This may be my next interaction with a family member when this worn out TBM cliche is used against me as a put-down conversation killer...
OK dear Brother...first of all you haven't spent the last upmteen years reading and investigating the Mormonism that we were simply born into so to kick thinks off I already "know" that you "know" that you "don't know" that it's true. And along with that I am proud to say that I am the only one of our generation that actually took Mormonism seriously enough to take the time to investigate its claims and you haven't.
But getting back to your premise that you claim to "know" it's true...if that indeed were the case than that would also mean that you have gone beyond the need for having "faith" that it's true and if you no longer need "faith" to bolster your belief that it's "true" than that would mean that you now possess a "perfect knowledge" of the "truth" of Mormonism and if you actually possessed and had a "perfect knowledge" of the whole of Mormonism then that so-called and self-claimed "perfect knowledge" of yours could only lead you to the fact that Mormonism is a crock of sh*t again because you have never personally taken the time to crack open any books and investigate your congenital religion because the bone-chilling fear of embarrassment of ultimately having to admit to your spouse and your kids that you have been completely and utterly wrong about Mormonism over your lifetime thus far is more painful and terrifying than just playing along with the family-destroying Mormon con game!!!
So just how is that "perfect knowledge" scheme working out for you now???
So fellow ExMo's how's that for some ExMo tautology?
I accept that Mormonism is true ----- God Myth, just like thousands of other ones that need or require a spiritual witness and is not dependent on the validation of factual evidences.
So ya, Mormonism is "true" ! :-)
I don't think it's productive to argue WHAT is : TRUE!
I just accept that religious believers are predominately culturally and emotionally bonded/attached to their idea of spiritual, religious truth and.......let it be.
Why ? Because religions are not generally based on factual evidences that can be verified. The whole point of faith is to accept the spiritual claims.
Spiritual eye experiences are, from the get-go in Mormonism, accepted as evidence.
Besides, more people than not, (as most stats say) believe in a deity, and angels, ghosts, hauntings, and life after death and visitations. It's a common acceptable notion that makes successful TV shows also! :-)
I might poo-poo those ideas, from time to time, if I'm with someone who has a good sense of humor! :-)
I think I would understand the logic better if you quoted them scriptures about the necessity of faith? Then, once they concede that they don't actually KNOW it is true, tell them now would be a great time to test that faith and read things that are critical to Mormonism. The truth has nothing to hide.
Your response is on target but you won't win any arguments with it. People with enough faith are tone deaf to logic, reason and sensibility. Cognitive dissonance takes control and overrides all objectivity and evidence.
However, if the person to whom you are speaking seems genuinely interested and inquisitive, you might be onto something. Keep up the good work!
When everyone around you keeps saying the sky is green, you start to doubt your own perceptions.
So you say, "Okay, I THINK the sky might be green."
They say, "Good, but we KNOW the sky is green, and there's something terribly wrong with you if you don't also KNOW it's green. Now, try again."
So every month, in case someone's self-delusion circuits might be shorting out a little -- including their own -- they get up and reassert they KNOW the Joseph's Myth is true.
If they are anything like my parents Jesus Christ himself could come down and tell them that this church is a fraud, and they would think it was a trick of "the adversary" trying to lead them astray.