Mormon Porn

In the process of looking up stuff for my upcoming temple wedding, it's interesting that search engines will find just as much Anti-Mormon material as they do LDS themed websites.

I looked on YouTube for LDS temple wedding videos - you know the artsy, beautiful montages made of couples right outside the Salt Lake Temple, most often in the dead of winter... I was getting ideas. Then, on that brilliant little square to the right are similar videos that YouTube thinks you might be interested in - some of them blatantly attacking the Mormon faith. Even some that re-enact sacred temple stuff. (Didn't watch...)

This goes for Google too. I Googled, "LDS wedding invitation wording" or something to that effect - and ended up on sites that are ex-Mormon, try to de-bunk our faith - whatever.

Looking at Anti-Mormon websites is kind of like looking at porn. (Not that I've ever looked at porn...) It can get just as addictive and all the while you have this really disgusted look on your face and feel so sorry for all the people involved. I've read people's stories on how they left the church after 40 years, how the temple ceremony was terrifying, how Mormons can't be Christians, why Mormons are wrong, how spouses cheated, and tons of other material. I just kept delving deeper and all the while just feeling so sad that nothing anyone will say to them will ever change their thoughts. Because now, they are so far into it, that turning around and coming back out would be a blow to their self-esteem. So they keep trying to disprove our religion, hurt our feelings by putting all their effort into silly videos, twisting all our beliefs, practices, and values around to make us seem like cultish followers.

I guess here's my response to all those who left the church, or never really looked into our faith, and continue to bad-mouth and ridicule us:

To those who left, I notice a theme in your stories. Something bad happened, a divorce, a death, and left you in question. Or you went to the temple, or heard a story about something Mormons believe, and were taken aback when you found out the truth. Learning something new is always hard. We aren't always used to the things we are taught. Especially in life. So when you hear about a strange "Mormon" practice, remember that it's almost like trying to understand the Universe for the first time. Or trying to understand that yes, you DO have a push a watermelon out of your vagina. Or trying to wrap your mind around the whole "Ark" thing, and how Noah could fit all those animals on one boat. At first, it just doesn't make sense and is hard to believe. But after awhile, it's so easy to get caught up in what the rest of the world thinks about Mormons. It's EASY to be a part of that group that tries to de-bunk our faith because it feels good to be in the majority. The majority believes that Noah put all those animals on the Ark with no problem. If no one else thought that, and only MORMONS thought that, I'm sure we would sound nuts.

It's funny how Anti-Mormons will find anything possible to make us look bad. The fact that we are little marriage and baby factories. The fact that we don't drink coffee or tea or booze because were "better" than everyone else. The fact that we get married in temples, not in churches or on beaches, or in Vegas. The fact that we use symbolism of any sort, and won't tell everyone about it. The fact that we wear special underwear. The fact that we have missionaries always knocking on people's doors. But does all this really make us look bad? No. It makes us look DIFFERENT. And people are afraid of different. Nothing that Mormons do or believe is BAD. People just aren't used to it. In fact, as we all know, Mormons are actually really good people in general. It depends on the person of course, but as a whole, we tend to do good things and be good people. Our "Karma" is called "blessings" and we do things accordingly.

The rumor mill goes 'round and people hear all sorts of things about the Mormon faith. Many times people leave the church frustrated and alone. They start anti-Mormon websites, where people can gather and "recover" from Mormonism. I'm not going to poke fun at what "recovering" might entail, but I think it has to do with alcohol and rated R movies. Being a Mo' is hard. Reading people's anti-testimonies is hard. Living the Word of Wisdom, and abiding by all our crazy "rules" is hard. If you don't want to do it, fine. But just because you have to have a smoke or drink a bit of booze or mess up every now and then, doesn't mean you have to leave the church. Just because you don't feel the Spirit 24 hours a day, or when you're going through the temple, or at really important times, doesn't mean that it's God telling you that you're wrong. We are human, and have human emotions, and everything we do isn't perfect. So if you're reading or doing something in the church and feel nervous or weird, that's natural. Granted, it's not like were having orgies in the temple like my Grandmother once thought - and its not like what we do is THAT strange. Good grief.

Alright, that's enough of that. Back to my point of Mormon Porn being a problem. We are encouraged NOT to read this stuff. I would agree for many people. Sometimes people are gullible, or just get blinded by things people say so much that they shouldn't look at it. On the other hand, it challenges us to "re-convert" ourselves sometimes. Especially for those who grew up in the church, it's vitally important that you do your research and convert yourselves instead of following like sheep. These sites only make my testimony stronger. Not to mention it's kind of fun when you point out all the wrong things people think about us.

19 comments:

Lesley said...

I agree with you about "converting ourselves", and we need to know at least a little of the anti-Mo' sentiment is about, so we can be prepared if someone confronts us.

Her Glitter Life said...

We should be aware of this website especially this blog: http://blog.mrm.org/
http://www.lhvm.org/church/index.htm
and most especially this website: http://www.mrm.org/topics/links
I can’t believe this things exist----but when you read the scriptures it is true. It is real and really exist. There are other organization which, whose function and existence, and being is to destroy the Church of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints.The enemy is about us and all around us, it is everywhere, it is in our midst.God's goal is to teach the truth so that people will come to the truth and thereby know to reject the evil.We have our own standard that in the church thatthey cannot control us. The spirit of the Lord is with us; Who protect us from wickedness of this world.

Anonymous said...

Are you guys serious. That is the biggest bunch of nonsense I have ever read. In fact I feel dumber having read it.

Anonymous said...

I left the mormon church because the mysoginy, homophobiasexism, racism, classism, guilt tripping, manipulation, and shame inducing beliefs, practices and doctrine got to be too much.
I may have been raised mormon but that doesn't mean that anything I was taught was of God, true or right.
As an adult I wonder how anyone could buy into such a pile of bullshit.
Oh well to each there own.
I could never believe in a religion who thinks that homophobia, sexism and racism is of God.
It makes me wonder what God fundamentalist religions are really following. Not Creator.

Brandon said...

I love how the use of the word "Anti-Mormon" is almost exclusively used to avoid any meaningful discussion of church beliefs/history/etc. A lot of members seem to be convinced that any criticism of the church is motivated by some unreasonable hatred and therefore not worth consideration. The Mormon persecution complex plays right into this way of thinking or lack thereof.

Anonymous said...

Mormon porn is a brand new adult niche! Lust like Arabic porn sites. Watch out for these wacky religious "themed" sites popping up everywhere!

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Anonymous said...

im 14 and i left the church because the people made it seem as if i shouldnt be there, like i wasnt worthy enough, bringing someone down this low doesnt seem very nice and kind to me. i felt like i was being brain washed and minipulated.

Anonymous said...

hey im 18 and i am going on my mission in less than a year. the normal mormans are right. we go to church to renew our covanants not get brainwashed. i know that the anti mo's think that im just a kid who hasnt seen reality but the moment that I say "I KNOW" my mind has been set. i love this church because it does exactly what it preaches, it brings me to a deeper more meaningfull feeling for the spirit and brings me closer to god and jesus crist in ways you cant get through the mundane world. I KNOW this church is true and that our beliefs are true. the slander that we recieve hourly, daily, monthly and yearly is nothing but the resentful feelings of somone who didnt get what they whanted. life was given to us because we needed to expeirience what elohim our forever forgiving father has expeirienced. those who hide behind thier prejiduces cant see the full plan because they dont whant to buck up and accept whats been given then to learn from. it is extremly troubling to see this attack on my faith that i love so much because i am just about to go on a mission and this has realy opend my eyes to the way satan tries to bring down this church. people just dont understand. and that is what makes me sad.

Anonymous said...

Twilight = Mormon Porn

Anonymous said...

I agree with the fact that people think difference is bad. However, this church is about to make our family move because of foreclosure. Why is that? Tithing. 10% Is one hell of a lot of cash. So, thank you church, for foreclosing my parent's house. You sure do a lot more "good" than "evil"

April said...

I'd like to know how the church is "making" you move?

SeattleSuz said...

April, I was about to ask the same thing......

Anonymous said...

i consider myself open minded, etc.. and, while i find mormons a little creepy, i don't have anything wrong with the tenets of mormonism. i do have a problem with the mormon church, and its use / abuse of power. its like the vatican was in medieval times or... maybe even as the vatican was recently... i don't like the idea that a church tells these folks what to think, how to vote, how to behave, and people follow blindly. its very scary and creepy... and that doesn't even go into the sordid history of the mormon church... which is incredibly creepy (read Under the Banner of Heaven)

Anonymous said...

i guess to sum, i have a huge problem with the aggregation of power and apparent brainwashing of the mormon church on mormons; the political involvement and exercise of such power on non-mormons (see the gay marriage issue in california, as an example), etc. i think if the mormon church did not involve itself politically, did not encourage its members to force beliefs on other folks, etc - i would not have a problem with the nonsensical beliefs of the mormons. while some fear anything that is different, many people make fun of the nonsensical beliefs of the mormons because they fear the growing power of the mormon church - which may be a legitimate fear.
I find cults and other random beliefs distasteful and creepy and problematic, but mormonism seems dangerous. Indeed, many beliefs - however strange - don't seem to advocate the joining of church and state the way mormonism has tried to for the past 150 years.
the mormon church has never been a force for inclusion or equality... it has always sought to promote mormon interests - and the interests of a powerful few - over the interests of the majority.

SeattleSuz said...

And they crawl out of the woodwork again......

Anonymous said...

Hmm. Ask a couple difficult questions about the Mormon Church, and all of a sudden i'm a devil worshipper. It is increasingly difficult to find a Mormon who is willing to discuss openly their religion and it's relation to the world. Any time I talk religion, the Mormon party ends up clamming up and going into some kind of fortress of defense mode.

In a way, the Mormon church is accelerating it's own demise. With this close minded, separatist based approach, you are just gaining more "haters". Now I don't hate the church, and i've had friends who are staunch Mormons... But they've all fallen to the wayside, due to their disconnect with reality.

Also, seeing as how Mormonism was started less than two hundred years ago, by a man who took 27 wives, fled the government, and made countless other blunders... It's no surprise that jokes are lobbed in your direction. You chose to live this life, it's your burden to bear.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely. It is our life to live. It is our choice. And to those who go into it blindly and feel blind-sighted I say do your due diligence and soul searching and you'll find that it's still true. I felt horrible when I found out some of the terrible things that happened in the history of our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But after careful consideration and study, I feel all the more confident about my beliefs.

To those who seem to think Mormons are disconnected with reality, I'd say that there are definitely some weirdies in this church that do do some crazy things. (10 years of food storage, avoid caffeine and make a big deal out of it, avoid r-rated movies and make a big deal out of it, etc.) But I guarantee you that if you talked to our current prophet himself, you'd be astonished at how real of a person he is & how connected with reality he really is.

I'm sure there are Mormons out there offended by my saying those things about food storage, caffeine, and r-rated movies. Personally I don't drink much caffeine/or try not to over do it, I have watched a couple r's, and I don't have any more than a couple months of food storage. Does that make me a bad Mormon?

As a side note, I think people who watch/enjoy Saw are evil. I don't care who you are, you're a sick person if you like that crap.

As far as porn goes, it's definitely a touchy situation because there are so many studies correlate porn to heinous crimes. So I tend to agree with Mormon Porn=Twilight :)

Anonymous said...

April's post was well written and intelligent. Some of the comments posted in response were pretty ridiculous. E.g., the one about someone's house being foreclosed on. I'm sorry about the foreclosure, but the Church has been warning about financial crisis caused by excess debt for about a decade before our economy hit the wall. Not that the parents of the commenter necessarily had excessive debt, but when an economic tidal wave hits, there are lots of innocent victims. Now if the parents had skipped payment of tithing in order to pay down their mortgage, perhaps they would have avoided foreclosure, but our main goal in life is to avoid being foreclosed out of the celestial kingdom, isn't it? If we have to rent for a while here below as the price of obedience, well, so what? That's still no comparison with what the early members lost in being driven out of Missouri and Illinois. People DIED in those "foreclosures."

Then there's the stupid one about Joseph Smith's 27 wives. What's the point of that? David and Solomon had lots more. And the wives didn't complain. Read Eliza R. Snow on the subject.

The commenter also stated that Joseph "fled the government." Well, if the government of Missouri was trying to kidnap you for the purpose of throwing you into a kangaroo court set up by the man who ordered your "extermination," you might flee, too. Considering all the garbage Joseph Smith had to put with during his lifetime, it's a wonder that he got anything done. But his record of accomplishment over the span of just 15 years is truly amazing. How many of his critics have achieved even a thousandth of his work? Which of them ever had a revelation to match Section 9, or 20, or 59, or 76, or 89, or 104, or 121, or 122, or 128?

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