Who needs tolerance?

As a stay-at-home-mom living close to family and surrounded by people of the same ethnic, cultural, and religious back-ground, I must admit that I don't personally experience much discrimination or persecution.  That being said, occasionally a Facebook friend will post  a status or an article bashing my religion or lifestyle. And it hurts.  And I get angry. And sometimes I rant to my husband.  Sometimes I even rant on Facebook (or blog about it).  And once in a great while, I even stand up for what I believe on their post.

This blog is one of those rants. So many times, the LDS church is accused of being intolerant.  But from an insiders perspective, it is those outside of the church who are displaying intolerance.  This intolerance (persecution) is nothing new to church members.  In the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 27:1 we read "And now it came to pass that the persecutions which were inflicted on the church were so great that the church began to murmur, and complain to their leaders concerning the matter; and they did complain to Alma (church leader). And Alma laid the case before their king, Mosiah. And Mosiah consulted with his priests." 

In the early days of the restoration, church members were driven out of their homes numerous times by mobs bent on their destruction.  Pleas to political leaders of the day fell on deaf ears and eventually the LDS people left the country.   

And I suppose that persecution in some form will be a part of the LDS history until the earth is renewed and receives its paradisaical glory.

But that doesn't make it right.  And it doesn't make those calling for tolerance from the church any less hypocritical when their actions degrade the church and its people.

Nor does their call for "tolerance" change the laws of God.  It seems so often the LDS people are thought to be uncaring or evil because we refuse to say that something we believe to be bad is good.  I realize that you may feel differently about a topic than I do, and I hope that in conversations with you I will be respectful.  But that does not mean that I will change my opinion that I believe you are wrong--I'd probably even go as far as telling you "You are sinning."  Which, yes, is approximately the same as me telling you "You are going to Hell if you don't change that."  Which is probably why you think I am intolerant.

But that is the point.  I believe you are going to Hell if you don't change that.  And as your LDS friend who cares about you, I do what I can to help you see that--Hopefully I do it kindly.  Do I have faults? YES! Am I working on them? Hopefully.

I don't go around specifically looking for "sins" to point out to you.  But if you ask me my opinion on gay marriage, smoking, abortion, or a host of other things, be prepared to hear that marriage should be between a man and a woman, smoking is bad for you, and that abortion is murder.

No one (not even you) is perfect.  We are going to disagree.  We will probably even offend each other.  Just remember though, that if you expect tolerance from me, I will expect it from you.  And if you have no strength to your argument, bashing the opponent is not going to help your case.