Oh the Rumors About Mormonism...

Yesterday I heard one of the most illogical things in my life about my religion.

A 5th-year (I think) history graduate student was talking to a 2nd-year grad student in my office, and the conversation went something like this:

5th Yr: That's right, Calvinist believe in predestination. Ask Ms JW (a fellow grad student), she's Presbyterian.
2nd Yr: Really? Do Presbyterians believe in predestination? How do they live? 
5th Yr: Oh yes, it's still going on. I don't know how people live like that. 

Then the KICKER.

5th Yr: And so do Mormons. I am convinced that Provo, Utah is hell on earth. Don't get me wrong- Mormons are really nice. But I do not know how they can live with themselves.

Actually now that I type it out, I'm kind of speechless, or more appropriately, writing-less. I know Christian churches hostile to Mormonism say Mormons are nice but we are going to hell. That, I can let go. But to call Provo "hell on earth?"

Wow.

That student has absolutely NO IDEA what he is talking about.

I didn't say anything because
1) I was eavesdropping on the conversation, though to be fair to me, the 2nd Yr student sits at the desk next to mine, and the 5th Yr student has a super LOUD voice and is very vocal about his opinions. I couldn't tune out the conversation even if I wanted to.
2) You have to pick your battles.
3) I was still reeling from what he said.

And it taught me a few things as well. Apparently:

a) Nice people live in hell. Or is it hell creates nice people? 

b) My respect for that student just dropped like, 10 notches. He's still an expert on his specialized field of history (Elizabethan political and military history- I think), but when it comes to everything else, better to take it with a pinch of salt. 

For the record:
i) Mormons do NOT believe in 100% predestination. 

ii) I don't know much about predestination, but I think it's just a belief based on the fact that nothing in this life is coincidental, that God has already arranged everything. And you know what, to a certain extent, Mormons do believe in this too. We still have a lot of agency, but we also believe that God has a lot of control over the affairs of this world as well. SO LET'S NOT JUDGE OUR FELLOW CHRISTIANS FOR THEIR TENANTS OF THEIR FAITH.

iii) Provo is FAR FROM hell on earth, physically, mentally, anything-ly. I don't want to live in Provo again, NOT because it's "hell" where people are stuck under oppressive doctrines. I don't want to live there again because it's a college town and I need to move on, and I don't care for small towns, and it's too brown, and it's too conservative, and it's too politically boring, and there isn't a good food scene. But this does not equate it to hell. 

You are welcome for making you laugh today.