ONE MORE STRAIN OF CRAZE - LDS Hymn Parody #108

"One more strain of craze."  Of course, this is a take-off on "one more strain of praise," from the LDS hymn "Sing We Now at Parting" - and is also a take-off on the book by Neal Maxwell entitled "One More Strain of Praise."  Having been an active Mormon for 52 years, I know the "craze" well.  I lived with it for all that time until I began to (finally) do some independent research and discovered the realities behind the Mormon Curtain.  And that was it for me...

As someone said on the discussion board on PostMormon.org:"Like the members are just fish in a large school that's following the leader without any thought or concern.  They refuse to ask reasonable questions and without stopping to think and consider facts, and they discard their personal responsibility of being totally honest with themselves and instead, they just go with it... So many of them would, if asked to do so, toss on their best Sunday clothing, drive to the Stake Center, stand in line and then gulp down the styrofoam cup filled with purple Kool-Aid because . . . they know God would never allow their leaders to lead them astray." 

Oh yes, not using any type of critical thinking whatsoever but rather just going along with whatever you are told.  That is just what (most) Mormons do.

Then there are the judgmental Mormons assuming things that they know nothing about. Not listening to anything critical about the Mormon Church but rather closing their minds to any negative information whatsoever, calling it "Anti-Mormon Propaganda."  Mormons telling you that you're giving up eternal life by turning away from the Mormon Church (and in some cases, such as my father, telling people that they will go to Hell if they don't join the Mormon Church).

But this past week, while perusing the discussion board on PostMormon.org, I came across a post that takes the cake as far as "craze" goes.  The title of his post was "...another strain of craze..." (and from what he relayed, that is an apt title).

In his post, this man talked about what happened after he announced to his TBM wife and Bishop that he no longer believes the Mormon Church is true.  After that revelation, he has been followed to see what he is doing (even so far as Las Vegas), and has been accused of wanting to commit sin, having an affair or having unrepented sin, etc., etc., blah, blah, blah.  This is a man who converted in his 20's after meeting and falling in love with his Mormon girlfriend (to whom he has now been married for 30 years and with whom he has several children - good little TBMs all).  He has held numerous callings over the years, including Young Men President, Seminary Teacher, Bishopric Counselor (2 different times), 10 years on the High Council, and most recently Bishop of a Young Singles Adult Ward.

It was during his time as Bishop of the YSA Ward that his journey toward the actual truth about Mormonism began.  He said that the YSAs would come to him with their doubts and share their concerns with him - and in turn, he would ask them to substantiate what they were saying with facts, which they would do.  In doing so, he began to find out the truth about much of the sordid history of the Mormon Church including the "translation" of the Book of Mormon (the old hat and stone story), and the truth about Polygamy and Polyandry (the fact that Joseph Smith married 11 women who were already married to living husbands).  Of course, I can relate to this completely because I didn't find out about this until after I began my independent research before, during and after going on a Mormon Church History Tour in the Summer of 2001.  Quite a shock to discover that the Founder and first Prophet of the Mormon Church was basically just a sexual predator, particularly since he also married 10 teenage girls, one as young as 14 years old.  I truly believe that if Joseph Smith had not been killed in 1844 that he would have gone on to marry many more teenage girls and women, and may have ended up with as many polygamous/polyandrous wives as Warren Jeffs now has (72, I believe).  After all, Joseph Smith was only 38 years old at the time of his death.  If he had lived longer, he would have had plenty of time to accumulate many more wives.  Looking at Brigham Young, the other main Mormon Polygamist, history shows that he had 55 wives at the time of his death at 76 years old (which included several teenage girls and some other women who were married to living husbands as well).

Naturally, Mormons have to blame something or someone else if people leave.  The fact that Mormonism is a total sham can't be the reason people are turning away from the Mormon Church.  No, that's not it.  And of course, the fact that the Mormon Church basically tells people to stay away from "apostates" adds to the furor (apparently because it might rub off).  In particular, Mormons have a hard time accepting the fact that someone they love is turning away from "The One True Church," and won't be part of their family unit in the Celestial Kingdom.

And so goes the "craze."  My heart goes out to the man I spoke of above.  It can't be easy to be dealing with all that is being thrown at him.  But then, leaving the Mormon Church isn't easy.  But it is worth it.

ONE MORE STRAIN OF CRAZE
Sung to the tune of Sing We Now at Parting - #156

Sing we now of Mormons,

One more strain of craze.
Of their strong delusions,
Each self-righteous phrase.
Always so judgmental,
Faulting those who leave,
Saying they are sinners
Since they don’t believe.

Mormons will not listen
To the evidence.
Labeling it as “Anti”
Is their one defense.
But if they would research,
Look at all the facts,
They would see the problems,
Not just lame attacks.

It is clear that Joseph
Weaved a stack of lies,
Made up Mormonism,
Truth it all decries.
Clearly just a shyster,
Charlatan and fraud,
Touting Mormonism
As the Word of God.

Just look at the history
Of the Mormon Church,
Independent study,
Actual research.
Do not bend and twist it,
Do not “just believe,”
Think about it clearly,
Do not be naïve.

© Diane Tingen

8/2/2014

A little more on the "craze"...

And the "craze" goes on.... and on... and on... and on...