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Group aims to dispel Mormon myths, explain beliefs


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Ne ver saw the moroms worry about their image. they need to hire some of the guys that fix flaky hollywood stars.

 

JENNIFER DOBNER

Published: Aug 4, 2011 12:40 PM

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - With the Mormon church increasingly in the national spotlight, including a hit Mormon-themed Broadway musical and two members seeking the White House, a nonprofit group is seeking to set the record straight about the faith's beliefs.

 

The group has launched the Mormon Defense League in an effort to help journalists, political operatives and others who comment on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints better understand the religion.

 

The goal is to dispel myths and explain the history, theology and other aspects of the church, co-founder Scott Gordon said.

 

The idea for the league grew out of what Gordon said were volumes of misinformation about the church that circulated in 2008 when Mormon Mitt Romney sought the GOP presidential nomination.

 

"What we've seen is that as the church becomes more and more in the limelight, people say and report things that are often bigoted or false," Gordon said. "We wanted to provide an organization that could assist journalists and others get the story right and offer some gentle correction when they didn't."

 

The all-volunteer organization is an extension the Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research, or FAIR, which defends Mormon beliefs to critics. Gordon, FAIR's president since 2001, announced plans for the league Thursday during the opening session of FAIR's 13th annual conference in Sandy.

 

In recent years, the Utah-based church, which has more than 14 million members worldwide, has been increasingly in the spotlight. Romney is again seeking the GOP presidential nomination, as is former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. Broadway is home to the Tony Award-winning "Book of Mormon" musical, and the church played a central role in a 2008 political battle over gay marriage in California.

 

Misinformation or misperceptions about Mormonism - including that faithful Latter-day Saints wear "magic underwear" or still practice polygamy - stem from a lack of understanding of the church's history, doctrine and culture, Gordon said.

 

He said a team of Mormon Defense League volunteers will post articles and explainers to the organization's website,MLD.org; will answer questions through email exchanges or interviews; and will monitor news about the church to watch for missteps.

 

"If you come out with an article that says Mormons believe Jesus and Satan are brothers, we're going to say, 'OK, this is why you'll find Mormons objecting to that characterization,''" said Gordon, who explains that such statements are considered code for suggesting Mormons are not Christians.

 

"The problem is that you can take any religion or beliefs and look at the doctrine and find ways to make them look silly," he said. "We're going to try and fill in the context and the gaps."

 

As explained on the league's website, Mormons believe Satan was also one of God's children but was cast out for rebelling against God's teachings.

 

Neither FAIR nor the Mormon Defense League are affiliated with or sanctioned by the Mormon church, although church spokesman Eric Hawkins told The Associated Press the faith favors "sincere efforts to correct misconceptions and inaccuracies."

 

Nothing about the Mormon Defense League is intended to replace the work of the church's paid public relations staff, Gordon said. But league contributors aren't hampered by an institutional process.

 

"Sometimes we might be able to say things that public affairs can't," Gordon said.

 

___

 

Online:

 

Mormon Defense League, http://mdl.org/

 

Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research, http://www.fairlds.org/

 

___

 

Jennifer Dobner can be reached at -http://www.twitter.com/JenniferDobner

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But ... they *do* wear magical underwear! This is fail already.

And the lulz from the exmormon community are deafening. Epic fail.

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Guest Anonymous

I'll have more respect for them if they finally acknowledge and apologize for the Mountain Meadows massacre of 1857, in which they murdered 120 members of the Fancher Party wagon train, then kidnapped the 17 children that survived.

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I'll have more respect for them if they finally acknowledge and apologize for the Mountain Meadows massacre of 1857, in which they murdered 120 members of the Fancher Party wagon train, then kidnapped the 17 children that survived.

Have they never acknowledged this?

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Have they never acknowledged this?

They did kind of sort of acknowledge the massacre (sent John D Lee to die for the cult and deflected interest in the architect of the massacre Brigham Young). No apology but their false prophet passive aggresively blamed the victims for the massacre. :angry-fire:

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Guest Anonymous

Have they never acknowledged this?

They made a lame-assed "expression of regret" about 9 or 10 years ago but stopped short of admitting culpability. Brigham Young claimed that ne never gave orders to commit the massacre. That doesn't mean he didn't do it. It only means that he either was smart enough not to commit such an order to writing, or he and his followers destroyed the orders after the fact. It took 2 years for the relatives of the 17 children to recover them, and only after the families appealed to President Buchanan for help. The Federal cavalrymen found three of the children cooped up in a shed, half-naked and starving. Since the parents had been "heathens" in Mormon eyes, their moral obligation to these children began and ended with letting them live. I first read about the Fancher Party in "Roughing It" by Mark Twain.

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They'll need more than that to stop the wonderousness that is The Book of Mormon (musical). I'm listening to the soundtrack now and it is brilliant.

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Basically, Warren Jeffs was living as their founder, Joesph Smith did, as he also married young teenagers. The SLC based church still has a loophole that allows for men to be "sealed" to more than one woman after a divorce is finalized in civil court, even if the ex-wife is still alive. While there is such a thing as a temple divorce, where a "sealing" is canceled, it's extremely difficult to obtain, while the civil divorce is much easier. Then, there's the whole magic underwear issue, and the idea that bare shoulders is sexual, and must be covered up, even on babies.

Here's a thread on a Mormon mom's forum about how tank tops.

http://community.babycenterDOTcom/ post/a28773197/so_why_dont_you_let

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I was a little surprised when I found out that Mormon children can't wear sundresses and whatnot. I have a family member in law whose daughter gets the hand-me-downs from my youngest daughter, and she politely told me that she has no use for shorter skirts and dresses, sleeveless dresses and tank tops. We're talking about clothing for a small infant, who at the time lived in Okinawa where it is very hot and humid.

It saved me some shipping costs, because they couldn't use most of R's winter clothes (living in a tropical climate and all) and her summer clothes were mainly short dresses because I love to see those chunky baby rolls. I guess I'm the wrong one to talk to about child modesty because my preschooler is wearing a tutu today and my baby is wearing a diaper.

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Trust me, the LDS church is all about protecting its image, even from members. You are really encouraged not to look to far into the past or think about it too much. Otherwise, you start questioning Joseph Smith, the Gospel, etc. My grandmother and so many refuse to discuss or think about anything that would put the church in a bad light. Many people know very little about Joseph Smith's wives and either try to justify what they do know or refuse to acknowledge it. His poor first wife Emma. He married a 16 year old girl he arranged to live in his house and kept it a secret from his wife. Emma found them in the barn one day and threw out the girl. If this was an order from God( my ass!) then why hide it? You can bet this is never discussed on Sundays. Lots and lots of crazy and bad stuff.

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There was a really good post on a liberal Mormon website about modesty recently, and I think it's also applicable to our fundies. http://bycommonconsent.com/2011/07/09/p ... g-modesty/ I personally have known Mormons who thought it was no big deal to wear sleeveless shirts before they went to the temple, and then I've known quite a few who weren't okay with it, and who did the whole sundress over a t-shirt thing. Bare shoulders were also generally not okay among the conservative (but not actually fundie) Christians I knew.

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I have family that are Mormons and one of their daughters (my cousin) left the Church. I am far more likely to believe her than I am a group with a vested interest in making the beliefs of the Mormon church look less outside the norm. The magical underwear exist, for I have seen them. They can also stop a bullet, don't ya know?

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I think it's the "magic underwear" label they object to. I don't think they've ever denied that garments exist. Here's an article about them on an official LDS website: http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Garments

Of all the issues with the LDS church, I don't think garments are that big of a deal. Sikhs wear special underwear, too.

I saw a sister missionary recently with a skirt short enough that you could see her garments under her pantyhose when she sat down. It did look kind of silly.

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The garments are the least of my objections. Though I wouldn't wear them unless it was at gun point. I do respect my family's belief in them , believe it or not, and keep my feelings to myself...well, around them. :)

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I don't understand why Mormons want to be called Christians. It's like Christian sayng " hey we are Jews, but we have another bible and Jesus is out prophet. Since we use some of the same books we are totally the same. "

I'm on my iPhone and can't fix my riffles. TIA

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Guest Anonymous
I don't understand why Mormons want to be called Christians. It's like Christian sayng " hey we are Jews, but we have another bible and Jesus is out prophet. Since we use some of the same books we are totally the same. "

I'm on my iPhone and can't fix my riffles. TIA

Hmm, interesting! When you put it that way, I guess Mormons have a lot in common with Lina and the faux Jew brigade. They are doing it right, and everyone else isn't.

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Definition of Christian from Merriam Webster: One who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

So under that definition, theyare Christians. I'm not sure what definiton you are using, but they believe in the New Testament, they belief in Jesus, they believe Jesus died to absolve humans of sin, etc. I'm not sure what else you need to be a Christian?

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It's a hard call. They do believe in Jesus, but they also are not monotheistic by the strictest definition and other things that are considered huge parts of Christianity.

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Guest Anonymous

They're going at it hammer and tongs in the comments of the Salt Lake Tribune over this. It makes for good reading if you're a Mormon watcher.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/faith/5232 ... e.html.csp

A little sample -

Thank God!!! A Mormon Defense League. The entire world needs defense against mormons! They can start by getting those bike riding missionaries off my block & my porch. Thank You Jesus!

Stop exaggerating, if you ask them to leave and not come back, you're put on a list.

BS- We're already on a list. Mormons don't understand boundries. Especially with those that have left the one twooo church. We've already have seen what happens in Europe when you're "put on a list"!

They keep coming back because one day, according to them, you'll be touched by the spirit and feel a burning in your bosom, not related to alcohol, and start crying and join up with them. Then you'll bear your testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and everything he and Brigham did was above board and without reproach. At this point, you'll be able to stop thinking and just do everything you're told. Complete bliss.
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From a sociological standpoint, Mormons seem to be more their own faith that is related to Christianity, not unlike how Islam, Judiasm and Christianity are all related. However, if Mormons want to self identify as Christians, that is their right.

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They keep coming back because one day, according to them, you'll be touched by the spirit and feel a burning in your bosom, not related to alcohol, and start crying and join up with them.

I recommend Pepcid AC

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Definition of Christian from Merriam Webster: One who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

So under that definition, theyare Christians. I'm not sure what definiton you are using, but they believe in the New Testament, they belief in Jesus, they believe Jesus died to absolve humans of sin, etc. I'm not sure what else you need to be a Christian?

I don't buy this definition. I mean, *I* believe in the TEACHINGS of Jesus. He taught lots of good stuff. However, I am not a Christian, I am a Jew. I think to be a Christian you have to believe that Jesus = God (Mormons do not believe that God and Jesus are one) and that Jesus died to save our souls and all that. That's why I personally don't think Mormons are Christians. I think they like to call themselves that because it wins converts more easily. "Oh we're not that radically different, we're Christians!" Really their teachings about the nature of God are nothing like mainstream Christianity.

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I think to be a Christian you have to believe that Jesus = God

Except that the only reason you "have" to believe that as a Christian is because that was what was decided at the Council of Nicaea at a meeting of mortal men, with their own political agendas, over 300 years after Christ was born and almost 300 years after he died. People greatly differed on the accuracy of this belief even at that time and the issue was debated for months. The winners basically smeared the other camp, who were all regarded as great Christians and theologians before Nicaeca, as heretics. So I don't know that I personally think it's necessary to believe Jesus and God were of the same substance, given that there was no agreement on the issue until the opposition to the current belief (which was the minority belief at the time of Nicaea) was essentially defamed into submission by claims of heresy.

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