Why I am still a Mormon (Testiphony)

[Guest]

at least on the records.

It helps when speaking to members about the grim unsavory facts.

They see me as the wounded member which makes me much more approachable.

It makes it tough to even discuss the weather with them if they find out I am an exmormon.

I am still a Mormon(on the records) to help me lie in wait to educate.

I'd bet it is far easier for me to pull someone out of Mormonism, than it is for a member to push a gentile in. I have an advantage of them trusting me already.

[_The Nehor]

Congratulations on not having the strength to follow through on your convictions and using membership in an organization as a weapon against that organization. Destroy the system from within!!! Rage against the machine!!!

[_The Dude]

Once in a while someone will ask if I am still a Mormon. "Well," I say, "I was raised Mormon but I don't believe in it anymore." Never once has someone asked for documentation of my status.

[_Runtu]

I'm still a member. In fact, I just got a voice mail today asking me if I'd done my home teaching this month.

[_Some Schmo]

I never resigned until 19 years after I stopped attending. It just didn't seem important to me. What difference should it make what the church thinks of me (member status-wise) when it's just a sham?

The only reason I finally gave in and sent a resignation letter was the rude, uninvited missionary drop-bys that annoyed my wife. It turned out to be a fun thing for me to do (writing the letter, that is).

[_Boaz & Lidia]

Once in a while someone will ask if I am still a Mormon. "Well," I say, "I was raised Mormon but I don't believe in it anymore." Never once has someone asked for documentation of my status.

Generally I get odd questions whenever I tell non members at work that I am no longer a Mormon. "What? I thought you could never get out!", is common.

I respond with, "Oh because it is a cult?"

Often theyl carefully reply, "Uhhh yeaahh...", almost like the know Mormons do not like being labeled as a cult.

I assure them that they are correct, "It is a cult. I know it is because in it and I really had to PULL my family out of it!".

"REALLY??", they jump.

"Oh yes, they are a very controlling group... a cult!"

[_Jason Bourne]

at least on the records.

It helps when speaking to members about the grim unsavory facts.

They see me as the wounded member which makes me much more approachable.

It makes it tough to even discuss the weather with them if they find out I am an exmormon.

I am still a Mormon(on the records) to help me lie in wait to educate.

I'd bet it is far easier for me to pull someone out of Mormonism, than it is for a member to push a gentile in. I have an advantage of them trusting me already.

In other worlds you are a deceitful liar. Is this how you operate in the rest of your life as well?

[_Chap]

at least on the records.

It helps when speaking to members about the grim unsavory facts.

They see me as the wounded member which makes me much more approachable.

It makes it tough to even discuss the weather with them if they find out I am an exmormon.

I am still a Mormon(on the records) to help me lie in wait to educate.

I'd bet it is far easier for me to pull someone out of Mormonism, than it is for a member to push a gentile in. I have an advantage of them trusting me already.

In other worlds you are a deceitful liar. Is this how you operate in the rest of your life as well?

But the LDS deity does want people to lie in some circumstances:

Abraham 2:

22 And it came to pass when I was come near to enter into Egypt, the Lord said unto me: Behold, Sarai, thy wife, is a very fair woman to look upon;
23 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see her, they will say—She is his wife; and they will kill you, but they will save her alive; therefore see that ye do on this wise:
24 Let her say unto the Egyptians, she is thy sister, and thy soul shall live.
25 And it came to pass that I, Abraham, told Sarai, my wife, all that the Lord had said unto me—Therefore say unto them, I pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be well with me for thy sake, and my soul shall live because of thee.

So it cannot be that all lying is to be condemned by LDS without consideration of the circumstances, surely?

To say "X has told a lie" should evidently not be sufficient in itself to end discussion by LDS of the moral status of the person discussed.

[_Jason Bourne]

at least on the records.

It helps when speaking to members about the grim unsavory facts.

They see me as the wounded member which makes me much more approachable.

It makes it tough to even discuss the weather with them if they find out I am an exmormon.

I am still a Mormon(on the records) to help me lie in wait to educate.

I'd bet it is far easier for me to pull someone out of Mormonism, than it is for a member to push a gentile in. I have an advantage of them trusting me already.

In other worlds you are a deceitful liar. Is this how you operate in the rest of your life as well?

But the LDS deity does want people to lie in some circumstances:

Abraham 2:

22 And it came to pass when I was come near to enter into Egypt, the Lord said unto me: Behold, Sarai, thy wife, is a very fair woman to look upon;
23 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see her, they will say—She is his wife; and they will kill you, but they will save her alive; therefore see that ye do on this wise:
24 Let her say unto the Egyptians, she is thy sister, and thy soul shall live.
25 And it came to pass that I, Abraham, told Sarai, my wife, all that the Lord had said unto me—Therefore say unto them, I pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be well with me for thy sake, and my soul shall live because of thee.

So it cannot be that all lying is to be condemned by LDS without consideration of the circumstances, surely?

To say "X has told a lie" should evidently not be sufficient in itself to end discussion by LDS of the moral status of the person discussed.

Hardly the same thing.

[_Chap]

Hardly the same thing.

We are now into discussing justifications and circumstances - you evidently agree that telling an untruth is not necessarily a moral black mark in itself.

Now let's look at a possible justification for B&L's falsehood:

1. He believes the doctrine of the CoJCoLDS to be wrong, and its practice to be on the whole bad for people.

2. He believes that it is therefore his moral duty to try to get people to leave the CoJCoLDS.

3. He believes that by falsely representing himself to be in some sense a believing member of the CoJCoLDS he can better fulfil that duty.

You may disagree with (1), but that is not to the point we are discussing here. If (1) is true, (2) is a reasonable inference in terms of practical moral judgment. If (as LDS admit) lying may be proper under some circumstances, it cannot be said that B&L is then quite unjustified in making the decision set out in (3).

Of course there may be other things about B&L that you might want to criticize. But his deception in itself is not a very strong point, surely?