New Research: Media Trying With LDS Stories

Mormon Times ^ | May 20, 2009 | Joel Campbell

[Colofornian]

New research on Mormons and media show that media are making attempts to distinguish between FLDS and LDS...

A new study of newspaper coverage after the FLDS raid in Texas shows that of the 145 Spanish- and English-language articles from U.S. and international newspapers, just more than half explicitly distinguished between the LDS and FLDS, about 44 percent implicitly distinguished between the two churches and one article confused the two.

Writing in Dialogue, researchers Ryan T. Cragun and Michael Nielsen conclude with this statement:

"This paper detailed the two definitions of the label 'Mormon' used by the media. Until an alternative label for religions that trace their ancestry back to Joseph Smith is proposed and widely accepted, it is likely that the label 'Mormon' will continue to be used to refer to all such groups. While introducing a small amount of confusion for the uninformed reader, the use of that label does reflect the reality of a shared history and many shared beliefs. Despite the efforts of the LDS Church to claim 'Mormon' as its own, the fight over 'Mormon' will continue for the foreseeable future."

...Virginia Law Review article examines "Marriage & Redemption: Mormon Polygamy in the Congressional Imagination, 1862-1887."

The abstract reads:

"How did nineteenth-century federal legislators imagine Mormon polygamy as they debated and adopted harsh anti-polygamy enforcement laws? Republican anti-polygamists in the Reconstruction era called polygamy and slavery the 'twin relics of barbarism,' analogizing polygamous husbands to Southern slaveholders. By the 1880s anti-polygamists in Congress rooted their arguments in Chinese Exclusionism and avoided divisive references to Southern slavery. They compared Mormon polygamy to 'despotic' cultural practices popularly associated with Chinese immigrants, like concubinage, prostitution, and 'coolieism.' White cultural nationalism mobilized support for the first effective anti-polygamy statutes in 1882 and 1887."

[Colofornian]

From the column: "Until an alternative label for religions that trace their ancestry back to Joseph Smith is proposed and widely accepted, it is likely that the label 'Mormon' will continue to be used to refer to all such groups...the use of that label does reflect the reality of a shared history and many shared beliefs. Despite the efforts of the LDS Church to claim 'Mormon' as its own, the fight over 'Mormon' will continue for the foreseeable future."

So, "Mormon" doesn't belong exclusively to Salt Lake branch. The researchers concluded that because:
(1) All Mormon groups trace their ancestry back to Joseph Smith
(2) Shared history
(3) Many shared beliefs [an understatement...makes it sound like a bit of overlap when the shared beliefs actually overwhelm where they depart]

From the column: Republican anti-polygamists in the Reconstruction era called polygamy and slavery the 'twin relics of barbarism,' analogizing polygamous husbands to Southern slaveholders...They compared Mormon polygamy to 'despotic' cultural practices popularly associated with Chinese immigrants, like concubinage, prostitution, and 'coolieism.' White cultural nationalism mobilized support for the first effective anti-polygamy statutes in 1882 and 1887."

(Oh, that's it. Opposition to polygamy was only rooted in "white cultural nationalism"...Even today, researchers are trying to prop up polygamy and the Mormon church-owned newspaper laps it up for widespread distribution)

[mnehring]

New research on Mormons and media show that media are making attempts to distinguish between FLDS and LDS...

Well duh.. it is like comparing the Southern Baptists to the Westboro Baptists.. just because they have a similar name doesn't mean they are the same.

[Safrguns]

What is the difference or distinctions between the two?
I didn’t see it in the article.

[SeaHawkFan]

What is the difference or distinctions between the two?

The FLDS is more faithful in following the teachings of Joseph Smith.

[Colofornian]

...it is like comparing the Southern Baptists to the Westboro Baptists.. just because they have a similar name doesn't mean they are the same.

The key question is: Which one is closer to the original? (Answer: The fLDS is...Still has the LDS "scripture" to back them up -- Doctrine & Covenants 132...never removed...never revised...)

The tagline below -- as a take-off "couplet" from Snow's famous LDS description of who the Mormon god is and who Mormon men become -- shows the "polygamous union" between FLDS and LDS.

[mnehring]

That doesn't have anything to do with how either current church operates. After all, how close is this to the 'original'?

The Catholic church of half a milliniam ago burned people at the stake, that has nothing to do with the current Catholic Church. All churches now are different than at various points in the past.

What counts is what the church currently stands for as that is the Church you have to deal with. Frankly, I would rather have a good Mormon stand with me than one Paul Crouch type. Right now, the Mormon church doesn't stand for the sins of their past, their principles are much different. To damn them for their ancestors opens up a lot of worms for all churches, religions and denominations.

[colorcountry]

Yes, the traditional Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has caved in to social pressure, leaving behind the tenets of their religion. The FLDS is closer to the original. The LDS is more politically expedient.

[mnehring]

By the way, what's up with formatting fLDS? Is that like formatting WESTBORO Baptists?

[mnehring]

correction.. westboro BAPTISTS

[Colofornian]

What is the difference or distinctions between the two? I didn’t see it in the article.

As SHF says, & as I said in my previous post, fLDS are closer to original Mormonism polygamy wise. Other obvious differences exist, like...
#1...who each group acknowledges as "prophet" & accompanying leaders...
#2...what additional "biblical-like revelations" have been spoken through the mouths of "prophets" over the past 70 years...
#3...Expansion of temples...
#4...The Salt Lake branch is proselytism oriented while the openly polygamous groups tend to socially shelter themselves [I say openly polygamous because let's face it, even mainstream lds will tell you their group practices polygamy in the "celestial kingdom" + they can't help but concede their apostle, Bruce McConkie, taught in "Mormon Doctrine" that the Mormon jesus will re-institute polygamy when he returns...a doctrine which McConkie called a "holy practice"...so in reality, even mainstream Mormons are polygamists when it comes to colonizing themselves on distant stars/planets...& this planet is to join that "universal trend" whenever the Mormon jesus returns]

[colorcountry]

the "f" in flds stands for fundamental. That's all.

The FLDS is more fundamental in their Latter Day Saint beliefs than the LDS Church, which has deviated in its history from the foundations of the religion. That cannot be said about westboro - it isn't fundamental anything. I wonder why you're trying to link the FLDS to Westboro. What do YOU have to gain from that tactic?

[mnehring]

I wonder why you're trying to link the FLDS to Westboro

Because both are a perversion of the current church that they claim to have connections to.

What do YOU have to gain from that tactic?

I should ask you the same question as you seem to have a habit of trashing our Mormon FRiends. My goal is quite simple, to stand against this stupid dividing of a group of folks that have a common political goal when we need as much unity as possible with strong Conservative groups. Whatever the LDS church may have stood for over a century ago or the current FLDS church currently stands for has nothing to do with our LDS FReepers, of whom, some seem to have a goal of driving away. You either stand for virtue and defend your neighbors or you don't.. simple as that.

[Colofornian]

That doesn't have anything to do with how either current church operates...The Catholic church of half a milliniam ago burned people at the stake, that has nothing to do with the current Catholic Church. All churches now are different than at various points in the past. What counts is what the church currently stands for as that is the Church you have to deal with.

Well, allow me to repeat what I just said in post #10 to another poster & then add to it based upon what you just said: ...even mainstream lds will tell you their group practices polygamy in the "celestial kingdom" + they can't help but concede their apostle, Bruce McConkie, taught in "Mormon Doctrine" that the Mormon jesus will re-institute polygamy when he returns...a doctrine which McConkie called a "holy practice"...so in reality, even mainstream Mormons are polygamists when it comes to colonizing themselves on distant stars/planets...& this planet is to join that "universal trend" whenever the Mormon jesus returns

You three times used the word "current" as what was of import to evaluate a sect. Well, go ahead, ask any Mormon the following questions, & they'll answer them all in the affirmative:

Do you believe faithful temple-worthy Mormons are in the celestial kingdom right now?
Are they currently there?
Does this physical world include polygamists like Brigham & Joseph Smith & many others?
Are they still practicing polygamy there due to the "families-are-forever" doctrine of LDS?
Are Mormons who are currently alive going to also become eternal polygamists -- as long as they were sealed to EACH OF their spouses for eternity in an earthly temple ritual?
Did an LDS apostle in our lifetime openly teach that the Mormon jesus would re-institute polygamy when he returns?
Did that section survive re-printing & is that book still found in current Mormon bookstores today?

[colorcountry]

F in Flds is Fundamentalist Mormon. It is the LDS who changed the doctrine and perverted the church that they both claim connections to.

Do you consider Fundamental Baptists to be Baptist? Then you are disengenious if you claim that Fundamental Mormons are not Mormons.

I think you may have been chatting with Illbay over on your facebook FR group. Be careful, they will soon have you reading the BOM and asking the Lord about its truthfulness.

I have some good Flds friends. Believe me, they are MORE conservative than most mainstream Mormons. Why do you want to trash these good conservative people and divide us. (Do you recoginize the literary devise I just used on you?)

[mnehring]

I think you may have been chatting with Illbay over on your facebook FR group

I don't even know who Illbay is and as the administrator of the official FreeRepublic group on Facebook, unless something came up today, there has been no LDS or religion discussions of any sort there.

[mnehring]

Do you recoginize the literary devise I just used on you?

Would that be the multiple misspellings as a devise(sic) that I should recoginize(sic)?

[colorcountry]

Go to your facebook group. There is a wall posting from Illbay about Mormonism. Illbay was banned from this site, you harbor him.

[colorcountry]

Yep, that was the point. ;)

[Colofornian]

Whatever the LDS church may have stood for over a century ago...

Sorry. But you haven't done your homework. The mainstream LDS still stands for families are forever, marriages are forever, and that includes polygamous unions are forever.

If you didn't bother to at least find out what some of the controversial aspects of the "Big Love" HBO program that depicted an LDS temple ritual, the fact is that LDS believe this temple sealing ritual can unite people together for eternity. Now that's not past tense, it's future tense.

Furthermore, if you're a faithful temple-worthy Mormon, and you're a serial monogamist on this earth -- but was sealed in such a way to multiple spouses...you could be alive & well on Planet Earth in May 31, 2009 and become a polygamist by June 1, 2009 were you to die and follow your spouses into Mormon eternity.

(That doesn't sound like What...the LDS church...stood for over a century ago. See. You have bought into the LDS Church P.R. lie)

[Elsie]

Until an alternative label for religions that trace their ancestry back to Joseph Smith is proposed and widely accepted, it is likely that the label 'Mormon' will continue to be used to refer to all such groups.

Repackaging ALERT!!!