Do people mock the LDS (Mormon) church because they know they could never live the standards?

Question

It seems to me that most people who mock my church are people who could never have the self control to live our standards. The point and laugh but maybe they should be looking in the mirror.

Isn't if funny that most of the people who call my church a "cult" haven't the courage to accept responses to their lies and drivel. What cowards.

Answer 1

No. They mock it because it is a cult.

Answer 2

Well, probably the main reason critics have so much fun attacking our Church is that the Mormon beliefs do not conform to the norms of other Christian ideas. Some concepts such as polygamy seem especially strange when they are first examined. Some Mormon beliefs seem easy to discredit, but on deeper examination it is found that there is more to be considered.

Also the Mormon people are arrogant enough to proclaim that they are the "only true church." When a person leaves the church they cannot easily join another church. They have been taught and believed that other churches were wrong. Without belonging to the "true" church they are sometimes left with no church. They might join the ranks of those who are cynical and skeptical about religions in general. Another possible path might lead to acceptance of membership in another religious faith, and most likely they will retain feelings of betrayal and possibly hatred toward the Mormon church. With those feelings of apostasy they might become very active in "winning" others away from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If they are successful in causing others to doubt their testimony of the Mormon church, they feel justified in their own decision to leave.

Another reason that the Mormons are an "easy" target is that they actually claim to have living prophets and apostles. Our pre-conceived ideas about what a prophet is usually does not include anyone that actually walks and talks like other men. In fact even members of the church cause some problems by not allowing Joseph Smith to be a man as well as a prophet. We have the opportunity to get a close look at what a prophet really is and not what we might imagine a prophet should be.

Answer 3

You judgmental twit, I lived the standards for a couple of decades, and then I discovered that I was in a racist, misogynist, life-draining cult based on a series of lies, so I left.

Today, I keep the standards of decent human interaction but, yes, I have ditched the Mormon "standards" based on the lies of a pedophile and con man.

Answer 4

They mock because it works. It gets you uptight and upset. It causes you to forget the iron rod.

And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.

And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.

And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.

Answer 5

Ethan,

Every group says things like, "They just don't get it." or "They can't do what we do." It's part of building the group's cohesiveness to use this type of speech. Members of the group feel like they are part of something special and unique and they develop reasons why others either leave or refuse to join. As you gain more experience interacting with other people who are different than you, you may begin to appreciate their unique qualities and different viewpoints and realize that the world is not as black and white as you may have supposed but is rather a rich tapestry of color and shades of gray that can be exciting and fulfilling at every stage.

Answer 6

Well, I respect Mormonism and think that many Mormons are decent people. However, you can't say that those who mock LDS church are intimidated by it. The whole story of Smith finding golden plates no one has ever seen. That Jesus visited the Americas after his resurrection or that Native Americans are descendants from Israelites (DNA has proven they're from Asia). The history of polgamy in your church though banned in 1890 still strucks a chord in people. The fact that your church sends missionaries also upsets many who are fine in their faith and feel it as an insult. I know that you feel victimized and angry but it doesn't help if you attack the other side. You have to come to terms that your beliefs might seem "wacky" or "kooky" to others. To you is fine and normal because you were raised in it but to others is just a lie made up a by a man. I'm glad that you find hope and peacefulness in the LDS church but understand the reason from where anti-mormonism comes from. I'm sure you may find aspects of Judaism, Protestanism, or Catholicism that you regard as weird. You have the freedom to practice your faith but you can't expect people to accept it.

Answer 7

the standerds, the standerds. Don't drink coffee or tea (unless the church buys some stocks in star bucks or lipton), Get married young and start populating, dont' swear(even though you makeup a word that sounds just like the word you do not want to use ex. shat, ****,and darn.) Wow some standards. Christian have far harder standerds to live too. Get off your Mormon high horse. "gwlech" said it best.

Answer 8

I think you are right - people often mock what they dont understand.

I mean the comments about use worshiping Joseph Smith are absurd - they clearly dont know what they are talking about. And saying that we aren't Christians, not sure how that works, since a Christian is someone who loves and worships Christ as their lord and saviour, which we do.

It would be interesting to know how many of the "Christians" who say that we aren't Christians do things like go shopping, eat out, or go to the movies on the sabbath (what ever day you choose to have that on). They pass judgement on us - calling us a cult and not christian when they clearly have no idea of what these terms actually mean. They should remember that it is a sin to pass judgement, especially when they are not perfect themselves - remember christ taugh "let he who is without sin cast the first stone"

Answer 9

You are mocked because you are different. It is human nature to fear something/someone that is different or unknown. People react to fear in differnt way. Mocking or making fun of something make it a little less "scary". I'm sure that the people that have gotten to know you don't mock you. And its probaly something you were told as a child if other people knew you they wouldn't tease you. If people understood your belief system they may not agree with you, but I don't think that they would mock you.

Answer 10

I don't think that's the case with most - I think that they have a certain ignorance about Mormonism, which breeds fear and contempt.

I have known some great Mormons, and some really bad ones (lived in SLC for a year right by the Temple). They're like any other group of people - most are good, a few are bad.

Answer 11

Ignorance breeds fear. They mock us because they don't understand us. They hear one tiny minute thing about us and they immediately call us non-Christians. They think we don't all believe in the "same Christ".

Your guess is as good as mine as to why they are like this. But your theory does makes sense.

As for all those before me who obviously do NOT understand our faith, try reading a book once in a while any you might not be so scared of us. NOTHING in our faith has ever been disproven. NOTHING about DNA has disproven our beliefs about the native Americans. NOTHING about the ancient American civilizations has been disproven (remember the city and temple discovered just within the past year in Peru?)

All of this just proves our faith MORE because you are completely incapable of disproving it. People have tried for nearly 200 years without success. None of you will do it here.

Just a couple of sites to PROVE my point: