They Shoot Mormons, Don't They? Religious Bigotry, alive and well today

“I wouldn’t vote for a Mormon for dogcatcher, much less President of the United States!” There’s a lot of that kind of hateful rhetoric going around since Mitt Romney decided to throw his hat in the ring – as if Mormons are some kind of hideous evil monsters. The loudest anti-Mormon shouts, sad to say, are coming from America’s so-called “Christian right”. How can Mitt Romney hope to get a fair shake in this spiritually polluted atmosphere?

There was another man running for President who faced the same dilemma – John F. Kennedy – only he was the target of anti-CATHOLIC bigotry. In his 1960 speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, JFK said the following: “. . .I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end - where all men and all churches are treated as equal - where man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice - where there is no Catholic vote, no anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of any kind - and where Catholics, Protestants and Jews, at both the lay and pastoral level, will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division which have so often marred their words in the past, and promote instead the American ideal of brotherhood.” John F. Kennedy Library & Museum (Speeches, 1960). By the way, if you listen to the audio version of JFK’s speech, you will hear the hurt and frustration in his voice and the unfair treatment surely must have caused many a sleepless night.

Fast forward to 2007 where JFK might as well have been “whistlin’ Dixie”. The hostility toward Mormons today, in my opinion, is even worse than that suffered by JFK. Although it is said that JFK lost about a million votes to religious intolerance, Romney stands to lose even more if the anti-Mormon evangelicals hang together.

According to Media Matters for America - “. . . a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media” - FOX News is not reporting accurately on the level of evangelical hostility to the Romney run. Media Matters for America points out that among evangelical leaders rejecting Mormons: Shirley and James Dobson (National Day of Prayer and Focus on the Family, respectively), the Southern Baptist Convention (collectively), Pat Robertson (Christian Broadcasting Network), and Dr. D. James Kennedy (Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Florida). “Among many conservative evangelicals – who comprise a significant part of the Republican base – Mormonism is considered an un-Christian cult.” Media Matters for America (2007)

While stumping in Florida, a man in the audience stood up during the Q&A portion and said the following to Romney: “You, sir, you’re a pretender. You do not know the Lord. You’re a Mormon.” Media Matters for America (2007). This is the kind of un-American, disrespectful treatment Mitt Romney will apparently have to endure throughout the entire campaign – as if just being a Mormon is reason enough to open the floodgates for free flow of pent-up hatred and vindictiveness.

For the record, the Mormon bashers know full well that the official name of Romney’s church is “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints” and the members should rightfully be called “members of the LDS Church” but the words “Mormon” and “Mormonism” have an aura of negativity so they prefer to use the “M” word as if it were dirty.

Less than five minutes cruising around the official LDS website (LDS.org) will show anyone who’s interested that the Church is a Christian organization, with Jesus Christ at the Head. There are no paid clergy – all are volunteers. Humanitarian aid is legendary. Members of the LDS Church believe in strong family values; they are patriotic, they are law-abiding upstanding citizens of their community. Many LDS young men right out of high school go on two-year missions – you know, the guys on bikes – and during their mission they don’t date, read newspapers, go to movies or watch TV; but rather they dedicate two years of their lives to serving others. Many women go on missions as well, and couples, only theirs is 18 months in length but the obligations are basically the same. Most members do not shop or go out to eat on Sundays – reminiscent of the good old days when shops and stores were closed in obedience to the Commandment, “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy”. If they can help it, LDS Church members do not work on Sundays, either, preferring to spend the day at church and with their families. Church members are encouraged to store up a year’s supply of food and water so they will be able to care for their families in the event of an emergency. The LDS Church believes in self-sufficiency and self-reliance but in the event of a financial hardship the Church distributes food and supplies through their welfare (Bishop’s Storehouse) program. Members of the LDS Church do not drink alcohol nor do they use illicit drugs; they do not drink coffee and tea. A Mormon in good standing, therefore, will not be found in a drunken stupor puking her guts out at 3 a.m. anywhere in the world. Furthermore, members of the church are encouraged to dress modestly, be polite and courteous. And members of the LDS Church are faithful tithe payers. Come on, people, what’s not to love?

So what on earth is their beef, the anti-Mormon zealots? Why is there such disdain for the LDS Church and its members? In Hugh Hewitt’s book, “Mormon in the White House?” he states his thesis that the fierce anti-Mormon sentiment among main-stream Christians stems from one or two or all three of the following factors (in order of importance):

3) “If there is a Mormon in the White House, Salt Lake City will call the shots, at least on the biggest issues.” Hewitt (2007, p. 221-227)

Hugh Hewitt has written an exquisite book about the Romney campaign and overcoming the “Mormon problem.” It’s a good read and I highly recommend it. Of the three problem points listed in the previous paragraph, Hewitt believes – unless some unforeseen blunder destroys his chances – none of the three is insurmountable for Mitt Romney. (Plus, he has the best hair.)

Well, I’m no Hugh Hewitt, not even close; he’s an icon on the conservative radio talk show circuit. Hewitt could talk circles around me (I’ve seen him in action in Sacramento); he’s brilliant; he’s well educated, well read, no doubt a genius, plus he’s kind of cute. I’m basically a “nobody” – an overweight grandma – but after having researched for this paper, I have come to a totally different conclusion as to why there is such in-your-face angst over Romney’s religion of choice: It’s all about money, power and control (in that order). I think they’re (the evangelical religious bigots, that is) scared half to death and are revving up their attacks, not to save souls, but to save their reputations (which if tarnished would lead to financial ruin).

As I said, all one must do is browse around the LDS official web site to see what the LDS Church believes and stands for. Any reasonable person would conclude that Mormons are not evil monsters at all. In fact, they are God fearing, Christ believing, Holy Ghost following people going about doing good. “You will know them by their fruit” and the LDS has plenty of fruit and they are willing to share.

Earlier, I stated that some high-powered ministries have publicly condemned Mormons: Shirley and James Dobson, the Southern Baptist Convention, Pat Robertson, and Dr. D. James Kennedy – just to name a few. There are hoards of others. Sunday after Sunday, preachers, evangelists, reverends and ministers from all Christian denominations pound the pulpit with anti-Mormon rhetoric. I heard the message loud clear when I was a Baptist and when I tiptoed through evangelical/Pentecostal territories. Was I ever miffed when I later learned for myself the Gospel truth about the LDS Church.

Just think about it, please. If Dr. D. James Kennedy, for example, who wrote the book, The Wolves Among Us, were to admit he’d been wrong in labeling the LDS Church a “cult” that leads unwary ignorant people astray (to hell), what would become of his multi-million-dollar ministry? Suffice it to say, there’s big money to be had by sale of books, tapes, CD’s, videos, and other anti-Mormon propaganda, not to mention speaking engagements and world-wide religious crusades. We’re talking trillions, all told. I realize the anti-Mormon aspect of these ministries is but a small portion of the business, but if the truth came out, that they had been using falsehoods about the LDS Church as a cash cow, their entire empires could tumble.

The ABC News program 20/20 aired on March 23, 2007, exposed the lavish lifestyles of some of the top evangelical preachers – million dollar mansions and personal jets. ABC News - 20/20 (2007) (Again, the LDS Church has no paid clergy.)

It’s nothing new. Severe harassment and persecution has been the lot of the LDS Church since it’s inception in 1820 when a 14-year-old boy named Joseph Smith saw visions and communed with heavenly beings. Rather than discuss the spiritual aspects of the LDS Church, however, let’s stick to facts of history. Taken from a college-level early American history textbook, Joseph Smith, upon experiencing the visions and visitations, believed “that God had work for me to do, and that my name should be for good and evil among all nations, kindreds and tongues.” Ayers, Gould, Oshinsky, and Soderlund (2004, p. 292). The textbook continues, “They were met with hostility virtually everywhere they went . . . . As the movement gathered momentum, hundreds of people joined the church; entire congregations of churches of other faiths joined . . .” Ayers, Gould, Oshinsky, and Soderlund (2004, p. 293)

During the dark time of American history when slavery was flourishing and when Native Americans were forced from their lands, the pioneers of the LDS Church also suffered at the hands of unscrupulous politicians, governmental leaders, and angry hate-filled mobs. “In the face of relentless persecution, Joseph Smith, the founder of the church, had led his flock to Illinois. There they had established the town of Nauvoo, which by the mid-1840’s had become the largest city in Illinois with over 15,000 people. . . In June 1844, a mob of non-Mormons broke into the jail where Smith was being held and killed both him and his brother. . .The Mormons abandoned Nauvoo in the spring of 1846 as anti-Mormons pounded the town with cannon, destroying the Great Temple. In a well-coordinated migration, 15,000 Mormons moved in stages to the Great Salt Lake.” Ayers, Gould, Oshinsky, and Soderlund (2004, p. 334-335) Many walked all the way and many died along the way, including innocent babes.

Joseph Smith at one time was tarred and feathered by a mob. No jury, no trial, no judge – and they had planned to castrate him, too. On October 27, 1838, the then governor of Missouri issued an “extermination order”: “The Mormons must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the State if necessary . . .” Far West History (n.d.) Please note that the order called for exterminating “Mormons” making no distinction between men, women and children, and indeed women and children were subject to the extermination order.

In an event known in LDS history as “the Haun’s Mill Massacre”, precipitated by the extermination order, 30 to 40 LDS families were surprised by some 200 to 250 militia. After the smoke cleared, seventeen LDS people lay dead including a ten-year-old boy. Thirteen LDS members were wounded including a woman and a seven-year-old boy. “A few Missourians returned the next day and took plunder.” LDS FAQ (n.d.) No Missouri militiamen were killed but three were wounded. Just a few years earlier, the LDS folk who died that day had been members of other churches - Congregational or Methodist or Baptist or Presbyterian.

In l976, Governor Bond of Missouri officially rescinded the extermination order and presented apologies for the “unfortunate developments” it caused. Quoting from Governor Bond’s Executive Order: “WHEREAS, Governor Boggs’ order clearly contravened the rights to life, liberty, property and religious freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States, as well as the Constitution of the State of Missouri; and . . . Expressing on behalf of all Missourians our deep regret for the injustice and undue suffering rescind Executive Order Number 44 dated October 27, 1838, issued by Governor W. Boggs. . .” Far West History (n.d.) The individuals who harassed, abused, and even murdered Mormons in cold blood were never tried for their crimes.

I read Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail and it really touched my heart. There he was, suffering for the Lord in jail, and these religious leaders with highfalutin titles on the outside wrote an open letter (“A Call for Unity”) in which they criticize King’s tactics and basically blame King for the racial turmoil of the time. Though you can tell King is upset and hurt by the attack – made worse because he’s stuck in jail and can’t confront the religious leaders face-to-face – his response is gentle genius. “I wish you had commended the Negro sit-inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer, and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation. One day the South will recognize its real heroes.” Barnet and Bedau (2005, p. 881)

King has a few choice words for the Church, too: “If today’s church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.” Barnet and Bedau (2005, p. 880)

There’s an eerie commonality between what JFK and MLK endured at the hands of the religious bigots of their day and what Mitt Romney is facing today. I hope and pray that Romney will be able to fend off these undeserved attacks from the religious hypocrites with the same grace, dignity and God-inspired resolve displayed by the other two.

A few popular bumper stickers read: “Honk if you love Jesus” and “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven” or “Jesus is my co-pilot”. Yet, apparently, these same bumper-sticker Christians are the ones waging war against Mitt Romney’s run for the Presidency solely on the basis of his chosen faith in a Church that bears the name of the Savior of the world.

ABC News - 20/20 (2007). Philanthropic donations come from your heart, but where do they end up? Ex-money manager says "enough!" to secretive Christian Ministry spending. Glenn Ruppel & John Stossel. United States: ABC News.

Ayers, E. L., Gould, L. L., Oshinsky, D. M., & Soderlund, J. R. (2004). American Passages - a history of the United States - Volume I: to 1877 (2nd ed.). Belmont, California: Thomson/Wadsworth.

Barnet, S., & Bedau, H. (2005). Letter from Birmingham Jail. Current Issues and Enduring Questions - a guide to critical thinking and argument, with readings (7th ed., pp. 867-882). Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Far West History. (n.d.). The Extermination Order and how it was rescinded. Retrieved April 28, 2007, from http://www.jwha.info/mmff/exorder.htm

Hewitt, H. (2007). A Mormon in the White House? 10 things every American should know about Mitt Romney. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing, Inc.

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum. (1960, September 12). Address of Senator John F. Kennedy to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. Retrieved April 22, 2007, from http://www.jfklibrary.org

Lds Faq. (n.d.). What was the Haun's Mill Massacre? Retrieved April 28-2007, 2004, from Brigham Young University Web Site: http://ldsfaq.byu.edu/view.asp?q=57

Media Matters for America. (2007). Fox News whitewashes evangelical hostility to Romney's faith. Retrieved April 22, 2007, from http://mediamatters.org/items/printable/200702280002

“Do you think thread discussions like this one are going to help or hurt Mitt’s run for the White House?”

I don’t think it’ll matter one way or the other. The issue on these threads has only rarely been Romney at all. The issue has been Mormonism.

Frankly, the vast, vast majority of people are apathetic about Romney’s religion; the only people I have personally interacted with or heard outside of FR do not consider Romney’s faith to be a deal-breaker.

As I’ve said many times, religious bigotry against Mormons is pretty isolated. There was a time in the history of the LDS Church when Mormons were genuine victims; thankfully, that time has long passed. Since I glory in Jesus, I’m happy to defend my faith in Him. It would just be nice, though, if the conversations here went as they would in person - that is, people actually listen to one another.

“THAT will be magnified like you cannot even imagine when Romney comes up against the “D” candidate.”

I don’t think so. First, in this regard, we don’t claim anything not claimed by many other denominations. People will say, well, I think my church is the only right one out there; why shouldn’t he think the same about his own? Second, I imagine the interaction would go something like this:

Detractor: “You don’t know the Lord. You are a Mormon.”

Crowd: “Boo!”

Romney: “One of the great things about America is that we have many different religions. A lot of us think that the president should be a man of faith. But we don’t choose our presidents based on what church they go to.”

Joe Six-Pack at home: “Hey, this guy handled that pretty well. He looked pretty presidential.”

End of controversy.

Feel free to substitute any statement against the LDS Church that you want from the detractor. Romney’s heard it ALL before, and will recover equally gracefully EVERY time.

Should he be the nominee? I’m still reserving judgment. But, then, that hasn’t been the main topic of these threads, has it?

Thank you for replying even though you were very busy today. You certainly aren’t obligated to reply if you don’t want to, no worries.

I have been using the word “religion” because that is what Christianity is. Sure, there are different denominations and churches within Christianity, but we all have the fundamental doctrines of Christianity in common.

Let me speak a little more to that. There are doctrines of Christianity that are fundamental, as in non-negotiable. Then outside of those core doctrines, there are differences among churches and denominations about issues that are outside of this core. For example, some denominations believe speaking in tongues is welcome in the worship service, while others believe it should be for private worship only, while still others believe it is not a spiritual gift for today at all. There is room within Christianity for some diversity on these non-core issues. But we all agree on the core doctrines of the Christian religion, such as the nature of God, the means of salvation, who Jesus was, how the world was created, and the Bible as the only inspired scriptures.

Tell me if I am wrong, but I have the impression that the differences between Christian churches is one of the big problems that Mormons have with Christianity. Is this true? Is it not at the heart of the revelation that Joseph Smith supposedly received? And do Mormons consider themselves another “Christian church” or denomination?

As to who “owns” the word Christian, it is orthodox Christians. That seems like a funny question to me. Who owns the word Mormon? And who gets to determine who is Mormon and who is just someone using the name without accepting the core doctrines of Mormonism? We are back to my already-posted points.

I don’t assume I am in the group called Christianity. I know I am part of the group. I accept and acknowledge all of the core Christian doctrines. That seems pretty simple to me. Just like Mormons know they are Mormon because they accept and acknowledge the doctrines of the LDS. Right?

All Christians are not Christians because they believe in Jesus Christ. They are Christians because they believe in all of the core doctrines of Christianity. There are lots of people and groups who could claim to believe in Jesus, but like I said before, if they believe he came to earth in a space ship and believe salvation comes through good singing, then they are not Christian.

To be continued...

In the spirit of making peace, I will go even further in personal revelation, tantiboh.

Your immortal soul is a most precious thing, to God The Father Almighty. And as a lowly Christian that I am, your soul is most valuable to me, also. [I shall return to that notion momentarily] I have spent literally decades studying the Bible, from angles you wouldn't even imagine at your age. I happen to believe the striving of Mormons (as different from the religion itself) is behavior after God's own heart! God has said clearly that He will in no wise ignore the broken and contrite spirit in a man or woman.

I've met and spoken with many Mormons, most are 'converts' from a Christian sect. This conversion is always as the result of Mormonism sowing doubt regarding the salvation the 'convert' thought they had before meeting Mormonism missionaries. Only a small percentage of milk-fed or starving Christians convert when confronting Mormonism, but that tells us something about the plea to the mind of those who may well have started their Christian journey with salvation in Christ, then the 'birds of the air' swept in upon the good seed'.

When Jesus handed the keys to Peter, and the Holy Spirit came down upon the believers at Pentecost, the great commission was to go into all the world and preach the Gospel ... OF GRACE ... baptizing the believers, those who will come unto Him, in the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. In the day of Cornelius, the arrival of the Holy Spirit into the believer was evidenced by tongues, etc. and then the believers were baptized. The important thing to note is that the commission was to bring the gospel of Grace, and baptize any who would receive it. Salvation was the central theme of Christ's great commission to the Apostles and believers at His Ascension.

I've had missionaries bring the Mormonism message to me on several occasions. NEVER have they begun the exercise asking if I am saved; never have they begun their mission with the essentials of the great commission. They are there to proselytize for members to the Mormon religion. I speak/write to you and any readers of this post the single vital reason for Christ appointing believers the task once salvation is theirs ... be converted to trust in the Saving Grace of God in Christ, then be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind ... focus upon Jesus and your relationship with Him, wherever He finds you, whenever He calls, however He works in you to will and to do of His good pleasure to transform you.

Can one find Christ in a false religion? That is wholy up to God's Spirit, but if the scriptures are any indication, with the numerous examples of people caught up in cults and things like Baal worship, the answer is 'He will not contend within the confines of heresy.' It is only when someone steps out of the heretical worship regimen that God's Holy Spirit will be heard within.

If I were to sit idle while what I honestly believe is a false religion claims to be not only a Christian manifestation but the ONLY representative of Christ with true restored authority today, I would squelch the Spirit within me Who has been instructing me for lo these many decades. If I pass you by in your grievous state of spiritual injury, I am what Jesus spoke of in the story of the others not the Samaritan and the injured man on the road. If your soul is precious to my Lord, can I treat it as nothing, to be ignored when your mind shares heresies you believe in?

If you love the Lord --as Saundra Duffy has spoken several times on a thread in which she started her discussion with a diatribe against those who would strive against what they honestly believe are Mormonism heresies-- then you will hear as I plead with you to turn away from this false teaching, and turn to the Lord Whom gave Himself for your ransom. He will guide you then, whether you remain in the Mormon religion or not, but He will eventually guide you away from heresies as you allow His still small voice to do in you. I beg you to open your mind and ponder the gross contradictions in Mormonism where compared to the message Jesus taught. If the book of Mormon is from God, leaving it closed whle you study the Bible intently will not be difficult, for the Truth from God doesn't change. Give it a try, I plead with you. Let your considerable intellect focus solely upon the Bible message found in the New Testament for a spell. Allow His voice to be heard within and ignore a 'burning in the bosom' which Satan can produce quite easily. This is not an emotinal thing. God wants to renew your mind!

“Quite similarly to the youth groups who silently hung DVD’s on doors or sent them in the mail. Yet THEY were accused of a hate crime. Pathetic when you think about it.....so don’t.”

Yep, it’s quite pathetic to consider that a threat. Quite similarly to the Mormon missionaries.

I remember on my mission, in the first city to which I was assigned, we went to a retirement home every week for a few hours. All we did was chat with the residents - or, in some cases, listen. I wasn’t very good at Italian yet, so I mostly played chess with a lonely, crotchety old man. He beat me every time. Kept critiquing my style, my strategy, I learned quite a bit, at least after I learned what “rook” was in Italian.

Finally, the week before I transferred out, I beat him. He grumbled and growled the whole time I was tearing up his line, but in the end, when I told him that I wouldn’t be returning, he touched my cheek in a kind of grandfatherly way, and said that this always happened to him. Every time there was someone in his life he was starting to like, they left.

It was a fantastic lesson for me. Because of my mission, I was given the opportunity to just be a blessing in the old man’s life. That single instance completely rearranged how I viewed people like him.

I can tell you dozens of other stories where I was blessed with the opportunity to be the instrument to bring a little happiness and joy into others’ lives; through me, the Lord expressed His love for His children. From the elderly lady whose deadbeat son neglected her, whose yard we cleaned up - she loved having a garden (I still remember watching her make pasta by hand) - to the Iranian man we helped to find Christ to the fourteen year old Brazilian, his sister, and their mother who found something precious in the LDS Church. My eyes still well up when I remember how he told us that he knew the Book of Mormon was true, and that he wanted to be baptized. His family followed suit; he recently returned home to Sao Paolo from his own mission in Connecticut. It turned him into a better man. It turned me into a better man.

Such fruits are not the Devil’s work. It is the Lord’s, and I count myself fortunate to be a small part of it.

The Lord operates for good through all His followers, regardless of denomination.

I don’t think Christian churches have tightly controlled beliefs as you say. The core doctrines are shared by all Christians. I guess we don’t see the differences between churches as being that big of a deal. You are right, churches can control who are members and who they can kick out if they want to. But again, it is Christianity that defines us, not our church or denomination so much.

You are right, I don’t know what you personally believe, and that is why I am trying to speak in general terms about Mormons and Christians. I don’t mean to tell you what you believe. The beliefs of the LDS are out there for people to read about, and are not secret, right? So people can know them.

Tell me if I am wrong, but you seem to think that Christians cannot know if they are really Christians or not. I think we can know, and we do know. If we didn’t have some defining doctrines, then we couldn’t know. But we do have defining doctrines, and therefore we can say if a religion/denomination/church is Christian or not. That is not judging, although I can see how it would feel that way. It is simply a matter of whether or not a religion/denomination/church accepts the core doctrines of Christianity or not. Very simple.

Again, if I say I am a Mormon, but I don’t believe Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, but instead believe that Bob Dylan was a prophtet of God and that his writings are sacred, am I a Mormon? How do you know?

If the only difference between Mormons and Christians was that Mormons believe Joseph Smith was the prophet of God, that in itself is enough to say Mormonism does not agree with the core doctrines of Christianity. Same goes for the BOM, that in an of itself does not agree with the core doctrines of Christianity. And that’s just two things for starters. There are many more. That is why I said that it is plain as the sky is blue that Mormonism does not agree with the core doctrines of Christianity.

I am not doing my best as a Christian, because our salvation is not based on being a good Christian or our own works, it is a free gift.

Yes you are certainly free to seek and understand God as you see fit. I am not trying to change your beliefs. God be with you. :-)

MHGinTN, I sense your earnestness; and I appreciate your kind words and frank testimony.

When I follow my Lord, I do much as you do; I study the matter out in my mind; I pray for guidance, for help, and for knowledge; and I finally come to a conclusion based on scripture, sound judgment, and good advice. I then approach the Lord in humble prayer for confirmation. The results are remarkable, and familiar to many who follow God. Paul expressed it far more eloquently than I:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
(Galatians 5)

These are the fruits of the Spirit. When my conclusion is wrong, my mind darkens, and my heart empties of peace.

But when my conclusion is right, my soul fills with the love, joy, peace, faith, etc. described above.

Thus, my beliefs are forged not from thought and intellect, nor from heart-felt emotion; but rather an alloy of the two. This is the “burning of the bosom” of which we speak. And it is strong indeed. Foundations of faith deeper than the roots of the mountains are built thereon; and they are immovable.

Christians all over the world feel this certainty that I describe - and I am sure you are no exception - as they try to know Christ and follow His will.

But I have felt this when I have humbly, faithfully, and with real intent asked about the truth of the Book of Mormon as the word of God and of Joseph Smith as the Lord’s prophet.

In each instance, I have been filled with the mental certainty - the clarity of thought - that explains to me - and only me (in other words, I find it impossible to transmit that thought through words) - that Joseph Smith must be a prophet of God. It’s divinely sensible. And that the Book of Mormon must be the word of God - there could be no other way. It’s clear and it’s certain. Surrounding and enveloping this acuity is a soul filled with peace, love, goodwill, and joy.

And I know. I just know. And that knowledge cannot be moved. It is deeper than the mountains; it is founded in the testimony of the Holy Spirit to my very soul, and it cannot be denied. It’s a precious gift.

And Christians all around the world know that it is not the Devil’s work, for the Devil cannot speak to the soul with the voice of joy and charity and faith in Christ. Only God has that voice.

And I have had the same powerful experience when I’ve asked if Christ lives; if He loves me and if I am following Him. The answer has always been yes (though I cannot claim that the answer has always been yes when I’ve asked if I please Him). I join with you in rejoicing in Him and testifying of Him.

And the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, in which we both delight, is that the same certainty can be had by the humble, searching soul at any time, no matter the person. It’s a joy that I seek to share.

Perhaps defense of my faith is contrary to all this. Perhaps, by arguing with those who disagree with me, I offend the Lord. I do not know the answer to this question; and I continue to search my soul; it is certain that at times I am clumsy, and at times I am less than charitable. I am rife with human faults, and will be for the duration of my life. Therefore, I depend on the grace of my Lord and Savior to see me through.

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