OTTAWA’S MORMONS KEEP ON GROWING
This month, Mormons in the Ottawa-Gatineau “Stake” — the equivalent of a Catholic diocese — reorganized, adding a sixth congregation in Kanata and shuffling the makeup and meeting places of five existing congregations. The move comes after continued growth in the church in the National Capital Region. The Citizen spoke to Gail Haarsma, public affairs director for the Ottawa-Gatineau Stake, about the origins of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its unusual beliefs and the Mormons’ unlikely fame on Broadway.
Q When did Mormons arrive in Ottawa and how has the church grown since then?
A There are about 3,000 of us here. I could bore you with statistics but in about 1965 30 Mormons met in a church building on Crichton Street. And in 1967, the chapel on Prince of Wales Drive was built. And when I joined in 1978, there were probably 1,000 members then. So from 1965 to now, we’ve increased a hundredfold.
Q What is it that attracts people to the church?
A There’s a few things. We have the stereotypes that we’re clean cut and clean living — and that’s true — but I think it’s the central belief in the family and however you constitute your family. Families are important and kids are important. But also, it’s the central belief on Jesus Christ. We are a proselytizing religion, so there’s always growth that way.
The church had a lot of attenQ tion when Mitt Romney was running for president in the U.S. Was that a positive thing?
A The “Romney factor” raised the profile of the church but we’ve been proselytizing since the church began. It’s really the beliefs of the church that draw people in and keep them there. The Romney factor had positive and negative sides to it — any time the church gets a higher profile it’s good. But I think a lot of negative things were said about the church which may or may not have put it in the best light.
Q The Book of Mormon is a Tony award-winning musical by the creators of the South Park TV show. It played in Ottawa last summer at the National Arts Centre. What was the church’s reaction to it?
A You know that a church has come of age when people start making fun of you. We can always laugh at ourselves and people’s choice of entertainment is their
choice. It had its amusing points for sure. But we know people went to see it and said, “This is not really the Mormon church. It’s a spoof.” That’s fine. It’s South Park. Everyone knows how South Park is. It was quite amusing.
I thought the church’s response was brilliant. They took out ads in the playbill that said, “Now that you’ve seen the play. You should read the book.”
Q Your church was founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith, who claimed that as a boy he’d been visited by God and commanded to form a church. Many would consider these origins as unusual, almost cultish. What’s your response to that?
A Joseph Smith said the fundamental principles of our religion are concerning Jesus Christ, that he died, was buried, rose on the third day and ascended into heaven. Everything else our religion talks about are really only appendages to that. If you just read the story you’d say, “Oh really? That’s interesting. You’ve got a 14-year-old boy who was confused about what religion to join ....”
It’s a faith and a belief. We believe in a plan of salvation. We believe we’re all spirit children of our heavenly father. That we were in the pre-existence. That we come to this Earth to be tried and to be tested, to have joy and to have a good life, and we will go to a hereafter based on our acts of faith and our service. We had a saviour who died for us, we’ll make up the difference. We’re not perfect, but we’re all striving to be perfect.
Q The Mormons are commonly associated with polygamy. Is there truth to that?
A The answer is no. There’s 15 million members of the church and not one of them is a polygamist. The practice was prohibited and it’s been that way since 1890. But we still get asked. It will never go away.
Q The church has generally conservative views, so how does it reconcile with progressive laws like gay marriage?
A The church did a news conference in the U.S. on the bill to protect GBLT rights and freedoms and they said they were in support of that law. Everyone’s freedom should be supported and everyone has the right to believe what they believe and to do what they do. And we ask that we be given that right as well. We believe in upholding the laws of the land, but freedom means freedom for everyone. Religious freedom is important for us.