Why I joined-Part 3 "Meet the Mormons"

The time between ages 18 and 25 is a time of transition for all of us. We are leaving mom and dad, finding out who we are, exploring new ways of thinking and being.

It should be a time when we are offered choices and encouraged to think about new ideas that we encounter. In college we are, or should be, exposed to the ideas of Evolution, Existentialism and other philosophical concepts that cause us to question the beliefs that we hold and test and try our mental bounderies.

Unfortunately I was raised in an atmosphere steeped in religion. While the Methodist religion is mild and mainstream, I was surrounded by Southern Baptists who, as I remember, were of the “fundamentalist” brand. Evolution was “Evilution” and any philosophy that slightly questioned the existence of God was “communist” or of the Devil. The mindset was not to question, but to “trust and obey” Jesus and the Bible.

Perhaps it’s my personality, but the fundamentalist mindset stuck with me more than the even tempered teachings of my father’s United Methodism. While my father preached in mild friendly tones, the fundamentalist ministers shouted and exhorted like speakers at some desperate political rally. There screeds would often electrify the crowds and convict people of “sin”. So when it came to religion that was absolute, I had a fatal attraction.

I first met Elder Rapheal one afternoon in September along with Bud Baxter. The LDS Church in that southern town of Bainbridge was located in an old, two story southern home that had seen better days. The two young missionaries lived upstairs and church services were conducted downstairs. We sat downstairs and chatted for a bit. Elder Rapheal, an easy going nice guy from California, began teaching me about Joseph Smith right away. Then Elder Benham showed up. Right away I noticed there was tension between the two of them and, as I was later to find out, Elder Curtis Benham was a missionary that other elders had a tough time getting along with. He was a very smart guy and a dedicated missionary. He was just…..different.

As I said, I was taught first about Joseph Smith and his “First Vision” of God and Jesus in which they informed him that all other churches were wrong and that he would be the person to restore lost truths to the earth. Then I was shown a film called “Man’s Search for Happiness” that basically said, in a round about way, that if anyone really wants to be happy, they need to join the Mormon Church. I was also given a Book of Mormon.

After I got home I thought to myself that here was something different and new. But it really didn’t make that big of an impression on me. That’s how Mormonism is….it’s no big deal once you hear about it. In fact it’s really sort of dull to most outsiders. Weird and strange…but dull.

That’s where “fellowshipping” comes in. In some religions it’s called “love bombing” but in Mormonism there is a special effort to be very friendly to people “investigating” Mormonism called fellowshipping that helps get them into the religion. Mormon Doctrine alone would never convert the vast majority of people who join the LDS Church but being a person’s friend helps the medicine go down.

Moving around so much I never really had very many friends and in Bainbridge I had almost none. Suddenly I had two new best friends! All I had to do was listen to their sales pitch on Joseph Smith and Mormonism. Little did I know that behind the smiles and clean living I was about to get involved in one of the most absolutist religions in America. One that believed and followed strictly the following statements:

"When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done. When they propose a plan--it is God's Plan. When they point the way, there is no other which is safe. When they give directions, it should mark the end of controversy, God works in no other way. To think otherwise, without immediate repentance, may cost one his faith, may destroy his testimony, and leave him a stranger to the kingdom of God."

"When the Prophet speaks the debate is over".

"Always keep your eye on the President of the church, and if he ever tells you to do anything, even if it is wrong, and you do it, the lord will bless you for it but you don't need to worry. The lord will never let his mouthpiece lead the people astray."

P.T. Barnum supposedly said that there was a sucker born every minute. Over the next four months I was to become a sucker for Mormonism...minute by minute.