Mormonism Schism: QUESTIONING THE MORMON CHURCH

Friday, June 21, 2013

QUESTIONING THE MORMON CHURCH - LDS Hymn Parody #102

ASSUME NOTHING. QUESTION EVERYTHING. AND START THINKING.

Very good advice. For many years, though, I did not adhere to that philosophy, particularly when it came to my religion. Being born and raised Mormon, I simply went along for almost 52 years, having adopted the philosophy of "just believe." I did question some things from time to time, but I also accepted the Mormon-induced mantra that if I didn't understand something, then "it was me, not the church." I just needed to be more humble, pray more, study the scriptures more, and then it would all make sense. Of course, that never happened - but I stuck in there anyway...

For so many years, I was not intellectually curious at all. Since going through my journey out of Mormonism, it seems like my mind and consciousness have expanded in many ways. My intellectual curiosity has finally taken hold, having been squelched for so many years by Mormonism and its tenets.

Looking back now, I could kick myself for being so accepting without questioning it all - because when I really looked at it all, I realized that none of it makes any sense. It is so obvious to me now that Joseph Smith made up the whole thing from the get-go. Totally bogus - a complete fraud.

And with those thoughts in mind, here is my 102nd LDS Hymn Parody...

QUESTIONING THE MORMON CHURCH
Sung to the tune of Reverently and Meekly Now - #185

1. Questioning the Mormon Church,
Is it truth for which you search?
Look beyond what they may say,
Just believe, you must obey.
But it’s not a mystery,
If you look at history.
Very sordid, to the core,
Sleazy tales I can’t ignore.

2. Twas made up by Joseph Smith,
Clearly, it is just a myth.
Simply use your common sense
Looking at the evidence.
Not an ounce of truth within,
Though they try to give it spin.
Whitewash it and cover-up,
In the end, it won’t hold up.

3. Mormonism is not true,
Glad I finally got a clue.
For so long, I just believed,
Then I saw I was deceived.
Pure deception, total fraud,
Just pretense, a false façade.
Plainly, it is laced with lies,
For the truth, no compromise.

4. Since I left the Mormon Church,
Many say I do besmirch
As I slander, rant and smear
What the members hold so dear.
But the Mormons are misled,
And I cannot left unsaid
What I see as blatant lies,
My concern, I can’t disguise.

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MY EXIT FROM MORMONISM

As a preface to my thoughts about Mormonism (and my exit from my lifelong religion), I would like to share the following quote:

"Well, it's either true or false. If it's false, we're engaged in a great fraud. If it's true, it's the most important thing in the world. Now, that's the whole picture. It is either right or wrong, true or false, fraudulent or true."

President Gordon B. Hinckley,
Interview, "The Mormons,"
PBS Documentary, April 2007

In essence, after researching the roots of Mormonism, which obviously form its foundation, as well as examining its doctrine in depth, I have concluded that it is a great fraud. Having been born and raised in the Mormon Church, and remaining LDS until my early 50's, facing that realization was very difficult and was not done lightly.

SOME BACKGROUND:
In the Summer of 2001, I went on a Mormon Church History Tour. Before going, I decided to do some research so I would know more about what occurred at the key places when we visited them. But that was the beginning of the end for me as I discovered more and more of the sordid history of the Mormon Church. Soon, I began to realize that Joseph Smith made the whole thing up and that the Mormon Church is built on an enormous stack of lies. Sadly, I also began to realize that I had allowed the Mormon Church to pull the wool over my eyes for a very long time. But even with that realization, it took me quite a while longer to finally break away because of how intricately my life was tied up in Mormonism and how long I had been blinded by the lies Mormonism perpetuates (which, of course, is what they are counting on).

But finally, I did break away - and I have now been Mormonism Free since 2004. What I have realized during the ensuing years is that my intellectual curiosity was squelched by Mormonism. Being told to "have faith" and "just believe" was very detrimental to my psyche, particularly since so much made little sense. Trying to rationalize through everything had a negative effect on me as well, making me very confused and uncomfortable. Since that time, I have discovered that these types of feelings are called "cognitive dissonance" (a feeling of discomfort when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions). Cognitive dissonance is discussed in greater length in a book I have written which is now available on Kindle. Since leaving Mormonism behind, I have grown so much and have discovered who I really am - and that is a tremendous gift.

As mentioned above, a book I have written is now available on Kindle. My book (entitled "Closing the Door on Mormonism: The AHA!! Moments that Triggered my Awakening") chronicles my very long journey through and away from Mormonism and discussed many of the issues that had plagued me for many years. It also contains some poems that I have written about my views concerning various aspects of Mormonism as well as discussions relative to the issues that led to my decision to eventually disassociate myself from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

In sharing my opinions and the information I have uncovered, it is my hope that I can in some small way help others by offering some insights into issues that many Mormons undoubtedly face in determining whether or not their faith has been misplaced.

For those of you who are thinking, "Oh, those Ex-Mormons - they can leave the church but they just can't seem to leave it alone," I offer this quote:

"Some of you are probably thinking, 'Why don't you just leave them (the Mormons) alone?' So I ask you, if you saw a thirsty man drinking water from a well you knew to be poisoned, would you let him continue to drink or would you guide him to a safe well?" ~Christopher Miller

While I'm sure that active Mormons (TBMs) and the Mormon Church itself would be much happier if people who have left the church kept their opinions to themselves, I cannot do that. If I can help one person to see the lies that are laced throughout Mormonism, then I will feel that my efforts have not been in vain.

As you will note, I have written many LDS Hymn Parodies (to date, 111 and counting), all of which are posted on my other blog - http://exmormonhymnbook.blogspot.com/
On that blog, you will also find an alphabetical listing of all the hymn parodies I have written.

Favorite Quotes

"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off." ~Gloria Steinem
"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.” ~Abraham Lincoln
"Some things that are true are not very useful." Boyd K. Packer
"I have a hard time with historians, because historians idolize the truth." ~Boyd K. Packer
"It's impossible to reach good conclusions with bad information... We're all entitled to our own opinions, but none of us can afford to be wrong in our facts." ~Mort Crim
"...just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it." ~George Costanza (Seinfeld)