Posted on 04/21/2008 7:29:14 AM PDT by JRochelle
SAN ANGELO, Texas — Shortly after the raid began on the Fundamentalist LDS Church's YFZ Ranch, a group of Mormon missionaries sat down to eat at a restaurant here. A man shouted out "compound!"
"There was this guy. He held up a knife and yelled at us," said Elder Tyler Duffy from Orem.
Some of the fallout from the raid on the YFZ Ranch is being felt by members and missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While the FLDS Church is not connected in any way to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, some Mormon faithful have said they feel they are being found guilty by association.
"There are some people here that believe anything bad about Mormons and that's what they're going to do," said Charles L. Webb, who serves as president of the Abilene, Texas, stake.
The LDS Church's presence in this part of Texas is small. The Abilene stake covers an area 25,000 square miles in size with about 3,000 members. There are only two LDS chapels in San Angelo, but a number of Baptist and other evangelical Christian churches. It's the polar opposite of Utah, where the LDS Church is the dominant faith.
In repeated statements, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have differentiated between the two faiths and expressed disappointment that some news media outlets have lumped the two together.
"Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, often called Mormons, do not practice polygamy and they have not practiced polygamy for over a century," Elder Quentin L. Cook, an LDS apostle, said in a video clip the church recently posted on YouTube. The LDS Church has said there is no such thing as a "fundamentalist Mormon," although an estimated 37,000 people who practice it consider themselves as such. Fundamentalists argue that the LDS Church has strayed from its original doctrine by abandoning the practice of polygamy in 1890.
Here in the Bible belt, many LDS members have had to explain the differences in their faiths — the practice of polygamy being the chief example.
Clinton Hudson, a student at Sonora High School, is a member of a Christian student fellowship. During a lunchtime meeting, he said one student said they should pray for the children taken in the raid. Another student said they should "pray for the Mormons."
"I approached her and said, 'They're not Mormons. They're fundamentalists. They broke off from the church' and described our history and how they broke off. It really helped a lot," Hudson said Sunday. "It was a great opportunity to get them to understand there's a difference between them and us."
Not everyone is interested in hearing their explanations.
Duffy said he was speaking with a man interested in converting to the LDS Church. After the raid, the man gave them back a copy of the Book of Mormon, saying he did not want to hear from them again.
"He didn't even give us time to explain," Duffy said.
As they go door-to-door, the missionaries have had to alter their introductions a little to clarify the differences between the two faiths.
"We're not from the church in Eldorado, but we share this message," said Elder Nicolas Librandi, from Murray.
Some have lashed out at the missionaries, blaming polygamy and allegations of child-bride marriages on the LDS Church. But some say there is more interest in the mainstream church, and its message.
"The purposes of God won't be frustrated," said Elder Ryan Bartley, from Carmichael, Calif.
Webb said he has discouraged members from helping out in the name of the LDS Church to avoid confusion between the two faiths, but said they should offer their services as individuals. The local Baptist congregations have contracts to provide relief services in disaster situations.
San Angelo 2nd Ward Bishop Jeffrey Bushman was contacted by a chaplain helping the FLDS women when they were being housed at Fort Concho. The women had requested copies of the Book of Mormon.
He sent them some copies.
"They didn't have anything or bring anything with them, I guess, and they wanted some scriptures and they asked for the Book of Mormon," Bushman said. "I didn't mind. We don't ever mind giving out (copies of the) Book of Mormon to people."
“I love the way Elsie is dropping these little personal attacks on me. He/She/It does not realize that I will not be goaded.”
Awwwww, you pooooooooooor wittle baaaaaaaybeeeeeeee. You can dish it out but can’t take it. Why am I not surprised, you ol’ ruff and tuff mountain man, you.
1. My comments were not directed to you.
2. Since you wish to volunteer your sophmoric little comments, I must assume you have a sophmoric little mind to go along.
3. I’ve been taking it off of you ignorant loutish mainstreamers both in person and online for the last 14 years, longer, I am sure, than you would be able to maintain your faith under the same circumstances.
4. This concludes the lesson. No further questions will be entertained from the nut gallery.
ROFLOL!!!
LOL. Good suggestion. Welcome Back.
HA Ha ha!!
You are goaded all the time!
He can’t be goaded.
He is way cool!
Looks like time for Terminix!
This thread has gotten chewed UP!
Where is your proof? Where are the offspring from these supposed marriages? Right, there is none.
You wann take this one? ... The dweeb revives a long dead thread to make a stoopid denial of the adultery from the LDS inc sexual predator of married women. I don’t feel charitable to such fools of late, what with the dissembling running amok for defense of Milt Rominy.
dna studies are ongoing and results to date have not been conclusive. He also had his own abortionist - Dr. Bennett to handle any accidents as well. Your's however is nothing but a red herring. The mormon church has already admitted that smith was a polygamist. Even noted apologists at FARM/Maxwell institute admit Smith had "conjugal relations" with at least 8 other women besides his wife. Even the hacks at FAIR state essentially the same. So if the uber apologists at FARMS/FAIR admit to smith having multiple wives and having sex with them, then why are you objecting? Are you 'ashamed' of what "god" commanded you to do?
OMM ???
REALLY ???
Is your time in the corner over ???
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.