Hi. You might remember me vaguely from my previous post from over 10 months ago, but I just came back to ask about baptism. In March, I held talks with missionaries who went through the process in which it leads to your worthiness test with your bishop. I am at that stage, but unfortunately the missionaries seem to think that I actually want to be baptised, when I’m not even sure about my own future.
I’ve been researching Mormon history (from books that are neutral towards LDS but critical of some points) and have been filled with a few doubts as to its credibility e.g. Joseph Smith being an actual prophet along with Mr Monson. If Mr Monson was a prophet, wouldn’t he be called something a little less modern than ‘President’? It’s a little strange to me that someone held in a high position would be called President. I’m not criticising the Church, just merely wanting these points addressed to rid myself of any doubts about the Church.
Finally, I’ve been listening to a show/radio show about an ex-Mormon who has some very interesting claims about the Church, but may not be verifiable. Are you able to comment on this at all perhaps?
4 Responses to “Hi. You might remember me vaguely from my previous post…”
Felipe Santana
2012-12-09 12:56:43
Hi Cameron. It was good to hear from you again. I'm happy you continue to investigate the LDS Church! It's normal to have some doubts whenever contemplating a major life change. Baptism is certainly a major change, so your concerns are understandable.
President Thomas S. Monson has served as the 16th prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 3 February 2008.
The name used to refer to the prophet of the church is entirely irrelevant to the church's unique truth claims. Even if we referred to Pres. Monson as "the dude," it would provide no support for nor evidence against the notion that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's restored church in these latter days. Whenever evaluating any claim, religious or not, it is a fallacy to get so caught up in the semantics that the ideas and arguments being expressed cannot be evaluated on their own merits.
I'm not familiar with the radio show you mentioned. If you yourself recognize that this ex-Mormon's claims are not verifiable, however, then those claims obviously should not impact your decision to join the church. Anyone can make unverifiable claims. For example, what if I said: "Winston Churchill was secretly working with the Nazis. I can't provide verifiable evidence, but trust me, he was." Would it be logical to allow your opinion of Churchill to be altered based on this statement? Of course not. Anyone can engage in rampant speculation.
In general, it is also not reasonable to give undue weight to the opinion of an ex-member of any group. Would you seek to learn more about Judaism from a member of the Jews-for-Jesus movement, or would you talk to an actual Jew? Similarly, actual Mormons can provide the best description of contemporary Mormonism. It is astonishing to me how many ex-members of the LDS church misrepresent (often unintentionally, perhaps) many of our core beliefs and practices.
In general, when one chooses to leave a group, they often feel the need to justify that decision. This need to justify can often lead to all sorts of distorted thinking and revised histories. That's not necessarily to say that ex-Mormons should be automatically dismissed. Mormons are not perfect, and some ex-Mormon criticisms may occasionally have value. But any reasonable person must recognize that if the LDS Church were as scandalous and nefarious as some ex-Mormons make it out to be, it could never sustain a membership of millions of people. As a general rule, a sensational story is usually a distortion. Real life is never so interesting! :-)
If you have any specific questions about church history or doctrine, please don't hesitate to post them on the site. I be happy to help you in any way I can. I hope your interest in the LDS Church continues. Best of luck to you.
Sister Janet
2012-12-29 14:02:35
I'm interested & pleased that you are still thinking about the LDS church. It's easy to get bogged down researching the church & it's possible to get stuck in a mire with differing opinions from different sources. Can I be bold enough to make a suggestion to cut through it all? You ask God directly whether there is any truth to it. On your knees in a quiet place would be great. Fasting for 2 meals beforehand would be fantastic. See this page for how to recognise any answers, https://www.allaboutmormons.com/Questions/spirit_invited_friend_visit_church_ENG_289.php.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a church of revelation (ie God communicating directly to people) and any impressions received this way are going to be a great deal stronger and truer than anything that comes second hand.
I understand your motivations for looking at stuff by ex-Mormons; by looking at opinions critical of the church, perhaps you hope to gain a more rounded picture. However it doesn't always work out that way. In my job I deal with some seriously disaffected people. Sometimes (not all of the time but quite often) they don't come out with the truth even though it is essential that they do tell the truth. Occasionally some deliberately set out to deceive but I suspect most have a view that is warped by their own sense of injustice. I have no knowledge of any radio show however. I have been very happy since joining Church earlier this year and I wish you every happiness in your own search.
Pamela Bonta
2013-01-15 19:12:40
The best place to learn what any group of people believe is to ask that group directly. Our church makes it easy - LDS.org contains all of our doctrine. All of our lesson manuals, magazine articles for the past 40 years, and many popular books written by church leaders past and present can be found there. There is even an option now where members can record and submit their own personal stories about what they believe and why. You may have heard of it - it's commonly called the "I am a Mormon" campaign.
As with any group of people, there are always people who become disaffected and leave. The true test of one's understanding of Christ's message, however, is the ability to recognize the good in what you have left. I, for example, grew up in the Anglican Church. I still find great comfort and solace in the words of their prayers and hymns. I loved going to that church. However, when I was eighteen I had a discussion with my minister about some points of doctrine. I realized that I did not believe those points of doctrine and also realized that since I didn't believe those things, I wasn't an Anglican. But I didn't leave and bad-mouth the church I grew up in. I left, and began my search for a church where I believed in all the doctrine. I eventually found it.
In addition to the above mentioned website, our church also hosts a site called mormons.org for people who want to know what our basic beliefs are. God bless.
Pamela Bonta
2013-02-18 06:36:26
One further comment. It is my understanding that the term 'President' in our church refers to the position of bein the head of the governing body of the church. This includes both ecclesiastical and business affairs. The term 'Prophet' refers to the President's ability to receive divine inspiration for the whole church.
I'm not familiar with the radio show you mentioned. If you yourself recognize that this ex-Mormon's claims are not verifiable, however, then those claims obviously should not impact your decision to join the church. Anyone can make unverifiable claims. For example, what if I said: "Winston Churchill was secretly working with the Nazis. I can't provide verifiable evidence, but trust me, he was." Would it be logical to allow your opinion of Churchill to be altered based on this statement? Of course not. Anyone can engage in rampant speculation.
In general, it is also not reasonable to give undue weight to the opinion of an ex-member of any group. Would you seek to learn more about Judaism from a member of the Jews-for-Jesus movement, or would you talk to an actual Jew? Similarly, actual Mormons can provide the best description of contemporary Mormonism. It is astonishing to me how many ex-members of the LDS church misrepresent (often unintentionally, perhaps) many of our core beliefs and practices.
In general, when one chooses to leave a group, they often feel the need to justify that decision. This need to justify can often lead to all sorts of distorted thinking and revised histories. That's not necessarily to say that ex-Mormons should be automatically dismissed. Mormons are not perfect, and some ex-Mormon criticisms may occasionally have value. But any reasonable person must recognize that if the LDS Church were as scandalous and nefarious as some ex-Mormons make it out to be, it could never sustain a membership of millions of people. As a general rule, a sensational story is usually a distortion. Real life is never so interesting! :-)
If you have any specific questions about church history or doctrine, please don't hesitate to post them on the site. I be happy to help you in any way I can. I hope your interest in the LDS Church continues. Best of luck to you.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a church of revelation (ie God communicating directly to people) and any impressions received this way are going to be a great deal stronger and truer than anything that comes second hand.
I understand your motivations for looking at stuff by ex-Mormons; by looking at opinions critical of the church, perhaps you hope to gain a more rounded picture. However it doesn't always work out that way. In my job I deal with some seriously disaffected people. Sometimes (not all of the time but quite often) they don't come out with the truth even though it is essential that they do tell the truth. Occasionally some deliberately set out to deceive but I suspect most have a view that is warped by their own sense of injustice. I have no knowledge of any radio show however. I have been very happy since joining Church earlier this year and I wish you every happiness in your own search.
As with any group of people, there are always people who become disaffected and leave. The true test of one's understanding of Christ's message, however, is the ability to recognize the good in what you have left. I, for example, grew up in the Anglican Church. I still find great comfort and solace in the words of their prayers and hymns. I loved going to that church. However, when I was eighteen I had a discussion with my minister about some points of doctrine. I realized that I did not believe those points of doctrine and also realized that since I didn't believe those things, I wasn't an Anglican. But I didn't leave and bad-mouth the church I grew up in. I left, and began my search for a church where I believed in all the doctrine. I eventually found it.
In addition to the above mentioned website, our church also hosts a site called mormons.org for people who want to know what our basic beliefs are. God bless.