Why isn't this a universal 'truism'? I haven't read a science textbook in 20 years... and yet, somehow, I still believe the Earth is round.
The core of the 'gospel' is love. Although I'm an ex-mo, I still maintain a passionate 'testimony' of love. How is this possible if I haven't been praying and reading the scriptures? Surely that would be the first thing to go....
Mormons have created cult behaviors that have no connection to reality. For example: wearing temple garments doesn't amount to anything other than a cult behavior to remind you of the cult you are in.
The reality is that Mormons read the scriptures to fulfill their cult behavior requirements. That is what is really at stake here.
Mormons don't read their scriptures to learn things because often times they don't even know what their scriptures say. If they did read their scriptures closely then they would probably be appalled.
upThink Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Why isn't this a universal 'truism'? I haven't > read a science textbook in 20 years... and yet, > somehow, I still believe the Earth is round.
Because you don't need to "believe" the earth is round (well, ok, an oblate spheroid). There is more than ample evidence to demonstrate the actual shape of the earth beyond any reasonable doubt. Once you learn the facts in that evidence, you don't need to continually reinforce a "belief" in the face of contradictory evidence, or no evidence for the "belief." Facts are like that. You only need to learn 'em once.
In Mormonism, testimony is code for programmed indoctrination. Programmed indoctrination fades if it is not repeated often enough. Many who are indoctrinated from birth can no longer even sense that they are indoctrinated because it has become so deeply imbedded in their mind and thinking. There are those who are so deeply programmed they still cannot let go of the idea that the earth is flat. Some people are more susceptible to programming than others. I don't think we know why.
If science teaches you a fact or a theory it is not trying to irrationally convince you. Science is just trying to work plausibly to understand reality. If a theory is disproved when it no longer corresponds with reality, another theory is constructed to take its place and scientific method will prove the erroneous theory not worth retaining. There are a few scientists who have trouble giving up on old theories that no longer make sense because they have gotten so comfortable with the old. But if they will not accept proof that the old theory is incorrect they risk losing credibility and research funding.
Can you imagine a scientist reporting, "I have a testimony that my theory is true! I just feel sooo good when I ponder my theory that it MUST be true. Therefore, I will not perform any testing, random or otherwise, because I've never found a theory that pleases me as much as this one does." This type of scientist would also proclaim, "I have decided to doubt my doubts about this theory. Therefore, my theory is correct because I refuse to entertain any doubts, of my own or those of others, that it is not true." I think this scientist would find himself out of a job and likely registered as a resident at the funny farm.
NormaRae Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > And if you lose your testimony, you stop praying > and reading the scriptures. > > You don't just all of the sudden one day stop > praying and reading and them bamm, no testimony.
With me, I lost my "testimony," and in desperation turned to reading the scriptures and praying to try and get it back. This happened the last 3 months of my mission. Trouble is, praying and reading the scriptures didn't get it back. I kept finding things in the scriptures that showed I shouldn't have a "testimony," and I got nothing from praying.
. . . you won't do as well in school. . . . you'll be tempted to neck and pet. . . . you'll feel unworthy in your priesthood duties. . . . you won't be an effective missionary. . . . you won't find the elect searching for the truth.
. . . you won't be wearing the whole armor of God. . . . you won't be teachable. . . . your spirit will harden. . . . you may not find the right eternal companion. . . . you'll disappoint your loving Heavenly Father.
. . . you'll never know the (Mormon) truth. . . . you can't have the holy spirit guide you. . . . you'll be in Satan's territory. . . . the promptings of the Holy Ghost won't be discernible. . . . Moroni's BoM promise won't work.
. . . your day won't go well. . . . how will God communicate with you? . . . you'll rationalize obeying God's commandments. . . . you'll be tempted to sin. . . . general conferences will become meaningless.
. . . you'll stop following the prophet. . . . you'll reject what your leaders say. . . . you'll eventually stop going to church. . . . you're on your way to total inactivity and apostasy. . . . you're turning away from God.
. . . Satan will rejoice !!! ----------------------------------- I've heard every one of these phrases (and many more) from LDS leaders and in general conference talks.
It's so easy to REALLY KNOW how LDS Inc. operates and/or thinks when you were raised in it and knew nothing else!
EDIT: spacing reduction
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2015 04:10PM by jiminycricket.
This raises a question I've been wondering for a while.
It seems that a lot of Mormon doctrine is sustained by ignorance of the Scriptures, as the Book of Mormon itself contradicts all the distinctively LDS beliefs; also the Doctrine and Covenants is self-contradictory and offensive.
I've read a few people's accounts of losing their testimony as a direct result of a thorough reading of Mormon Scriptures.
So how does this not happen to more missionaries? I gather they put in a lot of hours studying the Scriptures. Those of you who did missions but stayed Mormon for years afterwards, how does that happen?
Usually members are assigned scriptures that are cherry picked and placed in lessons. The scriptures are also then given meaning by whom ever it is that wrote that particular lesson.
I've known very few mormons who have read the BoM, D&C, PoGP, and the Bible. In fact, i'm not sure i've known any now that I think of it.
Myself, I read all of these books, and I did it without study guides or manuals telling me what these books and scriptures are supposedly saying. I came away with a ton of questions that nobody seems to have answers to.
My back to back reading of the Bible and the BoM was a big surprise to me. That's when I realized that a huge chunk of the BoM was nothing more than a copy of the Bible. That was a huge boulder that went on the shelf. It took the invention of the internet and the information that had been witheld from me before I could put it all together. Once I had all the puzzle pieces it was easy for me to no longer be a Mormon.
I can understand having fear of losing all the spiritual stuff if you stop studying and praying only if you were raised in the faith. I never felt any different after joining LDS, Inc. than I did before joining. Reading and praying a lot just took away more of my time but I didn't feel any different and didn't really behave any different. It was the Sunday indoctrinations that kept me in line more than anything.