As I was reading this, I couldn't help noticing all the parallels between TSCC and a certain other entity that represses information, silences all critics, tolerates only its own viewpoint and version of events, casts out those within its own ranks who refuse to play along (often launching personal smear campaigns against them), and deliberately spreads lies and propaganda to further its own agenda:
http://www.truth-out.org/fox-news-insider-stuff-just-made-up67706

On other forums where Mormonism comes up, I've occasionally thrown out 'facts' I wasn't sure of. Challenges for references are few and far between. It is so tempting to just start making stuff up.

There is nothing stopping me but personal integrity.

It all began long ago when Joseph Smith made up the story about seeing God, Jesus, angels, resurrected personages and so on. His own mother, Lucy, says in her biography that from an early age Joe was an adept spinner of yarns and teller of tall tales. He went on to make up the Book of Mormon, the Books of Abraham and Moses in The Pearl of Great Price and on and on. When you get right down to it, just about everything in Mormonism was made up by Old Joe, his cronies or successors. However, it all began with your garden variety Christianity, which brings me to my next point.

Christianity, as we know it today, was all made up by hundreds of people over the course of 2,000+ years. Today's Christianity was yesterday's weird cult. And it was all made up, piece by piece, bit by bit until, voila, we have literally thousands of sects and denominations today. However, Christianity began with your garden variety Judaism, which brings me to my next point.

Judaism, as we know it today, was all made up by hundreds of people, etc., etc., etc., ad infinitum!

Nebularry, GOOD ONE!

Buddhism teaches that once an illusion is shown for what it is, belief in the illusion can never return.

Likewise, those wobbly critical thinking skills, wakened from a long sleep, operate subconsciously.

I didn't want Mormonism to take my faith in Christ because I was so pissed at all my time and money being taken +. Then one morning I woke up and looked at a crucifix and it was all over.

I realized that Christianity today would be repugnant to the rabbi Jesus. That in many ways it is a group of pharisees practicing the same things he hated, only under his name. Same game as Mormonism, different "revelators."

I like the way you put it LOL.

Anagrammy

There is not a deity based religion today that is totally free from the ideas/notions/beliefs of ones before it. They are, for the most part, a conglomerate of dozens of religious notions wrapped up in a new package.

It depends on what kind of truth one is looking for: factual evidences, scientific evidence, theories, subjective truth such as deity and savior based religions and their world view, spiritual truth, or any number of other types of truth.

The interesting thing about spiritually based subjective truths is they are solely dependent on faith and trust in the one making the claims. No factual evidence is ever needed.
Facts and faith do not mix. They are like oil and water.:-)

The human mind is adept at using imagination and creativity to construct any number of beliefs, truths, some faith based, which, in my observation, ofter over rides factually based truths and evidence.

Presumably the source MSU, too, but now doesn't. Of course.