Oh this question. Like many LDS who have a majority of non-member friends, I get questions about my faith from time to time. "Hey, can a free thinker join this church?" or, "Tim, you are pro gay marriage. How come you haven't been excommunicated yet?" :: ahem :: so is Harry Reid, who hasn't been excommunicated yet, but anyway.
I have heard troubling stories of people being kicked out for "apostasy" but for the most part no, LDS do not have to think alike on everything. Obviously, we have some common values and beliefs. We believe that Joseph Smith Jr was a prophet. We believe that the Book of Mormon is spiritual and inspirational. We believe that we are led today by a modern day prophet. In fairness, common beliefs are not an LDS thing, that's a religious thing. People from all religions generally have the same values as other members of that religion. Catholics (for the most part) believe the Pope to be a successor to St. Peter. Protestants do not. Jewish people generally do not believe in Christ. Muslims generally believe that the Koran is a holy book. (I know some people are so emotionally fragile that just hearing their religion mentioned makes them get offended, but nothing I said here was pejorative. If you are a Catholic and you are offended by someone telling you that most Catholics obey the Pope, you need to take a serious look at yourself. There. My CYA statement is over. We move on.)
Religious views are one thing, but do LDS have common interests outside the church? Sometimes it's rare. I admit, as an LDS guy who can't change a tire and would rather shoves shards of glass up my nose than go camping I am in the minority. I'm sure there are other LDS like me, but LDS men and women who don't have stereotypical guy/girl interests can feel like a bit of an outsider sometimes. So I understand LDS who are into offbeat hobbies feeling a bit out of place sometimes. Generally though, diversity of interest and politics is welcomed in the church.
I completely agree here. I like the diversity of thought and people within the church. I have been a member, was excommunicated for making some bad choices and was re baptized many years later. I have been on both sides of the fence and I feel that we are all given agency to make choices and we all make different choices in many things. As members of the church, I think we have more things in common than apart, but that applies in any community. If you like chess(like my son) than you are probably going to hang out with people who like chess as well. Even though you have many other interests with others, the chess club is ties everyone with a love of chess together. Those who are members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints (and many other religions as pointed out in this blog) are tied together by a love of the savior and by wholesome principles that will strengthen families and our community. That does not mean that we can't have various opinions about other subjects. I think if society were to focus more on what we have in common than what we have different (and respect that difference, even if we may not agree with it) then this would would be a whole better place.
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