Ex-Mormon Testimonies: Personal stories told by real people on why they left the Mormon church

Life After Ministries, citing Equipping Christians.com ^ | Tracy (Crookston) Tennant

[Elsie]

Because I have never heard of the Catholic church asking Jews to give up their identity. Since we recognize that Jesus and all the apostles were Jews.

Let's leave this rabbithole for another time; another thread.

[RaceBannon]

Dude, I haven’t seen you on here for at least 17 full moons, where you been??

[Paragon Defender]

Seekers of truth,

If you peruse the Free Republic religion forums you will notice a pattern. There's an anti-Mormon group of people here that spends a great deal of their time attacking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They post regurgitated propaganda on an almost daily basis.

They have a misguided obsession. You can witness many different tactics employed that you might find quite interesting. The straw man argument is a big favorite and is frequently preceded by cherry-picking quotes or other material. After the "quotation" the attacker will misrepresent what has been said or what was meant and then attack their own interpretation.Later they will have the audacity to claim they were "only" quoting our own material.  

They will of course insist ad nauseum that they are merely using our sources and are therefore innocent of any deceptive practice. LDS persons have no issue whatsoever having our scriptures or leaders quoted as long as it is presented fairly and accurately. This is rarely (if ever) done.

Another favorite is posting scripture or statements which on their own really present no dilemma. They make something out of nothing while never bringing up a single objection that hasn't been addressed a hundred times before.

You might note a couple of other tactics used to try to antagonize is the use of disrespectful or insulting terms or language and/or pictures. That's a Christlike thing to do right? Yeah I don't think so either. It does speak volumes about them though.

Some of them claim being some sort of special witness to you as being supposedly former Mormons. So someone who is an ex-member of any organization would never have an axe to grind or have reason to try to justify their actions by any means? Perhaps not but perhaps so. The LDS Church gains members from other denominations as well as others faiths all the time. This doesn't make them an expert on anything and you certainly won't hear them attacking their former Church.

Frequently they cruise the headlines of the day seeking any story that might be twisted into making the Church look bad. Anything will do, just watch the progression of posts following it and see what I mean.

After reading their posts, I invite you to seek the truth about whatever "issue" they seem to be "revealing" or "exposing". I promise that if you do so with honest intent, the "ahah" moments you will have will be many and frequent. You will start to recognize the tactics employed to cleverly twist and attack and will likely chuckle the more you see. In actuality, there's nothing new here. It's all been addressed many times before.

The latest twist in the anti-Mormon propaganda machine is to actually go to the links provided, but then they cherry pick what they want, quote and straw man attack that. Almost without fail you will see examples of this following this post.

Clever. It almost appears that they are helping you out by doing some footwork for you. Not so much. Don't be insulted, look for yourself. It's not the haystack they want you to think. So again, seek the truth. They aren't providing it. Use your God-given brain and discernment.

Here's a few links to get your started from a different viewpoint. I have found that the vast majority of the "issues" brought up can be found and addressed at http://www.fairlds.org/ but here's more:

http://scriptures.lds.org/
http://www.lds.org
http://www.fairlds.org/
http://www.mormonapologetics.org/
http://www.mormonwiki.com/Main_Page
http://www.lightplanet.com/response/index.html
http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDS_Intro.shtml
http://www.answeringantimormons.com/index.htm
http://promormon.blogspot.com/

Now you will likely notice the "you never address or answer our points" posts pop up as usual. All after providing the answers just as you have here.

Sometimes it is claimed that these sites present a needle in a haystack. Far from it. But if you give up before you try you won't know will you? They often state that these sites provide no answer. They just don't want you looking. It is as simple as that.

Will you wear blinders too? Seek truth. Find out for yourself. Want to chat with someone on any topic? A few of these sites provide just that. So do your homework sincere seeker of truth. Listen and read from both "sides". Make up your own mind.

I witness to you of these truths and wish you the best, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Paragon Defender,

You tell people to “read both sides”, but I noticed you only posted links to mormon sites. You tell them to “do your homework” and “make up your own mind”.

Great advice.

Here are some objective links to the other side. Many mormons who are leaving the church have found great insight and been exposed to things the official links don’t cover.

PD, before you complain about any posts critical of mormonism, I suggest you check these links first. They answer all your concerns. ALL.

If you check them out carefully, and sincerely, I promise you will have many Ah-Ha moments! I promise. Take your blinders off. Seek truth. Do your homework sincere seeker of truth. Listen and read from both “sides” - not just the one-sided materials put out by mormonism.

... http://www.irr.org/mit/default.html

... http://www.exmormonsforjesus.org/

... http://4mormon.org/ex-mormon.php

... http://www.exmormon.org/

... http://www.mormoncurtain.com/

[greyfoxx39]

SEEKERS OF THE REAL TRUTH...CLICK ON THE IMAGE.

[chesty_puller]

where you been??

I'm around, watching you fight the good fight. The war has taken it's toll and I spend too much time at the VA or my private Drs. Keep at it Jarhead....don't let your big azz wuss out.

[greyfoxx39]

Great find. Thanks for posting it.

So much of her story really hits home with those of us who are former mormons, and especially the bewilderment at the shunning once your so-called friends discover you are leaving.

It left me feeling a little sad for the many I once called friends who are still trapped in the fallacies of mormonism, but coincidentally there was a part of her story that echoed something I had worked on earlier today...This quote: "I brought up the Adam-God doctrine, to which he replied that President Young had only speculated on it publicly a few times. After researching further, I learned that Young taught it as a revelation for over twenty-five years, stating that all who did not accept the doctrine that Adam is our god would be condemned (Journal of Discourses, Vol. I, page 50-51)"!

I had discovered this statement by John A. Widstoe that I hadn't run across before and it struck a chord with me with the total incongruousness of the thought, and led me to recall the location of the Garden of Eden according to mormonism.

I had to laugh that something like this would be taken so seriously by millions, and reflect upon so much of mormon doctrine that, as seen in Tracy's story, is humorous.

Be sure to toot (click) the angel's trumpet.

[svcw]

You want truth, here is some truth (lds truth that is):

"I brought up the Adam-God doctrine, to which he replied that President Young had only speculated on it publicly a few times. After researching further, I learned that Young taught it as a revelation for over twenty-five years, stating that all who did not accept the doctrine that Adam is our god would be condemned (Journal of Discourses, Vol. I, page 50-51)"!

Oh and some more:

“It is because the Lord called Joseph Smith that salvation is again available to mortal men....If it had not been for Joseph Smith and the restoration, there would be no salvation,” ( Mormon Doctrine, p. 396, 670)

[aMorePerfectUnion]

Great testimony of how God worked to open the eyes of a Mormon to the real Jesus Christ! And if you are a Mormon reading this, God can do the same for you!

[Veritas01]

I agree

[Edgewood Pilot]

Beautiful and wonderfully written.

[Elsie]

Oh, PD...

THIS is rich!

 

The purpose of this section is not to prove that the claims of the Church are true.

 

From lightplanet

 

[Elsie]

PD; I like this link, too!

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Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. Revelation 3:12

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FAIR is not owned, controlled by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

All research and opinions provided on this site are the sole responsibility of FAIR, and should not be interpreted as official statements of LDS doctrine, belief or practice.

 

 

[Elsie]

 "I have seen several entirely sincere people who thought they were (permanent) Seekers after Truth. They sought diligently, persistently, carefully, cautiously, profoundly, with perfect honesty and nicely adjusted judgment--until they believed that without doubt or question they had found the Truth. That was the end of the search. The man spent the rest of his life hunting up shingles wherewith to protect his Truth from the weather. If he was seeking after political Truth he found it in one or another of the hundred political gospels which govern men in the earth; if he was seeking after the Only True Religion he found it in one or another of the three thousand that are on the market. In any case, when he found the Truth he sought no further; but from that day forth, with his soldering-iron in one hand and his bludgeon in the other he tinkered its leaks and reasoned with objectors." (from What is Man?)

-- Mark Twain

 

[JavaGirlTT]

I’m not part of the Free Republic Forum, but have seen links to my testimony here when doing a Google search on my name. I signed up just to see what was being said about me :-)

For anyone interested in reading more about my journey out of Mormonism, my story is now a published book; “Mormonism, the Matrix, and Me.”

Synopsis: “Tracy Tennant’s compelling and inspirational account of raising and homeschooling ten children as a devout Mormon mother. Her story provides insight into Mormon lifestyle, practices, and beliefs. Her life as a Latter-day Saint was rich with humor and drama, as well as the mundane aspects of trying to live worthily as a temple-attending woman preparing her family for life in the future Celestial Kingdom. After discovering solid historical evidence against Joseph Smith and the teachings of the Mormon Church, Tracy faced heartbreaking rejection from many of her former Mormon friends and loved ones. While her account details her journey out of Mormonism into Biblical-based faith, she acknowledges and credits the Mormon people who made a positive impact on her life. Mormonism, The Matrix & Me is a book that is an intense walk through Tracy’s life as she enters and exits a world known as Mormonism, while eloquently comparing her story to the blockbuster movie, ‘The Matrix.’ Her story will cause many to open their eyes to the world around them.”

To Colofornian, whoever you are; thank you for your kind words and encouragement!