If the church’s rules are so strict then why do your members so often not follow them? I know a member who’s currently with 4 or 5 women. He’s irresponsable with his kids, and I never see him going to the temple. But he’s Mormon. He’s a really antisocial person. I’ve been reading a lot about you guys, but because of cases like this I don’t know what to believe.
Elder Sitati, a General Authority (Mormon Cardinal) from Sub-Saharan Africa, greets church members in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Dale Wight.
Hi friend. I'm happy that you're learning more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To help answer your question, allow me to ask you some others.
I'm a citizen of a country that has in the past committed atrocities in a time of war. The episode I have in mind is very disturbing to me. Does that mean I should renounce my citizenship and move to another country?
I work at a large university that was recently sued because one of its administrators denied a student due process. I'm uncomfortable with the behavior of that administrator. Does that mean I should resign my position and find a new job?
I belong to the human race, a species that is been harming and even killing some of its members for millennia. I dislike that aspect of humanity. Does that mean I should move into a cave and avoid other people at all costs?
My point is, it's obvious that any group or organization comprised of many people will occasionally have less-than-exemplary members. That doesn't mean that those bad examples represent the ideals of the entire group. It doesn't mean that the other members of the group are also "bad." And it doesn't necessarily prevent that organization from doing a lot of good in the world anyway.
This Mormon fellow who you describe is not representative of Mormons in general. He would likely be excommunicated from the church if his behavior were more widely known. Most active Mormons behave much better than that, and if you joined the church and dedicated yourself to Christ's gospel, you'd certainly receive the same spiritual peace that I and millions of others enjoy. It's a great blessing. I hope this answer helps.
I'm a citizen of a country that has in the past committed atrocities in a time of war. The episode I have in mind is very disturbing to me. Does that mean I should renounce my citizenship and move to another country?
I work at a large university that was recently sued because one of its administrators denied a student due process. I'm uncomfortable with the behavior of that administrator. Does that mean I should resign my position and find a new job?
I belong to the human race, a species that is been harming and even killing some of its members for millennia. I dislike that aspect of humanity. Does that mean I should move into a cave and avoid other people at all costs?
My point is, it's obvious that any group or organization comprised of many people will occasionally have less-than-exemplary members. That doesn't mean that those bad examples represent the ideals of the entire group. It doesn't mean that the other members of the group are also "bad." And it doesn't necessarily prevent that organization from doing a lot of good in the world anyway.
This Mormon fellow who you describe is not representative of Mormons in general. He would likely be excommunicated from the church if his behavior were more widely known. Most active Mormons behave much better than that, and if you joined the church and dedicated yourself to Christ's gospel, you'd certainly receive the same spiritual peace that I and millions of others enjoy. It's a great blessing. I hope this answer helps.