I know an awesome family who are a blend of Methodists, Baptists, and Catholics. They're pretty laid back about their religion, but if one of the teenagers decided to start attending the Catholic church instead of the Baptist one, no one would care. They all kind of have an "if you believe in Jesus, who cares what religion you are? It's all good" attitude.

Why can't this be the same in Mormonism?? If I want to be an Episcopalian or something, it shouldn't have to tear the whole family apart and make my family think I'm slacking in my spirituality or being lead away.

At the root of its intolerance is the First Vision. Joseph Smith is told by God that other churches are an abomination in his eyes.

They have the strange notion that the Jews have lost their favored position and Mormons are now the Chosen People.

This makes it hard for Mormons to adopt any kind of ecumenical spirit. After all, what would Episcopalians think if they heard your bishop calling them "gentiles?"


Kathleen

"At the root of its intolerance is the First Vision. Joseph Smith is told by God that other churches are an abomination in his eyes."

Of course, that's just the beginning of the story. The OP may not know that Joseph Smith claimed that Jesus's original church had fallen away due to "the great apostasy," and that the priesthood authority needed to run the church and officiate in its saving ordinances was lost. God restored the lost priesthood to Joseph Smith, and the LDS church and its leaders possess that true priesthood today. Therefore, the LDS church is the only religion on earth which has the authority to act in God's name, to teach correct doctrine, and administer saving ordinances such as baptism.

As a Mormon scripture verse states, the LDS church "is the only true and living church upon the face of the earth with which I, the Lord, am well pleased." So, according to Mormon doctrine, all other churches are false, and that's why the Mormons don't want people attending or joining any others.

Kathleen gave you good information.

I'd just like to point out that this "awesome family" you mentioned may still be rather intolerant, just on a different level...you mentioned that "if you believe in Jesus" then they're OK. What if one of the kids wanted to be Jewish, or atheist? Then they're not OK?

You get it hardwired into your brain as a child and reinforced by your parents and kith and kin. Most of us left as an adult, after the mold had already set.

I quit at twelve, fighting my father all the way. Then at eighteen I tried to go back, but that effort quickly crumbled. Still, the mold had set, as you say, axel. Maddening how that indoctrination and reinforcement is never forgotten. Even after it blows up like a dying appendix, it leaves an ugly scar.