What Do You Know About The Mormons?

 Before I write anything about my experiences, I make a few assumptions about what you already know about the Mormons. I assume you know about their health code, called the Word of Wisdom, which admonishes Mormons to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea. You may know about the practice of polygamy. The main branch of Mormonism, headquartered out of Salt Lake City, no longer practices polygamy. 

Perhaps you have seen a pair of young men or young women going around your neighborhood trying to teach people about Mormonism. I was one of those young people. I served a full-time mission in Brazil from March 1990 to September 1991. I will be writing about those experiences. I have a lot of memories and I expect my writing to go on throughout the rest of my life.

A few years ago, the President of the Mormon church made a request that the press and media refer to the Mormon church by its official name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and refer to its members as followers of Christ. I take issue with his request because all followers of Christ are part of his church. I also take issue with the LDS church's assertion that it is the only true church on earth. 

I have learned that a church is a group of followers, not a denomination. I take further issue with the LDS church's assertion that the Book of Mormon is the most correct book on earth and that the Bible has been corrupted by evil men. 

The LDS church does not emphasize the Bible and only cherry picks verses that support its own doctrine. The Bible, for me, is what lead me to leave Mormonism. I could never find forgiveness in Mormonism. There was no hope in Mormonism, for me, because I based my worthiness on my own works and not the works of Christ. The Bible helped me to learn the true nature of Christ. 

This will likely be the most antagonistic thing I write regarding the Mormon church on this blog. I desire more to write about my experiences. If there is a point of doctrine upon which I disagree, I will bring it to the reader's attention with an explanation. I will use the Bible to support my opposing point of view. 

I am a sixth generation Mormon. My ancestors crossed the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains to arrive in the Salt Lake Valley in the 1800s. Mormonism is still a part of my culture and upbringing. There is no way to erase it. I only embrace my heritage. I'm aware of the sacrifices made by my forefathers. I admire their courage and devotion. I hope to have the same courage and devotion in my writing. I desire to write with integrity. I don't desire to tear down the Mormon church, only to expose the areas where I take exception.