Anti-Mormonism

02 April

Anti Mormonism and Mormon Terminology

“Anti-Mormonism includes any hostile or polemic opposition to Mormonism or to the Latter-day Saints, such as maligning the founding prophet, his successors, or the doctrines or practices of the Church….During the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, the Church had a generally favorable public image as reflected in the news media. That image became more negative in the later 1970s and the early 1980s. Church opposition to the equal rights amendment and the excommunication of Sonia Johnson for apostasy, the Church’s position with respect to priesthood and blacks (changed in 1978), a First Presidency statement opposing the MX missile, the John Singer episode including the bombing of an LDS meetinghouse, tensions between some historians and Church leaders, the forged “Salamander” letter, and the other Mark Hofmann forgeries and murders have provided grist for negative press and television commentary. The political leverage of the Church and its financial holdings have also been subjects of articles with a strong negative orientation.”  – Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 45, 51

It doesn’t matter to the Mormon where the information against them comes from.  If you argue or disagree in the slightest you are considered an ‘anti’.  In the June 1946 edition of the Improvement Era Magazine published by the Mormon Church it says; “When the leaders speak, the thinking has been done”.  I can assure the reader this is an insult to anyone who has a thinking brain.

The other problem here is where they’ve placed blame. The general public is intelligent enough to figure out not to blame the entire Church when/if some whacko person who just happens to be a Mormon kills FBI personnel or bombs buildings.

Again, if you want to be a huge organization and receive attention you’ve opened the door to investigation and probable criticism.  Going on the offensive and verbally attacking those who don’t agree with you usually brings some raised eyebrows.

You should not expect people to just blindly fall for the stories you choose to dish out, nor should you be rude to those who choose not to accept your stories.  Remember Smith’s words? Allow men to worship as they please…

The general public didn’t appreciate the Church’s treatment of non-white people prior to 1978 and their public statement to your views came in the boycott of BYU playing in the NCAA basketball games.

Let’s take a look at their laundry list of concerns.

Mark Hoffman and the Salamander Letters; the Church has made itself to be a curiosity when their prophet can’t figure out when something’s been forged or not. Wouldn’t God have forewarned him if that prophet is the only person on earth who has direct communication with God?

Polygamy; why can’t the prophet figure out if God’s laws weren’t going to hold up as with the polygamy prophecy?

Financial holdings; when you refuse to disclose your financial holdings and exactly where the money goes while holding a 501C3 and your adherents are giving 10% of their gross income is begging for people to ask questions.

And finally; blaming the public about the Church’s opposition to the MX Missile…really?

As for the term anti-Mormon vs. anti-Mormonism; our views at Life After Ministries stands the same. We’re anti-Mormonism because we don’t approve, nor do we condone the teachings of the Church. And asking questions about the teachings or statements from the Church has no bearing on how we look at the actual members.  We’re not anti-Mormon. If we hated the Mormon people we wouldn’t spend so much time getting our message out to them!  See Melissa’s article about this subject here

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