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Every woman I know is grateful to have a worthy priesthood leader in their home, and don't know what they would do without the priesthood in their home. As a man who was ordained to various priesthood offices, and had all the keys and powers associated with those offices bestowed upon me by righteous priesthood brethren, it was quite obvious to me that I had no more special spiritual gifts than I did before I had the priesthood. It's like being given a superhero suit and told that it gives you the ability to fly, but when you put it on and jump up in the air nothing happens. That's what having the priesthood was like for me. But TBM women have never experienced this feeling, and continue to believe that men with the priesthood have special powers, and the men play along.

When I made the decision to leave the church for good I had a very frank conversation with a priesthood holder of relatively high rank (I'm not going to reveal more than that). He admitted to knowing that the historical claims of the Book of Mormon were completely absurd, and implied that many other church officials know exactly the same thing. He tried to convince me that it was "inspired fiction", or some such ridiculous garbage.

More l-dsinc men are frauds because of 'the priesthood'.

I had a superhero suit too. I found I could do magical things with it on. Then, I learned that Joseph Smith's superhero suit was hand stitched and had no special power and all his tricks were made using smoke and mirrors.

So I took my superhero suit off.

Then, to my surprise, I found I could still do the same magical things I had been doing all my life...

DarkHelmet wrote:Every woman I know is grateful to have a worthy priesthood leader in their home, and don't know what they would do without the priesthood in their home. As a man who was ordained to various priesthood offices, and had all the keys and powers associated with those offices bestowed upon me by righteous priesthood brethren, it was quite obvious to me that I had no more special spiritual gifts than I did before I had the priesthood. It's like being given a superhero suit and told that it gives you the ability to fly, but when you put it on and jump up in the air nothing happens. That's what having the priesthood was like for me. But TBM women have never experienced this feeling, and continue to believe that men with the priesthood have special powers, and the men play along.

That's how all magic belief works.

I don't think more men see the fraud. However, I do think it's easier to be NOM in the LDS church while being a female. If you don't believe, it's hard to engage in priesthood ordinance and leadership roles without feeling like a hypocrite. Since women are allowed no participation in administering ordinances (except for the LDS temple work, which is really easy to avoid) and little in the way of direct leadership, it's much easier to go along with the church and not feel like a hypocrite.

DarkHelmet wrote:Every woman I know is grateful to have a worthy priesthood leader in their home, and don't know what they would do without the priesthood in their home.

Every woman you know, huh? Dude, you need to get out more.

As a man who was ordained to various priesthood offices, and had all the keys and powers associated with those offices bestowed upon me by righteous priesthood brethren, it was quite obvious to me that I had no more special spiritual gifts than I did before I had the priesthood. It's like being given a superhero suit and told that it gives you the ability to fly, but when you put it on and jump up in the air nothing happens. That's what having the priesthood was like for me. But TBM women have never experienced this feeling, and continue to believe that men with the priesthood have special powers, and the men play along.

that's silly. You have no idea what each and every woman and man is thinking on this matter. Its not some ruse to some people.

Aristotle Smith wrote:I don't think more men see the fraud. However, I do think it's easier to be NOM in the LDS church while being a female. If you don't believe, it's hard to engage in priesthood ordinance and leadership roles without feeling like a hypocrite. Since women are allowed no participation in administering ordinances (except for the LDS temple work, which is really easy to avoid) and little in the way of direct leadership, it's much easier to go along with the church and not feel like a hypocrite.

Good point, I hadn't considered that.

DarkHelmet wrote:..TBM women have never experienced this feeling, and continue to believe that men with the priesthood have special powers, and the men play along.

DH and others,

My experience was much different than most of others I've talked to - here and even with members. No one really likes to talk about or even acknowledge it when I mention it. But to me, it was the most troubling aspect of what I came to grips with when discovering the true history etc.

I healed people and I have been healed. I have always channeled from beyond the veil no matter what type of priesthood ordinance or blessing I was conveying - The only time the magic was dead was when I was not at peace with myself. In Mormonism, it was called "being worthy". But in reality, I had to have an actual clear conscience and emulate charity. Channeling in my family history was pretty much as natural to many of us as having a bowel movement. I never felt to question the falability of channelling until later in life.

I said some very amazing things that required no scripting or prethought. After the most revelatory blessings, I felt like the fictional Yoda after he used the force -drained of energy and in need of rest. I don't do "priesthood" anymore. Although I received and conveyed intense feelings of love, peace and concern, I have conluded that this channelling comes from a falable source. One that I think can mean well but will convey a lie rather than admit to it's falability. Whatever it was it kept the secret of the truth about the church and it's founders from me and abandoned me as I began to search out the actual history of the founders.

I've concluded many things. One of which is that I believe most "priesthood" holders know nothing about this channeling power and simply make stuff up as they go much like a bad psychic. I think most PH's conclude that only the most worthy leadership can channel. What's stange is that I knew when my bishop, SP, home teacher or even patriarch was channelling. It was a different energy particularly when I was the one receiving a blessing. When your connected in, you can even tell when a person is doing it to another. Honestly, when I was younger I was naïve thinking that all "worthy" men develope this. I seriously don't think even some of the First Presidency and Q12 have first hand knowledge of what I've experienced

I got nothing to lose by telling you all this. It is what it is. But I've discarded it after becoming offended by it.

by the way, the women that received PH blessings through me felt it. I know it because I felt and knew exactly what they experienced. The giver knows when the receiver has made that connection. I don't mean to give anyone the chills, but it's been as sure to me as death is when you look at someone laying in a coffin.

It's all in your head.