“I would only start feeling better once I had figured out some way to rectify the question with my understanding of the gospel. Some of the convoluted logic leaps and bizarre rationalizations I went to were so obviously weak that I now can't believe they ever reassured me at all.”


Does anyone have examples of these rationalizations or leaps of logic?

Tyresias Wrote:
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> Does anyone have examples of these
> rationalizations or leaps of logic?

tapir = horse
chariot = litter
translation = inspiration
Ancient Mesoamerica = Pre-Christian Christian Israelite
polygamy = necessary evil (see book of Jacob in BoM)
true order of pray = praying
Utah = Zion
WoW = no beer, no drugs but no restraint on food
BoA = not an ancient funerary text

But I think this still applies.
Upstate NY = Big Foot stomping ground

Oh, and
wine = water
smoking = worse than sexual sin
sex sin = almost murder

So, if you smoke you are probably a murder.

Just sayin'.

When the BofA says our sun receives its light from Kolob through the medium of Kae-e-vanrash: I rationalized in my mind that this didn't refer to literal light (which is produced by nuclear fusion) but to some technological medium of communication in which the "light of christ" was able to permeate the galaxies through some undiscovered law of physics having to do with stars or something.

Story of Noah's Ark: I believed it was a space ark in which DNA was collected from every species of animal and Noah spent a year in orbit while the waters receded.

Blacks & Priesthood: When challenged I would ask the person if they believed the priesthood was real. If they said yes, I'd say "if it's real then it's the power of god on earth and it's up to him who should have it and when." If they said no, I'd respond, "if it's not real then nobody had it, not even white people."

Doctrinal changes to the Book of Mormon: I would assert Joseph Smith's translation was perfect, it was the original writings that were flawed and later fixed. Basically, the doctrinal changes were Mormon's fault and not Joseph Smith's. This allowed me to acknowledge somebody made mistakes, but reaffirmed my faith because I placed the blame on an imaginary character which made them seem more real.

Polygamy: I simply believed most of Lucifer's followers were men because they wanted more magical powers which left an imbalance.

You can imagine how light I felt when I finally dropped all that bullshit...

kolobian Wrote:
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> Story of Noah's Ark: I believed it was a space ark
> in which DNA was collected from every species of
> animal and Noah spent a year in orbit while the
> waters receded.

That's an interesting Sci-Fi short story, right there.

When reading the Book of Mormon for the first time trying to
"gain a testimony:" "this LOOKS like it was written by Joseph
Smith . . . BUT if Joseph Smith had written it he wouldn't have
made it look so obviously like he wrote it so he must not have
written it."

Joseph Jr. was just playing a joke on his friends when he had a revelation about Zelph the white Lamanite buried in Illinois.
---Or so says some of the fair people.

I did this hundreds of times.

Although I purposely avoided anything that would cause me doubts - I really, really tried to believe for a number of years I was at least casually aware of Brigham Young's Adam God theory.

I avoided research it in depth, but I at least knew enough to be sure he really did same some really screwy things officially in general conference.

So I decided to try to be "OK" with it. I thought about it and prayed about it.

Finally I got a "testimony" that feeling of peace inside that even though Brigham Young made a serious mistake in this area that overall this was the man God needed to be the prophet at that time to make his work progress. Brigham Young's personal mistake - even though it was a doozy - was not enough to stop the work from progressing and this was the man God needed in charge of the church.

Looking back that was some serious mental gymnastics to work around but I was able to do it. I actually at the time felt I came away from it being completely OK with it. If someone had brought up the Adam God theory I would have said I know all about it and have no problem with it. Of course, I didn't know the details of how big of deal it was and that Orson Pratt & Orson Hyde were demoted largely for arguing against BY on this both loosing their position to be the 3rd president of the church.

Wow. What was wrong with me? I never rationalized anything because I never doubted any of it--ever! They said it/I believed it, right up until the end. I can't remember a single doubt. Not one.

I'm feeling very unintellectual right now. If there ever was a true miracle it was me finally figuring out the lie.