"Mormonism"

While driving to work/school, Em and I will typically listen to Morning Edition on NPR. Sometimes thought-provoking, other times incredulous, today's lead story actually kind of shocked me. "Mormons Confront Negative Ideas About Their Faith" was the title posted online, and a similar one was read on air. The story was mostly gleaned from articles in the WSJ, NY Times, and others, and focused on how Romney's campaign incited "puffings" of those who can find nothing good in the faith to a public awareness nearly unheard of, and for the most part, unknown to most outside the Bible Belt. I for one have not really decided whom to vote for (no one's fault but my own), and felt Romney to be an interesting candidate, but really followed him closely to see what was said of the Church and faith that means so much to me. And what has been said has been really, really nasty, most of it. I remind myself near daily of some powerful words, "A patient disciple, for instance, will not be surprised nor undone when the Church is misrepresented," ...and Emily has chided me to stop reading before I blow up. The thoughtless errors baffle me, and this, at a time with the heretofore-unknown widespread archives of knowledge. "Go to the source," our parched mouth tells us, knowing of the roily, muddy, poison-filled stagnant waters of the far side of the pond. Yet, our rational minds says "Non-sequitur."

Which brings me to my thought. Truth has always, always, always, been hated and persecuted. Light always stirs up darkness. I have been loving Parley P. Pratt's Autobiography. I just read the prelude and dirge of Haun's Mill. And it shakes me that these people were murdered for nothing more than than being a "Mormon", as Parley puts it. Heartwrenching, but I love the in-quotes noun, meaning, "it's this, but not really". What is a "Mormon", used as appellate? Nothing more than that: a descriptive term stuck like a thumbtack by those on the outside looking in. (I am aware of Joseph's description of its Egyptian origin and his subsequent commentary; this is not what I'm typing about.) In Parley's eyes- and mine- he saw his faith as being the same as the ancients, none of the newfangledness of reformation or Reformation. And if Christ was persecuted, I can expect the same, scripture promising.