What angered many non Mormons of the Mormon way of life?

Answer 1

People who are angered at members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (commonly called "Mormons") have many reasons. Some are angered or offended by their conservative moral standards and support for conservative moral ideals, as in the recent gay marriage backlash. Others, mostly evangelical and born-again Christians, are angered about their religious doctrines and picket Mormon buildings. Some are angry when the Church proposes building a new meetinghouse or temple in their neighborhood, as is currently the case in Phoenix, Arizona. Others feel that Mormons are a cult, anti-Christian, oppressive, etc and take out their feelings by vandalizing meetinghouses.

Many of those who are angry with the Church or it's members are uninformed. Church leadership usually responds to current events at http://newsroom.lds.org to inform the public as much as possible of their stance on current controversial issues.

Answer 2

In the mid-1800's, two practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the "Mormon" church) upset non-Mormons. The practice which most angered their non-Mormon neighbors was that of gathering. Mormons believed that the body of the church should gather in one place to establish Zion. This meant that if Mormons moved to your town or to a neighboring town, you could expect hundreds if not thousands to follow close behind. The Mormons then tended to be very exclusive - they would not often hire non-Mormons or shop at non-Mormon stores, and often they would vote the same, influencing the political situation in the area. This practice caused them to be run out of Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri. After Joseph Smith was killed in 1844, the Mormons decided to gather in a place that was not already inhabited - the Great Basin area of Mexico (now Utah) - so that they could practice their religion in peace. The practice of gathering to Zion was discontinued in the early 1900's.

Another practice that upset non-Mormons was that of polygamy. Mormons believed that a righteous man could have multiple wives, just as the prophets of the Old Testament. This didn't anger the non-Mormons so much as disgust them. The Mormons did not begin this practice until shortly before the death of Joseph Smith (approximately 1842), but they continued despite media and legal persecution until 1890, when the Federal Government seized the Church's properties, stripped Mormons of their political rights, and refused to let Utah be admitted into the United States unless the practice was discontinued.

In more modern times, the Mormon practice of baptism for the dead has caused anger among some non-Mormons. Mormons believe that they can be baptized vicariously in behalf of deceased ancestors in order to allow them a chance to accept salvation through Jesus Christ. Non-Mormons have been upset that their ancestors have been baptized, believing that Mormons are not respecting the deceased person's religious beliefs. This has caused the Church to enact more strict guidelines about what names may be submitted for vicarious baptisms.

Other Mormon practices have also recently caused a stir among certain groups, including their refusal to ordain women into the Priesthood and their speaking out against legislation which limits free expression of religion or which defies Biblical moral values.