Brian Williams on the Mormons

Last week I watched “Rock Center with Brian Williams.” I was a little confused/disturbed by a couple things and thought I would put my blog to good use and vent for a bit. Since I would love to tell Mr. Williams to his face but probably can't, I will do the next best thing and write him a letter.

Dear Mr. Williams,

I really appreciate the effort you and your crew put into your Mormon project, “Rock Center with Brian Williams.” I would, however, like to clear up a couple things.

Typically, if one wants to know something about a person or group of people, they interview members of the group, not people who have opted to leave the group for whatever reason. I wonder, Mr. Williams, if you would want us interviewing someone who openly disagrees with you and chooses not to associate themselves with you as our primary source for finding out “who Mr. Williams is.” Certainly we would get a clear, honest view of who you are by using them as your spokesperson (she says sarcastically).  It was interesting to me that your colleague that visited the Bishop’s Storehouse came back with a different, more positive view than you did, since he spoke primarily with real Mormons.

Next, I would like to clarify the misconception that the Mormons don’t welcome people into their meeting houses like the Catholics do. A Mormon Temple is not a common meetinghouse. All people, Mormons or not, are welcome to come to the Mormon Chapels, just as all people, Catholic or not, are welcome to come to the Catholic houses of worship sometimes called Cathedrals.

Temples, on the other hand, are houses of higher learning. We would not send our Kindergartener to Stanford University to school. He would not understand anything that went on there. He would be lost and confused. He needs to complete a few years of schooling and education before he is ready for the more in-depth learning he will be expected to participate in at the University level. He also has to prove himself as ready to enter that University by working hard, getting decent grades in school, and passing a series of tests.

In answer to the Sister who thinks women should hold the Priesthood, maybe we should look at our positions in the Church and in our families like a well run business. Most larger corporations are not run by one person at the top. They are run by a Chief Executive Office, and Chief Financial Officer, and a Chief Operations Officer. Each has a different position with different responsibilities. If the CEO is worried more about being a COO, she probably won’t do her job very well. To work well, the positions should be well defined and clearly laid out. There may be some overlap among the positions, but there is a clear delineation between the positions. I’d like to suggest that the Husband is the Chief Financial Officer, the Wife is the Chief Operations Officer, and Heavenly Father is the Chief Executive Officer. There is no need for the women of the Church to hold the Priesthood, as their job or calling is different than that of the men of the Church.   

The next time, Mr. Williams, that you decide to “investigate” the Mormons, try putting aside your bias and incorporate more reliable sources. (Aren’t newsmen encouraged to “go to the source?”)

Sincerely,

Happy to be a Mormon Woman!