Well, I think it has more to do with the particular beliefs of the mormon religion than with the demeanor of individual members, or the public image of the church in general. That said, I can sort of agree with you if you're complaining about people pre-judging individual mormons based solely on their religious membership. In general, I think each person should be judged on their own merits. I've known very agreeable mormons and slightly disagreeable ones, but no horrible ones, so I'm sympathetic to an extent. On the other hand, beliefs don't automatically deserve respect just because they are believed religiously. They have to be credible and well supported. If someone believes in something wacky (like, say, the Holocaust never happened), I think the people around them have somewhat of a social obligation to point that out and counter it. If we want the true beliefs to survive and the false beliefs to die out, then people need to be critical of each other's beliefs, religious or not. Also, obviously there's the territoriality issue. Let's face it, Mormonism is quite different from the other branches of Christianity. Naturally, many of those other Christians would see Mormonism as a perversion of true Christianity. (or a greater perversion than most other branches are from one's own).

There are a great many people against mormons. I think the vast majority of that opposition now comes from those who were once members themselves. Perhaps they found some doctrine they couldnt really understand...perhaps they were offended by a leader...perhaps they blame religion/God for some trouble in their life, or perhaps they fell into some very serious sin and affraid of the consequences try to disprove the religion that teaches that sin so as to free up that guilt. But lets be honest now. While its true that mormons dont have classes teaching why some various religions may be wrong, mormons have the belief that they are the only ones with the authority to direct Gods Church and His work on the earth today. So in a not so indirect why, they are saying that all other churches are wrong. That is a bit rough for some to swallow. However, this is no excuse to try and tear down a religion that has brought about so much good in this world. Lastly, I would say that most anti-mormon feelings come from FALSE conceptions about what mormons believe and what mormons do (ie Polygamy...very highly misunderstood) and also perhaps a small percentage of people confuse the slef proclaimed Mormon Fundamentalists with the main stream mormons. But as it seems that you are mormon, I would encourage you to Stand up to those who would try and tell you why you are wrong, why Joseph Smith was a fraud, and whatever else they may throw your way. Stand up, take a stance. If you believe you have the truth, let others know! I hope this helps, thanks.

without someone judging us? we are always being judged in some way or another. your question shows that. when you asked it, you were inadvertently and with bad intentions, judging and stereotyping so-called "people", and Mormons. but like you, i wish that we weren't judge and that we didn't judge other people.

The first two answers are great, thanks alot!

I am not mormon, but I have found many people to hold mormonism with particular horror. All the mormons I know are some of the nicest (and at times tolerant) people I have ever met. I think the best way to handle this type of behaviour is to lead by example, try to undertsand why other people might judge you and try not make any judments yourself. Try not to be offended, and if you are here is a link to a general conference talk that might help. http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,49-1-646-32,00.html

i would say most christians are more anti-mormon than people in general. i myself, as a christian, have an issue with their beliefs rather than the believer. that said i also hold issue with catholicism. devout mormons are some of the biggest bible scholar studs around. i just don't understand how you can believe the bible and at the same time not believe or dismiss the bible when it says to not add or subtract anything from it. also the belief that a man can have as many virgin wives that he wants so long as the current wife/wives consent. oh and if they don't consent God will destroy them? i think joseph smith and george w bush went to the same propaganda machine school.

The only thing I personally have against Mormons (and any other religious groups that do the same thing) is that they come knocking on my door, uninvited, trying to convert me to something I don't believe in. I know many religions tell their followers that they must try to "save" as many people as possible, which is all very convenient, but if I were truly interested in converting (from atheism) to any other religion, I'd do the research myself and come to my own conclusions. It's just like when double-glazing salesmen come to the door - if I wanted double-glazing, I'd find a company myself and not just react to the first one that knocked at my door. Other than that, the Mormons I've met have been perfectly nice people, but I've not met them all. But, of course, there are good and bad apples in any group.

"Why are people so against Mormons when Mormons never say anything bad about everyone else?" I would like to take this time to apologize for any inconvienience or hurt that people other than LDS may have caused you. I realize you are the only true church and that all others are lost. It is wrong of Christians to make judgements against you. Mormons are the sweatest kindest people there are. And I hope to have the heart of a Mormon some day. As it lies in Lucifers/Joeseph Smiths hot dead hand!!! (: (: (: ): ); ; ; ; ; Excuse me! I am sorry you are mis informed!!! "With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world." - Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 8:199 It is obvious this person does not know Mormon history. Why are not the LDS trolls jumping all over this? Joey Smith... "than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join." "I was answered by God that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.” He again forbade me to join with any of them;..." - Prophet Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith History 1:18-20" "What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world" - Prophet Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.270 " "...all the priests who adhere to the sectarian religions of the day with all their followers, without one exception, receive their portion with the devil and his angels." - Prophet Joseph Smith , The Elders Journal, Joseph Smith Jr., editor, vol.1, no.4, p.60" "For centuries men gathered and argued concerning the nature of Deity. Constantine assembled scholars of various factions at Nicaea in the year 325. After two months of bitter debate, they compromised on a definition which for generations has been the doctrinal statement among Christians concerning the Godhead." "I invite you to read that definition and compare it with the statement of the boy Joseph. He simply says that God stood before him and spoke to him. Joseph could see Him and could hear Him. He was in form like a man, a being of substance. Beside Him was the resurrected Lord, a separate being, whom He introduced as His Beloved Son and with whom Joseph also spoke." "I submit that in the short time of that remarkable vision Joseph learned more concerning Deity than all of the scholars and clerics of the past." "This knowledge of Deity, hidden from the world for centuries, was the first and great thing which God revealed to His chosen servant. And upon the reality and truth of this vision rests the validity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." - Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Great Things Which God Has Revealed" Spring Church Confernece 2005" "Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the 'whore of Babylon' whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent" - Apostle Orson Pratt, The Seer, p. 255" This next one is good, 'cause it was revealed through an Egyptian burial document. "And the angel of God said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth. And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people." - Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 14:10-11" "After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, there were only two churches upon the earth. They were known respectively as the Church of the Lamb of God and Babylon. The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christendom, though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common origin. They all belong to Babylon" - Apostle George Q. Cannon said, Gospel Truth, p.324" "When the light came to me I saw that all the so-called Christian world was grovelling in darkness." - Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 5:73" "The Christian world, so-called, are heathens as to the knowledge of the salvation of God" - Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 8:171 "Brother Taylor has just said that the religions of the day were hatched in hell. The eggs were laid in hell, hatched on its borders, and then kicked on to the earth." - Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses 6:176 "Christians—those poor, miserable priests brother Brigham was speaking about—some of them are the biggest whoremasters there are on the earth, and at the same time preaching righteousness to the children of men. The poor devils, they could not get up here and preach an oral discourse, to save themselves from hell; they are preaching their fathers' sermons —preaching sermons that were written a hundred years before they were born. ...You may get a Methodist priest to pour water on you, or sprinkle it on you, and baptize you face foremost, or lay you down the other way, and whatever mode you please, and you will be damned with your priest." - Apostle Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, 5:89 "The Gospel of modern Christendom shuts up the Lord, and stops all communication with Him. I want nothing to do with such a Gospel, I would rather prefer the Gospel of the dark ages, so called" - Prophet Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses, vol. 2, p.196 "But as there has been no Christian Church on the earth for a great many centuries past, until the present century, the people have lost sight of the pattern that God has given according to which the Christian Church should be established, and they have denominated a great variety of Christian Churches ... But there has been a long apostasy, during which the nations have been cursed with apostate churches in great abundance" - Apostle Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 18:172 "Christianity...is a perfect pack of nonsense...the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century." - Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 6, p.167 "Where shall we look for the true order or authority of God? It cannot be found in any nation of Christendom." - Prophet John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, 10:127 "What! Are Christians ignorant? Yes, as ignorant of the things of God as the brute beast." - Prophet John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 13:225 "What does the Christian world know about God? Nothing... Why so far as the things of God are concerned, they are the veriest fools; they know neither God nor the things of God." - Prophet John Taylor, Journal of Discourses 13:225 "Doctrines were corrupted, authority lost, and a false order of religion took the place of the gospel of Jesus Christ, just as it had been the case in former dispensations, and the people were left in spiritual darkness." (p. 266). "For hundreds of years the world was wrapped in a veil of spiritual darkness, until there was not one fundamental truth belonging to the place of salvation ...Joseph Smith declared that in the year 1820 the Lord revealed to him that all the 'Christian' churches were in error, teaching for commandments the doctrines of men." - Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 3, p.282 "Instead of having apostles, prophets, and other inspired men in the church now, receiving visions, dreams, revelations, ministry of angels and prophesies for the calling of officers, and for the government of the church--they have a wicked, corrupt, uninspired pope, or uninspired archbishops, bishops, clergymen, etc., who have a great variety of corrupt forms of godliness, but utterly deny the gift of revelation, and every other miraculous power which always characterized Christ's Church." "These manmade, powerless, hypocritical, false teachers, make merchandise of the people, by preaching for large salaries, amounting in many instances to tens of thousands of dollars annually. They and their deluded followers are reprobate, denouncing the faith once delivered to the Saints." - Apostle Orson Pratt, "Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon," page 20 "...the Book of Mormon remains secure, unchanged and unchangeable, ...But with the Bible it was not and is not so....it was once in the sole and exclusive care and custody of an abominable organization (Christianity), founded by the devil himself, likened prophetically unto a great whore, whose great aim and purpose was to destroy the souls of men in the name of religion. In these hands it ceased to be the book it once was." - Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, The Joseph Smith Translation, pp. 12, 13 "Must we, under the broad folds of the American Constitution, be compelled to bow down to the narrow contracted notions of Apostate Christianity? Must we shut up our consciences in a nut shell, and be compelled to submit to the bigoted notions, and whims, and customs of the dark ages of popery, transferred to us through the superstitious of our fathers? Must we be slaves to custom and render homage to the soul-destroying, sickening influences of modern Christianity? No!" - Apostle Orson Pratt, The Seer, Vol.1, No.7, p.111 "And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foudation of this (Mormon) church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth..." - Supposedly Jesus Christ Himself, Doctrine and Covenants 1:30 Salvation not Through Jesus Christ, but Joseph Smith? "If we get our salvation, we shall have to pass by the Prophet Joseph Smith; if we enter our glory, it will be through the authority he has received. We cannot get around him. " - 1988 Melchizedek Priesthood Study Guide, p. 142, Apostle George Q. Cannon quoted "Our entire case as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints rests on the validity of this glorious First Vision. ... Nothing on which we base our doctrine, nothing we teach, nothing we live by is of greater importance than this initial declaration. I submit that if Joseph Smith talked with God the Father and His Beloved Son, then all else of which he spoke is true. This is the hinge on which turns the gate that leads to the path of salvation and eternal life." - Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign Mag., Nov. 1998, pp.70-71 [There is] "no salvation without accepting Joseph Smith. If Joseph Smith was verily a prophet, and if he told the truth...no man can reject that testimony without incurring the most dreadful consequences, for he cannot enter the kingdom of God" - Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, p.190 "No man or woman in this dispensation will ever enter into the celestial kingdom of God without the consent of Joseph Smith...every man and woman must have the certificate of Joseph Smith, junior, as a passport to their entrance into the mansion where God and Christ are... [Joseph Smith] reigns there as supreme a being in his sphere, capacity, and calling, as God does in heaven. Many will exclaim—"Oh, that is very disagreeable! It is preposterous! We cannot bear the thought!" But it is true." - Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p.289-91 "He that confesseth not that Jesus has come in the flesh and sent Joseph Smith with the fullness of the Gospel to this generation, is not of God, but is anti-christ" - Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 9, p.312 "I tell you, Joseph holds the keys, and none of us can get into the celestial kingdom without passing by him. We have not got rid of him, but he stands there as the sentinel, holding the keys of the kingdom of God; and there are many of them beside him. I tell you, if we get past those who have mingled with us, and know us best, and have a right to know us best, probably we can pass all other sentinels as far as it is necessary, or as far as we may desire. But I tell you, the pinch will be with those that have mingled with us, stood next to us, weighed our spirits, tried us, and proven us: there will be a pinch, in my view, to get past them. The others, perhaps, will say, If brother Joseph is satisfied with you, you may pass. If it is all right with him, it is all right with me. Then if Joseph shall say to a man, or if brother Brigham say to a man, I forgive you your sins, "Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them;" if you who have suffered and felt the weight of transgression—if you have generosity enough to forgive the sinner, I will forgive him: you cannot have more generosity than I have. I have given you power to forgive sins, and when the Lord gives a gift, he does not take it back again." - Apostle Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 6, p.154-155 "It is to be feared that in course of a century, some gifted man like Paul, some splendid orator, who will be able by his eloquence to attract crowds of the thousands who are ever ready to hear, and be carried away by, the sounding brass and tinkling cymbal of sparkling oratory, may command a hearing, may succeed in breathing a new life into this modern Mahometanism, and make the name of the martyred Joseph ring as loud, and stir the souls of men as much, as the mighty name of Christ itself. Sharon, Palmyra, Manchester, Kirtland, Far West, Adam-ondi-Ahman, Ramus. Nauvoo, and the Carthage Jail, may become holy and venerable names, places of classic interest, in another age; like Jerusalem, the Garden of Gethsemane, the Mount of Olives, and Mount Calvary to the Christian, and Mecca and Medina to the Turk." - Prophet Brigham Young, History of the Church, Vol. 7, p.40-41 Islam Better than Chistianity? "The Greek and Roman Churches, which have been called Christian, and which take the name of Christians as a cloak, have worshipped innumerable idols. On this account, on the simple subject of the Deity and His worship, if nothing more, I should rather incline, of the two, after all my early traditions, education, and prejudices, to the side of Mahomet, for on this point he is on the side of truth, and the Christian world on the side of idolatry and heathenism." - Apostle Parley P. Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p.38 "..instead of saying that Mahometanism prevailed against Christianity, and that Christianity was in danger of being done away by its prevalence, we would rather say, that where Mahometanism prevailed, it taught and established one truth at least, viz., the true and living God, and so far as this went, it did preserve people from worshipping idols. And had the crescent waved on the tower of London, or on the church of St. Paul, instead of the cross, and had the Mahometan religion been enforced instead of the Roman religion that was enforced for a series of generations, and had tradition riveted what the sword enforced, then that nation and the surrounding nations would have been worshippers of one true God instead of idols; they would have recognized it in theory at least, whether they would have worshipped Him in spirit and in truth or not. But now [Christians] do not recognize Him in theory, for they acknowledge as their god an imaginary being without body, parts, or passions." - Apostle Parley P. Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p.39 "Now, if we take Mahometanism during those dark ages, and the corruptions that are so universally prevalent over the earth, and the idolatrous systems of religion, falsely called Christianity, and weigh them in a balance; with all my education in favor of Christian nations and Christian powers, and Christian institutions, so called, with all my prejudices of early youth, and habits of thought and reading, my rational faculties would compel me to admit that the Mahometan history and Mahometan doctrine was a standard raised against the most corrupt and abominable idolatry that over perverted our earth, found in the creeds and worship of Christians, falsely so named." - Apostle Parley P. Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p.40 "Though Mahometan institutions are corrupt enough, and need reforming by the Gospel, I am inclined to think, upon the whole, leaving out the corruptions of men in high places among them, that they have better morals and better institutions than many Christian nations; and in many localities there have been high standards of morals. So far as that one point is concerned, of worshipping the one true God under the name of Mahometanism, together with many moral precepts, and in war only acting on the defensive, I think they have exceeded in righteousness and truthfulness of religion, the idolatrous and corrupt church that has borne the name of Christianity." - Apostle Parley P. Pratt, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 3, p.41

I think that any time someone says something that is true for them, other people get defensive and see it as an 'I'm right and you're wrong!' attack. This is true with religion, politics, morals, etc.

I have nothing against Mormons. Obviously, living in Australia I have less exposure to the religion than residents of the US, but I have been door-knocked by them before. I told them politely that I wasnt interested, they told me to have a good day and that was that. I don't think people should take a single approach by a Mormon as a personal insult, which a lot of people do.

Already a -4... for the truth none the less

I think they can be. I'm not Mormon, actually, I don't consider myself christian either... Whether despite or because of this I believe that every religion's beliefs need to be respected. There will always be zealots and extremists, regardless of the actual religion. (I'm not just speaking to mormonists - is that the proper term? - but to all religions here) They tend to give many religions a bad name. If you're not harming anyone, then you should be free to believe as you wish. After all, beliefs are not something that can be forced upon other people. If you practice a religion because you think it is the "right one" but don't believe or practice it's tenets, then all you are is a hypocrite who has no real connection to God (or whomever you worship).

hmm, I've found myself being judged many times by LDS in my old city. spray venom, with venom.

In the long run of human development people learned to be suspicious to anything which came from outside their own tribe. In former times this was a strategy of survival. But still today people feel unpleasant if they are confronted with a group of people who are quite different in their look, attitude,manners or behaviour. It gives to the people a feeling of a certain unsecurity because it s something quite new and strange to all their own experiences. And as stranger the other people seem to be the more they get unpleasant feelings.

I think mormonism is almost like a matrix program. The people are unaware (and taught not to question) what their leaders are doing. Just remember the scripture that talks about having nothing to do with the wicked deeds of the darkness but rather exposing them. It also says something like it's shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret and that's how I think about the mormon leaders. Read Jerald and Sandra Tanner's book "Mormonism, Shadow or Reality" for a small idea of what it's really about. Research out who is running (drugs) the CIA all over the world, the casinos of Las Vegas and the (formerly Italian) Mob.

"...when Mormons never say anything bad about everyone else?" . I'm not sure if this comment is a joke or blatant ignorance! . Never say anything bad eh? Let's look at the historic record: . And he [an alleged angel] said unto me [Nephi]: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth. (1 Ne. 14: 10) ...all the priests who adhere to the sectarian religions of the day with all their followers, without one exception, receive their portion with the devil and his angels. (Prophet Joseph Smith , The Elders Journal, Joseph Smith Jr., editor, vol.1, no.4, p.60) After the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, there were only two churches upon the earth. They were known respectively as the Church of the Lamb of God and Babylon. The various organizations which are called churches throughout Christiandom, though differing in their creeds and organizations, have one common orgin. They belong to Babylon. (George Q. Cannon, Gospel Truth, p.324) "Both Catholics and Protestants are nothing less than the ‘whore of Babylon’ whom the Lord denounces by the mouth of John the Revelator as having corrupted all the earth by their fornications and wickedness. Any person who shall be so corrupt as to receive a holy ordinance of the Gospel from the ministers of any of these apostate churches will be sent down to hell with them, unless they repent." (Orson Pratt, The Seer, p. 255) The Roman Catholic, Greek, and Protestant church, is the great corrupt, ecclesiastical power, represented by great Babylon.... (Orson Pratt, Writings of an Apostle, "Divine Authenticity," no.6, p.84). What is it that inspires professors of Christianity generally with a hope of salvation? It is that smooth, sophisticated influence of the devil, by which he deceives the whole world. (Prophet Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.270) ...all the priests who adhere to the sectarian religions of the day with all their followers, without one exception, receive their portion with the devil and his angels. (Prophet Joseph Smith , The Elders Journal, Joseph Smith Jr., editor, vol.1, no.4, p.60) And I haven't even brought in what 19th and 20th LdS Leaders have said about People of Color and the U.S. Government! And this is just an "appetizer" on what they've said about other Churches. So, "Mormons never say anything bad about everyone else?" Quite the opposite is true.

I've never said a thing about Mormons. I don't know one & I don't know their religion so that would make me a bitch if I judged them

We are working toward it, but to say we "never" offend may be claiming more virtue than we currently posses. . However, I do think that a remarkable number of people spend an extraordinary amount of their time seeking occasion against the Church.

Nope, sorry. People will judge you no matter what you believe. They will also judge you on your clothes, the way you wear your hair, how tall you are and so on. There are, of course, a number of things that Mormons do which are particularly unpopular - such as the baptism of the dead, and the way they become very unfriendly to anyone who leaves the faith.

Mormons go from doorstep to doorstep preaching and thats why people dont like them. beliefs can be beliefs if people didn't condemn each other. but thats not life. so we all have to deal.

well any religion that has to knock on my door and tell me how much of a sinner I am, even though I'm Christian turn me off to thinking they are normal or ppl who have multiple brides, kind of tend to make me go hMMMMMMMMMMMM don't drink the koolaid

It's not so much against Mormons as Mormonism - though the secularlist cultural elites love to mock all religious and moral conservatives. And MormonISM most assuredly says something bad about Christian sects and denominations, e.g., "They are all abominations." Also, claiming to be the sole possessor of "the restored Gospel" (which can be proven historically to never have been the original Gospel or anything like it) certainly doesn't stand them in good sted with Christians who rightly judge Mormons to be heretics preaching a false Gospel and a false Christ. But the typical (or rather stereo-typical) Mormon is certainly an ultra-wholesome law-abiding type, a good neighbor, and a good citizen who raises really nice, polite, clean-cut, square, and unjaded kids.