I AM AN EX MORMON

Throughout my journey, I have come to know four different groups of Mormons.

1. Those who know the truth but do not care.
2. Those who know the truth but cannot leave due to rejection of family members.
3. Those who do not care to know the truth.
4. Those who do not know there is an option to find out the truth.

My heart breaks for anyone who falls into one of these four categories.

I can relate to every single one of these stories on iamanexmormon.com. I recommend taking some time to listen to a few of them.

I know the LDS church is not a true church. When I first found out the truth about Mormonism and left the LDS church, I was extremely angry. Those feelings are finally beginning to subside. My name is Becky; I am a Christian, a wife, and a mother. I am an Ex Mormon who is finally and completely happy with myself! I am truly blessed to be a stronger Christian now than ever before!

Thank you for reading my life story. I am now closing this chapter of my life!

TODAY

Reason 40

Christian Statement of Faith
"1. We believe in the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
 2. We believe there is one God, eternally existent in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (The Trinity)
 3. We believe in the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father and in His personal return in power and glory.
 4. We believe for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
 5. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
 6. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
 7. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in Christ.
 8. We believe we are saved by Grace alone."
It is of interest to note that I now find more unity in theology among members of ALL the Christian denominations than I have found among the Mormons themselves, within their own Church! ~ Suzanne Bishop, "Let the Scriptures Speak," p. 188

carm.org has a really strong Christian Statement of Faith as well.
carm.org/statement-faith

There are plenty more Christian SoF's on the internet. All you have to do is Google it!
I believe in the Christian Statement of Faith, however the LDS church disagrees with several Christian beliefs.

     Approaching Mormons in Love, p. 101
Mormons love to declare that there are 900 (sometimes as many as 1,200) Christian denominations, all of which claim to be the only true church. They say the many groups teach conflicting doctrines, yet base those doctrines on the Bible. The Mormon will ask you, "How can all these denominations be right?" The usual Christian response is to point out: (1) there are not that many groups, and (2) the doctrinal differences among true Christian groups are not diverse as the Mormons think. This, however, is not an adequate answer. The elders will not be paying attention to your explanation. Nor will they "buy" it. To get their attention, say, "900 denominations are a lot, aren't they?"
     Mormon: Yes, they certainly are.
     Christian: Let's see. Christianity is 2,000 years old and in that time 900 denominations have developed, according to you. Mormonism is only 170 years old, but there are 83 different groups that point to Joseph Smith as their founder. It seems to me that Mormonism is divided worse than Christianity. (Of these 83 groups, the next six largest are: Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (which has recently changed its name to "Community of Christ"), Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Strangite), Church of Jesus Christ (Cutlerite), Church of Christ (Temple Lot), The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickerton), and the Fundamentalists.)
* other sources show over 100 groups that point to Joseph Smith as their founder *

I am so very blessed God chose me to hear the truth over so many other deserving LDS members. I very often wonder what made HIM choose me and what I did to deserve being chosen. I have learned more about Christ and the Bible in my journey out of Mormonism than I ever learned as a Mormon. I know there is an amazing reason I was a member for seven years. I may never know the reason, but I do know HE has a reason for choosing me. And for this, I am genuinely grateful!

Please do not say you are sad for me or my decision. If it is not clear why the LDS church is not the one true church, then I will be praying for Christ to save you just as He saved me.

Please respect my decisions even if you disagree with me. Please do not treat me or my family any differently because of my choices. I pray we can continue to love one another despite our disagreements.

I pray you have learned how absolutely wonderful it is for me to be out of the LDS church. I am in a much better place now, a place I never could have reached as a Mormon.

These 40 reasons are my reasons for resigning from the LDS church. If believing in and living these non-Biblical Christianity teachings are worth your happiness in the LDS church, then I am truly happy for you. You are in the right place if you can live your life with these doctrines and not have questions or doubts. If these 40 reasons I have shared with you are your reasons for believing it truly is the one true church with the fullness of the gospel and you choose to stay, then it is clear to me you are indeed a Mormon. If you are as happy in the church as I am out of the church, then I truly am happy for you and I will respect your opinions. Just know, I will continue to pray for you to know the Biblical Christ, and I hope to see you in heaven when our mission on earth is complete.

I have never considered myself to be an eloquent writer, nor do I consider myself a Biblical Expert. So if you would like to learn more about the LDS church, see links
lds.org
mormon.org
carm.org/teachings-of-mormonism

As a Mormon, I always thought this was the most difficult way to live. I had to give up so many things I enjoyed: wearing my crosses, having crosses all over my home, coffee, wine, meat, tank tops, dancing, etc. To me this meant I was living a "difficult" life. However, now that I am a Christian, living this life is so much more difficult than my Mormon life. For one thing, I have lost the majority of my LDS "friends" because we do not agree about the church. Two, Satan has been after me since the day I left the church. This strengthens my Faith in Christ and confirms I am doing exactly what I need to do!

     2 Timothy 4:1-5
"I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."

The Bible commands us to question our religion, and I am so very grateful I followed through with this commandment found in Jude 3. "...contend earnestly for the faith..."

When you want to learn the difference between a car and a truck, who do you ask? The person who has owned only a car or the person who has owned only a truck? Nope, you will speak with one who has owned both a car and a truck. Well, the same holds true for Mormonism and Christianity. If you speak with just a Mormon, they'll give you the LDS side. If you speak with just a Christian, they'll give you the Christian side. If you speak with one who has been a Mormon and now a Christian, they'll give you both sides!

Bible: As a born-again Christian, we are part of God's Church; not an organization.

     1 Corinthians 12:12-14
For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.

     Matthew 18:19-20
Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.

     Matthew 16:18
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

LDS: Only the LDS church is the true church. The true church was taken from the earth until Joseph Smith restored it.

     D&C 1:30
And also those to whom these commandments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually - 

     D&C 115:3-4
And also unto my faithful servants who are of the high council of my church in Zion, for thus it shall be called, and unto all the elders and people of my Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, scattered abroad in all the world; For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

My unanswered question was:

Why did I spend seven years in a false religion?

I was initially devastated when I received this answer that this was God's plan for me, yet overjoyed to find the truth that God has His reasons for everything! He knew I needed to be a Mormon for seven years to be able to come to Christ! He knew I was ready to hear the truth from Him when I did! He knew I would be able to witness the truth to others once I removed myself from the LDS church! He knew exactly what He was doing and I will be eternally grateful for everything He has done for me! Every bit of this journey has been completely worth everything I've been through - the good as well as the bad. Every bit of bad has been worth the pain because I have been able to help SO many people with their journey! Thank you to those who have shared your stories with me! This includes Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Non-Practicing Mormons, Lost Souls, Atheists, and Agnostics. Those who have chosen to judge me for resigning from the LDS church and those who have chosen to judge me for publicly sharing my story, I still love each and every one of you! This story is not about you; it's about me and my relationship with Christ!

TRUE or FALSE

Reason 39

Truth is Truth even if no one believes it - and conversely, a Lie is a Lie even if everyone believes it.

The LDS church is either true or it is false. It cannot possibly be both. It cannot be true for one person and false for another.

Do I want to be right, or do I want the truth? Definitely the TRUTH!

     Chris Johnson - iamanexmormon.com
iamanexmormon.com/2011/05/this-is-how-i-discovered-truth-my-name-is-chris-and-im-an-ex-mormon

     carm.org
What is the truth?
Truth is not a feeling. Truth is not an idea. The truth is found in the Bible. The cults are wrong because they do not have the truth. That is, they have a false understanding of God the Father, of God the Son, of the Holy Spirit, and the work of Christ on the Cross. Because they are in error in these things, they are in error concerning the doctrine of salvation.


Sincerity and good works do not bridge the gap of sin between God and man. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse a person (Hebrews 9:22; John 14:6). Sincerity and good works are merely the reliance upon what is in the individual to merit favor with God. Sincerity is a form of pride when it is appealed to as a justification for being accepted by God: "But God, look at my heart. See how sincere I was? I deserve to be in heaven."


No. If sincerity and good works were good enough to satisfy God, then He wouldn't have given us the Bible to correct our sincerely wrong ideas, and He wouldn't have sent His Son to do what our good works cannot.


Truth is what God says is true.

Truth is not what Joseph Smith says is true. Is the church true or is it false? Definitely false. And if you cannot see it, I will continue to pray for Christ to open up your heart, mind, eyes, and soul just as He did mine.

See reasons 1-38

At first I felt I needed to find out for myself that the church was false since I clearly received my answer to that question from Christ. Well, this journey has become so much more than that. I have not been reading material against the church. I have been reading facts about it along with its history. I began diving into the Bible, the one true book that has stood strong from the beginning of time, and this is what ultimately confirmed my decision to leave the church. I am now a spiritual sponge. I have never felt this way before and I absolutely love it! I wanted to educate myself and become closer to Christ. The Bible is all I need. I do not disagree with its teachings; however, I do disagree with many LDS teachings and felt I could not leave my name attached to something I completely disagree with even if it hurts others. My family will know that we will all be together in Heaven (not as a family but as brothers and sisters) as long as we all accept Christ as our Savior. That is ALL it takes, Faith and Love.

In the world today there are many false prophets, false teachings or interpretations, modern revelations, who's right and who's wrong, etc. This is a big reason why I left the LDS church. Confusion, fear, frustration, deceit, contention, etc. are all of Satan. There was more contention within the LDS church itself than I have ever experienced in any other church. I do not know of another church that rips families apart the way this church does. I know there are lots of things I am not right about, but this makes me human. I can only strive to be better and better every day to please Him. The LDS church did not give me what I needed to become closer to Christ. I will not deny there are many wonderful things going on in the LDS church. However, there is just too much confusion, fear, frustration, deceit, and contention for me to continue to be a part of it. My life was centered on the church instead of Christ. I was so busy trying to please church leaders when I should have been trying to please Christ. I was trying so hard to be somebody I am not. I'm just not a holier than thou Molly Mormon. Christ is about love, joy, peace, happiness, freedom, etc. And the bottom line is, I was not getting those things out of the LDS church! Since I have not attended the LDS church the past two years, I have felt more like my true self than I ever did while I was a member. This is the only confirmation I need that I am doing the right thing for me and my salvation.

I am sad LDS believe their teachings are closer to the Bible than any other Religion. The many churches I have attended in the past two years teach solely from the Bible and no other book, so I still do not understand how LDS feel they are following the Bible more closely than any other religion. LDS use so many other books and even some of those books contradict each other. It was just so confusing. I tried to understand this for seven years, and I suppose this will never make sense to me.

Words by Kirk Cameron, Way of the Master Ministry:
LDS teaching:
If LDS are right and Christians are wrong, then LDS will go to the highest heaven. However, Christians will only make it to the middle heaven.


The Biblical Christianity teaching:
If Christians are right and LDS are wrong, then Christians will go to heaven. However, the LDS will go to hell for following a false Jesus.

The point is not that I agree with Kirk Cameron, but I would rather not find out for myself, just as I would rather my friends and loved ones not find out for themselves.

carm.org/if-mormons-are-christians

In Mormonism, MAN BECAME GOD...
In Christianity, GOD BECAME MAN...

Only one of these can be correct. Which is it?

My unanswered question was:

If Joseph Smith is a true prophet, then I will end up in the Terrestrial (middle) heaven since I believe in Christ. However, if Joseph Smith is a false prophet, then I will end up in Hell for believing in and following a false Prophet. Why would I take that chance?

I was initially devastated when I received this answer that I do not want to take this chance, yet overjoyed to find the truth that I am much safer without the LDS church in my life! Everyone has the right to chose this for themselves just as I did.

CREATION

Reason 38

Creation:  The actions of God through which He brought man and the physical world into existence. God existed before the world, and He produced the universe from nothing (Genesis 1:1-2). As the sovereign, self-existing God, He also rules over His creation (Psalm 47:7-9). The Illustrated Bible Dictionary, George W. Knight, p81

     Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

The LDS church teaches that God created this world out of existing matter. This is not a Christian teaching. God formed the World out of nothing. Any teaching different than this is certainly not giving God the credit He deserves and is lowering His Sovereignty. He did not take matter and form the world as LDS doctrine and the temple ceremony teach.

     D&C 93:29
Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.

     Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 3:21-22
I dwell in the midst of them all; I now, therefore, have come down unto thee to declare unto thee the works which my hands have made, wherein my wisdom excelleth them all, for I rule in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath, in all wisdom and prudence, over all the intelligences thine eyes have seen from the beginning; I came down in the beginning in the midst of all the intelligences thou hast seen. Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

     Approaching Mormons in Love, p 35-39
Creation. Mormons do not believe in an original creation as found in the Bible. They teach that matter is "eternal." They do not believe that God created the world but teach that it was just organized out of existing matter. They say God called together the gods and sat in grand council to bring forth the world and that it was "organized" into being. They believe that Christ, who was the first-born spirit child of God, had the main responsibility for organizing the world but was aided by Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Peter, James, John, Joseph Smith, and many other "noble and great" ones while in the spirit world.


Intelligence.  The LDS Church teaches that everything first existed as spirit elements (including man) which they call "intelligence." They teach that this "spirit element" is eternal, and therefore never had a beginning. As a spirit element, man had a conscious existence where he knew the laws, good and evil, love and hate, truth and error. They do not say how long man existed in this state, but they believe it was a long time. The Church says that all knowledge of this first existence was wiped away when this "spirit element" entered the second stage knows as the "spirit world," so this is the reason no one remembers being in that state. (I don't understand how they know about this "intelligence" since no one remembers it - and no hint of such a condition is found in the Bible or The Book of Mormon.)


The Spirit World.....It is interesting to note that Mormons teach that in the spirit world, man and Jesus were of the same order of being, of the same race, nature and essence. They say that Jesus was the firstborn spirit child of the God of this universe and that every man or woman is as much deity as Jesus Christ, because all are spirit-born children of God. They also teach that Satan was one of the spirit-born children of God, thus making Jesus and Satan spiritual brothers.


Man Reaps on Earth what he Sowed in the Preexistence. Mormons teach that while man was in the spirit world, he went through a time of testing. If a person was obedient and valiant in the spirit world, he was assured of being born into a good family who lived in a powerful nation. If he was very good, he would be born into a white Mormon family. If he was less valiant, he would be born with darker skin, and the least valiant would be born with black skin.....(Moses 5:16-41; 7:8, 12, 22; Abraham 1:20-27).  lds.org/scriptures/pgp

My unanswered question was:

Since the Bible clearly states God formed the world out of nothing, then why does the LDS church insist He created the world from existing matter?

I was initially devastated when I received this answer that I cannot believe in LDS teachings that contradict the Bible, yet overjoyed to find the truth that I am putting all my faith in the Bible and the Bible alone! No other book even comes close to earning my Faith!!!

CHILD OF GOD

Reason 37

Christianity = Everyone has an opportunity to be a child of God, but everyone will not take that opportunity. Jesus died for all, but not everyone accepts His gift. (Angelina Rayno)
LDS = Everyone is a child of God.

In the Bible...
     John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

     Romans 6:10
For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.

     Hebrews 10:12
But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,

     Romans 8:14-17
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are children of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father." The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. 


The children of God, are those led by the Spirit (v. 14). To be led by the Spirit, you must receive the Spirit (v. 15). After receiving the Spirit, which is the Holy Spirit, He will testify we are God's children (v. 16). How do we receive the Holy Spirit to know we are God's children?" It's simple. We must be spiritually born again, we must be born of God and then we will receive the Holy Spirit. To be born again means to understand you are a sinner (Romans 3:10 "There is none righteous, no, not one;), recognize the consequences for sin is death in hell (Genesis 2:17 and Romans 6:23), Jesus died on the cross for your sins to give you eternal life (John 3:16, Romans 6:23), accepting the gift of eternal life by making Jesus LORD and Saviour (Romans 10:9). Angelina Rayno

     John 1:12-13
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

     John 3:3-5
Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old"? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

     John 7:37-39
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

     Luke 11:13
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?!"
          This is one of my favorite verses!!!

     1 Peter 1:23
Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

     1 John 3
biblegateway.com/passage/1john3NKJV

Being spiritually born again is a decision of the heart that each individual must make. It's a free gift one must accept, and it has nothing to do with works or tradition, like baptism; it's all about grace from God. Also, a mother cannot make this decision for her child or a wife for her husband. All individuals must make this decision apart from another. This is the message Jesus came to give, and HE loves us all so much. He came to save the world because He loves us all!!! Angelina Rayno


The Bible clearly states we become a child of God at spiritual conversion, not at birth. This is also not about what church you are a member of; denominations are irrelevant.

     Galatians 3:26
For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

The Bible very clearly says not everyone will be a child of God. Let's compare this Biblical teaching to the LDS teaching that every faithful member of the LDS church is automatically born a Child of God.

     Hymn 301, I Am a Child of God
I am a child of God, and he has sent me here,
Has given me an earthly home with parents kind and dear.


Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do to live with him someday.


I am a child of God, and so my needs are great;
Help me to understand his words before it grows too late.


Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do to live with him someday.


I am a child of God. Rich blessings are in store;
If I but learn to do his will I'll live with him once more.


Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way.
Teach me all that I must do to live with him someday.

     Mosiah 4:15
But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another.

     D&C 14:7
And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.

We were all born in heaven, prior to earth, as literal spirit children of God and his wife. Jesus and Lucifer are our older brothers, Mormon Doctrine, p 589-590

It is clear the LDS church does not teach Faith and Grace alone. There was so much I had to do to live with Him someday. As a born sinner, there was no way I would ever be able to reach this impossible goal as long as I remained a faithful member of the LDS church. However, as a Christian, I am finally on my way, and it feels so wonderful!

My unanswered question was:

What would be the point of being a human on earth if we are all automatically born a child of God?

I was initially devastated when I received this answer that not everyone will be a child of God, yet overjoyed to find the truth that by Jesus dying on the cross to save me from my sins, He has given me the opportunity to accept His free gift of grace! Since leaving the LDS church, I have now become a child of God. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me!

11th ARTICLE OF FAITH

Reason 36

     Book of Mormon, 11th Article of Faith
"We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."

This means we worship how we want, where we want, or what we want. Yet Mormons stand up in front of the church and bear their testimony of belonging to the one true church with the fullness of the gospel.... meaning all other churches are not true and do not have the fullness of the gospel. I am not sure I would agree that all LDS believe in the 11th Article of Faith themselves.

It seems Joseph Smith didn't even believe in the 11th Article of Faith as he had Mormon dissenters executed for leaving the LDS church. "The Blood Atonement Doctrine;" No, it's not practiced now, but it was practiced by the church's founding prophet.

Christians did not begin this debate. It was Joseph Smith, Jr. when he declared (in Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith - History v. 19), "I was answered that I must join none of them [all the sects], for they [all the sects] were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their [all the sects] creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt."


Joseph Smith has eliminated all the churches, all the creeds, and all of the people who profess a belief in them. That verse is in the LDS standard works to this day. Even if it were removed, it would not change the fact that Joseph Smith, Jr. taught this heresy, and he was the church's founding prophet. ~ Suzanne Bishop

Now as a post Mormon, I continue to wonder if LDS members have any idea how it makes non-Mormons feel that LDS continue to believe they are members of the only true church with a fullness of the gospel. Or do they even think of it this way? I certainly never did when I was a devout member of the LDS church. I only cared about what I was doing, and making sure I was doing the right thing all the time. In my opinion, everyone else who was  not a member was wrong and would be disappointed to live eternity in the 2nd heaven.

Since I began my story, it became clear to me that many Mormons do not live the 11th Article of Faith. Most of them claim to believe in the 11th Article of Faith, but several of them do not live it. The way some of my "friends" have chosen to act towards me after reading my life story, has made me realize not all Mormons truly believe in the 11th Article of Faith.

There is no question that who you worship is more important than how, when, or where you worship. If you worship the wrong God, then everything else is automatically wrong, no matter how right it seems to be. 

My unanswered question was:

Why do so many Mormons claim to believe in the 11th Article of Faith when it is clear they only believe this to be true if you, too, are a Mormon?

I was initially devastated when I received this answer that many Mormons believe in the 11th Article of Faith until someone begins challenging their faith, yet overjoyed to find the truth that I do not need the Articles of Faith to be saved! Jesus loves me whether I believe in the 13 Articles of Faith or not.

QUESTIONS

Reason 35

The Bible commands us to question our Religion, so this is exactly what I did. I began questioning the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and found answers I did not like. In fact, I was completely shocked with what I found when I began searching for answers to my questions!

     Approaching Mormons in Love, p. 145
We are to search the scriptures to determine truth. Mormons will tell you to pray about what they are telling you and then you are to receive a warm feeling about what they are telling you, which is to prove it is true. The Book of Mormon teaches something different.
     Jacob 7:23, page 135. "And it came to pass that peace and the love of God was restored again among the people; and they searched the scriptures, and hearkened no more to the words of this wicked man."
     Is Prayer the Way to Test a Religion?, p 191
James 1:5- "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." Mormons use this verse to support their view that you can ascertain whether a religion is true or not simply by praying about it. It has become their favorite tool. They know if you investigate Scripture, you will never join the LDS Church. Some of the many verses which deal with testing prophets and religions are: 1 John 4:1-3; Matthew 7:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 1 Timothy 4:3-4; 1 Peter 2:1-19; Jude 4, 16; Revelation 2:2; Deuteronomy 13; and Jeremiah 23:9-40. The way to identify a true religion is not simply by praying, but by testing its claims according to the clear teachings of God's Word.

It's hard to believe I am on my 35th reason for leaving the LDS church. There are several things the LDS church was not teaching me or my children that I desperately needed and wanted. Along with my 40 reasons for leaving, there are many teachings I was not getting from the church that I had a huge desire to receive.

• Faith in Christ is ALL we need.
• Our God is an Awesome God!
• We do not need a religion, a denomination, a ritual, a membership, a temple recommend, good works or anything else to live with Him. We only need Faith.
• Being "religious" does not make you Christian. Believing in Christ does.
• We are not saved by obedience.
• Christ + "nothing" = Salvation.

The truth is the LDS church does not teach these things. Some of these things may be understood, and to anyone with Faith in Christ, these things are understood. I cannot think of one time during my seven years of membership I heard even one of those statements at Sacrament meeting, Relief Society, Primary, Young Women, Visiting Teaching, Home Teaching, etc. In no way am I putting the LDS church down; I am not "anti-Mormon." I am simply stating the truth and what I was not taught as a member.

Other reasons I began questioning the church were:

• The church has no weekly Bible study classes.
• Their claim of being "the only true church." This is judgmental to non members.
• You are not a good Mormon if you do not follow all of the rules.
• You are expected to accept all callings whether you have a true desire or not.

LDS does not ask us to search for the truth as the Bible commands us.

     Galatians 3:10-12

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."

     Galatians 3:22-26

But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.

     Galatians 5:1

Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

I did not write the Bible. I am only sharing because you ARE in danger. ~Mark Driscol

My unanswered question was:

When I did question the LDS church and their doctrines, why was I told to put everything on the shelf; why was I told I would understand someday when I was ready?

I was initially devastated when I received this answer that the LDS church is hiding many doctrines, yet overjoyed to find the truth that my shelf finally got so full it fell off the wall! I was so done covering things up that I had to find out the truth. And the old saying is true....the truth hurts.