FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE TRUTH - LDS Hymn Parody #67

To me, there is beauty in truth.  So simple.  No little white lies.  No wiggle room.  No bobbing and weaving.  No hedging.  Just the pure truth based on facts and evidence.  

But I've been told that I take the concept of truth too literally, at least on some discussion boards where I've attempted to discuss this topic.  But in doing so, I have been criticized for saying that since there are obvious lies laced throughout Mormonism, I had to discard it.  It has been pointed out that every religion has lies within it, as if that is a justification for the lies I have discovered.  But to me, just because "all religions" have lies within them doesn't mean that it is okay for every religion to present lies as absolute truth.  After all, if a religion has lies laced throughout it, then what possible benefit can it have to me in my life?  For example, the Mormon Church teaches honesty and integrity as important values, and yet they have no regard for the actual truth when it comes to presenting its doctrine or history.  I, for one, have a real problem with that.

Perhaps the search for truth and beauty is an elusive one.  Obviously truth and beauty mean different things to different people.  But regardless of whether or not that may be true, wouldn't a person think that within religion that search would be simpler?  That those qualities would intermingle and co-exist within the worship of God?  Sadly, though, that doesn't seem to be the case. 

THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.

Yes, as far as I am concerned, TRUTH is the bottom line.  Is something true - or is it false?  If it's false, then I want nothing to do with it.  To me, it really is that simple.

Of course, that explains why, when I discovered so many lies laced throughout Mormonism, I had to extricate myself from its grasp.  And that also explains why I have such a hard time understanding why some people can know all the flaws, all the deception, all the lies, all the sordid history, and still adhere to Mormonism.  Makes no sense to me.

Anyway, here is my 67th LDS Hymn Parody, all about TRUTH...

FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE TRUTH
Sung to the tune of For the Beauty of the Earth, #92

For the beauty of the truth,
Sorting through apparent lies.
Seeing that it’s all made up,
Facts that brought me much surprise.
Truth is what it’s all about,
Knowing without any doubt.

For the beauty of the facts,
Recognizing every clue.
When the evidence is there,
Standing up for what is true.
Truth is what it’s all about,
Knowing without any doubt.

Finding truth, a worthy search,
Ripping off the veiled disguise.
Finally seeing what is false,
Then discarding all the lies.
Truth is what it’s all about,
Knowing without any doubt.

For the joy of feeling free,
Living an authentic life.

Finally facing all the facts,
Free from all the pain and strife.

Mormonism is not true,
So I bid it all adieu.

© Diane Tingen, 5/29/2012

WHERE IS THE PEACE DENIAL BRINGS? - LDS Hymn Parody #66

Denial.  An interesting topic.  In my opinion, there are a lot of Mormons who are in total and complete denial.  Just like the picture says, "Denialism - Denying reality, one fact at time."  Because really, when you really examine Mormonism on an independent level (away from the areas "authorized" by the church itself), it is obviously filled with all kinds of lies, deceptions and half-truths.  And no, that isn't Anti-Mormon Propaganda, but the actual truth based on actual evidence and actual facts.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again, if the Mormon Church had nothing to hide, then it wouldn't matter what people read or where they research.  But the fact that the church is very concerned about its members doing research on their own is very telling.

Of course, there are many who are still counted within the ranks of Mormons who have realized the lies, know the actual truth, but have decided to "pretend" to still believe to keep the peace within their families.  Very sad.  It doesn't seem to matter what the 11th Article of Faith says... "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."  Most Mormons don't follow that philosophy, but rather berate people who decide they cannot adhere to Mormon beliefs any longer - even shunning and turning their backs against those who choose to use their free agency.  And sadly, this happens a lot within families.
 
There are so many types of Mormons:  Shadow Mormons.  Social Mormons.  Cafeteria Mormons.  Dry Mormons.  Jack Mormons.  True Believing Mormons (TBMs).  But regardless of what type of Mormons they are, they all have two things in common:  Mormonism and Denial.  Please don't get me wrong - I feel a lot of sympathy for people who find themselves trapped within Mormonism (at least in their minds), but it takes a lot of denial to not realize that staying within the parameters of something in which you don't believe (and is obviously filled with lies) has a devastating effect on a person's psyche and mental well-being.  I know because I've been there.  Thankfully, I realized several years ago that I could not "pretend" any longer, and left the fold - and I've never regretted my decision.

And so here is my 66th LDS Hymn Parody... highlighting the denial that is alive and well, and being adhered to faithfully within Mormonism.  And no, denial is not a river in Egypt...

WHERE IS THE PEACE DENIAL BRINGS?

Sung to the tune of Sweet is the Peace the Gospel Brings, #14

Where is the peace denial brings
To Mormons everywhere?
Just following as they are told,
Their thoughts they cannot share.

So sad their lives are intertwined
In Mormonism’s ploy.
But sadder still to realize
It strips your life of joy.

The bottom line, your peace of mind
And how you feel inside,
Is tied up in your happiness
And cannot be denied.

To live your life authentically,
And not give in to fear,
Accept the false philosophies
To which they all adhere.

To me, it’s clear the Mormon Church
Is not the Word of God.
It’s nothing but a sham and hoax,
So obvious a fraud.

So difficult to understand
How anyone can stay
Within a church so clearly false
And give their lives away.

To those still trapped within the grasp
Of Mormonism’s ruse,
I hope that you will find a way
To finally get loose.

Because the peace that you will find
When you are finally free,
Is worth whatever it will take,
Just as it was for me.

© Diane Tingen, 5/25/2012

JOSEPH SMITH, THE MORMON PROPHET - LDS Hymn Parody #65

Here's another LDS Hymn Parody.  This one speaks of Joseph Smith and the fact that a study of actual history shows he was a treasure hunter, money digger, charlatan, shyster and a total fraud - and that he was clearly not a Prophet and Seer as the Mormon Church claims.  In my opinion, Joseph Smith initially made up Mormonism as a way to gain power and money - and that led to his introduction of polygamy when he was caught "in a compromising position" with Fanny Alger who he claimed was his first polygamous wife.  I find it interesting that Oliver Cowdery felt Joseph's "marriage" to Fanny Alger was actually a "dirty, nasty, filthy affair," and not a polygamous marriage.  The timeline that a study of history shows is that after Oliver confronted Joseph about this "affair," Joseph announced that he had been commanded by God to practice polygamy.  Very convenient (as the SNL Church Lady would say).  In fact, Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were both later excommunicated from the Mormon Church for speaking out against Joseph's practice of polygamy (and later polyandry, the practice of marrying women who were already married to living husbands). 

It is an actual fact that Joseph Smith married 33 women - 10 of whom were teenage girls, and 11 of whom were already married to living husbands.  Just look at this website - http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/ - which contains well-documented historical references concerning each polygamous wife (and polyandrous wives as well).  None of this is "Anti-Mormon Propaganda," and in fact was created and is maintained by an active member of the Mormon Church.  And yet I am sure that this website, along with any information along these lines, is considered "Anti-Mormon Propaganda" by members of the Mormon Church.  Even on the Mormon Church's own genealogy website (http://www.familysearch.org/) are shown 24 wives of Joseph Smith, and if actual research is done on that website alone, many of his polyandrous marriages are shown.  Th fact that none of this is discussed in any church meetings is very suspect to me as is the fact that I was a member for 52 years and never even knew this information.  In fact, I never knew about the polyandrous marriages until I was already out of the church for 3 years (and only learned of them when researching on http://www.familysearch.org/) - and I am certain that the majority of active Mormons today don't know about this historical fact - or many of the other sordid details of Mormon Church history either.

What I find even sadder than the fact that members of the Mormon Church treat any type of negative information about the Mormon Church and its history as "Anti-Mormon Propaganda" is the fact that they mindlessly voice the theme that we just don't understand why the Lord commanded Joseph Smith and others to practice polygamy.  They say that God works in mysterious ways - and that God's ways are not our ways so we need to just accept these things and not question.  But to me, the repetition of that line of thought is nothing more than pure denial.  Personally, I don't want to live in a state of denial.  I much prefer an informed existence - one in which I don't close my eyes to the actual truth and just go along.  For me, the main reward of my apostasy is living an informed existence - knowing that I finally found the actual truth and am now living an authentic life.

So here is my 65th LDS Hymn Parody... just 10 more to go to hit my current goal of 75...

JOSEPH SMITH, THE MORMON PROPHET

Sung to the tune of Come, Rejoice – #9

Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet,
Died a martyr's death.
Claimed to be the Lord's true mouthpiece
To his dying breath.
Mormons still revere his name,
Though he played a shyster’s game.
Joseph was a total fraud,
Clearly not a man of God.

Joseph Smith was just a con man,
Charlatan supreme.

Treasure hunting, money digging,
Always one more scheme.
Mormonism came from that,
Head and seer stone in a hat.
A religion he devised,
Book of Mormon, plagiarized.

Joseph Smith, a Seer and Prophet

In his own warped mind,
Who created Mormonism,
Cleverly designed.
Many women, 33,
Married him, polygamy.
Started off with Emma Hale,
Many more can tell the tale.

Second wife was Fanny Alger,
Some said an affair.
Claimed that he had been commanded,
Had a liar’s flair.
Emma wasn’t buying it,
Kicked out Fanny in a snit.
But then Joseph married more,
Emma’s fury he’d ignore.

Yet today they whitewash history,
Anti-Mormon crap.
Try to say it didn’t happen,
Simply a bad rap.
Pure denial, disavow
All the evidence somehow.
Choosing simply to believe,
To the lies they blindly cleave.

© Diane Tingen, 5/23/2012

THE MORMON LEGACY - LDS Hymn Parody #64

Here's another LDS hymn parody.  This one highlights, once again, my opinion that since the Mormon Church has numerous obvious flaws (and in my mind is actually false), Mormons everywhere need to stop burying their heads in the sand, blindly following what the church tells them to believe, and do some actual research so they can find the actual truth.  To blindly believe, without researching independently, on your own, is simply not wise.  Would anyone buy a car without doing research on its origins and history?  No, that would be absurd.  Would anyone purchase a house without having an inspection and title report done - and look closely at its foundation to insure they have avoided any potential problems?  No, obviously not.  And yet Mormons just go along, believing what they are told, not doing any independent research - just believing and having faith.

I find this mindset to be appalling.  Intellectual curiousity is paramount for a thinking individual.  To be told that you can't do any research outside of approved parameters is not only ridiculous but is also one of the signs of a cult.  If a religious organization has nothing to hide then it doesn't matter what people look at, what they read, or what they research on their own.  I really wish more Mormons would think about that instead of accepting it all blindly.  Instead they choose to "just believe" - which, unfortunately, is The Mormon Legacy.

THE MORMON LEGACY

Sung to the tune of How Gentle God’s Commands – Hymn #125

Completely filled with lies,
Created to deceive.
The truth is there for all to find,
Naïve to just believe.

The Mormon Church is false,

Its doctrines are not true.
So clear that it was just made up,
Invented by a few.

The flaws are obvious,
Not hard at all to find.

The sordid history tells the tale,
Not slandered or maligned.

Through research I could see
The lies throughout it all.
Yet others cling to fallacies
Emblazoned on the wall.

They say we must have faith,
That we can’t understand
The ways of God, mysterious,
His ever-mighty hand.

But though that might be true,
That does not testify
To Mormonism’s truthfulness,
The logic is awry.

Not wise to close your eyes,
Submit and just believe
Whatever you are told is true,
The web of lies they weave.

But there is none so blind
As he who will not see
That they’ve been duped by blatant lies,
The Mormon Legacy.

© Diane Tingen, 5/17/2012

IS THERE TRUTH IN MORMONISM? LDS Hymn Parody #63

It's been 2-1/2 months since I wrote my last hymn parody.  My, how times flies.  I guess I've been creatively blocked (most likely by what has been going on in my life, which is a very long story).  But since I'm determined to write at least 75 LDS hymn parodies, it's really good to feel the creative juices flowing again.

So here is my latest LDS hymn parody... very self-explanatory, so I won't go into any further explanation...

IS THERE TRUTH IN MORMONISM?
Sung to the tune of Guide Us, O Thou Great Jehovah – Hymn #83

Is there truth in Mormonism?
Many think it’s filled with lies.
Just look at the sordid history,
Countless questions will arise.
Look for answers, look for answers,
Search until you find the truth,
Find the truth.
Search until you find the truth.

They want you to blindly follow
What they tell you to believe.
If it’s false, the landscape changes,
You should know if they deceive.
Mormonism, Mormonism,
There is more than meets the eye,
Meets the eye.
There is more than meets the eye.

Though they tell you not to research,
Only read what they approve.
You must study independent,
Any doubts you must remove.
Information, information,
If you look, you’ll find the truth,
Find the truth.
If you look, you’ll find the truth.

© Diane Tingen, 5/16/2012