Mormons...?

Question

What do Mormons believe and why is that religion such a huge joke target?

Answer 1

I'm a Mormon and I make fun of Mormons all the time!

Like cookie said above, light-hearted jokes are always great. I especially like the "Priest, Rabbi, and Mormon Bishop on a boat" jokes. Those are always great.

Here's a good one: "We believe that marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman... and a woman... and a woman"

Mormons tend to get a lot of backlash because their doctrines tend to stretch deeper than most Churches. Since the Bible speaks in general terms most of the time and is sometimes ambiguous on certain doctrines (Trinity vs. Godhead), many Christian denominations see it as presumptuous to analyze doctrines and make assumptions on the "why" that lies behind the "what".

For instance, the Bible says that we are to be perfect as God is perfect. It also says that Christ is to inherit ALL that the Father hath, His glory, His dominion, etc. It also says that we are to be co-heirs of Christ. Most denominations accept this. Mormons go a step further with their prophets' revelations and say that we can become like God and inherit power like His. Since the Bible only hints at this and doesn't say it explicitly, many denominations are uncomfortable with it.

There are also other things, like the Temple and certain rituals. Since these were abandoned by mainstream Christianity between 120 and 280 AD, many Christians today assume that they don't belong in Christianity. They see Mormons as secretive.

The funniest part about Mormons, though, is probably their culture. They are very "Leave it to Beaverish". The boys stereotypically have well-parted hair. They tend to not swear but implement their own substitute words to replace curse words (Fetch, Shiz, Ace, Heck, Gosh, Dang, Frick). Many Mormon families tend to have lots of kids too. 3-4 kids is generally seen as a small-to-medium sized family. They also tend to get married early, the girls on average between 18 and 21 years of age, and the boys usually within 2 years of returning from their religious missions at the age of 21. I actually got married right before my 22nd birthday, although my wife had just turned 25 at the time.

They hold neighborhood parties and potluck dinners, inevitably with dozens of different Jell-O concoctions with everything from whipped cream to bananas to shredded carrots to marshmallows mixed in.

They don't drink coffee or tea and get nervous when people around them drink it or (heaven forbid!) actually offer them some. They are very sensitive to people thinking that they are weird for refusing it, so they'll always follow up with an apologetic explanation of how they don't believe in coffee or tea, completely neglecting the idea that some people don't like coffee or tea or just might not be in the mood. It's not a big deal to refuse coffee or tea (or alcohol, or cigarettes for that matter), but they lose sight of that.

Anyway, Mormons are definitely a 'peculiar people' in many ways. It's always in good humor to poke fun at them for cultural nuances, but it is very offensive for them when people insult things deemed sacred by them, like taking God's or Jesus' name in vain, talking lightly and openly about sacred Temple rituals or clothing, or calling the Book of Mormon a work of Satan. To them, the Book of Mormon is equally sacred as the Bible.

Answer 2

They believe that an angel came to Joseph Smith, appointing him a latter day prophet, and giving him tablets of gold that constituted a new holy book, The Book of Mormon. Some of the tenets of Mormonism in the past included polygamy--and that is one thing that has been a huge joke target for a long time--I have a Mormon cartoon from the 1880s about them giving up polygamy so Utah could become a state--and how difficult it was for the man to decide which wife to keep.

Mormons of today live under a rather tight social structure--their lives are to revolve around the church-no smoking, drinking, even of caffeine and tea. Young Mormon men are expected to give two years of their lives to missionary work, which is very big with them. Their goal is to tell everyone about Mormonism so that they can be saved and go to Heaven. They also believe that those who didn't know about Mormonism in this life can be "saved" by being baptised after they have died!

Mormons tend to be clannish, in that they are expected to marry and socialize, to a great extent, with other Mormons. They do take care of their poor, sick, and elderly, and have a program set up that is very family oriented. But then they have practices that outsiders find strange, such as wearing special undergarments.

Polygamy, baptizing of the dead, special undergarments, clannish ways--these are the aspects of Mormonism that often become targets of jokes.

Answer 3

I, as I understand from your question I have to answer about what mormons believe:

well, they believe that jesus Christ is the son of God, and that he atoned for the sins of all people because he believed in all of them. ...
He has produced a wonderful plan by which we could back their presence, through the Ordinances of the temple, which here I can't talk very < ask a mormon missionary >, and they posssuem belief in the book of mormon and the Bible, which one completes the other, if you want to know more ask a mormon missionary or visit mormon.org website

and I believe that people make jokes about the Church not knowing much about the subject:

examples, on polygamy, we know that Abraham, Isaac and others reported in the Bible had many wives, by which they were ordered by god, it is also reported in the book of Jacob in the book of Mormon, and that only God could order such a thing, then why have this commandment at that time many church members had other wives, for having received this same commandmenttaking up much fear about it. ....

Second, on this shame of paedophilia, which was committed by persons of bad tempers, which they were punished severely eat excomungação.

and by large I had formerly persecutions, many do not have struck, by the great faith they had and hope that they had in God.

Answer 4

Mormons believe among other strange things that
Joseph Smith—History 1:19 [God] addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight;
Bigfoot is Cain as quoted in Mormon Prophet Spencer W. Kimball's book, The Miracle of Forgiveness
God lives on a Star at the center of the galaxy called Kolob Book of Abraham (Mormon Scripture)
That all Mormons must pay 10% of their earnings for life, in order to enter Mormon Temples and learn special handshakes needed in order to get in to heaven
Black people alive before 1978 could not go to heaven except as a servant to white Mormons, but that in 1978 God changed his mind about this because if he didn't the church would have lost its tax exempt status.

Answer 5

It's just sad that Mormons have been mislead by men. I follow the Bible, not some other "bible" given to us by a regular, plain, unlearned man that wished to be center of attention in all things. Read your Bible and follow Jesus, not a deluded man. Ever hear of "the Kinderhook Plates"? Or the 7 or so Egyptologists tell the Mormons that the Book of Abraham "translated" by Joseph Smith was completely wrong and is not at all about Abraham? The Mormons also believe that "men" pick who go to heaven, or at least the highest of their 3 heavens, by only the select few who tithe, get married in a Mormon temple, wear their special underwear and a few other things, those are the ones, as decided by men of the church who's worthy, that get to go to heaven with Jesus and God. Funny, I missed that part in the true Bible. Where does it say that? I only read that Jesus is the only way to heaven, not men deciding whether I'm worthy or not. Hmmm.

Answer 6

Many people do not know that Joseph Smith placed his stone into his hat when he claimed to translate his Book of Mormon. It was the same stone he used for his treasure hunting. The Golden Plates were no where in sight.

You can check his true history via the net.

Joseph Smith married at least 34 girls, and women who were already married to other men and if they had a baby they told their husbands that the baby was his.

Mormons are taught that his only wife was Emma.

Unlike Joseph, Brigham Young practiced polygamy and did not try to hide it.

Answer 7

Check out our beliefs as www.lds.org

We believe in Heavenly Father, in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. We believe in the same organization that existed in the first Church of Jesus Christ, including 12 Apostles and the Priesthood, or authority of God to act in His name on earth. We believe that God is not limited to one book or a collection of books, but that He can reveal His will to a living prophet. We believe in the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and other revelations given to a succession of living prophets.

People like to make fun of things they don't completely understand. I have posted my opinion on the polygamy issue before. In my opinion, polygamy was a temporary principle that covered the years from approximately 1835 to 1890, and if the Civil War had never happened, there would have been no real need for it. Anyone who practices polygamy in this day and age is not part of the official Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and it is my opinion that those break-away groups are operating under erroneous assumptions.
By the way, we actually don't mind light-hearted jokes, but the ones which are based on mocking or incorrect information can always use some enlightenment.

Answer 8

Why does that question get asked so often, lol. Go to lds.org if you want to know what mormons believe. Or ask a mormon, or a mormon missionary.

I am mormon and I think some of the jokes are funny, when they are meant to be humorous and not mean spirited. There are several huge differences between mormons and protestant christianity and its offshoots.

We don't believe in the trinity but 3 sep people. We don't believe in the original sin of Adam. We are responsible for our own lives. We don't believe in a traditional heaven hell. Heaven is the presence of God and eternal progression, hell is without God and an end to your progression. We believe we were born to heavenly parents as spirits first and then chose to come to earth to fulfill God's plan. We believe Christ is the literal son of God and our older brother. We believe in eternal marriage. We dont believe the Catholic church ever had the priesthood authority to be organized as God's church, thus nullifying all offshoots as having that priesthood authority either. We believe that faith and works go hand in hand. How can you claim to be faithful without doing the works?

There are so many differences but the main center of all Christianity is the same. We, as all others do, believe that Christ is our savior and that because of him we can live with our Heavenly Father again.

Answer 9

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1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.

3. We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

11. 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.

12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul--We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

Answer 10

i dont understand why people are so mean to mormon or what they belive in its not like we mormons go around and tell you all how stuipid your religion and who says there is no desriminayion in this country.here are some articals that we call the articals of faith and it gives an example of what we belive in

We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression.

We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.

We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, Repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.

We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth.

We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth.

We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.

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.

We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law.

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul—We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.

we also belive in families being toghter for ever and that we will be able to live for eternity
and also the many wife thing used to be but not any more the reason they did it was so that the woman would have a man to take care of them beczause there wernt many men they all went to fight for there cause