I’ve just been trying to process this idea that Mormons are good people who love God, and yet they’ve made this fatal error of conflating God and the church, or God and the “authority of man.”
They feel the Holy Spirit lead them to Christ.
…and then they suddenly say “so the church is true!”
I’m not exaggerating—this is literally what someone said in their testimony in our ward Sunday.
They feel inspired and moved in their faith in Christ, and that faith somehow overflows into a blind trust in man.
They make this fallacious leap of lumping all the Mormon teachings together into one testimony. It never occurs to them that maybe Jesus died for them and Joseph Smith (and everyone after him) is a con man.
There are several false prophecies and other words that never made any sense, like this one that’s been “on my shelf” ever since I first read it twenty years ago:
“I earnestly desired to know concerning the coming of the Son of Man & prayed, when a voice said to me, Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou are 85 years old thou shalt see the face of the son of man. Therefore let this suffice & trouble me no more on this matter.”
So apparently God speaks in riddles and nonsense. (Joseph Smith died when he was 39 — apparently he didn’t see that coming, even though later quotes indicate he did🤷♀️)
That’s literally what I told myself to get through this doubt.
But I’m done making up excuses for “scriptures” that don’t make any sense and “doctrines” that blatantly contract the Bible.
This morning I spent some time reading up on the story of seeking treasure in Salem, an utter failure of a venture which led to the ridiculous false prophecy of D&C 111.
In this “revelation,” the Lord tells Joseph Smith, “yeah you didn’t find any riches here, but don’t worry, you’ll have riches here at a future time.”
The faithful response is that these riches were not monetary, but were a symbol of the future converts who would become the Salem branch.
Except the revelation literally says it meant gold and silver!
Come on guys.
I know you feel the spirit and think he was such an amazing prophet.
But we need to face his shocking list of false prophecies, confusing scriptures, contradictory doctrines (contradicting the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and even his own earlier teachings — all throughout church historys — and ridiculous claims.
I was literally going into this project looking for a way to believe a bit of good about him, trying to “doubt my doubts.” But the more I learn about Joseph Smith, the more ridiculous he gets.
I’m not trying to mock anyone or make you feel uncomfortable. I’m just as uncomfortable, even shocked and horrified as anyone! But I was brave enough to look.
And pray!
If you want me to face this scary situation, Lord, I’m available.
If you want me to reconsider what I’ve believed my whole life, Lord, I’m available.
If there’s truth for me to find, Lord, I’m available.
If there’s a new religious belief You want me to adopt, Lord, I’m available.
All I Possess 