There is a video making the Mormon facebook circuit by Taylor Christensen.  He starts out by telling us that “this is not an anti-Mormon video”.  Here is a tip:  when someone has to explain right off the top that what they are spreading is not anti-Mormonism one thing is certain – it is an anti-Mormon video and they know it.

Taylor claims to have the noble intension of promoting kindness, patience and empathy for those who have left the church.  I have no disagreement with this, but I do feel that this is not anything that really needs saying.  On the whole, Mormons are the nicest and kindest people I know.  But this goal seems to be a distraction from the results of his video – which is to make the church and it’s members look bad.

If I were to go about making an anti-Mormon video, here is what I would do.  I would find a young, good-looking, clean cut guy who could pass as a missionary or a BYU student.  I would have them pose as an active member of the church.  I would have them claim that all of the criticisms of Mormonism are completely true, and that the whole church was a fraud and a pack of lies from the very beginning.  But I would then have them say that they are staying in the church out or childish, blind faith in spite of it all.  If any of this sounds familiar, then you have likely seen Taylor’s video.

One example of the criticisms Taylor brings up is Book of Mormon plagiarism.  Really?  Such claims as the Spaulding manuscript and View of the Hebrews have been to thoroughly and so well explained that many of the harshest critics do not bring it up anymore.  Yet, Taylor brings it up in his ‘not an anti-Mormon video’ while going above and beyond what even the harshest critics bother with.

Look, by all means be kind and patient with any family or friends who leave the church, but there is no need to just shrug our shoulders over the same old criticisms at all.  At least see this video for what it is – an effort to make the church look like a fraud, and it’s members look like childish dupes.