Getting rid of Mormon books and other various books

[iepuras]

Not rocks, but eggs and seaweed (yes I know that’s weird, but you had to have been on a mission in Taiwan to understand it). They slashed our bicycle tires. They also displayed signs (even on our makeshift “chapel”) that changed the Chinese characters pronounced “Mwo Mun” meaning “loftiest door” or perhaps “door to goodness”, with other characters pronounced “Mwo Mun” which meant “devil’s door”.

But these things weren’t done by the locals. Chinese people have too much sense and are far too polite to do things like that.

No, these things were done by Baptist and Presbyterian missionaries from America (seriously bizarre people).

We just considered the source and didn’t take it seriously. Strange that you did.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happily Catholic)

P.S.: In the apartment in SungShan where I roomed with Elder “Bai” Barrett who posts here from time to time, we had a rat that we tried to catch but just couldn’t. Elder Barrett mused “Where did this infernal thing come from?” One of the other elders said “Maybe it was the Baptists?” We all had the giggles for a long time over that one.

I grew up in Texas surrounded by Baptists and fortunately never had it that bad. Most of them wouldn’t talk to me. I’m an introvert and didn’t really care that much. Most of my friends were either Catholic or not religious.

 

[dianaiad]

Not rocks, but eggs and seaweed (yes I know that’s weird, but you had to have been on a mission in Taiwan to understand it). They slashed our bicycle tires. They also displayed signs (even on our makeshift “chapel”) that changed the Chinese characters pronounced “Mwo Mun” meaning “loftiest door” or perhaps “door to goodness”, with other characters pronounced “Mwo Mun” which meant “devil’s door”.

But these things weren’t done by the locals. Chinese people have too much sense and are far too polite to do things like that.

No, these things were done by Baptist and Presbyterian missionaries from America (seriously bizarre people).

We just considered the source and didn’t take it seriously. Strange that you did.

Paul (formerly LDS, now happily Catholic)

P.S.: In the apartment in SungShan where I roomed with Elder “Bai” Barrett who posts here from time to time, we had a rat that we tried to catch but just couldn’t. Elder Barrett mused “Where did this infernal thing come from?” One of the other elders said “Maybe it was the Baptists?” We all had the giggles for a long time over that one.

Well, it’s a little difficult to not take something seriously when one is being stitched up in the local ER.

Paul, every single Mormon missionary has similar stories, whether the offenders were Baptists or other evangelicals, or just a bunch of wound up locals. I remained Mormon, and I remained a target. You did not remain Mormon and got out of the bulls eye.

Doesn’t it bother you that indeed, every missionary (and honestly, not just Mormon missionaries…look to the stories of Catholic martyrs and missionaries) can tell stories like this? It should. It is not an illustration, after all, that I am WRONG about the hatred out there.

 

[Telstar]

Well, it’s a little difficult to not take something seriously when one is being stitched up in the local ER.

Paul, every single Mormon missionary has similar stories, whether the offenders were Baptists or other evangelicals, or just a bunch of wound up locals. I remained Mormon, and I remained a target. You did not remain Mormon and got out of the bulls eye.

Doesn’t it bother you that indeed, every missionary (and honestly, not just Mormon missionaries…look to the stories of Catholic martyrs and missionaries) can tell stories like this? It should. It is not an illustration, after all, that I am WRONG about the hatred out there.

While all of the stories posted above about missionaries (of any faith) being persecuted, are typical of all kinds of religious prejudice, none of them were connected in any way with anyone burning books. Nor, were any of those acts perpetrated by former members of the faith taking ‘hateful revenge’ against their former church’s members.

Christians (particularly Catholics) have been persecuted (and killed) for their faith for almost 2000 years. But, Jesus never promised us a rose garden. He told us what we were up against. After all, He was the First Martyr of His own Church. Why should any of us expect to be treated any better than He was? “Matthew 10:22 And you shall be hated by all men for my name’ s sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved. [23] And when they shall persecute you in this city, flee into another. Amen I say to you, you shall not finish all the cities of Israel, till the Son of man come. [24] The disciple is not above the master, nor the servant above his lord. [25] It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the goodman of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household?” I think most Catholics tend to look at suffering persecution much differently than Mormons do. We tend to see it more as an honor and a privilege, to suffer like Jesus did. I think Mormons tend to take it as an insulting personal attack, against them. From what I’ve learned about LDS, this is probably due to the different way they view the Crucifixion. It’s something that isn’t really emphasized in their belief system, because it was the epitome of personal humiliation and attack, perpetrated against Jesus. LDS tend not to want to identify with that kind of suffering. But, they’re not alone. Many other non-Catholics tend to avoid thinking about it, too.

On the other hand, many Catholics devote themselves to always remember it, so we don’t lose site of the deep humility that Jesus taught us to have, when dealing with every situation we might have to face in life. Remembering what Jesus suffered, especially on the cross, makes whatever we might suffer on this earth seem insignificant in comparison.

As Catholics like to say about any kind of suffering, “Just offer it up!”.

 

[twopekinguys]

So far I have been accused of being ‘over dramatic’ about this, and indulging in a ‘victim’ mentality…

but hey.

What can I say to this?

I have a scar from having been stoned, with real rocks, because someone didn’t like the idea of Mormons walking down their street. I have had dogs sicced on me (none of them bit me, though). I have been displayed at the front of a church meeting while the preacher ranted on and on about how horrific Mormonism is, how heretical and blasphemous I was, and how I was going to hell and that everybody in the congregation should get a good long look at me so that they will know not to deal with me in any way: no selling me things in their shops, no stopping and helping, no conversation, no contact. I have had two jobs, for which I was actually hired, refused me because of my religion (actually, I don’t have a problem with that one; I wouldn’t sign their ‘statement of faith,’ and they were ‘Christian’ schools) and have had my daughter thrown out of a Christian book store because the clerk saw her CTR ring and declared that “Mormons aren’t Christians and don’t belong in a Christian book store!”

Something tells me that a Catholic would have received the same treatment from that particular store clerk…

I would, right now, own about ten miles of good Mississippi river front property if the good folks of that area hadn’t driven my great grandparents out of the state. In high school I was targeted, officially, by three groups specifically because I was a Mormon.

Believe me,. I have spent my entire life, a very good life, btw, constantly running into (and honestly being surprised by) some idiot who thinks that Mormons deserve whatever happens to them.

So do NOT tell me that I have a ‘persecution complex.’ it ain’t paranoia if they really ARE ‘out to get you.’

Here’s what I think about burning those books. If it is the ideas you want to get rid of, then burning the books is simply an expression of aggression. It’s, at least subconsciously, an expression of what you would like to do to the ideas themselves; to the people who hold them. Not everybody who burns a book for this reason will go on to be nasty to the people, but i can tell you this: those who do end up doing violent things to the people have NO problem burning the books.

If you want to call this ‘over the top,’ fine, it’s over the top.

But how many of you have had people throw rocks at you because they didn’t like your religion?

I usually don’t talk about this, but, here we go.

When I was much younger, I was sexually assaulted by a man much older than me. (that is much detail as I am going reveal.)

I held a grudge, and much anger about it for many, many years(40 to be exact), and obviously wished and prayed that awful things would happen to that individual. (like body parts rotting off, etc. )

Then, I realized that as long as I harbored those ill feelings, and didn’t forgive the person that assaulted me, they still had power over me. What they did to me, their act of power over me, was affecting me many years later.

I realized that what happened to me played a part in who I have become, but, it didn’t, and doesn’t define who I am.

Ultimately, with much prayer, and discernment, I truly forgave my attacker. I laugh more, I Love more, and I “feel” more, and people notice. None of whom know anything about the assault.

There comes a time, you have to let it go, and put it behind you.

 

[lynnettejane]

All my family are Mormon (even though we are currently estranged) so I don’t feel like I can get rid of everything and forget about Mormonism. I still monitor what is going on in the LDS church. I actually keep my old quad (KJV Bible, BOM, D&C, POGP) in the drawer by my bed because it has proved useful in my responses to many of the Mormon-related threads on this forum.

I do need to box most of it up though and put it away. I know I need to buy some more bookcases but clearing out my shelves of Mormon books would help alleviate some of the pressure. I freely admit that one of my vices is buying too many books!

I share you vice, but now they are books that help me in my new faith.

 

[dianaiad]

I usually don’t talk about this, but, here we go.

When I was much younger, I was sexually assaulted by a man much older than me. (that is much detail as I am going reveal.)

I held a grudge, and much anger about it for many, many years(40 to be exact), and obviously wished and prayed that awful things would happen to that individual. (like body parts rotting off, etc. )

Then, I realized that as long as I harbored those ill feelings, and didn’t forgive the person that assaulted me, they still had power over me. What they did to me, their act of power over me, was affecting me many years later.

I realized that what happened to me played a part in who I have become, but, it didn’t, and doesn’t define who I am.

Ultimately, with much prayer, and discernment, I truly forgave my attacker. I laugh more, I Love more, and I “feel” more, and people notice. None of whom know anything about the assault.

There comes a time, you have to let it go, and put it behind you.

Yep. This is true. That doesn’t mean we can’t learn from the experiences. As my grandmother said (and as I have mentioned here before now) “You can forgive the bulldozer from running over you, but that doesn’t mean you have to stand in front of it again.”

Forgiving those who trespass and persecute is one thing…but outright inviting it is quite another. Indeed, that might even be termed a form of excess pride.

After all, being persecuted for one’s belief does not prove that one’s belief is true. It just proves that other people hate you.

I would prefer that such persecution, of anybody, not begin…and it usually begins by exercises like burning the books that contain the ideas one dislikes, or by verbally attacking others, or by other methods of so called ‘non-violent’ means.

As to burning books as ‘closure.’…It is a long standing observation that the opposite of love is not hate, but indifference. Indifference does not require burning anything.

 

[twopekinguys]

After all, being persecuted for one’s belief does not prove that one’s belief is true. It just proves that other people hate you.

I disagree with this statement. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they hate you. It may mean they are even more passionate about their own beliefs.

 

[adamhovey1988]

I don’t know if this helps but the Catholic Church did burn heretical bibles in the past to keep them from spreading a false gospel. I’m not sure I would feel comfortable passing along a non-Catholic Bible under any circumstance.

Fr. Mitch Pacwa has copies of the Quran and the Book of Mormon, and is apparently familiar with the New World Translation. Now, I wouldn’t read them unless I am going to engage in SERIOUS Apologetics. I also have a Muslim (Former) brother in law (my sister is divorced). He’s a nice guy, and we get along just fine. But explaining Christianity to him was tough. Had to explain schisms, councils, Sacraments. I don’t see him being Christian anytime soon (partially because he is a Saudi citizen), but I think if we are going to share our faith, it would be wise to know someone else’s. When I was young, my Lutheran father used to argue with Mormons, and we had copies of the Book of Mormon. My dad also liked to argue. Eventually, they stop coming to talk religion, and just came to visit. If someone feels uncomfy with those books though, I think throwing them out may be a wise idea