March 28, 2005
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Sometimes I wonder why I have xanga premium on this site when it is my other site, Truth_Is_Reason, that is getting all the traffic and attention. (dbe_bg1 is sadly lacking in comments, love, and affection
) I am flattered, though, that different people have referred friends and others to Truth_Is_Reason with their questions, which I enjoy answering. I am glad that it has finally transformed into what I wanted it to be, which is a place for peaceful communication with a audience that spans denominational boundaries. Actually I’m really excited about it. That is why I started a new blog-ring called How Wide the Divide?
My goal is to create a place where Christians can talk despite the things that divide their denominations- specifically those that divide Latter-day Saints and Evangelicals. A lot of Evangelicals and Latter-day Saints have a hard time communicating with each other. I think that’s a shame, which is why I’m trying to stimulate conversation across denominational lines between Mormons and other denominations.
The following is an excerpt from an article I wrote and published at Truth_Is_Reason on March 17, 2004. Click here to read the entire post, or just read the following abbreviated version:
I wish to extend an olive branch to the evangelical community. I do so in the hopes that they will accept it. Being a proud Latter-day Saint, I am not asking to be accepted as an Evangelical Christian, however, I am asking to be respected as a brother who follows and believes in Jesus Christ.
There seems to be a problem, a barrier of communication, between Evangelicals and Latter-day Saints. There are so many reasons why, but “why?” is not the question I care about. I don’t care why Mormons and Evangelicals have problems getting along, I want to know if it is good. Is it good for this problem to exist, or should we find a solution? If you ignore religious affiliation, you will find that Mormons and Evangelicals have more in common than any other two groups as far as social/political tendencies and lifestyle. Should religious affiliation stop two people who have so much in common from being friends?
I think there is a solution, one that starts by overcoming three barriers that divide us.
1. Both Latter-day Saints and Evangelicals need to get over the false information they receive about the other party. Before we can sit down and converse productively, we must stop spreading and believing all of these lies that we tell about each other. We must also overcome the stereotypes caused by letting extremest within both faiths represent the respective faiths as a whole.
2. The language barrier must be broken before Latter-day Saints and Evangelicals can talk with one another. Words like faith, works, Christian, grace, etc. mean different things to Protestants than to Mormons. One way to get past this language barrier is to omit the words that mean such different things. Have a “faith and works” conversation without using the words “faith,” “works,” or “grace” and you will make so much progress you won’t even believe it. Suddenly it is ideas, not the words, that are important. Another way to make progress is to explicitly define the terms your using. You’d be surprised how often an Evangelical and a Mormon will use two different words though they apply the same definition to those different words.
3. Both Evangelicals and Latter-day Saints must stop referring to each other as inferior or sub-Christian. Both need to accept both as legitimate, Christians. This doesn’t mean both are correct. One can still be correct doctrine and the other faulty doctrine. What I’m saying is that who is right doesn’t matter, the point is, members of both religious movements accept Jesus Christ and should make an attempt to follow Him. We have much more in common then we have differences. I believe that both sides can compromise and agree to respect each other without sacrificing their convictions.
It is my prayer and my hope that more and more Latter-day Saints and Evangelicals will accept the olive branches that are out there and come together to stop the bickering and open the door to real, genuine communication. We have different beliefs, and it is important to share those beliefs and bear testimony of them. We can and should, however, start listening to each other with purer hearts. The differences that may divide us pale in comparison to the similarities that should join us as friends. Denomination should not stop two people from being friends.
Comments (7)
Dan, here’s some love. I must say I really respect your persistent and devoted writings about what you believe in. I know we don’t agree often, but at least we can agree enough to acknowledge how necessary and important such communication (and more importantly such dialogue) is for bridging that wide, wide divide. Keep doing what you know is right, and I’m pretty sure it will not fail you. At least, that’s how I try to live my life. So…with that, rock on.
Awesome. I really should buy that book, read it, then let it circle through my group of friends, since I am the only Mormon around. Hope things are going well for you.
-Megs
Nice. I’m reading How Wide the Divide right now too. Good book.
Aw, here’s a comment and some love and affection! you should do a post on the vocabulary of magleby! “heirarchy of nautiness”, “liturgical costume of crosses”, “geometricize”, “German extraction”, “Mr. Potato head components”-there are so many and they are all hilarious!! I can’t wait for wednesday when we can do this again!
Cheers!-Megan
I love to dip myself in mustard every Wednesday, and eat cheesecake.
Sacrifice involves compromise…The only way to accept (which means to “hold as the truth”) is to give up one’s belief, convictions, or faith (what is hoped for, yet not seen) in what is/was believed as true.
It would be beautiful if all denominations (Gentiles and Jews alike – figuratively speaking) could come together in agreement that Jesus is Christ – that we are living under God’s covenant (that which is the new covenant expressed in the New Testament). However, we live in a world that was foreseen in Jesus’ time, and active in His time, as being corrupt, futile, and unrighteous…What’s great is that Christ came for the unrighteous, the sinners of the world to free us from bondage to the world and to be bound only to our Father.
On the topic of Mr. Smith:
PBS says that Joseph Smith was, yes, mobbed, but he was shot four times trying to climb out of a window…http://www.pbs.org/americanprophet/martyrdom.html
“Trying to go out the window to deflect attention from the two survivors inside, Joseph Smith was hit in the chest and collarbone with two shots from the open doorway and two more from outside the window. His final words as he fell to the ground outside the jail were, “O Lord, my God!” (HC 6:618). As rumors spread that the Mormons were coming, the mob dispersed.”
How funny, b/c they also said that Mr. Smith had basically invited the mob after taking away their right to a free press….Why would he take away a group’s right to free press? Why else? They said some mean things about him and he apparently, being president of the church, mayor & commander of the Nauvoo Legion state militia, justice of the peace, and university chancellor – well, I guess he just didn’t think he was fit to be talked about…
The Bible says (in James) that it’s a joy when faced by trials…Smith seemed to think it was damaging to his reputation.
I don’t think that PBS is an enemy of the CLDS. Their website on the special they aired even name him as a prophet, which I don’t agree with…The only “prophecy” he spoke to come true was his death. And yeah, he is said to have prophesied about the Civil War, but come on…is there a coincidence that Josepth Smith “prophesied” December 25, 1832 about the war when there had been a November 24, 1832 nullification of certain acts of Congress. This was ordained by South Carolina – where Smith made this “prophecy”.
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/states/sc/ordnull.htm
Just to say, this site has no mention of mormons, it is text of the ordinance that South Carolina politicians and delegates agreed upon. The last paragraph should state the extent to which they were ready to defend their beliefs…They were ready to take up arms at that time. Is it prophesy when current events are used to make the prediction?
Forgive me for the scattered thoughts, but I’m in a hurry to get to church…
God bless!
Dee,
I would prefer that we keep the religious confrontation on Truth_is_reason. I intentionally created the second site to keep these kinds of topics away from here. Why would I want to keep them away from this, my personal blog? Because often after dialouge has been exchanged, I have found that many people like yourself begin to get really defensive and lash out by attacking the character of people like Joseph Smith who I admire. I don’t want that on my personal blog, which I want to keep uplifting and positive. It is for that reason that I would normally delete a comment like the one above, but I will not delete this one lest you become upset (you seemed to be upset when you thought I had deleted your last comment, which I really had not deleted).
I am not saying that any one should compromise their beliefs, however, they can talk about their beliefs peacefully and respectfully. If to you that means a sacrifice of personal conviction, then I disagree with you. Christ is the perfect example of meekness, humility, and peace when talking with people who opposed him with out sacrificing his beliefs. Let’s follow His example.
On the topic of Joseph Smith,
Read about the prophetic calling of Joseph Smith here.
The Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary defines a Martyr as “one who bears witness of the truth, and suffers death in the cause of Christ (Acts 22:20; Rev. 2:13; 17:6). In this sense Stephen was the first martyr. The Greek word so rendered in all other cases is translated ‘witness.’ . . .”
The 2000 American Heritage Dictionary defines a martyr as “One who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principle.”
I think we can agree that Joseph Smith suffered for his beliefs, was killed by his enemies for what he (and I) considered the cause of Christ, and bore witness of what he believed to be true. Joseph Smith therefore is a martyr. read more here
I have a question for you. Why does it bother you so much that I revere Joseph Smith as a martyred Prophet of Jesus Christ? How does it hurt you?
You say that “Smith seemed to think [trials were] damaging to his reputation,” but I don’t see that at all. He was put to trial many times. He had the opportunity to escape Illinois and head west with out being tried in Carthage, but even knowing that he would be killed, Joseph Smith did not run away but rather faced Carthage anyway. You say his prophecy of his death was true. If he knew that he was going to die in Carthage, or even if he believed that he was going to die, then why would he go to Carthage if he had the chance not to? Because he willingly gave his life to the cause he believed in, perhaps even hoping to lessen the violence against the saints in Nauvoo.
As for the destruction of the Exopisitor news paper. You make it sound like Joseph Smith was called some names, threw a fit, and distroyed the paper that called him those names. This is inaccurate. The Newspaper said that the Nauvoo City Charter needed to be revoked. In addition to insisting that the Nauvoo City Charter be revoked, the paper was encouraging violent behavior among the local people and was likely to cause riot and unrest. In response, the Nauvoo city council of 18 people (for obvious reasons) ordered the paper’s destruction, which was authorized by the Mayer, Joseph Smith. All 18 people and Joseph Smith where put on trial because the destruction of the paper was said by some to be unconsititutional, which it may have been. It was not, however, out of character for the area and time period.
I would appreciate a little less sarcasm, bias, and self-righteous indignation in future comments. I have never intended to harm or offend you in any way.
God bless!