Tag Archives: church

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The LDS Church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) or religious institutions generally.

Rumors prompted members and leaders to issue carefully worded denials that denounced spiritual wifery and polygamy but were silent about what Joseph Smith and others saw as divinely mandated “celestial” plural marriage. [Footnote: In the denials, “polygamy” was understood to mean the marriage of one man to more than one woman but without Church sanction.] LDS Church Website, Gospel Topics Essays: Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo | wasmormon.org
Rumors prompted members and leaders to issue carefully worded denials that denounced spiritual wifery and polygamy but were silent about what Joseph Smith and others saw as divinely mandated “celestial” plural marriage. [Footnote: In the denials, “polygamy” was understood to mean the marriage of one man to more than one woman but without Church sanction.] - LDS Church Website, Gospel Topics Essays: Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo
The statements emphasized that the Church practiced no marital law other than monogamy while implicitly leaving open the possibility that individuals, under direction of God’s living prophet, might do so. [Footnote: See, for example, “On Marriage,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1, 1842, 939–40; and Wilford Woodruff journal, Nov. 25, 1843, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; Parley P. Pratt, “This Number Closes the First Volume of the ‘Prophet,’” The Prophet, May 24, 1845, 2. George A. Smith explained, “Any one who will read carefully the denials, as they are termed, of plurality of wives in connection with the circumstances will see clearly that they denounce adultery, fornication, brutal lust and the teaching of plurality of wives by those who were not commanded to do so” (George A. Smith letter to Joseph Smith III, Oct. 9, 1869, in Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Oct. 9, 1869, Church History Library, Salt Lake City).] LDS Church Website, Gospel Topics Essays: Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo | wasmormon.org
The statements emphasized that the Church practiced no marital law other than monogamy while implicitly leaving open the possibility that individuals, under direction of God’s living prophet, might do so. [Footnote: See, for example, “On Marriage,” Times and Seasons, Oct. 1, 1842, 939–40; and Wilford Woodruff journal, Nov. 25, 1843, Church History Library, Salt Lake City; Parley P. Pratt, “This Number Closes the First Volume of the ‘Prophet,’” The Prophet, May 24, 1845, 2. George A. Smith explained, “Any one who will read carefully the denials, as they are termed, of plurality of wives in connection with the circumstances will see clearly that they denounce adultery, fornication, brutal lust and the teaching of plurality of wives by those who were not commanded to do so” (George A. Smith letter to Joseph Smith III, Oct. 9, 1869, in Journal History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Oct. 9, 1869, Church History Library, Salt Lake City).] - LDS Church Website, Gospel Topics Essays: Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo

Mormon Leadership On Women

The LDS or Mormon Church has long articulated clear and restrictive expectations for women. Framed as divinely inspired guidance, these teachings portray a woman’s highest calling as homemaking, motherhood, and submission to traditional gender roles. While many women in the church find meaning in family life, the rigid and one-dimensional framework leaves little room for …

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I say to you young men, rise up and discipline yourself to take advantage of educational opportunities. Do you wish to marry a girl whose education has been far superior to your own? - Gordon B. Hinckley, LDS Church President, Rise Up, O Men of God, 2006 | wasmormon.org
I say to you young men, rise up and discipline yourself to take advantage of educational opportunities. Do you wish to marry a girl whose education has been far superior to your own? - Gordon B. Hinckley, LDS Church President, Rise Up, O Men of God, 2006
“ My dear sisters... Many of you are mothers, and that is enough to occupy one’s full time. You are companions—the very best friends your husbands have or ever will have. You are housekeepers. That doesn’t sound like much, does it? But what a job it is to keep a house clean and tidy.” - Gordon B. Hinckley, LDS Church President, To the Women of the Church, 2003 | wasmormon.org
“ My dear sisters... Many of you are mothers, and that is enough to occupy one’s full time. You are companions—the very best friends your husbands have or ever will have. You are housekeepers. That doesn’t sound like much, does it? But what a job it is to keep a house clean and tidy.” - Gordon B. Hinckley, LDS Church President, To the Women of the Church, 2003
“Young mothers and fathers, with all my heart I counsel you not to postpone having your children... have your children and have them early.” - Ezra Taft Benson, LDS Church President, To the Mothers in Zion, 1987 | wasmormon.org
“Young mothers and fathers, with all my heart I counsel you not to postpone having your children... have your children and have them early.” - Ezra Taft Benson, LDS Church President, To the Mothers in Zion, 1987
“The counsel of the Church has always been for mothers to spend their full time in the home in rearing and caring for their children.” - Ezra Taft Benson, LDS Church President, To the Mothers in Zion, 1987 | wasmormon.org
“The counsel of the Church has always been for mothers to spend their full time in the home in rearing and caring for their children.” - Ezra Taft Benson, LDS Church President, To the Mothers in Zion, 1987
The young man, however, had very little formal education and was incapable of writing a book on his own, let alone translating an ancient book written from an unknown language, known in the Book of Mormon as “reformed Egyptian.” Joseph’s wife Emma insisted that, at the time of translation, Joseph “could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter, let alone dictat[e] a book like the Book of Mormon.” - LDS Church, Gospel Topics Essays: Book of Mormon Translation | wasmormon.org
The young man, however, had very little formal education and was incapable of writing a book on his own, let alone translating an ancient book written from an unknown language, known in the Book of Mormon as “reformed Egyptian.” Joseph’s wife Emma insisted that, at the time of translation, Joseph “could neither write nor dictate a coherent and well-worded letter, let alone dictat[e] a book like the Book of Mormon.” - LDS Church, Gospel Topics Essays: Book of Mormon Translation

Nathanael Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight

Meet Nathanael, whose story demonstrates the profound courage required to choose integrity over comfort, even when it means dismantling the very foundation upon which you’ve built your life. As a descendant of Mormon pioneers with deep ancestral roots in the faith, Nathanael’s journey represents one of the most authentic and thoughtful deconversion stories we’ve encountered. …

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I didn’t begin to learn about the critical historical and contemporary issues the church has until several months after I left. I didn’t read, listen to, or watch anything that the church would classify as “anti-Mormon” prior to my resignation. For some reason, it was very important to me to make the decision to leave without any outside influences steering my thinking. Learning about the many unflattering facts that had been deliberately withheld from me, and others, ensured that I wouldn’t be able to come back. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
I didn’t begin to learn about the critical historical and contemporary issues the church has until several months after I left. I didn’t read, listen to, or watch anything that the church would classify as “anti-Mormon” prior to my resignation. For some reason, it was very important to me to make the decision to leave without any outside influences steering my thinking. Learning about the many unflattering facts that had been deliberately withheld from me, and others, ensured that I wouldn’t be able to come back. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
Of course life is still hard, and in some ways, it's harder, mainly because it's difficult to navigate relationships with the many people in my life who still choose to believe, who are understandably incapable of understanding what I and others like me have been through. And life is still fundamentally unfair. Especially when contemplating the very likely reality that there is no benevolent deity pulling the strings for us, who will make everything right in a future eternal life that very likely won't happen. But now more than ever, the small joys of living mean so much more than they used to, now that I can feel in my bones how precious, temporary, and fleeting they are. And I feel much more urgency about the need to help others experience those same joys on their own terms, and to pursue justice for them to the extent that I can. There is still so much more that I could do. If nothing else, I have learned that a joyful, moral life is possible outside of the belief that I once had, in spite of the great lengths my former church went to convince me otherwise. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
Of course life is still hard, and in some ways, it's harder, mainly because it's difficult to navigate relationships with the many people in my life who still choose to believe, who are understandably incapable of understanding what I and others like me have been through. And life is still fundamentally unfair. Especially when contemplating the very likely reality that there is no benevolent deity pulling the strings for us, who will make everything right in a future eternal life that very likely won't happen. But now more than ever, the small joys of living mean so much more than they used to, now that I can feel in my bones how precious, temporary, and fleeting they are. And I feel much more urgency about the need to help others experience those same joys on their own terms, and to pursue justice for them to the extent that I can. There is still so much more that I could do. If nothing else, I have learned that a joyful, moral life is possible outside of the belief that I once had, in spite of the great lengths my former church went to convince me otherwise. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
To be able to shape my beliefs around evidence, instead of ignoring evidence when it conflicts with a received belief that others had defined for me, has been the single greatest benefit of leaving the church. I didn't realize how much cognitive dissonance had been weighing me down until it wasn't there any more. It's allowed me the space to truly put people in front of ideas; where as a member of the church, I was expected to show my loyalty to "god" (the leaders of the church) above all else, when push came to shove. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
To be able to shape my beliefs around evidence, instead of ignoring evidence when it conflicts with a received belief that others had defined for me, has been the single greatest benefit of leaving the church. I didn't realize how much cognitive dissonance had been weighing me down until it wasn't there any more. It's allowed me the space to truly put people in front of ideas; where as a member of the church, I was expected to show my loyalty to "god" (the leaders of the church) above all else, when push came to shove. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
I still grieve at times for what I once hoped the church was. I sometimes miss the community, which is the greatest strength of the church. Finding out that this thing that I built my life around was based on a fundamentally deceptive premise has been the most difficult struggle of my life. Having to find purpose on my own, after having outsourced it to the church, is still a work in progress. But it's getting better. As I anticipated, my resignation has also caused pain to those that love me. It has made relationships with friends and family more difficult. Even though I have renounced my former faith, I still have a basic faith that truth matters; and that embracing it, as I learn more of it, will lead to a better life. And in some ways, it already has. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
I still grieve at times for what I once hoped the church was. I sometimes miss the community, which is the greatest strength of the church. Finding out that this thing that I built my life around was based on a fundamentally deceptive premise has been the most difficult struggle of my life. Having to find purpose on my own, after having outsourced it to the church, is still a work in progress. But it's getting better. As I anticipated, my resignation has also caused pain to those that love me. It has made relationships with friends and family more difficult. Even though I have renounced my former faith, I still have a basic faith that truth matters; and that embracing it, as I learn more of it, will lead to a better life. And in some ways, it already has. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
What eventually tipped the balance for me was learning about the excommunication of Natasha Helfer, a licensed marriage counselor and former Mormon, who was excommunicated the year prior for openly speaking out against the harm the church's doctrine of chastity, and it's accompanying purity culture. I researched her story more. What she had said made sense, and resonated with my own experiences. She seemed to want to help people find healing, but in the end was punished for it. Something clicked in my brain as I contemplated what all of this meant. It became very clear to me that no benevolent God would accept or condone any of it. That’s when I realized that my integrity was on trial, not my faith. I knew then that I needed to resign from the church immediately. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
What eventually tipped the balance for me was learning about the excommunication of Natasha Helfer, a licensed marriage counselor and former Mormon, who was excommunicated the year prior for openly speaking out against the harm the church's doctrine of chastity, and it's accompanying purity culture. I researched her story more. What she had said made sense, and resonated with my own experiences. She seemed to want to help people find healing, but in the end was punished for it. Something clicked in my brain as I contemplated what all of this meant. It became very clear to me that no benevolent God would accept or condone any of it. That’s when I realized that my integrity was on trial, not my faith. I knew then that I needed to resign from the church immediately. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
In the wake of the sociopolitical tumult following the 2016 election, and especially the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to put some emotional distance between myself and the church, which allowed me to be more objective about why I continued to believe in a “Plan of Happiness” that wasn’t making me happy. Watching two formerly faithful friends, whom I had never guessed would leave the church - and did - emboldened me even more. But I also felt conflicted about the positive experiences I had in the church - to say nothing of the spiritual experiences I had, which I then believed constituted proof of the church’s truth claims. I spent a lot of sleepless nights thinking and pondering, anticipating how much I had to lose if I decided to part ways with the church, and especially how much it would hurt my wife, who I loved very much. Months passed as I let all of this marinate. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
In the wake of the sociopolitical tumult following the 2016 election, and especially the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was able to put some emotional distance between myself and the church, which allowed me to be more objective about why I continued to believe in a “Plan of Happiness” that wasn’t making me happy. Watching two formerly faithful friends, whom I had never guessed would leave the church - and did - emboldened me even more. But I also felt conflicted about the positive experiences I had in the church - to say nothing of the spiritual experiences I had, which I then believed constituted proof of the church’s truth claims. I spent a lot of sleepless nights thinking and pondering, anticipating how much I had to lose if I decided to part ways with the church, and especially how much it would hurt my wife, who I loved very much. Months passed as I let all of this marinate. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
Like most young men in the church, I grew up terrified of my own body, since I was taught that sins of unchastity were second in seriousness only to murder. And yet I found it very confusing that God would give me such powerful sexual urges, then forbid me from expressing those urges in any way, and with perilous consequences if I did. And that is exactly what happened… except I compulsively repented. I couldn’t stop repenting. Just as I couldn’t stop “sinning.” It broke me. It made me feel that I was outside the reach of divine grace. And with my desire to marry a good Mormon woman tied up in that struggle, I felt like I would never be worthy enough realize that hope. Even though I eventually did, somehow. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
Like most young men in the church, I grew up terrified of my own body, since I was taught that sins of unchastity were second in seriousness only to murder. And yet I found it very confusing that God would give me such powerful sexual urges, then forbid me from expressing those urges in any way, and with perilous consequences if I did. And that is exactly what happened… except I compulsively repented. I couldn’t stop repenting. Just as I couldn’t stop “sinning.” It broke me. It made me feel that I was outside the reach of divine grace. And with my desire to marry a good Mormon woman tied up in that struggle, I felt like I would never be worthy enough realize that hope. Even though I eventually did, somehow. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
I experienced a lot of joy in connection with my membership in the church, but also a great deal of pain, which I managed to bury deeply for many years without realizing it. The earliest memory I have of any kind of dissonance about church doctrine, related to the necessity of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As a teenager, I couldn’t understand why God would make the conditions of salvation so unattainable that he had to sacrifice his only perfect son in order to let us have a chance to return to him. It seemed unnecessarily complicated and incoherent, and no explanations/parables/metaphors that were taught to me helped me understand it more. It was one of those things that I just accepted on "faith." - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
I experienced a lot of joy in connection with my membership in the church, but also a great deal of pain, which I managed to bury deeply for many years without realizing it. The earliest memory I have of any kind of dissonance about church doctrine, related to the necessity of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. As a teenager, I couldn’t understand why God would make the conditions of salvation so unattainable that he had to sacrifice his only perfect son in order to let us have a chance to return to him. It seemed unnecessarily complicated and incoherent, and no explanations/parables/metaphors that were taught to me helped me understand it more. It was one of those things that I just accepted on "faith." - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
Hi, I’m Nathanael. My mother’s ancestors were among the original pioneers of the church. My father was a convert from Protestant Christianity. My participation in the Mormon church defined my life… my identity, my aspirations, and my purpose. I believed it wholeheartedly. I did everything the church expected of me: I graduated from seminary, served a mission in Canada, attended a church university (BYU-Idaho) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree, and married in the temple. I was a Mormon. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/
Hi, I’m Nathanael. My mother’s ancestors were among the original pioneers of the church. My father was a convert from Protestant Christianity. My participation in the Mormon church defined my life… my identity, my aspirations, and my purpose. I believed it wholeheartedly. I did everything the church expected of me: I graduated from seminary, served a mission in Canada, attended a church university (BYU-Idaho) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree, and married in the temple. I was a Mormon. - Nathanael's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nathanael-davenport/

Lying for the Lord

The idea of “lying for the Lord” has long been whispered among members and critics of the LDS Church alike. It reflects the sense that leaders and members sometimes feel justified in withholding, distorting, or even outright fabricating information in order to protect the church or further its goals. In other words, the ends are …

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Sunstone Symposium Recap

The Sunstone Symposium is an annual conference where anyone with an interest in things Mormon—and Mormon-adjacent—can gather to learn, discuss, and connect. It’s a unique space where active Latter-day Saints, fundamentalist Mormons, scholars, and ex-Mormons come together to explore a wide range of ideas in a respectful and curious environment. This year’s symposium, held in …

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It has been so difficult, but it is getting better. I promise that it gets better. Now I look at the church much as I did when I was an eight year old. It's one of many religions. And certainly there are many good believing Mormons trying to live good believing lives. But I'm out—out of the boat. And I love who I am. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
It has been so difficult, but it is getting better. I promise that it gets better. Now I look at the church much as I did when I was an eight year old. It's one of many religions. And certainly there are many good believing Mormons trying to live good believing lives. But I'm out—out of the boat. And I love who I am. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
I wanted it all to be true. Like so many others, I began researching and chasing footnotes not to prove the church false but to prove it true. I felt sick. I felt angry. I felt deceived. So here I am, after nearly 50 years in the church, realizing that all I had believed in is false. The keystone of my religion has come crashing down taking Joseph Smith and the doctrines of the church with it. The Mormon church is not the one true church. Joseph Smith is not a prophet. The Book of Mormon is not a true history. I don't believe any of it because I can't. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
I wanted it all to be true. Like so many others, I began researching and chasing footnotes not to prove the church false but to prove it true. I felt sick. I felt angry. I felt deceived. So here I am, after nearly 50 years in the church, realizing that all I had believed in is false. The keystone of my religion has come crashing down taking Joseph Smith and the doctrines of the church with it. The Mormon church is not the one true church. Joseph Smith is not a prophet. The Book of Mormon is not a true history. I don't believe any of it because I can't. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
Thank you Internet. Thank you Fawn Brodie, B.H. Roberts, Richard Bushman, Dan Vogel, William Clayton, Todd Compton, Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, Grant Palmer, Robert Ritner, the Tanners, the Joseph Smith Papers, and a host of podcasters. And thank you Jeremy Runnells, Letter for My Wife, and thank you Gospel Topic Essays. There's more, so much more. And I had not been taught ANY OF IT—not at church meetings, general conference, Institute classes, BYU, a mission, a lifetime in the Mormon church. What a betrayal. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
Thank you Internet. Thank you Fawn Brodie, B.H. Roberts, Richard Bushman, Dan Vogel, William Clayton, Todd Compton, Linda King Newell and Valeen Tippetts Avery, Grant Palmer, Robert Ritner, the Tanners, the Joseph Smith Papers, and a host of podcasters. And thank you Jeremy Runnells, Letter for My Wife, and thank you Gospel Topic Essays. There's more, so much more. And I had not been taught ANY OF IT—not at church meetings, general conference, Institute classes, BYU, a mission, a lifetime in the Mormon church. What a betrayal. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
So I dove into the Book of Mormon and excitedly read James Talmage's Jesus the Christ and The Articles of Faith. There was so much to learn. Two years later I was at BYU, thinking it would be a great experience to be surrounded by so many church members. And it was for a few months until a sense of 'Too Much' began settling in. I still loved the church, and I loved my people, although Provo was a strange place indeed, and BYU had ridiculous rules. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
So I dove into the Book of Mormon and excitedly read James Talmage's Jesus the Christ and The Articles of Faith. There was so much to learn. Two years later I was at BYU, thinking it would be a great experience to be surrounded by so many church members. And it was for a few months until a sense of 'Too Much' began settling in. I still loved the church, and I loved my people, although Provo was a strange place indeed, and BYU had ridiculous rules. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
Fast forward to the summer before my senior year of high school when my mother, my siblings and I moved far from Los Angeles to a sleepy little town on the central California coast. It was there that we began attending the local Mormon church, and it was a welcoming experience for all of us. I became involved in the Institute where I found a wonderful group of kids, several of whom became good friends. I felt that I was among my people. And I felt that I had a lot of catching up to do. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
Fast forward to the summer before my senior year of high school when my mother, my siblings and I moved far from Los Angeles to a sleepy little town on the central California coast. It was there that we began attending the local Mormon church, and it was a welcoming experience for all of us. I became involved in the Institute where I found a wonderful group of kids, several of whom became good friends. I felt that I was among my people. And I felt that I had a lot of catching up to do. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
I was baptized at 8 years old on the Fourth of July. But I wasn't active in the church until I was 18. As a result, I've always felt like a convert. I agreed to the baptism because I felt it was something my mother wanted, but I understood none of it, and in fact, what I was really looking forward to wasn't the baptism at all but the fireworks that night. Mormonism was just another religion to me because all my friends were Catholics or Baptists or nothing at all. I had been attending a Baptist elementary school since kindergarten, and I occasionally joined my friend for Saturday mass. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/
I was baptized at 8 years old on the Fourth of July. But I wasn't active in the church until I was 18. As a result, I've always felt like a convert. I agreed to the baptism because I felt it was something my mother wanted, but I understood none of it, and in fact, what I was really looking forward to wasn't the baptism at all but the fireworks that night. Mormonism was just another religion to me because all my friends were Catholics or Baptists or nothing at all. I had been attending a Baptist elementary school since kindergarten, and I occasionally joined my friend for Saturday mass. - Christi's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/avilabeach77/