By Mary Kozelka
Rock Center
In a nondescript industrial park in Salt Lake City, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints maintains a vast 500,000 sq. ft. warehouse with enough goods to rival your local Costco. From wheelchairs and toilet paper to sugar and bread, The Utah Bishops’ Central Storehouse is stocked.
Despite the prevalence of Mormon business success stories in the media -- most notably Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney -- one quarter of all U.S. Mormon households earn $30,000 a year or less according to Pew Research Center.
The storehouse, along with 110 similar facilities spread across the country, is part of the Mormon effort to help those in need, Mormon and non-Mormon alike.
“We'll help anyone at any time as long as we're able to do so and have those resources available to do so,” said Rick Foster, director of the church’s welfare operations, adding that there is no pressure to convert, but you do have to meet with your local congregation’s bishop, who will allow access to the store provided there is a need for assistance. The supplies are also available to help victims of natural disasters anywhere in the world.
While other religious and secular charities provide similar assistance to the world’s needy, the Mormon effort stands out in its organized self-sufficiency.
The storehouse and other facets of the Mormon welfare system, such as thrift stores, are primarily funded by Mormons who fast one Sunday every month for two consecutive meals, and then donate the money they would have spent on food to the church.
While medical supplies and other provisions are purchased by the church for the warehouse, almost all the food is sourced and produced by the Mormon community for charity. Fruit is harvested from Mormon orchards, vegetables are brought in from local Mormon farms, and even turkey and beef products found in the frozen section of the storehouse are brought in from Mormon ranches.
Not far from the Bishops’ Central Storehouse, in a place called Welfare Square, NBC’s Harry Smith watched Mormon volunteers bake bread, make cheese and bottle honey. These products are then packaged and most of them are donated to charity.
Thanks to these efforts, the storehouses hold enough supplies to support the church’s welfare efforts for an entire year.
Food and other supplies are transferred from the 110 regional storehouses to 142 grocery store-like setups across the country and around the world. No cash is accepted at these stores, but volunteer work is expected in return when those who received help are able to function independently again. The needy bring only their bishop-approved list and start shopping. Each store is staffed by volunteers.
“Some people come and it could be the worst day of their life.
They're really down. They've lost their job, their children are hungry. If they come and don't say one word, that's OK. As long as we didn't make them feel bad about coming for assistance,” said Sue Moore, who volunteers at Bishop Storehouse in Welfare Square in Salt Lake City.
Moore’s husband, Bob, reminisced about a homeless woman who came in search of food to feed her young children. The 6-year-old daughter looked at the food in disbelief and asked her mother: “Is this food for us?” He said such heartbreaking memories reinforce his belief in the cause.
“Life isn’t about getting something for nothing,” Bob Moore said.
Kirk Green, leader of a suburban Mormon congregation near Salt Lake City, agrees: “It's a commitment and a belief to follow Christ in the way that he lived his life. And one of the biggest ways he lived his life was taking care of the poor, those who are less fortunate, those who didn't have all the breaks in life.”
Editor's Note: Rock Center's in-depth look at the Mormon faith, 'Mormon in America,' airs Thursday, Aug. 23 at 10pm/9c on NBC's Rock Center with Brian Williams.
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My son served a mission in El Salvador (1999-2001) when they had the bad earthquake. I couldn't get ahold of him for a few days but when I did I found he was busy digging out destroyed houses and villages, helping to distribute LDS-donated supplies, and rebuilding using LDS-donated equipment and materials, not to mention that I paid about $450 a month from my own pocket to keep him working there. Our whole family was gratified that our Church and son were helping these devastated people. During the early part of his mission, on his way to the bus stop everyday, he would pass a woman who was suffering with uterine cancer and asking for a dollar so she could pay for a daily pain shot. He gave her what little money he had every day and then made an appointment to talk with the Mormon leaders in the area. They agreed (even though this woman was not a Mormon) to pay for her to be hopitalized and have surgery on her cancer. It probably didn't save her life but it relieved her pain at the time and got her the care she needed. I am confident that the money I give to the Church is responsibly and lovingly used to help people of all faiths around the world and that it allows me to be the kind of Christian that Christ would want me to be.
Your confidence is misplaced.
And when you state that you were paying $450 per month for your son to "work" in El Salvador - you placed your statement in a deceptive manner. That work you mention - has the full focus on proselytism - yet you couch it as all charitable. He wasn't there FOR disaster relief - he was there to BAPTIZE, period. That it coincided with disaster relief is irrelevant to the overall argument.
The Church will manipulate perceptions, in a manner that is the antithesis to 'responsibly and lovingly'. Likewise, assuming that the cancer story is true, it is guaranteed that she was the focus of intense conversion pressure. Mormons love to exploit those in desperate circumstances - because they make the easiest targets for baptisms. And EVERY good mormon boy needs to baptize at least ONE person, to be able to have respect in their mormon society, upon their return. That pressure is extreme, and missionaries will go to great extremes to try and insure that occurs.
You can be confident that the money you give the LDS church is going towards PR, business investments, and proselytism. But not to humanitarian causes. Indeed, in the UK - only 11% of the money that was specified as "humantarian aid" by donating members for that purpose - was used for that purpose. US data is not available because of non-disclosure loopholes.
If you are genuinely concerned about peoples of all faiths across the globe, you will give to genuine charities that do not discriminate and exploit.
Brian, if I saw you in the street and asked you to strip off all of your clothes and show me your underwear would you? What if I took a picture of you and your wife in your underwear and then posted it on the news? Would you be ok with that?
As a mormon, I appreciate your effort to educate people about our religion, but you did it disrespectfully. As a successful news reporter I would have thought you would have done some research and found out that our undergarments are not secret, they are sacred. It was very inconsiderate of you to take something that is important to us and make light of it on national news.
Brian, If I saw you on the street and asked you to strip away all of your clothes and show me your underwear, would you? If I took of picture of you and your wife in your underwear and then posted it on the national news, would you be ok with that? I don't think you would.
As a mormon, I appreciate your effort to educate Americans about our religion and for the most part I think you did a good job, but I am offended by the disrespect you showed us when you posted a picture of our under garments on your segment. As a well respected reporter you should have done some research on that. You would have found that our under garments are not secret, they are sacred. You took something important to us and made light of it on national television. Anyone who is curious about them could do a google search and see them if they wanted to. That is no secret. They didn't need to be flashed across the screen on your show.
That was really lame.
Mormans would rather be called Latter Day Saints or LDS these days. Since so many people try to compare them to the Mormans that belive in multiple marriages and the true mormans do not.
I have researched this before and been to their Official website. I was appalled that the site is set up to look like a protastant christian page with sunday school times etc.
The what we believe tab revealed cookie cutter beliefs and nothing deep.
In my research I found that Mormons believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit BUT not at a Trinity as the rest of Christian faiths so and as the Holy Bible teaches. God in Three Persons. One essence.
I also found that they believe in a Holy Mother AND a Holy Father. They had sex and created Satan AND his brother Jesus. Some resource go as far as stating God and the Virgin Mary had both Satan and Jesus.
There is a very secret part to Mormonism.
The Holy Bible teaches not to add to it AND that it is the ONLY word of God. It teaches how cunning and sneaky Satan is and will be to fool the world.
With that said....instead of just creating a group of disbelievers in God wouldn't Satan also create a false religion that appears to be all Christian on the outside and have these nonbiblical twists throughout just to confuse a mass of peoples to keep them from the true and only word of God in the Holy Bible. I mean showing the selfsustainment and helping others is nice but looking deeper, it is being showy to the members and helping them believe Satan's plan to decieve the members.
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
1 Kings 13:18 The old prophet answered, "I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: 'Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.'" (But he was lying to him.)
Jeremiah 23:16 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.
Ezekiel 22:27 Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain.
I trust only in the true words of god. He even warns us about the Mormon church.
I used to be Mormon. I was born into a good Lutheran family. My Mothers ex husband was Mormon and his family and also my sisters friends and other kids at school pure pressured us to join the LDS faith. I lived in Idaho falls ID at the time. I noticed a church group that will shun others who refused to join with the LDS faith. I have seen good high paying respectful jobs held for LDS members only and landlords refusing to rent a house or apartments to non members or even charging more to a non member. I have seen Supervisors treat non members differently even treated them as if they are dogs and beneath them. i have seen Women abused by men of the LDS faith and treated with a lack of respect. I have also seen the church help some non members until they told missionaries they had no interest in becoming members. i also have seen the church turn down members who needed assistance because they could not afford to pay tithing. The church will help non members with attempt to convert to a member and gain 10% of that persons earnings. if that person doesn't pay the 10% they could lose position at work or any help from the church. They could even become shunned from neighbors and church. i have met several good people from the church but I have also met more unchristian in nature folks there too. I do believe god warns us to watch out for false prophets. I still try to be nice to the members of the LDS church who live by me but I do become concerned when my children play with LDS kids and they are shunned for their beliefs by those kids and their parents. They always try to teach my kids about the book of Mormon and the LDS faith I have to constantly fix the damage they do to my children. i wish the folks there could just accept people for who they are and try not to judge others because of faith.
I have witnessed the church use members like chess pieces and position them in power at several state agencies. When the church leadership tells them to do something they simply do it. They will pass the churches agenda. Rexberg Idaho is living proof of that influence over the city. ISU in Pocatello Idaho has also been infiltrated by the LDS church. President Vailas of ISU was voted by faculty of no confidence and also the student government voted the same and he simply disbanded both groups and the LDS members above him that enforce it simply gave him a very large raise in funds and increased student tuition and parking and living cost and they even fired faculty who opposed him. The fact remains the church will allow you to become a member and follow its strict code of conduct and live how they tell you to or you will suffer economic tragedy. In the old days the church would simply tell you to convert if you did not they would hang your entire family or massacre them and blame it on the Indians. Latter in the early 1900's they had to stop the killings because the United States Government ordered them hunted down and dealt with. They started the practice of telling you to convert or pay you less for your crops, charge you more for seed and food and paid you less for barter. only members could prosper at the time in Utah because of it. Eventually they had to start controlling vast offices of politics so they could pass laws in favor of their agenda which allowed others to finally settle there. Nothing has changed much since then they still use economic sanctions against non members and shunning to control them. You can't sue a company or landlord for any wrong doing if the Judges are all Mormon and the city officials are all Mormon and the Governor is Mormon. When they control the agencies you report the wrong doing to. I see these actions and decided long ago i will refuse to submit to the churches control and seek to live under god's commandments and of Christ teachings so that i may simply be judged by him for my own wrong doings here on earth.
So what do you think the Mormon church would do if they had a member in the white house? I definatly see allot of economic sanctioning coming to the rest of non member America . Freedom of speech will be one of the first to go. Especially choices, You will no longer be able to watch anything the church deems inappropriate to see or hear. The cost of alcoholic beverages will soar with the cost of tobacco products and coffee. The church in Utah passed laws to make the alcohol volume in beer and other beverages to a lower standard compared to the rest of the nation. Every place in America will be a non smoking area, non swearing area, no guns area, all freedoms will be taken away except Values deemed appropriate by the LDS faith. Books and movies that are deemed against the LDS church will be banned and any product containing any logo or picture that offends the LDS church will be banned from sale ( 5 wives vodka banned in Idaho from sale). There are many reasons I am concerned about the Mormon church and they are all legit. I believe in separation of church and state and with a Mormon President that will not be the case. Look at Idaho and Utah for proof of that.
What you say is absolutely True. Thanks for sharing.
Romney needs to disclose his 10 years of "Secret Income Tax Returns". I have do it when I apply for a loan. But I am not running for an office that leads 300 million people of the biggest Military in the world.
The office of President is the ONLY Political Office that represents ALL the people and we don't need a "Secretive" President, especially before deciding if we want to vote for him.
We had a "Secretive" President, it was awful, his name?
Richard Nixon.
We don't need another "Secret" Richard Nixon type in the White House
Donald - Just a few thoughts re: your posts. Mormons are notoriously exclusionary and will attempt to oppress those that do not submit to the "One True Church". Those that live in their midst understand those injustices, which become more and more harsh with the more of them, and the fewer of the other. If at all possible, do NOT raise your children in that environment!
At least the mormon children are playing with yours - they are often treated like lepers and are ridiculed to the point of irreversible emotional trauma. Overt bullying will be sanctioned by teachers and principals - who also view non-mormons with contempt - even if they are children charged under their care!
Sometimes, it is the other extreme - and mormon kids see the non-mormons as a chance to embark upon their life-long mission to convert. They do not place any value on the individual - but the glory they will receive if they can snare them in. And until they do so, the non-mormons are dehumanized.
With respect to Romney as president - please remember that presidents have very little power to effect anything. Mormon strength, power, and oppression lies in their numbers, self-affiliation, and their 100 billion dollar investment assets. Other than their wallets, they are just a speck of dust at the national level. And Romney is an egotistical free agent that will do much more to hide his beliefs, rather than attempt to impose them.
Enjoyed watching the show about Mormons in America. I am hoping Rock Center also does a show on the Catholic Church. I don’t think people are knowledgeable about the Catholic Church, their people, and traditions. Why does Catholic’s build a prayer alter in their homes? Why do they say their prayers in front of a statue of Mother Mary? Isn’t that idol worshipping? Why are little girls dressed in white wedding attire marrying God? Why do nuns wear what they wear? Many say it is to hide pregnancy? Why do they pay money for their sins to be forgiven? Tell us about their welfare system and adoption agencies. Why do they not read the Bible? Why are they called Christian when they don’t read the Bible? It is time for the people to know the whole truth about the Catholic Church.
I also will never forget the people the church have murdered. Go check out this site is shows the truth. H tee tee pee 1857 massacre dot com
The most famous of them all was the massacre in Mountain Meadow, Utah.
These evil Mormon's should have been shot by a firing squad instead they have dedicated churches and colleges and streets and buildings to these criminals.
BRIGHAM YOUNG'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE MOUNTAIN MEADOWS MASSACRE
The second Prophet of the Mormon Church Brigham Young was an absolute Dictator of the large Desert Theocracy. The Churches quorum of 12 and Council of 50 basically were his rubber stamps. He chose Desert or what is commonly know as the Utah Territory to keep out the gentiles because of the problems the Mormon had in practicing their cult religion at the time.
Enjoyed watching the show about Mormons in America. I am hoping Rock Center also does a show on the Catholic Church. I don’t think people are knowledgeable about the Catholic Church, their people, and traditions. Why does Catholic’s build a prayer alter in their homes? Why do they say their prayers in front of a statue of Mother Mary? Isn’t that idol worshipping? Why do little girls dressed in white wedding attire to marry God? Why do nuns wear what they wear? Many say it is to hide pregnancy? Why do Catholics pay money to the Church for their sins to be forgiven? Tell us about their welfare system and adoption agencies. Why do they not read the Bible? Why are they called Christian when they don’t read the Bible? It is time for the people to know also about the Catholic Church
Amazing facility. I love that they have adopted the philosophy of being their brothers keeper. I also love the story of when Katrina hit New Orleans the Mormons were the first to arrive with supplies and support. I mean truck loads of help. Too cool.
Mormons are great at being the first to arrive when disaster hits - it gives them PR at a world scale, that is incredibly hard to buy otherwise. They almost always get global news coverage and they know it. They seek the media out. Plus they pick up loyal followers who feel indebted...
Then they report figures of aid spent over decades - much more impressive than an annual account, of course. All that aid boils down to just a few dollars from adherents. Your average person gives more to the march of dimes during their drives at grocery stores, and without a second thought. Meanwhile Mormons never cease to boast, loud and clear, about how they are so much better they are than everyone else - because of their generosity.
Contrary to being cool, its nauseating. The compulsory 10% tithe that they pick up from new members - dwarfs the initial expenditure that moreover, never came out of the LDS church's pockets to begin with! But from members that gave just a few extra bucks for disaster PR.
you cannot judge a religion based on peoples behaviors. The LDS church does not condone or preach to "boast" on doing good for others. That is simply how that person(s) are CHOOSING to do because the Devil is ALWAYS trying to deter us from being God-like. I feel sorry for those who choose to group behaviors with religions. Is everyone who is Muslim a terrorist? Are all catholic priests perverts?..... that ends my point.
kvivas:
You've missed the point entirely. Meanwhile, tithe dollars are spent on the best PR teams and marketing strategists that money can buy... Public perception is key, and nefarious methods are infused. This goes way beyond boasting and is unambiguously immoral. Indeed, the LDS church itself IS the perpetrator of this misbehavior. Your muslim/terrorist comparison is a total non sequitur.
I would like to address the 'secret' nature of the Mormon Temple and Mormon 'underwear.' I think you might understand our feelings when having it explained in the following way.
Consider a celebrity who is getting married or having a baby. They may go to great lengths to keep the details of the event out of the news media, and they may try their best to avoid having pictures of the event posted in magazines and newspapers and on the internet. Is it because there is something so secret about the event? Why not share every last detail with the whole world? No, it's no secret. But the event and the details are so very personal and the event is more special to them because it is not discussed and made open to all sorts of comments or criticism from people they don't even know and who don't really care all that much in the end.
I hope that those of you who sincerely want to understand our faith - both the good and bad - and are willing to look at it with an unbiased nature, can understand this analogy. I hope you will see that it is not an effort to hide some unsavory practice or act in a self-righteous manner as if we were better than others. On the contrary, I hope you can see that we simply hope to protect some of the rituals of our faith which are most sacred to us. I hope you can see us as people who are simply doing our best to live the way believe Christ wants us to live.
I enjoyed Brian Williams' report. It wasn't a perfect representation of our faith, but we're not perfect people.
The concept of "magic underwear" is enigmatic and a uniquely mormon curiosity. I understand that it is considered sacred, but because it is something that just seems so darn weird to outsiders - the more resistance there is to discuss its spiritual symbolism - the more intrigue it generates.
Mormons will sometimes attest to the garments providing them physical protection - and essentially superpowers - but the intent is supposed to be of a spiritual nature. In a way, its kind of like those that wear crosses to keep god and faith close - except that it is taken literally by mormons who wear a skin of god, that is not optional, and carries deeper ritualistic symbolism to boot.
Sure its weird, but I think ritualistic genital mutilation in infants is even weirder. But circumcision is mainstream practice, even outside religious boundaries - such that the behavior has become normalized and seems less weird than what it really is! Not to mention that its cruelty is usually overlooked altogether.
People will always believe and do weird things, and I respect their right to do so, when it does no harm to anyone. Mormon undergarments ARE weird, but harmless. And although Mormons are instructed not to speak of them, their reluctance to do so, just makes people even more curious and more ignorant to its sacred and personal meaning. Secrecy here, which is part of the temple ceremonies, does exist. Such that your claim that they are not secret, but sacred instead - is not entirely true. Rather, being secretive IS sacred. I think this only hurts Mormons, since being candid and straight forward, tends to result in greater understanding than being dodgy and disingenuous.
With respect to garments, my sympathies tend to lie with the mormons - who as individuals, can be marginalized for being faithful. And it can be seen as mocking someone's personal relationship with god, except most people simply do not understand that is what they are doing... That said, there are plenty of coercive, manipulative, corrupt, and inhumane practices that are also kept secret, that should be far from sacred - and squarely impugned.
***FOR ALL THAT ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH MORMONISM:
Gordon B. Hinckley, prior President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1995-2008), said:
“We are Christians in a very real sense and that is coming to be more and more widely recognized. Once upon a time people everywhere said we are not Christians. They have come to recognize that we are, and that we have a very vital and dynamic religion based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. We, of course, accept Jesus Christ as our Leader, our King, our Savior...the dominant figure in the history of the world, the only perfect Man who ever walked the earth, the living Son of the living God. He is our Savior and our Redeemer through whose atoning sacrifice has come the opportunity of eternal life. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pray and worship in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the center of our faith and the head of our Church. The Book of Mormon is Another Testament of Jesus Christ and witnesses of His divinity, His life, and His Atonement.”
And more from Hinckley too: www.ldslearning.org/lds-president-hinckley-teaching-about-heavenly-father.pdf
Its a fine example how the prophet himself was caught in a lie to Time magazine in 1997, and how the Secretary to the First Presidency, F Michael Watson - tried to cover the lie up with a flagrant lie, but was soundly caught. Oops...
In short, Hinckley did not want to admit that Mormon doctrine teaches that God was once a human. He was more concerned about looking like a mainstream Christian sect, such that lying was ok.
The prophet, of course, is considered to be the living word of God. No mere mortal speak comes from those lying lips...
Where the Mormons doctrine fails the test.
Jesus Christ is and was not only a great leader, He was God Himself.
In John 1:1 It says that "In the beginning was the Word (Jesus Christ) and the Word was with God and the Word was God. All things were made and came into existence through Him, and without him not one thing was made. Read John chapter 1, Jesus Christ was and is the Creator. He identified Himself as the "I AM"
Paul taught that "Jesus was the one who, being in the very nature of God ... made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, humbled Himself to death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:6 to 8.
There are many false religions in the world.
They will deny Jesus is God, pulling scripture out of context to fit their ungodly views. Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses, and many others.
They will tell their people that they are "The one true Church"
They will go back into the Old Testament laws and pick and choose which ones they want to use. Ignoring the fact that we live by Grace through Faith, and that by the Spirit of God. Read Galatians
They will shun those that stop going to their Church or stop paying tithes.
They think of themselves as being the only ones going to Heaven.
This list can go on and on.
There is one very important verse in Scripture that sums up the objective of the Whole Bible, without all the confusion of "Religions" that is John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believes on him is not condemned: but he that believes not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Paula, I'm not claiming to be super educated or any kind of expert, just the opposite in fact. But the bible is made up of several books right? Not all written on the same day, at the same time or by the same person. Who decided which books to stick together and in what order and call it a bible? Of course we wouldn't want to put the book that says not to add or take away near the beginning. I'm assuming you are multi-lingual and have found the original parchments in greek or hebrew or whatever, and read those and know that the only changes made over all the years and versions are just the lack of precision in translation.
Since all the versions of the book of mormon are in print, it's easy to see the differences. Plus you can just google it.
Also, my son went on a mission. It is strongly encouraged, even expected yes. But not required. Kind of like getting a job in America.
For all the comments about women being second class.. if you say so.. I had never heard the term 'mormon' growing up.. and I'm a single mom of 4 kids at the moment.. but wouldn't I love to be married to a faithful mormon man who follows what it says in the mormon "Proclamation on the Family" Preside, provide and protect. Most of the mormon women I know get to stay home with their kids while their husbands are working to support their family. Sounds dreamy!
Mormons also have a higher incidence per capita of child abuse. Wouldn't you love a mormon husband? nice.
where did you get that?
Nope, I don't want a man who says he's a mormon but lives in opposition to our beliefs and abuses children. I want to marry a faithful mormon man. Big difference. I wish you could know the awesome men I know. Whatever I need, they are lined up willing to help. No exaggeration.
I have to applaud my Pastor for recently doing a Sunday School series on Cults. Being independent Baptist in the South, I was shocked when he concluded Morman was about as bad as Muslim. I say this because most of the congregation will hold their nose and vote for Romney. Most are card carrying republicans who vote on what they consider Faith issues but will go against their own beliefs because there is an R after his name.
Mormon Church owns one of most active gun sale sites on web, according to Mayor Bloomberg report
More than 2,300 guns listed for sale on KSL.com
New York Daily News/February 7, 2012
By Reuven Blau
An undercover investigation released in December by Mayor Bloomberg's office named Mormon Church-owned website the third most active gun listings site on the Internet.
The Mormon Church in Salt Lake City owns one of the most active and unregulated gun sale portals on the web, according to a new report.
An undercover investigation released in December by Mayor Bloomberg's office named KSL.com the third most active gun listings site on the Internet.
The online hub came under scrutiny Monday when the news website Buzzfeed revealed Deseret Media Companies, the for-profit arm of the Mormon Church, operates it.
The mayor's report said the site — where 1,327 handguns and 1,003 rifles were listed for sale Monday — allows buyers and sellers to complete a gun sale without identifying themselves.
Undercover agents performed "integrity checks" on the site, trying to buy guns while declaring openly that they could not pass a legit background check.
In eight of 12 attempts, the seller happily sold the gun to the shady buyer .
"It's very easy for websites to take simple steps to make sales safe," said a spokesman for Bloomberg.
God
A Moron - er - Mormon coworker once told me that Mormons believe that a man should have as many wives as it takes to support him.
Having read through EVERY comment here. I've got a few things to say.
I honestly can't tell if these people really believe what they're saying. Or if they have some kind of grudge against mormons. I'm gonna say what I KNOW. Against what you 'know' and what you think is '100% fact.'
I was raised a mormon, however that is not what I believe in. My family was never 'active' in the church. Ages 10-19 I hadn't gone to church one day, within all of those years. Not once have I been looked down on, or been secluded. Or any other number of things your imagination might come up with. There are bad apples in every community. My first question is, if little old me. Growing up in UTAH, rarely heard about children, or wives being beaten. Never on any kind of regular basis, and only when such a story would crop up, sporadically in the news. Why do you think that it's a 'fact' or 'true' when it isn't, that mormon men disrespect women, or beat them and their children? Maybe I simply haven't heard about it, you know being raised mormon in the middle of utah. Personally I think on that subject you've simply heard of something happening or, maybe that one time when that one mormon guy did something terrible on the news. Your taking that one odd time or even just thinking things up, and trying to throw them every way you can. Really your all just trying to convince the world that, that one time where the one guy who was mormon did that thing. All of them do it cause one bad apple did it!
I could say for example, anyone who goes by the nickname 'Utah Mike' (Not trying to pick on you, first name from this conversation that I could recall just an example.) Is a (Insert lots of demeaning and terrible words here.) I could take it further and say cause that one guy, named mike. Did a terrible, terrible thing. EVERYONE with the name Mike must do the same thing. I'm not like that, but apparently alot of you are.
Another thing I'm going to throw down. Around my 18th birthday, the bishop came by and talked with me for a bit. I can't recall what I told him exactly, mostly my thoughts. While still there in that neighborhood. No one looked down on me, no one treated me differently. I still saw and talked with the bishop occasionally. He even came and helped me shovel the driveway once or twice after it snowed in the winter. Not once did he try to force me into the priesthood. Or on a mission. He never even brought it up a second time.
You all should really stop and smell the roses, it looks like all of you are the kind of people who can't put themselves in another persons shoes. Right now I'm imagining your all the people who would walk past a man who got shot on the side of the street. Not your problem after all right? What if that man was your brother, and someone just walked past him? What does this have to do with religion? Do you think the mormons enjoy being attacked for what they believe relentlessly? What if it was your religion, or your family that was being lied about. That people were spreading lies and false information about?
Next, this ones just for you 'hell kitten' your last comment really gets to me. Cause that was just sad and ridiculous, your just making things up. If anyone can't tell that you are, I'm going to kindly ask them to re-adjust their internet sarcasm detectors. I'm going to ask you to tell me here publicly what your religion or whatever else you believe in is. Cause you know what most of the people protecting themselves from your slander believe in, and that's the mormon religion. But your just hiding behind your monitor, and the anonymity of the internet. Throwing whatever you can at whoever you don't like. I'll make a bet with myself here, if your too cowardly to tell me your real belief. I'll buy myself a new cheap mouse I so desperately need. If your actually brave enough to tell me your actual belief, I'll give the money to a poor man on the street. Oh and I will bash it nine ways to sunday. All you are hell kitten, is a coward hiding behind a nickname that you probably think is cool.
What am I getting at here some of you might wonder? ALL of you bashing on a religion for doing something GOOD, are only hiding within the internet. There's no consequences for you. Not like we can tell your neighbors how you make generalizations and hate people who do things for others right? But maybe I just did what your all doing, making a generalization.
I'm not going to drag politics in here, since really this all boils down to people hating on a religion. While most of this fight has died down, I'm going to see how many people will comment on this, how many won't read this entire thing through. Who will only find something they can attack me with and immediately start using it against me. Please do, I'm not a mormon, I don't believe in their religion. Honestly I never really did. I believe that everyone has to seek the truth for themselves and to find the kernels of truth within all the lies.
All this is, are people with a grudge trying to do whatever they can to hurt and hinder people who are doing good.
So attack me, I need a few laughs. Just not while I'm drinking, I don't want it to come out my nose. :)
The reason NBC made this documentary is because Mitt Romney is Mormon. Many people are unsure they can trust a Mormon president. I think this video is very favorable in convincing the average Joe undecided, that tho you don't have to accept mormonism, you can accept Mitt Romney as a mormon and not let his faith get in the way of your vote for a better America!