Anti-Mormonism
Anti-Mormonism is an overt opposition to Mormonism, and most cases specifically to Mormonism's largest and most prominent sect, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Anti-Mormon activities range in energy from the reasoned arguments (often references to Archeology or the Bible) to scathing exposés and, rarely, public protests and desecrations, and in the past, violence.
Anti-Mormonism is generally very unlike such things as anti-Semitism or anti-Islam, in that the opposition is not generally prejudice against the Mormon people, but opposition to Mormon doctrines, practices, and leadership. However, such such opposition can, and frequently has, been quite vehement, for a number of reasons. First, Mormon doctrines, particularly about Jesus, are considerably different from mainstream Christianity. Second, historical Mormon practices such as plural marriage have flouted cultural norms. Third, certain aspects of Mormonism are cloaked in a veil of secrecy and lack of openness, which makes Mormonism vulnerable to exposés. Finally, Mormonism tends to make very bold claims, such as the claim that it is the only form of religion endorsed by God.
General Opposition to Mormonism
Anti-Mormonism in the sense given above is rare. However in mainstream Christianity a strong disagreement with the theology, beliefs and practices of the Mormon church is much more common. In many ways this in unsurprising since the founders of the Mormon church deliberately set themselves up against mainstream Christianity, and Mormon missionaries today target mainstream Christians specifically, seeking to persuade them that their beliefs are wrong and that they should convert to Mormonism. While Mormons teach that the mainstream Christian churches are apostate, and no longer follow the complete teachings of Jesus, most mainstream Christian churches teach that Mormonism is a form of psuedo-Christianity, which has departed from the teachings given in the Bible and now espouses beliefs fundamentally different from Christian ones. It is sometimes considered to be a cult.
Genuine Anti-Mormonism
A comparatively small number of people are active in opposing Mormon beliefs, campaigning against the Mormon church. Many are ex-Mormons themselves. This opposition is not confined to mainstream Christians, but includes atheists and members of other religions.
Some of these anti-Mormons direct their hostility toward Mormon church leaders, both past and present. Much more hostility is directed toward church leaders of the 19th century than later ones. Those who attack the most recent leaders tend to also be the most radical, some to the point of being outrageous. The activities of the latter group has prompted some moderate anti-Mormons to rise to the defense of the church in the face of the most ridiculous accusations. Finally, there is a minority of anti-Mormons who demonstrate an open hostility toward any and all Latter-day Saints. It is common to find them among the protesters at major Mormon events.
Organized opposition to Mormonism
There are several organizations which oppose the Mormon church. Their activities vary. In most cases the primary activity is informational - they seek to provide what they see as a true picture of the Mormon church. Some are independent while others are connected with parent churches, and not all are Christian. Some organizations are: Utah Lighthouse Ministry (founded by Jerald and Sandra Tanner), Mormon Research Ministries, Mormons in Transition and Utah Partnerships for Christ.
Some anti-Mormons have become well-known for their activities. A few of them are:
Professional anti-Mormonism
Regardless of what other motives they may have, there are some who focus on the money that can be made in the anti-Mormon "business" (as Ed Decker referred to his trade at least once). Ed Decker, in fact, threatened to file lawsuits against other anti-Mormons (including Jerald and Sandra Tanner) who rose to the defense of the Mormon church when his films made extreme accusations about Mormon officials. Decker claimed that the negative reviews, by those whom he supposed should have praised the films, caused him a loss of revenue.
Seminars to counter Mormon teachings
Mormon missionaries are trained in ways to approach mainstream Christians and persuade them that some of their core beliefs are wrong, and that they need to convert to Mormonism. Partly in response to this, many organizations who disagree with Mormon teachings hold seminars at mainstream Christian churches in order to highlight differences between Mormonism and mainstream Christianity and give the Christian viewpoint on these differences.
Anti-Mormon Protests
Every six months Latter-day Saints gather in Salt Lake City for "General Conference". In addition to the church members who come to hear their leaders speak, come anti-Mormon protesters. They also appear when new Mormon temples are opened to the public before they are dedicated. Below is a link to a description of one of these protests, from a faithful Mormon point of view.
The following link, from the same website, leads to a photo essay of a recent anti-Mormon protest.
Anti-Mormonism through history.
Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism, taught widely that all of the Christian teachers of the day were in error and had departed from the true Christian faith. He was vigorously pursued by detractors since the time he told his First Vision. He was ultimately assassinated by a mob.
