Posted on 11/24/2009 1:46:39 PM PST by Steelfish
Here's a good site for that.
A Believing People: Literature of the Latter-day Saints
Some poetry, some hymns.
Single Belles
“Granny got run over by a Curlom”
However men with many belles, well...
I was thinking about the ones Joey was always on the hunt for...
the young virgins...
Please correct me if I’m wrong on this, but there is a component that you touched upon (brainwashing) that should be expanded further. That is peer-pressure and the push to “have a testimony” This process acts to ‘cement’ these falsehoods into ‘truth’ by convincing yourself not to think about it but accept it (or else). Again (correct if wrong), I understand that during weekly testimony meetings it is almost robotic - Joseph smith is true prophet, bom is the word of god, lds is the restored church, etc - except that 99% of the time Jesus isn’t even mentioned.
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You are correct. The first Sunday of the month is called “Fast and Testimony” meeting where members of the congregation stand up and “bear” their “testimony”. When I was “investigating” the LDS church, I was told I shouldn’t bear my testimony b/c I hadn’t been given the Holy Ghost yet (after LDS baptism, by laying on of hands). After I joined, I just said what everyone else did, and you are completely correct, it is reinforcement (brainwashing).
Most LDS testimonies are canned. You will see 2-3 year olds held up by their parents repeating what is whispered in their ears. “I know the church is true, I love my mommy and daddy, Joseph Smith is a true prophet, I love my teachers.” Jesus is only ever mentioned in passing and further down the list. Jesus is just a footnote to them.
And it doesn’t get much better with the adults either. Matt didn’t believe me when I said there was a “church cadence” to testimonies, everyone sounds the same. That is until he heard an LDS missionary bear his testimony.
Typical LDS testimony (tears are optional but add to the “feeling”):
“I would be terribly ungrateful today if I didn’t stand up and bear my testimony. I KNOW the Church is true, I KNOW that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, and that the Book of Mormon is true. I know my savior lives and I am grateful to be a High Priest and to have the authority to act in God’s name. I am so grateful for my family, the church, the blessings of the Temple...”
You say it often enough, and with mustering up enough feeling, and yeah you start to believe it. Also, hearing it over and over again at reagular intervals also reinforces the beliefs in mind.
For those who question, I have have heard many ex-LDS say something like, “I heard other people’s testimonies so often, and THEY knew it was true, I trusted them so I thought if they KNEW it was true, then it must be”
Those are good quotes. Here is a sample from the link:
2nd LDS President Brigham Young - “when the light came to me I saw that all the so-called Christian world was grovelling in darkness” (Journal of Discourses 5:73).
“The Christian world, so-called, are heathens as to the knowledge of the salvation of God” (Journal of Discourses 8:171).
“With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world” (Journal of Discourses 8:199).
“Brother Taylor has just said that the religions of the day were hatched in hell. The eggs were laid in hell, hatched on its borders, and kicked on to the earth” (Journal of Discourses 6:176).
The “Brother Taylor” Young refers to is John Taylor, who after Brigham’s death in 1877, became the third president of the LDS Church. Here are some of his feelings toward Christianity:
“We talk about Christianity, but it is a perfect pack of nonsense…the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century” (Journal of Discourses 6:167).
“What! Are Christians ignorant? Yes, as ignorant of the things of God as the brute beast.” (Journal of Discourses 6:25).
“What does the Christian world know about God? Nothing….Why so far as the things of God are concerned, they are the veriest of fools; they know neither God nor the things of God” (Journal of Discourses 13:225).
LDS Apostle Orson Pratt - “…all other churches are entirely destitute of all authority from God; and any person who receives Baptism or the Lord’s supper from their hands highly offend God, for he looks upon them as the most corrupt of all people” (The Seer, pg. 255).
First Counselor (to Brigham Young) Heber C. Kimball - “Christians - those poor, miserable priests Brother Brigham was speaking about - some of them are the biggest whoremasters there are on the earth….” (Journal of Discourses 5:89).
http://www.mission.org/jesuspeople/mormatak.htm
Those are good quotes. Here is a sample from the link:
2nd LDS President Brigham Young - “when the light came to me I saw that all the so-called Christian world was grovelling in darkness” (Journal of Discourses 5:73).
“The Christian world, so-called, are heathens as to the knowledge of the salvation of God” (Journal of Discourses 8:171).
“With a regard to true theology, a more ignorant people never lived than the present so-called Christian world” (Journal of Discourses 8:199).
“Brother Taylor has just said that the religions of the day were hatched in hell. The eggs were laid in hell, hatched on its borders, and kicked on to the earth” (Journal of Discourses 6:176).
The “Brother Taylor” Young refers to is John Taylor, who after Brigham’s death in 1877, became the third president of the LDS Church. Here are some of his feelings toward Christianity:
“We talk about Christianity, but it is a perfect pack of nonsense…the devil could not invent a better engine to spread his work than the Christianity of the nineteenth century” (Journal of Discourses 6:167).
“What! Are Christians ignorant? Yes, as ignorant of the things of God as the brute beast.” (Journal of Discourses 6:25).
“What does the Christian world know about God? Nothing….Why so far as the things of God are concerned, they are the veriest of fools; they know neither God nor the things of God” (Journal of Discourses 13:225).
LDS Apostle Orson Pratt - “…all other churches are entirely destitute of all authority from God; and any person who receives Baptism or the Lord’s supper from their hands highly offend God, for he looks upon them as the most corrupt of all people” (The Seer, pg. 255).
First Counselor (to Brigham Young) Heber C. Kimball - “Christians - those poor, miserable priests Brother Brigham was speaking about - some of them are the biggest whoremasters there are on the earth….” (Journal of Discourses 5:89).
http://www.mission.org/jesuspeople/mormatak.htm
Now here is a prime example of not being able to keep their "story" straight.
We have been told by our LDS friends here that we should listen to their version of the "holy spirit" when we look into Mormonism to know if it is "true".
OK, but how can we listen to something we don't have yet, huh?
The more sophisticated the lie, the more holes the story has.
Good stuff...
Excellent evidence, what more evidence do we need, we know where the voice that spoke those things comes from.
Thanks for the confirmation. Mormonism displays distinctive marks of being a destructive cult -
1. The cult is authoritarian in its power structure. The whole priesthood structure as well as the hierarchy. Don’t cross the bishop. . .
2.The cult’s leaders tend to be charismatic, determined, and
domineering. While this is probably not characteristic of the current prophet and seer of lds, it was VERY much in play with Smith, Young and other early prophets.
3. The cult’s leaders are self-appointed, messianic persons who claim to have a special mission in life. Again, Monson and Hinkley didn’t rise to this level. But it was in evidence with Smith and other early prophets. This held over devotion to the ‘prophet’ (who will never lead you wrong) is a current manifestation.
4. The cult’s leaders center the veneration of members upon themselves. Yep, just as we’ve been joking about ‘smithmas’, it is a very real presence in lds circles. Furthermore the affirmation of the current prophet falls within this category.
5. The cult tends to be totalitarian in its control of the behavior of its members. Settling up the ‘tithe’ for the year, clothing standards, family standards, designated ‘volunteerism’, etc.
6. The cult tends to have a double set of ethics. Mormons are urged to be open and honest within the group, and confess all to the leaders. On the other hand, they are encouraged to deceive and manipulate outsiders or nonmembers (Lying for the Lord).
7. The cult has basically only two purposes, recruiting new members and fund-raising. 70,000 missionaries and the (extorted) funds demands come to mind.
8. The cult appears to be innovative and exclusive. The leader claims to be breaking with tradition, offering something novel, and instituting the only viable system for change that will solve life’s problems or the world’s ills. Sound like smith and missionaries. While claiming this, the cult then surreptitiously uses systems of psychological coercion on its members to inhibit their ability to examine the actual validity of the claims of the leader and the cult. Doesn’t this sound like the coersion to get that special ‘feeling’ when reading the bom and that this ‘feeling’ is totally superior to any facts or other reasons that reveal the falseness of the claims.
I’m sure you can point out other more specific examples than I can. No wonder Utah is the prozac capitol of the nation.
http://www.factnet.org/rancho5.htm
I’ll pray that those all those who are leaving and have left mormonism will find their way to Christ.
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Please do pray. Those who are just coming out are in a lot of hurt, confusion, and have a lot of anger (understandably so). They need our prayers.
Also, please pray for those still trapped in Mormonism that God will open their eyes, both to the problems of Mormonism and to the Truth of Jesus Christ.
While prophets wash their socks by night ???
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LOL.
Probably very convientiely “removed” from libraries in Utah.
Hard to find the book that it is referenced to as well, “The Mormon Warbler” IIRC).
Angels I have heard while I’m high ???
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OK, I like that one better. We need to make a list. :)
thanks for the link. :)
“Granny got run over by a Curlom”
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ROFL.
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Beautifully said. These intentions are on my prayer list. Thank you.
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