strap on your magic oracles

I was approached by a Mormon missionary today outside the EP library. I understand they are on a mission but I don't appreciate them loitering outside the library. Anyway, she came up to me to tell me about the LDS and I declined to chat. She wanted to give me their website but I told her I've been to the Temple in Salt Lake City and learned as much as I felt I needed to know. She seemed a bit taken aback and let me move along.

I was thinking about it on the way home and was all prepared to do a post today about Mormonism. But then I started thinking that I might offend people, although to my knowledge I don't know anyone who is a practicing Mormon. I ultimately decided to post anyway--I hope I don't offend you. You have been warned!

A few years ago, the fam went to Utah to go skiing. We had a few hours to kill the day we left so we went down to the Temple to do the tour. Although I've been to the Temple Square a number of times (it is beautiful at Christmas!) I had never done the tour and was interested to see what they had to say. We sat through a presentation about the church and I remember thinking that it didn't seem so different from what I believe. The only thing that really stuck out is that the Mormons on duty seemed extremely interested in getting my personal information, which I declined to give. So I was intrigued and started doing some reading when I got home. I learned some interesting things and have to say that it didn't endear Mormonism to me. Like Joseph Smith digging up the magic oracles and reading the book of Mormon. Or being told by divine revelation to take up polygamy only to give it up a few years later after being threatened by the US Government. Or keeping your place of worship a secret place only for the highest up members. Or excommunicating people who leave the Mormon church. Or being required to give a certain amount of money to the church.

I have been a Christian since I was a child and I will say there are denominations of Christianity that I feel involve sketchy things much like the LDS Church. The older I get the more firmly I feel that denominations are all a bunch of nonsense anyway. Three things weird me out the most from the list above. Number one--not allowing many people into your place of worship. Most churches, synagogues, mosques, etc. are open to any and all that may want to enter. Seekers are usually not required to give out their personal information and are certainly not pressured to give it (I definitely was pressured at the Temple Square to give them my info). Number two--being required to give money at church. All churches ask for money, either directly or indirectly. But I haven't heard of many that consider a certain dollar amount a requirement for membership. I know there are probably some and I think that is wrong and against the spirit of giving. Number three--cutting ex-members out of your lives if they leave the church. Is that at all what Jesus asked us to do? No way! Love your neighbor. Period. And the Mormon church claims to believe in the Bible and its teachings.

So those are my thoughts. I could go on for a while but I won't. I know some of you reading this are thinking, "Well, Christianity is the same as Mormonism in my mind." I encourage you to speak with someone who can give you the information you need to understand the differences. I am not that person. I make decisions with my emotions rather than fact. I know that the missionary today will never convince me to go her way and I could never convince her to come mine. But I do admire their willingness to give up two years of time in order to find more converts. I don't know that I would be willing to do that.

Do you have thoughts on this? How do you deal with missionaries approaching you?