In 1945, the LDS magazine Improvement Era stated: “When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done. … To think otherwise, without immediate repentance, may cost one his faith, may destroy his testimony, and leave him a stranger to the kingdom of God.” This wasn’t just a random article, it was the teaching message for …
Continue reading “When Church Leaders Speak, Has Any Thinking Been Done”
The popular news program 60 Minutes released a segment on its program discussing the obscene wealth of the church and the whistleblower complaint filed by David Nielsen. His complaint alleges that the Mormon Church claims to behave as a non-profit charity, but in reality, is a for-profit corporation pursuing investments and investments. The church never …
Continue reading “Whistleblower News Prompts Vacant Responses from LDS Corp”
Alongside statements from previous church president Joseph Fielding Smith that if evolution is true, the church is false and current church president Russell M Nelson that he finds evolution unbelievable because “Man has always been Man,” “it’s just the way genetics works,” we have other leaders offering their “inspired” views on evolution. Can we dismiss …
There are multiple accounts of Joseph Smith’s “first vision”. This is a fact and today the church admits it. The church wants to dismiss these different accounts though by claiming that they really aren’t different because they tell the same consistent story. The details are in fact very different though. The earliest version of this …
Continue reading “The Strange Hidden First Vision Account of 1832”
May the Fourth be with you. In honor of today – which is commonly known as Star Wars Day, because May the Fourth sounds like “May the Force be with you” – let’s look at a simple example of gaslighting, or as it can be referred to when aided by the Force, Jedi mind-tricks. May …
Continue reading “These Are Not the Droids You’re Looking For”
Considering the demeaning parable from Elder Renlund about the spoiled boy leaving the boat and Elder Holland being furious with members who “bail” and imploring members to “Stay in the Boat” as well as The Old Ship Zion references from Brigham Young, Mormon church culture has a lot of imagery around boats, and staying in …
In his lazy learners and lax disciples talk at the April 2021 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, church President Russell M Nelson emphasized the importance of developing faith in Jesus Christ through intentional effort and action. Those who don’t succeed in this self-administered brainwash he refers to as “lazy …
Continue reading “Demonizing Doubt: Nelson’s Talk on Lazy Learners and Lax Disciples”
In the Mormon community, the practice of putting questions on a shelf refers to the act of setting aside doubts or concerns about the faith in order to maintain belief and avoid conflict with church teachings. Mormons are encouraged to trust in the leadership and authority of the church and to believe that answers to …
Continue reading “Putting Questions on the Shelf is Unhealthy and Doesn’t Work”
Pascal’s Wager is an argument proposed by the French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal in the 17th century, which attempts to demonstrate that it is rational to believe in God. It does not provide evidence or proof that God exists, but it sets up belief as a rational choice we can make and outlines the …
Continue reading “Pascal’s Wager for Mormons and Ex-Mormons”
A recent episode of the Mormon Book Reviews podcast features an interview with Evan, the creator of wasmormon.org, and his brother Garrett. Evan shares the story of how he came to create the website and why he chose to share his experience of leaving the Mormon church. The interview includes the personal stories of faith …
Continue reading “Explore the Origin Story of wasmormon.org – A Mormon Book Reviews Podcast Episode”
This idiomatic phrase relates to one who does not understand or appreciate a larger situation, or problem because they are considering only a few parts of it. If you can’t see the forest for the trees, you are too focused on small details or parts and so you are missing something more important; you fail to understand …
Continue reading “Does Faith Survive Seeing the Forest for the Trees?”
Many church leaders bemoan those who leave the church and then refuse to leave the church alone. Despite the ethical duty many ex-members feel to expose fraud when they see one or the training they have received to “always be converting” as missionaries. What about the hypocrisy when the church commonly talks about those who …
Continue reading “Elder Maxwell Tells ExMormons to Go Bowling and Leave the Church Alone”
Brendan was raised in the church but from early on saw things that didn’t sit well with his soul. He recognizes many instances in his life where cognitive dissonance was telling him something wasn’t right. This led him to study deeply and even pursue a study of history, which led him to an internship with …
Continue reading “Brendan Was a Mormon, a Post-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
The church is working hard to inoculate the youth from the disease of church history. They are teaching seminary students in the scripture mastery program that historical details are not important since they can’t provide salvation, so let’s not get distracted by these less significant details. This conditions young members to ignore the troubling issues …
Continue reading “Church and its Inoculation Approach to Addressing Historical Details”
Joseph was in trouble with the law for treasure digging with Josiah Stowell. It seems he was working out a pivot in his life and transitioning from treasure-digging to becoming a religious leader. As he learns that you can get into serious trouble taking people’s money and leading a treasure dig with a peep stone …
Continue reading “Joseph Smith Confirms His Seer Stone Is Nonsense”
Sally believed in real love and integrity, but no longer saw those values at church. What she found was a Corporate Mormon Jesus that was not living the Golden Rule or living the rules it subjects its own members to. She resigned because “although it’s easier to walk away, I don’t want my name associated …
Continue reading “Sally Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, previous Justice of the State of Utah Supreme Court, but currently in the First Presidency of the Mormon church, submitted a “testimony” to the Senate Finance Committee Hearing in 2011 regarding the debate on whether charitable deductions should be considered when calculating taxes. In other words, he’s talking about the tax-exempt …
Continue reading “Dallin Oaks Lectures Senate Committee regarding Honesty”
There are many many acronyms in the nomenclature of the Mormon church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has come up with many nicknames for parts of the organization or even doctrines, most of which are acronyms. Some of these are “official” acronyms while others have simply developed naturally over time. It should …
Continue reading “What does TSCC mean when referring to the Mormon church? TBM? PIMO? MFMC?”
Mason Allred and Mark Ashurst-McGee discuss the various historical accounts of the Book of Mormon translation process, including accounts of Joseph Smith using a Seer Stone to translate the ancient record and accounts of Joseph Smith using the Urim and Thummim in a video posted on the “Church History/Latter-day Saint History” YouTube account, the official …
Do you have exmormon trauma? Try writing your story. Write about your faith deconstruction or crisis. wasmormon.org gives you a place to do this important and healing writing. Consider contributing your story to the site so others can read it and find community and validation as well! Suppressing the trauma is bad for us and …
Continue reading “Writing Your Traumatic Faith Crisis Experience is Healthy and Healing”
Rebekah didn’t have to look further than the prejudice against women to know that the Mormon church was not where she belonged. Even though it took a few years, she doesn’t look back. I enjoy music and running. I am a hiker and explorer. I was a mormon. I grew up in the church. I …
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Boyd K Packer gave a talk to religious educators at a symposium on the Doctrine and Covenants and Church history. The talk was given at Brigham Young University on August 22, 1981 and is titled The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater Than the Intellect. This is an infamous talk among scholars because Packer commands them …
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The First Vision of Joseph Smith is told today as an original exact story detailing the unique experience that sets the foundation for Mormonism and the restoration movement. We’ve discussed that even though one version of the story is canonized in Joseph Smith History as the “official” version, there are multiple versions of the first …
Continue reading “Other First Visions, Which are Not of This Fold”
After receiving the Faith Crisis Report, the church leaders commissioned and started quietly publishing what they call Gospel Topic Essays. These essays, for the most part, are the first time the church has published an official stance on many of the topics. They were published quietly and buried deep within the church site of materials. …
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Members of the Mormon church are required to pay the church a tithe. This tithing is understood to be ten percent of the member’s income. This is the same for children who earn $5 for mowing the lawn to wealthy lawyers and doctors in the church. The church makes much of the sacrifice and blessings …
Continue reading “Development of Mormon Tithing – From Meager Origins to Ensign Peak Billions”
There are myriad warnings against dissension and apostasy by church leaders. Church leaders are afraid of those who leave the church behind. Those who leave have the gumption and the gall to stand up for what they believe in, rather than believing what they are told to believe. Those who leave have the courage to …
Continue reading “Mormon Authorities Threaten Doubters With “Don’t You Dare Bail” Messages”
The president of the Mormon church, LDS church, or as he wants it to be called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints had made a stand about the term Mormon. After years of the church learning to embrace the nickname and fund ad campaigns promoting members of the church as Mormons, President Nelson …
Continue reading “The Church Leaves the Term Mormon, But Can’t Leave it Alone”
What Happened between Fanny Alger and Joseph Smith? As a young woman, Fanny Alger was a servant in Joseph Smith’s house. She lived with the family for a time while also serving as a maid. Joseph Smith and Fanny got very close. Multiple accounts exist of Emma Smith, Joseph’s wife catching Joseph celestializing (sexually involved) …
Continue reading “Fanny Alger, Joseph Smith’s “dirty, nasty, filthy affair” Teen Bride”
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”
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!”
!["[Joseph Smith] told [me] his gift in seeing with a stone and hat... this 'peeping' was all damned nonsense." - Alva Hale, Emma's Brother, Joseph's Brother-in-law | wasmormon.org](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/AlvaHale-peeping-all-damned-nonsense.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
