I went out with my friend for a light dinner yesterday night and I asked her about how she came to the conclusion the church wasn't true.

She told me she did some research after some friends who were born and raised in the church reached out to her. This prompted her to conduct her own research and she started digging into the LDS church essays and anything she could get her hands on. Turns out, her friends had every reason to worry. She mentally checked out the church 2 weeks after that.

She went to Family Home Evening at her bishop's house where she met her friend's (who also happens to live in her neighborhood) girlfriend who wasn't a Mormon. She was interested in joining the church and she got her brother who she was never close to wanting to do the same. She took her email and emailed her things she found out about the church:

1. Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon using a rock which he placed into the bottom of a hat and he would put his face into it to "translate" it. She talked about how ridiculous it sounded and why God couldn't have made the translation process more glorious if Joseph Smith really was a man of God. After all, they didn't even show him translating the Book of Mormon that way when she watched his biographical movie at the temple's visitor center before she joined.

2. They used $1 Bn to pay for City Creek Mall and a retractable roof using tithing money.

3. Joseph Smith had 34 wives - one of whom was 14 years old at the time. And a 14 year old in Joseph Smith's time is what a 10 year old is like in our time (pedophilia). Not only this, he sent men on missions for the church and married some of their wives behind their back.

4. The polygamy doctrine still exists in D&C and the only reason the church rid of the practice was to bend to the U.S. government to obtain statehood for Utah.

She did some digging in the plural marriage essay on LDS.org and that blew her mind - the church got polygamy dead wrong when using the Bible as a reference. When reading the context, there was no way to ever infer that God instituted it or told his people to engage in polygamy.


What happened next? My friend was outed by her Mormon friend's girlfriend who forwarded her email to the bishop. The bishop met with her after sacrament meeting and pulled out the printed email to talk with her about it. He accused her of scriptural/faith bashing which was not what she had intended or what she was even doing to begin with. Her point was to point out what this person needed to know about the history and practices of the church in an effort to open her eyes. Yes, she did tell her in the email not to join, but my friend honestly believes her former bishop was looking to pick a fight in that area with her. The talk went well in her opinion, but it seemed to her that he was offended by the email that caused him to react the way he did to her. But here's where my friend found absolutely confusing about that - how can he be offended if what she mentioned in the email was all true?

I think she should have asked him if any of the things she mentioned in the email were true. The only thing he said to her was that "these issues have been brought up before" and were "common" and how she could've talked to him or one of the counselors. Firmly, I think my friend found out more than what she could've through them. It's out there in black and white and there are no gray areas.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/2018 09:55AM by helenm.

"But here's where my friend found absolutely confusing about that - how can he be offended if what she mentioned in the email was all true?"

Boyd Packer said, "Some things that are true are not very useful."

Bishop was offended because you're not supposed to bring up inconvenient truths if they make the church look bad. Instead, you're supposed to engage in what's called "Lying for the Lord."

This is a compilation of over 150 instances of mormon leaders lying for the Lord. Your friend would be appalled:

http://www.mormonthink.com/lying.htm

Sorry...I can't get past the massive boundary crashing of forwarding an email to an unintended recipient (without permission)!! Holy Cow! I would be furious if someone other than an intended recipient read, printed and had the indecency to personally confront me with something that was none of his %^*++ business.

Maybe the investigator has found a new home. She should like her new “friends”.

I'm also incensed by the forwarding of of the email.

Even if you can somehow look past to all the doctrinal and intentional deceipt, why would you want to join an organization that encourages people to be dishonest?

It's just a very bad corporation that masquerades itself as a church.

Cyber tattletale?

Fantasies can be very comforting, but ultimately, "the truth will set you free." When you are in possession of the truth, you can make an informed decision that is based on your own best self interest and/or the best interests of your loved ones.

But the truth can be very difficult. Some people are not ready for it. Some people prefer the fantasy.

At first my friend was unsettled because she wanted to leave the church her way and the last thing she expected was to be outed. In the end, it didn't matter because the church is what it is. She just would have rather have it her way with her own exit.

Anyone know y this investigator would do that? She most likely showed the email to her boyfriend and the boyfriend gave her the bishop's email to forward my friend's email. Her boyfriend lives in the same neighborhood as my friend. Maybe her boyfriend told her to.....

Some people DO just forward emails, I agree it is a massive boundary crash but....

it just reinforces the thought: don't put anything in writing unless you don't mind it being printed and posted on the company bulletin board for everyone to see.

Mormons don't like the truth

She's one step shy of being disfellowshipped or excommunicated.

They deal harshly with the most honest of criticism.

Oh say what is truth?

Unfortunately, it's a common tactic to call respectfully raising valid concerns "bashing," "fostering the spirit of contention," or even "persecution." But really this person was just trying to figure things out.

It's a way of saying this conversation is out of bounds and don't ask anymore questions.

This is not bigotry or prejudice. If anything its self examination and "postjudice." Most of the people concerned with these matters are/were Mormons themselves.