Related
Translate
Get RNB via RSS
 |
RNB's RSS feed What is this? |
Get RNB via Email
 |
 Subscribe by Email What is this? |
Follow: Twitter
Most Popular
This Week:
- Polygamist Sect Leader Convicted of Sexual Assault
- Jury takes 14 minutes to convict self-proclaimed pot pastor
- Supreme Court upholds cult AUM Shinrikyo members’ death sentences
- Newspaper continues series of exposés of Scientology cult
- Epic Mohammad movie in pipeline
- Coptic Christian Blogger in Egypt Pressured to Convert to Islam in Prison
- Italian judge convicts 23 in CIA kidnapping of Muslim cleric
- Cult leader Warren Jeffs’ attorneys argue sect leader faced wrong charge
- Photos show birthing center at sect’s Texas ranch
- Texas judge limits some records in FLDS trial over polygamy references
Ministry distributes anti-LDS DVDs across state
More articles on this topic: Mormonism/Mormon ChurchA ministry opposed to Mormonism distributed 18,000 copies of a DVD to homes across the state on Sunday as part of a nationwide effort to convince members to leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The distribution of 15,000 DVDs in Mesa, Gilbert and Tempe was timed for the last weekend before the church holds its General Conference in Salt Lake City on Saturday and Sunday, said Jim Robertson, executive director of Concerned Christians, an organization largely made up of former Mormons.
Another 2,000 copies of Jesus Christ/Joseph Smith were distributed in LDS-heavy Snowflake and Taylor, and 1,000 were distributed in Tucson.
“We’ve found this works very well. We need to step out in faith to do it,” said Robertson, an ex-Mormon who founded the organization 35 years ago. “We’re not against the Mormon people. If we hated the Mormons, we’d let them stew in their own juices.”
But Don Evans, an LDS church spokesman in Arizona, said Robertson is on a lifetime crusade to attack his church.
“It won’t phase members of our church one iota,” Evans said. “They’re strong enough in their own beliefs. It’s water off their backs.”
Dave Udall, a Mesa attorney and former church spokesman, said Concerned Christians were denounced in the early 1980s by the National Conference of Christians and Jews and by the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai Brith after showing the film The God Makers at the Mesa Convention Center.
“I’m disappointed. We need tolerance in our community and religious tolerance is one of those things we need to do,” Udall said.
He said Concerned Christians pickets the annual Easter Pageant produced at the church’s Arizona Temple in Mesa, handing out literature, but the LDS church opposes religious conflict. This year’s pageant begins tonight.
“The attitude of the church is there is freedom of religion,” Evans said. “Our church would not go after another religion.”
But Robertson said the DVD was produced in response to aggressive Mormon missionary work, saying, “they’re stealing sheep” from other religions.
“I don’t like the fact that they lie to people to get them into the church,” he said. “They’re not telling people what the church is all about until after they have them hook, line and sinker.”
- by Richard John Neuhaus
Utah-based Living Hope Ministries coordinated the nationwide distribution of the DVDs, Robertson said.
Bob Betts, Concerned Christians’ office manager, said the DVD contrasts the teachings of Jesus Christ with those of Joseph Smith. He said about two dozen Southeast Valley residents upset by the DVD called the ministry’s office Monday morning to complain.
He said about 100 volunteers, mostly from churches, distributed the DVD but another 35,000 were not distributed because of a lack of manpower.
“The Mormons are madder than hornets,” Betts said.
Evans said that Mormons believe in Jesus Christ, but also believe that church founder Joseph Smith was a prophet.
What You Can Do From Here
|
Read More Articles On These Topics
 Share, Blog About, Bookmark, or Email This Article
Subscribe
Read Another Article
 Previous entry: Judge tosses cybersquatting suit against pro-Mormon group Next entry: A prophet no more? Warren Jeffs called himself a sinner in jailhouse conversation
RNB Homepage with latest headlinesFind Related Information
Find Related Books
|
Share This Article
To share this page simply copy and paste one of these URL's:
