted in ignorance.
If the church doesn’t want the truth about its history to be a problem, then it needs to tell its members the whole truth. If it doesn’t, the internet and the media certainly will. Mitt Romney’s candidacy will only heat up public discussion. By shielding members from the truth, the leaders of the church are leaving them unprepared when their ignorance is taken away.
May 1st, 2007 at 8:22 pm
I still strongly believe in my faith. It’s why and how I believe that is changing. I find myself more lenient than before and I’m trying to find balance in my life.
I know that the follies of man are just that, follies of men. Men, even men of God, are still subject to the temptation of power which I find to be the root of most evil.
I truly liked the piece, my faith was not shaken by these new revelations.