Are Mormons really persecuted? Or do they just use this to justify that their religion must be right...?

Question

Seems like a persecution complex to me. I refer to this question and one of the answers at the bottom.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AiP1pMNjv6.R6U6uNGSz3Ozd7BR.?qid=20070817202602AANKJGQ

Answer 1

The great thing about persecuting Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses is that it makes you both feel good.

Answer 2

In the past they were persecuted, as were many other faiths that were different from the majority. Unfortunately when a religion or spiritual belief is unknown or doesn't have the correct representation the people that belong or believe in that particular faith can be persecuted. However, on the flip side in areas where a faith is dominant and those that do not participate in that faith are persecuted as well. Many people from many back grounds experience this. It's too bad that we can't learn from the mistakes of the past and treat others how we would have wanted to be treated. I am not Mormon, but I grew up in an area that was dominated by them and needless to say I wasn't the favorite kid on the block because my family was Catholic. But it doesn't give me the right to treat them or anyone else badly because they believe something different than me. As long as they are not hurting anyone it really doesn't matter. Faith is suppose to make people better people and if there is a good person regardless of their faith, there must be something good about it for them.

Answer 3

I am a member of the LDS Church. If you don't think Mormons are persecuted, then you don't know yourself.

I live in Salt Lake City and, while I haven't had persecution heaped upon me, I have encountered a lot in my short life. Some Latter-day Saints do consider some things that are not persecution as persection (like honest questions about senstive subjects, for example) but, generally, there is a lot of persecution toward th LDS Church.

This doesn't prove anything for sure, though. Many many people are persecuted in the world. I think homosexuals are more undeservingly persecuted than Latter-day Saints but there are more people believe it is wrong to persecute homosexuals than people who think it is wrong to persecute Latter-day Saints.

I think the problem isn't the people though. There is so much misinformation about the LDS Church floating around - especially truth mixed with lie - that if I felt some other way than I do, I would prsecute the LDS too. Who wouldn't persecute a church that worships a man called Jospeh Smith who collected Gold Bibles and raped little girls, a church that encourages the rule of men over women, et cetera...

The good news is that these things just aren't true! :o) The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a good Christian church and I know it is pleasing in the eyes of my Father in Heaven. You will not find a more powerful teaching of The Atonement in any other church, for example. Every other church puts restrictions on the Atonement's power.

Now, when things like that are said, it is natural for a person to make fun and persecute. It is totally understandable...I'm not condoning it but I do understand it...

Answer 4

Unlike the Christians in the bible, who were persecuted for preaching the gospel, the Mormons, by the nature of their beliefs called "persecution" upon themselves. Eg. polygamy, racism.

Racism -- 1830 and 1837 editions of the Book of Mormon mention "white and delightsome", however, the 1981 edition uses "pure and delightsome". Either way, doesn't negate the concept that future generations of Lamanites will be white. The modification removes the concept that one has to be white to the delightsome to the Lord.

Do we have to remind ourselves about the "Mountain Meadows Massacre"?

At this point, someone is going, "What about the Christian Crusades, Richard the Lionhearted, et. al.?"

The crusades have already been decried and remains a dark phase in the history of Christianity. That said, the crusades were completely unbiblical and unwarranted. In a very odd way, I am happy that the crusades were an utter and miserable failure.

In the above case, the massacre was carried out under direct instructions from Brigham Young, a "prophet" of the Mormons. Not my words, but that of John D Lee in his book "The Confessions of John D Lee". Someone is going to say, Oh! He was excommunicated from the LDS church. Well, sort of, until April 20, 1961 when his membership and former blessings were resinstated. Posthumously!

Answer 5

The mormons have suffered great persecution in the past. Especially in the past when they began. They suffered death, loss of loved ones, they were tarred and feathered by mobs, and even sent out of states. Missourii even made a law that said to kill any mormon.
It surprises me still how much persecution they still face. Especially on past issues such as the African-American Priesthood ordination, and Polygamy. God chose not to give the priesthood to Blacks until the time He felt was right. Don't try to think that your time is better than His. And polygamy is long gone since their last prophet. Maybe God wanted to test them to see if they would serve Him no matter what, or maybe He would have had them keep practicing it, but He felt that the government taking away the temples was too high a price to pay to practice it.

But it all comes down to, why in the world do people keep persecuting them? They've been a church since 1830, and still in the year 2007 things haven't changed. Yes, maybe the persecution style has changed, but the hurt and the torment they go through has not.

They say that whatever God brings to earth Satan fights against using the hearts of men. Could this be one?

Edit: Oh, and if you don't believe me about the persecuting, look out there on the Religion and Spirituality section in answer. Look how many are about Mormons. Way more than any other church.

Answer 6

they definatley have been persecuted- families driven out of there homes unlawfully, killed, tared and feathered, homes burned down, women and children raped etc. all because of religous beliefs. Now days things are definatley not as severe, but having grown up mormon, i personally have experienced a smaller form of persecution. It's a misunderstood religion. People don't understand it, or are confused and misinformed and instead of trying to understand it (not convert, just understand it) it's easier to poke fun, say hurtful things, pass judgement, ridicule, seclude and alianate someone because of their beliefs. I at some point in my life have experienced this in ways that i think members of religions will never experience. Try to walk a day in the shoes. Tell someone your mormon, and see how they react. No matter what someone believes, i would never try to belittle their belief and ridicule them, or make them feel like less than a person, because i know first hand what it feels like. What's even funnier, i have met many people who have found out that i was mormon months after knowing me and they didn't believe it! their concept was of these people that have tons of wives, live simple unmodernized lives and are in general wierd- i was totally normal, and outgoing and very modern and they couldn't believe it. i think most people out there have got the worng idea. They hear something and then just pass it on, instead of seeing if it's even true. No one tries to play of persecution-it happened, and still happens in less severe form today. Just read the comments on your own question- people hate us (generally) for no really good reason-and they don't hold back in telling us this.

Answer 7

Sure we are persecuted, but who isn't? Think about Jews, think of what they have went through for their beliefs and still do, which actually is prophecy being fulfilled... I think every religion out there has someone bashing it or fighting against it... it's not just us. Contention is of the devil so of course I am sure he fights against any religion that involves Christ.
Does it get old? Yes, very.
I don't justify that to make my religion "right". I know it is correct and true from my Heavenly Father, not because another person doesn't believe it and gives me a hard time.

Answer 8

One recent lds poster claimed that he/she lived in Utah, and knew ALL about being persecuted!

Dope.

Contemporary mormons know little about 'persecution'. How long have Jews, Native Americans, African Americans been hounded, uprooted, striped of human dignity, murdered, maimed and tortured? What are the figures? Millions upon millions is an understatement. The word 'slave' is from the Slavic nations' populations that supplied the economic labor force for the Romans. How many christians are murdered, tortured, mutilated every day in the middle east?

Mormon 'persecution' stems from their exclusionary economics practiced in Missouri and Illinois that resulted in ruining gentile farmers by locking them out of competitive trade markets.

Any mormon who claims 'persecution' now is simply a gawddam'd crybaby.

Answer 9

Like many Pagans, the Mormons live with facts that Protestants had been murdering there relatives within the last 4 generations.

Answer 10

It's ironic how they are able to turn problems facing the church into faith promoting experiences. That because there are evidences against the church, then that is only proof that Satan is at work. That because some people use that evidence to criticize and bash them, then that is only proof that Satan exists and plans to undermine the establishment.

Critic: Explain this
Mormon: I don't know that we teach that
Critic: (shows sources)
Mormon: Your an Anti Mormon, get your information only from pro sources you idiot. Anti sites are Satan inspired and full of lies.
Critic: Can you please directly refute my evidence?
Mormon: Ya, here's Jeff Lindsay’s site