Mormons in general do not invest a lot of time and energy in critiquing OTHER people’s churches, either. Most of the time we discuss them and their beliefs only because one of their members has attacked our church for being different from theirs. We do not sit around in Sunday School, at BYU classes, or speaking over the pulpit in Sunday meetings or General Conference, attacking the beliefs of other churches, except when they have already attacked us on a particular issue, so that any defense of our own position necessitates explaining why we differ.

This is important for Evangelicals to understand. Just as Evangelicals are accustomed to criticizing their own churches and other Evangelical churches, Mormons are NOT accustomed to criticizing either their own church or anyone else’s church. We do not have instructional videos that point out all the errors in Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, or any Protestant denomination.

When Luther is mentioned in Mormon church meetings, it is most often with respect for his creating, in the end, greater religious pluralism and therefore religious freedom where a church like ours could be restored to the earth and allowed to worship freely. When the Pope is mentioned, it is usually in connection with quoting and praising his stand on a matter of moral principle, or reviewing a recent collaboration with Catholic Charities in giving disaster relief. Mormons don’t see offering a critique of any church, theirs or yours, as a matter of “good clean fun”. It is serious business, and is done only with restraint and qualifications. And it is rare. And Mormons are sorry that some Evangelicals are disinclined to return the favor.

So in response to the suggestion that it is “just their nature” to criticize, I am moved to ask, Doesn’t becoming a disciple of Christ mean changing our nature?