Mormons who were watching The Bachelorette the other night heard something that sounded awfully familiar: Jef Holm telling Emily Maynard, "There's a time and place for everything, and right now is a time for us to bridle these passions." OH MY HECK. Jef totally quoted the Book of Mormon! (The actual Mormon scripture, not the musical.) It's right there in Alma 38:12, "... and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love ..."
Is he ...? Could he be ...? MORMON?
Yup, Jef's a Mormon. Ah-hah! That's why he's so cute in that clean-cut way. In an interview he revealed that he was raised in a devoutly faithful Mormon family. He's not exactly practicing the religion of his upbringing at the moment, though. And that's probably a good thing for Emily. Being a mixed-faith family in the Mormon religion is awfully tricky!
Hey, I should know -- I was raised Mormon, too. Did the whole shebang: Baptized at 8, early-morning seminary, Brigham Young University grad, married a Mormon returned missionary in the temple. And then I went apostate and left -- mwahahahaha! Outer Darkness, here I come.
Okay, enough with that. The point is, I've seen mixed-faith families struggle in Mormon congregations. Families are a huge part of Mormon theology. You're not just a family during your lifetime. Ideally you're a family in this life and the next, after you die. But only if everyone in your family has gone through certain important Mormon rituals.
I hope things have changed, but when I was growing up, families in which one spouse wasn't an active Mormon, or wasn't Mormon at all, were kind of considered less successful. People pitied them. And there was always a lot of pressure to get that spouse converted.
Jef's parents are missionaries. And they've disapproved of his past girlfriends. I wonder why -- were they not Mormon enough? Or not Mormon at all? If Emily picks Jef I predict the first thing his parents will do when they return from their mission is start leaning on Jef to convert Emily. It's what their generation of Mormons do, though it sounds like Jef's siblings are totally okay with Emily.
On the other hand, if Jef decides to join Emily's church, that might actually work. (Um, that is, as long as Emily didn't secretly sleep with Chris Harrison.) He's already said that he's not really practicing and that faith is more important to him. Mormons are not technically Christians, but they share the same values. Jef will have to set some pretty strict boundaries with his parents, though.
Do you think Emily will pick Jef?
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Comments 44
@maya I'll admit to not knowing much about the Mormon religion but to call it a horse is just wrong. Perhaps you meant cult not a colt?
Sure hope she thinks about it before she does that..I'm afraid if she does they will spilt over his parents and that Belief
All I know is I had an ex brother-in-law. He was Mormon, and his wife was a Church Of Christ member. They had a wonderful marriage until he passed way. I think Emily shouldn't let religion stand in the way of her decision. I think Arie is a Lady's man and a player. She would be better off to choose Jef. But rumor has it that Emily does get engaged, but the engagement doesn't last. She is going to end up with Chris Harrison , since he and his wife are in the process of getting a divorce. So it really doesn't matter who she picks. She and Chris Harrison have a thing going.