Mormon Church Latter-Day Saints Conspiracy To Rule America
Mormon Church Latter-Day Saints LDS CONSPIRACY NEWSLETTER
For: Readers of our Newsletter for our website, The Mormon Conspiracy.
The Mormon Conspiracy Homepage: HOME PAGE
Also containing previously dated NEWSLETTER posts as you scroll down.
Greetings!
From Charles L. Wood, Author of the book, "The Mormon Conspiracy."
Reading the "Book of Mormon," praying about and asking God if it is true is a common plea of church leaders to encourage members to accept that the Mormon Church is true and that the "Book of Mormon" is true. If you have a good feeling after you have completed these suggestions, then according to church leaders, one knows that Joseph Smith’s book is true. However, receiving a good feeling about something does not tell one the truth.
Members are taught to develop a testimony such as: “I know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, that I know that the Mormon Church is the only true church on the face of the earth and that Gordon B Hinckley is a prophet of God.” Their testimony is recited often in church meetings and is eventually ingrained in members’ brains.
The key to their testimony is I know, I know, I know. The testimony is an integral part of mind control that church leaders exercise over Mormon Church members. Tammy Braithwaite, a former long-time member of the Church taught her young children a testimony, as soon as they were able to talk. She remembers her son repeating his testimony: “I know that Joseph Smith was a pwoffut and the Book of Mommun is twoo.” She now knows that she was teaching her son to lie and realizes that this kind of repetition of meaningless mantras is, of course one of the techniques in brainwashing.
Despite overwhelming evidence against the authenticity of the “Book of Mormon,” Mormons claim to have a spiritual witness or “testimony” that transcends science. Many religious groups have fought and killed each other while fervently praying to God for help. One example of the fanaticism of Mormonism is the Mountain Meadows massacre that occurred near Cedar City, Utah on September 11, 1857. On this date Mormons killed more than 120 members of a wagon train driving about 1000 cattle from Arkansas to California to sell to the gold miners. This was all done in the name of God since the Mormons were trying to get revenge for the Death of Joseph Smith in 1844 and Orson Pratt, a Mormon apostle killed in Missouri. Church Leaders from Cedar City planned and committed this massacre. As you can see, A personal testimony in action can be a very frightening thing.
To illustrate how a strong testimony of a Mormon can result in disaster is the following true story of a seven young women missionaries who were secretly called, one at a time, by the mission president (All missionaries of the Mormon Church are assigned to a missionary center with a mission president in charge.), a very spiritual man. Swearing them to secrecy, he told each of them that the president of the Church was going to change Church policy and restore plural marriage (polygamy). The mission president also told each of these young ladies that he had personally received a revelation from the Lord that she was to marry him.
Following the example of Joseph Smith (founder of the Mormon Church) he told these young ladies that they were entitled to know the truth for themselves. He counseled each of them to fast and pray with a sincere heart and a desire to know the will of the Lord.
Then an amazing thing happened. Six out of the seven lady missionaries returned to the mission president’s office within a few days and told him with tears in their eyes, that their prayers had been answered. They had received a testimony that he had spoken the truth. Each of these young ladies expressed their love and agreed to marry him, a man three times their age!
However, one of the lady missionaries broke her oath of secrecy and called her parents to ask for advice, that resulted in the mission president being sent home as well as the 6 lady missionaries that volunteered to marry the mission president.
How can such a thing happen? The mission president was lying and yet these young ladies somehow received a testimony that he was telling them the truth. This happened because the young ladies trust an authority figure more than the trust their own thinking. (Taken from “The Keystone of Mormonism” by Arza Evans 2003 page 120)
Evans further writes:
“….to emphasize the importance of reason and the danger of reason and the danger of reliance upon emotions and feelings, I would like to use a quotation from a master of manipulation and opportunism, Adolf Hitler:
“Reason can treacherously deceive a man, but emotion is always sure and never leaves him.”
Hitler’s first deputy, Rudolf Hess, echoed the words of his Fuhrer when he told a large audience of Nazis:
Do not seek Adolf Hitler with your brains, you will find him with your hearts.
This irrational, anti-intellectual, and emotional climate resulted in a moral vacuum and a holocaust where as many as twelve million people were killed in concentration camps while over forty five million others were killed on the battlefields of World War II. This is what can happen when large numbers of people rely on emotions, and allow an authoritarian leader to do their thinking.
The Mormon missionaries are asking one to use your emotions in deciding whether or not the Mormon Church is true and that their key gospel, the “Book of Mormon” is true.”
“The Keystone of Mormonism” by Arza Evans is a powerful book that explains the great influence that emotions rather than the truth have upon humans.
This book can be obtained through the website: amazon.com Log on to: "The Keystone of Mormonism. "
While Mormonism is a hoax and fraud invented by Joseph Smith, his scribes and associates and continued with Mormon Church leaders since his time, it continues to influence people through brain control by emotions and indoctrination through a testimony.
Many Mormons have left the church when they wanted to increase a weak testimony that they had by studying church history. In their research, they simply discovered that Mormonism was a fraud.
Contact me by e-mail at: wood1@mormonconspiracy.com
Keystone of Mormonism Home Page
"Leaving The Saints" by Martha Beck
Greetings!
In my research of Mormonism and contacts with authors of Mormonism books, I have become acquainted with many of the deceptions promoted by church leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints, or simply, the Mormon Church. First, I would like to highlight two books that I have read that I thought that you might be interested in. Click on the following picture to see "The Mormon Conspiracy" at amazon.com and to search for the two featured books in this newsletter titled "Keystone of Mormonism" and "Leaving The Saints" by Martha Beck.
Author Charles L. Wood
The Mormon Conspiracy. Click on the book to see it at amazon.com
"The Keystone of Mormonism" by Professor Evans
The first book is "The Keystone of Mormonism" by Arza Evans. This book highlights the deceptions of Joseph Smith in his "Book of Mormon." Professor Evans provides a vivid description of the problems that he found with Mormonism and more especially key statements in Smith's book that are fraudulent and proves that the book is nothing more than fiction.
Following is an article written by the author of "The Keystone of Mormonism," Arza Evans:
POST-MORMON FEELINGS
ARZA EVANS
(AUTHOR OF THE KEYSTONE OF MORMONISM)
When I finally became convinced that Joseph Smith was a clever con-man and that his Book of Mormon was not sacred ancient history but part of an ingenious mind game that he was playing with his gullible followers, this created some strong feelings in me. These feelings are probably typical of other Post- Mormon truth seekers.
FEAR
The first of my new feelings was fear. What will become of me? Will I lose my marriage and my family? And even if my wife stays with me, will she be angry and heartbroken? I was quite sure that my parents and my brothers and my sister would be either angry or heartbroken or both. Will I lose my job and have to move my family if I still have a family to move? Will they excommunicate me? (They did.) How many friends will I lose? Can I stand not being able to see my own children get married if they choose to get married in an LDS temple?
And what if I am wrong? Should I trust my own mind or just follow Church leaders? My parents and my brothers and my sister are intelligent people. Why don't they see the same deception that I see? Also, I am a fairly intelligent person. Why did it take me so many years to discover the truth? This is really scary. My eternal salvation may be at stake here! Should I bet everything I have on this or should I fold?
My fears were so strong that for a number of years I kept my true thoughts and feelings to myself. I became a "closet doubter." This was not good for my physical or mental health. But after all, how much should a person be willing to sacrifice on the alter of truth?
Fear is what keeps many people, even Church leaders, active in Mormonism. A woman friend of mine went to her stake president to get her temple recommend signed. He said, "Where is your husband?" She said, "He doesn't believe in the Church anymore." The stake president said, "Why not?" The woman said, "My husband started doing research into Church history and it made him see things in an entirely different way." The stake president said, "I know what you mean. I started to read THE JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES and other Church history books. It nearly destroyed my testimony. I had to quit reading those things."
A good question for every LDS man and for every LDS woman to ask is, "What would I do differently in my life if I were not afraid?"
SADNESS, BEREAVEMENT
Disillusionment with Mormonism has resulted in great sadness for me and for almost all of the other men and women I have talked with who have left the LDS Church. I think this bereavement has been even greater for me than the death of my parents. I don't know of one Post-Mormon person who started out to prove that Mormonism is not true or who has been gleeful with the results of their findings. The truth not only hurts, it is devastating! How can any active Church member really believe that one of their friends or relatives enjoys finding out that some of their most sacred and cherished beliefs are not true! And yet, there is no sympathy or condolence for the person suffering from this bereavement. Instead, Post-Mormons can usually expect anger and ostracism.
CONFUSION, AN UPSIDE DOWN WORLD
Moving away from Mormonism can turn a person's world upside down. At least that is how it has been for me. Things that used to bring me pride, now bring me shame and embarrassment. Instead of being proud that I sold my car and spent entire my life savings going on an LDS mission to the Chicago area (a very dangerous and tough mission), I deeply regret wasting two years of my life andall of my college money bearing my testimony about things that I now know are not true.
Also, I helped to break up a number of families when one person, usually the wife, became converted and then left her unbelieving husband. Naturally she wanted to find an LDS priesthood holder who would take her to a temple for an eternal marriage. I probably should have been horse-whipped by some of those angry husbands. I sincerely wish I could go back and change all of this, but I can't. All I can say is that I am very very sorry.
I am no longer proud of being a faithful tithe payer. Almost all tithing goes for Church indoctrination programs, temple building, and missionary work. I no longer believe in these things. Very little tithing goes to help the poor.
I am not proud of being married in an LDS temple. I regret getting married in a place where Masonic rituals were presented as Christianity. I was told that learning these secret signs and passwords was necessary in order to pass by the angels and enter into God's clubhouse in the next world. Young family members, "unworthy" family members and "unworthy" friends were excluded from my wedding. An LDS temple marriage is not a celebration for the whole family. It is an occasion for ostracism of many family members. The Church is not family oriented but power oriented. It breaks up many families to enhance its power.
I am not proud of gaining my masters degree at Brigham Young University where the academic freedom of professors is very limited. LDS Faculty members need to pay tithing, have temple recommends, and carefully guard their comments in order to stay out of trouble. BYU is not widely respected in the academic world. I noticed a big difference when transferring to the University of Utah for further post-graduate studies.
My attitude toward my parents has also changed. Why were they so willing to indoctrinate me, a trusting little child, with Mormonism. Why didn't they ask a few open-minded questions and do some serious research? And why didn't they seem to have any questions about the temple rituals? In many ways my world has been turned upside down.
ANGER, BETRAYAL, ENTRAPMENT
How is a person supposed to feel when she or he finally comes to believe that they and their entire family for generations have been duped by a very clever con-man? And what about all of those who have suffered and died on the plains and also those who have made great sacrifices in other ways for Joseph Smith's deceptions and myths? Are we to just look the other way and pretend that all of this pain and suffering never happened? This kind of spiritual deception is much worse than any stock fraud or pyramid scheme. It is passed on from generation to generation. The truth is that there never were any gold plates, Lamanites, Nephites, Jaredites, or Gadianton Robbers except in Smith's imagination. Once a person comes to realize this, he or she begins to feel like a gullible fool.
Powerful feelings of betrayal and entrapment emerge as a person begins to see the enormity of Joseph Smith's spiritual deception and the control of LDS entrapment. How can a person ever become free from this web of Mormon entanglement if a wife (or husband), parents, children, and grandchildren still belong to Joseph Smith and his Church?
The amazing thing to me is how much anger management and self control Post-Mormons seem to have. Perhaps this is because we have learned that prolonged anger can be self destructive and that forgiveness seems to be better for one's own physical and mental health.
It has always helped me with my anger management to realize that if there is an afterlife and a judgment day, then Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and other false prophets and adulterers are now being severely punished by the Lord. But if there is no afterlife or judgment day, then these men have ceased to exist. They would have no way of taking any satisfaction in how wildly successful their deception has become.
It also helps me to realize that it took many years for me to finally see through the cunning dishonesty of early Church leaders. Then how can I expect better than this from others? Dreams die hard!
HAPPINESS, FREEDOM, EXHILARATION
After leaving Mormonism, many of us have felt a strong sense of freedom and happiness. A heavy burden has been lifted from our shoulders. We can now read anything we want to read and do our own thinking. We no longer need to ask, "Does this information that I am reading go along with Mormonism? Is it faith promoting?" It doesn't matter any more. And, we can even choose our own underwear!
We are now free to respect the beliefs of other churches and religions and reject Joseph Smith's claim that the Lord told him that other churches were "all wrong" and that their ministers and pastors were "all corrupt." What deceptive nonsense this "revelation" was and is! How could I have believed this baloney for so many years? And Post- Mormons no longer need to rationalize away or explain why over ninety percent of Joseph Smith's many prophesies never happened. The answer is obvious to an objective observer. Joseph Smith was a false prophet.
We no longer need to explain away or defend the immoral and illegal activities of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and other Church leaders. These activities included money digging, an illegal bank, secret police (Danites) a private army (Zion's Camp), polygamy, and blood atonement. Involvement of Church leaders in the Mountain Meadows Massacre and other atrocities no longer reflect upon us Post-Mormons. We reject all of these things and the Church leaders involved.
We no longer need to explain away the many contradictions between BOOK OF MORMON Mormonism and Nauvoo Mormonism. The overwhelming scientific evidence against the authenticity of THE BOOK OF MORMON including the Asian DNA of Native Americans is no longer our problem. But it is still a very big problem for LDS Church defenders.
We are also free from guilt for not attending endless meetings, and for not fasting, doing genealogy, temple work, home teaching, accepting all "callings," and confessing our personal lives to the bishop. We are free from the financial stress of paying tithing, and sending our children on missions. We are also free to spend more time with our families.
In the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King: "Free at last! Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Note: There is no copyright on this paper. (Feel free to make copies.)
THE KEYSTONE OF MORMONISM is a powerful book. Please contact me at: E-mail arza@charter.net
The Keystone of Mormonism HOME PAGE by Professor Evans
Keystone of Mormonism Home Page
MORMON CONSPIRACY HOME PAGE
Great Websites:
Post Mormon Home Page
Latter-Day Lampoon Home Page
Joseph Lied Home Page
"Leaving The Saints" by Martha Beck
The second book is "Leaving The Saints" by Martha Beck and can be purchased at amazon.com. Beck's book describes the trauma that she has faced throughout her life after being raped by her father, Hugh Nibley at the age of five. She also provides a summary of her journey from Mormonism. Her father was an apologist (defender of the Mormon church) who was also a gifted writer. Because he was an avid believer in the religion of Mormonism, he was often contacted by church leaders to defend the church from critics that posed a threat to Mormonism's survival. For example, when Fawn Brodie's classic book was published in 1945, "No Man Knows My History," it raised a furor within and outside of Mormondom. Hugh Nibley was commissioned by Mormon Church leaders to answer the allegations made by Brodie on the life of Joseph Smith. As a result, the church published Hugh Nibley's "No Ma'am, This Ain't History" that was an attempt to discredit Brodie's book. Later Nibley was commissioned by Mormon Church leaders to discredit the discovery that Joseph Smith falsely claimed that he translated the "Book of Abraham" from ancient Egyptian writings.
These two books provide excellent supplements to my book, "The Mormon Conspiracy." If you wish to comment on these books, or would like to discuss "The Mormon Conspiracy," please contact me by e-mail at:
E-mail wood1@mormonconspiracy.com
The Mormon Conspiracy Homepage: HOME PAGE
For: Readers of our Newsletter for our website, The Mormon Conspiracy.
The Mormon Conspiracy Homepage: HOME PAGE
Also containing previously dated NEWSLETTER posts as you scroll down.
Greetings!
From Charles L. Wood, Author of the book, "The Mormon Conspiracy."
Reading the "Book of Mormon," praying about and asking God if it is true is a common plea of church leaders to encourage members to accept that the Mormon Church is true and that the "Book of Mormon" is true. If you have a good feeling after you have completed these suggestions, then according to church leaders, one knows that Joseph Smith’s book is true. However, receiving a good feeling about something does not tell one the truth.
Members are taught to develop a testimony such as: “I know that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God, that I know that the Mormon Church is the only true church on the face of the earth and that Gordon B Hinckley is a prophet of God.” Their testimony is recited often in church meetings and is eventually ingrained in members’ brains.
The key to their testimony is I know, I know, I know. The testimony is an integral part of mind control that church leaders exercise over Mormon Church members. Tammy Braithwaite, a former long-time member of the Church taught her young children a testimony, as soon as they were able to talk. She remembers her son repeating his testimony: “I know that Joseph Smith was a pwoffut and the Book of Mommun is twoo.” She now knows that she was teaching her son to lie and realizes that this kind of repetition of meaningless mantras is, of course one of the techniques in brainwashing.
Despite overwhelming evidence against the authenticity of the “Book of Mormon,” Mormons claim to have a spiritual witness or “testimony” that transcends science. Many religious groups have fought and killed each other while fervently praying to God for help. One example of the fanaticism of Mormonism is the Mountain Meadows massacre that occurred near Cedar City, Utah on September 11, 1857. On this date Mormons killed more than 120 members of a wagon train driving about 1000 cattle from Arkansas to California to sell to the gold miners. This was all done in the name of God since the Mormons were trying to get revenge for the Death of Joseph Smith in 1844 and Orson Pratt, a Mormon apostle killed in Missouri. Church Leaders from Cedar City planned and committed this massacre. As you can see, A personal testimony in action can be a very frightening thing.
To illustrate how a strong testimony of a Mormon can result in disaster is the following true story of a seven young women missionaries who were secretly called, one at a time, by the mission president (All missionaries of the Mormon Church are assigned to a missionary center with a mission president in charge.), a very spiritual man. Swearing them to secrecy, he told each of them that the president of the Church was going to change Church policy and restore plural marriage (polygamy). The mission president also told each of these young ladies that he had personally received a revelation from the Lord that she was to marry him.
Following the example of Joseph Smith (founder of the Mormon Church) he told these young ladies that they were entitled to know the truth for themselves. He counseled each of them to fast and pray with a sincere heart and a desire to know the will of the Lord.
Then an amazing thing happened. Six out of the seven lady missionaries returned to the mission president’s office within a few days and told him with tears in their eyes, that their prayers had been answered. They had received a testimony that he had spoken the truth. Each of these young ladies expressed their love and agreed to marry him, a man three times their age!
However, one of the lady missionaries broke her oath of secrecy and called her parents to ask for advice, that resulted in the mission president being sent home as well as the 6 lady missionaries that volunteered to marry the mission president.
How can such a thing happen? The mission president was lying and yet these young ladies somehow received a testimony that he was telling them the truth. This happened because the young ladies trust an authority figure more than the trust their own thinking. (Taken from “The Keystone of Mormonism” by Arza Evans 2003 page 120)
Evans further writes:
“….to emphasize the importance of reason and the danger of reason and the danger of reliance upon emotions and feelings, I would like to use a quotation from a master of manipulation and opportunism, Adolf Hitler:
“Reason can treacherously deceive a man, but emotion is always sure and never leaves him.”
Hitler’s first deputy, Rudolf Hess, echoed the words of his Fuhrer when he told a large audience of Nazis:
Do not seek Adolf Hitler with your brains, you will find him with your hearts.
This irrational, anti-intellectual, and emotional climate resulted in a moral vacuum and a holocaust where as many as twelve million people were killed in concentration camps while over forty five million others were killed on the battlefields of World War II. This is what can happen when large numbers of people rely on emotions, and allow an authoritarian leader to do their thinking.
The Mormon missionaries are asking one to use your emotions in deciding whether or not the Mormon Church is true and that their key gospel, the “Book of Mormon” is true.”
“The Keystone of Mormonism” by Arza Evans is a powerful book that explains the great influence that emotions rather than the truth have upon humans.
This book can be obtained through the website: amazon.com Log on to: "The Keystone of Mormonism. "
While Mormonism is a hoax and fraud invented by Joseph Smith, his scribes and associates and continued with Mormon Church leaders since his time, it continues to influence people through brain control by emotions and indoctrination through a testimony.
Many Mormons have left the church when they wanted to increase a weak testimony that they had by studying church history. In their research, they simply discovered that Mormonism was a fraud.
Contact me by e-mail at: wood1@mormonconspiracy.com
The Mormon Conspiracy Newsletter HOME PAGE
June 20th 2005 NEWSLETTER
From Charles L. Wood: Author of The Mormon Conspiracy
""The Keystone of Mormonism by Professor Evans
"Leaving The Saints" by Martha Beck
Greetings!
In my research of Mormonism and contacts with authors of Mormonism books, I have become acquainted with many of the deceptions promoted by church leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints, or simply, the Mormon Church. First, I would like to highlight two books that I have read that I thought that you might be interested in. Click on the following picture to see "The Mormon Conspiracy" at amazon.com and to search for the two featured books in this newsletter titled "Keystone of Mormonism" and "Leaving The Saints" by Martha Beck.
Author Charles L. Wood
The Mormon Conspiracy. Click on the book to see it at amazon.com
"The Keystone of Mormonism" by Professor Evans
The first book is "The Keystone of Mormonism" by Arza Evans. This book highlights the deceptions of Joseph Smith in his "Book of Mormon." Professor Evans provides a vivid description of the problems that he found with Mormonism and more especially key statements in Smith's book that are fraudulent and proves that the book is nothing more than fiction.
Following is an article written by the author of "The Keystone of Mormonism," Arza Evans:
POST-MORMON FEELINGS
ARZA EVANS
(AUTHOR OF THE KEYSTONE OF MORMONISM)
When I finally became convinced that Joseph Smith was a clever con-man and that his Book of Mormon was not sacred ancient history but part of an ingenious mind game that he was playing with his gullible followers, this created some strong feelings in me. These feelings are probably typical of other Post- Mormon truth seekers.
FEAR
The first of my new feelings was fear. What will become of me? Will I lose my marriage and my family? And even if my wife stays with me, will she be angry and heartbroken? I was quite sure that my parents and my brothers and my sister would be either angry or heartbroken or both. Will I lose my job and have to move my family if I still have a family to move? Will they excommunicate me? (They did.) How many friends will I lose? Can I stand not being able to see my own children get married if they choose to get married in an LDS temple?
And what if I am wrong? Should I trust my own mind or just follow Church leaders? My parents and my brothers and my sister are intelligent people. Why don't they see the same deception that I see? Also, I am a fairly intelligent person. Why did it take me so many years to discover the truth? This is really scary. My eternal salvation may be at stake here! Should I bet everything I have on this or should I fold?
My fears were so strong that for a number of years I kept my true thoughts and feelings to myself. I became a "closet doubter." This was not good for my physical or mental health. But after all, how much should a person be willing to sacrifice on the alter of truth?
Fear is what keeps many people, even Church leaders, active in Mormonism. A woman friend of mine went to her stake president to get her temple recommend signed. He said, "Where is your husband?" She said, "He doesn't believe in the Church anymore." The stake president said, "Why not?" The woman said, "My husband started doing research into Church history and it made him see things in an entirely different way." The stake president said, "I know what you mean. I started to read THE JOURNAL OF DISCOURSES and other Church history books. It nearly destroyed my testimony. I had to quit reading those things."
A good question for every LDS man and for every LDS woman to ask is, "What would I do differently in my life if I were not afraid?"
SADNESS, BEREAVEMENT
Disillusionment with Mormonism has resulted in great sadness for me and for almost all of the other men and women I have talked with who have left the LDS Church. I think this bereavement has been even greater for me than the death of my parents. I don't know of one Post-Mormon person who started out to prove that Mormonism is not true or who has been gleeful with the results of their findings. The truth not only hurts, it is devastating! How can any active Church member really believe that one of their friends or relatives enjoys finding out that some of their most sacred and cherished beliefs are not true! And yet, there is no sympathy or condolence for the person suffering from this bereavement. Instead, Post-Mormons can usually expect anger and ostracism.
CONFUSION, AN UPSIDE DOWN WORLD
Moving away from Mormonism can turn a person's world upside down. At least that is how it has been for me. Things that used to bring me pride, now bring me shame and embarrassment. Instead of being proud that I sold my car and spent entire my life savings going on an LDS mission to the Chicago area (a very dangerous and tough mission), I deeply regret wasting two years of my life andall of my college money bearing my testimony about things that I now know are not true.
Also, I helped to break up a number of families when one person, usually the wife, became converted and then left her unbelieving husband. Naturally she wanted to find an LDS priesthood holder who would take her to a temple for an eternal marriage. I probably should have been horse-whipped by some of those angry husbands. I sincerely wish I could go back and change all of this, but I can't. All I can say is that I am very very sorry.
I am no longer proud of being a faithful tithe payer. Almost all tithing goes for Church indoctrination programs, temple building, and missionary work. I no longer believe in these things. Very little tithing goes to help the poor.
I am not proud of being married in an LDS temple. I regret getting married in a place where Masonic rituals were presented as Christianity. I was told that learning these secret signs and passwords was necessary in order to pass by the angels and enter into God's clubhouse in the next world. Young family members, "unworthy" family members and "unworthy" friends were excluded from my wedding. An LDS temple marriage is not a celebration for the whole family. It is an occasion for ostracism of many family members. The Church is not family oriented but power oriented. It breaks up many families to enhance its power.
I am not proud of gaining my masters degree at Brigham Young University where the academic freedom of professors is very limited. LDS Faculty members need to pay tithing, have temple recommends, and carefully guard their comments in order to stay out of trouble. BYU is not widely respected in the academic world. I noticed a big difference when transferring to the University of Utah for further post-graduate studies.
My attitude toward my parents has also changed. Why were they so willing to indoctrinate me, a trusting little child, with Mormonism. Why didn't they ask a few open-minded questions and do some serious research? And why didn't they seem to have any questions about the temple rituals? In many ways my world has been turned upside down.
ANGER, BETRAYAL, ENTRAPMENT
How is a person supposed to feel when she or he finally comes to believe that they and their entire family for generations have been duped by a very clever con-man? And what about all of those who have suffered and died on the plains and also those who have made great sacrifices in other ways for Joseph Smith's deceptions and myths? Are we to just look the other way and pretend that all of this pain and suffering never happened? This kind of spiritual deception is much worse than any stock fraud or pyramid scheme. It is passed on from generation to generation. The truth is that there never were any gold plates, Lamanites, Nephites, Jaredites, or Gadianton Robbers except in Smith's imagination. Once a person comes to realize this, he or she begins to feel like a gullible fool.
Powerful feelings of betrayal and entrapment emerge as a person begins to see the enormity of Joseph Smith's spiritual deception and the control of LDS entrapment. How can a person ever become free from this web of Mormon entanglement if a wife (or husband), parents, children, and grandchildren still belong to Joseph Smith and his Church?
The amazing thing to me is how much anger management and self control Post-Mormons seem to have. Perhaps this is because we have learned that prolonged anger can be self destructive and that forgiveness seems to be better for one's own physical and mental health.
It has always helped me with my anger management to realize that if there is an afterlife and a judgment day, then Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and other false prophets and adulterers are now being severely punished by the Lord. But if there is no afterlife or judgment day, then these men have ceased to exist. They would have no way of taking any satisfaction in how wildly successful their deception has become.
It also helps me to realize that it took many years for me to finally see through the cunning dishonesty of early Church leaders. Then how can I expect better than this from others? Dreams die hard!
HAPPINESS, FREEDOM, EXHILARATION
After leaving Mormonism, many of us have felt a strong sense of freedom and happiness. A heavy burden has been lifted from our shoulders. We can now read anything we want to read and do our own thinking. We no longer need to ask, "Does this information that I am reading go along with Mormonism? Is it faith promoting?" It doesn't matter any more. And, we can even choose our own underwear!
We are now free to respect the beliefs of other churches and religions and reject Joseph Smith's claim that the Lord told him that other churches were "all wrong" and that their ministers and pastors were "all corrupt." What deceptive nonsense this "revelation" was and is! How could I have believed this baloney for so many years? And Post- Mormons no longer need to rationalize away or explain why over ninety percent of Joseph Smith's many prophesies never happened. The answer is obvious to an objective observer. Joseph Smith was a false prophet.
We no longer need to explain away or defend the immoral and illegal activities of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and other Church leaders. These activities included money digging, an illegal bank, secret police (Danites) a private army (Zion's Camp), polygamy, and blood atonement. Involvement of Church leaders in the Mountain Meadows Massacre and other atrocities no longer reflect upon us Post-Mormons. We reject all of these things and the Church leaders involved.
We no longer need to explain away the many contradictions between BOOK OF MORMON Mormonism and Nauvoo Mormonism. The overwhelming scientific evidence against the authenticity of THE BOOK OF MORMON including the Asian DNA of Native Americans is no longer our problem. But it is still a very big problem for LDS Church defenders.
We are also free from guilt for not attending endless meetings, and for not fasting, doing genealogy, temple work, home teaching, accepting all "callings," and confessing our personal lives to the bishop. We are free from the financial stress of paying tithing, and sending our children on missions. We are also free to spend more time with our families.
In the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King: "Free at last! Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
Note: There is no copyright on this paper. (Feel free to make copies.)
THE KEYSTONE OF MORMONISM is a powerful book. Please contact me at: E-mail arza@charter.net
The Keystone of Mormonism HOME PAGE by Professor Evans
"Leaving The Saints" by Martha Beck
The second book is "Leaving The Saints" by Martha Beck and can be purchased at amazon.com. Beck's book describes the trauma that she has faced throughout her life after being raped by her father, Hugh Nibley at the age of five. She also provides a summary of her journey from Mormonism. Her father was an apologist (defender of the Mormon church) who was also a gifted writer. Because he was an avid believer in the religion of Mormonism, he was often contacted by church leaders to defend the church from critics that posed a threat to Mormonism's survival. For example, when Fawn Brodie's classic book was published in 1945, "No Man Knows My History," it raised a furor within and outside of Mormondom. Hugh Nibley was commissioned by Mormon Church leaders to answer the allegations made by Brodie on the life of Joseph Smith. As a result, the church published Hugh Nibley's "No Ma'am, This Ain't History" that was an attempt to discredit Brodie's book. Later Nibley was commissioned by Mormon Church leaders to discredit the discovery that Joseph Smith falsely claimed that he translated the "Book of Abraham" from ancient Egyptian writings.
These two books provide excellent supplements to my book, "The Mormon Conspiracy." If you wish to comment on these books, or would like to discuss "The Mormon Conspiracy," please contact me by e-mail at:
E-mail wood1@mormonconspiracy.com
The Mormon Conspiracy Homepage: HOME PAGE
posted by freedomman | 1:34 PM
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