I wonder if LDS would like to be “hit on” while visiting the Carthage Jail or Hill Cumorah. I imagine they would take great offense to such activity. Very, very, shameful.
The public library closest to me is right across the street from the local ward meeting house and has a terrific selection of LDS publications (all ‘pro’ - but it is nice to be able to be able to check out volumes of the JoD: they have a set of ‘reference only’ that cannot be checked out as well as two sets which can be taken home). As to whether they also have an ‘anti-Mormon’ selection, I can’t say, as I’ve never really looked although I do know that there are none of the Tanner’s books available!
That is a terrific idea - should I ever find myself in the same situation I think that is exactly what I would do (and they may have been there as curious tourists in the first place - I wouldn’t expect a priest to remove his collar while wandering the grounds of the SLC temple, nor would I expect missionaries to remove their distinctive “Elder Smith” badges).
I think this is just marketing. The MediaPlay’s and Wal-Marts in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming all stock lots of LDS books. But in the Bible belt you won’t see hardly any but will see lots of Protestant books. Having been a distributor to Wal-Mart I can tell you they’re only interested in merchandise that sells quickly. If the LDS stuff doesn’t sell well it won’t last long.
Mom,
Sam Walton was Christian, not a Catholic, but also not a mormon. When he died, his kids and wife inherited the business. I am not sure how the corporation works, but most franchises are run by different people under the umbrella of the original. Those people make decisions based on the local area and the guidelines of the company. If there is a large number of LDS in the area, and not many Catholics, it would explain the number of books available. However, not knowing how the local stored are ‘owned’, it may also be that the LOCAL owner/franchisee is LDS.
LDS Missionaries are encouraged to visit religious sites of other faiths to some extent. I have seen them attend Seventh-Day Adventist worship services. I have seen them at the local Hare Krishna restaurant-and-temple. I have seen them at a Greek Orthodox festival, and bumped into them as we were all viewing the Orthodox chapel/sanctuary.
To my knowledge, LDS Missionaries don’t remove anti-LDS materials from libraries though they do often volunteer at such and contribute pro-LDS material. Missionaries are also known to participate in Habitat For Humanity and other laudatory projects. They used to volunteer here in the Wood River library though I think they now spend their time volunteering elsewhere. They never stole anything of which I am aware. Our local library system has plenty of anti-LDS material to accompany the pro-Mormon stuff. If you ever catch a Missionary removing anti-LDS stuff, report them to the Mission President and watch how quickly that Elder goes home in disgrace.
Actually, they DO get ‘hit upon’ at their more well-known attractions and events, and often by very rude, obnoxious, and flamboyant protestors. Go over to FAIR-LDS and look up the thread on “General Conference Photos”–pretty abysmal behavior, no matter how dim a view one takes of LDS doctrine.
You’re acknowledging that you are treating hearsay as established fact. I don’t doubt that some ‘true believers’ may do something of this sort, but I think the same is true of anti-Catholic material in some areas, anti-Republican Party material in some places, etcetera. In other cases, Protestants or Catholics (or Republicans) have checked out the books and kept them for their own private libraries. I happen to know personally of people who have done this–not that anecdotal evidence is proof of very much.
Tactics like that would backfire a lot I suspect. Most people attending any sort of worship service are relatively committed or have a circle of committed family and friends. Door-to-door proselytising would be much more effective than fishing in the manner you describe. Even more effective are the pageants, tourist attractions, plays, musical events, advertisements, and similar tactics which draw in people who are already clearly interested and curious. Most LDS Missionaries have a pretty full plate of ‘prospects’ without putting their hand into hornet’s nests and piranah ponds.
Maybe even literally depending on the religion…:bigyikes:
Yes. Unfortunately, this is true. Some people try to lynch missionaries even if those particular missionaries don’t do anything against them. For example, my uncle served a mission in Mexico City and was chased across a beach by a man wielding a machete. Luckily, my uncle was in shape back then and the man with the machete was quite rotund.