A nice editorial about Mormons
I received this from a friend. It is impossible to verify it and the name
"Paul Allen" is a bit suspicious. Nice thoughts all the same.
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An Editorial on Mormons - Santa Clarita, CA
Newspaper Editor , Paul Allen
I have heard and seen enough!
I have lived in the West all my life. I have worked around them. They
have worked for me and I for them. When I was young, I dated their
daughters. When I got married they came to my wedding. Now that I
have daughters of my own, some of their boys have dated my
daughters. I would be privileged if one of them were to be my
son-in-law.
I'm talking about the Mormons.
They are some of the most honest, hard-working people I have ever
known. They are spiritual, probably more than most other so-called
religious people I have encountered. They study the Bible and teach
from it as much as any Christian church ever has. They serve their
religion without pay in every conceivable capacity. None of their
leaders, teachers, counselors, Bishops or music directors receive one
dime for the hours of labor they put in. The Mormons have a non-paid
ministry - a fact not generally known.
I have heard many times from the pulpits of others how evil and
non-Christian they are and that they will not go to heaven. I decided
recently to attend one of their services near my home to see for
myself.
What a surprise! What I heard and saw was just the opposite from what
the religious ministers of the day were telling me. I found a very
simple service with no fanfare. I found a people with a great sense of
humor and a well-balanced spiritual side. There was no loud
music. Just a simple service, with the members themselves giving the
several short sermons.
They urge their youth to be morally clean and live a good life. They
teach the gospel of Christ, as they understand it. The name of their
church is "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." Does that
sound like a non-Christian church to you?
I asked them many questions about what they teach and why. I got
answers that in most cases were from the New Testament. Their ideas
and doctrines did not seem too far fetched for my understanding. When
I read their "Book of Mormon" I was also very surprised to find just
the opposite from what I had been told I would find.
Then I went to another church's pastor to ask him some of the same
questions about doctrine. To my surprise, when he found out that I was
in some way investigating the Mormons, he became hostile. He referred
to them as a non-Christian cult. I received what sounded to me like
evil propaganda against those people. He stated bluntly that they were
not Christian and that they did not fit into the Christian mold. He
also told me that they don't really believe the Bible. He gave me a
pile of anti-Mormon literature. He began to rant that the Mormons were
not telling me the truth about what they stand for. He didn't want to
hear anything good about them.
At first I was surprised and then again, I wasn't. I began to
wonder. I have never known of a cult that supports the Boy Scouts of
America. According to the Boy Scouts, over a third of all the Boy
Scout troops in the United States are Mormon.
What cult do you know of that has a welfare system second to none in
this country? They have farms, canneries and cattle ranches to help
take care of the unfortunate ones who might be down and out and in
need of a little help. The Mormon Church has donated millions to
welfare causes around the world without a word of credit. They have
donated thousands to help re-build Baptist churches that were burned a
few years ago. They have donated tons of medical supplies to countries
ravaged by earthquakes.
You never see them on TV begging for money. What cult do you know of
that instills in its members to obey the law, pay their taxes, serve
in the military if asked and be a good Christian by living high moral
standards?
Did you know that hundreds of thousands of Mormon youth get up before
high school starts in the morning to attend a religious training
class? They have basketball and softball leagues and supervised youth
dances every month. They are recruited by the FBI, the State
Department and every police department in the country because they are
trustworthy. They are taught not to drink nor take drugs. They are
in the Secret Service - those who protect the President. They serve
in high leadership positions from both parties in Congress and in the
U.S. Senate, and have been governors of several states other than
Utah. They serve with distinction and honor.
If you have Mormons living near, you will probably find them to be
your best friends and neighbors. They are Christians who try to live
what they preach. They are not perfect and they are the first to admit
this.
I have known some of them who could not live their religion, just like
many of us.
The rhetoric which is spread around against them is nothing more than
evil propaganda founded in untruths. (Others) had successfully
demonized them to the point that the general public has no idea what
they actually believe and teach. If you really want to know the truth,
go see for yourself. You, also, will be surprised.
When I first moved here some 25 years ago there
were five Mormon wards
in Santa Clarita. Now there are 15. They must be
doing something right.
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Paul Allen Santa Clarita, California
posted by Matthew O. Smith @ 3:10 PM
2 comments
