Spencer grew up immersed in the Mormon faith, surrounded by the teachings and traditions that defined his childhood. Born into an intensely religious family in Michigan, he was the quintessential believer—faithful, devoted, and utterly convinced of the church’s truth. For him, the church was perfect, unchangeable, and divinely guided. He couldn’t imagine leaving. But life …
Continue reading “Spencer Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
In the year 2000, Deseret Book, the church-owned publishing company, published a joint-written book from two BYU professors, Joseph Fielding McConkie, a BYU Professor of Ancient Scripture, and Craig J. Ostler, a BYU Professor of Church History and Doctrine. The book is titled Revelations of the Restoration, A Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants and …
The Crusade Against Mormon Monicker The Mormon (LDS) church has been up in arms recently about what to call itself. Or more specifically what others are allowed to call it. Leaders are pushing to remove the Mormon moniker, and only use the full name of the church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, …
Frank grew up in a devout Mormon family, fully immersed in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he was seen as a model member, served a mission, married in the temple, and attended BYU. He always loved learning, and his quest for deeper understanding led him to explore the internet, where he …
Continue reading “Frank Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
Confirmation bias refers to the cognitive tendency of individuals to interpret or seek out information in a way that confirms their preexisting beliefs or hypotheses. When someone experiences confirmation bias, they are more likely to notice, remember, and give greater weight to information that supports their existing beliefs, while disregarding or downplaying evidence that contradicts …
In the Book of Mormon, Moroni offers a promise often cited by members of the LDS Church to confirm its truthfulness. This promise is foundational for many Mormons, providing a personal spiritual confirmation of the church’s teachings. Moroni encourages readers to ask God with a sincere heart and real intent if the Book of Mormon …
Continue reading “Moroni’s Promise – A Lesson in Confirmation Bias and Elevated Emotions”
Lorenzo Snow Lorenzo Snow was born April 3, 1814, in Ohio. He joined the church in June of 1836 at 22 years of age. In 1837, he was called on a mission, and while serving he missed the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society. He moved to Far West in the summer of 1838, and …
In 1857, Lorenzo Snow, then Apostle in the church gave a talk at the Tabernacle. Earlier that year he had married his seventh wife (and continued to marry two more after this). Lorenzo Snow became president of the church in 1898, and was president for 3 years. What did this man think of women? Would …
Continue reading “Lorenzo Snow Taught Women Have Less Light and Knowledge Than Men”
The tumult of a faith deconstruction, especially in the Mormon faith, has been termed as a crisis, it’s often referred to as a faith crisis. There are podcasts focused on this, even books written about it. BYU did a study on the social media impact on a faith crisis which defines how the church views …
Growing up in Indonesia within a Muslim community, Lilik navigated poverty and familial expectations from a young age, leaving school at 14 and working as a nanny away from home, in Singapore, and later in Hong Kong. Amidst the challenges of her early years, Lilik’s encounter with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints …
Continue reading “Lilik Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
A member of the LDS Quorum of the Seventy, Hugo Montoya, shared a message in the Ensign, the church magazine, in June 2017. He is among the top leadership of the religion. He adds to the Mormon paranoia of doubt. The church demonizes doubt and uses fear to scare members from questioning their authority or …
Veronika’s faith journey from a Mormon to an agnostic secular humanist shows personal evolution and intellectual transformation. Growing up in Utah, she was the first in her immediate family to step away from the LDS Church. Initially embracing the conviction that living the gospel would lead to a happy life, Veronika grappled with the church’s …
Continue reading “Veronika Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
Brother Ahmad S. Corbitt, the then First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, gave a talk to LDS Chaplains, on October 4, 2022, in which he teaches against activism directed towards the church. He doesn’t want members getting any ideas that they can influence or change things the church does by criticizing, complaining, or …
Continue reading “Church Claims Activism a Tactic of Satan and Gaslights Members”
President Spencer W Kimball, as president of the church gave a speech at BYU about Marriage and Divorce in 1976. This talk is currently referenced frequently, nearly 50 years later, in church lesson manuals and by church leaders. In this talk, he spoke against interracial marriages. He advised against marriages between those from differing economic …
Kevin’s journey is a touching story about resilience, identity, and being a gay man in the context of Mormonism. With deep ties to handcart pioneers and a family history linked to Joseph Smith, Kevin experienced the challenges of being a gay Mormon in a community struggling to understand. His turning point, voting for gay marriage …
Continue reading “Kevin Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
Shane’s journey unfolds as a poignant narrative of resilience, love, and profound self-discovery within the intricate tapestry of faith, family, and personal identity. A stalwart member of the LDS Church, Shane’s commitment to his beliefs and his family is evident in every chapter of his life. From the vibrant memories of a South Korean mission …
Continue reading “Shane Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
The church held a special Broadcast for the Utah Area to drum up interest and enlist more senior missionaries in the service of the church. Elder Kevin Pearson, of the Seventy, who is also the Area President of the Utah Area worked to fire up the attendees with a call to serve. He urged all …
Continue reading “One Mission Is Not Enough – Church Urges Seniors for Two”
Nearly every speaker in a testimony meeting says “I know the church is true.” This is a nonsensical statement, but considering the Illusory Truth Effect we can see what the church may be after. We know that repetitions don’t make statements any more true, but psychologically we do tend to believe things we’ve heard repeatedly. …
The Book of Abraham is a sacred text of the church. The church claims it is a translation by Joseph Smith from an ancient Egyptian papyrus he acquired. The book states that it contains “the writings of Abraham,” the biblical patriarch and that they are “written by his own hand, upon papyrus.” The contents are …
The church published a Gospel Living article on its website with a title referring to a memorable “moment in the barn” as one that “she” would never forget. The title is full of intrigue and leads a reader to wonder who this she is, and what this unforgettable moment was. Mary Whitmer in the Barn …
Continue reading “Another “Moment in the Barn is One She’ll Never Forget””
In President Nelson’s pre-recorded conference address of October 2023, his goal seems to be to encourage members to have an eternal perspective when facing a challenge in life with his constant urging to “Think celestial!” He is upfront that his goal is for listeners to be spiritually minded, but it comes across as praising immature …
As we embark on the New Year with resolutions and travel aspirations, consider Elder Rasband’s counsel, which dissuades members from pursuing personal dreams and travel experiences. Discouraging the pursuit of individual “bucket lists,” he advocates prioritizing the church over personal needs, asserting that such pursuits will not bring fulfillment to one’s soul. This raises questions …
Continue reading “Church Against Bucket Lists, Traveling and Following Dreams”
Walt Whitman Walt Whitman (1819-92) is considered to be the most important American poet of the 19th century. He published the first edition of his major work, Leaves of Grass, in 1855 and updated it throughout his life with updated editions. Whitman’s work broke away from traditional poetic forms, embracing free verse and celebrating the …
Continue reading “Examine What You Know – Dismiss What Insults Your Soul”
Lorenzo Snow coined a couplet that famously explains a complex doctrine of Mormon theology which is closely tied to the idea of eternal progression. It also gets Mormon theology in deep water with most other Christian denominations. It challenges (or changes) the nature of God and our relationship with him as mankind. It proclaims that …
Continue reading “As Man Now Is, God Once Was; As Now God Is, Man May Be – Lorenzo Snow”
At the end of Section 76, (3 Degrees of Glory) the ‘D&C Commentary’ issues a salient warning to all those who would desert the faith, by naming brother Lyman Johnson as a: ‘Particular kind of apostate’ who “never had a really happy day” after leaving the fold and ended up drowning in an accident. “In one portion of this Revelation the eternal misery …
Continue reading “Apostates Can Never Have a Really Happy Day?”
Patrick served faithfully and notes that his “faith defined every decision of [his] life.” He was successful at putting his issues on the shelf for decades until he wasn’t and it came time to understand and accept his own gay child in the context of the church. He found the church position lacking when studying …
Continue reading “Patrick Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight”
Let’s examine the common Mormon apologist argument that leaders are simply “men of their times” through a story of racist thoughts and practices in the church. Priesthood Ban The church enjoys celebrating the lifting of the priesthood ban in 1978. But we can’t give them any credit for doing it either, since it was the …
Despite the fact that church leaders remind us constantly that the Lord is at the head of the church, Uchtforf’s refreshing frankness here clarifies that it’s really men running things, and not the Lord. Once you see it, it’s clear that church leaders are merely men doing their best and stumbling along. They are not …
Joseph Smith’s early stories involve the visitation of a specific angel in his bedroom. The current narrative states that this was the angel Moroni, the same Moroni that tops all the temples. He was the last writer of the Book of Mormon. However, some records indicate that it was the angel Nephi who first visited …
Continue reading “Was it the Angel Moroni or Nephi? Both? Neither?”
There is a common refrain among Mormons, the leadership and membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This sentiment is that the church leaders are incapable of leading the church astray. It’s not even that they wouldn’t lead the church astray, it’s more the Lord won’t permit them to. If they tried …
Continue reading “Will God Permit Church President to Lead Mormons Astray?”
!["David Whitmer maintained [that] the Prophet used an oval-shaped, chocolate-colored seer stone slightly larger than an egg. Thus, everything we have in the Book of Mormon, according to Mr. Whitmer, was translated by placing the chocolate-colored stone in a hat into which Joseph would bury his head so as to close out the light... Such an explanation is, in our judgment, simply fiction created for the purpose of demeaning Joseph Smith and to undermine the validity of the revelations he received" - Joseph Fielding McConkie (BYU Professor of Ancient Scripture) & Craig J. Ostler (BYU Professor, Church History and Doctrine), Revelations of the Restoration. Page 95-96, Deseret Book, 2000 | wasmormon.org](https://i0.wp.com/wasmormon.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Joseph-Fielding-McConkie-Craig-J-Ostler-used-an-oval-shaped-chocolate-colored-seer-stone-slightly-larger-than-an-egg-to-translate-book-of-mormon-by-placing-it-in-a-hat.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1)
