What Mormon research project is for you?

[_kjones]

Why ex-Mormon haters devote such huge amounts of time and energy into debunking a religion they no longer believe in. It would be like Ben Carson, who was raised Seventh Day Adventist but no longer thinks of himself as such, spending hours and hours every week debunking Seventh Day Adventism.

Bad karma, it seems to me. Why don't you guys get a life? — and engage in some positive, instead of negative, pursuit.

Most non attending Mormons are still part of huge socially integrated member families.
Spending time researching and understanding the culture within which they were brought up and within which their families still live, is a hugely positive step. Discussing things in an open way, something that cannot be done at Church or within those member families, is again very positive and healthy. That you only see negative and make a negative criticism suggests the one with the issue might be closer to home...

Hmm. Maybe. But do you see Catholics doing this? Catholics who still have family inside and active in the Catholic church? How about Hasidic Jews who leave the Hasid community? You might see them seeking help, or counseling, about how to navigate the world, but you don't see them attacking the faith they once believed in.

I see this as a mostly Mormon phenomenon — or an ex-Mormon phenomenon. It always amazes me the amount of time ex-Mormons (i.e., people who were once devout Mormons but now are Mormon haters) devote to debunking their former faith.

[_I have a question]

Hmm. Maybe. But do you see Catholics doing this? Catholics who still have family inside and active in the Catholic church? How about Hasidic Jews who leave the Hasid community? You might see them seeking help, or counseling, about how to navigate the world, but you don't see them attacking the faith they once believed in.

https://www.reddit.com/r/excatholic

I see this as a mostly Mormon phenomenon — or an ex-Mormon phenomenon. It always amazes me the amount of time ex-Mormons (i.e., people who were once devout Mormons but now are Mormon haters) devote to debunking their former faith.

I think you've found your research project....

[_zeezrom]

Kjones,

Rarely do such research projects aim to take down the church. Rather, they hope to discover truth, which in itself is a positive. I have found pleasure in discovering an alternative Jaredite exodus and journey from Assyria, up through the Caspian then Black Seas, and finally through the Bosphorus past Thrace and over the choppy Aegean to settle in the land near Argos and Mycenae. What makes this work so exciting is to consider a connection with the Phaistos disc and the language the brother of Jared spoke. Once you've tasted Greek honey, you never think of Deseret the same again.

[_Molok]

Hmm. Maybe. But do you see Catholics doing this? Catholics who still have family inside and active in the Catholic church?

Of course not. But the Catholic church isn't a cult, so there you go.

[_canpakes]

Why ex-Mormon haters devote such huge amounts of time and energy into debunking a religion they no longer believe in. It would be like Ben Carson, who was raised Seventh Day Adventist but no longer thinks of himself as such, spending hours and hours every week debunking Seventh Day Adventism.

Bad karma, it seems to me. Why don't you guys get a life? — and engage in some positive, instead of negative, pursuit?

Easy answer, kjones.

My belief is that many former members engage in that debunking activity in part to provide a shield from friends and family that pelt them with the continual emotional barrage of how they're ruining everyone's chance for happiness in the Eternities by walking away from the 'One True Church' and into the grasp of Satan (cue ominous music).

When one does the research and arms themselves with the truth of the actual story behind the Church, it may not be information that will sway their relatives, but it can help the 'apostate' know that they've made the right decision.

This programmed response by friends and family is the thing that I'd base my research project on, if I were to participate.

[_Fence Sitter]

I would be interested in doing a timeline for the Book of Abraham, something I have played around with a bit. It would try to establish as closely as possible such things as when each Egyptian document was written, when each one was excavated, dates for the collection moving to Italy, arrival in New York (or Philadelphia?), when Chandler was given possession, each location and date where he exhibited the collection, the date he arrived in Kirtland, a timeline from when it arrived to when it was purchased, dates for when which parts of the GAEL and KEP were produced, dates for who worked as a scribe on those manuscripts, dates for when individual sections of the Book of Abraham were actually translated, dates for the production of the carvings of the facsimiles, first printings of the Book of Abraham, and dates for different editions of the Book of Abraham.

A lot of this information is out there but it would be very interesting to see it all in one timeline. Especially interesting would be the period from the end of June 1835 to the end of 1835. Many of the claims of how Joseph Smith translated and what he was doing would be clearer if we had a firm timeline for that period.

[_Maksutov]

How about Hasidic Jews who leave the Hasid community? You might see them seeking help, or counseling, about how to navigate the world, but you don't see them attacking the faith they once believed in.

Not so. The haredi Jewish community has at least one very active gadfly. He's uncovered a fair amount of scandal and crime in the process.

http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/

There is a lot of conflict and complexity in the Jewish communities in the US and abroad. Secular Jews and former sect members often criticize their groups of origin. It's a painful struggle between tradition and reality that Chaim Potok often captured.

For some critics there is anger and perhaps a desire for revenge in their attacks. But others may be criticizing from the perspective of social justice, historical honesty and a desire for transparency and ultimate reconciliation.

[_Fence Sitter]

Why ex-Mormon haters devote such huge amounts of time and energy into debunking a religion they no longer believe in. It would be like Ben Carson, who was raised Seventh Day Adventist but no longer thinks of himself as such, spending hours and hours every week debunking Seventh Day Adventism.

Bad karma, it seems to me. Why don't you guys get a life? — and engage in some positive, instead of negative, pursuit?

Do you even know who are "ex-Members" here?

as far as I know most of us are still members.

As a member I have just as much right to define what I consider Mormonism to be as you do.

[_Polygamy-Porter]

Why do Mo'pologists devote such huge amounts of time and energy into defending a religion they no longer believe in??

Bad karma, it seems to me. Why don't you guys get a life? — and engage in some positive, instead of negative, pursuit?

[_hagoth7]

Why ex-Mormon haters devote such huge amounts of time and energy into debunking a religion they no longer believe in. It would be like Ben Carson, who was raised Seventh Day Adventist but no longer thinks of himself as such, spending hours and hours every week debunking Seventh Day Adventism.

Bad karma, it seems to me. Why don't you guys get a life? — and engage in some positive, instead of negative, pursuit?

Some of us here actually believe the claims of the Restoration. Out of curiosity, what gave you the impression that Ben Carson no longer identifies as an Adventist?