I Can Think of at Least Two Things Wrong with This

Oh, Mexico.  First you give me the mariachi I love, then you give me child matadors.  What am I supposed to think?  Read the New York Times article and see the absurd pictures.

Filed under: Animals, Musings on November 19th, 2007 | No Comments »

What’s in It for Nigeria?

Salt Lake TempleI wrote more extensively about this topic back in March, but an article in yesterday’s Washington Post reminded me of the savvy marketing of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in their effort to convert the world. The Mormons are, like the Roman Catholics and others, focusing their missions increasingly on the developing world, and finding considerable success. Their tactics today are a considerable improvement over the “convert or die” methods of the past, which are certainly a blight on the history of the Catholic Church.

How the Mormons are able to sell Nigerians on a faith that seems on its face to be absurd and bizarrely America-centric is a testament to their marketing prowess. In case you don’t know, Mormons believe some weird things, such as:

  • The Garden of Eden was in Jackson County, Missouri
  • Jesus will personally govern the world from the United States following his second-coming
  • Israelites crossed the ocean by boat in 600 B.C. and became the Native Americans we know today
  • Proxy baptism of the dead is encouraged, regardless of the deceased person’s faith, including Jewish victims of the Holocaust, and Adolf Hitler
  • People live in the sun (not orthodox doctrine, but still the belief of Prophet Brigham Young)

So, what about the LDS church draws so many converts in the developing world? My best guess is this: Mormons are extremely nice people. When I was a kid, during a particularly bad time, a Mormon family helped us in a profound way, and were extraordinarily generous and kind. When I was in Salt Lake City last March, every encounter I had with a LDS member was pleasant. They were all courteous and friendly. The fact that Temple Square in Salt Lake City is staffed by an army of extremely attractive young Mormon women from all over the world is a testament to the church’s geographic reach and marketing prowess.

Filed under: Musings, Religion, Travel on November 19th, 2007 | No Comments »