Replies to '08/02 Brainwashed Brides'

Hi  

Mormons don't send their children to your door. Well, their 19-21 year-old young men or women may come to your door as missionaries, but they're certainly not looking for handouts. They're young adults who made their own decision and paid their own way for two years to share something good with anyone who's interested. We believe very strongly in agency--that we are all free to choose. We offer information about our church so you can make an informed decision, that's all. There are no strings attached. (We believe in giving service too, so those missionaries will usually ask if they can help you with anything--no strings. They help a LOT of people move!)  

Some of the activities for young people might rarely send a teenager to your door, but only in the fun of a scavenger hunt--not with any religious message. The Bigger or Better game is another fun one, and I've had teens from other groups come to my door too. Most people get into the spirit of the game, but the odd time I'm sure they disturb some people at a bad time. Regrets.  

You know how, when you've seen a good movie or read a good book, you want to tell your friends so they can share the enjoyment of something you liked? That's how it is with our church. I love it, and think maybe you might too. But it's always your choice whether or not to find out more about it. And if you do learn more, and decide it's not for you, that's okay too.  Our 11th Article of Faith states:  document.write(drawVerse(11,169168)); 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.  

If you want to know more, check out www.mormon.org  

Hi  

Mormons don't send their children to your door. Well, their 19-21 year-old young men or women may come to your door as missionaries, but they're certainly not looking for handouts. They're young adults who made their own decision and paid their own way for two years to share something good with anyone who's interested. We believe very strongly in agency--that we are all free to choose. We offer information about our church so you can make an informed decision, that's all. There are no strings attached. (We believe in giving service too, so those missionaries will usually ask if they can help you with anything--no strings. They help a LOT of people move!)  

Some of the activities for young people might rarely send a teenager to your door, but only in the fun of a scavenger hunt--not with any religious message. The Bigger or Better game is another fun one, and I've had teens from other groups come to my door too. Most people get into the spirit of the game, but the odd time I'm sure they disturb some people at a bad time. Regrets.  

You know how, when you've seen a good movie or read a good book, you want to tell your friends so they can share the enjoyment of something you liked? That's how it is with our church. I love it, and think maybe you might too. But it's always your choice whether or not to find out more about it. And if you do learn more, and decide it's not for you, that's okay too.  Our 11th Article of Faith states:  document.write(drawVerse(11,169168)); 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.  

If you want to know more, check out www.mormon.org  

You're right. Although it may not be fair, nor entirely accurate to associate current day mormons with the fundamentalist group that broke off from mormonism in order to hold on to polygamous practices, on the other hand, what many mormons do not wish to come to terms with is that their religion was founded by a certain Joseph Smith who was a child molester. He went into people's homes and, under the guise of being a "spiritual, religious" leader, conned women into handing over their young daughters to him to have sex with. He, the founder, believed in polygamy. The only reason the mormon church gave up polygamy was not because they no longer believe in it, but because mainstream American society would never accept the mormon faith or take it seriously if mormons insisted on continuing to practice polygamy. When public opinion came out too strongly against a church that was practising polygamy,  church leaders just said "oh, never mind, we didn't really mean it."  They sure did seem to mean it for a long time, though, before its practice was abandoned.

This is a sect which was founded by a con man and a pedophile, so although, I agree with you that there are many fine mormon people out there, the religion was founded on shaky, dubitable premises by a guy whose preference was having sex with young girls and who then claimed to "find" special tablets that coincidentally he was the only one to have ever seen! Now that does stretch credibility to the limit.  It takes a very gullible people to believe the kind of tall tales that Mr. Smith was good at spinning. Since history began, there have been men like Smith with a predilection for young girls, but few have gone to such lengths to justify pedophilia... actually spawning a religion from it! That's pretty nifty, but it doesn't work for me. I think the suffering he caused these young girls as he raped them is unspeakable and, hopefully, if this had happened in this century he would have gone to prison for his deeds. Sexual slaverly is still being practiced by the likes of Warren Jeffs, but it didn't come out of the blue: he had the example of the founder of mormonism.