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Mormons. Those guys in suits and badges that come to knock on your door. People who can’t drink coffee or tea. Those happy people.
The term Mormon tends to have a negative connotation. “Dedicated and confusing” came to Kaylie Miller’s mind as descriptors of those that are members of the Mormon church. A former Bob Jones student, Morgan Turbiner pictures “conservative parents with sheltered children.”
But did you know that most of Bob Jones High school has at least one class with a Mormon? For just as many of your classmates that are Catholic, Muslim, or Hindu, you sit next to Mormon kids too. That line up of cars at the top of the south parking lot that all get out at the same and walk in a huge herd to the school? Mormons.
More accurately known as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Latter-day Saints, or just LDS, these individuals are called Mormons because they believe that a book called The Book of Mormon is the inspired word of God.
Against common belief, none of these kids have multiple moms; they can drink soda and milk. Mormons can wear colors, the girls can wear pants, and they try their hardest to see everyone equally.
One of the ways The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helps communities all over the world is humanitarian aid. According to Deseret News, after the hurricane in the Philippines, Mormon missionaries in the area were the first looking for survivors and sharing their emergency food and water.
During the April 27 tornadoes, the missionaries in our area stopped preaching and started helping in any way they could. Several college kids were found cutting up trees, nailing down tarps, and clearing debris.
We even have a teacher here at Bob Jones, Coach Travers, who is a member of the church. According to Coach Travers,“ [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] is trying much harder to be more transparent and open to nonmembers to visit and see how we worship and what we believe, and we try very hard to not judge others who are not of our faith. Rather, we celebrate all who are trying to better their lives by worshipping God and serving Him and the community. ”
And the Mormon communities are definitely welcoming to the community this holiday season. The Madison and Huntsville stakes, a group of geographical areas similar to how schools are grouped into school systems, are opening up to the community through a Christmas Festival where anyone and everyone can come, no matter their religion. If you would like to see this concert, physical invitations can be acquired through members and the ward buildings. Electronic invitations are found at http://www.huntsvillechristmasfestival.org/index.html.
November 20, 2013, was National Hug a Mormon Day. On Wednesday, roughly seven hugs were wrapped around any given Mormon. But if you missed embracing a Latter-day Saint, your classmates will still gladly accept your hugs.
According to Wikipedia, hugs are the almost universal sign of affection and friendship. Hugs are without reprove in most countries, religions, cultures, families, and it’s totally okay to hug somebody of the opposite gender.
Hugs come in many forms. There is the short, awkward hug that lasts a second or two. The side hug is popular among acquaintances and teachers. A bro hug is appropriate between two guys.
No matter how you hug, take a moment to locate the Mormons around you and give them a snuggle.
To learn more about the beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, visit http://mormon.org/
