"If you found out tomorrow beyond a shadow of a doubt that the LDS church was not true, could you live with the way you've treated the non-believers in your life?"

After being convinced the church was a lie, I'd want to know, for example:

"Katrina - your Protestant husband took on you and your two little kids after your LDS husband dumped you. How do you feel now about all the times you made hubby #2 feel bad about not being an eternal family? About all the times you made your kids get up and bear tearful testimony about how sad they were Daddy wouldn't be with them in heaven?"

"Shannon - how do you feel now about how you bad-mouthed your 20 year old son for not going on a mission and marrying his girlfriend instead? He was and is a great kid but you've done nothing since his refusal to serve a mission but talk about what a bum and a disappointment he is. It was so bad your daughter got engaged to an RM at SEVENTEEN so she wouldn't disappoint you too."

"Brother and Sister Packer - what about all those patronizing testimonies you shared after returning from your senior mission, about how you were moved by the spirit to save your cousins or in-laws or nephews because they had such darkness in their lives, not believing in the church? Do you feel good about always bringing a spiritual message or picture of Jesus, like a bull in a china shop over whatever beliefs your relatives did have?"

"And Lucy, from the other thread on this board. You lost the friendship and respect of a nice Catholic lady because you behaved like a crazy, Brian David Mitchell stalker. Do you feel bad or at least totally foolish? Because you should!"

In fact, every VT who peeked through windows, every Elder who was more concerned with his giant priesthood than respecting others, every bishop who guilted young men and women in the bishopric interviews, causing them lifelong shame, every "nice" Mormon woman who snubbed a neighbor because they owned a coffee maker.... If the church weren't true, would you still feel good about your behavior? Because if not, maybe you'd better think about that a while.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/2011 09:54PM by CA girl.

Amen

+1

I've been wanting to ask my soon-to-be exwife this exact question for a few months now... but she doesn't seem to want to talk to me anymore.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/2011 08:06PM by strivingforbalance.

Wonderful post! Isn't that what life should be about...treat others the way you wish to be treated and rejoice in our different perspectives and opinions? After all, not a single living soul know with 100% certainty what is on the other side so live for your family/friends/life now!

Well said...

Larry

Bravo CA Girl!!!!! Bravo.

I'm a mormon, and I treat my non-mormon friends and neighbors fine. Sure I have burned bridges with people before, but not on the topic of religion. I know other people have their beliefs and I have mine. I want my beliefs respected so I respect there views.

I am sure you have seen Mormons mistreat and disrespect nonmormons. Are you okay with that? And if you aren't why would you stay in a religion that allows mistreatment of others and it is done right in their face daily. I know. I am a nevermo and lived in Utah for over four yrs. and NO ONE would talk to us once we made it clear we would not convert. I would leave any church who allowed this practice to go on and even encouraged it. Yes, I said encouraged it. You know what is said in interviews.

I live in a small southern Utah town that honestly has more non-members than members. The non-members come to our ward dinners and act like our friends. I have seen the relief society come in and do funeral dinners for non-member families. Some members are more pushy with there religion than others, and I know it always annoys my dad when he sees people like that. His take is that if we really have to push someone hard to come to church, they aren't going to really believe and 'be converted' to the gospel.

That allows them to feel superior.

For example: the official version of the first vision has god calling all other religions "abominations."

The book "Mormon Doctrine" has very specific references to other religions being the great and abominable church led by Satan.

And that comes straight from the book of Mormon.

The temple ceremony used to include parts that held that Protestant ministers were controlled by Satan.

Countless quotes by early church leaders of Mormonism's superiority to other religions.

Those teachings add up. The "pushy" members aren't pushy because their beliefs come from a "vacuum."

Mormonism may say that it is more tolerant of other religions now. But it wasn't always the case. Or it was only lip service.

yes, anytime i had a ? stating "I wonder why I never knew this" "why wasn't I told this" (certain mormon beliefs) answer would be the same "because they just didn't know"" the translation got lost/forgotten over the yrs." Never belittling presbyterian, just stating "they didn't know.

...the church would be a happier and more spiritually productive place.

Unfortunately there have been far too many stories on this board of members shunning non-members (both neighbors and family members who have resigned.)

Many members seem to have black/white thinking when it comes to nonmembers. Either the nonmember is someone to be fellowshipped, or if that doesn't work, someone to be shunned. Many Mormons seem to lack the ability to really respect the nonmembers of their acquaintance.

This extends to nonmember use of church forbidden substances. It's not enough for church members to follow the WoW. No, many times they have to give a disapproving look or run like a squealy schoolgirl at the sight of a coffeemaker in a home, tea in the shopping cart, or someone having a glass of wine with their dinner.

What do members think, that they're going to get infected with the coffee virus? Do they think that Satan is going to tempt them to try some English Breakfast tea? Or that someone enjoying a glass of wine is going to attack them and strip them of their clothing? What on Earth goes on in their heads in order to behave this way?

Another example: Let's say a member is invited to a nonmember barbecue where beer will be served. Many members will decline for that reason alone. How about going and asking for a sparkling water or a glass of juice? People who drink alcoholic beverages know that not everyone drinks, or even if people drink, they don't want to do it all the time.

If you can answer the question - yes, I'm OK with how I treat them, then good for you. Seriously. A gold star. A lot of Mormons can't and they'd benefit from your example. A lot of Mormons use the church to justify behavior that the Savior would never condone.

Excellent, points, CA girl. And might I add, what if you cut off your own offspring from family resources, and even went so far as to shun them because they didn't believe in the Mormon church? What would you say to your sons and daughters if it all turned out to be a ruse that made you feel better about yourselves?

....even if the MORmON church was/ is true, how in the HELL could any one stand to or want to go to a MORmON celestial kingDUMB to have be around all the painfully dull, stupid MORmONS?.....!!!!!!!

(Ok ONE more) IF that was blessings, then why the HELL would I want anymore of them? ....!!!

Or what would you say to your mother-who you have cut out of your life for making her own choices for a change.

Excellent post CA girl.

ronatest, you are a mormon. good for you that you treat
your neigbours fine. Your neigbours deserve more respect
than some of your asshole bishops. I lost my wife and
family over a bishop discriminating against bipoloa
mental illness who even claimed revelation against me
attending the ward. I up to that time might of looked
scary as a manic depressive who just faced war stricken
zone of my now ex who was a captive journalist on death
row, but to take the shit of a bishop and his revelation
as from god,or from the prophet for that matter, one is
on dangerous terroritory...

Just do the right thing and becken to their call
and you will be like a corspe in obedience.

This is not what jesus taught.

I'm surprized that no one has considered you a troll on
this site. But I agree with loving examples. My neigbour
is more crazy than me, drags me into court to witness
what I didnt witness as he takes on street gangs even
killed one in self-defence. But its stressful to have
to lie for our neigbours, so I stopped that and await
a brick to go through my window but not yet happened.

I like to learn more about you where your at. This site
is for recovering mormons. We like to hear what pissed
you off about the mormon church, such a damaging cult
tho yes we can respect your a mormon, catholic whatever
relegion but we see it as nothing but an old boys club
and worse for woman following old geezers that cant
smell their own assholes of self-rightousness..

Its not about feeling the church is true.
the bible says not to trust in thy own heart is filled
with deception. Its about reasoning with concious comming
together and expose deception and call those asshole
power freak leaders out of those false churches.

Unfortentely in my eyes all sunday, pagen relegions
are false and leaning toward one world govenment where
relegion and state join up and the bible warns that
the whole world wanders after the mark of the beast
that do this...

original 4th commandment remember the 7th day(saturday) and
keep it holy... No justification not even by modern
prophets can changed gods sealing authority and mark
of truth... The bible says not to accept any other angel
preaching any other message than the word of the bible..

bible bash by all means but shove the book of mormon
up their assholes. It contradicts the bible anyway let
alone contradicts the D&C such hypocrcacy it stinks...

keep reading the messages on this site, learn of mormon
history and all its lies and deceptions...

we respect you more after that should you follow the
mormon creepy prophet over a clift.

but better not to trust in any arms of flesh only jesus
the only royal priest and judge. Man robs god by
restoring priesthood to himself the bible says.

The true church it is NOT.

larry,angry one day,happy the next. thats my problem.

Great points larryjohn. I especially like "Man robs God by restoring priesthood to himself the bible says." I also like the part in Revelations where we are warned not to add anything to the Bible or take any parts out. Mormons have done both.

The Bible as we know it today was not assembled until some centuries after the Book of Revelation was written, so "God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in the book", &c. could not apply to the whole Bible, but only the Book of Revelation. Furthermore, the Gospel of John was probably written after the Apocalypse of John, so the Bible as we know it today could not have been assembled at that time.

There are many good arguments against Mormonism, but "They added stuff to the Bible, and the Book of Revelation says you're not supposed to" isn't one of them.

We live in a Mormon dominated area, where Mormons often treat non-Mormons as beneath them and are domineering and pushy with non-Mormons. One Mormon male, not out proselytizing, came to our door uninvited with someone else. He planned to enter our house uninvited. Luckily, I had anticipated what he was going to do and locked the screen and main doors. When he showed up, I asserted that he and the person with him had to leave our land. They did, but that experience of pushy Mormon behavior has left me very angry at him and reawakened some PTSD from previous tramatic experiences. Mormons don't realize or often care how much their invasive, dictatorial approach to others and their homes does harm. They justify bad behavior in the name of their religion. This makes me really frustrated with them to put it mildly.

What are my reasons for "faith"?

This question made me realize how fortunate I am. Here is a message I just posted on my FB page:

To all of my wonderful MORMON friends and family: I came across a statement on a website just now, and it made me grateful for all of you. The statement is this, (and it's directed towards faithful Mormons) "If you found out tomorrow beyond a shadow of a doubt that the LDS church was not true, could you live with the way you've treated the non-believers in your life?" Please don't be offended that I put this quote on my page, but read on and you'll understand why. When I read this, I thought about all of you and realized every single one of you has continued to be my friend and treated me as you did when I was one of you. Your love is authentic. I don't feel that you look down on me although my beliefs no longer align with yours. That is what it means to be a Christian, loving people as they are. Just by the fact that someone had to ask this question, it implies that not everyone is kind to those who leave. I am so grateful that you, my friends, do not act in such a way. May you always be blessed.
I feel sad that so many of you here on RfM have had to deal with people who have been cruel, but I wanted you to know that not all LDS are like that.