I can see you are very honest and genuine in your comment and I appreciate that. My concern is that Mormonism breeds comments like yours, it teaches people if they will only do their best and try and be as good as they can then they will be ok. Jesus said the only way to the Father is Me, James 2:10 says if you break one part of the law you have broken it all. No amount of good works you could do would ever be enough, even your book of Mormon says you have to do all that you can to receive grace, which is a total contradiction to what grace really is, which is something totally undeserved.

thanks for commenting I hope you do again.

Best wishes to you and your family x

WE also share similar stories of incompetance by our leaders. Different situations, both serious though with terrible consequences for those involved. Then the slow dawning of reality as the tentacles of Mormonism which we have allowed to pervade every facet of our faith are discovered to be based on many deceptions. Not entirely of course. There are many truths in it in places ex mos lose the ability to see. Its like its all true or all false instead of the reality which is a mix! As those pillars of Mormonism fall they try and drag every bit of faith with them. I compare it to the tares which when pulled out, pull out the wheat also, because its roots are so intertwined with the roots of the wheat the removal often removes all connected faith in anything Spiritual. As long as we grow happily alongside the tares we do just fine actually. Its when something happens outside the Mormon bubble that disruption occurs!

Beneficial to hear a Mormon perspective answer here too which adds understanding of what Mormonism is actually about to the innocent reader. That is the unquestioning faith of Mormons which has some benefits. It means people like you and me, Chris, were able to have a framework of faith upon which to develop our relationship with God, despite the pitfalls we look back and recognise in new light. I had many experiences which I treasure which I don’t think I could have had anywhere else! I guess I’ll never know as there are no rehearsals in life! Still, it is surprisingly frustrating to hear that completely one tracked Mormon view of the world even though I know it so well and try and respect it !! It was always a subdued problem to me but one I overlooked. Now it could be a giant ball of puss on the forhead of all those who regurgitate it for the effect of revulsion it seems to have upon me!

I think perhaps in you attempt to do good and fulfil your obligations to your religion you are unaware of how the answers you have learned or been taught to give as a missionary Mormon actually sound to those who have broken (or as you may see it fallen) away.
You begin by listing and discussing the consequences of apostasy on the apostate and his family. This smacks of moral and emotional blackmail, designed to induce guilt by threatening their loved ones with the loss of celestial and divine favour because of a ‘choice’ made in anger or pain.
Hose who apostasies from Mormonism usually do it because they have much to be angry about. It is never easy and any emotional or spiritual pain is always directly attributable to the LDS church itself.
You draw attention to being fooled by the ‘King of Lies’ without even considering that everyone who has ever lived has been susceptible to lies, even Joseph Smith was fooled by the Kinderhook plates, and if he could be lied to about that, even if he was a prophet, what else was he fooled by?
You say you don’t judge, but perhaps without your realising it the tone of much of your post is very judgemental, you say arrogance can be misperceived but you show startling arrogance, again perhaps without intent or realisation.
He whole tone of you post takes the assumption that without evidence or proof other than your own testimony and faith entitle you to simply declare another person “simply wrong” because it does not match with your own experience. Be assured that is not a fact, that is an opinion, to declare your opinions to be facts will be taken by your reader as a sign of judgemental arrogance.

Almost all of the “terrible accusations” against Joseph Smith have of course been historically, legally and irrefutably been proven to be true. Of course this means nothing for the God of Christianity is all forgiving and Jesus teaches the joy felt in heaven when a sinner repents.
There is nothing wrong with Joseph having a shady past; Paul participated in the murder of Christians before becoming their champion. The difference is of course that Paul never lied about his past, Paul never continued to sin and call it the will of the Lord, Paul and his followers never actively tried to cover up Paul’s sordid misdeeds but instead rejoiced in his redemption.
Joseph Smith lied, he lied to his followers, his wife, his plural wives, his confederates, he wrote false and contradictory scriptures as and when convenient, he made felons of his flock and told them they were doing good and continually rewrote even the history of his ‘holy’ mission.
If he was nothing else, Joseph Smith was a continual, habitual Liar and this is not even denied by the church but is excused with the excuse that he was “Lying for the Lord” as if this makes the end justify the means.

The modern day leaders of the church know this, and follow in the tradition; this does not make them honourable men, honoured certainly, but not honourable.
They live like princes, they dress in finery and they practice piety before men. They are each of them rich and each of them has been ‘set apart’ for their calling.
Jesus commanded rich men to sell all they own and follow him, Jesus said practice not your Piety before men, Jesus derided the Pharisees a title which means those who are set apart. Jesus warned there are many who draw close to me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.
Jesus warned against the coming of false prophets.

The LDS often invites its members to test the gospel, to test God and to Test the church, I did and I found it wanting. Instead of help I got suspicion, was accused of preaching Devil’s doctrine and told to have faith and stop questioning and testing because all are welcome to ask questions so long as they are willing not to question the answers given.

I invite you to look deeply in to church history and to see if it makes sense. I challenge you to compare the Jesus of the bible with the Jesus of Mormon scripture and to find them the same.
Then armed with that knowledge and a genuine desire for truth I invite you to question your elders and bishop, stake president and high priests quorum leader. Listen to what they say and then to question the answers they give you and to see if I am wrong.

I make no judgements against you my friend, I will however say that men do error in and out of the Church. Forgiveness is key and that is what the gospel is all about. The worst thing I ever did was leave the church and blame others for my pain. It is easy to find fault when it is convienient to do so…especially when we aren´t even aware that we are being lied to by the King of Lies. I am sure there is another side to your story in regards to the “arrogance” you claim your leaders possessed. I am sure the loss of your family was of great concern to them and continues to be.

I have also heard of terrible accusations concerning Joseph Smith the Prophet…almost believed them too, until I started hearing those other testimonies that spoke in his favor that were much more convincing. In fact in Post WW2 in England, Ezra T. Benson was giving a talk to non members about the Prophet and all those that heard testified of him being chosen to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ. They all were subsequently babtized because of that inspired event having never known of him prior. It is the Holy Ghost that inspired you to know about the saving atonement of our Saviour. Our current Prophet, Thomas S. Monson is the presiding member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles of the one and only Church of Jesus Christ as well as his powerful counselors and the rest of the Quorum of the 12.are in fact the most honorable men on the planet that lead lives that can only do one thing…administer the gospel.

You of course have made choices with intentions to never turn back to the very faith that showed you the truthfulness regarding the purpose of the saviour. You choose, my friend and long lost brother…I have a similar situation to a brother that has lead his own family away due to bitterness toward local leaders for the very same thing, just a different country. All I can say is your abandonment of the church is eventually never going to bring you the satisfaction of having an eternal family and a renewed understanding of the pleasant sacredness one can find only in the Temple of God.

You are simply wrong. I know, because for the last 20 years I was there where you are now…the worse decision of my life. All I can say is some day, sooner or later you will find that the saving grace of the gospel comes in full to those who practice the whole gospel, not just parts of it.

It is my solid testimony that you are wrong and misdirected in your apostasy to the church. Remember these words, because I presume the “half brothers and sisters” to Christ think they know the road to Heaven. May I remind you that “Heaven” just isn´t like that. Deep inside you know, but you are afraid to turn back. I feel for your son who never left the church…I pray that your decision you are making for everyone else in your beautiful family will find its way back to the truth. You have everything to loose if you don´t and everything to win if you find your way back. Listen to last weeks conference to the Saturday session Jeffrey R. Holland….he is talking to you and your family. It is never too late.

Sincerely, Your lost Brother in Christ-Costa Rica