Hi All below is 4 parts to an interview between John Dehlin of Mormon Stories and a couple who have recently left the Mormon Church. Whats unique is that this couple worked full time for the LDS Church teaching religion. Although they have not come to follow Christ as yet there are some fantastic points made here and some very honest discussion about life in the LDS church, the very high standards and how the Church often does not behave in a Christ like way towards its members.
Its very long over 4 hours in total however well worth the time, if you want to understand the inside workings of Mormonism better or if you are LDS and doubting and want to see your not alone this is worth the time, please leave any thoughts in the comments box if you would like to discuss it more.
This John Dehlin interview is very good and shows the remarkable honesty and integrity of this couple who could have lived the lie to save this job.
It is very long and doesn’t really cover the reason the CES Teacher discovered the LDS is built on a falsehood in any depth.
There is a shorter (1 hour) video at this link which has equally devout long term Mormons reach the same life changing conclusion, but with more detail on the reasons and also retaining their faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanks for that Andrew
Paul’s understanding of the Church of Jesus Christ lead him to believe that it was false and in error – until he received personal revelation and a visitation from Christ which instantly converted him and revealed that the same false, bogus cult was in fact God’s own Church. His mastery and understanding of the books of the Old Testament had lead him to the polar opposite conclusion.
You can only know that the Church of Jesus Christ is true by revelation from God. If you don’t receive that knowledge then you will walk in ignorance.
I was an evangelical Christian. Yes it’s great taking one or two verses out of Bishop Athansius’ collection of favourite books and pretending that you’re going to heaven because you said a prayer once or came forward to the altar. Yes we all loved Romans. 10:9 but weren’t so keen on Roman 2:6-7. I had never experienced the Holy Spirit until I met with the LDS missionaries. I had only witnessed Gods saved souls babbling manically with contorted faces and throwing thenselves on the floor. The holy, calm , powerful, sanctifying, intelligent spirit that accompanied the LDS missionaries was something entirely new to me.
Hi Luke interesting point I havent heard the conversion of Paul used in that way before but I can see what you are saying.
I think firstly there is a difference between the full on vision of Paul and the internal witness that Mormons have felt. Also this by no means sets a biblical precident for an internal witness or even a vision to be the measure of truth contrary to scripture.
Acts 17 and 18 is an excellent place to look to see Pauls absolute reliance on and respect for the scriptures as a way of knowing what is true, in 17:11 we see the Bereans without any kind of vision going to the scriptures to test the validity of Pauls message, in 2 Timothy 3:16 we see that scripture is to be used for reproof and correction.
So while visions are one means by which God draws people to Himself even today none of this takes away from the need to judge all things against scripture which is where Mormonism heavily falls down. You saying you have felt the Spirit more in Mormonism is something many people have said for many religions past present and future to be fair including from mine, however this in itself is not a good guide for truth.
The video presented on this post is one of many, many cases of people leaving Mormonism as they dare to look deeper into its historical and biblical issues than just relying on their feelings.
Hello Luke
I would like to ask you a question if you don’t mind.
You say in your post
“You can only know that the Church of Jesus Christ is true by revelation from God. If you don’t receive that knowledge then you will walk in ignorance.”
Now obviously knowledge is the destroyer of ignorance, but knowledge is by definition empirical, provable and factual. This seems at odds with your post as a whole which seems to be in praise of faith rather than knowledge. You illustrate how Paul’s knowledge of scripture mislead him but his faith in his vision corrected him.
Faith is I believe the ability to trust in and rely upon the unproven and the unprovable abstracts such as the mysterious and unknown divine nature of God, is that a correct assessment in your opinion?
I don’t think you can claim faith in personal revelation as knowledge, because if so then anyone of any faith, or even of no faith who has the instinctive certainty of being right, whether they think it from God, Allah, Yahweh, Vishnu or subconscious instinct has an equal claim to moral or religious certainty.
Is that really what you meant to say?
Hey Luke any chance of some further discussion?