Adam Grant spewed, “I wish these so-called mainstream Mormons would stop spreading their mistruths about a religion founded on lies and misinterpretation…”

Adam, it is not the mainstream Mormons who are spreading misinformation. There are professional organizations, entire ministries, volumes of work and ministers of deceit who do that against us. The very little (relatively) that is done to answer it goes virtually ignored by the “countercultists”. It is a serious form of intellectual dishonesty and one that Carl Mosser and Paul Owen (two Evangelical scholars) acknowledged and criticized heavily.

It is not the Mormons Paul, who have to distort our teachings to make them appear as weird as possible. It is not the Mormons who must quote out of context, or simply make quotes up out of thin air to lie about our beliefs. It is not the Mormons who pour over second or third hand sources, dated well over one hundred years ago, to attempt to find any morsel with which they can make the church look bad. It is not the Mormons Paul, who have completely ignored the vast body of impressive evidence which indicates that the Book of Mormon is an ancient Semitic work.

No, it’s not the Mormons spreading misinformation. It is the modern day Pharisees and Scribes who work in darkness.

Is it okay if I believe what I believe without others trying to define my beliefs for me? And if I happen to invite you to consider my beliefs, please don’t be offended. If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t ask. All you have to do is to say, “No”.

I wish these so-called mainstream Mormons would stop spreading their mistruths about a religion founded on lies and misinterpretation…A man called himself a prophet and added a book to the Bible and made up a new religion…Oh Gee, that is so cool— I should call myself a prophet and acquire tax-exempt status and preach whatever I choose— incest, rape, polygamy, intimidation of women and children, or whatever else I create…How sad…Mormons hate the truth—they hate to be called the cultists they really are —they are only one or two steps above scientology!

Here is the official statement from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about this issue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OqdOM9ud v4

‘Nuff said.

Well, there’s not much talk about all those poor little raped girls, I notice.

I’m sure the religious debate is much more important?

No wonder church attendance figures are down and most clear-headed and logically thinking people have left your false relgious institutions in droves.

Get your priorities right, people!

What are you going to do about the poor 16 year old girl with FOUR children who was found in Texas?

That is utterly disgusting and proves that young American females are clearly at risk from religious fanaticism…they fare no better in the US than they do in Afghantistan under the reign of the Taliban in circumstances such as these.

The lack of concern for thier welfare is utterly sickening.

This is an interesting public relations program for the largest Mormon organization - the one located in Salt Lake City. Fundamentalist Mormons, such as Warren Jeffs, follow more closely the teachings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young than the Salt Lake version of Mormonism.

We have an active web site that your readers may be interested in. We help people recover from being a Mormon. We have stories of those who grew up in polygamist compounds plus stories and posts from many thousands of Salt Lake Mormons who have left their religion. Visit Recovery from Mormonism - http://www.exmormon.org

Ten years ago I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was a decision I made after much prayer, much fasting, and much soul searching. There was no pressure for me to do so, it was a choice freely made, and one I have never regretted for a moment. My decision came after many years of disillusionment over religion in general, and the faith of my childhood in particular.

You see, I was raised Southern Baptist. Not just raised, but fairly surrounded by it. My uncle was a Southern Baptist preacher, as is one of his sons today. My father is a lay minister in the Missionary Baptist Church. You will find the names of my ancestors among the founders of the American Baptist Council. You could say my family history is very much aligned with that of the Baptist faith in America and you would be correct.

Yet the way the various Baptist sects (yes, sects) rail against each other is exactly what turned me away from religion for most of my life. “Don’t believe what those heathens at the First Baptist Church teach, they’re all wrong. We here at the Second Baptist Church have it all right.” “Brethren and sisters, pray for the souls of those poor, deluded Second Baptists that someday they may see the light and join the First Baptist Church.” Not to mention the Calvary Baptist Church, the Antioch Baptist Church, the Mount Carmel Baptist Church, or the literally hundreds of different churches of the dozens of different Baptist associations, all of whom consider themselves the only “true” Baptist church. Let’s not even get started over how they feel about Lutherans, Catholics, Prebyterians, Methodists, Muslims, Buddhists, Mormons, or any other “heathen” religion. I got so sick and tired of seeing men (and women) who were cursing, adultering, backstabbing, blaspheming scum Monday through Saturday all of a sudden become shining examples of the best church members ever on Sunday when they slipped that $500 “donation” into the plate. Those elder’s seats up front don’t come cheap, after all. Sunday services were more of an “old boys association” gathering than worship. The hypocrisy of it all sickened me to the point were going to church on Sunday was more trial than it was worth. Glorification was going on, but I’m not totally sure it was God being glorified.

One of the many things that helped make my decision to become LDS is something in what is called The Articles of Faith. It’s something I have always believed to be true, something that is one of my deepest principles of faith. It says “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may” (A of F 11). Oddly this is something that all too many people seem to be unable to comprehend. This simple concept is what was lacking in the faith of my forebears, of my childhood, and is what ultimately drove me away.

Did I have questions and reservations about the LDS faith? Yes, I did, particularly regarding the practice of plural marriage. But rather than making unwarranted assumptions based on mass media hysteria I actually took the time to research and study the practice, why it came to be and why it was done away with. It had everything to do with providing for women and children who had lost husbands and fathers, who had nobody to provide for them and NOTHING AT ALL to do with anything perverted, or with political expediency. When there was no longer a need, the practice was abolished. As simple as that. Those people in Texas are not, and never have been Mormon, no matter the name they call themselves by. They have as much connection to the LDS faith as cheese does to a car’s gas mileage. In other words, NONE.

(The fact that this is happening in Texas makes me more angry than any contrived connection to my faith. I also happen to be a Texan, even though I don’t live there right now.)

Here’s food for thought for the anti-Mormons posting here: how many of YOUR churches have had literal extermination orders issued against them by the government? How many of YOUR families were forced out of their cities by armed mobs, chased from their homes at gun- and sword-point? How many of them were sent into the bitter winter snow and ice with no shoes, no coats, no blankets, no tents, no food, no hope? That is part and parcel of the history of the LDS heritage. Oddly enough, I can only think of one other religious group that’s been treated the same way…

I am a Mormon (LDS, not FLDS). Thank you for this article. Many journalists have been very lazy about distinguishing between the 13 million LDS “Mormons” and the FLDS.

Finally a note on the different factions.

They are and never will be unless they actually agree to be a part of each other.

If I have a car garage and hire a bunch of guys to work for me, they get pissed at how I do things and go make their own Garage, the only thing in common is the fact that they once worked for me and some of their workmanship may be similar, but they are NOT a part of my company.

This is the same thing when it comes to religion, someone does not like how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints does something, they LEAVE the church or are kicked out, and go off and start their own church. The difference IS the same.

Uh-oh. Looks like that Abraham guy from the bible had a bunch of wives and concubines. I guess this whole christian religion is a sham because of polygamy. Lets just all go home and convert to something else.

I can’t believe how narrow minded we all are. We post on these blogs so matter of factly that we know who God is and How we should worship him yet we all disagree. We think we know where God has drawn the line.

He must be looking down on us completely appalled by our stubborness because we only believe what we want to and what our relatively useless minds restrict Him with. Maybe we should all shut our mouths, read the word, and pray with an honest heart for once. How many of us when we pray are really willing to change our own beliefs IF God told us otherwise? Very few, that is why God doesn’t tell so many of us what is true. We all think we know better than Him. After all, we have all read the Bible.

The LDS church does not have a problem; modern-day Pharisees (self-righteous Christians)do. It is so typical of you ignorant Americans to demonize anything you don’t understand. But “woe unto those who call evil good and good evil.”