Thursday, October 4, 2012
When Will The Mormon Church Stop Labeling Historical Fact As "Anti-Mormon"?
A couple weeks ago, I reported on the pending excommunication of David Twede, managing editor of the website MormonThink. I am happy to say that his excommunication hearing for September 30th was postponed, although authorities reserve the right to re-schedule the hearing for a later date.
As with most of these situations, the details that emerged added a further complexity to the story. David was new to his role as managing editor; the previous editor, one of the founders of the site, was forced last month to resign his church membership under threat of pending excommunication. In support of David, this editor has decided to share his story on MormonThink. In his statement, he discloses a letter he wrote to the local stake president, stating his intention to resign rather than face excommunication. In this letter, he makes the following point
“You said that MT (MormonThink) is “anti-Mormon, anti-Joseph Smith and anti-LDS Leadership”. However, you never said it wasn’t true. The majority of the source material comes from the Church itself, so how can publishing true, historical facts be considered anti-Mormon?”
The official reasons for David’s excommunication hearing are murky. The letter that was delivered to David cite apostasy as the reason for his pending church court trial. David describes the interrogation by local leaders to be concerning articles he published between the dates of September 11th and 15th. One of these articles was a piece about Romney’s faith. Although Romney was never mentioned in the meeting between David Twede and local ecclesiastical leaders, the leader did state “I’m not a political man…”, indicative of the idea that the unspoken issue is likely connected to David Twede’s commentary on Romney’s faith. The reason cited for David’s excommunication was David’s e-mail to another member in the ward, where he provided links to Mormon history, one concerning the controversial subject of the Book of Abraham. However, although this was cited as a reason for disciplinary action, it should be noted that the link that David provided another member was written by the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR). The person who identified David Twede and forwarded David's writing to Church headquarters was Scott Gordon, president of FAIR.
I have been watching this situation unfold, from David’s first post on September 11th detailing his experience at church; to his post labeled “The Hammer of Laban”, where he indicated he was facing an unidentified disciplinary action; to the removal of his personal blog; to the news discussed on ex-Mormon forums of his pending excommunication hearing; to the media coverage of the situation; to the post-ponement of the hearing.
Last month, I had a conversation with my mother about my reservations concerning the actions of church leaders. When I cited the September Six - and explained who they are – as a reason for my reservations, my mother told me that I couldn’t hold past actions against Church leaders. But here we are, twenty years after the September Six, and once again Mormon authorities seem quick to punish any members whose actions don’t conform to the standard script, provided that this punishment doesn’t lead to bad PR. Once again, the authorities seem loathe to confront the murky history of Mormonism.
MormonThink is a valuable resource, as the website provides information about Mormonism that is not discussed in church. There are so many aspects to Mormonism that I only learned about after leaving – their link with Freemasonry, the fact of Joseph’s multiple wives, the multiple versions of the First Vision. There are also many aspects of Mormon history that Mormon authorities downplay or ignore – the historical reasons for the priesthood ban on blacks, the teachings on blacks by previous authorities, the supposed translation of the Book of Abraham. MormonThink strives to discuss all of these issues. These are all issues that Mormons need to know; the decision to support a religious institution is one that should be made with full knowledge.
For now, the David Twede story is closed. The true test will come after the public eye is off the actions of Mormon authorities. When that happens, what will their actions reflect? Will the authorities continue to punish anyone that does not stick to the faith-promoting script? Or will they confront their history – all of it – in a manner that leads to a more tolerant, more human religion?
When will the Mormon Church stop labeling historical fact as anti-Mormon?
Monday, October 1, 2012
Book Review: Mormon Diaries
The Mormon Diaries traces the
journey of the author Sophia L. Stone through her life as a Mormon woman to her
eventual abandonment of Mormonism for a broader interpretation of Christianity. Written as a challenge to write daily about
the author’s life experiences and expanded into 28 chronological essays, this
book explores the reality of being a woman within the confines of Mormonism. As with all good memoirs, this story is about
a journey, a period of time where the author challenges her thoughts and
arrives at a new understanding.
Stone details her life growing up
in a Mormon family; the challenges and comforts of growing up in a religion
that provides a complete road map to life.
As she writes “Everything
important was drawn out for me through living prophets. All I had to do was use the thick, black
marker of my choices to trace the lightly penciled sentences that were written
by those with authority, who’d lived longer and knew better about my life’s
purpose.”
Stone details the realities of life
as a Mormon woman in a way that is very intimate and real. She relates her anxiety surrounding her
baptism and testimony, the challenges of finding the right husband, as well as
the manner in which her identity became wrapped up in being the nurturer, at
the cost of her own needs and desires.
There is a list of Mormon “Thou shalts” – starting with “Thou shalt keep
the Sabbath day holy” and ending with “Thou shalt not doubt, ever” – that spans
a full four pages and serves as a brilliant reminder of what the realities of
living a Mormon life is like.
The author also tackle the thorny
issue of leaving the Mormon Church – the dismay and confusion of loved ones, the
strain that her journey left on her marriage, the delicate navigation of
religion with her children. There is a deep
thoughtfulness in this book, along with a lot of love for family and friends. Towards the end, the author bears her new and
expanded testimony:
“I
believe God loves me and that he can save everyone. I believe there’s light and goodness in all
religions, in all traditions, and in all people.”
Mormon Diaries is available on both Kindleand Nook for $0.99, as well as in paperback form for $8.99
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Who Owns The Term Mormon?
What I find interesting about this reaction is the fact that polygamy was an integral part of early Mormonism. Joseph Smith – the founder of the Mormon Church and considered to be a modern-day Prophet, Seer, and Revelator – married an estimated 33 women. His successor, Brigham Young, had an estimated 55 wives. The third leader of the Mormon Church, John Taylor, had seven wives. In 1882, when the U.S. government began cracking down on polygamy in Utah, there was a lot of confusion within the church. John Taylor – leader of the church at the time - wrote a document in 1886 that fundamentalists argue affirms the permanency of plural marriage. In 1890 the Mormon president Wilford Woodruff issued a Manifesto disavowing the practice of polygamy. Polygamy was still practiced in secret, with some Mormons choosing to move to either Canada or Mexico to continue the practice of plural marriage. Eventually, after much controversy, the President Joseph Fielding Smith issued the Second Manifesto in 1904, which once again disavowed the practice.
Fundamentalist Mormons still believe in and practice polygamy. The difference between fundamentalist Mormons and mainstream Mormons is that fundamentalists do not believe the 1890 Manifesto was a divine revelation. Instead, they point to the 1886 revelation by John Taylor that re-iterates the permanence of God’s commandments, one of which they argue is the practice of polygamy. In a nutshell, the only difference between mainstream Mormon and fundamentalist Mormons is the fact that fundamentalist Mormons believe in a literal interpretation of the past Mormon leaders, rather than following the leaders that came after John Taylor. When Martin Luther split off from the Roman Catholic Church, he did not lose the right to call himself a follower of the Bible and Jesus Christ; neither should fundamentalist Mormons lose the right to call themselves followers of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.
Furthermore, LDS members do believe polygamy exists in Heaven – they just don’t believe in practicing polygamy on Earth, where the laws of the land prohibit the practice. Growing up, I was taught that if a man was widowed, he could be sealed in an eternal marriage to another wife. When he went to Heaven, he would be reunited with all of his wives. Mormons believe that only married people can gain access to the highest level of Heaven. We were assured that if we didn’t receive the opportunity to be married in this life, then we would have the opportunity to get married in the next life. There was, however, no assurance that the celestial marriage would be monogamous.
This begs the question – what defines the term Mormon? Are the members of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints the only people who can lay claim to the term Mormon? Or does this term extend to all the sects that follow the teachings of the early leaders and the Book of Mormon?
Even those who still practice polygamy?
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Follow The Prophet
Members of the Church of Jesus
Christ Of Latter-Day Saints – more commonly referred to as Mormon - believe
that their leader is a modern-day Prophet, imbued with the power of revelation
from God. With this teaching of modern-day revelation is the burden to
always follow the teachings of the authorities, as their dictates come from the
Almighty God himself.
I was raised in a family with a
literal interpretation of Mormonism. My father was convinced that one day
the U.S. government would fail and that Americans would turn to the Mormon
leaders for guidance; that one day the entire world would know of and gravitate
towards the Mormon faith; that modern-day revelation was real and that visions
were a fact of life. Above all, the President of the Mormon Church is
venerated as the mouthpiece of God, qualified to receive revelations for the
entire church.
The lessons on un-wavering
obedience to Mormon authorities start at an early age. In the official
lesson manual of the Mormon Church is a lesson titled “Follow
The Prophet”, aimed towards the youth of the Church. One of the
quotes drawn from this lesson is by Marion G. Romney, talking about the past
President and Prophet Heber J Grant:
“I
remember years ago when I was a bishop I had President Grant talk to our ward.
After the meeting, I drove him home. … When we got to his home I got out of the
car and went up on the porch with him. Standing by me, he put his arm over my
shoulder and said: ‘My boy, you always keep your eye on the President of the
Church, and if he ever tells you to do anything, and it is wrong, and you do
it, the Lord will bless you for it.’ Then with a twinkle in his eye, he said,
‘But you don’t need to worry. The Lord will never let his mouthpiece lead the
people astray"
Marion G Romney, in Conference Report, October 1960, pg 78
Or as I sang as a little girl in
Primary – “Follow the Prophet, follow the Prophet. Follow the Prophet, he
knows the way.” When my Primary teachers talked of the apostles and
the prophet, I imagined the bearded sandal-clad, linen-clothed men of the New
Testament. I was shocked when I realized the apostles and prophet of whom
my teachers spoke of were in fact the old white guys that showed up on the
screen twice a year during the world-wide televised General Conferences.
Then I grew up and I began to crush under the burden of trying to follow the
leaders’ will, as their teachings on the role of womanhood and striving for
perfection stuffed me into a tiny little box that just didn’t fit.
Like Cinderella’s ugly step-sisters, to fit into the narrow box of Mormon
womanhood I needed to chop off pieces of me that just couldn’t fit inside that
box.
The Mormon Church’s
approach to dealing with the messy history of the prophets’ teachings is to
deny the fact or to claim that the teachings of current prophets outweigh the
teachings of old prophets. The Foundation for Apologetic Information
& Research (FAIR) made the following statement when
addressing the messy and very uncomfortable topic of the teachings about race
within Mormonism
Past church leaders should be viewed as products of their times,
no more racist than most of their American and Christian peers (and often
surprisingly enlightened, given the surrounding culture). A proper
understanding of the process of revelation creates a more realistic
expectations of the Latter-day Saint prophet, instead of assumptions of
infallibility foisted on the Saints by their critics.
Previous statements and scriptural interpretations that are no
longer in harmony with current revelation should be discarded. We learn
"line upon line, precept upon precept," and when modern revelation
has shed new light, old assumptions made in the dark can be done away with.”
To combat the openness of the
Internet era, where the messy history of the Mormon Church is easily accessible
and a source of chagrin to many faithful Mormons, members are now justifying
that these leaders were “speaking as a man” or that certain beliefs are “folk
doctrine”. There is no way to draw a distinction between a leader
“speaking as a man” or “speaking for God” – these distinctions all depend on
the convictions of the individual interpreting the quotes, as well as the
potential embarrassment factor of the quote. And once again, I would like
reiterate the lesson that the Prophet is considered the mouthpiece qualified to
receive revelation from God for the entire church and that as members we were
taught that the Prophet will never lead us astray.
Perhaps Heber J Grant was “speaking
as a man” when he had that conversation with Marion G Romney. Or perhaps
Marion G Romney was “speaking as a man” when he gave that speech. Or
perhaps all of the talks by the authorities that I attended as a youth will one
day be dismissed as been “spoken as a man, rather than from God”. But how
can members distinguish between the two? How do members balance the past
teachings of the Prophets with the idea that the Prophet will never lead his
people astray? Were the Prophets leading the people astray with their
teachings on race? Was the Prophet leading the people astray with
Proposition 8? And if members don't agree with the teachings of the
Prophet, what about the consequences of challenging authority? But to
admit that the Prophets can lead the people astray is to strike at the very
root of Mormonism itself – question the legitimacy of the Prophets’ teachings and
you question the very foundation of Mormonism.
Some members are able to shrug off
the confusions of doctrine, focusing instead on the good points – the plan of
Salvation, the idea of eternal families, the idea of Christian love. But
I was not one of those members; I was a member that took the teachings
literally. My literal interpretation of the leaders – enforced by the
attitudes of members around me – turned me into a person at war between my
conscience and the teachings of my leaders.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Mormon Editor - And Romney Critic - Faces Excommunication
David Twede - managing editor of the website MormonThink and a Mormon in good standing - is now facing an excommunication hearing on September 30th as a result of a series of articles he wrote discussing Mitt Romney’s faith, along with the intersection of Mormonism and politics. MormonThink is a website written by active members of the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints – commonly referred to as Mormons -who are seeking to create an open dialogue about Mormon history. Their mission statement is:
[To promote] Education and openness of our religion's unique history and heritage. If people want to learn about the true historical issues of the church, that they won't hear about in Sunday School, they can learn about them here. We aren't afraid to discuss the tough issues. We hope to make the church we grew up in a better place by making it more honest.
Our goal would be that no knowledgeable member should have to be afraid to speak the truth in church to avoid offending a naive member with the truth about polygamy, the BOM translation process, Masonry, or any other historical aspect of the Church. We want the Church leaders to be 100% open and honest with the members so we can be 100% open and honest with our children, families, friends, investigators and fellow members.
By necessity, the MormonThink authors have to remain anonymous. In 1992, the Mormon Church excommunicated or dis-fellowshipped six prominent intellectuals, known as the September Six, for publishing scholarly works that were not aligned with the Mormon Church’s official teachings. This was a prominent example, however, over the years there have been other examples of sanctions taken against member. Grant Palmer, who spent 34 years working as an educator for the Church Education System, was dis-fellowshipped for publishing the book “An Insider’s View Of Mormon Origins” and later forced to resign under threat of excommunication. Although the accuracy of these scholarly works have not been questioned the issue is the fact that these books paint the early history of Mormonism in a manner that is not faith-promoting. Boyd K. Packer, who is the acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve, has stated "Some things that are true are not very useful." In this spirit, the Mormon Church seeks to preserve the faith of their members at the cost of historical accuracy. Members are instructed to only read history that has been sanctioned by the Church; all other sources are thought to be Satan’s way of leading the faithful astray.
There are two articles that lead to David Twede being threatened with excommunication. One article is titled “The History Of LDS Politics”, which delves into the relationship the Mormon Church has had with politics, Prop 8 being only a small blip on a long history of political interference. The second article that is sparking controversy is titled “Mitt Romney’s Faith”, which discusses his beliefs as a Mormon.
David Twede has made the following statement on his blog concerning the matter:
“Open and honest dialogue will allow members to choose, according to their agency, whether these facts are too troubling or in the end, humanizing. What do I mean? If we learn that the prophets are just as human, just as weak as we are, perhaps we will not feel anxious about our imperfections. Perhaps we will be more at ease in the church and more tolerant. Yes, I believe an honest view of Joseph Smith's weaknesses and by opening the facts it will bring love and tolerance to the wider membership of the church because they will lose their need to feel inadequate about imperfections in themselves and others. The Mormon Church needs to jettison Perfection Syndrome.
That is Christianity at its best, I think.”
[To promote] Education and openness of our religion's unique history and heritage. If people want to learn about the true historical issues of the church, that they won't hear about in Sunday School, they can learn about them here. We aren't afraid to discuss the tough issues. We hope to make the church we grew up in a better place by making it more honest.
Our goal would be that no knowledgeable member should have to be afraid to speak the truth in church to avoid offending a naive member with the truth about polygamy, the BOM translation process, Masonry, or any other historical aspect of the Church. We want the Church leaders to be 100% open and honest with the members so we can be 100% open and honest with our children, families, friends, investigators and fellow members.
By necessity, the MormonThink authors have to remain anonymous. In 1992, the Mormon Church excommunicated or dis-fellowshipped six prominent intellectuals, known as the September Six, for publishing scholarly works that were not aligned with the Mormon Church’s official teachings. This was a prominent example, however, over the years there have been other examples of sanctions taken against member. Grant Palmer, who spent 34 years working as an educator for the Church Education System, was dis-fellowshipped for publishing the book “An Insider’s View Of Mormon Origins” and later forced to resign under threat of excommunication. Although the accuracy of these scholarly works have not been questioned the issue is the fact that these books paint the early history of Mormonism in a manner that is not faith-promoting. Boyd K. Packer, who is the acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve, has stated "Some things that are true are not very useful." In this spirit, the Mormon Church seeks to preserve the faith of their members at the cost of historical accuracy. Members are instructed to only read history that has been sanctioned by the Church; all other sources are thought to be Satan’s way of leading the faithful astray.
There are two articles that lead to David Twede being threatened with excommunication. One article is titled “The History Of LDS Politics”, which delves into the relationship the Mormon Church has had with politics, Prop 8 being only a small blip on a long history of political interference. The second article that is sparking controversy is titled “Mitt Romney’s Faith”, which discusses his beliefs as a Mormon.
David Twede has made the following statement on his blog concerning the matter:
“Open and honest dialogue will allow members to choose, according to their agency, whether these facts are too troubling or in the end, humanizing. What do I mean? If we learn that the prophets are just as human, just as weak as we are, perhaps we will not feel anxious about our imperfections. Perhaps we will be more at ease in the church and more tolerant. Yes, I believe an honest view of Joseph Smith's weaknesses and by opening the facts it will bring love and tolerance to the wider membership of the church because they will lose their need to feel inadequate about imperfections in themselves and others. The Mormon Church needs to jettison Perfection Syndrome.
That is Christianity at its best, I think.”
MormonThink is a valuable resource; the website is run by active Mormons and gives members the opportunity to learn about the full history of their faith in an honest and balanced manner. The editors strive to approach the issues from all possible angles, allowing both sides of the story to be heard.
Resources:
MormonThink: an excellent resource on the history of the Mormon Church
David Twede's blog, where he discusses his pending excommunication hearing and the events leading up to matter
The History Of LDS Politics: A full accounting of the intersection of the Mormon Church and political matters
Mitt Romney's Faith: The specifics of Romney's beliefs as a Mormon
Resources:
MormonThink: an excellent resource on the history of the Mormon Church
David Twede's blog, where he discusses his pending excommunication hearing and the events leading up to matter
The History Of LDS Politics: A full accounting of the intersection of the Mormon Church and political matters
Mitt Romney's Faith: The specifics of Romney's beliefs as a Mormon
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Blessings & Tithing
As far back
as I can remember, the leaders have promised that if a person has the faith to
pay tithing, then “the Lord will open the windows of Heaven and pour out his richest blessings”. Leaders repeat this promise
over and over, in different permutations of the original revelation on tithing made by the
leader Lorenzo Snow, who promised that if members had the faith to pay tithing, then rain would come to rescue the crops from drought. Leaders talk about
how you can’t afford not to pay
tithing. They give examples of people
who paid tithing and were miraculously able to make ends meet. They promise - over and over - that having
the faith to pay your tithing will result in blessings.
And since
Mormons tend to be literal when interpreting the promises of their leaders,
this creates an odd dynamic. As we
repeated, over and over, “The Church is perfect. People aren’t.” Since the Church is perfect - and the
imperfection of people provide such an easy scapegoat - a lack of material
blessings is assumed to be correlated with a lack of faith.
My parents
were poor for many years. For them, paying tithing was
an extreme act of faith, as often the money that was paid to the Mormon Church
was needed to feed the family.
And yet paying tithing didn’t result in more material wealth. My parents struggled along, trying to make
the pennies match up, while performing the requirements of Mormonism with
diligence. The faith of my parents - to
pay tithing even when tithing was a struggle - is an awe-inspiring testament to
their commitment.
If you look
at the members that rank higher in hierarchy - bishopric, stake
presidency, General Authorities, Presidency - you will notice that these
leaders are notable more for their professional and financial success. Thomas S. Monson, the current President, was
an advertising executive and eventual general manager for Deseret News
Press. His first counselor, Henry B.Eyring, is a graduate of Harvard Business School and was a professor at
Stanford, as well as the president of Ricks College. His second counselor, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, was
a German aviator and airline executive.
These men were part of the middle to upper class, with significant
professional achievements, when they were recruited for leadership. I have no doubt that there are many good and
faithful men from modest backgrounds; however, these men do not seem to be
reflected in the makeup of the authorities that are responsible for guiding the
Mormon Church.
Within my own
ward, the leaders who were never from the “ragged” families - the families that
worked blue-collar jobs while following the command to have lots of children,
even if you couldn’t afford them. Most
of the leaders selected were either college professors or white-collar professionals. I didn’t notice much of a
difference between the leaders and the poorer families in terms of their
character or faith. But I did notice a
difference in which families were called to leadership positions.
For what it
was worth, I don’t think the stigma was applied to me, even though I was from a
poor family. I was a bright student and
enthusiastic about my studies. There
were a number of wonderful women that stepped in to support and guide me. But with the oft-repeated promises of
receiving blessings if you are faithful enough, there is the mindset that a
lack of blessings correlates with a lack of faith.
Labels:
blessings,
businessmen,
Dieter Uchtdorf,
faith,
General Authorities,
Henry B. Eyring,
LDS,
mormon,
poverty,
stigma,
temple recommend,
Thomas S. Monson,
tithing,
wealth,
worthiness
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Separation of Church And State
I am an agnostic. My family is Mormon. My husband is a Hindu who came to the U.S. for grad school. Within this spectrum of religious and cultural identities is the beauty and promise of the American dream; we are a nation of diversity and opportunity. We are a pluralistic society, one in which every individual’s religious and cultural identity should be respected. The strength of the United States is in the promise of tolerance for the entire spectrum of humanity.
Every-time I hear the intersection of politics and religion
– the insertion of “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance, the constant
refrain of “God Bless America” by politicians on both sides of the aisle, the
words of “In God We Trust” printed on our national currency – I find myself
wondering where the American ideal went astray.
Our nation was founded on the idea of a separation between church and
state. The First Amendment states that “Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
Separation of church and state is not meant to tear down the
institution of religion; rather separation of church and state is meant to
foster an environment in which individuals feel comfortable worshipping
according to the dictates of their own conscience. The refrain of “under God” or “God bless
America” assumes many things, the least of which is a belief in a singular God.
This may feel like a small matter – the
removal of a few words that may or may not offend most people. But if these words are to be repeated in a
public environment, with the attendant pressure to follow along, then we need
to respect the idea that religion is a deeply personal and private matter. Religion does not belong in either the
government or government-funded institutions.
John F. Kennedy, in his 1960 address on religion, stated,
"I believe in an
America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic
prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no
Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote; where no
church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference;
and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs
from the president who might appoint him or the people who might elect him."
With this election cycle heating up, the controversy surrounding
candidates and their religion is only getting worse. God – and prayer – has been mentioned by both
Democrats and Republicans alike. I don’t
feel comfortable with the intersection of religion and politics; this is not
the country we were meant to be. We are
a far cry from the ideals upon which our nation was founded. If we are to truly become a nation where all
people may worship according to the dictates of their own conscience, then we
need to remove religious ideologies from the confines of government.
In the words of John F Kennedy: “Today I may be the victim, but tomorrow it may be you — until the
whole fabric of our harmonious society is ripped at a time of great national
peril.”
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