Misconeptions plague Mormon faith

Many Duke students pride themselves on being open-minded and less prejudiced than our peers. However, it may be the case that some prejudices are simply not fashionable or not acceptable any longer and we have to find new ones.

In Matt Gillum’s Feb. 16 column “Forbidden Love,” he takes some subtle and not-so subtle potshots at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its members and its beliefs. “Ridiculous” and “repressive” are some of the relevant adjectives.

His professed “respect” is plainly insincere. He addresses the Church in reference to its historical practice of polygamy as he searches for some sexual practice that would offend a “normal” person’s morality in order to juxtapose it with his advocacy for pederasty.

Gillum might have looked for other models of polygamy in the Old Testament or in Islam, but he would have been called an anti-Semite and a bigot (and justifiably so). Somehow, anti-Mormon sentiment has not yet elicited those responses in the larger society. It made for an easy target. As it is, his jabs at Latter-day Saints contribute nothing to an argument already lacking in redeeming social value. Although some may find his subject amusing, there is nothing funny about intolerance.

The Latter-day Saint community at Duke is small, but active. We are graduate students, engineers, athletes, staff, faculty and members of many organizations on campus. Those around us who know us well are aware that we strive to live Christ-like lives that are in accordance with the highest moral principles. We earnestly believe in the principles that our Church teaches and feel that our lives are enhanced by them. We are not perfect, but we strive towards such an ideal.

Unfortunately, persecution is a part of Mormon history (see last year’s apology by Illinois for the murder of Joseph Smith). Even more sadly, we still find that many fellow Christians are not accepting of us as brothers and sisters. Many old stereotypes and misconceptions, such as those asserted by Gillum, continue to plague us.

Adam Laughton