Monster in the Mirror

There are 467 posts from 63 blogs in my Google Reader, with three new LDS blogs added in the last cycle: Keep-A-Pitchinin (by Ardis from T&S), The Mormon Organon (by a BYU biology prof), and Lehi's Library (by some guy named James). Below is my favorite post of the week and a few other notable posts.

My favorite and post of the week was Mormons as Monsters by Natalie at BCC. "Imagine my horror when [my students] decided they wanted to write on Mormons as examples of contemporary monsters." Not what we like to hear from the up and coming generation. Natalie notes, with admirable understatement, that this "indicates to me that as a church we are still failing to win the PR battle," and suggests a more open and public treatment of troubling historical issues as a partial remedy. I suppose the student opinions also indicate something about the students, the power of popular culture, and the ubiquity of scapegoating. Or projection. Or the Other. Or whatever it is that makes people see groups they regard as being different somehow equivalently being undesirable, detestable, or simply evil. Anyway, the post is a nice reminder about how some people still view us Mormons.

Here are some other posts you shouldn't miss:

• Theoretically Speaking About Mormon History and the related Is There a Method to the Madness? at JuvI. Runner-up for my post(s) of the week.
• "On Being feminist in a patriarchal church" by Starfoxy at Waters of Mormon, giving the detailed and uplifting LDS view of the afterlife as one of the secrets of her success.
• "LDS Soldiers" at Mormon Insights, a touching post about a serving LDS soldier expressing regrets that he didn't get a chance to serve a mission. Most of the regret is misplaced -- LDS soldiers face their own unique challenges and ought to be proud of their service and their example, especially when serving in a hot zone.
• A post at ZD on the FP letter read in Sacrament Meeting last week again asking LDS not to write to GAs with doctrinal questions but to use their local leaders. I didn't think there was anything new in this FP letter compared to similar earlier ones.
• Notes on LDS in the Former USSR at T&S. Short version: If you're not there, you don't know how lucky you are, boy.
• Behind the scenes at "The Mormons" at Mormon Mentality, giving some interesting comments on the backstory to the PBS special.
• From Mormon Matters: "Slandering the Lost Sheep," arguing there is such a thing as a good-faith falling away; and "Confessions of a Totally Naive Blogger."
• On personal spiritual experiences at Mormanity. Made me think of the old Elton John tune, "Someone saved my life tonight ..."

Comments

[Dave]

Yes, this is a slightly reformatted Bloggernacle Minute post. By focusing on one post I'm thinking a bit more discussion might follow.

[Geoff J]

I still must know -- who are Natalie's students? Where does she teach?

(And yes, I do suspect they are special ed. students if you were wondering...)

[Seth R.]

No, Geoff. Special-ed students tend to be more good-natured about things. Don't insult the special-ed students.

[Matt]

The post and comments were disheartening for many reasons. I think it will take a lot more than a Public Relations campaign to overcome bigotry and prejudice, and let's please call it like it is. "Mormons as monsters" is as bad as "Jews as monsters" or "Muslims as monsters."

I keep asking myself, if Natalie's students had presented her with "Jews as monsters" would there be more universal outrage? I think so.

Do we need our own Anti-defamation League?

[kenjebz]

Hi Dave,

I've been following your site for several years now. I even put a link of your site to mine at Http://jbsolis.blogspot.com Anyways, just a favor, me and my wife wants to have traffic to our site, can you include us in your links? We been in Mormon Archipelago, LDS BLOGS and MormonBLOGOSPHERE already. Thanks for the great blogs you're posting. Easier to understand, touches the heart.