What does this have to do with Mormonism?
The Times Online has a story on child abuse by two British ladies that is circulating through Europe. The headline reads “Mormon women ‘tortured children to instil discipline’”, but we’re left wondering why the professed religion of these two women is even mentioned. The only connections to the Church, weak at best, are that the two women met at the Mormon temple in London and that one believed the Church encourages “strict principles to teach the children how to work and be obedient.”
The alleged behavior of these two women goes against everything taught by the Church. In even the latest General Conference, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland proclaimed:
Physical abuse is uniformly and unequivocally condemned in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If it is possible to be more condemning than that, we speak even more vigorously against all forms of sexual abuse.
If we don’t announce the religion of all criminals who act contrary to the teachings of their religion (e.g. “Jew robs bank”, “Catholic caught for tax evasion”) it makes no sense to mention Mormonism in this story.
Source: Mormon women ‘tortured children to instil discipline’
This is a shabby bit of journalism. Child abuse is a serious issue, but the copy editor evidently felt it wasn’t sensational enough and decided to make it juicier by combining “Mormon” and “torture” in the same title. Not only is it a fairly intentional portrayal of the LDS Church in a negative light, it doesn’t do justice to the plight of the children.
The woman who cited the Church’s “strict principles to teach the children how to work and be obedient” sounds like she is trying to dodge the blame. No reasonable person interprets “strict principles” as a license for physical, verbal, or emotional abuse.
Left by Peter on 05/01/2007This came today in the “gems” list fromt he church, and I thoguht I’d drop it here:
“This entire people have become as a city upon a hill which cannot be hid. Sometimes we take offense when one who is a member of the Church is involved in a crime and the public press is quick to say that he is a Mormon. We comment among ourselves that if he had been a member of any other church, no mention would have been made of it.
“Yet, is not
this very practice an indirect compliment to our people? The world expects something better of us, and when one of our number falters, the press is quick to note it. We have, indeed, become as a city upon a hill for the world to see. If we are to be that which the Lord would have us be, we must indeed become ‘a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that [we] should shew forth the praises of him who hath called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light.’ (1 Pet.
2:9.)”
Topic: example
(Gordon B. Hinckley, “A City upon a Hill,” Ensign, July 1990, 4)
Left by Naiah on 05/23/2007It appears the news reported that the abusers met in a Mormon temple and claim the LDS church taught them to abuse. I don’t think it said it was true or not true, which would then make it biased.
Left by Deb on 02/17/2008