A Rejection of “Mormons”)

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most people still refer to us as Mormons, though that has never been the name of our church. In general, people speak of us as being extremely nice and neighborly, but they often describe our faith as being either very weird or very sinister. Whether it is claims that Joseph Smith was a charlatan and a huckster, or assumptions that the whole religion is demonic, you do not often hear people expressing that there is anything worthy in our beliefs.

This has always been the case, but as of late, the volume of criticism against us seems to be increasing. I suspect that it has to do with the broader cultural and political shift in America. When conservatism and Christianity were on the back foot, targeting your own didn’t make sense, but now that they are having a revival of sorts, some members want to gatekeep who really gets to be a part of that coalition.

My exposure to the increasing criticism came about by seeking media voices that I thought I could relate to. Being an active Christian myself, I enjoy hearing spiritual viewpoints online. Sadly, over the past couple years, every mainstream Christian blog, podcast, or YouTube channel has made it a point to periodically inform their audience how much they disagree with “Mormonism.” Not only is the rhetoric growing more frequent, it is also growing more pronounced, with posts designed around “destroying Mormonism,” and channels that are dedicated exclusively to criticizing the church. Most shocking of all was the people who showed up on social media following the slaughter of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They would “correct” anyone making the “mistake” of calling us Christians when reporting on that tragedy. This seemed a very perverse reflex, and it was deeply hurtful in our time of mourning.

Overall, the attacks against my church seem to be becoming more rampant and more sensationalized. Not an honest disagreement of doctrine, not a genuine desire to save lost souls, but a mean and vicious mockery, at times with full-on fabrication and outright bigotry. This is a trend that has me worried greatly.

A Broader View)

Of course, I have to remind myself that the loudest voices rarely speak for all of the group, or even for the majority. For every YouTuber trying to tell me what my faith is, and why it is wrong, I hope that there are still many other mainstream Christians who would rather leave the judgment to God. Also, I have to remember that mine is not the only Christian minority in the West, and others face similar criticism also. In fact, I recently saw a video from Jonathan Pageau, an Eastern Orthodox, where he described some outside criticism that seemed sounded very similar to my own experience.

Before I continue this study, discussing the resentment I see directed towards my church, I want to make it clear that I know these are individuals who are choosing to attack the faith of others, and I am not making an indictment of any larger denomination as a whole. I know that I have many brothers and sisters in these other denominations, and I am sincerely grateful for them. I have met some of them, and had conversations with them, and I know that they are true Christians. Of course, we have differences in views, and we each champion what we believe to be the fulness of the truth, but we trust God to sort out those differences in His own due time, and we will happily submit to Him as He reveals the truth to us.