In an Elder's quorum meeting one Sunday, a couple of elders expressed different opinions about some obscure point of religion (which itself was unusual). They debated each other, and each backed up his position with scripture references.

I was sitting in my usual place in the back of the room.

During the discussion by these 2 elders, a man sitting in front of me leaned over and whispered to the man sitting next to him.

"What do WE believe?" he asked.

This left a strong impression on me. This man seemed to be incapable of coming up with his own opinion, even based on the points being brought up by the debaters in front of him. He needed to be told by someone else what he was supposed to believe.

Anyone else have profound moments they'd like to share?

You just explained Mormonism!
That's why the almighty 15 have jobs, to tell individuals what they believe!

Congrats!

“You’re in command!”

That will do.

There is nothing completely official in Mormon beliefs. What maybe regarded as official doctrine today may become heresy in the future. They say man may become as gods but you will hear their prophet Hinckley say in an interview denying the facts that they preach it and emphasize it.

Poor ol' Spencer W. Kimballs, imagining, making it up, that the little Navajo kids he was photo'd with were descendants of the tribe of Manassah. I'm sure he heard the still small voice confirm this to him.

Some mormon truths revealed over the years have turned out NOT to be true... Which creates the possibility that if some are not true, ALL of them might be equally untrue. If they got it wrong the first time, which is an admission of error, why assume they got it right the second, or third time?

I can relate that to my job. I was recently sitting in a faculty meeting where someone tried his best to convince us that higher-ups care about what we think. I sat there, dumbfounded. No one has ever cared about what teachers think. We are micromanaged to an absurd level, and have been for years. Why stop now? *sigh*

You get to a point where your minds just shuts off. I imagine it can be the same in Mormonism.

Kelvin timeline!

Prime timeline!

Kelvin timeline!

Prime timeline!


Kirk!

Picard!

Kirk!

Picard!

Janeway!

Archer!

Sisko!


And so it goes.....

...Sisko

Pancho!!

Harold B. Lee leaning over the pulpit during GC priesthood meeting whispering, “Brethern, adultery is running rampent through the church.”

I recall a Sunday when the missionaries finally got an "investigator" to attend the block. So what do the priesthood brethren do? They get into a lengthy discussion about how blessed Mormons are to know that Heavenly Father has a father.
No more investigator.

For research and amusement, I sometimes scroll through images of LDS memes, which seem to be especially popular with LDS teen girls. You know, pithy little mottoes and aphorisms set upon attractive sunsets, seascapes, pastoral or mountain scenes, etc.


Most of them seem to be quotes from LDS presidents and apostles, rather than Bible or BoM verses. Christians have them too (Yeah, lots are sappy, which embarrasses me), but quite a few are either scripture or Biblical paraphrasing and references. This got me to thinking: Mormons don't seem to study their primary sources that much, but rely on teaching distilled (or should I say diluted?) from church leaders. Why study the BoM and the JD, when you've got the Ensign?

The very last Relief Society meeting I attended was the last service I attended @ TSCC, at the tail end of the three hour bloc.

The RS president was teaching the lesson that day. She was studying to be a surgeon while balancing her family life with church duties. So, at a minimum you might say she was a critical thinker.

She asked at the outset of the meeting if any of us ever had any questions or entertained any doubts or misgivings about the gospel? Because she admitted at times she did.

There was a very long pause when nobody uttered a word. All the women (it was a full class that day,) sat there in dreaded silence. No one ventured to agree or even present a counter opinion. Just dead silence. It made me very uncomfortable because I had questions and doubts like she did. Even I was paralyzed to say out loud that yes, I did, and why.

After the long deathly silence she finally broke it by saying "Well, neither do I." And that ended that discussion.

She resumed her normally planned lesson for the day. Yet I don't recall anything about that. But her asking what she did upfront has stayed with me to this day.

Not one of those women were able to speak up due to fear of being "outed" as a doubting Thomas. I was one of the most questioning people there and that fear gripped me too. Who wanted to be shunned by them for speaking out? Not even the Relief Society president did apparently. She chickened out too.

We were all cowardly. That would be my last meeting. As I drove away the full realization I was in a cult had finally sunk in. I could not go back in good conscience. It has been thirteen years, and I still haven't returned to that mind controlling cult.