My Name is Anessa, I Have a Blog, and I'm Mormon

Last weekend, I was sick. So in between staring at Facebook, doing homework, blowing my nose, and crying during Titanic, I watched A LOT of "I'm a Mormon" videos. (Have no idea what I'm talking about? Scroll to the bottom of the page.) Most of you know that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, also known as the the Mormon Church. If you didn't, well...I am. Ta-dah!

Now, it seems that some people get jittery when the subject of religion comes up. RELAX. I'm not really going to focus on religion in this post, nor will I try to convert you or condemn you. So, relax. 

ANYWAYS. 

Like all YouTube videos, the "I'm a Mormon" videos receive a plethora of rude, inconsiderate comments. I think many of these comments, though, come from people who don't fully understand the videos and their purpose. Thus, I want to talk about these videos, why they exist, and why I love them. 

1. These videos are not trying to convert you. The people in these videos are talking about their lives, and there are a handful of videos in which the person doesn't even talk about Mormon doctrine or beliefs. Conversion? We have people for that. They're called missionaries. ;)

2. Mormons of normal people. They are you're neighbors, teachers, doctors, etc. Some people think that such clarifications about Mormons is a bit unnecessary, but I can guarantee you that when some people watched these videos, they asked at least one of the following questions:

Where are all the wives?

Why aren't they dressed like pilgrims?

Mormons live in places other than Utah?
Mormons are allowed to do that?
LDS women can have jobs?

Mormons can watch TV?

We've been around for a decent amount of time, yet people still ask such questions. That's why these videos were created. But I have a question for you? When was the last time you saw a movie in theaters where the main character was Mormon and portrayed as a normal person? I can't think of a movie. I've seen Catholic and Jewish and Atheist protagonists, but no Mormons. Hmm...

3. We're all in this together. As a Mormon, I already know Mormons are normal people. So why do I love these videos? As a member of any other denomination, you probably don't meet the members of your church that live in another state, much less another country. So, it's cool to watch these videos of people from all walks of life from all over the WORLD. They are so different from me, yet we share a common element in our lives: our faith. YouTube commentators were saying things like "No other church is posting videos like these on YouTube"  or "I'm a plumber...and I'm Catholic; cool." I believe Christianity is a social religion, so why not post these videos? It's the 21st century, and we should be taking advantage of the technology we have to share our faiths on an international level. I think it would be awesome to see "I'm a Buddhist" or "I'm a Muslim" videos.

BUT WAIT. THERE'S MORE! This blog post would not be complete if I didn't include some "I'm a Mormon" videos. Here are some of my favorites in no particular order. Enjoy. (Or not; to each his own.)

This woman had cancer when she was 16, and it's back again; still, she is very grateful and optimistic.

Everyone wants him to be a pirate every Halloween because he made himself a peg leg. Awesome.

This lady is awesome. She has a cool perspective on world religions.

Mormon and a Biology Professor. God and Science. Yes, it's possible. 

He's very Italian. I'm pretty sure he refers to Jesus as a "cool dude".


THE END.