Dealing with Anti-Mormon Literature, p. 14

[_beastie]

I believe most members would judge whether or not a work was "anti-mormon" not by the author, but by whether or not it contains claims that challenge basic LDS truth claims.

For example, years ago my boyfriend gave his active, believing brother a copy of BH Robert's Studies of the Book of Mormon. His brother read it, and returned it only after he let some tomatoes rot on top of it to ruin it. He viewed it as "anti Mormon" and thought BH Roberts lost his testimony.

[_silentkid]

I believe most members would judge whether or not a work was "anti-mormon" not by the author, but by whether or not it contains claims that challenge basic LDS truth claims.

For example, years ago my boyfriend gave his active, believing brother a copy of BH Robert's Studies of the Book of Mormon. His brother read it, and returned it only after he let some tomatoes rot on top of it to ruin it. He viewed it as "anti Mormon" and thought BH Roberts lost his testimony.

Beastie...thank you for paraphrasing so succinctly the point I was trying to make. :)

[_Jason Bourne]

I think one of the most shocking moments for me in dealing with "out there" LDS points of view happened when I was attending a Pearl of Great Price class at BYU.

We were discussing the creation story, and the professor got off on a tangent about how God the Father and Heavenly Mother came down to earth and had a little "honeymoon" and that's how Adam and Eve came into being.

I was appalled, and dropped the class.

You do realize, do you not, that that's precisely what Brigham Young taught for over a quarter of a century--the infamous Adam-God doctrine?

No this that Liz is referring to is another thing BY taught-that contradicted other things he taught about Adam God. He did say God came to earth with heavenly mother and they made Adam and Eve by natural means.

Other times he taught that Adam was God and came with a wife, eve, partook of earthly food and became mortal again then started the human race.

[_Jason Bourne]

Honestly it seems to me that the article is telling the average teenager that they should avoid anything that is critical of the Church if the information will cause them the FEEL bad.

And this ingrained idea will carry into adulthood.

What is critical. Well and adult member who was at my home saw a copy of one of Quinn's Mormon Hierarchy books and was surprised I would have such negative material in my home. I guess it is in the eye of the beholder.

[_harmony]

Honestly it seems to me that the article is telling the average teenager that they should avoid anything that is critical of the Church if the information will cause them the FEEL bad.

And this ingrained idea will carry into adulthood.

Well, I think that's the idea anyway. From my perspective, it's more often than not, the approved stuff that makes me feel bad.

[_Ray A]

What is critical. Well and adult member who was at my home saw a copy of one of Quinn's Mormon Hierarchy books and was surprised I would have such negative material in my home. I guess it is in the eye of the beholder.

I think it is. A stake presidency member in my area in the late 80s wondered why I was reading "anti-Mormon" literature like Dialogue and Sunstone. As usual the pedants are trying to trap DCP with their semantics: "You must define anti-Mormon literature!"

[_Jason Bourne]

What is critical. Well and adult member who was at my home saw a copy of one of Quinn's Mormon Hierarchy books and was surprised I would have such negative material in my home. I guess it is in the eye of the beholder.

I think it is. A stake presidency member in my area in the late 80s wondered why I was reading "anti-Mormon" literature like Dialogue and Sunstone. As usual the pedants are trying to trap DCP with their semantics: "You must define anti-Mormon literature!"

Yes but it seems to me Dr Peterson is also dodging the issue. The article is general enough that the average member will believe it says don't read anything that is critical. Mormon Enigma,Quinn's books,even Compton's books bring up controversial and not well known information. I think most would interpret they article to include such works.

[_beastie]

I think it is. A stake presidency member in my area in the late 80s wondered why I was reading "anti-Mormon" literature like Dialogue and Sunstone. As usual the pedants are trying to trap DCP with their semantics: "You must define anti-Mormon literature!"

Oh for heaven's sake, Ray, DCP's response to the OP was to assert there is a fundamental difference between "anti Mormon literature" and "controversial literature". We're trying to get him to be specific on what that difference is. Obviously, "anti Mormon literature" needs to be carefully defined to make this differentiation, but he has so far has been vague on details.

But, "as usual", defenders of the faith are resistant to answering logical questions about their assertions. We're just supposed to accept that there is some crucial difference between "anti Mormon literature" and "controversial literature" and that proves that the church doesn't discourage reading "controversial" literature, only "anti-mormon" literature.

[_Ray A]

Oh for heaven's sake, Ray, DCP's response to the OP was to assert there is a fundamental difference between "anti Mormon literature" and "controversial literature".

With which I agree. I don't consider Quinn an anti-Mormon, because I've never heard an anti-Mormon bear testimony that Joseph Smith is a prophet "just like Moses". I don't consider B.H. Roberts an anti-Mormon either, because that would be plain silly, although from one post here at least one member thought he was.

But, "as usual", defenders of the faith are resistant to answering logical questions about their assertions. We're just supposed to accept that there is some crucial difference between "anti Mormon literature" and "controversial literature" and that proves that the church doesn't discourage reading "controversial" literature, only "anti-mormon" literature.

"The Church" is a large body of people with many varied opinions. You're trying to nail jello to a wall.

[_harmony]

"The Church" is a large body of people with many varied opinions. You're trying to nail jello to a wall.

It's not the members' opinions that I'm trying to nail down. It's the leaders... and whoever wrote the article on pg 14.