I’m sure from the outside, I don’t seem very standard when it comes to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I’m a writer (a horror writer at the current moment), I have one child, and my house is a constant disaster. When people find out that I’m Mormon, they don’t say, “Oh, I thought so. You seemed like a Mormon.” They usually just give me a wide-eyed fish face and say, “Do they let people like you in the church?”
That’s just it: They do let people like me in the church.
Now, I’m not here to convert your soul or tell you a bunch of sugar-coated nonsense. I’m here to tell you the truth (as I see it). Perhaps if you know the secrets of the church, it will give you some better perspective on why we do what we do.
1. Mormons Brainwash Their Kids
From a very young age, children are taught tenets of the church that completely alter how they view reality. Don’t believe me? Ask a kid any question about God or church doctrine and you’ll get the same stock answers every time.
Ex.
Q: “What can we do if we are feeling confused about what is the right thing to do?”
A: “Study it in our minds, read the scriptures, pray, go to church, listen to the Spirit.”
Q: “How can we know Jesus Christ better?
A: “Study it in our minds, read the scriptures, pray, go to church, listen to the Spirit.”
Granted, there’s an argument to be made here about the validity of these stock Mormon responses.
What are the ways that we can grow closer to God? What are the ways that we can find answers? What are the ways that we can foster positive relationships with other people? If you asked any religious person in any part of the world, even people who are not Mormon, they would tell you that these answers are ones that most often bring peace and understanding.
So, sure. We brainwash our kids, and ourselves for that matter. Just like we brainwash kids to know their ABCs and count to 20. But, when it comes to the big trials of life, those times when it’s easy to lose your way and forget to hope, these answers are the ones that become anchors and lead to knowledge rather than despair.
2. Mormon Women Are Not Treated the Same As Men
Read the rest of the post at Weird Little Worlds.
I don’t really think that brainwash is the word. I agree that we teach them to use scriptures, prayer, church and so on, but I wouldn’t call that brainwashing.
I agree. Though independent thought doesn’t form until later, “brainwashing” is a bad word. Just like teaching your child not to swear, being kind to others, picking up their messes, etc. behaviors, beliefs, and understanding of certain concepts all fall under that definition of “brainwashing”.
I think the author’s intent was to redefine how others use the word brainwashing as it is used by many outside of the church to describe our teaching of the gospel to our children to show that by that definition, it could be applied to many other areas that don’t necessarily have the same negative connotation.
The author doesn’t think Mormons brainwash their kids, either. You really need to look into the term “satire,” and “irony.” They are forms of expression that illustrate the ignorance and humor of a situation by using terms, phrases, or contexts in ways that are the opposite of their traditional usage.
I think we blew up Willow’s site with too many views. This article is awesome. Just like our cookies
i agree with “Hi” we dont brainwash i am a youth in this church i can testify that we are not brainwashed we believe that to quote you “Study it in our minds, read the scriptures, pray, go to church, listen to the Spirit.” yea we believe that is the answer for us if you think we are brainwashed that is your opinion but i just gave you the facts