Myths about Mormons – Introduction

I am currently enrolled in the Survey of World Religion class at BYU. Through lectures, videos, and visits to local worship centers, I am being exposed more fully to the beliefs and practices of religions I knew little about – sometimes just the name.

As I study and learn, I almost constantly discover misconceptions I had about religions. I thought the Hindu idea of reincarnation meant you would be forever re-born. Progression in this life was the goal, but I never had any idea that release from rebirth and the illusion of individualism, maya, was the driving desire of Hinduism. I didn’t know Buddhism came from Hinduism. And I’m sure as we study more religions that I will find and correct even more and worse misconceptions.

Thinking about this makes me wonder more about the misconceptions people have about Mormons: what they think, where the idea came from, and how it affects our relationship with those outside our religious culture. I grew up around non-members. I didn’t have any close friends – very few friends of any sort, for that matter – within our church for most of my adolescence. Through this experience, I’ve been exposed to some of the misconceptions about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Friends have told me about other ones. And I’ve seen some on the internet. Other things I have not been asked about or personally noticed, but I can just guess from looking at our culture that it wouldn’t be hard to be confused – and rightly so.

Many times members of the church respond to these misconceptions with offense, derision, or shock. I know I have done so at times. Perhaps a blog would be a safer and easier way to clarify my beliefs. It removes the danger of a reactive statement that isn’t quite accurate or kind. And it gives us all a chance to come back and review – you to re-read my statement, and me to correct it if I discover that I was also unclear.

As I hope is clear, I am anything but an expert on my own religion. I have lots of experience, faith, and understanding, but I do not know all the finer details. I am not a church historian who has studied the teachings of our prophets in detail. I have studied more or less depending on my stage in life but these studies have always focused on where I need greater understanding for my own personal growth. Therefore, all my knowledge is colored and balanced to suit my individual needs. But that does not discount the knowledge I do have – it simply explains why I will not cover some topics.

This will be a challenge and a learning experience for me, and I hope it will be a learning experience for many others out there. To help make these posts make sense, I want to define a few things in how I think about my beliefs.

1.    The Gospel: This is the “good news” that Christ taught when He lived on earth. It is most especially focused on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that “great and last sacrifice” that was offered to save all men from temporal and spiritual death.

2.    Doctrines: The actual teachings that direct my life. Doctrines explain how this life works, why I am here, where I will be going, and what I need to do to return to my Father in Heaven. For my part, I consider it doctrine if it was taught as a law in the scriptures or through modern revelation. Some doctrines are less so laws as we think of them in daily life and more laws as in “laws of nature;” the doctrine explains the way creation and life is.

3.    Instructions: Guidelines for living my life, given through modern revelation and scripture. Most doctrines are also instructions, but not all instructions are doctrine. For this second instance, I follow the instruction not because it in itself is determinate in my salvation, but because I believe obedience to the prophet is a doctrine that is part of my salvation.

4.    Culture: Aspects of being Mormon that may be based in doctrine or instruction but have really been created by the members through the way they interpret and live the doctrines. I’ve noticed these create a large amount of the confusions over Mormonism, not to mention small debates (or sometimes major arguments) within Mormonism.

Thanks for reading along. I pray that this blog will help me to better understand my own beliefs as I strive to share and explain them. I also pray that those reading will be helped in better understanding my religion and my personal beliefs.

Off a Cliff into the Sky

Last week, I felt like I had hit rock bottom. Either that or I had just jumped off a cliff and was falling rapidly to the ground. Life was out of control. I couldn’t go back. Where I was, no one would come. I didn’t want them to, it was too bad. Only Christ could come, and that was because He knew the way out. But I didn’t look to see. I just curled up into the fetal position and tried to ignore the situation.

And then my dear friend Heather ignored my grouchy demeanor. She could tell I would probably snap at her, but she didn’t really care. Or if she did, it didn’t faze her. The fact that people could still get to me where I was is probably what snapped me out of it. As the realization of where I was at, where I had come to, sunk in, I finally uncurled and looked around. The night was still dark. At 1 in the morning, all I knew was that Heavenly Father loved me enough to keep two worthy young men awake to come and give me a blessing in response to a single phone call. At 3 in the morning, all I knew was that I was lost. There was a path I was supposed to be on, and I couldn’t see it.

Thursday felt like a long, slow climb. I was trying to enjoy the last day a very important friend would be in town. I was trying to understand where I found myself. I wasn’t ahead in classes any more, and my head was almost constantly hurting. I told my supervisor that I didn’t feel well, and probably couldn’t come to work the next day. I also had a test Friday.

My friend who was leaving told me it was a wall, not a pit. He said I just had to find the way around it. I still haven’t, but I’ve found something better. It wasn’t a wall. I was right at first. I was either in a pit or falling off a cliff. For us earth-bound mortals, that is terrifying. But I’m not meant to be earth-bound. The fear carried on, and like any rational being, I wished I could fly. I stretched out wings I didn’t have two days ago, just to find that overnight, they had grown. Weak and new, I could barely glide. Even now, I’m just coasting, but each day makes them stronger. The ground is no longer hurtling toward me; the pit doesn’t seem so deep.

As I learn to fly, there will be harsh cross winds and bad weather. But there will also be amazing views and sweeping sensations. I no longer need to fear heights. I can reach as high as my wings can take me. Heavenly Father has let me fall as low as I was willing to let myself go, and now He has given me wings to return again and beyond. I will follow His instructions and make the most of my angel wings.

Make a Stand

Brother Richard Draper is a professor at BYU in the religion department. His areas of expertise are prophesy, early Christian history, background of the Pearl of Great Price, and apocalyptic. It's this final focus that lead to me meeting this incredible man. As one of the leaders in LDS apocalyptic research, Brother Draper teaches what I believe is the only Book of Revelation class offered on campus. And since he's probably retiring next year, who knows when this sort of an opportunity will again present itself. Before coming to BYU I wanted to take this class, and my expectations were not disappointed.

In Brother Draper's class the spirit can be overwhelming. I have no problem rising early in the morning each Wednesday to arrive at the 8 am class early. I only go to class early if I was already on campus and it's convenient. Book of Revelation is the exception. I wake up early just to be there on time.

A myriad of views on the Book of Revelation exist in this world, from the mark of the beast being PIN numbers and locusts being battle jets, to the idea that John the Revelator was a raving, drunken lunatic. However, Brother Draper's perspective, and the LDS view in general, is one that I hadn't heard much about. Although I am fascinated by the Revelation of John, Sunday School and seminary taught me very little about the book. Despite Joseph Smith's several revelations regarding this book and its meaning, it was difficult for me to be satisfied by the answers I was given. On one hand, we are told of horrible destruction, danger, war, plague, and terror. On the other we were told that, as saints, we would be safe. This satisfies many people, but not me. I wanted to know more. It seemed vitally important to me to understand what will be happening and my place in it. I knew enough to know that solid answers would be difficult to get for all my questions. But I wanted to understand so much more than I'd ever been taught.

After a semester listening to Brother Draper, I think I understand. We don't know all the details. We don't need to. As we get to each new step, our prophet will tell us what need to know. But I do get to know so much. Even Satan's reign of terror will be ultimately controlled by our God. He loves us completely, and He is pulling the strings to make sure everything ends like He planned it. We have our agency, but He knows us so well, every one of us, that He has put us where we need to be to have His will executed completely. As Brother Draper says, throughout all of the horror to come, God says "If you messa with my children, I breaka yo life!" He probably doesn't talk like that, but that's still how He feels about me, and you, and every other one of His children.

Like no other class before, this study of the Book of Revelation has caused me to want, so very desperately, to make a difference. I feel so insignificant, but I want to help the cause of the Lord in a direct and clear way. Like Elder Holland, I want to declare my position with surety. Last Wednesday, Brother Draper was describing Babylon the Great, mystery, mother of harlots, and her beast. She has a iron grip on this world. She and the Beast support each other. They encourage tolerance of everything but morals. They promote fulfillment of needs that didn't exist until they made you feel inferior. They sell the souls of men as commodities. They create a world based on the Mahanic Principle: using people as tools to get material gain. Promises are made. Babylon the Great offers fine material goods, slaves and souls of men, the praise of the world. She, with the help of the beast, can teach you how to get gain and put down all opposition. Lasciviousness, greed, idolatry, cruelty, and cold selfishness become the norm in the world the beast rules.

I sat in my seat. Vivid images of evil and fear ran through my mind. But the spirit was not gone. He was showing me what this world is like. And then Brother Draper stepped from behind his podium, he spoke to us, and at the same time the Spirit of God told me to really listen, and really understand. "I want you to be rebels," Brother Draper declared, "Rebels for righteousness. Know why you make a stand. Take that stand, and don't back down." I sat there stunned. I've wanted to make a difference, but what can I do? I'm not one of the revolutionary students who helped change roll across Europe. I'm not someone who can march with Civil Rights activists. Those days are over. It's not the same anymore. But I can't sit quietly and watch the world be "made drunk with the wine of her fornication." (Rev. 17:2) Today my voice can make a difference. If one person speaks out, that is one less person supporting Babylon. And maybe someone will listen. But as long as I don't back down from my stand, I can be a rebel for righteousness. Maybe it's not flashy and glamorous and Robin Hood, or the students of the ABC cafe, but it will make a difference.

Don't stand idly by. Rebel.