i originally picked out this book so that i could learn more on the history of mormonism and how people can follow such a young religion. i have always been dumbfounded with the attraction to such legalism. but the more and more i read about joseph smith, the more and more i realize how easy it can be. (i know this sounds crazy, but you must get this book!) and now reading farther and farther into this book i am stricken with the thought; if fundamentalism is just the result of following the original scripts quite literally- they are only doing what they feel they need to gain salvation. and for that matter, all fundamentalists are doing the best they can do.
a lot of us like to look at the islamic fundamentalists (or feminists, christians, mormons) and point our finger.
'what they hell do they think they are doing?'
'how crazy can you be?'
'they must be stupid to follow that guy!'
however, with the faith that you believe in what you do. that is the same faith that they believe in what they do! they believe they are saving the world. they are not doing it out of revenge or with a harmful intention. they honestly believe they are saving themselves and the world for the greater good.
now i am not saying i agree with any of this, but i do have a greater sympathy for those who walk such a hard line. not only are they dedicating their whole life to their faith, they dedicate those around them to their faith. now i think this is a little more hardcore then wearing black zip ups and listening to terror terror terror.
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you probably know this, but in college i spent two spring breaks in utah participating in interfaith dialogues with the LDS. through that it was easy for me to see why mormonism is such an attractive religion to people. it gives easy answers to the hard questions that evangelical christianity poses like what happens to the idea of family in heaven and whatnot. the problem is that these beliefs are not scripturally sound and are based on what man thinks is best for man and not what God truly has for him.
if anything though, actually meeting these people and learning about there stories and where they come from really opened my eyes to the fact that they are truly wonderful people who really have a solid faith in their religion, loving families, and an incredible dedication. however, they put their faith in an empty religion that has a sketchy history and even sketchier founder.
if only evangelicals put the energy and dedication into their faith the way the LDS do, i think we would see some serious change. that was a long post but its something i care about and think about a lot.
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