Category: Church
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Leaving the Church, Part 10 — Prophets
1. Overview: Church members are taught that the prophet speaks for the Lord and will never lead the church astray (even when they are wrong). President Heber J. Grant said: “Always keep your eye on the President of the church, and if he ever tells you to do anything, even…
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Leaving the Church, Part 9 — Book of Mormon Witnesses
1. Overview: The testimony of the three and eight witnesses to the gold plates is often considered a key component of the Book of Mormon’s credibility. However, the witnesses, by their own admission, seemed to have only seen the angel and plates in a visionary state in their minds (as…
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Leaving the Church, Part 7 — Priesthood Restoration
1. Overview: Like the First Vision story, Joseph Smith waited many years before claiming to have received the priesthood from John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John. Although the Church teaches that the priesthood was restored in 1829, Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery made no such claim until 1834.…
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Leaving the Church, Part 6 — First Vision
“Our whole strength rests on the validity of that [First] vision. It either occurred or it did not occur. If it did not, then this work is a fraud. If it did, then it is the most important and wonderful work under the heavens.” – Gordon B. Hinckley, The Marvelous…
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Thanks TSCC, thanks for nothing
I would just to like thank the TSCC for ruining my marriage by publishing the essays. Because of the essays I now think that my wonderful wife of 11 years is an indoctrinated sheeple who won’t face the facts that it is all a big lie. I think she is staying…
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I’m offended, I want to sin and I’m happy to admit it.
I’m offended: that LDS Inc. is more LDS Inc. than church. by racism by homophobia by misogyny by sexism that’s harmful to both men and women by sexual perversion that my son was taught to be a literal arm and head-chopping warrior for a supposedly all powerful being that JS, a womanizer,…
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Unexpected Results
Three weeks ago, I was a true believer. I wasn’t the best at church attendance, but I would look forward to the days I could go and I would sit, rapt and eager, listening to the lessons and talks. I read the scriptures. I have a large library of Nibley,…
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Top Ten Quotes from the “Boise Rescue” Fireside
On June 13th, Apostle Oaks and Historian Turley gave a fireside at my stake in Idaho “to answer some faithful questions and to minister to some disabling doubts.” In this fireside, the couple responded to several questions that are most relevant to those that agree with Denver Snuffer and Rock…
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Response to “How Does Gay Marriage Hurt Us? Here’s How”
I have seen several friends post the article “How Does Gay Marriage Hurt Us? Here’s How.” and found it terribly lacking. Here are the key points it makes and some of my thoughts on these. “How does our marriage hurt you?” they ask. Well, I can think of one significant way…
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Going Clear correlaries to LDS teachings
This last weekend I watched the documentary Going Clear. I have heard and read some about Scientology before the documentary, and so I knew to expect there to be some strong similarities between Scientology and Mormonism. I recommend everyone, faithful or not, see the documentary. It does a great job…
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Carson Calderwood’s Leave And Leave It Alone
I’ve been following Carson Calderwood’s story from a distance, and I find it to be such a sad example of the Church pushing out people who are trying hard to contribute in a positive way. I recommend all go and listen to the Mormon Stories episodes with Carson and Marissa,…
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Our Questions Aren’t the Problem
It seems like every few weeks we hear about someone being called to a disciplinary court for apostasy for daring to speak out about their unbelief. Usually, the justification is that publicly questioning the church’s teachings causes others to lose faith and to doubt, thus we are leading people out of…