John Taylor, the third President of the church, would not recognize the church today. He invites discussion and investigation on even trivial matters. He’s not afraid of research or whack-a-mole. When there was speculation and disagreement about a certain plot of land which Brigham Young was reimbursed for after having personally purchased for the church …
Continue reading “We Want Nothing Secret Nor Underhanded – Not The Mormon Church Today”
Though Oaks will say research is not the answer, and the church uses research to understand why they are losing so many members to a faith crisis, the church handbook has something else to say about research. Research in the Church Research as defined in the church handbook is to gather information to support the …
Continue reading “What is Research According to the Mormon church”
Elder Jeffrey R Holland gave a fiery talk at a devotional in Tempe, Arizona in April 2016. Tempe Rescue This is a very dynamic address, and he’s quite emotionally charged about those who leave. Though charged, Holland does come off as more intelligent than in his BBC interview where he claims he’s neither an idiot …
Continue reading “Elder Holland’s Taffy-Pulled Devotional – Don’t You Dare Bail & Stay in the Boat!”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints With all the hubbub about referring to the church by the proper name, as directed by church president Russell Nelson, let’s stop and look at what the church name is. Why does the official name of the church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) contain …
Continue reading “Retrofitting Revelation For The Mormon Church Official Name”
As a result of a believing Mormon potentially leading the United States, there was increased scrutiny of the Mormon church. John Sweeny, of the BBC, interviewed LDS Apostle Jeffrey Holland for a program called ‘The Mormon Candidate’ which aired on BBC in 2012. Holland is caught in lies during the interview and resorts to claiming he’s neither an idiot or a dodo.
Orson Pratt was an early Apostle of the church. He believed and proclaims that the Book of Mormon is inspired and true. He has some pointed criticisms of the book though if it turns out not to be true. If false, [The Book of Mormon] is one of most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever …
Continue reading “Orson Pratt Wouldn’t Have Left the Mormon Church Alone”
The CES Letter is a collection of questions, concerns, and doubts about the Mormon church’s truth claims addressed to a Church Education System Director from Jeremy Runnels. Learn about the background, the effects and rebuttals and some of the contents.
The Mormon church likes to point the finger and demonize those who leave, complaining with the clever phrase that they can leave the church, but they can’t leave the church alone. They want us to leave quietly. This site refutes this demonization and serves as a platform to loudly share your story. We shouldn’t leave …
Continue reading “No Surprise that Every Ex-Mormon is Still a Missionary”
Joseph Fielding Smith was the 10th president of the church, the son of Joseph F Smith, the 6th president of the church, and the grandson of Hyrum Smith. He returned from his mission to England in 1901, and began to work in the Churcvh History offices and was later called to the quorum of the …
Continue reading “Evolution vs Mormon Truth Claims from Joseph Fielding Smith”
Anyone who was raised Mormon, or even attended the church for any length of time knows the Urim and Thummim story. Joseph Smith is portrayed as having translated the Book of Mormon with some special seer stones which were found with the gold plates. The Book of Mormon translation was possible with this Urim and …
Continue reading “The Problems with Joseph Smith and Peep Stone Translations”
What was the Nauvoo Expositor? The Nauvoo Expositor was a four-page newspaper that only printed one issue. It reportedly printed so many vicious lies and slander about Joseph Smith that the prophet of the restoration had the printing press destroyed in retaliation or as the church claims to avoid violence. Somewhat ironic that they destroyed …
Continue reading “The Nauvoo Expositor And More Lies From Joseph Smith”
Prominent LDS historian Richard Bushman and famed author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling notes, “I think that for the Church to remain strong, it has to reconstruct its narrative. The dominant narrative is not true; it can’t be sustained. The Church has to absorb all this new information or it will be on very shaky grounds …
The church wants us to leave the church alone. Do they leave “apostates” alone? Have they ever left apostates alone? The church tells stories about those who leave to discredit them and instill fear into their congregations. They are seeking to control members and keep them “in”. Plugging holes in a leaking ship. They will …
Continue reading “More Church Myths – Thomas B Marsh and Milk Strippings”
Was the first vision a “vision”? Was it the “first” one? Which one is “The” first vision? There are so many different accounts. The gospel topic essay mentions some of the main versions, but they also gloss over the differences and dismiss them all. The First Vision is a total misnomer and can be completely debunked with some simple reading and thinking. Something the church does not want members to do, they do everything they can to keep members from looking at the accounts. They first tried to hide them, and then they dismiss them by saying “we’ve always been honest and transparent about these accounts, and they all tell the same consistent story anyways, so don’t worry, trust us”.
The story of Lehi leaving Jerusalem with his family and their struggles is central to the Book of Mormon. In the book (1 Nephi chapter 8), Lehi shares a dream with his family that is about a great and spacious building and a straight and narrow path, an iron rod, and a tree with fruit …
Continue reading “Lehi’s Dream is Joseph Smith Senior’s Dream too”
Hugh Nibley is a famous mormon scholar. He wrote many books on complex mormon doctrine and taught for many years at BYU. In some of his classes and some of his books he famously gave his students a faux writing challenge where they were to write the equivalent of the book of mormon. He was …
What are the Church Essays? The church has quietly published some essays discussing some hard-to-reconcile issues. There are multiple topics in these essays, such as Multiple First Vision Accounts, Rock in a Hat Translation & Mormon Institutionalized Racism, a collection of essays about Polygamy referred to as Plural Marriage & even Heavenly Mother. Haven’t heard …
Continue reading “Yesterday’s Anti-Mormon “Lies” Are Today’s Church Essays”
Is the Mormon church transparent? Is the church honest with its own history? What does it mean to be as transparent as you know how to be? Not much actually, but it’s their best excuse and retort when questioned. M Russell Ballard and Dallin H Oaks had a fireside broadcast with Young Single Adults. They …
Continue reading “Church as transparent as it knows how to be”
The current president of the mormon church, Russell M Nelson, shared a thought in the October 2020 General Conference. After the world has dealt with the pandemic of Covid-19 and the US is in the throes of a heated election cycle, and much of the world is facing a racial reckoning and awakening, the self-proclaimed …
Continue reading “Mormons are Taught that outside the church is life filled with fear”
Have you experienced a faith crisis or transition? Many people have (and some tell their story), perhaps including Albert Einstein. What has the experience taught you about God or your belief in God? Has it transformed how you view God or what you mean when you refer to God? Do your current thoughts still align …
In a faith transition many face feelings of groundlessness akin to crisis level vertigo. They may feel that their life is completely falling apart; that nothing is what it seemed and they struggle to cope with such a huge shift. They face reprocessing every principle, every value and potentially every reason for every thing in …
Continue reading “Finding Personal Meaning and Purpose in a Faith Transition”
Do you remember the mormon.org website? Members were pestered relentlessly to create a profile online to share their testimony and answer gospel questions. Everyone was encouraged to share their personal url on social media too! Here are some example profiles: Some profiles even backfired and brave disaffected members posted what they actually thought until the …
There is a temptation for the writer or the teacher of Church history to want to tell everything, whether it is worthy or faith promoting or not. Some things that are true are not very useful. Elder Boyd K Packerhttps://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teaching-seminary-preservice-readings-religion-370-471-and-475/the-mantle-is-far-far-greater-than-the-intellect?lang=eng#subtitle2 Not everything that’s true is useful. Elder Dallin H Oakshttps://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/elder-oaks-interview-transcript-from-pbs-documentary There have been many statements …
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Gordon B. Hinckley taught the First Vision of Joseph Smith is “the hinge pin on which this whole cause turns. If the First Vision was true, if it actually happened, then the Book of Mormon is true. Then we have the priesthood. Then we have the Church organization and all of the other keys and blessings …
Continue reading “Mormon Binary Thinking and The Great Sham”
In response to those who wonder why mormons who leave the church and then speak out against it and echo the phrase: “You can leave the church, but you can’t leave it alone.” Glenn L. Pace, Follow the Prophet, General Conference, April 1989https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1989/04/follow-the-prophet As mormons, we have been taught to share truth. That desire and …
You have almost certainly heard of the “shelf” if you’re Mormon. This wasmormon.org site lists many of these shelf items and questions that users have responded to. Check it out, do you share any of these shelf items or want to contribute with your own story? If you aren’t familiar with the Mormon shelf, the …
Continue reading “The Mormon “Shelf” and Why it’s a Problem”
In an interview President Gordon B Hinckley explains that the reason the church is not open about their finances is because they think “that information belongs to those who made the contribution”. REPORTER: In my country, the…we say the people’s churches, the protestants, the catholics, they publish all their budgets, to all the public. HINCKLEY: …
Continue reading “That information belongs to those who made the Contribution”
In honor of Star Wars day, I wanted to spotlight the moment of betrayal from Obi Wan and the parallel to my own faith crisis. Today is May the Fourth, also known as Star Wars Day – due to the “May the Force”, be with you pun. One thing we can learn from the prequel …
Continue reading “Obi Wan channels a mormon faith crisis – The Chosen One and Betrayal”
Many testimonies come off like the bearer thinks that “I know” actually means “I really hope” or “I want to know”. When encouraged to bear a testimony to find it, this doublethink and newspeak almost makes sense. We gain or strengthen a testimony by bearing it. Someone even suggested that some testimonies are better gained …
Continue reading “Gain a Testimony By Pretending To Have One”
Salt Lake City, Utah January 29, 2002 Conducted by Helmut Nemetschek at 47 East South Temple, Prior To And In Preparation For, The “Mormon Winter Olympics” TRANSCRIPT REPORTER: President Hinckley, what are your expectations, your desires, your wishes, for the Olympic Games here in Salt Lake City? HINCKLEY: Well, I expect great things in the …
Continue reading “Gordon B. Hinckley Interview Transcript– ZDF German Television”
![If false, [The Book of Mormon] is one of most cunning, wicked, bold, deep-laid impositions ever palmed upon the world, calculated to deceive and ruin millions who will sincerely receive it as the word of God, and will suppose themselves securely built upon the rock of truth until they are with their families into hopeless despair. - Orson Pratt, Mormon Apostle](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/orson-pratt-if-bom-false.jpg?fit=940%2C1200&ssl=1)
!["Joseph had asked [Jane Law] to give him half her love; she was at liberty to keep the other half for her husband." Elder William Law, Mormon Apostle. Defected from the First Presidency and published the Nauvoo Expositor when his wife Jane told him she refused Joseph Smith who came in the night while he was away seeking a polyandrous relationship.](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/William-Law-Joseph-Smith-sought-polyandry-with-Jane-Law.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
