Mormon Dilemma 930 Worshiping Joseph Smith

New Era, ‘Singing the Distance’, by Janet Thomas, Jan. 2000, 12; “… seminary students from Pleasant Grove, Utah, started a marathon. It would take them more than 13 hours to complete. There was no running involved—just singing. Lots and lots of singing. The seminary students were attempting to sing every hymn in the hymnbook in a single day… Another meaningful hymn to the group was “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief.” Brett Munden said, “I love that song because when I sing it I think of Joseph Smith in Carthage Jail. He asked John Taylor to sing that song for him. It’s my favorite hymn because it was Joseph’s favorite.”…

These are the 10 hymns the Pleasant Grove seminary students voted as their favorites:

• The Spirit of God

• A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief

• Praise to the Man

• I Stand All Amazed

• How Great Thou Art

• If You Could Hie to Kolob

• Called to Serve

• True to the Faith

• We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet

• Come, Come, Ye Saints” –

Acts 17:16; “Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.”

I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I can relate to Paul’s grieving heart. I’m sure that those who have loved ones lost in the snares of Mormonism or any other ‘ism’ have felt the angst in our spirits as Paul did. 

I’ve posted this entry from the Era Magazine today as an example of the misplaced priorities Mormons have in their daily lives. The kids who came up with the idea to sing all the songs from the hymnbook sound as if they’re good kids. 

My heart grieves over them as it does for other Mormons. How sad they’ve been lied to! How sad it is they have such willing hearts to honor and obey their church, parents and leaders, yet they have the wrong god. Who was it that promoted the idea to revere Joseph Smith in this manner? 

As parents we’re given the incredibly important task of teaching truth and when the end comes we’ll be held accountable for the lies we perpetuated or the truth we taught. Even though this took place over a decade ago, my heart is broken over these innocent kids who believed these things. You can be sure this is still going on today all over Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Arizona…