Enough is Enough!
by Paul Allen
Editor’s Note: This is a letter to the editor that appeared in a November, 2000 issue of a Santa Clarita, California newspaper called The Signal. Since in the last few weeks, it has been circulated widely on the Internet among members of the Church, Meridian confirmed its legitimacy with the newspaper editor who said with some puzzlement that he’d been swamped with calls asking the same question.
I have heard and seen enough! I have lived in the West all my life. I have worked with them. They have worked for me, and I for them. When I was young I dated their daughters. When I got married they came to my wedding. Now that I have daughters of my own, some of their sons have dated my daughters. I would be privileged if one of them were to become my son-in-law. I’m talking about the Mormons. They are some of the most honest, hard-working people I have ever known. They are spiritual, probably more than most other so-called religious people I have encountered. They study the Bible and teach from it. I have heard many times from the pulpits of others how evil and non Christian they are and that they will not go to heaven. I decided to attend one of their services to see for myself. What a surprise! What I heard and saw was just the opposite from what the religious ministers of the day were telling me. I found a very simple service with no fanfare. I found a people with a great sense of humor and a well-balanced spiritual side. There was no loud music, just a simple service, the members themselves giving the several short sermons. They serve their religion without pay in every conceivable capacity. None of their teachers, counselors, bishops or music directors receive one dime for the hours of labor they put in. The Mormons have a non-paid ministry—a fact not generally known. They urge their youth to be morally clean and live a good life. They teach the gospel of Christ, as they understand it. The name of their church is ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.’ Does that sound like a non-Christian church to you? I asked them many questions about what they teach and why. I got answers that, in most cases, were from the New Testament. Their ideas and doctrines did not seem too far-fetched for my understanding. When I read their ‘Book of Mormon’ I was also very surprised to find just the opposite from what I had been told I would find.
Then I went to another church’s pastor to ask him some of the same questions about doctrine. To my surprise, when he found that I was in some way investigating the Mormons, he became hostile. He referred to them as a non-Christian cult. I received what sounded to me like evil propaganda against those people. He stated bluntly that they were not telling me the truth about what they stand for. He didn’t want to hear anything good about them. At first I was surprised, and then again, I wasn’t. I began to wonder. I have never known of a ‘cult’ that supports the Boy Scouts of America, but, according to the Boy Scouts, over a third of all the Boy Scout troops in the United States are Mormon. What cult do you know that has a welfare system second to none in this country? They have farms, canneries and cattle ranches to help take care of the unfortunate ones who might be down and out and in need of a little help. The Mormon Church has donated millions to welfare causes around the world without a word of credit. They have donated thousands to help re-build Baptist churches that were burned a few years ago. They have donated tons of medical supplies to countries ravaged by earthquakes. You never see them on TV begging for money. What ‘cult’ do you know of that instills in its members to obey the law, pay their taxes, serve in the military if asked, and be a good Christian by living high moral standards? Did you know that hundreds of thousands of Mormon youth get up before high school starts in the morning to attend a religious training class?
They have basketball and softball leagues and supervised youth dances every month. They are recruited by the FBI and every police department in the country because they are trustworthy. They are taught not to drink nor take drugs. They are in the Secret Service who protect the president. They serve in Congress and in the U.S. Senate and have been governors of several states other than Utah. They serve with distinction and honor. If you have Mormons living near, you will probably find them to be your best neighbors. They are Christians who try to live what they preach.
They are not perfect and they are the first to admit this. I have known some of them who could not live their religion, just like many of us.
The rhetoric which is spread around against them is nothing more than evil propaganda founded in untruths. Others had successfully demonized them to the point that the general public has no idea what they actually believe and teach. If you really want to know the truth, go see for yourself. You, also, will be surprised. When I first moved here some 25 years ago there were five Mormon wards. Now there are 15. They must be doing something right.
Paul Allen
Santa Clarita
Hi Saundra,
Understand that to me Mormon’s as people are just people, as good, bad, ordinary, and extraordinary as all of us. There isn’t a bit of animosity towards Mormons as a group in me or in most Christians. For those outside of Utah and a few states in the west, we rarely come in contact with Mormons. Online here at Free Republic, I think you get a lot of former Mormons who had some bad done to them either when they were in the church or when leaving the church, so they may have personal feelings about it. For me, it’s not personal, I just looked at Mormonism as Romney began his run for President, and I realized the extent and nature of the Mormon church as a cult that has lasted over a hundred years. It’s the mixture of lies with the truth that is so dangerous in Mormonism to the individual Mormon, because they can point to good and true things and feel like it somehow erases the false and the harmful. I truly believe, from what I know of the Mormon history, that Joseph Smith with his “seer stones,” false “translations” of Egyption hyroglyphics, 15 or so “wives” (many married to other men as well as him), etc., I believe he was a low level con man that started a small cult and used his followers. So for me, Mormonism is a tragedy, since it is so transparently false given its founder Joseph Smith, and because there is several million modern Mormons who remain fooled by a man long dead. Men won’t become God . . . to anyone, ever. It’s a false and dangerous doctrine. There is one God. There is no one else like him . . . he alone is God. Anway, I hope some day you see some of this and it saves you.
Godspeed.
Greg
I have found this to be true.
They [Mormons] are spiritual, probably more than most other so-called religious people I have encountered.
So what? The Pharisees were "spiritual." The gnostics of old were "spiritual." The gnostics of new (new agers) are "spiritual." Snake charmers are "spiritual." Channelers are often "spiritual." Wicca & witches (some of whom have conversations with trees) are "spiritual."
"Spiritual" is a nice modern generic term for loosy-goosy, any eclectic beliefs "go."
They are some of the most honest, hard-working people I have ever known.
Yes and no. Hard-working. Definitely! Frankly, if you're out to eventually become a god of your own planet, like I'm sure Mitt & company are, you're gonna have to work quite a bit harder than of us mere mortals, especially if your key "verse of so-called 'Scripture'" is that "We're saved by grace AFTER ALL YOU CAN DO." (Book of Mormon)
(The question is: When can ANY person, LDS or not, ever conclude, "Yup, I've done ALL I can do spiritually, physically, emotionally, attitudinally, thought and deed, comission and omission-wise...so NOW grace gets to kick in!?")
As for the "honest" part, first of all there's a reason why the White-collar crime rate is high in Utah, and it's not ONLY because Mormons are the victims there (being such trusting vulnerable folks). It's often LDS folks in Utah who wind up defrauding others. Spiritually speaking, if you're aren't willing to face the mirror and take a good honest look at yourself, and know in your heart of hearts that you are NOT god or goddess material, and that the celestial kingdom is not a "bootstraps" ("pull yourself up to godhood by your bootstraps" is a Spencer Kimball phrase) possibility, then you forever remain in denial about the obvious.
They teach the gospel of Christ, as they understand it.
Uh...[coughing to get Mr. letter-writer Allen's attention]. Uh, suffice to say, that's the problem! As the apostle Paul warned the Galatians: "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you BY THE GRACE of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN [see, it wouldn't even have to be some evil Angel from hell!] should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned." (Galatians 1:6-8)
The name of their church is ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.’ Does that sound like a non-Christian church to you?
Yeah, well counterfeit $100 bills wouldn't go over so well if they were mostly marked as $3 bill. [BTW, many of you have seen FastCoyote's posting of images of $3 bills on these threads...actual images of Joseph Smith's Kirtland (Ohio) Safety Society Bank, which folded...so now you know where the phrase, "as phoney as a $3 bill" came from]
I asked them many questions about what they teach and why. I got answers that, in most cases, were from the New Testament.
Well, yeah. Verse after verse of KING JAMES ENGLISH was lifted directly out of the KJV Bible and placed in the Book of Mormon, including entire chapters from the books of Isaiah and the gospels. (This is otherwise known as plagiarism). Listen, 1830 Americans did NOT speak in King James English (unless they were quoting the Bible or merging it into their writings). There was no reason, even if the concepts were meant to be the same, for the BoM to have 17th century thees and thous. If the phrases were really from ancient gold plates, then the language should have reflected more of that period in history (just as the NT language is distinct often from the OT). If the BoM was more intended for a 19th century readership & beyond, then, again, no need for achaic 1611 language...unless...unless, you wanted to pull a Mark Hofmann and come up with something that looked and sounded authentic.
The rhetoric which is spread around against them is nothing more than evil propaganda founded in untruths.
OK. Here's the real "evil propaganda": Joseph Smith telling the entire world that EVERY creed of every other church is an "abomination before God." That every leader of every other church is "corrupt." (LDS First Vision, as recorded in Pearl of Great Price Mormon "Scripture," Joseph Smith - History, verses 18 & 19).
Tell me, if someone "nukes" the entire world--attempting to wipe out its authenticity, like Smith did spiritually, who made the first strike? (Answer that honestly)
Yup.