INTERESTING ENCOUNTER

I bumped into the sister missionaries the other day. I normally keep quiet about my beliefs with LDS folks (to avoid a spirit of contention and -strangely- to "protect" them), but today I got tired of their patronizing, "Have you tried to read the Book of Mormon? Have you tried to pray? Do you know Heavenly Father has a plan?" It made for an interesting encounter...

The Bishop told missionaries a while back about my beliefs. The new sister thought I was inactive. "I haven't "tried" to read the Book of Mormon, I do read it. And I haven't "tried" to pray, I pray daily. And because I'm not LDS doesn't mean I'm unaware of basic doctrines!"

Sister: "What are you?"

Me: "I believe in the original teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith and of Brigham Young. I believe the Church is out of order for watering down or discarding essential tenets in order to appear all-Christian".

Sis (not smiling anymore): "But we are Christian. Jesus created the world".

Me: "The Gods organized the world".

Sis looks confused. Her companion is silent. I explain she can find all that in the Church publication of the The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. She now looks at me suspiciously. She says Jehovah was Jesus. I tell her many believe so but I don't. Now they're late and they must go.

She says: "You believe in the Book of Mormon? Good. Have you read Jacob 2? OK. Recently? OK... Read it again..."

Me: "I don't need to. I believe it's improper for people to enter polygamy without the keys. Like me teaching French if I didn't speak it and hadn't qualified as a teacher. But Joseph Smith restored the practice of Plural Marriage and the keys are still among us."

Sis and companion are now giving me dirty looks and start walking away.

Me: "Have you read D&C 132? Read it again. We need to practice Plural Marriage if we want to become Gods."

No answer as they're swiftly walking away.

I did not mention plural marriage when asked what I believed in. The new sister missionary is the one who brought it up by asking if I had read Jacob 2. Almost out of the blue as a goodbye. Maybe my answer was emotional at that stage (and as they were walking away I couldn't get too specific) but all I meant was that Plural Marriage had been restored, and had not been "cancelled". I wanted to stand up for my beliefs, because I am not ashamed of the Gospel. But maybe an element of pride, anger and self-righteousness did sneak in...