Most Compelling Story of Mormons Leaving the LDS Church I Have Ever Seen

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Chris-WA

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So I came across this recent talk of a very dedicated LDS couple who left the Mormon church after they took a deep dive into Mormon history. Of particular interest is their story about meeting with a General Authority to try and get some answers to their troubling questions, and just what the GA had to say. Definitely worth watching:
linkingarms.org
Their video talk doesn’t get into all the specific issues about the history they learned about the Mormon church, but is more about their experience and process they went through. There is a link on their blog that dives into the specific issues that came up in their research. Here is an example of a very believing and active LDS couple who were blown away by the history they learned and how it became intellectually impossible for them to stay in the church.
 
Chris-WA said:
So I came across this recent talk of a very dedicated LDS couple who left the Mormon church after they took a deep dive into Mormon history. Of particular interest is their story about meeting with a General Authority to try and get some answers to their troubling questions, and just what the GA had to say. Definitely worth watching:
linkingarms.org
Their video talk doesn’t get into all the specific issues about the history they learned about the Mormon church, but is more about their experience and process they went through. There is a link on their blog that dives into the specific issues that came up in their research. Here is an example of a very believing and active LDS couple who were blown away by the history they learned and how it became intellectually impossible for them to stay in the church.
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Very interesting! I have read some things they had to say, and saved much more for later.

Thank you for posting that.
 
I wonder what the reactions here would be if this were a blog posted by a Catholic who left the Church because he placed “love above theology” and who placed his happiness and that of his wife above all else.
 
Book_Worm said:
I wonder what the reactions here would be if this were a blog posted by a Catholic who left the Church because he placed “love above theology” and who placed his happiness and that of his wife above all else.
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I noticed that too, along with a lot of still running on feelings.

But yeah, the same post but in Catholic shoes…the post would be deleted.
 
If an Ex-Mormon has not learned that feelings do not teach us the truth, then he has not really left Mormonism behind.

Paul
 
Book_Worm said:
I wonder what the reactions here would be if this were a blog posted by a Catholic who left the Church because he placed “love above theology” and who placed his happiness and that of his wife above all else.
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Yeah this forum is kind of weird about that. The catholic thing is somewhat understandable since its a catholic forum but Mormons, muslims and evangelicals are open season for bashing but other groups like anglicans and jews are to be treaded lightly about and given the up most respect.
 
If you were to ask your average chapel-going LDS why other Mormons leave the church, most likely you would get an answer blaming the individuals who left in some way. Something like, “They were not active in the church,” or "They must not want to live the “Word of Wisdom” or “They must have committed a serious sin” or “The adversary has influenced them.” The answer you most definitely would not hear is, “They started doing historical research and they learned a lot of troubling things that convinced them the church is not true.” This possibility does not exist for them.

Many LDS cannot even entertain the possibility that the church is false because all their lives they have been taught that Joseph was this and the Book of Mormon is that and they hear over and over again at church that “I know the church is true,” and that feelings will tell them so.

So they really never learn how to seriously question anything about church. They may have questions, but they tend to not dive deep when someone tells them not to worry about it and so they just put in on the shelf. I’ve seen clips of general authorities in their conference talks really try to discourage intellectual investigation into these types of issues. It’s like they don’t want the members to take a look at things in any depth further than the surface-level stuff they get in Sunday school. I’ve watch many video testimonies from ex-mormons and that seems to be a very common thread–this idea of putting questions “on the shelf.” I’m certain there are huge numbers of LDS out there that put a lot of issues on the shelf, and most probably leave them there.

So it was very refreshing to hear the couple’s story in the video of their meeting with the GA and how he basically confirmed everything they had learned in their investigation. The bottom line is that the LDS membership has been taught for decades many things which the church leadership knows is at best not the whole truth, and at worst outright falsehoods. That stuff needs to be exposed.
 
There are so many Mormons though and they seem happy and joyful.
Many of my neighbors are Mormon. They seem to really believe in their religion.
I am a questioning person. I didn’t have time to read the link you gave, but why do so many people believe and stay in that church?
 
Many Mormons are indeed happy.
Many stay because they dont question what they are taught about LDS history or it’s problems. They often times etiher dont know, if they know, they dont care because they “have a testimony”…

In other words, things are good and they are happy so it’s true.
 
7_Sorrows said:
There are so many Mormons though and they seem happy and joyful.
Many of my neighbors are Mormon. They seem to really believe in their religion.
I am a questioning person. I didn’t have time to read the link you gave, but why do so many people believe and stay in that church?
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Because of the witness received by the Holy Ghost. This witness is not simply a misdirected feeling as Paul D or Marie would claim. As if a slight change in emotional state could effect such a witness. Perhaps an “undigested bit of beef” might make the difference like Scrooge tells Jacob Marley in a Christmas Carol.

But this is not the truth. Joseph Smith said, “The Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence” (TPJS p 149). Such intelligence may of course cause feelings, as powerful truth tends to do. In fact Paul testifies of the effect of such a witness when he says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…” (Gal 5:22-23). But feelings are the effect, not the source. And truth from the Holy Ghost is clear for those who will pay attention.
 
Janderich said:
Because of the witness received by the Holy Ghost. This witness is not simply a misdirected feeling as Paul D or Marie would claim. As if a slight change in emotional state could effect such a witness. Perhaps an “undigested bit of beef” might make the difference like Scrooge tells Jacob Marley in a Christmas Carol.

But this is not the truth. Joseph Smith said, “The Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence” (TPJS p 149). Such intelligence may of course cause feelings, as powerful truth tends to do. In fact Paul testifies of the effect of such a witness when he says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance…” (Gal 5:22-23). But feelings are the effect, not the source. And truth from the Holy Ghost is clear for those who will pay attention.
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The truth from the Holy Ghost cannot contradict Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Ghost affirms what Jesus taught when He was teaching with His Apostles 2000 years ago.
 
Chris-WA said:
If you were to ask your average chapel-going LDS why other Mormons leave the church, most likely you would get an answer blaming the individuals who left in some way. Something like, “They were not active in the church,” or "They must not want to live the “Word of Wisdom” or “They must have committed a serious sin” or “The adversary has influenced them.” The answer you most definitely would not hear is, “They started doing historical research and they learned a lot of troubling things that convinced them the church is not true.” This possibility does not exist for them.

Many LDS cannot even entertain the possibility that the church is false because all their lives they have been taught that Joseph was this and the Book of Mormon is that and they hear over and over again at church that “I know the church is true,” and that feelings will tell them so.

So they really never learn how to seriously question anything about church. They may have questions, but they tend to not dive deep when someone tells them not to worry about it and so they just put in on the shelf. I’ve seen clips of general authorities in their conference talks really try to discourage intellectual investigation into these types of issues. It’s like they don’t want the members to take a look at things in any depth further than the surface-level stuff they get in Sunday school. I’ve watch many video testimonies from ex-mormons and that seems to be a very common thread–this idea of putting questions “on the shelf.” I’m certain there are huge numbers of LDS out there that put a lot of issues on the shelf, and most probably leave them there.

So it was very refreshing to hear the couple’s story in the video of their meeting with the GA and how he basically confirmed everything they had learned in their investigation. The bottom line is that the LDS membership has been taught for decades many things which the church leadership knows is at best not the whole truth, and at worst outright falsehoods. That stuff needs to be exposed.
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How can we confirm that historical analysis does not disprove the claims of the Catholic Church?
 
Janderich said:
Yes, we use the term “sacrament” and call this worship service “sacrament meeting”.
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How is the sacrament meeting celebrated?
Did Joseph Smith belong to a particular faith before he had his “experience”?
 
7_Sorrows said:
How is the sacrament meeting celebrated?
Did Joseph Smith belong to a particular faith before he had his “experience”?
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He investigated a number of faiths and said he was somewhat partial to the Methodist sect. However so great was the confusion and strife among all of them that he could not figure out what to do. That is when he read the scripture in James 1:5 which says to ask God.

Sacrament is a rather simple affair in the LDS church. In many ways we believe in simplicity of the ordinances so as not to confuse the symbol from the symbolized. The bread and water are covered with a white cloth. The bread is broken and then a blessing said wherein all those partaking commit to follow the Jesus Christ and remember him, for which in return he promises his spirit to always be with us. The bread is then passed to the congregation. The water follows a similar format.
 
Janderich said:
He investigated a number of faiths and said he was somewhat partial to the Methodist sect. However so great was the confusion and strife among all of them that he could not figure out what to do. That is when he read the scripture in James 1:5 which says to ask God.

Sacrament is a rather simple affair in the LDS church. In many ways we believe in simplicity of the ordinances so as not to confuse the symbol from the symbolized. The bread and water are covered with a white cloth. The bread is broken and then a blessing said wherein all those partaking commit to follow the Jesus Christ and remember him, for which in return he promises his spirit to always be with us. The bread is then passed to the congregation. The water follows a similar format.
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Thanks for answering my questions. 🙂
 
Chris-WA said:
If you were to ask your average chapel-going LDS why other Mormons leave the church, most likely you would get an answer blaming the individuals who left in some way. Something like, “They were not active in the church,” or "They must not want to live the “Word of Wisdom” or “They must have committed a serious sin” or “The adversary has influenced them.” The answer you most definitely would not hear is, “They started doing historical research and they learned a lot of troubling things that convinced them the church is not true.” This possibility does not exist for them.
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Does anyone think Catholics haven’t also left the Church after being exposed to supposed truths of church history? I’ve read of people losing their faith because of the sex abuse scandals, to name a recent one. Church activities in the middle ages are popular with many others, as a scapegoat. The fact is people lose their faith for a variety of reasons, then they often pick evidence that justifies the decision. The same evidence to a believer does not sway their faith in Christ.

I think quote by a Lewis is appropriate
“I think we may accept it as a rule that whenever a person’s
religious conversation dwells chiefly, or even frequently,
on the faults of other people’s religions, she/he is in a bad condition.”
Click to expand...
 
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