In another post I described the meaning of Anti-Mormon.. simply put someone engaged in Anti-Mormonism, which is the participation in act that are against Mormonism. But who are these people and where do they come from?
First of all we need to understand there are different types of Anti-Mormons. I break these down into three groups..
- Political
- Ideological
- Emotional
Politics
The first group represented the historical Anti-Mormon. When Mormonism was getting established in the early 19th Century, in the western frontiers of America, which at that time was what we call the Midwest.. Mormons were a very communal society, And they would establish enclaves and settlements that were predominantly Mormon. Also, early Mormons tended to vote in concert with one another..sometimes called voting in Block.
As with most religious conflicts in the world the conflict is not about religion at all, but about politics and control of the land. Such would became the case with the Mormons in the Midwest. As they founded communities like
Nauvoo, Illinois and places in Missouri there became political contentions. Local non-Mormons began to fear the political strength the Mormons were influencing in the area and sought to chase them out of the territory. Since the LDS settlers voted in block and were becoming numerous, these opponents employed less honorable means of trying to rid the area of Mormon influence.. And such was the birth of Anti-Mormon propaganda, militias and even reaching the heights of a
Governor ordered extermination, which ultimately led to the murder of Joseph Smith and the LDS moving west and settling in the Salt Lake Valley.
Ideological foes
The second group of Anti-Mormons comes from an ideological bent, mainly Calvinism. In the mid 16th century there rose a Protestant Reformer named
John Calvin, who's views represented a very extreme expression of Augustinian doctrine. As Calvin rose to influence Geneva would become a Calvinist theocracy, to the point that all need to conform to Calvinism or suffer the consequences. The execution of
Michael Servetus 1553 set the stage of what was to follow.
In the late 16th to early 17th Century there arose a Dutch reformer named
Jacobus Arminius
who's beliefs challenged those of Calvinism, primarily on the role of free agency and works. Calvinist TULIP doctrines are such the ideology asserts the Man has no free will and God predestines who he will save, thus there is nothing anyone can do to change that fate. Arminius disagreed. This clash of ideas came to a head in the
Synod of Dort 1618-1619 where after much contenteous debate the Calvinists won the politics of the day and sought purge the heresy of Arminianism from the land. Following the synod Arminists we're imprisoned, beheaded and for the most chased from the land. Yet, Arminianism didn't die that day, it fled to safer grounds England and ultimately America. Today Arminianism is found in denomination such as the Methodist faith, and today represents that view held by most Evangelicals in America.
Now Mormonism is rooted in Arminiansim.. Joseph Smith stated he was leaning to join the Methodist congregation, and Brigham Young was a former Methodist Minister. So no surpise that much of the doctrines found in Mormonism closely resemble those of Arminianism, especially on the topic of Salvation and the role of free will and works. Calvinism then represent the ideological antithesis of Mormonism and has a long rooted history dating back to the Synod of Dort, of being an ideological foe. Thus we can see that MOST Anti-Mormon web sites and Ministries such as CARM are actually hosted by Mormonisms ideological nemesis the Calvinists.
The emotives
The third group of Anti-Mormons are the emotive ones.. Usually it's this group that are the most vocal. They are often a LDS who for one reason or the other has left the LDS Faith, but can't leave it alone. Quite often this group knows very little of their former faith and what it actually teaches. Instead their experience of the LDS faith is usually shaped by some unrealized expectation. Usually involving someone who was close to them and who's failure to meet expectations has left a negative impression on the now ex-Mormon antagonist.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
As we see there are many forms of Anti-Mormons, but interestingly the catch phrase of 'my enemies enemy is my friend' has never been more true than in the circles of Anti-Mormonism. Thus we see a convergence in Ministries like CARM where ex-Mormons who have a emotive bent against the LDS faith team up with Calvinists and their ideological bent.. Even though many of these ex-Mormons if ever questioned on whether or not they would agree with the TULIP Doctrines of Calvinism, would not. Often they don't even understand the bedfellows they have embraced.
