Mormonism and History

[PoliSciProf]

I have known a number of “bishops” in the LDS Church and work with a number of very committed Mormons. I am impressed by the Mormon strong sense of community and general and genuine commitment to living a virtuous life. The theology and history is another matter. Catholic Answer members might want to check out the essay “This is Not the Place” by Hampton Sides in Americana: Dispatches from the New Frontier (Anchor books, 2004). Side discusses the importance of finding artifacts given the CLDS belief in the literalness of the Book of Mormon. In short, the geography is very wrong, there are no artifacts at all of a battle in NY (where the Hill Cumorah Pagent occurs annually) and some things just couldn’t be. The events described in the Book of Mormon must be true and this must be verified by sound archeology or the whole belief structure is simply wrong. Anyone who talks to Mormons should read about the crisis in Mormonism caused by the lack of anthropological evidence. Sides says this has caused a crisis within the church. There are other essays that are informative and pleasant (the Tupperware business, the Sturgis motorcycle rally, and the Airstream trailer life to name but a few). It is, all in all, a very good summer book. Well written and informative by a prize-winning writer.

 

[sanblasboy13]

Is the author of the book you talked about a Catholic by any chance or no?
God Bless

 

[PoliSciProf]

Sorry, I don’t know is Sides is Catholic or not.

 

[Jerusha]

You got questions, I got answers.

 

[fatima1917]

I have known a number of “bishops” in the LDS Church and work with a number of very committed Mormons. I am impressed by the Mormon strong sense of community and general and genuine commitment to living a virtuous life. The theology and history is another matter. Catholic Answer members might want to check out the essay “This is Not the Place” by Hampton Sides in Americana: Dispatches from the New Frontier (Anchor books, 2004). Side discusses the importance of finding artifacts given the CLDS belief in the literalness of the Book of Mormon. In short, the geography is very wrong, there are no artifacts at all of a battle in NY (where the Hill Cumorah Pagent occurs annually) and some things just couldn’t be. The events described in the Book of Mormon must be true and this must be verified by sound archeology or the whole belief structure is simply wrong. Anyone who talks to Mormons should read about the crisis in Mormonism caused by the lack of anthropological evidence. Sides says this has caused a crisis within the church. There are other essays that are informative and pleasant (the Tupperware business, the Sturgis motorcycle rally, and the Airstream trailer life to name but a few). It is, all in all, a very good summer book. Well written and informative by a prize-winning writer.

Like all false religions the adage: “Don’t confuse me with the facts, I have already made up my mind” is the operative phrase. Zerinus is the most obvious person who lives by this type of thinking. So no matter how much facts you bring to the table such as the above book most people in these false religions wish to remain in darkness.