i got this in a email frommy brother and i really liked it i thought it was nice to hear people saying nice thinsg about people



A NON-MEMBERS POINT OF VIEW 2006
Paul Allen is the owner of the Seattle Seahawks, the ones
who played the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Super Bowl.
He is also the owner of the Portland Trail Blazers
NBA basketball team and is co-partner with Bill Gates in
Microsoft. He wrote this editorial in the Santa Clarita,
California newspaper.
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Subject: An editorial on Mormons - Santa Clarita, CA


I have heard and seen enough! I have lived in the West
all my life. I have worked around them. They have worked
for me and I for them. When I was young, I dated their
daughters. When I got married they came to my wedding.
Now that I have daughters of my own, some of their boys
have dated my daughters. I would be privileged if one of
them were to be my son-in-law. I'm talking about the
Mormons. They are some of the most honest, hardworking
people I have ever known.
They are spiritual, probably more than most other
so-called religious people I have encountered. They
study the Bible and teach from it as much as any
Christian church ever has. They serve their religion
without pay in every conceivable capacity. Not one of
their leaders, teachers, counselors, Bishops or music
directors receive one dime for the hours of labor they
put in. The Mormons have a non-paid ministry - a fact
that is not generally known. I have heard many times
from the pulpits of others how evil and non-Christian
they are and that they will not go to heaven. I
decided recently to attend one of their services near
my home to see for myself. What a surprise! What I
heard and saw was just the opposite from what the
religious ministers of the day were telling me. I
found a very simple service with no fanfare. I found
a people with a great sense of humor and a
well-balanced spiritual side. There was no loud
music. Just a simple service, with the members
themselves giving the several short sermons. They
urge their youth to be morally clean and live a good
life. They teach the gospel of Christ, as they
understand it. The name of their church is "The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. Does
that sound like a non-Christian church to you? I
asked them many questions about what they teach and
why. I got answers that in most cases were from the
New Testament. Their ideas and doctrines did not seem
too far fetched for my understanding. When I read
their "Book of Mormon" I was also very surprised to
find just the opposite from what I had been told I
would find.

Then I went to another church's pastor to ask him some
of the same questions about doctrine. To my surprise,
when he found out that I was in some way investigating
the Mormons, he became hostile. He referred to them
as a non-Christian cult. I received what sounded to
me like evil propaganda against those people. He
stated bluntly that they were not Christian and that
they did not fit into the Christian mold. He also
told me that they don't really believe the Bible. He
gave me a pile of anti-Mormon literature. He began to
rant that the Mormons were not telling me the truth
about what they stand for. He didn't want to hear
anything good about them.

At first I was surprised and then again, I wasn't. I
began to wonder. I have never known of a cult that
supports the Boy Scouts of America. According to the
Boy Scouts, over a third of all the Boy Scout troops
in the United States are Mormon. What cult do you
know of that has a welfare system second to none in
this country? They have farms, canneries and cattle
ranches to help take care of the unfortunate ones who
might be down and out and in need of a little help.
The Mormon church has donated millions to welfare
causes around the world without a word of credit.
They have donated thousands to help rebuild Baptist
churches that were burned a few years ago. They have
donated tons of medical supplies to countries ravaged
by earthquakes. You never see them on TV begging for
money. What cult do you know that instills in its
members to obey the law, pay their taxes, serve in the
military if asked and be a good Christian by living
high moral standards?

Did you know that hundreds of thousands of Mormon
youth get up before high school starts in the morning
to attend a religious training class? They have
basketball and softball leagues and supervised youth
dances every month. They are recruited by the FBI,
the State Department and every police department in
the country, because they are trustworthy. They are
taught not to drink nor take drugs. They are in the
Secret Service - those who protect the President.
They serve in high leadership positions from both
parties in Congress and in the US Senate, and have
been governors of several states other than Utah.
They serve with distinction and honor. If you have
Mormons living near, you will probably find them to be
your best friends and neighbors. They are Christians
who try to live what they preach. They are not
perfect and they are the first to admit this. I have
known some of them who could not live their religion,
just like many of us.
The rhetoric which is spread around against them is
nothing more than evil propaganda founded in untruths.
(Others) had successfully demonized them to the point
that the general public has no idea what they actually
believe and teach. If you really want to know the
truth, go see for yourself. You also will be
surprised.
When I first moved here some 25 years ago there were
five Mormon wards in Santa Clarita. Now there are 15.
They must be doing something right.


Paul Allen - Santa Clarita, CA