I thought of leaving the church until I read....

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_LDS truthseeker
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Re: I thought of leaving the church until I read....

Post by _LDS truthseeker »

why me wrote:
LDS truthseeker wrote:WHY ME - I don't know your story other than you are an inactive LDS guy that still defends the LDS church as much as any apologist I've seen. Can I ask why you aren't active in the LDS church if you still believe it?

Take in mind I am not judging you. I don't believe in the church yet I am still active in it and I get a lot of heat sometimes from people on other boards for remaining in the church but no longer believing in it so I kinda understand the situation.


Well this is an honest question. First, I see nothing wrong in the LDS church. I have two daughters in the LDS church. One has served a mission and the other is now serving. I have supported them both. However, like some of the witnesses to the Book of Mormon I have lost interest in serving and in being active in the LDS church. However, like them, I can not deny my testimony from the holy spirit when I got on my hand and knees and prayed about the Book of Mormon. I felt a powerful confirmation. So, I may not be able to do it. But I can still defend it against people who wish to destroy the LDS church.


I understand. I still won't hesitate to defend the church against what I think are unjust attacks - like when people say the LDS church isn't christian or practice witchcraft in the temple or some of Ed Decker's exaggerated criticisms.
_RayAgostini

Re: I thought of leaving the church until I read....

Post by _RayAgostini »

why me wrote:A few years ago I thought of leaving the church. I read about Joseph Smith and it affected me greatly. But after posting on the postmo site and after being treated badly by postmo posters and banned and after posting on NOM and after being treated poorly by NOM posters and banned, I came to the conclusion that being a critic is just awful because it gives one permission to treat others badly. And so, I want to thank posters like Polygamy Porter for helping me stay in the church. It is because of posters like Polygamy Porter and others like him that caused me to rethink my decision and defend the LDS church.

Thank you ldstoronto for getting me to think why I remain a Mormon.


I can't think of any worse motivation to stay active in the Church.
_cafe crema
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Re: I thought of leaving the church until I read....

Post by _cafe crema »

RayAgostini wrote:
why me wrote:A few years ago I thought of leaving the church. I read about Joseph Smith and it affected me greatly. But after posting on the postmo site and after being treated badly by postmo posters and banned and after posting on NOM and after being treated poorly by NOM posters and banned, I came to the conclusion that being a critic is just awful because it gives one permission to treat others badly. And so, I want to thank posters like Polygamy Porter for helping me stay in the church. It is because of posters like Polygamy Porter and others like him that caused me to rethink my decision and defend the LDS church.

Thank you ldstoronto for getting me to think why I remain a Mormon.


I can't think of any worse motivation to stay active in the Church.


Not to worry he says he is inactive and attends a Catholic church.
_Buffalo
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Re: I thought of leaving the church until I read....

Post by _Buffalo »

why me wrote:A few years ago I thought of leaving the church. I read about Joseph Smith and it affected me greatly. But after posting on the postmo site and after being treated badly by postmo posters and banned and after posting on NOM and after being treated poorly by NOM posters and banned, I came to the conclusion that being a critic is just awful because it gives one permission to treat others badly. And so, I want to thank posters like Polygamy Porter for helping me stay in the church. It is because of posters like Polygamy Porter and others like him that caused me to rethink my decision and defend the LDS church.

Thank you ldstoronto for getting me to think why I remain a Mormon.


How can you leave a church that you've never belonged to?
Parley P. Pratt wrote:We must lie to support brother Joseph, it is our duty to do so.

B.R. McConkie, © Intellectual Reserve wrote:There are those who say that revealed religion and organic evolution can be harmonized. This is both false and devilish.
_daheshism
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Re: I thought of leaving the church until I read....

Post by _daheshism »

Most members of "Post-Mormon" and "Ex-Mormon Foundation" are Atheists, and therefore assholes. Have you not noticed that all Atheists seem to be assholes who believe they are superior to everybody else?

The Nazi party was founded by Atheists (with a few occultists), so it should not surprise you that "Post-Mormon" and "Ex-Mormon Foundation" is filled to the brim with assholes. I would say that both groups is 90% arrogant "I'm better than YOU!!!" assholes.

But that is no reason to stay in the LDS Church! You should stay based upon its own MERITS, and not the fact NOMs and Post-Mormons and Ex-Mormons are, for the most part, Assholes.


why me wrote:A few years ago I thought of leaving the church. I read about Joseph Smith and it affected me greatly. But after posting on the postmo site and after being treated badly by postmo posters and banned and after posting on NOM and after being treated poorly by NOM posters and banned, I came to the conclusion that being a critic is just awful because it gives one permission to treat others badly. And so, I want to thank posters like Polygamy Porter for helping me stay in the church. It is because of posters like Polygamy Porter and others like him that caused me to rethink my decision and defend the LDS church.

Thank you ldstoronto for getting me to think why I remain a Mormon.
_consiglieri
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Re: I thought of leaving the church until I read....

Post by _consiglieri »

I thought of leaving the church until I read . . .



. . . The Gainsayers, by Darrick Evenson.


All the Best!

--Consiglieri
You prove yourself of the devil and anti-mormon every word you utter, because only the devil perverts facts to make their case.--ldsfaqs (6-24-13)
_daheshism
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Re: I thought of leaving the church until I read....

Post by _daheshism »

What I wrote in "The Gainsayers" is still true. Ed Decker is and was a liar, and "The God Makers" was filled with distorations. However, because anti-Mormons often lie does not make Mormonism true. All it proves is that Evangelicals are ignorant people. But, then again, so are most Mormons.

consiglieri wrote:I thought of leaving the church until I read . . .



. . . The Gainsayers, by Darrick Evenson.


All the Best!

--Consiglieri
_consiglieri
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Joined: Tue Apr 24, 2007 10:47 pm

Re: I thought of leaving the church until I read....

Post by _consiglieri »

daheshism wrote:What I wrote in "The Gainsayers" is still true. Ed Decker is and was a liar, and "The God Makers" was filled with distorations. However, because anti-Mormons often lie does not make Mormonism true. All it proves is that Evangelicals are ignorant people. But, then again, so are most Mormons.



There is a lot more in the book than just documenting anti-Mormon lies.

There are whole chapters devoted to demonstrating Mormonism is a restoration of ancient Christianity.

Perhaps if you read this book again, you would come back to the LDS Church . . .


All the Best!

--Consiglieri
You prove yourself of the devil and anti-mormon every word you utter, because only the devil perverts facts to make their case.--ldsfaqs (6-24-13)
_Blixa
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Re: I thought of leaving the church until I read....

Post by _Blixa »

consiglieri wrote:
There is a lot more in the book than just documenting anti-Mormon lies.

There are whole chapters devoted to demonstrating Mormonism is a restoration of ancient Christianity.

Perhaps if you read this book again, you would come back to the LDS Church . . .


All the Best!

--Consiglieri


Image
From the Ernest L. Wilkinson Diaries: "ELW dreams he's spattered w/ grease. Hundreds steal his greasy pants."
_daheshism
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Re: I thought of leaving the church until I read....

Post by _daheshism »

I wrote the book! I did show in the Gainsayers that the ancient Christians believed that men could become "gods". That is very true. However, the fact that the ancient Christians believed that men may become gods (the Eastern Orthodox churches still believe this), and that there were different degrees of reward in Heaven, does not mean Mormonism is true. The "truth" of Mormonism rests upon Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon, and my research has shown....

1) I cannot trust Joseph Smith. He lied too much. Not saying he didn't see God and Jesus. I'm saying ____I cannot believe a word he said because he lied too much____.

2) The Book of Mormon CANNOT be historical. Too much evidence against it being historical. Wrong animals. Wrong DNA. Wrong lots of things. Just can't be historical. It was a creation of the early 19th century, and the evidence for that is overwhelming. NOT saying Joseph Smith wrote it. He probably did not. Still, it is not "history".

I would say that the Eastern Orthodox churches are the closest thing to "original" Christianity. They teach men may become gods. They teach Mary as "the mother of God" (as the original Book of Mormon said). They teach Hagia Sophia ("Sacred Wisdom"--Heavenly Mother who became incarnate as Mary). They teach praying for the dead (but not baptism for the dead), etc. From all of my thousands of hours of reading the Ancient Church Fathers, the Greek Orthodox Churches are nearer to what the ancient Christians believed than any other church calling itself Christian; including the Mormon Church.

Then why not join them? Because Jesus has returned many times to this planet. In the 20th century He returned as Doctor Dahesh, the miracle-working Prophet of Lebanon. I follow Him.
http://prophetoflebanon.webs.com

Darrick Evenson


consiglieri wrote:
daheshism wrote:What I wrote in "The Gainsayers" is still true. Ed Decker is and was a liar, and "The God Makers" was filled with distorations. However, because anti-Mormons often lie does not make Mormonism true. All it proves is that Evangelicals are ignorant people. But, then again, so are most Mormons.



There is a lot more in the book than just documenting anti-Mormon lies.

There are whole chapters devoted to demonstrating Mormonism is a restoration of ancient Christianity.

Perhaps if you read this book again, you would come back to the LDS Church . . .


All the Best!

--Consiglieri
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