Hitchens’ Book of Mormon-ism
Excellent Slate article by Christopher Hitchens on Mormonism, its core beliefs, and how it should be discussed in the context of the presidential campaign. Hitch’s piece includes a reference to a terrific book I republished in 1995, by Facebook friend Alex Shoumatoff. It’s his superb study of human kinship and genealogy, The Mountain of Names. It arises here b/c of the Mormon practice, indulged in for many years, of posthumously claiming souls to harvest for supposed salvation, even non-Mormon decedents, such as murdered Holocaust victims. The book’s title is a direct reference to the name bank that Mormons, at least until the mid-90s, kept in the rocky innards of a private peak in Utah. In his inimitable way, Hitch tartly dubs this “a crass attempt at mass identity theft from the deceased.”
What a shocking insult to the memory of those gone before, to be co-opted so vulgarly in the name of another man’s faith.
We need to blow back this bogus wizzardry.
I agree with “blow back this bogus wizardry.” Here is a pretty hilarious Colbert bit on the whole issue (scroll down to see the video clip)
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/stephen-colbert-tackles-posthumous-mormon-baptisms-by-converting-all-the-dead-mormons-to-judaism/