The Mormons

recently i watched a very interesting pbs documentary on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as: the Mormons. the film was a fascinating glimpse into the history of what is perhaps the one truly American faith, that is, it was created here and has spread across the world, whereas Christianity, Judaism and Islam, started elsewhere and spread here much later.
i have been an admirer of the Mormon faith for some years now, dating back to a girlfriend i had in the 8th grade, who was one, and travelled to Utah every summer to visit her humongous family. years later, in 2002, i worked in Salt Lake City for the Olympic broadcast team, and visited Temple Square and couldn't help but be taken back by how incredible the architecture was and how much of a presence the faith has on that city. on my crew i worked with many Mormons, and honestly i found them to be good people, hard-workers, who were disciplined and serious about their faith.
so watching this documentary was a further way of me exploring this faith which i don't completely understand, but has drawn followers by the millions to its message. the film was very good, and i recommend it to anyone interested in religion or who has questions about Mormonism in general. i am not Mormon, and i certainly do not adhere to all that they claim or profess, but i appreciated the unbiased approach of the film, allowing the viewer to decide for themselves what to believe.
i can sit here and say that there are too many crazy aspects of Mormonism to buy into it such as the visions of Joseph Smith, the book of Mormon, the polygamy thing and so on. but as a Christian i have to be brutally honest and admit that there is quite a bit about the Christian faith that can be viewed in the same light to one who does not already 'buy into it'. i personally have mixed feelings about the Mormonism and whether or not to classify it as a "Christian" faith. i am quite sure though that it is not a cult, in the sociological sense of the word, although i am certain many would debate that point with me.
anyway, i think much of our feelings toward the Mormon church is based out of ignorance, simply meaning that we don't know who they are or what they stand for. when we think of Mormons, we think of two guys in white shirts and neckties ringing our doorbell to talk to us about their faith. there is much more to the Mormon faith than what you may think and i think its important to gather more information before we come to premature conclusions.