As we prepared content for our first badge, “Mormons and Polygamy,” I started thinking about what we wanted to accomplish with this badge and with our other badges. I knew we wanted to educate non members about Mormonism, but I wasn’t sure what that entailed. So I came up with this statement which encapsulated for me more specifically what I want to do with Mormon Badges:
We can’t get rid of controversy, but we can help correct misconceptions. We do this, not by trying to convince people the Church is not controversial, but by trying to inform them about the facts. Our primary aim is not to win converts (though I would hope that better information would lead some people to investigate the Church) but to create understanding.
For example, in our first badge (after some guidance from Prof. Burton) we decided not to try to convince people that polygamy was commanded by God. For most people, that would have just heightened the controversy. We did choose material from the church newsroom that explained, briefly, Joseph Smith’s revelation and the doctrinal rational, but we left out additional content from the scriptures to back it up. Instead, we made sure our focus was on correcting the misconception that Mormons still practice polygamy.
I think presenting all our badges this way will win more trust from non-member badge earners. We will be more convincing when it is clear we are not trying to convince them. Our badges will be more effective to the degree that we focus on correcting misconceptions, not stamping out controversy.
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