Posted by:
pollythinks
(
)
Date: May 04, 2015 01:36PM
I remember an event that happened in our family (siblings with their spouses) many years ago.
One of our brothers was never an active member of the Mormon Church, whereas several of the rest of us (and our spouses), were.
At a family dinner party, my brother-in-law (formerly inactive, but at that time a stalwart member), bore what the rest of us thought was a powerful testimony as to the truthfulness of the church.
The sibling brother we were trying to convince politely held his ground, and spoke of how he realized this testimony was sincere and meant a lot to the person giving it, and others, but that this did not mean that the doctrine being testified to was actual fact.
The rest of us were stunned by this response from the infidel, to what we all believed had been such an influential testimony.
Nonetheless, the non-believer was right. It doesn't matter how many, or how fervently a person believes something, and testifies as to its truthfulness, still doesn’t prove it true.
Indeed, testimonies alone cannot prove something is true, especially if it is not.
So, if one’s testimony means little or nothing to a hold-out (especially someone who may know a heck of a lot more about religion than does the missionary), how can a missionary or fervent member of the church get around this stumbling block, when they hope to be able to convert someone into the Mormon faith?
The answer to this question is that the people who hope to be able to sell Mormonism to someone else, need to know a heck of a lot more about their own religion than they were taught in Sunday school or seminary. However, one should take heed in this regard, as really studying Mormon doctrine can lead one’s self right out of the church they thought they believed in and loved. The reason this is so, is because Mormon doctrine is full of holes that have been large enough to cause many others to drop out of activity.
So, what to do after one leaves the church? The answer, of course, depends on what an individual would like to do. Still, it is to be hoped that one will find something progressive for them to do in their newly found spare time (and there certainly are many good causes one can support which will also help them develop new friendships and find a new contentment).
This is my educated testimony, based on decades of experience, and which I hope will be helpful to those struggling to find a happier life outside the church.