The
Mormon Odyssey
Newsweek
tells the story of Joseph Smith and the Latter-day
Saints as its cover story this week—complete with
a picture depicting the First Vision as the cover.
The following are three excerpts from the article
with a hot link to send you to the entire story
online.
[Joseph] Smith's times are much like our own, and his story
has a particular resonance in the first years
of the 21st century. Like us, he lived in an era
of evangelical energy, deep patriotism, economic
transformation, sharp political divisions and
anxiety about foreign forces' inflicting harm
on the homeland. Smith's teachings placed America
at the center of existence at just the moment
in our history—in the wake of the successful War
of 1812—when nationalism was on the rise.
From Mitt Romney, the Republican governor of Massachusetts
and a 2008 presidential prospect, to Harry Reid,
the Democratic leader in the Senate, Mormons are
increasingly visible in different spheres of American
society, particularly in politics and the Fortune
500. Traditionally conservative but not really
part of the religious right, the church opposes
gay marriage and abortion (unless the mother's
life is in danger or in cases of rape or incest).
In the emotional case of Terri Schiavo earlier
this year, however, the church diverged from many
conservative Christians when it responded to news
media by saying, "Members should not feel
obligated to extend mortal life by means that
are unreasonable." There is also room for
policy differences among public figures who happen
to be Mormon: Romney opposes fetal-stem-cell research,
while Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah supports it. Meanwhile,
the faith's traditional views on morality and
the family are fueling its rapid growth in the
developing world, where, despite a broad feeling
of global anti-Americanism, the church is expanding
even more rapidly than it is within the United
States.
--
For Mormons, Smith's importance is singular. "He stands
alone as a source of doctrine," says Dallin
H. Oaks, member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles,
one of the church's highest governing bodies.
The characteristic features of the LDS Church—sacred
temple rites, personal revelation, tithing and
a history of polygamy—come directly from Smith.
So does the emphasis on high moral standards,
family ties and community service: Mormonism appeals
to the fundamental human impulse for connection,
security and a promise of rewards not only on
earth but beyond time and space.
--
Because of Mormonism's unique theology, some of which challenges
early Christian creeds, many Christian denominations
don't consider the LDS Church to be Christian.
"There is no rightful claim by historic Mormon
doctrine to the name Christian, because they deny
almost every one of the major fundamental doctrines
of Christendom," says Norman Geisler, founder
of the Southern Evangelical Seminary. But for
Latter-day Saints, who believe in the Jesus Christ
of both the New Testament and the Book of Mormon,
the cold shoulder from other denominations is
baffling. "I am devastated when people say
I am not a Christian, particularly when generally
that means I am not a fourth-century Christian,"
says Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, a member of the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Elise Soukup
Newsweek
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9630255/site/newsweek/
