On the News of Late.....

If anyone watches the news like me, you've probably been enthralled by this story of a compound being raided in Texas and many children taken from their homes and families. There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding this and so I thought I would use my little forum here to clarify a few issues. Hearing this story and the details of it have certainly awakened my eyes to many of the confusing and untrue rumors that are so often spread about my own church, and now I see more clearly why/where many of them have originated. First of all, just to clear this issue up for those of you who aren't members of my church, the FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) is NOT in any way related to my church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Many people confuse this issue and think that we are closely linked, however, we are not linked at all except by a very confusingly similar name, which I see now leads to a lot of confusion among people who are not members of our church. Warren Jeffs is the person believed to be the prophet of the FLDS church and is not in any way related to my church. Many of the practices/rituals that have been revealed or allegated to occur in their church DO NOT occur in our church although unfortunately people believe rumors that they hear about my church and assume we are practicing similar things. I, like you, have sat in awe as I have watched the news and had the same thoughts, wow, "that seems like a cult". Unfortunately, without having knowledge people often assume that my church is the same - a cult. I just want to use my voice to say that I am glad to have a true and living prophet on the Earth today who points me toward salvation through Jesus Christ, encourages but never forces me to live the commandments of the Bible, encourages me to find my own testimony of the Gospel and the amazing power of happiness it brings in my life, never forces or guilts me into having certain opinions or doing anything against my will, encourages fathers and mothers to work together in the raising of children and creating happy homes where abuse is NOT validated or encouraged and is viewed as wrong.



Reading the scriptures one can find many stories of people who perhaps because of a sinful act or just simply denying God and his power were not led by the Spirit and became overzealous about a cause that was not supported by the Lord. Falling away from following the commandments is something that can happen to anyone given the right circumstances. This story in the news is a clear example to me of how some people do get led away into paths that are not right. The FLDS church has adopted some of the outward appearances of my own church, yet they have altered them and changed them in ways that I personally feel are not led by the Lord. I hope those who are not familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints take the time to understand why there are so many false, untrue, and outrageous things said about Mormons and maybe where some of this originates.