Sometimes when reading articles about the LDS Church, I see approaches to stories that make journalists appear much as zoologists; they seem to be observing the unusual habits of people in their gilded cages.
I felt that way as I read a Washington Post article about LDS singles wards in the D.C. area. It described the courtship rituals, if you will, of the Mormons much as I imagine a zoologist might describe the courtship rituals of the sage hen. I exaggerate, but the impression is sometimes a strong one. In fairness to The Washington Post on this occasion and to other journalists, it’s hard to deny the reality that Mormon youths – and singles of all ages – comprise a worthy news story.
The number of Mormons is growing in D.C. as in many parts of the country, and our emphasis on family and chastity is unusual by the world’s standards. As LDS singles navigate the turgid moral waters of today, tension and struggle follow as most strive to maintain faithful standards, and it takes discipline.
In short, Mormon singles and Mormon youths are a legitimate and interesting news story.
The writing is fairer than ever. In articles I read from a generation ago, journalists might quote experts — often non-Mormons with a hidden, anti-Mormon agenda — more frequently than Mormons themselves. This Post article is solid insofar as it mostly allows Mormons to speak for themselves. Even though I disagree with the tone of some of the LDS Church members quoted, I can’t fault the Washington Post too much. The story was made up of many Mormon quotes, and most quoted seemed to love the church as much as I do.
Indeed it seems Mormon singles, Mormon youths and the church’s efforts to support them are going through a moment of unusual attention. That is a good thing because, first, I want the attention of journalists focusing on the church to be on its young people. I work with hundreds of them every day.
You likely wouldn’t be surprised by their faithful goodness. They work hard. They don’t drink alcohol. I have not heard swear words in any class. I receive apologies for the most minor infractions of policies. Cheating is rarely seen. When I ask a student to do something, I have never heard a disrespectful reply. There are no better ambassadors for Mormon belief.
A church that produces such young people has much to recommend it.
Second, I love many things about my church, and that list includes its strong organizational investment in its young people. If you have watched a ward closely, it doesn’t take long to realize one of the largest budget items in many wards is youth programs. Elders Quorums may find enough cash to put together a chili cook-off once a year, whereas youth programs, while certainly not lined with fleece, have enough to provide useful activities and camps throughout the year.
Scouting programs and trips incur significant investments and sacrifice by many people. Young Women’s camps help girls in many areas of their lives.
I work at one of the church’s largest investments in its young people: its universities. I watch as bright colleagues work to improve classes and provide new opportunities for many young people to become involved in a BYU experience.
I know enough about the pathologies that consume American higher education to know BYU-Idaho, while not perfect, is strikingly unusual in its efforts to avoid the worst of what ails colleges today. For example, I saw an analysis by Forbes magazine that placed only a handful of universities as more affordable for students than BYU and BYU-Idaho. Most of those were national academies where taxpayers pay the full costs of those students who attend.
Throw in institutes, seminaries, singles wards, and it is obvious the church invests in its young people.
This is news and should be. Let’s have more stories about Mormon young people: the remarkable, faithful LDS singles everywhere and the church that supports them.
