What's So Bad About the Mormons? | Teen Ink

What's So Bad About the Mormons?

July 12, 2012
By Phatguru BRONZE, Huntington Beach, California
Phatguru BRONZE, Huntington Beach, California
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Everyone has heard about Mormons but what exactly is a Mormon for sure. Mitt Romney a man running for the chance to be the president of the United States is a Mormon and many don’t want him in office for just that reason. So what is the big deal about Mormons that makes them so bad? Perhaps it is because they are known for things such as the men having multiple wives, or having their own extra bible, and all the way to having large temples which only they can go into. Mormons are given many stereotypes but how can we know which of them are true? Does anyone whom criticizes Mormons have a clue of what they are truly all about? Research into the Mormon religion or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has come to show anyone who believes in the many stereotypes given to Mormons are simply too lazy to get off their social network and inform themselves and find out the truths for themselves.

Mormons have this sickening “love thy neighbor” attitude, and if you know a Mormon with a firm belief in their religion they are most of the time out doing something for someone else, doing a fundraiser, volunteering for a humanity project, helping a family with a member whom is sick, they are selfless people. Honestly it is sickening. The very thought of people constantly only wanting to help another person in need purely to help the other person and seeking no reward makes you pose the question is it all an act? What has been shown is no it isn’t an act, it is their chosen way of life. Mormons believe Jesus Christ to be the corner stone of their religion and try their hardest to be as much Christ-like as possible and as most people know Jesus Christ was the most perfect being to walk on this earth only ever serving his fellow man. Why then do people give them such a hard time if they are such good people? Perhaps it is because their organization of Christianity was formed much later than others and it just makes them an outcast. However the LDS church believes in 1832 when the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was founded that their church and their gospel of truth was simply being restored to the earth after end of the great apostasy which began with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the deaths of his 12 apostles. The Great Apostasy is the name given to the time when there was no priesthood on the earth for those of you whom aren’t familiar with biblical terms. Though the religion is backed with biblical references just like any other religion claims so then why are the Mormons the center of religious persecution? Mormons don’t have the reputation like Catholic school girls whom go out dressed with minimal clothing and dance suggestively, it isn’t being said that all Catholic school girls are like this, however it is proven to be true by that many Catholic girls do act like this. It is also proven teenage Mormon girls practice great moral values which many people should have such as clean language, wear only modest clothing which covers the shoulders and goes down to the knee, they listen to clean and non-suggestive music, no sex before marriage and last of all they dance like it’s the 80’s not the disgusting rubbing up on another person practiced by many teens today. There was a huge fundraiser for medical aid in Huntington Beach California called “Dance Marathon” where teens from the entire Huntington Beach Union High School District were allowed to attend, each student was said to be inspected for proper clothing and proper dancing throughout the night, however the dance got so dirty that the dance is forever canceled. Something which was supposed to provide money for a good cause simply show-cased the corrupt and fowl youth of today with minimal clothing such as “booty shorts” and “boob tubes” or for some even less, and the conduct of the students went further than just grinding, sexual intercourse actually happened between some students at this dance. Now perhaps there were some LDS youth there, but many weren’t, many actually chose to go to a stake dance where LDS youth from several areas in southern California are invited to each Saturday night, and the DJ plays appropriate and non-sexual music, there are chaperones whom make sure no inappropriate dancing occurs, but most importantly the youth have a golden rule in which they say “Leave room for Jesus” whenever dancing occurs between two people. It is astonishing to see that there are people today whom still practice good wholesome morale values, the youth every day go into a high school where it isn’t an ideal situation for them; they get up each morning for a church class called seminary for an hour to forty-five minutes before school and then try and remain within their standards outlines in a pamphlet called “For the Strength of Youth” while everyone else at school usually aren’t doing anything remotely close to their standards. Such youth should be admired and frankly it would be best if all teenagers had this kind of structure in their lives it would make for a much better well rounded society. Why wouldn’t people want to raise their children with the morale’s of the LDS church?

The Mormons have a legit religion considering there are well over 13 million members worldwide, and they aren’t a cult and force the members to act a certain way since even over bearing teens decide to follow along willingly, the question is still posed of what makes Mormons so bad? From what has been researched the Mormons deserve just as much respect as any other person on this earth. Mormons do not go around persecuting others because someone does something that they don’t believe is right, of course they think you shouldn’t do it and they won’t do it, but they won’t go up to you and kill you or tar and feather you just because of something you did. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shouldn’t be judged because of their religious choice, just like no one else should be judged by their religious choice. Religion is one of the few things a person has to choose wholly and fully for themselves, and should never be persecuted or excluded or subjected to anything purely because their religious views are different from yours or your school or even your country. Everyone deserves to believe in what they want, and only what they want.


The author's comments:
My inspiration for this piece was watching the news one day and someone said that they wouldn't vote for Mitt Romney because he is a mormon, plus I had always heard things and stereotypes about mormons, so I took an objective lense and scoped out Mormons. I hope that people will learn to no be so judgmental and not discriminate someone based off of their religion. Everyone has their own rights to believe what they want to believe and no one should be treated different just because their beliefs are different from another person's, that is what people get out of this.

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This article has 44 comments.


on Apr. 27 2015 at 7:34 pm
Alex_Teine BRONZE, Edmond, Oklahoma
3 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
~Love isn&#039;t a feeling, Love is a promise to protect those you care about~<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> ~Alex Teine~

I'm also a Mormon and i have to say it's not that bad to help others. But it's one of the best things to do. Though the artical did point out some flawed events and stereotypes. Though stereotypes are almost always not true.

on Feb. 17 2015 at 4:06 pm
Thank you! I'm a Mormon too and most of this stuff isn't even close to being true. And how is it sickening that we are so-called "selfless people"? It's a good thing! And does it really matter what religion a President is?

ldsteen97 said...
on Sep. 25 2014 at 2:53 pm
Ok, what you are posting about racism was written when  blacks were still in a slave position, we are not racist and we do not believe in surperiority over other races and genders

on Sep. 23 2014 at 2:52 am
I'm a latter day saint, otherwise classified as a mormon, and I really like this article. The only thing is not all of us are great, but our church is built for imperfect people who are trying to become perfect everyday, through all that we do. And it's nice to know that through all the persecution we have someone who has an understanding of us, our gospel, and our reasons.

AdyF said...
on Sep. 22 2014 at 4:41 pm
VWCDC Just make sure you are not confusing you with the fundamentalist church. Because you are misinformed. What it says in the article is true. And we actually follow Christ. Of course we are not perfect, we are like everybody else. 

on Aug. 6 2014 at 1:17 pm
Athena19 SILVER, Central Point, Oregon
5 articles 1 photo 103 comments

Favorite Quote:
&#039;Love people. Cook them tasty food.&#039; -Penzey&#039;s Spices

Sorry to add to the long list of comments, but I couldn't help but laugh at your comment. Seances and pentigrams? Seriously? The only thing more ridiculous than that is the time I heard that Mormons have horns. (In case you're wondering, that's also not true) I love being a mormon, myself. It's a wonderful, hopeful, and loving religion. Through it, I am slowly learning how to become a better person. Being a mormon gives me hope because I know where I came from, and where I'm headed. I am so much closer to my family because I know for a fact that families are forever. If you want to know what mormons believe, www.mormon.org explains our beliefs very well.

on May. 27 2014 at 11:32 pm
JesusandHisLawyers SILVER, Austin, Texas
7 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;who the fuck has a favorite personal quote what does that even mean&quot; - me, just now.

(Not positive that this reply ever posted, apologies if I end up replying twice. :\)

According to the official LDS website:  - "God has commanded that this power and privilege of a sexual relationship only exist between a man and woman who are legally."

- "We must also avoid viewing pornography and engaging in homosexual relations." - "Women can bear and raise children, men provide and protect." - "Men are given the power of the Priesthood, which allows them to do things for their families and others such as give blessings or baptize individuals. Women are given the sacred responsibility of bringing children into the world and to support their husbands with their responsibilities." - "there is a reason why one man is born black and with other disadvantages, while another is born white with great advantages. The reason is that we once had an estate before we came here, and were obedient; more or less, to the laws that were given us there. Those who were faithful in all things there received greater blessings here, and those who were not faithful received less" (Doctrines of Salvation 1:61). - "And after the flood we are told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham's wife, as he had married a wife of that seed. And why did it pass through the flood? Because it was necessary that the devil should have a representation upon the earth as well as God" (Journal of Discourses 22:304).
 

on May. 26 2014 at 6:24 pm
JesusandHisLawyers SILVER, Austin, Texas
7 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;who the fuck has a favorite personal quote what does that even mean&quot; - me, just now.

The following quotes are from the official LDS website:

- "God has commanded that this power and privilege of a sexual relationship only exist between a man and woman who are legally married."

- "We must also avoid viewing pornography and engaging in homosexual relations." - "Women can bear and raise children, men provide and protect." - "The world today often tries to demean the divine role of womanhood by over-sexualizing women or saying that they should be the same as men. Women and men are different for divine purposes."

- "there is a reason why one man is born black and with other disadvantages, while another is born white with great advantages. The reason is that we once had an estate before we came here, and were obedient; more or less, to the laws that were given us there. Those who were faithful in all things there received greater blessings here, and those who were not faithful received less" (Doctrines of Salvation 1:61) There is no denying that these are the beleifs of Mormonism as a whole, regardless of whether or not you, personally, subscribe to them. 

on May. 26 2014 at 1:16 pm
honest_iago BRONZE, Midway, Utah
2 articles 0 photos 41 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;Look on every exit as being an entrance somewhere else.&quot; --Tom Stoppard

...I actually don't believe *that's* LDS doctrine. If you'd like to clear that up, I'd be happy to. As a Mormon and a fellow Christian, I can't remember supporting any of those things when I signed up ^_^'

afow1928 said...
on Apr. 19 2014 at 7:46 pm
VWCDC-- Not to be rude, but you can't come talk crap about a religion you "think you know of". If anyone should know, it is the actually members of the Church Of Jesus Christ. I have known SEVERAL mormons, and attented several of the LDS acivities, and I know for a fact, that none of the things you said is accurate. This article tells you to get off the internet and figure out the truth. 

Noah said...
on Apr. 10 2014 at 10:03 pm
Hi, umm sorry I don't mean to be rude, but I am Mormon and just wanted to say that we don't believe in misogyny, homophobia, or rascism. The church accepts individuals exactly as they are. I would ask you to please go to mormon.org and make sure that your information is correct before you post things on the internet. There are so many bad rumors and false stereotypes that surround our church, I even get made fun of at school for being Mormon. So, please stop spreading rumors that aren't true, you're adding fuel to the fire.

on Apr. 6 2014 at 6:44 pm
JesusandHisLawyers SILVER, Austin, Texas
7 articles 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;who the fuck has a favorite personal quote what does that even mean&quot; - me, just now.

I'd be much more inclined to be best buds with Mormons if their beliefs didn't include rampant misogyny, homophobia, and racism.

on Mar. 14 2014 at 7:32 pm
I'm a morman too. I would like to ask you something. If  we were brainwashed into our religon, why do you think we convert so many people? If you know a morman, chances are, you know how honest we are. And if you think it's bad that people are happy with thier religon, than get out of America, because our country does not support this kind of mokary. If you don't like mormans, fine. But I suggest that you hang around a morman for a little while, you may find that there is a lot of things that you don't know about them.

What_up said...
on Feb. 19 2014 at 12:20 am
Also. (sorry to keep going) but Mormons do not need to have a big family. That is another sterotype. My family has 3 kids including me. Also I know many people who have 1-3 children who are all part of the Mormon church. And concerning the LDS Temples "secret rooms" I have never heard of them. If you want to see a Mormon temple go to an open house. Then you can see the inside of a temple for yourself. And no one has to be nice. Everyone should be kind to other people and have common manners. Everyone has the choice to be kind. Mormons just practice manners and nicities as a part of their lifestyle and religion. I know I try to. There are always going to be those who are the oddities good OR bad. You have to try your best to see the whole picture. (sorry for the little rant). Thanks!:)

What_up said...
on Feb. 19 2014 at 12:14 am
Im LDS and I was definetly not brainwashed into my religion. My family gave me my own decision to choose weather or not I wanted to go to church and follow the gospel. One of the keystones of the LDS religion is free agency. If you want an unbiased opinion of the LDS church look up PUBLIC research sites. (not blogs and such) This way you can have an unbiased truth about my religion.

on Dec. 11 2013 at 6:20 pm
I am a mormon too.  I know it, I live it, I love it.  Thank you for writing this article to uphold our standards.  You have no idea how much this means to our community.  Discrimination is something we have to deal with regularly.  Again, THANK YOU

JJtheJJ said...
on Oct. 28 2013 at 11:10 pm
The only difference between a Mormon and any other Christian is the religion they were brainwashed into believing.

Smashlee13 said...
on Jul. 19 2013 at 1:39 pm
To VWCDC. I respect your opinion but I also live in utah, and you are horribly misinformed. I am a mormon. Everyone always stereotypes us mormons to be so nice and outstandingly kind. We are just normal people. Yes we might make rude comments, fight our friends or parents. We are human. We do believe that we should treat everyone with equal respect and love just as Jesus once did. We want to be more like him and strive to be nice just like any other human being in this world. The whole beautiful heaven ordeal is actually just three different kingdoms of glory that we believe is where we go after death and when we are all judged by Christ himself. It's based off of what kind of person you were on earth. and even the lowest kingdom for murders and other similar individuals is more beautiful than anything the human mind can imagine. But the concept isn't about the beauty its about who you get to live with. it's about living with god and family.  Second, We don't have a ton of kids for our own kingdoms or whatever. We just choose to have larger families because we love the family unit. However, many couples may only have one child. We dont all have huge families.  Third, this is where you went completely wrong. All of this information is false.   

Kiwi said...
on Mar. 4 2013 at 2:29 am
thank you vwcdc for being a perfect example of those who don't know what they THINK they know. I'm 16 years old, am mormon, love it. I know many people at school who are just like you. they hear a little here, a little there about mormons and believe they know everything. im always happy to meet those kind of people though because it gives me an oppurtunity correct them. So, i invite you to do what the prophet joseph smith did. joseph smith, being raised in a very religious family was unsure on what church he should join. he and his family believed in christ but there were many many churches who claimed they had the truth. so he went to many different churches searching for the church. But he was still unsure. so as he studied the bible, he came to james 1:5. which says, "if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of god, that giveth to all men liberally, upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." So he went out into a grove of trees by himself and prayed aloud for the first time. Now is your chance. i don't want to tell you everything because i would please like for you to ask an active member about joseph smith and the restoration of the gospel. like i said im just a 16 year old who does believe in this church. i know that our savior jesus christ atoned for my sins. that he sacrificed himself and went through inexplitable pain so that we all may return to our heavenly father in heaven. i know thomas s monson is the true prophet and receives revelation for the world. i pray that all the people who blindly bash this church will search and study for the truth. thanks for reading :) 

milamoore said...
on Feb. 28 2013 at 9:53 pm
To VWCDC... Notice the name of the church... The church of JESUS CHRIST of latter day saints. Not the church of joseph smith of latter day saints.