Spotlight On The Mormons

In a recent column in the Metrowest Daily News (a Massachusetts newspaper), Frank Mazzaglia wrote, "Two questions are certain to come up again and again during the upcoming political season. The first is, can a Mormon be elected president of the United States? The second is, just what is a Mormon?"

If Governor Romney decides to pursue the Republican nomination for President, I think Mr. Mazzaglia is correct. People will ask about Mormons. As members of the Church, we need to be prepared to answer the questions that will surely arise and be ready to deal with common misconceptions.

I have been surprised that some of these misconceptions still exist. Two recent conversations left me stunned that some educated American's still believe that plural marriage is still part of the Church and is legal in Utah. I can understand some of the misconceptions that arise from Church history, but to believe that polygamy is practiced by a major American faith in the 21st Century is amazing.

How do we answer the questions that are sure to arise if Governor Romney pursues the Presidency? The most important thing that we can do is continue our daily study of the scriptures. As we do so, prayerfully, we more fully comprehend the doctrines of the kingdom and are touched by the influence of the Holy Ghost.

In addition to our study of the scriptures, I think it is important to understand Church history. There are many wonderful books available on Church history that can help us understand our incredible heritage. I recently completed Joseph Smith - The First Mormon by Donna Hill. As well as a biography about the Prophet, it was a wonderful review of Church history to the time of his martyrdom.

There might also be questions about our history and doctrine to which we may not have answers. The easy answer today is to "google it." Be careful of which websites you use. There are a multitude of anti-LDS websites that contain erroneous information. The Church's website at LDS.org contains an amazing amount of great information. The FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies) at BYU is a wonderful resource for information about the scriptures. The FAIR (Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research) website contains numerous articles that respond to challenges about LDS doctrine and history.

I think these questions can be a wonderful opportunity to share the message of the Restored Gospel. Will we be prepared? What other suggestions do you have?