I love the subtitle for this article, because it is so smug: "challenging everything you think you know." The arrogance is breathtaking.

Myth #4 is particlarly weird. Ms. Brooks claims that Mormon women are not second class citizens in the church. But she goes on to explain how the men have all the power and authority. Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot!

This article stems from the don't answer the question they asked, answer the question they should have asked camp. Look here are a few straw man arguments against my religion, and one I answer poorly. Isn't it wonderful, isn't it marvelous. I beat down those straw men! Woohoo! If Ms. Brooks really wants to challenge what I think I know, she should take on the whole Book of Abraham business and convince critics of Mormonism that they are wrong about that.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-mormonism/2011/08/03/gIQAyIhTwI_story.html

Are not myths at all. They are the truth about mormonism. Even the polygamy thing, if you go into sealings and D&C 132.

Dear Sister (Joanna) Brooks,

I submit the below as an answer to your very misleading article...to set the record stratight....and a few questions

Myth #1: Mormons practice polygamy. Since you don't define the term, I can only assume you mean earthly polygamy...and even that is incorrect. You state, "...the LDS Church, which teaches that marriages — or “sealings” — performed in its temples are eternal, has never disavowed elements of Mormon theology suggesting that polygamy will be practiced in heaven. Church policy permits widowed and some divorced men to be sealed for all eternity to more than one wife, while Mormon women may not be sealed to more than one husband. Consequently, some mainstream LDS Church members anticipate polygamy as part of eternity, while others reject it." Really?? has "never" disavowed...well let's just say they (the lds church, the missionary force, all marketing material) are purposefully deceitful about that litle nugget of theology since IT ISN"T TAUGHT IN ANY OFFICIAL CLASS, MANUAL, ETC these days.

So "SOME mainstream LDS Church members anticipate polygamy as part of eternity?...", you mean you get a choice what you believe and what you don't??? Hmmmm that's a different lds church than I know...go ahead and test that out at your next fast and testimony meeting. And if polygamy is NOT believed to be a part of the hereafter, what the heck is going to go on with JS's and BY's, and PPP's wives?

MYTH #2: Mormons are Christians. Please tell me why the term "Gentile" was used to refer to non members and why a Christian organization was termed the "Great and Abominable Church"? And about those discussions of Christ's teachings? Hmmm, from what I remember there were very few of those...ever.

MYTH#3: Most Mormons are white, English-speaking conservatives. Take a look at the "face" of the Mormon Church....its 20-30K missionary force. Wanna give me the demographics on that? Despite what the lds church may have on its roles (you know the thousands of folks that were conned into getting baptisms and have left but stay on the roles?), its leadership, its face to the public, its foundation, and yes, the majority fo attending members...are white, english speaking conservatives. If you'd like to dispute that by getting the lds church to release its sacrament meeting attendance numbers that they so diligently collect each Sunday, be my guest...oh that's right, they don't release that info....hmmmm.

MYTH #4: Mormon women are second-class citizens. NOT a myth, it is policy as you point out in your article. How can current church policy be a myth?

MYTH #5: A Mormon president would blur the line between church and state. Hmmmm, we don't have any examples...wait a minute...didn't BY set up his own "country"..well at least a territory? What kind of political system did the prophet put in place???? Oh that's right, it was a theocracy....perrrrfect. Must have been what the Almighty wanted...right?

Hmmm zero for five...not a good batting average.

OMFG! We can disprove myth #4 with this shit from Richard "Snoozefest" Scott:

"Satan has unleashed a seductive campaign to undermine the sanctity of womanhood, to deceive the daughters of God and divert them from their divine destiny. He well knows women are the compassionate, self-sacrificing, loving power that binds together the human family. He would focus their interests solely on their physical attributes and rob them of their exalting roles as wives and mothers. HE HAS CONVINCED MANY OF THE LIE THAT THEY ARE THIRD-CLASS CITIZENS IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD."

http://lds.org/ensign/2000/05/the-sanctity-of-womanhood?lang=eng

Joanna Brooks has done a lot to improve my general opinion of Mormons. She seems more willing than most to acknowledge and explore uncomfortable truths about the Mormon church. I respect that immensely and recognize how difficult it can be. However, I am surprised and disappointed in this piece, which I find to be somewhat confusing and misleading.

1.) I give Ms. Brooks points for her frankness about Joseph Smith and the LDS church's historical practice of polygamy. However, some Mormons do still practice polygamy, so the "myth" "Mormons Practice Polygamy" is not false unless it is construed to mean that "All Mormons Practice Polygamy".

2.) I can see both sides of this issue, but claiming "My Jewish husband thinks we're Mormons, so we must be" hardly gets us anywhere. Further, It isn't just “technicalities” that separate Mormonism from mainstream Christianity. If "Christian" is just a label used to characterize churches with a special regard for Jesus Christ of the New Testament, then yes Mormons are Christian. However, Mormonism radically reinterprets Christian theology in a way that tells a completely different story about the God of the New Testament than mainstream Christianity. If "Christian" means doctrinal similarities, worshiping the same God/Jesus, holding similar beliefs about God/Jesus, etc. then there are far bigger issues separating Mormons from Christianity. And for the record, I am not Christian myself.

3.) Rather than addressing the truth that Mormon leadership IS largely white and English-speaking, and that there is an ugly history of racism in Mormon doctrine and tradition, Brooks chose to set up a straw-man. The majority of Mormons ARE conservative and fall into the so-called "family values" crowd (Prop-8, Anti-ERA, anti-Choice) etc. To claim that Mormons are considered conservative because of the association with Glenn Beck is just false. Mormons leaned conservative long before he came on the scene.

4.) Sexism and sexist conceptions of gender roles are among the most important and fundamental elements of Mormon doctrine and practice (Recall the “Proclamation on the Family”?). Women are denied authority solely in virtue of their sex. Feminism is all about a fundamental rejection of patriarchy. Mormonism is fundamentally a patriarchal church and culture. You can’t both embrace the Mormon faith AND claim that women are treated equally—they absolutely are not.

5.) I take issue with any self-identified temple-going, believing Mormon seeking office if for no other reason than that they view the church as having special moral authority and the church has not been shy about influencing politics in the past, or promoting racism, sexism, and homophobia. I can’t vote for a politician who is homophobic, racist, or sexist. Nor can I vote for a politician who tolerates homophobia, racism and sexism. These are perfectly legitimate grounds for concern over Mormons in positions of political power.