I feel like maybe I’ve written this article before, just with different words, or a slightly different spin on things, but the bottom line is clear to me. I’m a member of a misunderstood religion.
I recently read an online article titled, “Mormons Using the Web to Control Their Own Image“. In the age of Mormon Mommy Blogs, and twitter, facebook, and a plethora of other avenues for Mormons’ voices to be heard, why are we still so misunderstood?
This article was actually speaking to the church as an organization making every effort to steer the average google user toward the LDS church when searching for things both Mormon and non-Mormon related. I have no doubt that the church spends lots of money making sure that the anti-mormon sites aren’t the first ones to pop up when you type in something to do with the LDS church. I remember just a few short years ago I would cringe at the thought of people looking up my religion online. Now, I don’t worry. Now, there are a myriad of great church websites, and savvy members of the church who are using search engines, and SEO strategies to make sure that people still get a clear picture of who and what we are as members of the LDS church. Yet, whenever I read an article like the one above, I can’t help but see the one or two sentences that are always thrown in to portray us in a negative light. Maybe that’s my own cynicism or maybe I’m just expecting it after being a member for almost 34 years.
These two paragraphs in particular:
“Elizabeth Drescher, who advises mainline Protestant groups on using digital technology, was critical of the Latter-day Saints for pouring money into steering people to the church’s Web site.
“Online isn’t just a technology; it’s a place to go. It’s a landscape. It’s as though you looked down the street and all you saw were LDS churches,” Drescher said. “It’s a way to triumph over democracy. To me, it’s freaky.”
Obviously, Utah would really freak her out! In some ways is makes me laugh, but in all honestly, I have no problem with church leaders spending money to improve our image. Why not? We have had our fair share of negative comments, and hatred, and persecution in our church’s history. It is still going on today, you just have to work a little bit harder to find it. Big deal.
For those people who want the truth about what we believe, they will find it now, for those who want to hear about the weird, the made up, or the lies, they will have to dig a littler deeper in the pages and they will find what they want to also. It will just take them a little longer. And, I’m fine with that.
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