Stereotypes

Let's face it... stereotypes usually derive from some truth, which is why its nearly impossible to get people to QUIT stereotyping. Yes. Most old people drive slow. Yes. Most women are hormonal. Yes. Most men don't hang onto their wife's every word. Yes. Mississippians eat a lot of fried food. OTHER stereotypes are just something pulled out of someone's nose. Mississippians DO have teeth... we DO have shoes... and we CAN read and write. (But maybe along time ago that wasn't the case?... I don't know).

I thought it would be fun to dispell or NOT some of my FAVORITE stereotypes. MORMON ones.

*All Mormons have 10 kids. FALSE: some only have 7.
*All Mormon women drive a Mini Van FALSE: some drive surburbans, full sized vans, and small busses
*Mormons are not Christians FALSE: I think God would agree that He gets to hear from me daily (You people think I am detailed on facebook and blog? You should hear my prayers) and in my daily prayers I always give my gratitude for my Savior's infinite atonement and every prayer is dedicated in the name of Jesus Christ. Plus, how many one year olds do you know that can point out a pic of Jesus? (Well all the kids in our nursery certainly can!)
*All Mormon men have more than one wife. FALSE: No members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints practice polygamy. TOO BAD... if we did I'd have Starling married to a good cook, another wife that enjoyed housework, and one that really liked to have a job and make lots of money.(Starling on the other hand can barely deal with ONE wife).
*All Mormons are brainwashed. HMM: I don't exactly know the definition of brainwashed... being told something over and over again? We do teach the kids from the time they are born to PRAY PRAY PRAY... and to ask for help from their Heavenly Father. We are also repeatedly encouraged to serve our fellow men, to read our scriptures, get our food storage ready, make our homes refuges from the world, steer clear from pornography and any addictive substances... whew... I dunno. But if I'm brainwashed, I want Brooklyn to be brainwashed the same way because it kept me out of a LOT of trouble!!
*All Mormons are weird. TRUE: I prefer being called a "peculiar" person rather than weirdo- BUT tomato, tomotto. Come to think of it... I don't know ANYONE Mormon or not that doesn't fall into the weird category somehow.
*Mormons don't know how to have fun. FALSE: I happen to believe I have some of the MOST fun! (and not just by scaring my husband)And I remember it the next day, have no hang over, and have no regrets!
*Mormons don't drink alcohol, coffee, tea, or use tobacco. TRUE: Health Insurance companies LOVE some Mormons! (and so do our dentists)
*Mormons read more than the Bible. TRUE: We read the King James Bible and the Book of Mormon. The Bible takes place on one side of the continent, where Jesus was born and raised and lived, and the Book of Mormon takes place in the Americas. The Book of Mormon also testifies of Jesus Christ and his birth and resurrection. The two books go hand in hand.
*Mormons are always dressed in white shirts and ties and knock on people's doors. FALSE and TRUE: All worthy young men are asked to serve a two year mission at the age of nineteen. They are not paid for their service. In fact, young men save up money all through high school so that they can pay for their mission. They are sent all over the world sharing a message about Jesus Christ and his restored gospel. But the rest of the men and women just where normal clothes.
*Mormons believe in prophets. TRUE: We believe the Bible accounts of all the prophets. We also believe in MODERN day revelation, which simply means, we don't believe that our Father in Heaven left us without direction in todays world of computers, pornography, cell phones, etc. (ALL of which did not exist in Bible or Book of Mormon times). That is the MAIN thing that sets Mormons apart from other religions. We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth in the same form that Jesus formed it when He was on the earth. We have a prophet and 12 apostles just like He originally set up.
*Mormons worship Joseph Smith. FALSE: We believe he was a prophet in more recent times, the prophet who translated the Book of Mormon from its original language through the power of God. We are grateful for his faithfulness and endurance through all the tribulation he faced, but we do not esteem him as an equal to Jesus or God. We do not pray to him. Believing that he was truly a prophet of God is important in our religion, though. Because, if he wasn't a prophet, then he couldn't have translated the Book of Mormon, could not have had the keys of the priesthood restored to the church, and therefore... we wouldn't have The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
*Mormons exist all over the world. TRUE: A neat fact about our church, which is unlike most all other churches, is that you can go to a Mormon church in Oak Grove, MS and the next week to one in Africa and the same doctrines will be taught from the same lesson manual.
*Mormons don't get paid to serve. TRUE: We do not pay a preacher, teachers, or in most cases custodians. We have a Bishop who is called to serve a ward, free of charge. We then have music directors, pianists, Sunday school teachers, missionaries, etc. that are asked to serve and it is a freely given service (except for all the blessings we recieve!) Members are released from one calling and called to other callings based on the inspiration recieved from diligent prayer. We take turns cleaning our building and donating our time for service projects.
*Mormons pay 10% of everything they make to the church. TRUE: We pay a 10% tithe which goes to pay for the buildings lights and any maintenance needed, new church buildings, etc. and is used not only in OUR area but in places where money is scarce like Africa, Mexico, Haiti, etc. We also pay a fast offering which maintains food for those in need of food and monetary needs for those needing living assistance for both members of our church and those of our communities all over the world.

If you have more Mormon stereotypes to add or have heard feel free to comment! I'll answer them to the best of my ability. You can also visit LDS.ORG to see exactly what Mormons believe and are being taught. You can spy on our Prophet and his twelve apostles by clicking on Conference Talks. And if you are curious and comfortable with inviting people into your home, get those 19 year old boys into your living room and ask them what Mormons believe. They come from all over the world to share their testimony. Afterall, you don't have to BE Mormon to know what a Mormon believes... But you should definitely ask a MORMON what he or she believes not a person from a different religion. I wouldn't ask a heart surgeon advice on my plumbing or a plumber to give me heart surgery. It's sad how many preachers are devoting hours they could be teaching of Christ to teaching falsehoods about Mormons. I don't see how that benefits members of their church or the community. And Mormons love our Christian neighbors! We are on the same team! We want to stand as a united front against Satan and his wicked media tactics. As Christians we should be helping each other fight to preserve our constitution and protect the family, not fight each other. And for all my non-Mormon friends who are praying for my soul... THANK YOU! (sincerely)! And pray for my family, too! I love that we pray for each other, because we are all brother and sisters and that is what family is for!