Story on CBS News Sunday Morning

The Church was the top story this morning on CBS News Sunday Morning. (Online story here. Seems to be the entire transcript.) It was a pleasant surprise because I like watching the show while getting ready for church in the morning. It was also a pleasant surprise because it was incredibly positive.

The story started out by naming a few famous Mormons: Harry Reid, Mitt Romney, and the Marriotts. The growth of the Church was mentioned; it is now the 4th largest church in the U.S. They interviewed a family from Virginia (I think) baptized a year and a half ago, and who are active, happy members. They mentioned how they felt that the Church was just what they had been looking for.

The story then moved on to the Book of Mormon, giving a very quick overview of events using footage from the Hill Cumorah Pageant, and then discussed how Joseph Smith came into the story and received the plates.

Richard Bushman was one of the interviewees. He said that if the Mormon story seems far-fetched, think about the roots of other religions. “Many of the great religions,” he said, “are founded on a revealed miracle. So Joseph Smith fits into the pattern.”

Polygamy was mentioned, and it was discussed how this caused a lot of problems with the neighbors. It was then mentioned how Mormons fled several states, Joseph Smith was killed, and Mormons finally fled to Utah. (I keep saying “mentioned” because it really was a broad overview type of story. Not a lot of time for detail.)

Richard Ostling, who wrote Mormon America was also interviewed. He said that Mormonism became more mainstream due to two landmark events: getting rid of polygamy in 1890, and giving blacks full membership in 1978. Also, the Church’s emphasis on families has propelled its success.

It was mentioned that Mormons meet in wards, but there are also temples. Here Jan Shipps was interviewed, and she explained the temples a bit, and how work for the living and the dead connected people now with people in the past. The missionary program was also mentioned.

Shipps said that all this makes the Mormon Church more than just another Christian religion. “Mormonism is a fully realized tradition. It has its scriptures. It has its rituals. It has its doctrine. It has its social pattern.”

Ostling said that a case could be made that the Church right now is a new world religion. The narrator concluded that for millions, though, (such as the family they interviewed at the start of the story) the Church is simply their spiritual home.