a newspaper clipping

i saw this on another website i go to.. on Livejournal,. so i lifted and am posting it here. who knows if anyone will read it. but here you go.


Mormons accepting MormonsAn article from today's Daily Universe, opinion section (BYU's newspaper).Viewpoint: Mormons Accepting MormonsBy Lisa Ruefenacht - 21 Mar 2006

I'm a Mormon.You might not guess it by looking at me, with my short purple black hair, penchant for dark eye makeup and extreme dislike for most things preppy, but I am.I believe in this church. I might even serve a mission. But since I came to BYU two-and-a-half years ago, I realize more and more that I do not fit the Mormon norm.My parents, lifelong Latter-day Saints, raised my four siblings and me in the heart of Bay Area suburbs, Walnut Creek. We stood out for that. Five kids in six years may pale in comparison to some Utah families, but in California it made us a mini circus.In elementary school, other kids on the playground started swearing, using words my parents taught were bad and unnecessary in everyday speech. Junior high behavior worsened, as my peers' sexual awareness heightened and weed and cigarettes were easily accessible. High school reached the climax. At least a quarter of my graduating class snorted coke on a regular basis. Sex was commonplace. Underage drinking was a weekly activity for some, nightly for others. For a few girls, lingerie became an acceptable form of clothing. Needless to say, I was happy to escape it all and come to BYU, where everyone would be accepted, and I would feel a kinship and instant camaraderie with half the people I met.I never expected to struggle so much with my identity as a Mormon and in defining what Mormon actually means once I started school at BYU. Uniformity in appearance and mentality seemed rampant among the student body, and oftentimes I found people regarded those who dressed differently, even people from other races, as freaks. At home, being Mormon unified us, regardless of race, type of car, hair color and other superficial judgment tools people use. A girl could have three ear piercings and still be respected; a boy could have dreadlocks and be regarded the same way as the clean-cut returned missionary. Our ward was comprised of Asians, Democrats, Caucasians, Republicans, Hispanics - an endless gamut of diversity.This leads me to a question; How are we, as members of the Lord's church, going to fortify Zion without open-minded and loving acceptance of everyone who considers themselves Mormon?The other night I was at a friend's apartment with her and her sister, when my friend's roommate came home complaining about a construction worker who was hitting on her in an inappropriate and downright creepy way at her work. As soon as she said "construction worker," my friend's sister blurted out, "Oh my gosh, was he Hispanic?" I doubt she even realized the underlying gravity of what she said.More church members live outside the United States than within, presently, with Hispanics as the fastest growing demographic. Because of their highly religious background, these people embrace the truthfulness of the gospel faster and more intensely than any other group. Generalizations like that girl's might ultimately keep church members from unreservedly embracing everyone as "Mormon." Neglecting the elimination of mindsets such as this girl's promote physical and emotional segregation from our brothers and sisters both in the church and out.Similarly, church members in our community now feel alienated, even though they identify with the religion 100 percent, because they simply do not mentally align with traditional Mormon culture. Some people regard those not married at a young age (say 23 or younger) as "old maids" or unmarriageable. Are these people any less Mormon because they don't marry until they're a little older, even as "old" as 30? Is Sheri Dew any less Mormon because she's never been married? How about people who drink caffeinated soda? Can we shun these people for such a measly choice?This is fact. A few years ago when a friend of mine from California moved into the dorms, her roommate's mother requested a roommate change, merely because my friend was from California and must have been one of those liberal Mormons. Whether or not these allegations were true, my friend was hurt from being judged so prematurely, naively and (I am asking for it by adding) immaturely.I'm not sure why people are this way. Perhaps stereotyping and judging people on shallow characteristics is something innate in everyone. Nevertheless, our religion should unify us while our cultural differences enhance our abilities to love unconditionally.