.:WE WERE THE PERFECT MODEL OF AN LDS FAMILY.
My wife and I were lifelong members in the LDS Church. We were sealed in the Seattle Temple for all time and eternity as husband and wife. It wasn’t long and we were on our way to raising a family of five children of our own. Our family’s eternal salvation depended on our ability to perform and meet all obligations required and expected by the Church. So we all pressed on, putting on that Sunday face that hides the real feelings we possess from wear and tear, overextending ourselves in callings to serve, and overcommitting additional time that will eventually lead to mindless insanity. Is this truly God’s plan for happiness?
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CHUCK’S STORY – A Latter-day Saint Story Worth Reading
My wife and I were lifelong members in the LDS Church. We both were born and raised within the comforts and values of Mormonism philosophy. I achieved the Eagle Scout rank in the LDS scouting program. I served a mission among the Navajo Native American people on their reservation in the greater southwestern United States. It was there I began to seriously question what my purpose was among these people for the Church … excuse me, for God. My wife went to college on a volleyball scholarship while I was away serving the Lord. When I returned home from an honorable mission, I met my wife at a Church-sponsored young adult dance. We soon fell in love and got married within six to nine months after returning from my mission. We were sealed in the Seattle Temple for all time and eternity as husband and wife. It wasn’t long and we were on our way to raising a family of five children of our own. We were the prime example of the perfect family following the perfect course for eternal happiness and Godly rewards that awaited us. We were admired by the members of the ward, and radiated the love and dedication expected from every LDS family in the Church. Each of our natural families were also looked up to and admired within the community Church circles for their prior dedication and steadfastness in the gospel. We both came from large LDS families and fit the LDS profile to a T. We were everything an LDS family was to look like, act like, and be. It was all we’d ever known, as it was our way of life.
My father was a bishop, my wife’s father served as Branch President for the Pacific Islander Samoan Branch. Both our families were quick to observe and obey all LDS teachings by establishing unwavering routines with unshaken faith. We held our weekly family home evenings each Monday night. In our home, being in attendance for dinner was mandatory. We knelt in family prayer, discussed Church principles and history openly. We shared our testimony and faith with non-members when opportunity presented itself, by loving the investigator into our home for a taste of Mormon family life. We were always active participants in teaching classes on Sunday, went to every mutual night, were expected to attend morning seminary for four years at 6:00 a.m. before school, attended all temple excursion trips, ward campouts, participated in Church sponsored sports, scouting, mutual activities, ward potlucks, plays and presentations, devotionals, home and visiting teaching … the list goes on and on. We did it all without question, with total dedication for the greater good of the Church and building up the Kingdom of God. Where one finds the time to think is beyond me.
As lemmings on the runner wheel, we joined the pack in a mindless frenzy of appointed stewardship. Perhaps it is the Church’s ultimate plan to keep everyone so busy they don’t have the time to think about what they’re doing. As LDS people, we just did it because everyone else was doing it, and we were told it was the right thing to do if we want to become like God, and achieve what He has achieved. (If we didn’t do it as well as the other folks who are watching us, we may not reach the full glory of God, nor receive the fullness of His blessings.) We were too busy, like everyone else, to realize that the same internal unspoken fears were in everyone else’s minds, too. Our family’s eternal salvation depended on our ability to perform and meet all obligations required and expected by the Church …excuse me, I mean God. So we all pressed on, putting on that Sunday face that hides the real feelings we possess from wear and tear, overextending ourselves in callings to serve, and overcommitting additional time that will eventually lead to mindless insanity. Is this truly God’s plan for happiness? Hmmm.
As years go by, the standard mind thought is cemented in every LDS worker bee, to bring to pass the glory of God, building up His Church, and the establishment of Zion. Imagine! We were a part of this glorious venture, and in return, we are assured places in the eternities with our families and loved ones. Not a bad trade, eh? How blessed we were as long as we never questioned anything, or challenged the Church’s history or early beginnings. After all, it would be detrimental to the establishment of God if anything taught as truth were exposed as an untruth. How fortunate we were to have a living Latter-day Prophet to lead, guide and direct the affairs of the Church and further explain the mysteries of the Kingdom. If we do as we’re directed, our place in the Celestial Kingdom is made sure. The eternities will be a place of peace, joy, and security of being with our families and loved ones. How beautiful. Any song requests?
And it came to pass, after admitting to myself that something is wrong with the Church, its beginnings, and the very nature of its self-proclaimed supreme authority on the earth, that we officially dismissed ourselves and removed our names from the Church records. By voluntarily opting out of the Church program, we no longer had to struggle with the guilt of not meeting “Church” expectations. No more mandatory tithing for admission to the temple to receive God’s blessings, no money … no eternal blessings, folks. No more guilt for not accepting callings to voluntarily serve within the local wards or stake and sustain the steady progression towards religious dominance in the community “for the glory of God.” No more guilt. No more insanity. Pass me a cookie.
The LDS dream is to dot the earth with Temples. This would mean multi-dotting the earth with Stake Centers and Ward buildings/meeting houses. This also means mega-dotting the earth with automatons of Mormon religion that all walk, talk, and think the same way … without thinking at all. Yes, we would then be invaded by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who mindlessly toot their horns about the Joseph Smith story. Goodness, what a story. Think about it. Why have no artifacts EVER been discovered that coincide with the Book of Mormon story? It’s simple – it never happened! No mega wars, no jumbo civilizations, no elephants here, no nothing. This is a truth that cannot be hidden, but LDS people won’t stop and think about that, will they? The Mormon folk are taught repetitiously, and continue to sing over and over that if they’ll only believe and follow the prophet, no thinking needs be done, since it has been done for them. You see, since it is taught and believed that Christ is the head of the Church, no one will ever openly question or challenge the present-day prophet, Church history, or his authority he wields to lead, guide and direct the affairs of the Church. The prophet gets his authority and direction from Christ, right? Now sit down.
Since our pulling back from the LDS Church, we both as well as our children have noticed a peace of mind and calming within our souls. It’s hard to explain the relief we now feel, except we understand that truth does bring peace and joy. We now have a divine purpose within our religious beliefs. The word “ministry” has taken on a whole new and exciting meaning. Serving others out of joy now comes from the heart. The teachings of Christ and the biblical apostles now make more sense to us. We no longer pick up an LDS publication or doctrinal book for confusing questions concerning the gospel. Why? Again, the answer is simple. It was the Mormon faith that confused the gospel’s intent and rolled out the dough of doctrine for a feast of new concepts and ideas that are nowhere to be found in biblical writings to much extent. It was the Mormon faith and its teachings that complicated an uncomplicated gospel. It was Mormon teachings that frustrate Christ’s intent for our lives and has scrambled His message for mankind. It is due to the teachings of the Mormon faith that has required further explanation of principles, rites, and authority that prompt constant encouragement to subscribe to their periodicals, update yourselves on current prophesies, and continue your doctrinal indoctrination. An LDS person is flooded with direction that is unfortunately interpreted as true gospel, rather than a true gospel fact.
As LDS members, it is taught from childhood throughout primary and Sunday school by lessons and catchy songs that the word of the Lord’s servants is the same as if God was speaking to you, Himself. Scriptures say that the voice of God and His servants are the same. Therefore, if a “General Authority” of the LDS Church writes a book, offers a wonderful talk, or openly prescribes a spiritual solution to life’s problems, it is actually viewed as “new scripture.” We all raised our hands to the square in a vote of confidence to support the present-day Prophet and the authorities who teach, guide and direct history and the course of the Church. As a result, we must do as they say. If not, we have not only rejected them and their word, we have now rejected God. They speak for God, remember? This is a very powerful message openly accepted by all Latter-day Saints. Even the mere term “General Authority” is intimidating by itself. By design, a Latter-day Saint voluntarily submits his own eternal progression to an earthly authority. Imagine this, we willingly place our own eternal destiny in the hands of an earthly authority that will never be questioned, mostly speaks from script and memorized storylines mingled with scripture. Submitting one’s own spirit in trust to someone purely because of their stature and position here on earth should raise many red flags … yet to the LDS mind, it does not. Let the lemmings loose and let them run. Oh, I’ve already mentioned that, haven’t I? Then run faster I say!
The early LDS Church is riddled with false representations, misrepresentations, and misleading partial truths as to its beginnings. The “authorities” continually rewrite history and eloquently refine its origin and nature to a perfect imperfection. As with wine, the story retold only gets better over the years as it is strained again and again. The History of the Church has been overly buttered and extra-sweetened to heighten its believability. Perhaps this has been done to pacify every concern and reassure the membership that God has restored His true gospel through Latter-day Prophets, believe it or not (wink!). Who are we to question God or His servants’ authority on such matters? If you value your eternal glory, you will pray more about the truths as explained. Please pray until God tells you it is all true, okay? As a missionary, it was this very message of repetition in prayer for the answer I wanted them to agree with … I mean, a spiritual confirmation that what I’m saying is true, that is continually used to persuade the masses. If you do not get the answer I wanted, you just didn’t get it. Please go fast and pray until you agree with the Lord, or His servants as they are one and the same. Think about it, folks! This is spooky mind games in a religious setting. Boo…!
In point, if you ever get down and dirty with a serious historical question, or even an eternal one: supposing you actually did your homework and posed a question on a point of the LDS gospel as taught, asking for scriptural reference and explanation, without using ANY of the standard LDS works, you will find that many points are not clearly defined in biblical answers relating to Mormon doctrine. Why? The answer is simple. It was never meant to be interpreted that way. However, since the LDS Church boasts of having all the answers to anything that can be imagined, you’ll find an answer in a publication, or a talk by a General Authority on such matters. The answers are given through present-day prophecy … mingled with Scripture. The very thing you are WARNED about in the temple ceremony! We were told that an LDS member should not waste his time on historical facts not graced by the Church, or be overly concerned with mystical questions, as the Lord will reveal all in time. Maybe the prophet should just ask God once and for all what all the answers truly are. Then again, perhaps there was never a question to begin with, until Mormon philosophy scrambled up Christ’s gospel so badly … it needed an explanation. Try to explain that. Please know that the gospel of Christ was meant to serve man, and man to serve one another. Unscramble your minds if you can, and realize that God was never the author of confusion. His message is simple. It is by man that it has been overblown and become so complex. You do not need a myriad of LDS doctrine books to understand what God wants from you. Christ spoke plain, and so did His Apostles.
The trick in the LDS religion game is to ultimately avoid historical facts on Joseph Smith, facts on the Church’s early beginnings, who the key players really were in bringing the Book of Mormon to light, and the truthful problematic issues within the Church today. This is done by continually refocusing attention to the “eternal dream” – to sell the masses on the achievement of Godhood and the advancement of their eternal glory. We are urged to look ahead to the future as offered by God and to dismiss the past as erred by men. By rewriting the Church’s own doctrine, mingled with Scripture, they can cleverly sway the masses IF the promises for eternal joy, in keeping one’s family forever, and offering hope to your friends and relatives are convincing enough. The LDS Church has done well to sell. To top off the cake, they must claim they are the “authority” on such religious matters and speak for God. Again, the LDS Church has capitalized on this, too. Now, under “God’s instruction,” they mandate that every member MUST pay a full tithe at all costs to get a temple recommend, and obtain further instruction in order to attain a place in the eternities. “If you don’t buy your ticket, you don’t get in folks! Don’t believe me? Try.” All these gimmicks have worked. The Church has guaranteed itself substantial income by selling temple tickets for rites in their temple. Wow! Why didn’t I think of that? I’d be rich!
My brothers and sisters in the gospel of Christ, please step out of the lemming run. Stop a minute and look around. Creative slogans like, “Families can live together forever” can be sung over and over until your face turns blue. It doesn’t mean you must endure such frustration, abuse of time, and near insanity to have it. The LDS Church doesn’t hold all the aces in this game. It is a Jedi mind trick of sorts. You are only made to believe you need your ticket to the temple to get eternal salvation. Remember, it was Christ who truly has shown us all the way to joy, peace, love, and happiness. Christ teaches us all how to be happy as a family, as a community, and as a nation. It has been by men’s own self indulgent designs that have distorted and continue to confuse the Lord’s simple message for their own gain and religious domination. You see it all the time. Turn on the TV sometime and see how some folks do it. There is power in position. It is no wonder the LDS wish to position themselves globally as a contender for the faith. Christ wants souls, while men want Authority and Control, Power and Dominion. So please, stop. Think.
Who is right? Christ or the LDS Church? You must choose whom you will serve. Thing is, you do have a choice. For us, we chose freedom from guilt. We chose joy for our family. We chose to understand what ministering to others truly means. Christ’s love was for the people. He truly loved us and endured the clutches of death on our behalf. You must learn to trust in Him and love Him all over again. The LDS Church teaches the very thing they are warning you to beware of. Problem is, it is so cleverly done and eloquently taught, that you must make the choice to step back, and see for yourself what is wrong with the picture. Stand to the side and let the lemmings run. Look up and wonder if God was the author of such confusion and burden. He is not. I urge you to save your life and the life blood of your family. Get out while you still have a mind left to do so.
In Jesus’ name. Be blessed.
Chuck
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