( Always a bad apple somewhere)
Remember the Mountain Meadows Massacre in 1857, where some Church members killed many innocent souls? Now, jump to these current days, where on occasion there is a member who committed serious crimes.
These events can be discouraging to members, to see some foolish or outright wrongs committed by a small few and how it reflects on the Church as a whole. These wrongs and foolish actions, when found by ex-members and Anti-Mormons, play up the bad image upon all good members and the Church. It is wrong by them to do this, unethical and even unfair, but because they desire to discredit, they will make any opportunity they can.
Many members know this already, so this not news, why then is this entry important? The importance is for those members who are questioning their faith and membership in the Church because of these events that have happened, who make the interpretation that something is wrong with the Church.
When I view these unsavoury events, I keep in mind a fact that some members seem to ignore. This fact is that God’s true Church invites all people to his salvation. Everyone is to be given this opportunity to accept the restored gospel and this acceptance is one of faith and belief. The problem that occurs are people who join this Church with questionable characteristics and ethics and make no effort to change them. These are people from the world, the converts, who were born and raised in worldly ideas. We all know the tendency of the world to love corruption so people (converts) who join the Church carry this corruption within them.
The Church does not perform psychological assessments or background checks to accept or deny a person entry into the Church. All is done by free will, choice and faith. Each person is expected to learn and abide in gospel principles, but there are a few that either want, or by their nature, want to thwart gospel principles for selfish ends.
When I first joined, I received the strong impression that some have joined the Church to spread evil and/or commit evil. These people are Satan led (whether they are aware of that or not). A select few seem to have the intent to join the Church, then later resign the Church and become active Anti-Mormons, who display more vigor in their crucifixion style attitudes than they ever had with their Church membership. They are not taken to task to any of their aberrant behaviour when out of the Church, because leaving the membership gives them freedom to abuse than within the membership. Somehow, many do not take that into consideration when others claim the Church excommunicated someone for something minor. There is far more behind the scenes with these aberrant members. Suffice to say, in time these specific souls that are dark will all be revealed and ousted, as God promised in his scriptures.
Generally speaking, in respect to the nature and characteristics of people, there are bound to be some bad apples, who, by their very nature, refuse to change and refuse to take responsibility for their own feelings, thoughts, choices and actions. These sour grapes are not just in this Church, but I see them in many of the other Christian churches as well. Professing to believe in Jesus Christ as they commit sin left and right, or express a hard callous selfish heart thinking they are right. It is disappointing to see sour members exist in this Church, but as God gives them the freedom to have this opportunity to salvation and repentance, so must we afford them the same consideration, but of course, wrong behaviour is never condoned or supported.
The media and press are quick to announce a Mormon has committed some crime, but not one of these announcers ever followup to show what kind of person he/she is and if this Church has disfellowshipped or excommunicated them. The Church itself will not make such decisions public because of the respect of privacy and I support that, but once a member has become public for crimes committed, I believe he/she has lost that right to such privacy and the Church would need to announce his disfellowship or excommunication. It goes hand in hand, a Mormon commits a serious crime that is made public, he/she dragged their membership into it by virtue of their actions as a “Mormon”, so the Church (I believe) would need to announce their decision publicly as well. Of course, repentance is always expected and if the crime is not serious, membership is likely to continue so long as repentance continues.
Consideration, fairness, proper judgement by the general membership is required in all cases. Judgement is made upon the person by the rightful authority and the rest of us are to avoid such judgements. This includes the need to avoid judging the Church for what a person does in his/her life. To make these judgements will damage your own faith and if you, the member, have a spiritual testimony that this Church is true, or a belief it is true, hold fast to it as Satan will certainly take the opportunity to buffet you as would ex-members and Anti-Mormons. Do you see the connection there between the three groups?
People are in this Church and in all people are the carnal ways of the world, so be wise upon your thoughts and feelings about this Church because any other church, or the world for that matter, will not be any better in that respect of bad apple “people”.
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