First off I have been told that it is disrespectful to comment on things in the temple on this post. I was told that I did this to make myself look smarter than others and make Mormons look foolish. Incorrect. If the church had treated me like an adult and told me upfront this is what we believe and this is what we used to believe it would be harder to have such a problem. But instead we are all treated like children. The secret oaths of the past are hidden from us. The church can expect this kind of outrage when we have to learn the truth online instead of from them. They can expect this kind of outrage when they sell the lies that their Book Of Mormon, D&C, and Pearl Of Great Price are all revelations, have never been edited, and are the most correct books on earth and then we discover it's all a lie.
As far as embarrassing members of the church that is not my intention. I have no problem with the members of the church as many of them are still my friends. I've had problems with the church for years and even so when two unruly coworkers were making fun of Mormons at work I went to HR about it. Mormons are for the most part good people and I don't think people need to make fun of each other because they believe differently. I was going to go deeper into some of that in my last blog but didn't find it necessary. Point is the blog wasn't to humiliate anyone. If you're humiliated by the church beliefs, well, that says enough for itself. I used church resources to prove my point. I had a meeting with the bishop this morning and told him my problem is not with him or any members of the ward. My problem is with the church history the contradictions in the church. I'll leave it at that, the rest of what we talked about doesn't need to go public. But to the point I have no hard feelings towards anyone I personally know in the church. If anyone got the feeling that I have problems with my bishop that is not the case either. I already said he's a great guy, he's genuine, I think he really cares about us. I just don't believe he receives revelation. I had a great talk with him this morning but it was just two men talking. Not one man talking to another man talking to God.
Which goes into my next point. Members of the church like to help each other. Yes I went on a rant about the stuff that happened after Wyatt passed and I didn't talk about the help from people in the church. I thought about writing that and didn't. When Wyatt passed all expenses were taken care of. Not just by our ward here in Chandler, but people in my parents ward and our last ward in Florida. I don't want people to think I'm ungrateful, it's appreciated more than anyone could know. With so much on our plate at the time it was more of a relief than anyone could ever know. But this just means that Mormons are good people, it doesn't make the church true.
So I was asked about the timing of all this. Why now? I mean when we moved to Arizona six people from the ward that I don't know showed up to help us unpack the truck. When Wyatt died everyone came together to help. When I was let go from my job right before Thanksgiving a random person who didn't want to be identified in the ward gave us money to teach their grandkids a lesson for Christmas, which we never asked for and really didn't feel like we deserved, but they did it. So I was told maybe I should pay everyone back.
Ok, first issue about the timing. The timing wasn't planned. But like I told my bishop this morning, when people want to try to change my opinion and smoother me with false prophecy I fight back. And then I learned more than I ever wanted to about the prophets. The timing wasn't planned. So what should I have stayed quiet until we move, since I doubt we'll be in Chandler past this summer? Then if I would have left after moving then I would have been accused of sticking around to get people to help me move. I told my bishop about that comment this morning and told him I want to make it very clear that I have not been hanging around the church to use people. I can't stand seeing people join the church for welfare or other reasons other than they believe in it and I would never stick around even to have the service of others helping me unload a truck. My bishop obviously understood and the thought of me using people never crossed his mind. Which brings me to my next point. My wife has watched people's kids for free, cooked them meals, etc and has been offered money but never accepted it. So does she need to go ask for the money now? There's no contacts in service. I don't know why people think that actions of kindness somehow relate to the church being true and a contract to stay in it.
My last issue. If the Mormon didn't believe in divine revelation it wouldn't really matter to me what the past leaders have said. If they said something I didn't agree with I could let it slide. But that is not the case. The prophets and apostles are men with huge egos. Four quotes below, I couldn't find the one where Brigham Young compared himself to a God. These people teach that they talk to God and right or wrong you do what they say. I have a problem with that when revelation changes or proves to be wrong. I always thought I could stick around in the church even if it's not true. What does it matter if it's true? But with all the lies it makes it that much harder to stick around. People stay in the church because they think it's going to keep their kids out of trouble. Maybe you should just raise your kids to do what is right because it's the right thing to do! If you raise your kids to do these things because the church says to and then they find out the church isn't true they might go off the deep end. I've seen it many times with people who fall away from the church.
My dad always tells me "Man will always fail you". He is 100% correct. But everyone one of those in the quorum of the 12 pretend to be more than a man. Man might fail, but God cannot. God would not make a religion that is so hard to believe in. One where you have to disregard facts, logic, and even history just to keep believing. God would not put in leaders that do more damage to the church in five minutes than I could in five minutes with their words of ignorance. My dad was right, man will fail, and they have.
"God is in the still small voice. In all these affidavits, indictments, it is all of the devil--all corruption. Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet." - Joseph Smith
There would never be another President of the United States elected; soon all temporal and spiritual power would be given over to the prophet Joseph Smith and the Latter Day Saints.
Martin Harris, via Albert Chandler, worker who helped bind 1830 Book of Mormon, see Dan Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, v. 3, pp. 222‑223
"Criticism is particularly objectionable when it is directed toward Church authorities, general or local. Jude condemns those who 'speak evil of dignities.'" (Jude 1:8.) Evil speaking of the Lord's anointed is in a class by itself. It is one thing to depreciate a person who exercises corporate power or even government power. It is quite another thing to criticize or depreciate a person for the performance of an office to which he or she has been called of God. It does not matter that the criticism is true.
Dallin H. Oaks, 'Criticism,' Latter‑day Saint Student Association fireside in the Salt Lake Tabernacle
Kings would tremble upon their thrones at my word.... I should become a Counsellor & multitudes should seek counsel at my mouth & I should have great wisdom & power to fly through the midst under heaven... I should have power over my enemies & have long life & bring many into the kingdom of God Also that I should have the riches of the earth.
Wilford Woodruff, Diary of Wilford Woodruff, April 11, 1837, reprinted in Dean Jessee, "The Kirtland Diary of Wilford Woodruff," BYU Studies
I really try to avoid personal issues on facebook and blogging. I love to complain about politics but nothing in my personal life. However this is something that has really been bugging me for the better part of a decade now and I felt like I should just write it all out and be done with it. This way I don't have to keep explaining myself over and over. It's all here. Want to know why I don't believe, here you go. Now we don't have to talk about it and you don't have to get mad at me. This is a conversation in the future I'd rather avoid.
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