While the scandal of some Internet Service Providers' failure to adequately block the downloading of internet child porn goes on other parts of the internet are demonstrating that what is lacking is not the way but the will to do it. One regular Blogger is currently boasting of his site having been blocked by BYU. You can read the story here Elsewhere, the Mormon Church is taking full advantage of the new technologies and the enthusiasm of its church members. There is a thriving Mormon blogosphere, although nothing found there is official Mormonism - naturally; you can access Mormon produced films on YouTube and some of you may be aware that it is possible to engage a Mormon missionary in conversation live on mormon.org The following is part of the transcript of a conversation someone had recently on the subject of Mormon temple covenants and it is an interesting study in how Mormons view covenants, sacraments, Joseph Smith and grace. Note that, yet again, nothing said is an...
Comments
You write that "Mormon Christians" (an oxymorn itself) display the highest virtues you describe but consider the following:
“All their (the Christian churches) creeds were an abomination in [God’s] sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that ‘they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof’” Joseph Smith, Mormonism’s founding prophet
“If the Catholic religion is a false, religion how can any true religion come out of it? If the Catholic Church is bad how can any good thing come out of it? The character of the old churches have always been slandered by all apostates since the world began" Joseph Smith, Mormonism’s founding prophet
“We talk about Christianity but it is a perfect pack of nonsense...Myself and hundreds of the Elders around me have seen its pomp, parade and glory; and what is it? It is a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol; it is as corrupt as hell; and the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century” John Taylor, Mormon prophet
If you wish to see for yourself a fine example of this charitable and uncritical approach you advocate you could do no better than read the words of John Taylor, the late 19th century Mormon prophet, in an address entitled, "On the Incompetency of the Means Made Use Of by Man to Regenerate the World".
It is a splendid address and more to be admired than the mealy-mouthed words of more recent prophets, notably Gordon B Hinckley. You can read it here:
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=3be0945bd384b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1
It seems that these virtuous and noble Mormons consider my church apostate and abominable, my leaders corrupt, and the lot of us the best engine to do the work of the devil. Frankly, I don't find this particularly insulting, indeed it seems inevitable given that Mormonism "restores" what we have allegedly lost. What does cause insult is the sanctimonious way Mormons insist that it is otherwise and we can all be chums for the kindgdom.
This blog, as well as its partner web site, www.reachouttrust.org, is dedicated, as Mormonism once was, to telling the truth about these differences and encouraging folk to consider the implications of these differences. It seems to me that this is more honest and "Christian" than pretending those differences don't exist or signify.