Two Articles In Washpo About Romney'S Church Service

[gtaggart]

This is the first installment.

This is the second.

[ERayR]

Written by one who has a total ignorance of all things Mormon.

Edited to add On second thought it may not be ignorance.

Edited August 21, 2012 by ERayR

[Zeta-Flux]

Whenever I see the name "Washington Post" I can almost guarantee that the article is rubbish. Is my prediction correct in this case?

[smac97]

A few thoughts:

1. I appreciate the tone of comments like this: "Mitt Romney’s years as a Mormon church leader: The Republican presidential candidate’s decades as a bishop and stake president demonstrate an assurance with the church, a confidence in his authority and a deep spirituality."

This sounds like a sincere expression of respect for Romney's faith. No snark or hard-edged cynicism.

2. I've never understood comments like this: "Melvin Herlin, an MIT physics professor and patriarch of the Mormon Church in Boston, joined the congregation’s leaders to welcome Mitt Romney to the Longfellow Park Chapel in Cambridge. As the first-year Harvard graduate student and scion of Mormon royalty shook hands and introduced his beautiful young wife, Ann, an informal benediction burst from the patriarch’s mouth."

The "Mormon royalty" thing is ... weird. I've just never gotten a sense that certain families in the Church are considered "royalty." Later on the article, the author describes a convert who knew Romney in the 70s, who was 15 when she took the class, who described herself as “from the other side of the tracks” from the Romneys. She said that Romney "treated her as an equal and helped compensate for a void at home by encouraging her to go to college." This seems to undercut the notion of marked social stratification involving "royalty" such as Romney and other, lesser folk.

That's not to say that social stratification doesn't exist in the Church. Unfortunately, I think it does to some extent. But such stratification seems far more attributable to socioeconomics than family lineage.

3. The author describes The Book of Mormon as depicting "the dark-skinned Lamanites, and the more faithful and favored Nephites." This is a common, and commonly flawed, description of the text.

4. The author further describes The Book of Mormon as describing "Jesus Christ, upon his resurrection in Jerusalem, preach(ing) and establish(ing) his true church in the Western Hemisphere." Well, not exactly. The primitive Church was led by Peter following the Ascension. The leaders of the Church in Western Hemisphere were pointedly referred to as "disciples," not "apostles."

Overall, however, this is a fair and good article.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Grundelwalken]

Agreed, it was much more positive than I had imagined. MW

[Avatar4321]

First article has some ridiculous statements. Ann was released because the Bishop didnt feel she relate to the girls? What is that? Moroni told Joseph that all churches were an abomination? Being released from a calling is a rut or roadbump in our quest for godhood?

I dont get alot of these comments.

[Calm]

Ann was released because the Bishop didnt feel she relate to the girls?

How inappropriate for a former bishop to discuss something like this about a member who was attempting to serve to the best of her ability in all probability. Is confidentiality somehow waived because it is about a public figure.

There were several other comments that I felt the same way about.

[The Nehor]

The "Mormon royalty" thing is ... weird. I've just never gotten a sense that certain families in the Church are considered "royalty." Later on the article, the author describes a convert who knew Romney in the 70s, who was 15 when she took the class, who described herself as “from the other side of the tracks” from the Romneys. She said that Romney "treated her as an equal and helped compensate for a void at home by encouraging her to go to college." This seems to undercut the notion of marked social stratification involving "royalty" such as Romney and other, lesser folk.

I know. It's so annoying. With my family connections I should have a jewel-encrusted gold house by now and all kinds of tithing kickbacks these anti-mormons keep saying LDS royalty get but instead I am just told to pay my tithing and give a generous fast offering. I'm about to give up on this whole aristocracy thing. Very overrated.

[mapman]

Overall it was a good article that I think will help people get past stereotypes. There were a few puzzling things like the vague references to deification and Romney's "mentor", referring to Mitt Romney as royalty, and some other things. That is just quibbling, though. I think it is a very good thing that newspapers have begun to actually talk to Mormons when they do stories about us, and these articles are showing that people are now trying to go beyond theology and controversies to see what it is actually like to live as a Mormon.

[Tacenda]

Just watched the Mitt Romney documentary.  I just can't get over how genuine he and his family are.  What a great human being.  Too bad the cards were stacked against him.  Not to get political, but hopefully he and Ann can do other things for the country in other ways. 

[Senator]

ERayR and Smac must have read different articles.

[Five Solas]

I know. It's so annoying. With my family connections I should have a jewel-encrusted gold house by now and all kinds of tithing kickbacks these anti-mormons keep saying LDS royalty get but instead I am just told to pay my tithing and give a generous fast offering. I'm about to give up on this whole aristocracy thing. Very overrated.

I'd have been sitting pretty too, were it not for that--

 

Miserable John D. Lee

In the family tree

Disqualify me

Early morning po-e-try

 

Of course, maybe personal worthiness plays a part too.  Not sure.  But I feel your pain, Nehor, and I'd buy you a drink if I could.  If ever there was a man who needed one...

;0)

 

--Erik

[Stone holm]

Okay, can we now move on. So tired of Mitt being the face of Mormonism.

[Tacenda]

Okay, can we now move on. So tired of Mitt being the face of Mormonism.

sorry

[Gervin]

Whenever I see the name "Washington Post" I can almost guarantee that the article is rubbish. Is my prediction correct in this case?

As a DC resident I would disagree; I think Tom Boswell is one of the best baseball writers around.