Why I left the LDS Church (Warning: *LONG*)

[_Dr. Shades]

I thought I might be addressing a sudonym of the dark lord or one of his posse.

I don't use a pseudonym. I only go by "Dr. Shades."

[_friggs]

Dr. Shades,

Are you a doctor? A doctor of what?

[_Dr. Shades]

No, I'm not a doctor of anything. I only possess a four-year degree, nothing more.

"Dr. Shades" was never meant to be anything other than, say, "Dr. Pepper" or "Dr. Strangelove" or names of that ilk.

[_friggs]

A thank you letter to you anti-Mormons for helping gain a even stronger testimony.



{"Of course, there are plenty of ways to rationalize and justify each the things I listed above (and probably the mountain of other things I *didn't* list above). I myself can probably come up with excuses for why any of those items don't prove that Joseph wasn't a prophet. Sure, that works for each item *individually,* but *as a whole* those things are much, much harder to dismiss. Taken all together, the church looks PRECISELY like any other man-made church, either before or since." Dr. Shades}



After gaining a sure testimony of the Holy Spirit I have to thank you anti-Mormons for the testimony you have helped me gain and avoid the mistake many of you make in falling away and leading others away from the gospel. As I read these all to familiar words from many antis it always causes me to reflect back to spiritual experiences where the anti have helped me. They get so caught up in rationalizing the many problems of the LDS church which can be true with Old and New Testament and the famous many versions of the First Vision of Joseph Smith, which on the face pose problems until you read how many people were blessed with visions of both Our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Of course all these people are conmen just like Joseph Smith except I obtain the same witness as I did when I was taught of the First Vision and Book of Mormon story.

"Even people like Mrs. Harris that tried her best to discredit Joseph Smith was given a witness but this was not enough.
To this, Joseph replied, rather indifferently, "Why, yes, Mrs. Harris, I would as soon look you in the face and say so as not, if that will be any gratification to you."
Then said she, "Joseph, I will tell you what I will do; if I can get a witness that you speak the truth, I will believe all you say about the matter, and I shall want to do something about the translation--I mean to help you any way."
This closed the evening's conversation. The next morning, soon after she arose, she related a very remarkable dream which she had had during the night. It ran about as follows:
She said that a personage appeared to her, who told her that as she had disputed the servant of the Lord, and said his word was not to be believed, and had also asked him many improper questions, she had done that which was not right in the sight of God. After which he said to her, "Behold, here are the plates, look upon them and believe." "

Again I thank you for anti for posting these on one of your web pages because as I read her dream again I obtained a witness of the Holy Spirit that God gave her this dream which she did not use correctly but tried to destroy the gospel and Joseph.



Joseph Smith's 1833 "School of the Prophets" was also a place where fasting, wine and vision went together. One participant later described the visions during the School of the Prophets:
The brethren always went fasting; they went in the morning, remained until about four o'clock in the afternoon, when each had a glass of wine and piece of bread, after the ancient pattern. At every meeting the washing of feet was attended to.
At one of these meetings after the organization of the school, [Spring 1833] when we were all together ... a personage walked through the room from east to west, and Joseph asked if we saw him. I saw him and suppose the others did and Joseph answered that is Jesus, the Son of God, our elder brother.
Another person came through; he was surrounded as with a flame of fire. He (Brother Coltrin) experienced a sensation that it might destroy the tabernacle as it was of consuming fire of great brightness. The Prophet Joseph said this was the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. I saw Him. And the sensation was so powerful that it thrilled through my whole system and I felt it in the marrow of my bones. The Prophet Joseph said: Brethren, now you are prepared to be the apostles of Jesus Christ, for you have seen both the Father and the Son.
This appearance occurred about two or three weeks after the opening of the school. After the Father had passed through, Joseph told us to again take our positions in prayer. We did so, and in a very short time he drew our attention and said to us that Brother Reynolds Cahoon was about to leave us, and told us to look at him. He (Brother Cahoon) was on his knees and his arms were extended, his hands and wrists, head, face and neck down to his shoulders were as a piece of amber, clear and transparent, his blood having apparently left his veins. Upon the attention of the brethren being thus called to Brother Cahoon, the change seemed to pass away and Joseph said that in a few minutes more, Brother Cahoon would have left us, but he came to himself again. (Minutes, Salt Lake City School of the Prophets, October 3, 1883)
On March 30, 1836 during the dedication week of the Kirtland temple the Millennial Star reported that nearly five hundred brethren gathered in expectation of a spiritual Pentecost.
The bread and wine were then brought in… The Savior made His appearance to some, while angels ministered to others.


And on a more personal experience and lesson to me from you anti-Mormons. Many years after I left the LDS Church I was reading and anti-Mormon web page that was trying to turn the doctrine of sealing of men to men into some perversion gay play of Joseph Smith times and how later in Salt Lake city Wilford Woodruff as Prophet had decided that because of our lack of understanding of this principle of doctrine that each person should be sealed to their own father. As I was taking my lunch break and reading this from the computer at work and others around me were also looking on other computers in the room, some sleeping, some eating, and some talking, the spirit came from out side my body and filled my body and soul from my head to my feet and I felt as if I was going to be lifted out of my seat. I could not believe what was happening to me as I looked around me and no one else was aware of the Holy experience I was experiencing and was feeling in my soul. This happened each time I read this revelation from a living prophet. This is made even more impossible because some myths and misconception in the LDS Church about life after death that has risen up in the church. This great event got me off my butt and got much of my temple work done with thousands of names and working to get myself ready to be sealed to my father some day. So again I have to thank you Anti-Mormons for helping me one more time find the truth, not from logic, or "ways to rationalize and justify each" so called mistakes in church history that proves the church to be wrong but find the truth through the Holy Spirit. I learned early in my experience in the church that God uses the Holy Spirit to teach the truth not rationalizing or logic or great mental thought, because dummies like me and having less that a perfect mind like Dr. Shades would never be able to sort it out. The Gospel is for the rich and poor and those with perfect minds and those without. Just don't give up and go to your Heavenly Father and demand a witness that He has promised you.

[_harmony]

This great event got me off my butt and got much of my temple work done with thousands of names and working to get myself ready to be sealed to my father some day.

My temple recommend is as useful as yours.




grrr

[_Dr. Shades]

friggs:

Do you get the same burning in the bosom when you read about Joseph marrying other men's wives?

[_harmony]

friggs:

Do you get the same burning in the bosom when you read about Joseph marrying other men's wives?

Ahem. Since when does a man's character have anything to do with his qualifications to be a prophet?

[_Dr. Shades]

Ahem. Since when does a man's character have anything to do with his qualifications to be a prophet?

Since Principle 1.3 of the missionary discussions.

[_Buffalo]

Enjoyable read! I was unaware of the Brigham Young stealing people's money incident.

[_Buffalo]

We all celebrate the Pioneers and their spirit and sacrifice, yet we hardly ever hear about the Mormon Battalion, even though they *walked*--not rode in covered wagons, but *walked*--nearly three times as far. This is because over half of them apostatized after returning home to Winter Quarters. They by-and-large had directed that their pay should be given to Brigham Young so he could care for their families in their absence. They found, instead, that Brigham had kept all their money for himself, absconded to Utah, and left their families destitute and in squalor. The outrage caused the majority of them to apostatize--who can blame them? But the mass apostasy is why, compared to the pioneers, they're barely more than a footnote in church history books, even though their journey was far longer and their privations far greater.

We hear all the time about the persecution the Mormons endured in Missouri. What we don't hear is that the Mormons traded, bought, and sold only among themselves. In addition, they constantly told their non-Mormon neighbors that the Lord would soon drive them, the wicked, from their farms and give it to the Mormons to build Zion. Mormons also voted as a bloc at the direction of Joseph Smith, which meant that any politician hoping to be elected had to bend over backwards to please the Mormons--the votes and opinions of politically divided Missourians didn't count. Not only that, but after the Danite skirmish at the election booth, the Mormons marched on the towns of Millport and Gallatin, caused the inhabitants to flee, pillaged all the livestock and household goods from the farms, and then burned both towns to the ground. The looted material was called "the spoils of the gentiles" and the Lord had, according to Smith, given it to the Mormons. To make matters worse, they opened fire on a state militia, wounded one young man, and then hacked his face almost to pieces. THAT last incident is what sparked the "extermination order."

What of the Kirtland Bank? The one that was prophesied to swallow up all other banks? Well, after Joseph and Sidney failed to obtain a lawful banking charter, they simply stamped the bills with "anti-" and "ing co." around the word "Bank" and renamed it the Kirtland anti-Banking Company. Presto! Unfortunately, after declaring by revelation that all his followers must deposit their savings into this new bank, he used the money as security as he printed off lots of bank notes in order to pay off his debts. Once word got out, companies stopped accepting the bills as currency, there was a run on the bank, and many of Smith's followers lost everything. He didn't flee Kirtland because of any "persecution," he fled Kirtland to escape charges of bank fraud and lawsuits from his creditors!

Can you suggest further reading on these three topics?