Hi Gaz,
I hear repeatedly here in this mesage board how wrong the Gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is. What I never hear is where these doubters go to worship and find truth. What alternative faith do these people offer once they have torn down our faith?
Please state, if you have left the church or are planning to leave the church, where you go now or are planning to go.
Also please state doctrinal differences and their replacements, with scriptural refrences if possible.
Thank you
Gaz
First, I am not a "doubter," although I am not quite sure what you mean by that. I don't get the sense that a lot of the posters here are "doubters."
So, perhaps, I am one not to add anything here. But, I will anyway.
I have left the church. In fact, I turned 48 on Sept. 14 of this year. For my b-day, I gave myself a present. I sent in my resignation letter to Greg at membership records. Just two weeks ago, my bishop here in Dresden dropped by unannounced to make sure I was the one who had sent the letter and to let me know how the process would proceed from that point.
One week after his visit, I received my 30-day letter, to which I won't be responding. So, soon I will be off the books (I guess?).
I left the church, physically and spiritually, over 20 years ago, however. There was no internet as we know it then, so it is fun now to hang out on the various boards and keep current with what is going on in Mormon world.
I am not a Christian. I don't believe in any kind of God. I live a "moral" life, but my morals aren't based in any religious texts. I have faith in myself, and in most others. I find truth any way I can, whatever "truth" is? But, I don't necessarily need to know the truth of everything to get along quite well in this world.
Life has been quite good and quite rewarding without God. I miss my Dad and my Mom and a couple of my siblings, who will have nothing to do with me for forsaking the Mormon way.
I'm not out to tear down your faith, but I am not going to give you a free pass either if you engage me in a discussion. I personally don't care if you have faith in god, or whatever. If you have faith in the God that would lead you to killing someone in his name, then I hope I'm not around when you get that special revelation. But, otherwise, knock yourself out.
To tell you the truth, after being out for over 20 years, Gaz, I can not understand why someone stays in any church, let alone the Mormon variety. It really is beyond me.
If there was some kind of conclusive proof that the Book of Mormon was actually what it says it is, or that the gold plates were returned, or even if we found the box that they were apparently buried in, I wouldn't go running back to my bishop on my hands and knees, begging for forgiveness. I am not attracted to Mormonism in the slightest. It is so aesthetically displeasing to me. I just shake my head when I read about those who say they would go back. If the Mormon church is what the truth really is, then I don't want the truth. That's how I feel about Mormonism and Christianity.
So, I don't offer you any alternative faith. You obviously can stand on your own two feet. You chose the Mormon faith. I have not so chosen. The thing is though, Gaz, I don't go around trying to convert people into my lifestyle and I would certainly never charge them money to follow me. And I would never threaten them with eternal unhappiness were they so inclined not to do so. That is, to me, a very ugly part of your religion.
I actually enjoy life and am quite at peace not knowing the truth of it all. In fact, that's what is cool about not believing the Mormon nonsense. The world is much more interesting and mysterious to me now than when I was trying to figure out Kolobian astronomy and how handshakes had to be
just so, in order to get into heaven.
Hope I answered some of your questions.
