Why is there so many wrong ideas about my church?

Question

I have recently been baptised to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or more commonly know as The Mormons. So many people believe that there are bad things with this church and there really isn't. I've been attending services for three years and my husband and I are planning on getting married in the temple. Please help me to understand the reason people are so misunderstood about this church. Thank you.

Answer 1

I'm LDS and I sometimes say that question myself. First I'm glad you got baptized. Also it's good to hear you want to be married and sealed in the temple. I encourage you to do it!

Even though I'm 14, I still get it from other people. I deal with that situation every day I go to school. My Sunday school teacher told me that it's probably because people today don't like it when they see someone doing something good because it makes them feeling uncomfortable and Satan has some part in that.

But if you be a good example all the time, people will know your standards and know what kind of person you are.

Don't let someone who doesn't know our principles, worry you because you know it is wrong. Remember to study the scriptures and pray daily. Bye!

Answer 2

I attend the LDS/Mormon church for about a year before I got baptized. I was a member for another 8 years before I left. I won't go into specifics as to why I left except to say that I realized that Joseph Smith was not a prophet. When I realized that, all the other good things about the church didn't matter because since Joseph Smith wasn't a prophet, then the church wasn't true. I don't know what is "right" or "moral" to you, but do your research (go somewhere else besides lds.org or mormon.org), and you will find things about the LDS/Mormon church that you or others may or may not agree with. There are a lot of wrong ideas out there about the church, but chances are that some of the things you've heard are actually true. Remember that since you were just recently baptized, in the 3 years you went as an investigator there was probably a lot of information that was shielded from you finding out in order to get you baptized. It's commonly referred to as "milk before the meat." If they teach you the "heavier doctrine" (ie the more controversial issues to the church) first, or before you get baptized, chances are you would probably not have gotten baptized. But if they teach you the "lighter doctrine" (ie the less controverisal more socially acceptable aspects to the church), you are more likely to accept the heavier stuff when they give it to you.

Liesel

Answer 3

I have met and worked with many Mormons, and they are really wonderful people -- very friendly, very caring, very family-oriented, etc. I think the main reason the Mormons get a bad rap is the fact that Christians believe The Bible is the one and only inspired word of God, so they're automatically suspicious of any religion that has another book that they use along with The Bible (or another book that they use in place of The Bible). My father-in-law is a minister for the church of Christ (you know, the folks who don't have instrumental music during worship service), and according to him there are conflicts between The Bible and The Book of Mormon, but I couldn't tell you what any of those conflicts are. But hey, he lives in a predominately Lutheran area, and when he first moved there the Lutheran preachers told everyone not to listen to him or even open their doors to him because he was "an agent of The Devil." Just goes to show you that in matters of religion, especially Christianity, a lot of the denominations believe they have the monopoly on the truth.

Answer 4

Shannon, I am not a religious history expert on this, but I will pass along the information that I heard from an aquaintance. The biggest issue, as I understand it, is that there are some who view Joseph Smith as a fraud. It is said that he allegedly translated some sort of plates or tablets by looking into a hat while wearing some "translating" glasses, and, voila, there was a competing and condtradictory book against the ancient holy writ of the Judeo-Christian religion. Thus, the logic apparently goes, if the founding books/theology/doctrines, etc. are of the LDS are fraudulent, then the LDS offers no, or partial, religious or spiritual truth.
If you and your husband are already married, why are you getting married again? Oh well.

Answer 5

Some do not believe that Joseph Smith found a couple of golden tablets in Palmyra New York, let alone their ability to contain enough information to write the book of Mormon. On the other hand, Joseph Smith was a farmer and (I believe) without formal education. That said, who did author the book? (btw, I am not criticizing, just providing an answer with perspectve)

Do not feel singled out for your faith. Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Protestants, to name a few, all have their critics. I am just happy that that many people realize that there is a God, by whatever name they call him.

Answer 6

There sure are a lot of pissed-off, misguided people in the world. My family is one of the original LDS families, and I had my name removed from the church records years back. I appreciate my family history, and feel no guilt whatsoever for leaving the LDS Church.

Whatever you are looking for, be it positive or negative, you will find it. Listen to your intuition- common sense. I certainly wouldn't take the word of someone that is bitter or absolutely knows nothing of the LDS Church as fact. I wouldn't worry about trying to convince people of the validity of the Book Of Mormon. The Vatican picked which books they wanted to use for their Bible. No one can claim absolute knowledge of anything.

Through my own research, my opinion is that all of Christianity is FICTION. Not to say that I don't respect people that have a belief or faith in something. It's a bit hokie for me.

My faith is in humanity & science. It's logical, and I get it. I wish you the best of luck however you may endup.

Answer 7

Because you haven't been told the whole story yet, nor will you ever hear it as long as your fingers are stuck in your ears.
The Gold plates never existed no matter how hot your bosom gets. Smith did not translate anything, he dictated a story he had been telling for years. The only thing Smith ever found in the ground was his 'peepstone' and he actually 'borrowed' that and never returned it.
Smith married not only very young women without Emma's knowledge, he also married other men's wives - while they were still married to their living husbands.
The Nephites, Lamanites, Jaredites, Mulekites are no more real than Gilligan, the Skipper and the rest on the Island.
The Book of Abraham touted as holy scripture is nothing but an Egyptian funerary scroll for a dead priest named Horus.

Sweetheart, you've been taken. And you'll be taken for a whole lot more.

Answer 8

You dont never mind what people think about your life, your church, your car, your cat, your anything else. Just live your own life. Everybody will at some time or another find something to dislike about somebody else. Most of which will be none of their business. You can please some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time. But you cant please all of the people all of the time. So the heck with them. God approves of you and that's all that is ever required!

Answer 9

I belonged to a similar church for many years. Now that I am out of it, I can see why people were so offended by it.
The bottom line is it was started by a man who claimed to have a vision. As was my church.
And every other church on the planet. But the circumstances in the beginning are bizarre, to say the least. In fact, your church's beginning are much more suspicious than mine!
And of course, what do these churches have in common? They were American. Sorry to tell you this, but a lot of crazy things come out of American churches.
I know to my cost.

Answer 10

Your church does not follow mainstream Christian dogma. Instead there is the new book which Mr Smith (?) found that you use even though it expounds Cristian ideals. Main line Christians are not educated about this, would not accept it in any case because it defiles their beliefs, and therefor fear and even despise all Mormons.