Mormons…What’s the Deal?
Or more specifically, what’s the appeal?
I Don’t Get It
I know I’m biased when it comes to evaluating the Latter Day Saints (LDS), or any religion for that matter. But I can’t understand what would possess someone to join this odd religion.
As part of full disclosure, I have a gay friend who grew up in a Mormon household. When he realized he was gay, they went to extensive measures for about a decade to cure him of this sickness. Including incessant counseling (that sounded a lot like brainwashing), deprivation of food and sleep, and even “aversion therapy” such as attaching electrodes to his genitals and trying to shock the sickness out of him.
I also find the LDS folks who come to my door irritating.
All that being said, even if I try to see their religion from a purely pragmatic perspective, it just seems odd. The creation of a religion by peering into a hat, all the way to magic underwear. Add to that the hypocrisy of things such as their aversion to caffeine, except for Coca Cola, which the LDS organization used to own a lot of stock of.
I’d love to hear from someone who converted to Mormonism, so I could understand what would have someone come to that kind of decision.
Current Knitting
Most of this weekend was spent working on spinning and test plying (see below), but I did get some knitting done on the right-front of the colorblock cardigan.
Like a lot of full-size sweaters, I know I will have to force myself to finish the sleeves on this garment.
Current Spinning
I finished spinning two bobbins of singles using the multi-color merino.
I pulled down a bunch of old very fine merino singles I had done a year or so ago, and decided to try test-plying each of these colors with the two multi’s.
Here are what each of the test plies ended up looking like.
The first one (from the left) is just the two singles by themselves. The next one is the bright red, then green, then deep plum.
Any preferences based on what you can see on your monitors?
Readers’ Comments/Questions
Angie Cox writes, “On a Google search I found a sweater you made in 2005 .It wouldn’t open the page or enlarge the image. It is a patchwork of Scandinavian patterns. I really loved it , would you be able to say which month it is featured in the archives?”
I looked through all my 2005 sweaters, and I couldn’t determine what you meant by Scandinavian patterns, so I don’t know what sweater you’re talking about. Was it a pullover or a cardigan? Was it multi-colored or single? Unfortunately, when blogger converted to the new format, they blew away all my archived pictures. I still have them stored locally, and I’d be glad to post any that you can help me identify.
“K” writes, “I personally can’t stand chocolate brown and pale blue together. I hereby ban that combination forever.”
Shortly after reading your comment, I ran into someone wearing that exact combination of colors. It wasn’t great, but it didn’t look awful either, but it did make me laugh.
Anonymous writes, “To avoid confusion, I will adopt a pseudonym, Sofi, for future comments.”
Thanks, a name and presumed gender make it a lot easier to reply to comments.
Geez, Joe, after looking at your plying, have you ever thought about reading some books on color theory?
Oh yeah, and if you can find a conversion to Mormonism, can you please get someone to explain what the deal is with the talking white salamander?
If you’ve ever seen the South Park where the Mormon neighbors move in, you will see that many share your perplexity at this religion.
My suggestion about the plied jobs is to knit them up, or weave them, crochet, or whatever you hope to do with it, and see what you get in the fabric. The colours will redistribute themselves when they’re worked into fabric, and that will change the effect the colours produce. (That said, I like the yarn on the right.)
I have taken to making my sleeves first – somehow that makes the whole ‘adult sleeve-making suckage’ suck less for me.
I like the second from the right.
Mormons. Hmmm. My eldest daughter, Jenn, converted to Mormonism before her first marriage. Did it because her husband-to-be was a converted Mormon. Needless to say, they didn’t stay bound for life. Now she’s a Wiccan.
I like the plum one.
I am also interested in hearing from a Mormon. I know there was a nun in my religious community who got married to a Mormon. She had to become a Mormon, but she eventually left her husband (and children because she abandoned Mormonism) and became a nun.
That’s a real horror story regarding your friend’s experience in growing up Mormon. As for religious conversions, it’s important to remember that they don’t have to be rational, because they are a matter of faith.
I really love the look of the multi-color brown singles on the bobbins! I don’t care for any of the sample combinations, because the dark red, teal, and navy plies overwhelm the rather sophisticated multi. There’s nothing wrong with combining brown with color, of course, as long as it isn’t brown and pink! 😀
Okay, I guess I’ll be the first person to come out re: Mormonism. (I’m already an out lesbian.) I became a Mormon for a couple of years when I was in my twenties (the late seventies). I grew up having no idea what a healthy family looked like. I was isolated and desperately lonely. The Mormons took care of each other — I had not had the experience of anyone taking care of me. They claimed that there was something positive within me at a time when I felt too broken to believe there was any good in me. It has been my impression that the groups that grow through proselytizing are successful because there are so many lonely people in the world. In the 90s I was a Unitarian for a number of years, but I’ve become disillusioned with organized religions. My spiruality is intensely personal. Oh, and one more thing — I love your colors!
The garment I love is a sweater with a rolled red rib bottom ,then navy patterned squares , next red and a bright green at the top .The collar is a roll . It could be Japanese patterns , tiles or Scandinavian traditional .The picture is very small .Anyhow it is lovely.
As for Mormons , they drive me crazy knocking the door . They don’t annoy me quite as much as Jehovah’s Witnesses who have predicted the end of the World so often I am obviously in Heaven /Hell already .My husband had a friend who converted and it has always seemed to us that he needed to belong to something , was lonely .He has left now and is quite convinced they are a dangerous cult . It certainly sounds like they are quite capable of abuse and some sort of hideous “beating the devil out” practices.
Any stranger who comes to my home, knocks on my door and wants to talk about something as personal as faith is on my sh*t list. Can you imagine if someone came to your door and wanted to discuss your finances or sex life?
Besides a sense of belonging, I think members of religions who perform extensive proselytism need to feel superior about something. “We are the chosen ones, God has shown us the one true way”. Sure, your group and many others.
The colors on the sleeve look great; it’s the clearest picture yet. I remember that “duh” moment, many years ago, when I realized that sleeves were not the “little things at the end”, but rather almost like knitting another third-half.
Although I’m not a spinner, from my monitor, the green looks best.
BTW, I think that Angie may be referring to your High V-Neck Patterned Pullover.
I personally like the bright red and plum, but I know nothing about spinning (two spindles and some mutilated fiber can attest to that).
Is there a specific goal (color or pattern-wise) you are aiming for with this plying test?
I read your blog and I am a little confused….peering into a hat? talking white salamder?? Magic underwear….???
I am a converted Mormon, the only memeber in my family. I think it is funny because people have such a weird sense of what the Mormon religion is about!
I would be happy to share my story but it is really short. I started going to church with my father after we had gone to many different churches trying to find something that felt right, something that made sense. I read the Book of Mormon, I was taught by the missionaries, I did a lot of praying and thinking and analyzing and I got my answer…this is where I belonged. I didn’t get married in the temple and I am not very active in the church right now (I blame laziness) but it something that I have never doubted, something I always knew I belonged to.
If anyone has any questions just let me know I would be happy to try and answer them….
Again peering into a hat? I have never heard that one.
Julie
I often knit sleeves from the top down – that way they get smaller rather than larer as you go. It seems to elp.
And… I’m the first to wish you happy happy ahppy and many more returns!!!
I dated a guy who was brought up Mormon…oh my, the stories. I guess it’s one of those religions where the longer you’re in it, or the higher you climb up the ladder, the more “secrets” you get to learn. His father was a Bishop(?) so he was party to a lot more than your average run-of-the mill mormon was. Some of the things he would tell me about were shocking, especially to know that he went through them as a child. Mesa, Arizona is a large Mormon community among others, many of the Mormons living in these towns are business owners and dont seem to have a problem selling caffeine, alcohol, tobacco and porn in their grocery stores and other shops. Its very disturbing….
Yo Joe ~ You don’t me. I don’t know you. But I wanted to wish your ass a HAPPY BIRTHDAY…even if it’s a day early. I have three children under six and if I don’t wish you a happy birthday now, it’s not ever gonna happen.
Happy Birthday! (Yeah, I read it on the Curms blog)
Count me in as someone who doesn’t like your colors. That colorblock sweater is too flamboyant for me. Would never wear it. But I’m glad there are people who would. Makes this world a more interesting place. Also gives me some fun while people watching.
Fred
Happy Birthday!
I’m in germany, before Mrs. Merkel was elected everyone here said we’re not ready for a female chancellor, I guess they were wrong 😉 Of course our elections are different, we don’t elect the chancellor, we elect people who do that for us, kind of thing. Still, I think anything might happen in the US political campaign, not many thought Bush would make a second round and he still did :-/
good night!
nicole
Joe, have you plied and swatched the two multies? I’m betting that would look wonderful. (Of course I dont know how much you have.)
Now I’m going to go enroll in the remedial color theory class since I love brown with both pink and blue…but mostly RED! OH yeah!
Have a Great Birthday Joe!
I agree….what’s the appeal of the Mormon Church….
Hey Joe, Happy Birthday….
Happy Birthday! Hope you have a wonderful day.
I love reading your blog (you are very talented and have a great sense of colour and patience!) and I wish you an early happy fun birthday.
I happen to be a Mormon, but I am not a convert…I was born into the Church, although my Mother is a convert as well as my Step Dad, however my bio-father’s side are Mormons way back to the pioneers that first came to Utah from Wales and England in the 1860s. I did marry a non member so I do understand where the weirdness factor comes in. And I have spent several years out side of the Church as well–I have not been insulated. Most of the wild rumours just aren’t true–they are either completely made up or mis understood truths–things taken out of context. There are many many people that hate Mormons just as much as they hate homosexuals.
Like Julie said…white salamanders??, peering into a hat?–and the underwear isn’t magic it’s clothing worn under your clothes that are sacred and special just like prayer shawls are to jews.
The real problem with the Mormon religion is like any other religion-it’s the people. People aren’t perfect and they tend to screw things up all the time. People in all walks of life tend toward the narrow minded side of life.
Personally–I don’t believe homosexuals go to hell, or are sick, or need to get over their gayness–it’s how you were born. I believe the word of wisdom (no coffee, tobacco, alcohol) to be correct if applied right. Ingesting substances that forfeit the control YOU have over your body are damaging to your body and your soul.
Mormonism at it’s core is about choice and accountability. The Church leaders (our Prophet) has never said YOU SHALL NOT ever drink caffeine, but many people have interpreted stray comments about not drinking coffee to also mean oh no caffeine too. We are allowed to interpret the laws as we see fit and apply them to our personal lives in limited ways. But we are never allowed to demand others do things just our way.
Are there abuses, YES just like in every other religion and organization. Be it Catholic, baptist, boy scouts, or the YMCA.
I hope I cleared things up and didn’t muck things up.
Cheers.
Birdy
Maybe this is just my monitor, but I think it might actually be your flash. It looks like you plied with white yarn. Your last batch of multi colored merino was like that for me too. I had no clue how dark it was until you posted washed, finished skeins.