Mormons: A Plea for Candid Truth Telling

Townhall ^ | 12/19/07 | By Bob Burney

[colorcountry]

What has happened to the simple principle of telling the truth? That question should be posed to the Mormon community. I’m not an expert on anything—but I do know a little bit about Mormonism—or, as they prefer to be called, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS). My father was a Mormon for several years and many of his family were Mormons. I have also spent a considerable amount of time reading LDS literature. Again, that doesn’t make me an expert, but at least educated.

I have observed a notable change in the way the LDS Church presents itself to the general public, an effort that began sometime around the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Prior to that, there was not a readily-apparent effort by Mormons to identify themselves as a form of Christianity. Joseph Smith believed that the Angel Moroni appeared to him because all of American Christianity had become apostate. He was the one true prophet and the religion he would establish would be the only true church. That’s boiler plate LDS 101. I remember a time when it was common for Mormons to be offended if you called them Christian. That was then. [snip]

Does this have anything to do with Mitt Romney and his qualifications to be president? Everyone will have to decide that in his or her own heart. I just wish the Mormons, including Mitt Romney, would simply be more candid and tell us the straight truth about their religion. Is that too much to ask?

[colorcountry]

Repeat from article: Does this have anything to do with Mitt Romney and his qualifications to be president? Everyone will have to decide that in his or her own heart. I just wish the Mormons, including Mitt Romney, would simply be more candid and tell us the straight truth about their religion. Is that too much to ask?

[colorcountry]

FI Ping

[GovernmentIsTheProblem]

I don’t like Mitt but this is ridiculous.

I don’t see how it’s material.

[Old Retired Army Guy]

Romney has a little problem with the truth.

[Greg F]

Good article. Thanks for posting it.

[colorcountry]

Truth is immaterial?

Again from the article:

Now, here is where my plea for Mormons to simply tell the truth comes in. This is America. You can believe anything you want. If you want to believe that God was once a human being, that Jesus was his physical son, that you can become a God yourself, that Jesus and Satan were brothers, you can certainly do so. But tell the truth! If you believe it, be proud of it—don’t try to hide it.

[Tolkien]

Romney has a little problem with the truth.

Romney has a little problem with everything else as well.

[Scarchin]

Your premise that there is some great secret being hidden by the Mormons is bigoted crap.

[colorcountry]

I posted an article. Take it up with the author.

[Keli Kilohana]

Romney shouldn’t claim Christianity http://www.wvgazette.com/section/Opinion/Letters/200712182

Editor:

I have never voted for or against a candidate based on his or her religion. However, on the faith issue, my discontent with Mitt Romney comes when he claims that he’s a Christian. The Book of Mormon teaches: 1) Jesus and Satan are brothers; 2) God had physical intercourse with the virgin Mary; 3) God is perpetually having intercourse with various Mrs. Gods in order to conceive more spirit children to send to earth; 4) There be many Gods — the god of THIS world lives on the planet Kolob; 5) esoteric and secret temple ceremonies; 6) the “Fall” was a good thing, without which Mormons could never have hoped to achieve exaltation; 7) it is the goal of Mormon men to become gods themselves; 8) Joseph Smith was told that all the other churches were “abominations,” yet Mormons now want to be accepted as Christian by those same abominable churches; 9) baptism for the dead; and 10) there is no salvation outside the Latter Day Saints church.
If Mr. Romney is a Mormon, let him be Mormon. He should not feign being a Christian! He should not try to pull his sheep’s clothing over our eyes.

Pastor Terry Hagedorn
Reedsville

[Gamecock]

....candid and tell us the straight truth about their religion. Is that too much to ask?

Amen.

If they would just admit what their own texts teach I would leave them alone. But as long as they obfuscate, they are fair game, ESPECCIALLY since one is running for POTUS

[kipita]

I’ve worked with Mormons for about 11 years and I tend to think the simple truth is non-Morons have little to fear but Mormons have a lot to gain. However, minus Reagan, America has had Christian/Evangelical Presidents from the south for the past 24 years. Doesn’t this seem a bit strange?

[colorcountry]

I love your homepage. :)

[colorcountry]

I was a Mormon for 28 odd years. Of course, according to them, I am a weak-willed, bitter old hag, with an axe to grind.

All I want them to do is tell the truth. I said months and months ago, when Romney first announced, that Mormonism has a practice of “Lying for the Lord.” Google it.

[sure_fine]

yea, I’d like to hear some myself, as I know personally someone who’s daughter was seduced into giving up her Christian belief (that as an adult decided to be) and foresake her family to join the cult

[rhombus]

This article is a sack of crap and THAT’s the truth.

[colorcountry]

Do you have a specific point you would like to refute? Or are you just flinging mud and hoping some will stick.

[Edward Watson]

“I remember a time when it was common for Mormons to be offended if you called them Christian”

Wow! An astonishing assertion that a religion that believes in “Christ” as the Son of God and God incarnate who is our only Savior and the only way to heaven will get offended if called “Christian.”

Moron. Just another anti-Mormon and anti-Romney hit piece.

[The_Reader_David]

It’s relevant because to some folks in the Republican base, being a Christian (meaning to most of those folks a protestant with a literalist Scriptural hermeneutic) trumps all policy considerations when chosing a candidate: hence Huckabee.

Being thoroughly opposed to socialism, and being neither a protestant nor a secularist, I hate the thought of a Huckabee nomination. I see no point in America having two socialist parties, one protestant, the other secularist.

[Spiff]

Joseph Smith believed that the Angel Moroni appeared to him because all of American Christianity had become apostate.

This guy just proved that he knows nothing about Mormon history or doctrine. But that doesn't stop him (or anyone else for that matter) from writing a Mormon-bashing article.

I just wish the Mormons, including Mitt Romney, would simply be more candid and tell us the straight truth about their religion. Is that too much to ask?

We tell you the straight truth about our faith and you call us liars anyway. We'll keep telling the truth and what you do is your own problem.