An Interview With Gordon Hinckley

A Look Back At Mike Wallace's 1996 Interview With The President Of The Mormon Church

(CBS)  The original segment aired on April 7, 1996.

The president and prophet of the Mormon church, Gordon B. Hinckley, died last Sunday at age 97. He was buried Saturday in Salt Lake City. The church broadcast his memorial service around the world in 69 languages.

President Hinckley presided over the global expansion of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is one of the fastest growing religions in the world, and the fourth largest religion in the United States. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is a Mormon.

The church used to be known for polygamy, but it gave up the practice more than 100 years ago when Utah became a state. Faithful Mormons don't have premarital sex, and they don't smoke or drink-even coffee is prohibited. And heads of the church did not give interviews, until Hinckley decided to sit down with Mike Wallace 11 years ago. Their conversation began with the beginning of the church: Mormons believe that God and Jesus appeared one day in New York state, before a 14-year-old farm boy.

---

"Your church says God and Jesus spoke with your founder, Joseph Smith, back in 1820 and told him to start this church. You believe that?" Wallace asked.

"Yes, sir," Hinckley replied.

"He was 14 years old... a backwoods farm boy...in New York state?" Wallace asked.

"That's the miracle of it," Hinckley told Wallace.

You'd expect the head of the church to believe it, but so does Bill Marriott, chief of the Marriott hotel chain, a hard-headed businessman, and he's a Mormon.

"Fourteen years old and God and Jesus come to see him? You believe that?" Wallace asked Marriott.

"Yes, I do. We believe that the early church of Jesus Christ faded away, and that it came back to Joseph Smith," Marriott explained.

And the senior U.S. senator from Utah, Orrin Hatch, a Mormon, believes it, too. "We believe that we know that this happened," the senator said.

What began with God, Jesus and a single farm boy has now become a worldwide religion with more than nine million members. But more than a religion, Mormonism is a lifestyle, an island of morality, they believe, in a time of moral decay. Hinckley acknowledged it is not easy to follow the Mormon faith, and called it the most demanding religion in America.

"It is demanding, and that's one of the things that attracts people to this church. It stands as an anchor in a world of shifting values," he told Wallace.

For example, Mormons adhere to a very strict health code: no alcohol, no tobacco, no coffee, no tea, not even caffeinated soft drinks. They’re supposed to eat meat sparingly, exercise, and get plenty of sleep.

And the result? Mormons live several years longer than most other Americans. Another reason they live longer, Mormons say, is that they suffer less from stress because they have strong, supportive families. Many Mormons marry early and have lots of children.

Premarital sex, as we said, is forbidden among Mormons; so is adultery. Mormons don't even go to R-rated movies. But students at Brigham Young University insisted that having high moral standards did not prevent them from having a good time.

"We like to have fun. We like to go on dates. So we like to do just normal things," one student told Wallace.

"But you don't fool around?" he asked.

"No," the student said. "It's not something that I think is fun. A guy I remember, he told me, 'You know, you'd be so much fun if you'd drink. You would have, you know, you'd be looser and everything.' And I'm like, 'You know, I like to have fun knowing what I'm doing, being completely in control and just having fun with life.'"

And while these young Mormons stressed self-control, they themselves are controlled, to a remarkable degree, by the church. In fact, Mormons who break the rules of morality or health are not allowed to enter sacred Mormon temples.

Living as a devout Mormon is not easy. In addition to what you cannot do, there's a lot you are supposed to do. You're expected to read scripture daily and to read scripture together as a family at least one night a week; students attend daily religious courses.

Sunday services last three hours. But beyond that, church activities take several more hours each week. All of those hours and all of those rules are too much for some Mormons, who fall away.

[germanmom]

CBS, thank you for running this again. We will miss President Hinckley.

[bot14]

Mormons are not Creedal Christians. However, they do believe in the Jesus Christ of the New Testament:
The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is often accused by Evangelical pastors of not believing in Christ and, therefore, not being a Christian religion. This article http://mormonsarechristian.blogspot.com/ helps to clarify such misconceptions by examining early Christianity''s comprehension of baptism, the Godhead, the deity of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

The Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) adheres more closely to First Century Christianity and the New Testament than any other denomination. For example, Harper%u2019s Bible Dictionary entry on the Trinity says %u201Cthe formal doctrine of the Trinity as it was defined by the great church councils of the fourth and fifth centuries is not to be found in the New Testament.%u201D


One Baptist blogger stated %u201C99 percent of the members of his Baptist church believe in the Mormon (and Early Christian) view of the Trinity. It is the preachers who insist on the Nicene Creed definition.%u201D It seems to me the reason the pastors denigrate the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) is to protect their flock (and their livelihood).

[glennhodson]

CBS reports that the LDS church would like to be viewed as "mainstream rather than extreme." Why has CBS not reported more about what Mormons believe, specifically their belief in a Mrs. God? The belief in God''s wife is something no one talks or writes about. Additionally, why can Gordon Hinkley dismiss a former prophet''s revelation from God that "blacks" are decedents of Cain and cannot be priests because of their mark? He calls it something from "the past." Does the Mormon God change his mind from time to time about eternal things? Please report more about the "extremes" of the Mormon church that apparently do not seem news worthy.

Glenn Hodson
Dove Canyon, California

[efigge1]

I find it interesting that you decided to interview Bill Marriott, chief of the Marriott hotel chain as a Morman in good standing. I''m a businessman and a Christian and I sometimes use Marriott hotels around the world. I''d like to know how he justifies selling pornography (Adult X rated movies) in all of the Marriott hotel brands and chains with being moraly superior. He wares sacred undergarments and sells pornography in all of his hotels. In fact in your broadcast you say, "Mormons who break the rules of morality or health are not allowed to enter sacred Mormon temples." Obviously Marriott makes millions of dollars from pornography from it''s non-Mormon clients (and no doubt some Mormons as well). What good is waring sacred undergarments when you sell pornography as part of your business? Because Marriott is such a large and respected company world wide, I would venture to say they are a leader world wide in the selling pornography to businessmen around the world.

[blacknright]

this "story" is 12 years old. what is this, paid advertising by the mormans?

First of all it is Mormon, not morman. Next, all the church services are done by lay members. No one gets paid to do any service, so why would we seek out paid advertising, we got 50,000 free missionaries to do our advertising we don''t need to pay a website! We also have our own website if we wanted to "advertise." So learn some facts before you go spouting things you don''t know.

Lots of mormans have premarital *** (with themselves or others), many drink and some smoke. some get divorced and become serial polygamists.

And when it comes to the attention of the church they are dealt with. I know because I had such a dealing with the church in regards to my premarital activities. And I actually thank them for it. Holding me accountable is the best thing they could''ve done for me. For those who keep such activities a secret, it is not a secret from God and they will be dealt with accordingly in the after life.

[blacknright]

this "story" is 12 years old. what is this, paid advertising by the mormans?

First of all it is Mormon, not morman. Next, all the church services are done by lay members. No one gets paid to do any service, so why would we seek out paid advertising, we got 50,000 free missionaries to do our advertising we don''t need to pay a website! We also have our own website if we wanted to "advertise." So learn some facts before you go spouting things you don''t know.

Lots of mormans have premarital *** (with themselves or others), many drink and some smoke. some get divorced and become serial polygamists.

And when it comes to the attention of the church they are dealt with. I know because I had such a dealing with the church in regards to my premarital activities. And I actually thank them for it. Holding me accountable is the best thing they could''ve done for me. For those who keep such activities a secret, it is not a secret from God and they will be dealt with accordingly in the after life.

[bj19491]

Mainstream Christian Churches don''t accept Mormonism as Christianity. Any mainstream Christian Bookstore has a "Religious Cult" section. Next to the books on "How to Witness to Mormons" are books on "How to Witness to Jehovah Witnesses", "How to Witness to Scientologists", "How to Witness to Wiccans", etc.

Jesus called Satan "The Father Of Lies". So was Mr. Hinckley in several statements he made about the Mormon Cult. He claimed Mormons were no longer involved in polygamy any longer. Reporter Lisa Ling did an expose''/documentary on the Mormon Cult for Oprah Winfrey. Several Mormon Wives living in a polygamous community in AZ or NM with huge multi-million dollar homes, bragged to Lisa about their polygamous marriages and husband, who admitted he enjoyed having a choice of *** partners! Besides their Husband working, most of the polygamous Wives work also, which substantially increases their income!

[kttp-2009]

This is the kind of advertising you can get when you own a chunk of CBS.

[bj19491]

If Religious Cult members leave, they are ostracized by other members. Consequently, they have a much higher suicide/murder rate than mainstream Christian Churches. The fathers are more likely to kill their entire family and then commit suidide, if ostracized by their Cult''s community.

[bj19491]

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, created a movie documentary expose'' in connection with members in the higher echelon of the Mormon Cult who know far more about their Religious Cult''s teachings than most Mormons. I suggest you see it! Mormonism teaches they can supposedly become Angels, that Jesus and Lucifer (Satan) were supposedly Brothers, and many other bizarre beliefs that are contrary to what the Bible teaches.

[blacknright]

this "story" is 12 years old. what is this, paid advertising by the mormans?

First of all it is Mormon, not morman. Next, all the church services are done by lay members. No one gets paid to do any service, so why would we seek out paid advertising, we got 50,000 free missionaries to do our advertising we don''t need to pay a website! We also have our own website if we wanted to "advertise." So learn some facts before you go spouting things you don''t know.

Lots of mormans have premarital *** (with themselves or others), many drink and some smoke. some get divorced and become serial polygamists.

And when it comes to the attention of the church they are dealt with. I know because I had such a dealing with the church in regards to my premarital activities. And I actually thank them for it. Holding me accountable is the best thing they could''ve done for me. For those who keep such activities a secret, it is not a secret from God and they will be dealt with accordingly in the after life.

[jjl1225]

After having read several of these comments I feel very inclined to encourage most of you to study and learn more about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints before ever writing or opening your mouths to speak of it again. I don''t wish to comment on any specific doctrine of the church I simply wish to leave my testimony and witness of truth with you. I am a member of this church and I would have you know that I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are infact christians in every sense of the word. Devout members of the church will seek in every way to exemplify christlike living. I know that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. That through him the Church of Jesus Christ was restored to the earth. I bear my witness that Gordon B. Hinckley is a prophet of God and that he as the prophets of old was called of God to reveal His truth in these last days. I would encourage all who truly seek to know the truth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to heed the words of James as written in the Bible, "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, who giveth to all men liberally and abraideth not, and it shall be given. But ask in faith nothing waivering..." If you want to know the truth seek it from the source of all truth but seek with real intent to know the truth not as the world would have it but as God would have it.

[jjl1225]

If you do this I promise you that you will come to know as I know that while evil men may conspire to discredit the LDS church and its membership they can not destroy the truth.

[squidly8]

BJ19, the group you refer to is the FUNDAMENTALIST Church of Jesus Christ of LDS. They are in NO way, NO shape, NO form a part of The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS. Although some people are simply misinformed, there are others that like to say that the FLDS church is part of the LDS church simply to spread misinformation. Let me make it as clear to you as possible:

THEY ARE IN NO WAY CONNECTED TO THE LDS CHURCH

you may want to believe they are - but that doesn''t make it true - you are lying to yourself.

[pihanakapono]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is not and never was meant to be an "orthodox" Christian religion, as judged by man''s standards. It was established by the Lord in these modern times through revelation to a modern prophet as a "restoration" of Christ''s original church, this because the "orthodox" Christianity of the times had strayed so far from the path trod by Christ--perverting Christ''s pure and simple doctrines, persecuting heretics, amassing treasure and waging war on non-Christians. Is it any wonder God would no longer recognize such churches? The long-foretold Restoration of Christ''s church did take place, and priesthood authority and true doctrine was restored. No longer did parents need to mourn the loss of a child in infancy, for example, who under "orthodox" teaching was consigned to hell if not baptized. The true teaching of Christ--that any child who dies is received to paradise, for they are innocent and have no need of baptism%u2014was once again restored to the earth, offering truth and light in place of gloom and error.

[pihanakapono]

To those who label the LDS church a %u201Ccult%u201D: prophets, apostles, temple ordinances, etc. are only "cult" practices to those "orthodox" Christians today who either do not read or do not believe their own Bibles (remember Moses, Solomon%u2019s Temple, The 12 Apostles?). And to those who are offended by the belief that Christ and Satan are brothers and both created by God: if Satan was not created by God, then who created him? Do you not believe that God is the creator of all things? Do you believe there is some other Creator who created Satan? Further, to those who cannot accept that man was placed on this earth to learn, grow and to someday become as his own Father in Heaven: is there any example in the natural universe where offspring are NOT inherently endowed with the ability, and even destiny, to become as their parents? If we truly are all children of God, it can only be in our "DNA" to someday become as God is. Of course, not every acorn becomes a mighty oak: we must %u201Cplant ourselves%u201D in %u201Cgood soil%u201D and seek truth and light all the days of our lives. This is the beauty that the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ brings to the world, and is why this Gospel is destined to roll forth and fill the world. In the end, truth will always overcome error and love will always overcome hatred. If you are a humble follower of Christ, you will find yourself very much at home in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Peace to you%u2026

[mayodenv]

The Mormon Church''s claim that blacks could not be priest was exposed years ago when Paul Sterwart, director of Black America West museum in Denver, showed the church a book published in the 1800''s which showed a picture of a black priest named Elijah Able. Shortly thereafter, there was a "revelation from above'' that allowed them to change their policy. That is just one of the many deceptions of this church.

[squidly8]

Mayodenv, let me tell you what it is now which is what is the most important. There are NO race restrictions on gaining the priesthood in the LDS church. I will be willing to put my congregation up against any other for its level of diversity. We have natives of the US (obviously), Canada, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guatamala, Guyana, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, Jamaica, Togo, Ghana, Spain, Portugal, England, Laos, Japan, Tonga and China. Your argument about the past might be right, might be wrong - however, what counts is now. There is a strength in the diversity of our congregation that is recognized by all. You are welcome anytime.

[sdhansen11]

I%u2019m an active Mormon, currently serving as an unpaid leader (all clergy are unpaid in our Church). In response to the Marriott comment above:

Mormons believe pornography is strictly evil; those who view it are barred from full participation in the Church. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that "He that looketh upon a woman to lust after hath committed adultery already in his heart."

I disagree with Marriott''s decision to follow the trend of all major hotels (and most Mormons do) but, the reality is, if Marriot would have banned porn from his hotels, he most assuredly would have been attacked by the same "Christians," this time claiming that Mormons believe in "controlling" peoples%u2019 lives or "cramming their religion down others'' throats." Unfortunately, even in a civilized country like the United States, there are still a lot of bigots out there, and they just love to pick on the Mormons and twist things to make us look bad%u2014this is another example. True followers of Christ are always persecuted, so Mormons are not surprised%u2014though they have suffered and are still hurt and saddened when falsely attacked.

The Bible teaches two ways to recognize true followers of Jesus: 1) they will be persecuted 2) their "fruits" will reveal them- in other words, they will actually follow the Lord''s teachings:

http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_dem.html

[sdhansen11]

I%u2019m an active Mormon, currently serving as an unpaid leader (all clergy are unpaid in our Church). In response to the Marriott comment above:

Mormons believe pornography is strictly evil; those who view it are barred from full participation in the Church. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that "He that looketh upon a woman to lust after hath committed adultery already in his heart."

I disagree with Marriott''s decision to follow the trend of all major hotels (and most Mormons do) but, the reality is, if Marriot would have banned porn from his hotels, he most assuredly would have been attacked by the same people, this time claiming that Mormons believe in "controlling" peoples%u2019 lives.

The Bible teaches two ways to recognize true followers of Jesus: 1) they will be persecuted 2) their "fruits" will reveal them- in other words, they will actually follow the Lord''s teachings. We invite the world to %u201Ccheck us out.%u201D We don%u2019t have anything to hide and we will never back down from our knowledge of the truthfulness of our claims.

http://www.adherents.com/largecom/lds_dem.html

lds.org

[squidly8]

tuckerndfw, just because someone claims their church is affiliated with a larger church doesn''t mean that the larger church recognizes them and most importantly doesn''t mean they approve of their works. The LDS church does not recognize these groups and therefore does not condone their practices. Why try to connect them when there is not a connection?

[kurtfan3]

President Hinckley will be missed by many
WHY I BELIEVE... the reason I decided to join the Mormon church. As I was being taught the different principles of my new found beliefs, I did find it hard to believe many of them. The wonderful missionaries would explain very clearly the doctrines to the best of their knowledge, they would also allow for questions. This helped me to have a clear understanding of exactly what was being taught. When we would finish every discussion they would invite me to find out for myself if what they taught was true. They actually said they prefer I didn''t believe them, but that I pray to my Father in heaven and ask him to let me know if it is true. And sure enough i felt a feeling of peace very, very strong that I couldn''t deny. I have come to realize that the miracle of it all is the way God uses small and simple things to bring to pass his work. Joseph Smith was a young boy confused by the many religions of the day wondering which one was true. When he decided to follow what the bible says in James 1:5 if any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask God who giveth to men liberally and upbraideth not. Joseph Smith did that, he asked God which church was true hoping for an answer. I''m not sure how he was expecting his question to be answered, but I''m sure he didn''t expect to see God the father, and His son Jesus Christ to appear to him and tell him none of them were true. ASK GOD FOR YOURSELF.

[kurtfan3]

President Hinckley will be missed by many
WHY I BELIEVE... the reason I decided to join the Mormon church. As I was being taught the different principles of my new found beliefs, I did find it hard to believe many of them. The wonderful missionaries would explain very clearly the doctrines to the best of their knowledge, they would also allow for questions. This helped me to have a clear understanding of exactly what was being taught. When we would finish every discussion they would invite me to find out for myself if what they taught was true. They actually said they prefer I didn''t believe them, but that I pray to my Father in heaven and ask him to let me know if it is true. And sure enough i felt a feeling of peace very, very strong that I couldn''t deny. I have come to realize that the miracle of it all is the way God uses small and simple things to bring to pass his work. Joseph Smith was a young boy confused by the many religions of the day wondering which one was true. When he decided to follow what the bible says in James 1:5 if any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask God who giveth to men liberally and upbraideth not. Joseph Smith did that, he asked God which church was true hoping for an answer. I''m not sure how he was expecting his question to be answered, but I''m sure he didn''t expect to see God the father, and His son Jesus Christ to appear to him and tell him none of them were true. ASK GOD FOR YOURSELF.
Kurtis Alldrege, Pennsylvania

[tedkenn1]

For the record let me state I was raised LDS (Mormon), I am no longer, and consider myself essentially agnostic. That fact and this particular stories subject matter have little to do with the following, except it hit a nerve and re-enforces what I have always felt about the media and 60 Minutes in particular.

Mike Wallace; what an incredibly arrogant, condescending, smug, pompous individual you are (in true 60 Minutes fashion)! Your group most certainly views the world in an elitist manner. If 60 minutes doesn%u2019t agree with someone or an organization, that / those person/s or organization is automatically relegated to a lower station of existence and treated as guilty until they prove themselves innocent (which they%u2019ll never accomplish because you are, after all, superior and HAVE CONTROL OVER THE EDIT BUTTON I might add).

Perhaps what you need to comprehend is that your not the %u201Cend all, be all%u201D regarding knowledge and intellect on this planet, no one needs to bow and grovel to your assumed greatness! Be I a common man or the most famous person on the planet, I would never submit / agree to an interview with you. My time is too valuable to me to be wasted.

Ted C. Kennedy / Visalia CA.

PS %u2013 By the way, I am very certain you would have treated the Pope in the same manner, if given the opportunity!

[tedkenn1]

For the record let me state I was raised LDS (Mormon), I am no longer, and consider myself essentially agnostic. That fact and this particular stories subject matter have little to do with the following, except it hit a nerve and re-enforces what I have always felt about the media and 60 Minutes in particular.

Mike Wallace; what an incredibly arrogant, condescending, smug, pompous individual you are (in true 60 Minutes fashion)! Your group most certainly views the world in an elitist manner. If 60 minutes doesn%u2019t agree with someone or an organization, that / those person/s or organization is automatically relegated to a lower station of existence and treated as guilty until they prove themselves innocent (which they%u2019ll never accomplish because you are, after all, superior and HAVE CONTROL OVER THE EDIT BUTTON I might add).

Perhaps what you need to comprehend is that your not the %u201Cend all, be all%u201D regarding knowledge and intellect on this planet, no one needs to bow and grovel to your assumed greatness! Be I a common man or the most famous person on the planet, I would never submit / agree to an interview with you. My time is too valuable to me to be wasted.

Ted C. Kennedy / Visalia CA.

PS %u2013 By the way, I am very certain you would have treated the Pope in the same manner, if given the opportunity!

[bigball1232]

My 18 years of being Mormon were beyond horrible. No one can live up to the standards that the Mormon Church sets. It%u2019s impossible, and if you think it is you%u2019re kidding yourself to be relieved from the guilt and shame they put upon anyone who sins. We all sin, ALL of us. And if you actually admit that you''ve sinned, they don''t embrace and help you, they punish, humiliate and even excommunicate. The Jesus that is talked about in the bible, the one that died on the cross for us sinners, the one that came to convict not condemn, is not present in the Mormon church. I cried each night in shame knowing that I could never be as good as I was "supposed" to be, that the Holy Spirit would leave me each time I needed him most. Until one day I was freed from all that, the day I met the Jesus from the bible, HE picked me up, held me, and told me that he died for my sins and I don''t need to cry anymore, that the gift of him dieing was mine for the taking, a wretch like me and he would never leave me, never forsake me! What a glorious day!Now I do my best to not sin only because I don''t want to disappoint my Lord and Savior, not because I fear He will leave me, but because I love Him, and when I fall short, He is there to pick me up and still loves me. You don''t need to allow your Mormon leaders to punish you anymore... See God, He is the one that saves!

[vito98103]

Yet another on the lips Mike Wallace piece on the Mormons - what is it with him? 20% of the whole story at best - the LDS has a very good PR operation, but are in fact a very strange group (ask what ''milk before meat'' means). Good thing Romney is DOA - maybe not as he''d be easy to beat in November. McClain won''t be that tough either.

[vito98103]

Yet another on the lips Mike Wallace piece on the Mormons - what is it with him? 20% of the whole story at best - the LDS has a very good PR operation, but are in fact a very strange group (ask what ''milk before meat'' means). In fact, there were many years when they claimed to not be Christian - until ol'' Mitt decided to make a run for it. Good thing Romney is DOA - maybe not as he''d be easy to beat in November. McClain won''t be that tough either.

[vito98103]

Yet another on the lips Mike Wallace piece on the Mormons - what is it with him? 20% of the whole story at best - the LDS has a very good PR operation, but are in fact a very strange group (ask what ''milk before meat'' means). In fact, there were many years when they claimed to not be Christian - until ol'' Mitt decided to make a run for it. Good thing Romney is DOA - maybe not as he''d be easy to beat in November. McClain won''t be that tough either.

[vito98103]

Yet another on the lips Mike Wallace piece on the Mormons - what is it with him? 20% of the whole story at best - the LDS has a very good PR operation, but are in fact a very strange group (ask what ''milk before meat'' means). In fact, there were many years when they claimed to not be Christian - until ol'' Mitt decided to make a run for it. Good thing Romney is DOA - maybe not as he''d be easy to beat in November. McClain won''t be that tough either.

BTW - this comment function doesn''t seem to be working.

[vito98103]

Yet another on the lips Mike Wallace piece on the Mormons - what is it with him? 20% of the whole story at best - the LDS has a very good PR operation, but are in fact a very strange group (ask what ''milk before meat'' means). In fact, there were many years when they claimed to not be Christian - until ol'' Mitt decided to make a run for it. Good thing Romney is DOA - maybe not as he''d be easy to beat in November. McClain won''t be that tough either.

BTW - this comment function doesn''t seem to be working - multiple copies of the same message (?).

[vito98103]

Yet another on the lips Mike Wallace piece on the Mormons - what is it with him? 20% of the whole story at best - the LDS has a very good PR operation, but are in fact a very strange group (ask what ''milk before meat'' means). In fact, there were many years when they claimed to not be Christian - until ol'' Mitt decided to make a run for it. Good thing Romney is DOA - maybe not as he''d be easy to beat in November. McClain won''t be that tough either.

BTW - this comment function doesn''t seem to be working - multiple copies of the same message (?).

[vito98103]

Yet another on the lips Mike Wallace piece on the Mormons - what is it with him? 20% of the whole story at best - the LDS has a very good PR operation, but are in fact a very strange group (ask what ''milk before meat'' means). In fact, there were many years when they claimed to not be Christian - until ol'' Mitt decided to make a run for it. Good thing Romney is DOA - maybe not as he''d be easy to beat in November. McClain won''t be that tough either.

BTW - this comment function doesn''t seem to be working - multiple copies of the same message (?).

[stevegolf121]

I have been a member my whole life, and still am. I, like most, have had problems and done things on occasion that are contrary to the teachings and expectations of the church. Each and every time I have ever been to a church leader to address the mistake, I have been treated with love and respect. Are there consequences? Of course. I think it is comical that people think they can do whatever they want, good or bad, without consequences. What experience in life has given anyone the idea that one could do anything with out some kind of consequence? In school, if you don''t do your homework, you fail. If you are truant, you are written up. Too many absences, you are held back. At work, if you don''t show up, you are fired.

[stevegolf121]

In everyday relationships, if you break a trust, you lose friends. In my opinion, the most general and simple context that anyone has for understanding anything is to look at the way life works! Decisions have consequences. Frankly, I would be more leary of a religion that required nothing of its members . . . that is an absolute departure from the way life works on its most simple basis. To say that a church leader might act inappropriately in the context of a confession is totally possible. Leaders in every church have made mistakes . . . some have molested children, others have made people feel worthless, etc. However, those, I believe, are the VAST minority!! It is unfortunate that it has happened . . . but if the basis for a church''s truthfullness were dependent on whether or not leaders are perfect, or void of the ability to make a mistake, no church could claim to be true. I would definately not make a judgement based on any one person''s bad experience. Rather, go to the source, and find out for yourself

[Travis212]

vito98103,

Mormons have never claimed not to be Christian, and we would certainly not change our doctrine merely because a member is running for President.

The name of the church, since its founding in 1830, has alawys been The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is others who have said, and continue to say, that we are not Christian. Others are free to disagree, but we have always considered ourselves Christian.

[Travis212]

Ok, all together now, lets pull the beams out of our eyes.

[bigball1232]

It''s all one sided with you guys...you can except Jesus''s forgivness and you will still have consequences... it''s the Church telling you that if you take that approach that your saying you can do what ever you want and that you can sin and it''s okay... that''s not what I said...I said you can excpet Jesus''s forgivness and know that He loves you and forgives you and WHEN you sin he still loves you and forgives you and the consequence will come from your action it should not come from a church. A church is a place to turn for help not condemnation..

[bigball1232]

The fact is that Mormons believe in a god that was created... That is NOT the same God in the Bible... How can you be a Christian if you believe that god was once on another planet and worked is way up the Mormon ladder so that he could reign over his own
planet, which is our earth.. and he is so busy up there making spirit babies how does he have time to even care about you... and one day if your "good" and get married in the temple you can be a god too... see genesis.. that was satan first great lie.

[bigball1232]

There is only one God... and if you really look into it, Mormons are polythesitic... they believe there are many gods and you can be a god too... and one day you can be a god of your own planet and in order for there to be people on your planet you have to have *** with your many spirit wives and impregnant them and when they give birth to the little spirit babies they are sent down to earth... Sound strange? BECAUSE IT IS!!! This is mormon doctorin

[elder1952]

Mr. Mike Wallace, you need to research the truth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, before you question our First Presidency, and/or any other General Authority. I was very displeased as to your lack of insight and unprofessional demeanor towards then our Prophet and President Gordon B. Hinckley. Your layman approach was well noted and documented for all too see and hear. Atypical C.B.S., mentally as usual!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[politica24]

I was highly disappointed in this story. Things were taken out of context and chopped up funny to the point where it was hard for me (an educated Mormon who was born and raised in the Church) to even follow. Very little respect was shown toward our beloved prophet and president Gordon B. Hinckley. President Hinckley was extremely humble, but he is one of the most brilliant leaders this world has seen. Mike Wallace was lucky to even be in his presence. And what''s with re-airing (start to finish, without a host) a show that was filmed 11-years ago without at least updating the footage? It made Mormons look like we''re 11 years behind in the fashion world, which is highly insulting to me.

[politica24]

I was highly disappointed in this story. Things were taken out of context and chopped up funny to the point where it was hard for me (a highly educated Mormon who was born and raised in the Church) to even follow. Very little respect was shown toward our beloved prophet and president Gordon B. Hinckley. President Hinckley was extremely humble, but he is one of the most brilliant leaders this world has seen. Mike Wallace was lucky to even be in his presence. And what''s with re-airing a show that was filmed 11-years ago (start to finish, without a real-time host) without at least updating some of the 11-year old footage? It made Mormons look like we''re 11 years behind in the fashion world, which is highly insulting to me.

[politica24]

efigge1, in response to your comment about the Marriott hotels and pornography, this is something I''ve looked into quite a bit, and because it is now a publicly owned company, these types of issues are out of Marriott''s hands. Like poor Carl Karchner, who had to watch his restaurant chain take its advertising campaign in a completely inappropriate direction.

[dandehawk]

Your expose'' on the Mormon Church was one-sided. I am not Mormon, but you interviewed only conservative Mormons, attempting to give the impression they are outside the mainstream of society -- different, oddballs. Why did you interview Republican Orin Hatch and not interview liberal Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid of Utah, wno is also a Mormon?

[bigball1232]

Men- want to be a god... want to rule your own plant???
Women want to be eternally pregnant and married to a man who will be getting other women eternally pregnant???
Join the mormon church now...
See your local missionaried for details.

[bigball1232]

Orson Hyde, Journal of Discourses, vol. 1, p.123
"Remember that God, or Heavenly Father, was perhaps once a child, and mortal like we ourselves and rose step by step in the scale of progress, in the school of advancement; has moved forward and overcome, until he has arrived at the point where he now is."

WHAT???? god is not all-knowing and perfect? he has to learn and advance...

[bigball1232]

The fact is mormons are different and oddballs... there is no other group of people out there that believe the things mormons do... the god they believe in is NOT the same God that Christians believe in.