Mormonism & the Mormon church

Among the latest news around the Mormon church is a letter from Church leaders to local members addressing an upcoming Senate bill that would amend the Constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman. The letter from the Church asked members to “express themselves on this urgent matter to their elected representatives in the Senate.” (See KSL.) This effort by the Church is seen by gay rights advocates as discriminatory, and I suppose there are probably gay Mormons within the Church that feel similarly.

The Church rarely takes a position on political issues, except in some family and societal matters, which makes this recent letter all the more interesting. In fact the Church has a policy of being politically neutral:

In this election year, we urge Church members to register to vote, to study the issues and candidates carefully and prayerfully, and then vote for those they believe will most nearly carry out their ideas of good government. Latter-day Saints are under special obligation to seek out and then uphold leaders who will act with integrity and are ‘wise,’ ‘good,’ and ‘honest,’ (see Doctrine and Covenants 98:10). (LDS.org)

The Mormon church’s position on homosexuality is that it’s a behavior and as such can be overcome. I don’t think this denies the possibility that gays may have a biological tendency toward homosexuality, making it difficult to overcome for some. I tend to look at it like a person of Irish descent saying (and I have heard this), “I’m Irish; I have a temper. That’s just the way I am.” No doubt there are tendencies toward certain temperaments, but that doesn’t mean we can’t overcome our tendencies.

FYI, Evergreen International helps gay Mormons overcome homosexuality.

See the following searches at LDSsearch.com for more information:
Gay Mormons
Gays and the Mormon church

David Bresnahan at American Chronicle has a good article on the Mormon church and Mitt Romney. He explains that the Mormon church is a Christian church, its members strive to live Christian principles, and Mitt Romney is a great candidate for U.S. President:

The next time a news reporter questions whether a Mormon can be elected president, take a look at it for what it is. A lazy reporter needed a story about Romney and could not come up with anything new other than to rehash the same tired story so many others have already done. The evangelical pastors that reporters quote in such stories are quick to exaggerate. In reality the typical evangelical Christian is not much different than a Mormon.

They both want the best for their families, and they both do their best to live according to the beliefs of their religion. Some of their doctrines are different, but their values are not. As more and more people focus on values instead of doctrines they will recognize that having a Mormon as president is just what this country needs.

Source: A Mormon President?

One of the side effects of being a Mormon missionary is that you meet lots of great people. (Probably because you simply meet lots of people, period.) Some of my best friends today are those I met while serving a mission in Brazil. That includes my mission companions, other missionaries who weren’t my companions, and families living in Minas Gerais. Those friendships and associations are among the best I have.

As I hinted above, meeting lots of people means you meet several negative or unfriendly persons as well. But those relationships fade quickly and the good ones remain.

Missionary work isn’t easy but the benefits are numerous.

When I started this blog, I intended to talk more about my experiences as a Mormon missionary. As a missionary in Brazil, many people were surprised to find out that being a missionary was a temporary assignment and that I would return to be a layman in the Church and pursue other professional goals. They were also surprised to learn that Mormon missionaries don’t receive a salary but in fact pay their own way. These sacrifices, combined with long hours of mental and physical exertion make being a Mormon missionary a demanding job.

But on the other hand, there was never a time when my tasks were so focused and clear cut. I felt important and productive. I met so many good people, among both the Brazilians I taught and among the Brazilian and Americans that were my companions. I repeatedly felt the Holy Spirit affirm the truthfulness of what I was doing and teaching and learning.

Being a Mormon missionary wasn’t easy, but I’m so thankful for what it did for me. President Gordon B. Hinckley said that missions are a tithing on the first 20 years of your life — not easy, but after doing it God opens the windows of heaven.

The idea of “eternal” or “celestial” marriage is among the most unique (and appealing) doctrines of Mormonism. Unlike other marriage ceremonies that end in the words “until death do you part”, marriage ceremonies performed in Mormon temples include the promise that couples that are faithful to each other and to God may continue as husband and wife for the rest of eternity, joint heirs with Jesus Christ. This is one of the most appealing promises of becoming a member of the Mormon church and among the biggest rewards for living a Christian life.

An article at LDS Church Temples has more information on Mormon marriage.

This weekend as I watched General Conference on TV, I couldn’t help but feel a bit melancholy during President Hinckley’s talk. Gordon B. Hinckley became prophet and president of the Mormon church when I was a freshman in high school. He is the prophet that I grew up with, that sent me on a mission, and who I’ve heard speak the most. His talk this weekend was reflective and personal, as if he was alluding to his own upcoming passing. Despite that tone, President Hinckley ended the talk by saying, essentially, ‘This isn’t an obituary. I look forward to seeing you in October.”

I found it interesting to learn today that two years ago on President Hinckley’s birthday, President George W. Bush awarded Gordon B. Hinckley the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest award given to civilians. I can’t think of anyone more deserving.

In the Mormon Church, Thomas Monson is the president of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. This means that when the current president of the Church Gordon B. Hinckley passes away, Thomas S. Monson will (most likely) become the new prophet and president of the Church.

This weekend was the semi-annual General Conference, which we watched on TV. (It’s 4 hours on Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday.) The men are also expected to attend a priesthood meeting Saturday evening, so it is an additional 2 hours of meetings that day.

At the Saturday evening priesthood meeting it was interesting hear President Thomas Monson speak so openly and candidly. Though he has always seemed warm and friendly as a speaker, he was particularly warm and even entertaining this evening. His intonation and facial expressions make it easy to listen to his talks. I think that in turn makes it easier for his stories to uplift because he can keep the audience’s attention so well. President Monson told several uplifting stories that evening. I look forward to rereading his talk when it becomes available within a few weeks in print.

When I was growing up in Las Vegas, we often went to “Warm Springs”, a natural hot springs located about 60 miles northeast of Las Vegas off of I-15. It was originally owned by Howard Hughes but somehow ended up in the hands of the Mormon Church many years ago. It has since been the location of many campouts and activities for Mormon girls and boys. I’ve camped several nights there and even had a birthday party there one year.

This week the Southern Nevada Water Authority announced that it will pay $7.2M to the Mormon Church to lease water rights from the springs for the next 20 years. I don’t suppose this will mean the end of the fun for Mormon girls and boys in Las Vegas, but I did find it interesting.

A new TV show from HBO called Big Love tells the story of a polygamist family in Salt Lake City, an upsetting concept to the Mormon Church because of its potential among other things to confuse viewers.

Some members of the Mormon church practiced polygamy after its founding, but its practice was discontinued in 1890. Since then, no polygamist can be a member of the Church. So called “fundamentalist Mormons” that practice polygamy aren’t actually Mormons. Setting a TV show about polygamy in Salt Lake City seems sloppy on the part of HBO since (non-Mormon) polygamists today are most likely to be in rural Utah, Arizona, or Texas. And it’s a bit irreponsible since it perpetuates myths about Mormonism.

The Church has released at least one press release about Big Love, mentioning three concerns:

• Concern for abuse victims
• Confusion over the continued practice of polygamy
• Concern over the moral standards of television entertainment

My favorite part of the press release touched not only on Big Love, but the general “unhealthy preoccupation with sex, coarse humor and foul language”:

Big Love, like so much other television programming, is essentially lazy and indulgent entertainment that does nothing for our society and will never nourish great minds. Parents who are casual about their viewing habits ought not to be surprised if teaching moral choices and civic values to their children becomes harder as a result.

Mormons, however, may have little to worry about since the show appears to be a flop:

From what I can tell, the goal of [Big Love] is to prove that life can be just as mundane, colorless and boring with three spouses as it can with one or none. Mission accomplished…. Nothing [the actors] do breathes life into these characters or their problems, most of which seem to center on the inherent difficulty of scheduling three intertwined households. (USA Today)

A recently released survey from Princeton Review rates Mormon-owned Brigham Young University the best value among colleges.

Source: BYU gives most bang for buck, review says