I still remember my wife and I taking the missionary discussions at some friends' home some 43 years ago.

I recall vividly watching a film strip with accompanying cassette tape audio (and the "beeps" to advance the frame, LOL). One night one of the eager missionaries couldn't help himself and interjected that at one point he remembered SEEING THE SAVIOR COME TO LIFE from one of the frames when he was watching the same film strip.

On reflection I should have known right then and there. It was very much the first thing on my shelf.

Anyone else care to share what was the first thing on your shelf?

. . . was visited by the Holy Ghost who, in his still small voice, said, "Don't feel bad. I was fooled, too."



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2017 06:39PM by steve benson.

...was showing that very same filmstrip to investigators, and during the "first vision story" part, thought to myself, "Oh, please."

But it took me nearly two more years to figure it out.
Sigh.*


(* that was for caffiend!)

. . . we were showing a film strip complete with beeps to advance the frame to investigators and we got to the part that showed outer darkness or something like that--flashes of orange and clanging scary sounds as I remember to represent the weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, and, the investigators laughed hysterically. I was shocked.

When it went for my wallet.

I was forced to repent for a sin I didn't commit.

...read the Book of Mormon the first time and thought--naw, that really didn't happen. Moroni's Boner

When my institute teacher said that Jesus was married, because he would not be able to go to the Celestial Kingdom if he weren't.

Um...I thought he was God's...God in the manner of flesh...? What he allegedly went through was not enough?

This was some months after I joined. And I stayed for over a decade...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/13/2017 08:02PM by severedpuppetstrings.

Me and the other missionaries that were in my group were just getting ready to receive assignments to our first area. Before the announcement was made, I told the elder sitting next to me that I had a feeling that I was getting sent to the northern part of the mission. Almost immediately, my name was called. I was assigned to an area just a few blocks away from the mission home instead.

"Maybe your feeling was just gas, " the other elder said.

Where was he when I was investigating the church?

For me, it was reading about the Bible in the BOM. <eyes rolling>

It was having multiple wives and spirit babies in the next life for me!

When I was an 'investigator' as a senior in college I was reading the Book of Mormon there was a passage where Joseph is specifically mentioned in bringing forth the book as a prophesy. It seemed cheesy or fake. Why didn't I stop there?

This may have been the first clue for me too. Whenever someone has complete control over producing the "evidence" its bad enough, but when the evidence he controls lines up to testify that the producer of the evidence is truthful its a circular tautology.

Hoaxes are that way. Someone pretends a racist symbol was painted on their door, for example. No one but the accuser saw it happen and the incident supports what the accuser has been saying previously--that they have experienced discrimination. And so the appearance of the symbol or swastika just proves they've been telling the truth.

Joseph's control of the cast of characters in the Book of Mormon, a book only he saw and translated, was bad enough but when those characters testify that he is a prophet and will bring forth the book, it's just so obvious.

Eric K Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why didn't I stop there?

Because there were thousands and thousands of exmos who would need you later.

Thank you.

Eric K Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When I was an 'investigator' as a senior in
> college I was reading the Book of Mormon there was
> a passage where Joseph is specifically mentioned
> in bringing forth the book as a prophesy.

I mentioned this to a Mormon missionary I knew a few years ago, and he said that Joseph must have been thrilled as he was translating the Book of Mormon to find himself mentioned in this ancient record!

Indeed!Joseph is translating and then all of a sudden his own name is brought up! What a powerful testimony!

This was a shelf item for me too...along with hundreds of other things.

was taught that blacks weren't going to get the priesthood until the millennium...something about fence sitters, rejected the priesthood in the pre-existence or whatever.

I was about 15 years old and the missionaries were teaching me about the First Vision. I remember raising an eyebrow and going, "Oh, yeah?" I wondered why they would believe such a crazy story.

But I was a kid and I had adults saying to me, "So few people find the truth and you've found it. Aren't you lucky?"

I thought, "All of these adults wouldn't lie to me." And my best friend had been baptized too. Plus, I was bullied in school and the Mormon kids didn't bully me.

So I guess I put my doubts aside and eventually got baptized. It still took them a year-and-a-half to get me into the water though. I didn't realize until I was out that I never did get to the point of absolute belief. It was more like, "Well, I don't understand it, but I guess, somehow, it is true."

I wish I'd followed my first instinct though. I guess, deep down inside, I always knew the truth.

.....went through the temple endowment ceremony the first time, swore death oaths and pantomimed slitting my throat, cutting my bowels open, and if I recall correctly, slicing myself diagonally across the torso from waist to shoulder.....all to protect secret handshakes that would get me past the guards in heaven.

That, and the new underwear I was suppose wear for the rest of my life.

This is a really good question. So many times now I ask myself, "where was my brain?" But I had to stop and think when was the first time I really should have questioned--should have known. I'd have to say:

I should have known it was fake when I was lined up with a dozen other young women, totally naked except for a poncho-like sheet, open on the sides, waiting for my turn to go behind the curtain and have 2 old ladies touch my breasts and loins with oil and put my uglyass (one-piece) undies on me.

When you go back to your locker to dress and have to sit on the little chair to get yourself together and let the nausea pass, it's a red flag. And if that wasn't, the learning of the secret handshakes and passwords and pantomiming my own violent demise that followed should have done it. But no, it was just me. Everyone else said it was wonderful and sperchul and if I didn't feel that way it wasn't my brain kickin in, it was Stan trying to possess my soul.

WWMB?

AHHH how awful! Sorry you and so many others had to go through that horror. (I was lucky in that I never did 'go through' the temple).

Like you said though, nobody else was saying that they thought it was bad. But most likely almost ALL of them DID think it was terrible but everyone was too afraid to be the 'only' one to say anything! Kind of funny in a very sad way when you think about it like that. Very tragically so!

I had a good chuckle at your writing 'sperchul' I forgot how people talked that way. :) Thanks for the share! Glad you are free of it now anyway!

PS_ I was surprised to recently learn from my long time EX-Mo aunt that my mom (her sis) went with her for the endowments for her first time and my mom warned her the night before that it 'might seem a little weird'.. it was so interesting for me to hear that, because I always thought my mom just 'loved' everything Mormon, and esp. everything temple. But I can see now she just believes so hard that she feels she MUST do all that 'god' wants her to, no matter how weird or uncomfortable it seems… TBMs can always chalk up the weird stuff to 'God testing' them or 'God working in mysterious ways' or 'His ways are not our ways' and all the rest of that BS!

1-The time my ex TBM spouse asked me to lie at my Temple Recommend interview prior to our wedding. My ex made me fear he wouldn't marry me if I wasn't temple worthy by the church. My ex knew exactly why I would not be considered worth since he participated in the "act".
For the record, I lied. I "passed" and I knew it was a hoax, but was in love with my guy....

2-After that event, my patriarchal blessing (which my ex attended) stated how the Lord was pleased in me, how I made the decision to be married in the Temple, and marry such a worthy priesthood holder.

3-When after marriage my ex made statements of "Glad we don't have to hide anymore".

4-Incident after incident of comments, teachings, etc. that I now "belonged" to my husband because of my temple sealing how how all decisions were made thru him first.

RMM-Who wasted too much time on guilt, worry, and pain over these events in the past.

As an investigator, the missionaries told my mother she could not go to the celestial kingdom unless my dad converted and married her in the temple. I could never understand how anyone else could stop my mother from going to heaven if she was worthy in her own right. What if my dad had been an ax murderer? Still????

Then, after we were both baptized, we were told about the garments. That really made me upset that they kept garments a secret because the very idea of mandatory underwear freaked me out.

Every time I brought-up the things that made no sense I was just told that everything would be explained in the hereafter. Can't believe I bought it all for so long.

Not sure what the first time was, but once I was seen not ignoring the JWs on the streets of my town. I think I even went as far as exchanging greetings with them in passing by. Next Sunday some busybody, a convert like my parents, who had seen me do this, explained to me why the JWs were a cult. And all I could think was "then what are we?"

He was hallucinating... just like Joseph's Myth.

that I put on my shelf. One of the first big ones was I finally had close relationships with nonmembers. I grew up in Brigham City, Utah, so didn't know many nonmembers and certainly no one close enough to really know them. I started working at Thiokol and met some really great nonmormons who became my very good friends, family. I finally dated more than one or two guys. Nonmormon guys really, really liked me, and yet I was very "chaste." They wanted to marry me. WTH?

They treated me SO WELL I couldn't believe it, better than mormons had ever treated me EXCEPT some of the mormon men I met out at Thiokol, who also treated me better than I had ever been treated in mormonism.

When I decided not to marry the nonmormon I had been dating and who worked with us, they couldn't believe it.

YEARS later, like 28, our old boss called this nonmormon after he got divorced so he could get us back together.

They didn't see a problem with me marrying someone not mormon because of the type of person he is and they loved these nonmormons like I do.

These men are exceptions to most mormons I know and they are very active mormon.

If that story made any sense. I've been back with the nonmormon I dated at age 20 for 12-1/2 years now.

That was my first real eye-opening moment back in my 20s, but dealing with leaders over the gay issues was the last straw.

I joined because the company I worked for were all nice, successful Mormon guys, and it coincided with my resolve to stop being a drunken womanizer and settle down. So... after my temple trip I asked " why is the temple ceremony not mentioned in the BOM? The answer, oh so perfect... " YES! That is why the gospel was restored!!! The LDS church is THE restored gospel!!! The temple rituals were lost through apostasy and required restoration by Joe". So the 1st item on the shelf was .... ready... hmmmmm...... so..... why did the temple ritual change so many times if it just needed restoration by Joe? Which led to the next shelf item ... that IS the best part! Ya! We have a profit to guide us in these latter days to change as necessary the rituals for changing times. " Oh. Ok." The next dozen or do shelf items from BOA, to 14 y/o wives, to changing versions of the 1st vision to.... it only took 5 years of passive aggressive" less active" before I silently bailed and now work as an example to all my still MO friends and family of happiness outside the church.

- " We have a profit to guide us in these latter days "

I think you did a Freudian slip here by spelling 'prophet' as 'profit'.. But I think it's PERFECT!

LOL

…read (in an approved church source) that the "mor" syllable in "Mormon" was the English word "more."

The English language wouldn't exist until 1000 years after Mormon was supposed to have lived.

<hangs head>

As a child (not sure what age) when I was told that it's the only true church and that you had to be Mormon to make it to the CK...that started my cog-dis. That just didn't add up for me.

I was about 4 or 5. My mother told me to never ever ask questions about the church because I wouldn't go to heaven if I did. 60 years later, I recall that like it was yesterday.

went thru the temple for the first time with my companion in the MTC and heard that satan had "claws like a bear" and had to put head down and cover my face for laughing uncontrollably.

The Book of Abraham. I was on my mission visiting an LDS bookstore. I saw a book with a picture of the BOA scrolls. I had previously thought they were lost (probably forever). I turned to my companion and asked, "why don't they translate it and prove it to be true?". When he told me they had and it was nothing more than a common book of the dead I thought, " my gosh! It's not true!". Then I proceeded to find every possible way to justify the discrepancy and continue on my way. It took a while, but that moment eventually caught back up with me.

Abuse, betrayal, lies by member, scammed by members, hateful behavior by leaders.

... heard my friend laugh out loud after I told him that an angel had taken the gold plates into heaven.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/26/2017 10:45PM by PapaKen.

heard them say they needed 10 percent of my income

https://www.com/watch?v=yeAB36UkYtc

corrected link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeAB36UkYtc

Hinkley quote from the video (when addressing a group of missionaries) -

"Well you are not much to look at but you're all the lord has."

What an ASS-hole!

And you see that one man's reaction in the audience who at first sort of courtesy/ knee jerk reaction, smiles and then he looks down and you can tell he's thinking 'WTF!??'

went through the temple the first time, and (while watching the temple movie) seeing Satan turn to face the audience and say that we would all be under his power if we didn't uphold the teachings we learned that day. I felt chills, but not because I "felt the spirit", or because it was cold. Then "performing" the death penalties on myself if I dared to tell anybody anything that was learned in that crazy place.

LOL!

I'm surprised that no one mentioned the following items:

1) The Reorganized Church rejected the Book of Abraham completely.

2) The Reorganized Church has said for 2 decades that the Book of Mormon is not based on history.

(Remember the Reorganized Church was led by direct decedents of Joseph Smith Jr for over 150 years beginning with Joseph Smith the 3rd.)

3) Where is the rock book that Joseph Smith found the gold plates. It should still should be able to be seen by everyone IF the story of the Book of Mormon is true.

4) Why would Joseph Smith forced women who is already married to living husbands to marry him as well?

5) Why didn't Joseph Smith not practice what he preached? Joseph Smith NEVER lived the Word of Wisdom (nor did Brigham Young for that matter). Joseph Smith's form of polygamy was not even in accordance with D&C 132. Polygamy was never legal in the US (Remember these words?: We believe in Sustaining, Honoring, and Obeying the Law. How can you say this and go out of your way to violate the law every chance you get?).

6) All the willful lying on the part of Salt Lake. I thought deception was a trait of Satan and not of God.

7) Members were excommunicated for telling the truth about the Church in the past.

8) Members are excommunicated now still for questioning the GAs or for using our right of Freedom of Speech to speak against the Church.

9) You will lose your blessings if you resign or are excommunicated from the Church. Right! As if man can take away ANY blessing given to me by GOD. Man can only revoke man-made blessings.

10) THIS IS THE BIG ONE! In two different gospels, Jesus clearly states that MARRAIGE DOES NOT EXIST IN HEAVEN! So, who are you going to believe? The Bible or a so-called GA?????

Thanks for the list.

It's incredible what most members just DO NOT KnOW about their so called 'religion' to begin with (for a reason, since if they DID know there would be no 'religion' left!)

I didn't even KNOW there WAS a reformed LDS church until I heard of it while at BYU.

I think that was one of the first little tremors before the big earthquake hit me and shook that LDS belief system foundation.

In fact I didn't know ANY of the 10 facts listed here during my whole LDS membership.

Number 3 above should have been written as:

3) Where is the rock BOX that the plates were found in?

When everyone had to keep testifying it was true.

When I read "cureloms and cummins." No interest in spelling that correctly, as if there were a correct spelling for something that goofy.

When I was reading in the book of Ether and it talked about a guy named Moron and a land called Moron. I laughed out loud and thought to myself I must be the 'Moron' if I believed there was really such a person or place.