Funny Mormons

Mormons are generally pretty funny people.  We can take a joke.  And we have thick skins.  We’re used to being the butt of people’s jokes.  People are constantly making fun of us.  We can take it.  In fact, we kind of like it.

We were in Jerusalem earlier this week for spring break.  As we pulled into a parking garage, the attendant looked at our freakishly large American minivan with Jordanian plates as if it had just dropped from outer space.  When Jason unrolled the window, the attendant asked him where we were from.  After Jason told him we were Americans, he asked what state.  When Jason said that we were from Utah, his reply was, “Is that your only wife?”

Funny!  And no offense taken.  In fact, Mormons have been laughing at that one for over 100 years.

Then last night, my 17 year-old found out she wasn’t invited to a party.  The party was at the home of a good friend of hers.  Alcohol was going to be served.  The host informed other kids that my daughter and one of her best friends weren’t invited.  Apparently my daughter is too Mormon and her Palestinian friend is too Muslim.  True to form, my daughter wasn’t offended.  She thought it was funny.

Funny!  And no offense taken.  It’s true, the devout Mormon and equally devout Muslim would be downers at your booze fest.

Back in Jerusalem, we spent Monday evening with our good Jewish friend Dvir.  He invited to his kibbutz for dinner.  Dvir is a tour guide and back in the fall we were his first Mormon clients.  Since then, I’ve taken my siblings on a tour and we sent some friends from our congregation in Amman to him.  He also told us that he recently gave a tour to a great Mormon family from Germany.  This week he told us that he now really likes to give tours to Mormons.

“You guys are funny!  You can laugh at yourselves!  I like that!”