Yearly Archives: 2023

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"I have a two year technical degree and work in the ammonia refrigeration industry and hold a national certification in that field. It does not qualify me as a Book of Mormon scholar. Then again, it does not take a scholar to defeat the Book of Mormon, or the believers and apologists that support it. I was a Mormon." - Tom Donofrio | https://wasmormon.org/profile/thomasdonofrio/
"I have a two year technical degree and work in the ammonia refrigeration industry and hold a national certification in that field. It does not qualify me as a Book of Mormon scholar. Then again, it does not take a scholar to defeat the Book of Mormon, or the believers and apologists that support it. I was a Mormon." - Tom Donofrio | https://wasmormon.org/profile/thomasdonofrio/
"When the need to believe in the Book of Mormon is removed it is easily seen as a product of its time. The fact that it speaks of divinity does not make it divine. When read in context of the 19th century social landscape the Book of Mormon story becomes a melodrama of the era. When compared to verbiage and text of contemporary works the Book of Mormon emerges as an amalgam of political and religious sermon." - Tom Donofrio | https://wasmormon.org/profile/thomasdonofrio/
"When the need to believe in the Book of Mormon is removed it is easily seen as a product of its time. The fact that it speaks of divinity does not make it divine. When read in context of the 19th century social landscape the Book of Mormon story becomes a melodrama of the era. When compared to verbiage and text of contemporary works the Book of Mormon emerges as an amalgam of political and religious sermon." - Tom Donofrio | https://wasmormon.org/profile/thomasdonofrio/
"To remain in the church I had to choose one of the following three options. 1) Reject the science, 2) Completely change how I interpreted the Book of Mormon by accepting revisionist apologetic scholarship and at the same time reject countless prophetic statements concerning the Book of Mormon or, 3) Keep my doubts to myself and stop thinking. None of these alternatives was palatable to me." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"To remain in the church I had to choose one of the following three options. 1) Reject the science, 2) Completely change how I interpreted the Book of Mormon by accepting revisionist apologetic scholarship and at the same time reject countless prophetic statements concerning the Book of Mormon or, 3) Keep my doubts to myself and stop thinking. None of these alternatives was palatable to me." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"I was troubled to learn that scientists outside of the sphere of Mormonism see absolutely no connection between ancient American Indian civilizations and the Middle East. The position the Smithsonian had taken was based on substantial volumes of scientific research. Essentially all non-Mormon scientists consider American Indians to be descended from Siberian ancestors who migrated to the Americas over 13-15,000 years ago across a Beringian land bridge. Nowhere was this evidence more starkly revealed than in the newly emerging field of human molecular genetics. My experience with plant molecular genetics made it relatively easy for me to follow this type of research." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"I was troubled to learn that scientists outside of the sphere of Mormonism see absolutely no connection between ancient American Indian civilizations and the Middle East. The position the Smithsonian had taken was based on substantial volumes of scientific research. Essentially all non-Mormon scientists consider American Indians to be descended from Siberian ancestors who migrated to the Americas over 13-15,000 years ago across a Beringian land bridge. Nowhere was this evidence more starkly revealed than in the newly emerging field of human molecular genetics. My experience with plant molecular genetics made it relatively easy for me to follow this type of research." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"I resigned from the LDS Church while serving as a bishop, after encountering molecular genetics research that convinced me that American Indians are not related to Israelites. This seriously challenged my LDS belief that the Lamanites are among the ancestors of the American Indians." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"I resigned from the LDS Church while serving as a bishop, after encountering molecular genetics research that convinced me that American Indians are not related to Israelites. This seriously challenged my LDS belief that the Lamanites are among the ancestors of the American Indians." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"I came across a statement published by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. It was a response they sent to Mormons who contacted them to see how the Book of Mormon was helping their research. The statement claimed there was a complete lack of evidence for any pre-Columbian connection between Old and New World civilizations. It said there was no evidence of Old World crops and animals mentioned in the Book of Mormon text, or evidence of metallurgy, horse drawn wheeled vehicles and any Hebraic or Egyptian-like writings in pre-Columbus America. The force of this statement jolted me. I decided to look for myself for published research that supported Old World migrations to the Americas." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"I came across a statement published by the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C. It was a response they sent to Mormons who contacted them to see how the Book of Mormon was helping their research. The statement claimed there was a complete lack of evidence for any pre-Columbian connection between Old and New World civilizations. It said there was no evidence of Old World crops and animals mentioned in the Book of Mormon text, or evidence of metallurgy, horse drawn wheeled vehicles and any Hebraic or Egyptian-like writings in pre-Columbus America. The force of this statement jolted me. I decided to look for myself for published research that supported Old World migrations to the Americas." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"I failed to find anything that supported migration of Jewish people before Columbus. I struggled with the complete discrepancy between the research and my understanding of the Book of Mormon. How could Lehi’s descendants have escaped detection? All of the Polynesians I knew in the church in Australia and all Native Americans in the church believed they were blood relatives of Lehi as numerous prophets had told them so. How could God permit all of his Latter-day prophets to teach this belief as if it was a fact when it clearly isn’t true? In the years that have elapsed since I left the church, there has been an apologetic meltdown in response to the questions raised by the DNA evidence." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"I failed to find anything that supported migration of Jewish people before Columbus. I struggled with the complete discrepancy between the research and my understanding of the Book of Mormon. How could Lehi’s descendants have escaped detection? All of the Polynesians I knew in the church in Australia and all Native Americans in the church believed they were blood relatives of Lehi as numerous prophets had told them so. How could God permit all of his Latter-day prophets to teach this belief as if it was a fact when it clearly isn’t true? In the years that have elapsed since I left the church, there has been an apologetic meltdown in response to the questions raised by the DNA evidence." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"From my viewpoint on the other side of the world, the apologetic defenses of the Book of Mormon have a provincial Utah ring to them. They sound like the desperate attempts of US-based Mormon scholars trying to preserve a cultural icon, their jobs, and their status in LDS families and communities. Until the leaders of the Mormon Church allow its members to openly question the historicity of the Book of Mormon, as members of the Community of Christ do, there will continue to be an increasing stream of people (especially non-US members) leaving the church. These are people happy to have faith in the absence of evidence, but not in spite of it." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"From my viewpoint on the other side of the world, the apologetic defenses of the Book of Mormon have a provincial Utah ring to them. They sound like the desperate attempts of US-based Mormon scholars trying to preserve a cultural icon, their jobs, and their status in LDS families and communities. Until the leaders of the Mormon Church allow its members to openly question the historicity of the Book of Mormon, as members of the Community of Christ do, there will continue to be an increasing stream of people (especially non-US members) leaving the church. These are people happy to have faith in the absence of evidence, but not in spite of it." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"As much as I wanted the Book of Mormon to be true, I suddenly knew that it wasn’t. It wasn’t true history about real people. The Book of Mormon is clearly the creation of an imaginative 19th century, ethnocentric American mind trying to make sense of a new world. It tells us nothing about the true history of the colonization of the New World. It is frontier speculation attempting to account for the origins of the American Indians within the context of the biblical record. Not surprisingly there are striking similarities between the central plot of the Book of Mormon and Native American origin theories that were widely popular in Joseph Smith’s community." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"As much as I wanted the Book of Mormon to be true, I suddenly knew that it wasn’t. It wasn’t true history about real people. The Book of Mormon is clearly the creation of an imaginative 19th century, ethnocentric American mind trying to make sense of a new world. It tells us nothing about the true history of the colonization of the New World. It is frontier speculation attempting to account for the origins of the American Indians within the context of the biblical record. Not surprisingly there are striking similarities between the central plot of the Book of Mormon and Native American origin theories that were widely popular in Joseph Smith’s community." - Simon Southerton https://wasmormon.org/profile/simon-southerton/
"When history is modified such that it only paints a positive light for any organization, it is easier for people to get warm fuzzies about it, such that they falsely think they are joining a good cause and fail to recognize or accept all of the skeletons in the closet from both the past and present. They only see and accept what the organization want them to." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"When history is modified such that it only paints a positive light for any organization, it is easier for people to get warm fuzzies about it, such that they falsely think they are joining a good cause and fail to recognize or accept all of the skeletons in the closet from both the past and present. They only see and accept what the organization want them to." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"While it is somewhat understandable why the LDS church is concerned with building faith instead of “destroying” it, the question remains that if the full version of history and events is such that faith would likely not be established when taught plainly, then perhaps it is not a foundation one would want to have faith in to begin with." - Micah McAllister's I was a mormon profile | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"While it is somewhat understandable why the LDS church is concerned with building faith instead of “destroying” it, the question remains that if the full version of history and events is such that faith would likely not be established when taught plainly, then perhaps it is not a foundation one would want to have faith in to begin with." - Micah McAllister
"Unfortunately, when combining this control of information with other subtle means and tactics, the free agency and authentic identity of individuals is literally robbed from them, and their faith misplaced in a fictionalized version of the facts. Teaching a biased, watered down version of history is, in a very real sense, teaching fiction, spun to the benefit of the organization at the expense of the individual." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"Unfortunately, when combining this control of information with other subtle means and tactics, the free agency and authentic identity of individuals is literally robbed from them, and their faith misplaced in a fictionalized version of the facts. Teaching a biased, watered down version of history is, in a very real sense, teaching fiction, spun to the benefit of the organization at the expense of the individual." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"When it comes to evaluating or scrutinizing the LDS church, most LDS members will tell you that the doctrine or church is perfect, but run by imperfect people. While this may sound good in theory to LDS members, it should be a blaring red flag. This is actually a “stop think” method utilized to keep members from thinking critically about the organization and blaming themselves for its shortcomings." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"When it comes to evaluating or scrutinizing the LDS church, most LDS members will tell you that the doctrine or church is perfect, but run by imperfect people. While this may sound good in theory to LDS members, it should be a blaring red flag. This is actually a “stop think” method utilized to keep members from thinking critically about the organization and blaming themselves for its shortcomings." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"What evidences are there that the LDS “upper management” is knowingly deceiving their members? Apostles themselves have admitted and admonished to not teach the full version of church history. Their reasoning is the whole “milk before meat” mentality. However, the diet of church history is never transitioned to “meat” and members are forever left to subside on “milk”." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"What evidences are there that the LDS “upper management” is knowingly deceiving their members? Apostles themselves have admitted and admonished to not teach the full version of church history. Their reasoning is the whole “milk before meat” mentality. However, the diet of church history is never transitioned to “meat” and members are forever left to subside on “milk”." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"I fully believed and lived every bit of Mormonism to the best of my ability and had a strong testimony which I bore often. I followed what I believed to be the promptings of the Holy Ghost, now recognized as intuition and cognitive thinking skills, on a search for deeper secrets of the gospel and to purify myself in preparation for the 2nd coming. But as is often the case, opening your mind can lead one to the underlying truth. I formally resigned from Mormonism to keep my integrity and remove any implied support in the LDS deception. I was a mormon." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"I fully believed and lived every bit of Mormonism to the best of my ability and had a strong testimony which I bore often. I followed what I believed to be the promptings of the Holy Ghost, now recognized as intuition and cognitive thinking skills, on a search for deeper secrets of the gospel and to purify myself in preparation for the 2nd coming. But as is often the case, opening your mind can lead one to the underlying truth. I formally resigned from Mormonism to keep my integrity and remove any implied support in the LDS deception. I was a mormon." - Micah McAllister
"So while the “upper management” of the church preaches “honesty”, they themselves are failing to be honest under their own definition of the term. Essentially what is taught in seminary, institute, primary, and Sunday school doctrine classes around the globe is a severely biased, watered down, and even modified version of the real events." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"So while the “upper management” of the church preaches “honesty”, they themselves are failing to be honest under their own definition of the term. Essentially what is taught in seminary, institute, primary, and Sunday school doctrine classes around the globe is a severely biased, watered down, and even modified version of the real events." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"While I was on my way out of the church, I met twice with my Stake President. In trying to understand my reasons for leaving, he asked me several questions. “Have you been offended?” No. “Do you have any unresolved transgressions or sins?” No. “What is your main concern regarding the church?” My response to this question was the lying and deception to cover up and withhold the full history of Mormon origins from unsuspecting members." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"While I was on my way out of the church, I met twice with my Stake President. In trying to understand my reasons for leaving, he asked me several questions. “Have you been offended?” No. “Do you have any unresolved transgressions or sins?” No. “What is your main concern regarding the church?” My response to this question was the lying and deception to cover up and withhold the full history of Mormon origins from unsuspecting members." - Micah McAllister | https://wasmormon.org/profile/micah-mcallister/
"All this, and I get to choose my own underwear too! Our family financial problems abruptly stopped the day I stopped paying tithing. In a nutshell, leaving the church has lengthened my stride, extended my vision, and lifted my burden. I have never been happier." - Lyndon Lamborn | https://wasmormon.org/profile/lyndonlamborn/
"All this, and I get to choose my own underwear too! Our family financial problems abruptly stopped the day I stopped paying tithing. In a nutshell, leaving the church has lengthened my stride, extended my vision, and lifted my burden. I have never been happier." - Lyndon Lamborn | https://wasmormon.org/profile/lyndonlamborn/
"For every falsehood a person embraces, that person is crippled in proportion to the depth and breadth of the falsehood he embraces. Mormonism has enormous dimensions, and discarding this falsehood has been like adding a supercharger to my life engine. My discernment is sharpened, my energy and motivation are heightened, my human biases are more easily squelched, my mind is open to new ideas, I have shed prejudices and truly feel all humans are created equal, my friendships are more genuine, the world is more beautiful, there is more joy in giving, there is more authentic meaning in living." - Lyndon Lamborn | https://wasmormon.org/profile/lyndonlamborn/
"For every falsehood a person embraces, that person is crippled in proportion to the depth and breadth of the falsehood he embraces. Mormonism has enormous dimensions, and discarding this falsehood has been like adding a supercharger to my life engine. My discernment is sharpened, my energy and motivation are heightened, my human biases are more easily squelched, my mind is open to new ideas, I have shed prejudices and truly feel all humans are created equal, my friendships are more genuine, the world is more beautiful, there is more joy in giving, there is more authentic meaning in living." - Lyndon Lamborn | https://wasmormon.org/profile/lyndonlamborn/
"As I studied the realities associated with the so-called ‘restoration’, unfiltered and un-whitewashed for the first time, ... It became blatantly evident, as I stepped back and considered the whole picture, that the God defined by Mormonism was not an entity worthy of my worship, worthy of emulation, or even an entity with whom I would want to associate at any level." - Lyndon Lamborn | https://wasmormon.org/profile/lyndonlamborn/
"As I studied the realities associated with the so-called ‘restoration’, unfiltered and un-whitewashed for the first time, ... It became blatantly evident, as I stepped back and considered the whole picture, that the God defined by Mormonism was not an entity worthy of my worship, worthy of emulation, or even an entity with whom I would want to associate at any level." - Lyndon Lamborn | https://wasmormon.org/profile/lyndonlamborn/
"I buried these troubling concerns deep inside and tried to keep them suppressed. For some, this can work for a lifetime, but ultimately it did not work for me. These issues and others (polygamy, dark skin curse doctrine, etc.) eventually began to surface and I became increasingly uncomfortable with my core beliefs. The desire to know the truth at whatever cost finally outweighed the desire and need to believe and belong." - Lyndon Lamborn | https://wasmormon.org/profile/lyndonlamborn/
"I buried these troubling concerns deep inside and tried to keep them suppressed. For some, this can work for a lifetime, but ultimately it did not work for me. These issues and others (polygamy, dark skin curse doctrine, etc.) eventually began to surface and I became increasingly uncomfortable with my core beliefs. The desire to know the truth at whatever cost finally outweighed the desire and need to believe and belong." - Lyndon Lamborn | https://wasmormon.org/profile/lyndonlamborn/
"Another major issue for me was the Mark Hofmann affair. Here was a guy that had easily duped the Lord’s anointed, which was not a big deal, but the part that was very disconcerting was that the documents bought by high-ranking church authorities were being purchased primarily to keep them hidden. Why would they need to do that? Surely the true church has nothing to hide. This made no sense. Something was definitely amiss here; I could feel it in my gut." - Lyndon Lamborn | https://wasmormon.org/profile/lyndonlamborn/
"Another major issue for me was the Mark Hofmann affair. Here was a guy that had easily duped the Lord’s anointed, which was not a big deal, but the part that was very disconcerting was that the documents bought by high-ranking church authorities were being purchased primarily to keep them hidden. Why would they need to do that? Surely the true church has nothing to hide. This made no sense. Something was definitely amiss here; I could feel it in my gut." - Lyndon Lamborn | https://wasmormon.org/profile/lyndonlamborn/