Why do some people stand in front of the LDS Temples with signs containing hateful messages?

Question

I would like to hear from some of them. Please tell me do you feel closer to God when you spread hate for another (Whether we are right or wrong doesn't matter) Do you feel the spirit when you call our church leaders terrible names? Do you think Christ smiles when you point fingers and yell "CULT" at people who are excersing excising their constitutional right of freedom of religion? I just wanted to know. Please feel free to be honest you may find it refreshing.

Joey LDS= Latter-day Saint aka Mormon

Answer 1

I was one of those people. I never protested outside a Temple, but I did used to go door to door posting tracts telling people not to talk to the missionaries because the Mormon church is an evil cult. Like Princess_Kings_Kid and others (above) I thought all sorts of strange and incorrect things about the church - that it preached "another gospel" and held Joseph Smith in higher regard than Jesus Christ. I was involved in an anti-Cult organisation here in the UK (Reachout Trust) and was one of their area directors.

I was an evangelical Christian and my actions were born entirely of hatred for Mormons and the church organisation, much as I tried to protest it was love for the Mormon people and a desire to free them from the cult. I thought Mormonism was a corruption of Christianity, that it was set up to get money from people, and that it brainwashed people and prevented them from being saved.

Now I am a Mormon. I finally read the book I believed to be a heretical fabrication, and discovered it to be the true word of God and another testament of Jesus Christ. I was baptised ten years ago, and next month will be married for eternity in the Temple. I am the adult Sunday School teacher in my ward, and have served in several other callings including Primary President.

I finally have a wonderful relationship with my Heavenly Father and saviour Jesus Christ, something which I desired but lacked as an Evangelical.

I pity those protesters. They have no love, only bitter hatred which twists and harms their souls. They fight mainly in order to defend their own faith, not really to attack another, and in doing so they bring God's judgement upon themselves. They know next to nothing about the church they are attacking. I'm so glad I had the courage to face the truth.

If anyone wants to read the full story of my conversion, feel free to contact me.

Answer 2

Coming from a life long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the only real answer is that the protestors have been deceived in their thinking. They think that they are performing some kind of saving mission to deliver us from our totalitarian cult. They have never studied the gospel as we know it and are relying on wicked people to tell them what we are all about. If any of them would examine the Church with an honest heart and mind, they would know that we stand for all things virtuous, lovely, of good report and praiseworthy.
You are correct that such behavior doesn't spread Christ-like examples. Quite the contrary, such behavior demonstrates a propensity to follow the adversary.
In partial response to Princess Kin, Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and He is the head of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The prophets and apostles (yes, they are real) direct the affairs of the Church under the revelatory influence of the Savior. We desire only to fulfill His will. The plural wife practice was under direct command from Christ. I know that rubs you wrong, but so it is. The ancient patriarchs also practiced this principle. The Book of Mormon references to the Bible came from scriptures that were already in existence before the writers make their record. Thus, Nephi could quote Isaiah because his scriptures were already available to the Israelite people before Lehi's family left Jerusalem. When Christ came to America to visit the people here, He gave them additional scriptures that were not available when Lehi left Jerusalem. This is actually evidence of the truthfulness of the book because Joseph could not have known about the time frame of those scriptures. As for the old notion that Joseph was a treasure hunter, that came from a part time employer that Joseph finally convinced to give up the search. In the meantime, he was paid to labor for the man. If he believed he was looking for treasure, why would he convince the man to give it up.
If you think all Mormon's back down when confronted, then you haven't talked to the right ones. I will not engage in contentious debate because that serves no purpose, but if you want answers to your false notions, then I am willing to explain them to you.

Answer 3

The bitter and angry people who fight against mormons most likely have a reason for it. Some were excommunicated from the mormon church for sins that they refused to repent of. Others find joy in attacking other people's beliefs. Some believe themselves superior and try to enhanced this belief by spreading lies.

Most don't even realize that they are spreading lies about another person's beliefs. They have heard the lie from someone who they trust and eagerly spread that lie without doing any research.

Answer 4

LDS is Latter Day Saints or as most people know them, Mormons. I haven't heard of people doing those hateful things, but you shouldn't feel to bad it's not just that single religion.

Answer 5

All must answer for themselves. It isn't right to point a finger. We have no right to condemn. Every human sins. We are born in an imperfect world and we are imperfect creatures. I don't believe as you but I won't fight you over it. I know my faith and my hearts tells ME a different way. If you have questions, I will answer. You don't have to listen, you don't have to come to my church. I don't have to go to yours. We are told by Chirst to spread the word, but you can't make people listen. Your will is your own. You choose this day whom you serve. You choose. The critics need to pray and ask the Lord to open up a peaceful opportunity to be able to witness, condenming only showns judging attitudes and that will never win people over to your beliefs. I believe in God and hope you do to. But I am not going to shove it down your throat. The United States Constitution grants us the right to freedom of religion. This wonderful country was founded on the beliefs of a higher being - God. In God We Trust. Even if you don't believe in anything, that is your legal right in this country. I just don't want to take the chance that there is a God and heaven and hell does exist and I was not ready to meet my Lord Jesus Christ when I die. If there is no heaven and Jesus - so be it. What did it hurt for me to believe while I was on earth? Nothing. But it would be eternal damnation if I just took my chances and didn't accept Jesus into my heart and life. I personally don't play chance with my eternal soul. I know my own heart and Jesus is in there and there to stay. AMEN! Just pray for those that condemn you. Ask the Lord to open their eyes and hearts to see the wrong of their ways. He answers, all you have to do is ask.

Answer 6

I've never heard of this in my area. where do they do this? what city?

Personally, I do not agree with the Mormons on a lot of things, but one thing is for sure, "Do to others as you would have others do to you." if people lived by Christ's words, there would be much more peace and honesty in the world.

much of the time i tolerate other views because i want people to be tolerant of me. but this doesn't mean i agree with something/someone. most people are not mature enough to understand this concept.

Answer 7

Is LDS the same organization as the Lost Daemon Service in Unix? Otherwise they must not be that important, as no one here seems to have even hear of them.

Answer 8

Part of it may be because they have no respect for others' beliefs and another part may be that most religions (LDS included) think theirs is the only right and true religion.

Answer 9

I didn't know before reading posts here on Yahoo that both the Mormons and Jehovahs Witnesses were experiencing so many hateful attacks.

I'm sure my Christian friends would say it's not "real" Christians who are doing it and immediately dismiss it as not a problem. Why are "real" Christians not speaking out against the abuse?

We complain because Muslims don't speak out against their extremists. Why aren't "real" Christians speaking out against Christian offenses?

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a socialist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me-- and there was no one left to speak out for me.
-Pastor Martin Niemöller, 1945

Answer 10

Those fanatics you see protesting, are what's know n as "christians". They are a large group that have vowed to kill or convert everyone on the planet to their belief system. "Christianity" and "Islam" are sister religions, which is why they fight so much.