I’m sure it’s just one more sign of cult-like behavior, but I have to say I’m impressed with the ability of most Mormon congregations to rapidly rally around someone who is moving to help them move into or out of their ward or branch. The good Saints in Madison sure made a positive impression on my son and his wife when they moved into town–so many people showed up to help. Thanks! They knew they were “home” right away. And some of the LDS community in Naperville/Aurora, Illinois really came to the rescue of another relative in the midst of sudden hardship this week. Thank you!
And when I needed some people this week to help a woman I home teach make a move, I was so pleased with the good men who showed up and freely gave of their time. I thought that the woman just wanted two people to move one item of furniture into a truck – a five-minute job – but there were a lot more items to be moved and then unloaded elsewhere in town, so the project, though small, was a lot bigger than I had advertised. Fortunately, I had booked more people than necessary just in case (six showed up). It was a very positive experience for the woman and a good way for some of her relatives to meet some LDS people, too. And I scored bigtime: the woman had a valuable anti-Mormon book that I hadn’t seen yet and really wanted to review. Offered to buy it from her but she was going to donate it to our ward library anyway and said I could have it (she didn’t realize it was anti – doesn’t look that way at all, and I didn’t bother to clarify its nature for her). Ah, the blessings of service. Nothing beats scoring an interesting out-of-print book.
Update: Several critics put on their robes of indignation over my statement that I accepted an anti-Mormon book from an elderly woman who was going to give it away to the ward library. It has been called a “mugging” and “cult-like” and “deceptive.” (Some of the most unkind comments were deleted for other reasons.) Whew! Look, the old woman who can barely see anymore was going to give it away because she thought someone else in the ward might like it. It would have ended up in the garbage. Instead, it was something I wanted to take a look at. I asked her if I could buy it and she said I could just have it since she was getting rid of it anyway. Knowing her, she would have been quite upset if she knew she had had an anti-Mormon book on her shelf. Why upset the woman?
Ah the joys of being in the Elders Quorum……
btw the link in your post is pointing incorrectly
We cult brothers need to stick together.
Fixed it.
Why is it that the words, ‘Spin’ and ‘Doctor’ beginning to form in my head whenever I visit this site? Jeff, avoid posts like this because to us non-Mormons, it makes the Mormon church even more cult-like. You are of course entitled to your own opinion; after all it is your blog =)
Dear NM,
Amen to that !
Jeff as I have said to you before, ” your blog, your ownership, your salvation! “
Teranno4x4
Do you mean Christ-like service in helping someone? How cult-like can you get!!
Last time I moved, I don’t remember one atheist helping me move. jk Well, you know how us cults like using spin-doctorish 1940’s war propaganda language.
All I see is a note of appreciation in the language. Even cults say thanks and appreciate others!
Aurora? My wife spent most of her teen-hood over there. We actually met some of them at our wedding. Nice to see such Christian people, still doing the Christian thing. Nice post.
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“You, as a denomination were labelled by Walter Martin over 50 years ago – get over it or complain to the powers that be in his shoes today!”
Walter Martin? You are basing your statement of the LDS Church being a cult on Walter Martin? That is laughable. Powers that be? Are you kidding? Where does/did he or his shoe fillers get their authority from? Are they the universal “cult deciders”?
And about Jeff accepting a gift from a woman in the form of an anti-Mormon book…..I guess I can liken this to a non-Mormon Christian preacher, that is anti-Mormon, taking a Book of Mormon from someone that doesn’t know what it is so that they don’t read it and possibly join the LDS faith.
NM, what on earth are you talking about? Do you feel that taking an anti-book before it was discarded is cult-like mind control? Or was it my audacity in saying something positive about my experience with Mormons helping each other?
Yes, very cult-like, I’m sure – as explained at the nefarious Mormon Cult.org site.
Jeff,
Errm. I don’t remember talking about the book…
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Just because a fraud (Martin) says something doesn’t make it true, especially from him. Like I said, laughable. And who cares if they “decided upon” something. What gives them that right? You are the one agreeing and/or quoting him. And don’t say you don’t think LDS people aren’t part of a cult. You have been hinting at that in many posts.
So what’s NM point? He hasn’t aswered your question. Is reading something positive about the Church what makes him so creeped out?
FYI, this is a pro-Mormon blog!
Hi Anonymous,
Yes, I acknowledge that this is a pro-Mormon blog. And once in a while, I appreciate some things of what Jeff writes. In further reflection, I think I stepped out of turn with my original post (1:44 AM, Sept 23, 2007)…
…the post, in itself, bears no weight – at least there is nothing that I have a Biblical problem with. Maybe one has to be part of the Mormon church to resonate with Jeff – just as anyone from a particular culture can only resonate with others who belong to that culture.
Jeff, I apologize. I stepped out of turn.
OK, thanks – I’ll just chalk it up as a misunderstanding or lack of resonance (see the tap … tap … post). Really was struggling to understand the problem. Thanks for the clarification.
Jeff,
Funny, it was after reading the ‘tap tap tap’ post that made me reflect and eventually write what I wrote =)
NathanielMacrae