Response to Anti-Mormon DVD
Tuesday April 10, 2007
A new anti-Mormon DVD has been recently distributed by a Christian activist group. The official response from the LDS Church said:
Also see the Mormon Controversy and LDS Apologetics category for additional resources.
"Throughout the history of the United States, the rights of free speech and freedom of religion have been pre-eminent. Groups opposed to the Church have a perfect right to distribute their materials in ways that are legal.The LDS Church's approach to this and other anti-Mormon paraphernalia is to "avoid criticism of other faiths... [to] not attack and... not condemn." Instead we "encourage each person to find out for themselves through personal research as well as prayer." To find out how to learn the truth see the article, "How to Gain a Testimony: Or How to Know the Truth."
"The issue is not one of rights. Rather, it is that one religious group chooses to target another with a DVD full of distortions of its doctrine and history, and misrepresentations so stark that they call into question the integrity of the producers." ("Response to DVD")
Also see the Mormon Controversy and LDS Apologetics category for additional resources.
This is a perfect example of much to do about nothing.
Those who believe in LDS dogmas won’t be changed and those who see LDS beliefs as strange aren’t going to let charges of Mormon bashing change their minds.
The LDS Church sends twenty-year-old elders to tell people that the LDS Church is the only true church. This is hurtful to other beliefs because, this statement suggests, everyone but Mormons beliefs are false. Is this, fill in the blank, bashing?
I grew up LDS. After reading about the church, I now feel I was deceived. Too believe in Mormonism requires real faith. Linguistics, DNA, botany, zoology and common sense all cast long shadows on LDS beliefs. After reading about Joseph Smith’s conduct he seems like an adulterer to me.
We all have opinions. Their opinion is; god’s truth to them and mine is bashing. Calling people Mormon basher resolves Mormons from objectively looking at the facts surrounding Mormonism.
My advice: study before you jump in to belonging to any church. Don’t limit your studies to the propaganda they give you to read. Read people who disagree. Check facts. Is having sex outside marriage adultery? Did Emma never approve of Smith having sex with Fanny Alger? When faced with being persecuted for being abolitionist wasn’t the revelation about blacks in the priesthood a convenient solution? Wasn’t allowing blacks the priest a timely way for the LDS Church to keep their tax-free status?