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“More women are leaving religion than men are. That's shocking to me as a historian of religion in America. There was actually a great article I read called Religious History is Women's History. Women have always outnumbered men. Not at the pulpit, but in the pew.” - Jared Halverson, Unshaken Saints, March 22 2025
“It's these sister saints organizing benevolent societies, ours is called the Relief Society, doing incredible things. So much heavy lifting in the kingdom of God is done by God's daughters.” - Jared Halverson, Unshaken Saints, March 22 2025
“I read a book once on the history of secularization in Great Britain in the 20th century. One of the author's main points was religion seemed to collapse in Great Britain when women stopped coming to church... They held the church up, until they stopped doing that, and there wasn't much left to keep it afloat. Sister saints, be aware of just how important you are in the kingdom of God.” - Jared Halverson, Unshaken Saints, March 22 2025
“Whatsoever is, is in God, and without God nothing can be, or be conceived” - Baruch de Spinoza or Benedictus de Spinoza (1632 - 1677), Portuguese-Jewish Philosopher, Forerunner of the Age of Enlightenment and Leading Philosopher of the Dutch Golden Age.
“That eternal and infinite being we call God, or Nature, acts from the same necessity from which he exists.” - Baruch de Spinoza or Benedictus de Spinoza (1632 - 1677), Portuguese-Jewish Philosopher, Forerunner of the Age of Enlightenment and Leading Philosopher of the Dutch Golden Age.
“God is not He who is, but That which is.” - Baruch de Spinoza or Benedictus de Spinoza (1632 - 1677), Portuguese-Jewish Philosopher, Forerunner of the Age of Enlightenment and Leading Philosopher of the Dutch Golden Age.
“When I look up at the night sky and I know that yes, we are part of this universe. We are in this universe, but perhaps more important than both of those facts is that the universe is in us. When I reflect on that fact, I look up—many people feel small because they’re small and the universe is big—but I feel big, because my atoms came from those stars. There’s a level of connectivity. That’s really what you want in life, you want to feel connected, you want to feel relevant, you want to feel like you’re a participant in the goings-on of activities and events around you. That’s precisely what we are, just by being alive.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist, Author, Science Communicator, TIME Magazine Interview
“The most astounding fact is the knowledge that the atoms that comprise life on Earth, the atoms that make up the human body, are traceable to the crucibles that cooked light elements into heavy elements in their core under extreme temperatures and pressures. These stars, the high mass ones among them, went unstable in their later years. They collapsed and then exploded, scattering their enriched guts across the galaxy. Guts made of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and all the fundamental ingredients of life itself. These ingredients become part of gas clouds that condense, collapse, form the next generation of solar systems, stars with orbiting planets. And those planets now have the ingredients for life itself.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist, Author, Science Communicator, TIME Magazine Interview
“It seems to me that the idea of a personal God is an anthropomorphic concept which I cannot take seriously. I feel also not able to imagine some will or goal outside the human sphere. My views are near to those of Spinoza: admiration for the beauty of and belief in the logical simplicity of the order and harmony which we can grasp humbly and only imperfectly. I believe that we have to content ourselves with our imperfect knowledge and understanding and treat values and moral obligations as a purely human problem — the most important of all human problems.” - Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist, 1947
“I believe in Spinoza’s God who reveals himself in the orderly harmony of what exists, not in a God who concerns himself with fates and actions of human beings.” - Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist, Response to a rabbi asking, “Do you believe in God?”
"You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into." - Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist, Author, Science Communicator - @neiltyson 2022
“Questions lead to faith and to revelation, whereas doubts lead to disobedience, which in turn renders people less able to receive revelation. Or in other words, doubt is darkness.” - Richard E. Turley, Lawyer, Assistant Church Historian, "Boise Rescue" Devotional, June 13, 2015
“There will be small defects in any mortal structure or any mortal life but we should never lose sight of the wonderful all encompassing plan and doctrine of the Lord's Church by their fruits not by the occasional fruit fly.” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, "Boise Rescue," Boise, Idaho Devotional, June 13, 2015
“Modern apostles are called to be witnesses of the name of Christ in all the world (D&C 107:23). This is not to witness of a personal manifestation. To witness of the name is to witness of the plan, the work or mission, such as the atonement and the authority or priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ, which an apostle who holds the keys is uniquely responsible to do. Of course, apostles are also witnesses of Christ just like all members of the Church who have the gift of the Holy Ghost.” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, "Boise Rescue," Boise, Idaho Devotional, June 13, 2015
“We need to define the difference between doubts and questions. Questions, when asked with a sincere desire to increase one's understanding and faith, are to be encouraged. Such questions, questions we call them, are asked with the real intent of better understanding and more fully obeying the will of the Lord. Questions are very different from doubts.” - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, "Boise Rescue," Boise, Idaho Devotional, June 13, 2015
When you follow false prophets, when you start toward apostasy, you are on the wrong side. - Dallin H. Oaks, LDS Apostle, "Boise Rescue," Boise, Idaho Devotional, June 13, 2015
“While the results of search efforts may be passed from person to person by mouth, it may prove helpful during changes in leadership and other instances to have the search results documented and kept on file in the clerks office. A form can be used for documenting the results of a search (see this sample form, which also contains suggestions on where to search)...” "This sheet is to be used when a member of the ward (usually a member of the bishopric or auxiliary leadership) is assigned to find a member that has not been contacted for some time. Once the steps below are complete, including the recommended changes to membership records and any notes are written, this form should be returned to the ward clerk." - LDS Clerk Wiki for Locating Members 2019 | Ward Sleuthing Form 2008
“We possess some absolute truths that have, where we have applied them, placed us on the “strait and narrow way,” and we are further told that there is “none other way” for salvation. All of this suggests an ecclesiastical exclusivity that seems to embarrass some in the Church, for implied is not just an institutional exclusivity, but also a conceptual superiority with regard to salvational things... With such a great message, can we afford not to be articulate in our homes and wherever we are? Passivity and inarticulateness about this “marvelous work and a wonder” can diminish the faith of others.” - Neal A. Maxwell, LDS Apostle, as Church Commissioner of Education, 1971
“Though argument does not create conviction, the lack of it destroys belief. What seems to be proved may not be embraced; but what no one shows the ability to defend is quickly abandoned. Rational argument does not create belief, but it maintains a climate in which belief may flourish.” - Austin Farrer, Oxford theologian and New Testament scholar. The Christian Apologist, Light on C. S. Lewis
"You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into." @neiltyson
This is a spotlight on a profile shared at wasmormon.org. These are just the highlights, so please find the full story at https://wasmormon.org/profile/lanceallenclark/. There are stories of Mormon faith journeys contributed by hundreds of users like you. Come check them out and consider sharing your own story at wasmormon.org!
I’m still the only one in my immediate family who has left the church. My parents believe I’m doomed and that I’ve doomed my children to eternal unhappiness. However, I’m more at peace now in life than I’ve ever been. I’m so happy we left the church and glad my children will not grow up with the same guilt and shame I experienced as a member just trying their best. - https://wasmormon.org/profile/lanceallenclark/
I had a period of time where I was nihilistic and pretty damn depressed. A loving and supportive wife (who also left with me) was incredibly important. And having a local community of friends who had experienced similar things was also very comforting and validating. - https://wasmormon.org/profile/lanceallenclark/
Turns out… the church isn’t true!! lol. I could list a myriad of historical and doctrinal reasons why I felt compelled to leave. And the social issues played a big factor too. Leaving was incredibly difficult, even after feeling confident that it wasn’t true. - https://wasmormon.org/profile/lanceallenclark/
Along the way, I also met some incredibly thoughtful and faithful Mormon friends who were really struggling with their faith. In an attempt to be empathetic, I finally allowed myself to dig deeper into church history without the blinding lenses of apologetics. - https://wasmormon.org/profile/lanceallenclark/
Once I left the bubble that is Utah county (where I went to high school) I found so many friends and colleagues from all walks of life. I was uncomfortable with the church’s teachings around LGBTQ issues and developed friendships with people in that community that completely changed my perspective. - https://wasmormon.org/profile/lanceallenclark/
I struggled silently for years to understand certain aspects of church history and I never seemed to get the answers I needed - but I would just bury those concerns and double down with service, study, and prayer. - https://wasmormon.org/profile/lanceallenclark/
I’m the 7th of 11 children. Our family was very orthodox growing up. I did all the things - served a full time mission to Wisconsin, got married in the temple, had 3 kids young, and held several leadership callings. I’m the only child of the 11 to have left the church. I love the outdoors, cooking (and eating), music, pugs, and Lego. I was a Mormon. - https://wasmormon.org/profile/lanceallenclark/
Doc Christensen Portrait of the Prophets Celestial
LDS Leadership as Colonel Sanders
“The First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stood together in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors' Center for iconic photographs — symbols of their unified testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. Taken in front of the statues of the Christus and the 12 ancient Apostles by Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen, the photographs connect the work of the ancient Apostles with the work of Latter-day prophets.” - Church News: Historic Photo of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in Rome
“President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, and Elder Quentin L. Cook of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, walk out out of the temple after a tour of the Washington D.C. Temple in Kensington, Maryland, on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022.” - Church News: See photos of the Washington D.C. Temple rededication
The Church leaders stood together on March 11 in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center for iconic photographs—symbols of their unified testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. In addition to the group photograph, President Nelson—who holds all the keys to the Church—stood near the statue of Peter. The keys held in Peter’s hand are symbolic of Matthew 16:19, where Christ promised Peter, “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven” - Church News
“This is the true Church, the only true Church, because in it are the keys of the priesthood. Only in this Church has the Lord lodged the power to seal on earth and to seal in heaven as He did in the time of the Apostle Peter.” - Henry B. Eyring, The True and Living Church, April 2008, General Conference
“Must we, under the broad folds of the American Constitution, be compelled to bow down to the narrow contracted notions of Apostate Christianity? Must we shut up our consciences in a nut shell, and be compelled to submit the bigoted notions, and whims, and customs of the dark ages of popery, transferred to us through the superstitions of our fathers? Must we be slaves to custom and render homage to the soul-destroying sickening influences of modern Christianity? No: American freedom was never instituted for such servile purposes.” - Orson Pratt, LDS Apostle, The Seer (1853)
Criticizing "bigoted" monogamous marriage laws forbidding his preferred plural marriage.
“He had already succeeded in abolishing marriage among Priests and Nuns, and the next step was to forbid the plurality of wives... Through the influence of Apostate Christendom several nations have actually been persuaded to assist the Devil in his malicious warfare against this divine system: they have actually passed laws prohibiting it in their midst. Thus that order of plurality... has been overturned and abolished by human enactments and by human authority. Let Apostate Christendom blush at her sacriligious deeds! Let her be ashamed of her narrow contracted bigoted laws!” - Orson Pratt, LDS Apostle, The Seer (1853)
Criticizing "bigoted" monogamous marriage laws forbidding his preferred plural marriage.
“The laws against the plurality of wives, we believe to be unconstitutional, growing out of the narrow-contracted bigoted customs of Apostate Christianity. If the [saints] wish to enjoy the privileges granted by the word God, and by the glorious Constitution of our National Republic, let them depart from under the jurisdiction if these illiberal State laws, and go to Utah where religious liberty is tolerated, and where every people and sect have the right to worship please, and marry as many wives as they please.” - Orson Pratt, LDS Apostle, The Seer (1853)
Criticizing "bigoted" monogamous marriage laws forbidding his preferred plural marriage.
Comic: "What's this?" "It's a going away gift from the church!" Takes PTSD out of the box. @nakedpastor https://nakedpastor.com/products/church-ptsd-cartoon-1
Book of Abraham, Facsimile 3: Fig. 1. Abraham sitting upon Pharaoh’s throne, by the politeness of the king, with a crown upon his head, representing the Priesthood, as emblematical of the grand Presidency in Heaven; with the scepter of justice and judgment in his hand.Fig. 2. King Pharaoh, whose name is given in the characters above his head.Fig. 3. Signifies Abraham in Egypt as given also in Figure 10 of Facsimile No. 1.Fig. 4. Prince of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, as written above the hand.Fig. 5. Shulem, one of the king’s principal waiters, as represented by the characters above his hand.Fig. 6. Olimlah, a slave belonging to the prince.Abraham is reasoning upon the principles of Astronomy, in the king’s court. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/abr/fac-3?lang=eng
Book of Abraham, Facsimilie 2: Fig. 1. Kolob, signifying the first creation, nearest to the celestial, or the residence of God. First in government, the last pertaining to the measurement of time. The measurement according to celestial time, which celestial time signifies one day to a cubit. One day in Kolob is equal to a thousand years according to the measurement of this earth, which is called by the Egyptians Jah-oh-eh.Fig. 2. Stands next to Kolob, called by the Egyptians Oliblish, which is the next grand governing creation near to the celestial or the place where God resides; holding the key of power also, pertaining to other planets; as revealed from God to Abraham, as he offered sacrifice upon an altar, which he had built unto the Lord.Fig. 3. Is made to represent God, sitting upon his throne, clothed with power and authority; with a crown of eternal light upon his head; representing also the grand Key-words of the Holy Priesthood, as revealed to Adam in the Garden of Eden, as also to Seth, Noah, Melchizedek, Abraham, and all to whom the Priesthood was revealed.Fig. 4. Answers to the Hebrew word Raukeeyang, signifying expanse, or the firmament of the heavens; also a numerical figure, in Egyptian signifying one thousand; answering to the measuring of the time of Oliblish, which is equal with Kolob in its revolution and in its measuring of time.Fig. 5. Is called in Egyptian Enish-go-on-dosh; this is one of the governing planets also, and is said by the Egyptians to be the Sun, and to borrow its light from Kolob through the medium of Kae-e-vanrash, which is the grand Key, or, in other words, the governing power, which governs fifteen other fixed planets or stars, as also Floeese or the Moon, the Earth and the Sun in their annual revolutions. This planet receives its power through the medium of Kli-flos-is-es, or Hah-ko-kau-beam, the stars represented by numbers 22 and 23, receiving light from the revolutions of Kolob.Fig. 6. Represents this earth in its four quarters.Fig. 7. Represents God sitting upon his throne, revealing through the heavens the grand Key-words of the Priesthood; as, also, the sign of the Holy Ghost unto Abraham, in the form of a dove.Fig. 8. Contains writings that cannot be revealed unto the world; but is to be had in the Holy Temple of God.Fig. 9. Ought not to be revealed at the present time.Fig. 10. Also.Fig. 11. Also. If the world can find out these numbers, so let it be. Amen.Figures 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21 will be given in the own due time of the Lord.The above translation is given as far as we have any right to give at the present time.
Book of Abraham, Facsimile 1: Fig. 1. The Angel of the Lord.Fig. 2. Abraham fastened upon an altar.Fig. 3. The idolatrous priest of Elkenah attempting to offer up Abraham as a sacrifice.Fig. 4. The altar for sacrifice by the idolatrous priests, standing before the gods of Elkenah, Libnah, Mahmackrah, Korash, and Pharaoh.Fig. 5. The idolatrous god of Elkenah.Fig. 6. The idolatrous god of Libnah.Fig. 7. The idolatrous god of Mahmackrah.Fig. 8. The idolatrous god of Korash.Fig. 9. The idolatrous god of Pharaoh.Fig. 10. Abraham in Egypt.Fig. 11. Designed to represent the pillars of heaven, as understood by the Egyptians.Fig. 12. Raukeeyang, signifying expanse, or the firmament over our heads; but in this case, in relation to this subject, the Egyptians meant it to signify Shaumau, to be high, or the heavens, answering to the Hebrew word, Shaumahyeem.
“Here is a proper reconstruction. We can actually see Anubis's head is a jackal, not a human. You will notice his arm is extended, it does not have a knife. What is above him is actually a bird's wing that is extended off to the right-hand side above his one hand raised, not two. His other hand is attached to his penis. He's holding an erect penis because what you are actually seeing is an X-rated scene of Osiris rising from the dead and impregnating his wife, the goddess Isis, who has taken the form of a kite (a bird), and she is thus engendering her son, the god Horus, who will avenge his father who was slain by the god Seth. This is all a critical moment in Egyptian mythology.” - Dr Robert Ritner, Egyptologist, on Charles Larson's Reconstruction of Facsimile 1 in Mormon Stories Interview
“Figure 4 represents my new attempt to reconstruct the essential elements of the vignette... adding a pot in Anubis' outstretched hand... as an "ointment jar."... As for the clothing and jewelry worn by the deceased, he clearly sports a pleated kilt accessorized with ankle bracelets... In my reconstruction I have chosen to combine anklets, armlets, and bracelets. The deceased may or may not have had a collar around his neck. Because Hor's left arm seems to have crossed his chest, I think the possibility that he wore a "kilt" extending above his waist can safely be eliminated” - Lanny Bell, The Ancient Egyptian "Books of Breathing," the Mormon
"Book of Abraham," and the Development of Egyptology in America, 2008
“The differences between these final two drawings are significant.
In Smith's version, a human-headed figure holds a knife; in the professional reconstruction this is a jackal-headed figure without a knife. Also, in Smith's reconstruction the flying bird at the right has a bird's head, while in the professional reconstruction the bird has a man's head... In Smith's the man lying down has both hands raised; in the other a bird is hovering over a man who has one hand raised, there being too many lines in the upper hand in the photograph to represent fingers. The man lying down is also shown as an ithyphallic figure in the professional reconstruction.” - Charles M. Larson, By His Own Hand upon Papyrus: A New Look at the Joseph Smith Papyri, 1992
“Experts examined the illustrations on the papyri and looked closely at Facsimile No. 1. They discovered the complete illustration was not actually in the original papyri. There were two critical areas missing in the original Joseph inserted into Facsimile No. 1. The areas related to the head and hands of the Anubis character, the very areas experts identified many years earlier, were missing. It was now obvious Joseph reconstructed the facsimile on his own, lacking an accurate understanding of Egyptian practice and theology.” - J. Warner Wallace, How the Book of Abraham Exposes the False Nature of Mormonism, 2015 | Official Joseph Smith Reconstruction of Facsimile 1
“The discovery of the papyrus fragments renewed debate about Joseph Smith’s translation. The fragments included one vignette, or illustration, that appears in the book of Abraham as facsimile 1. Long before the fragments were published by the Church, some Egyptologists had said that Joseph Smith’s explanations of the various elements of these facsimiles did not match their own interpretations of these drawings... None of the characters on the papyrus fragments mentioned Abraham’s name or any of the events recorded in the book of Abraham.” - LDS Website, Gospel Topics Essays: Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham | churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/translation-and-historicity-of-the-book-of-abraham
![“The laws against the plurality of wives, we believe to be unconstitutional, growing out of the narrow-contracted bigoted customs of Apostate Christianity. If the [saints] wish to enjoy the privileges granted by the word God, and by the glorious Constitution of our National Republic, let them depart from under the jurisdiction if these illiberal State laws, and go to Utah where religious liberty is tolerated, and where every people and sect have the right to worship please, and marry as many wives as they please.” - Orson Pratt, LDS Apostle, The Seer (1853) Criticizing "bigoted" monogamous marriage laws forbidding his preferred plural marriage. wasmormon.org](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Orson-Pratt-laws-against-plurality-of-wives-unconstitutional-narrow-contracted-bigoted-customs-go-to-Utah-where-people-have-the-right-to-marry-as-many-wives-as-they-please.jpg?fit=640%2C640&ssl=1)
