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Dear Reader,
FIRST OF ALL, I was a "Mormon" from 1979 until 1989, and served a mission. I resigned from the Church in 1996, seven years after going completely inactive. I did NOT resign from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because "I wanted to sin". I had no (zero) Word of Wisdom problems. I've never committed adultery or fornication. I am not gay, or bi, or trans (never was). Never tried illegal drugs. When I was a True-Believing Mormon, I took my religion seriously. Most "Latter-day Saints" I knew, didn't take their religion as seriously as I did. Some didn't take their religion seriously at all. I did.
I DO NOT accept Russell M. Nelson as a Prophet of God. Where are his prophecies? Where are his visions? Where are his "Thus saith the LORD" Revelations? Can I read them? Are they "too sacred to talk about"? Too sacred to be published? Why did Joseph Smith Jr. publish his prophecies, visions, revelations? Where they NOT "sacred enough" to "not talk about"?
I SHALL use the term "Mormon" and "Mormons" in this webpage, because when I was a "Mormon" it was okay to say "I'm a Mormon!" The Church spend 100 million tithing dollars to make TV commercials for 10 years called "I'm a Mormon". It was not until Russell M. Nelson became the "Living Prophet" (with no prophecies), that the name "Mormon" became bad, out of fashion, and "a victory for Satan". In other words, the Church leaders got it wrong until Russell M. Nelson became "Prophet": to set thing right! So, I will use "Mormon" and "Mormons" and "Mormonism" in this webpage!
No, I was not excommunicated. Never had a Church Court. Never did anything to justify a Church Court. I resigned, because I figured it was time to do so. In 1989, if I remember correctly, there was only one way to remove your name from the Church Rolls: excommunication. However, that "changed" later. I ceased being a believing Mormon in 1989, and had several major "faith crisis'" during my time as a Mormon. Instead of getting answers, I was told I had doubts because "I wasn't living the Gospel" (actually, I was!).
Mormons who resign from the Church are told by the following:
"You've lazy and couldn't keep the commandments!"
"You're a secret homosexual!"
"You just want to sin!"
"You just want to become a polygamist!"
"You'll never find a woman"
"You'll never find a man! No man will ever want you!"
"Your life is going to fall apart!"
"You just want to smoke and drink and commit adultery!"
I've observed the lives of hundreds of Post-Mormons since 1989, and I NEVER knew a Mormon who resigned from the Church because "they wanted to sin". I knew plenty of active Mormons who "sinned" rather deeply while they were active Mormons, and they had no intention of resigning (or confessing nor repenting). I have NOT observed Ex-Mormons/Post-Mormons to have problems in attracting a wife or husband: unless the female was very unattractive, or the male was very poor.
I know PLENTY of active Mormon women, who served missions, paid tithing, were active all their lives, held multiple callings (Church volunteer positions), yet, are now into their 50s, 60s, and 70s, who were never married. Why not? Where they great secret sinners whom the LORD refused to "bless" with a goodly husband? No, they were "Sweet Spirits" (obese). That's the only reason they were never married. I've known a few Mormon males who've never married. These were men who were deformed, or brain-injured, or mentally unstable. Yet, they were active.
I have NEVER known any Mormon to resign from the Church, because they wanted to commit adultery, or fornication, or smoke, or drink, or engage in homosexual relationships. I've known of active Mormons who do all of that, except smokers: who go inactive because they are shunned at Church.
People do NOT resign from the Church because "they want to sin". Plenty of active Members of the Church engage in the most shameful of "sins" but they don't resign. They simply "hide" their sins! When confronted, found out, some truly repent. Most pretend to repent. They resign because they lose faith after a "Crisis of Faith". Smokers don't resign from the Church. They just go permanently inactive. Mormons who go to the trouble to "resign" from the Church do so because...
a) They have lost their faith in the Church
or...
b) They never had faith to begin with, but the Church has done something to anger them (such as supporting anti-Gay marriage political campaigns)
I did not resign from the Church because I "wanted to sin". I was never a smoker of anything. I was never a polygamist, and the thought of polygamy almost made me uncomfortable (most Mormon males I knew loved the idea of many wives in the Celestial Kingdom, I did not).
I resigned from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because I did tens of thousands of hours of research, trying to find Pro-Mormon Answers to Anti-Mormon Questions. Instead, the evidence ("facts") led me to only one possible factual conclusion: the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a man-made religion based upon fraudulent (untrue) foundations. Period. End of story. Sorry, but that is the Truth of the matter.
*The Nephites never existed (except as a parable representing the white Pilgrims)
*God is the Mind of the Cosmos
My current "testimony" is based upon quite dramatic paranormal experiences I have had: NONE of which included "warm fuzzies" or "good feelings" or "burning in the bosom". I wrote a book about those paranormal experiences, if you are curious. It is linked at the bottom of this webpage.
I do NOT "hate the Church". I think the Church can "bless" the lives of many people. I think many churches can also do that. There are some things I "hate" about the Church such as:
*The equating of personal wealth with being "blessed" or "worthy" (righteous)
But, I will agree, generally speaking, the Church does most active Members "good". It is "good" for them. It helps keep people from alcohol and illegal drugs. It reduces the amount of wife-beating and child-abuse. It "may" even reduce the amount of incest, absentee fathers, and other societal ills. So, the Church is a great place to raise your kids! But, is the Church "TRUE"?
The answer is: No. Although the Church teaches some "truths" that does not make the Church "true". The Church is only "true" if Joseph Smith Jr. was a true Prophet, and The Book of Mormon is real ancient history of Jews in ancient America. Both claims are false, which means the Church cannot be "true": even though the Church does "bless" many people, and teaches many "truths".
I have written to the top leaders of the Church for years, offering suggestions to "help" the Church be a better place for people. A few of those suggestions have become reality (whether or not they accepted my ideas, or came up with those ideas in some other way). Most of my suggestions they have not taken, yet. The Church will continue, even if it loses millions of Members because of Anti-Mormon information on the Internet ("The Google Problem"). The Church will continue regardless.
Yes, for most people, the Church will be a "blessing". However, for "me" I have to have the TRUTH, and full TRUTH, and nothing but the TRUTH. So help me God! Noting but the TRUTH will suffice for me.
Every time a Mormon says "I'm a Latter-day Saint" I cringe, because I know them! Mormons are NOT Saints: not latter day, not former day, not any day! Not even on Sun-day! They are sinners, often with overinflated egos, half of whom I knew to be unrepentant hypocrites. Half of them active Mormons I knew "tried" to follow the Gospel (as they understood it). The other half were hypocrites with "egos to match the mountains". I will stand by that statement for eternity.
I studied early Christianity for forty years, with intensity. I've read the complete volumes of The Ante-Nicene Fathers (twenty volumes, tens of millions of words): the writings of the earliest Christians outside the New Testament. My conclusions:
The early Christians did NOT ordain 12 year old boys as Deacons, and 16 year old boys as priests! They did not have secret Masonic-like rituals with secret handshakes and passwords (although they did practice in secret, because of persecution, and have some secret doctrines, and sometimes priests would offer the Eucharist before a white veil or screen). They did NOT preach polygamy in Heaven, nor that men created planets and peopled them with spirit-children! They did not preach 10% tithing (nor did Joseph Smith Jr. for that matter)! They did NOT preach in a Heavenly Mother (no, the Gnostic doctrine of Sophia is NOT a doctrine of Heavenly Mother!). They did NOT preach that all males needed to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood. Does NOT exist! They did NOT ordain 18 year old men as "Elders"! They did NOT preach the doctrines of Brigham Young (Blood Atonement, Curse of Cain, Adam-God, Jesus was a Polygamist, etc.). Repeat: the earliest Christians DID NOT PREACH NOR BELIEVE IN THE DOCTRINES AND PRACTICES OF UTAH MORMONISM!
The "Utah" version of Mormonism (and there are many other versions) is an "evolution" of the doctrines of Sidney Rigdon (the true author of The Book of Mormon), Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and some later Church leaders. It is NOT a restoration of "Primitive Christianity" (divine or otherwise) in any way, shape, or form!
The beliefs and practices of the early Christians match-up quite well with the beliefs and practices of the Orthodox and Coptic (Egyptian) churches of today.
Hundreds of photographs were taken, and the photo-negative examined by photograph experts.68 and 1969. Zeitun is where Mary was happiest, where Jesus was a small child: before they returned to Nazareth when Jesus was age 12.
The negatives were determined to be authentic. Mary was clearly seen "floating" above the Coptic Church, in the daylight and at night, many times, in the year 1968 and 1869. The Coptic Church is part of the Eastern Orthodox Communion. This would be like 250,000 people observing and many taking photographs of the First Vision!
The early Christians did NOT call themselves "Saints". The "Saints" among them referred to those few among them who practiced "virginity" (complete celibacy), like monks and nuns do today. The early Christians called themselves "Nazarai" (Nazarenes) if they were Jewish, or "Christianoi" (Christians) if they were Gentiles. Only those few among them who practiced "virginity" (complete celibacy) were called "Saints".
I've seen the "stats". Mormons are just as "sexual" before marriage, and after divorce, as is the general Anglo-Saxon population. There is no difference. Polynesian Mormons are hyper-sexual before marriage, as are polynesians who belong to other churches. There is no difference. Mormon "womanizers" (and I've known a few) have NO PROBLEM getting sex (most often oral sex) from young attractive Mormon teens and women! No problem at all! There is HUGE amounts of sex in Mormon culture: it is just confined to the Alpha Males and every female they want to have sex with. Every human society is like this, and always has been. Mormons just don't say the word "sex" and don't talk about sex, but they engage in pre-marital and post-divorce sexual relations as often as others for their race and culture (i.e. Polynesians and Africans have a lot, Anglo-Saxons have less, East Asians even less).
I wrote "The Doubting Mormon Webpage" because I know that a "few" of you (painfully few) are Seekers of Truth, and want "TRUTH" more than anything! There are not many of you out there. Most of you are not Seekers of Truth, but Seekers of Sex, Wealth, and Status (as most men are). However, a few of you are Seekers of Truth, and this webpage was written for those few Seekers of Truth out there.
Are you a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who is now going through a "Crisis of Faith" (also called "Faith Crisis")? Do you have "doubts" concerning the divine authenticity of the Church and/or Joseph Smith and/or The Book of Mormon? If you are, you have the following options:
a) keep researching on the Internet, and most likely you will lose your faith in Mormonism and probably also in God and Jesus (you become an Atheist or Agnostic). This is called the "Doubting Mormon to Atheist" option.
b) keep researching on the Internet, and most likely you will lose faith in Mormonism, but instead throwing out God and Jesus along with Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon, but you decide "there is no ultimate truth, but the Church brings me happiness so I'll stick with it as a 'nuanced' or "New Order" Member. The "New Order Mormon" says: "Yes, Joseph Smith was a con-man, and The Book of Mormon is fiction, but the principles taught by the Church are still true, and I enjoy being a part of it, and I want to continue belong and be active in this Church even though I do not believe in its foundational truth claims!" This is called the "Doubting Mormon to New Order Mormon" option.
c) keep researching on the Internet, and most likely you will lose faith in Mormonism, but you don't throw out God and Jesus along with Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon! You decide "all you really need is Jesus" and you become a Born-Again Christian, and you eventually join a bible-believing church or fellowship. This is called the "Doubting Mormon to Born-again Christian" option.
d) keep researching on the Internet, and most likely you will lose faith in Mormonism, but you become a Seeker of Truth, open to considering alternative religious paths (Buddhism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Islam, Baha'i, Spiritualism, etc.). You become a Seeker of Truth. This is called the "Doubting Mormon to Seeker of Truth" option.
e) keep researching on the Internet, but study the pro-Mormon answers produced by FairMormon (online depository of pro-LDS answers to anti-Mormon questions), and you become convinced that FairMormon has answered well the questions and controversies, and you remain active in the Church. You come out of the rabbit-whole with INCREASED faith in Joseph Smith and the Church! This is called the "Doubting
Mormon to Super-Mormon" option.
f) end your research into "hard questions" (Is the Church true? Is the Book of Mormon an ancient record? Was the Book of Abraham written by the hand of Abraham? etc.) and "forget" your doubts, put them on an imaginary "shelf" way back in the back of your brain, and don't "think" about them again. Continue to be a good Member of the Church: never again to ask or consider "hard questions" that put doubts into your mind. This is called the "Doubting Mormon to Mormon-in-Denial" option.
The author of this website (who is Pro-Mormon but Anti-MormonISM) chose option "d" and became a Seeker of Truth, and finally decided that Spiritualism had the "most truth" yet revealed to mankind. Spiritualism, also called "New Age" is the belief that GOD is the Mind of the Cosmos, reincarnation is the Way of the Cosmos, and karma is the Law of the Cosmos, and that the Prophets of Israel were NOT the "only" men that the Mind of the Cosmos ever communicated with, but that many thousands of men and women have been "in tune with the Cosmos" since Homo Sapiens first appeared. One can call these men and women prophets, or shamans, or witchdoctors, or clairvoyants, or seers, or sensitives, or visionaries. These men and women were "Third Eye Open" instead of third-eye-blind.
You may choose another option, of course. Most Mormons (Latter-day Saints) who go through a "Faith Crisis" choose option "a" or "b" (Doubting Mormon to Atheist Option or Doubting Mormon to Mormon-in-Denial Option).
Most Mormons who lose faith in Mormonism, lose faith in all religion. They become Atheists. You can say that "Atheism" becomes their new "faith". A few become Evangelicals. A few become New Agers (Spiritualists). A very few become Catholics, or Buddhists, or Wiccans or Pagans. Many become "spiritual but not religious" (believe in God and the Afterlife, but practice no religion).
It is my hope, Dear Reader, that you become a Seeker of Truth.
THIS WEBSITE was created by a former Mormon missionary and apologist ("defender of the Faith"). It is "Pro-Mormon" in that my desire is to give Mormons (Latter-day Saints) the TRUTH (facts) about Mormonism, and then let them decide:
a) do I wish to accept these facts or ignore them?
A person who wishes to give Mormons the TRUTH cannot be said to be "Anti" Mormon! That would be the same as saying to people on the Titanic, when it hits the iceberg: "This ship is sinking, you have to prepare for the worst" would be Anti-Passenger! That would be saying, if you went to Germany in the 1920s and said: "This man Hitler is evil and will bring great destruction to Germany and the German people, as well as to others!" and Germans point a finger and scream at you: "YOU ARE ANTI-GERMAN!!! HOW DARE YOU!!!"
I am not Anti-"Mormon". I am Anti-"MormonISM". I think Mormons ("Latter-day Saints") have a right to know the TRUTH (facts) about Mormon Truth Claims. They have a right to know the TRUTH (facts) about...
*Joseph Smith
That's all! If I wanted to DECEIVE Mormons, and make others HURT Mormons, or if I would STEAL from Mormons, or if I would LIE to Mormons, then you can call me "ANTI-MORMON". But I don't do any of that! Instead, I seek to give Mormons "truth" (facts), and then let the Mormons (Latter-day Saints) use their own free agency, after they are informed of the facts. That is being PRO-Mormon, but ANTI-Mormonism.
The author of this website is a Spiritualist and Seeker of Truth. Under my current belief system (Spiritualism) the following is true:
1) we are judged by our actions, not our beliefs.
2) if Joseph Smith was a fraud, a charlatan, that has NO BEARING on how we are "judged" or what our Afterlife will be like.
3) Sitting in Church for hours each week listening to "talks" (sermons), and paying a corporation valued at over 150 billion dollars, 10% of one's income (tithing), is not accounted as "good works" in Spiritualism (nor in Buddhism or Taoism or Jainism). "Good works" would be building orphanages, helping the poor, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, being peace-makers, "helping" others who need our help.
4) Doing rituals for the dead, in temples which cost tens of millions of dollars, will not be counted as "good works" if the dead are NOT benefited by such rituals. If Joseph Smith was a false prophet, then Mormonism is also false, and the dead are NOT benefited by such temples or rituals. Those billions of dollars which are spent on constructing Mormon Temples, should rather be spent on constructing orphanages, free hospitals for poor children, and schools for poor children, in places of need.
But, if you find "happiness" in staying in the Church, and attending meetings, listening to talks, paying 10% to the Church leaders, and going through "rituals" that you think will benefit the dead (and yourself) in the Afterlife, then I encourage you to do so.
But, if you are a Seeker of Truth, and must have the TRUTH, no matter what, then keep reading!
The author of this website recognizes there are two types of people:
1) Seekers of Gain (survival, sex, status, money, luxury, possessions, acceptance, praise)
Seeker of Gain can be categorized into two types:
1) Non-superstitious Seekers of Gain (Atheists and Agnostics)
Mormons (Latter-day Saints) would fall generally into "Superstitious Seekers of Gain": just like most people, and certainly most religious people, everywhere. Pagans worshipped Zeus and various "gods" for one purpose: personal gain. This is also true of worshippers of rat and monkey and elephant-headed "gods" and goddesses in India. Their Temples are "full" every week, because most people are seeking "blessings" from these gods and goddesses. They are seeking "The Good Life" (a comfortable life filled with material things and high status and the praise of peers).
Atheists and Agnostics are also Seekers of Gain, but they are not superstitious: in that they believe that neither the worship of gods or goddesses will afford them "material rewards" (i.e. "blessings"), but that their own intelligence and perhaps some "luck" will get them "gain".
By far the most uncommon type of individual is the Seeker of Truth. I would guess that about 1 in 1000 people are Seekers of Truth. These are people are seek to understand and know the nature of Reality. "Truth" is simply what "is". Seekers of Truth can be religious Seekers, who seek Truth by the study of various religious practices. Others seek Truth by the study of the science of physics and/or mathematics: to understand the nature of the Cosmos. Others seek Truth by the study of biology or psychology or some other science.
Mormons believe that TRUTH can be discovered via three ways:
*Dead Prophets (i.e. the Scriptures, specifically the Bible and "Latter-day Revelations")
*Living Prophets (i.e. the current living President of the Church)
*The Holy Spirit (i.e. "living the Gospel" in order to make one "worthy" to receiver "personal revelation" that comes in the form of "good feelings" after prayer)
Atheists believe that TRUTH can be discovered only via the empirical sciences (biology, physics, mathematics, observation and experimentation). Atheists conclude "There is no God or gods" because "There is no evidence for either". In other words, since the existence of God or gods has not been proved, this lack of current empirical evidence proves there is no God or gods. There is no purpose to the Cosmos but "individual purpose" in their own individual pursuit of pleasure (i.e. the Good Life).
Spiritualists believe that TRUTH (the Reality of the Cosmos) can be discovered via two ways:
*Meditation (clearing the mind of all thought, so that the Cosmos can communicate with you)
*Astral travel (literally leaving one's body and visiting the astral planes and observing what is there)
Nichola Tesla, the "Father of the Modern World" (i.e. inventor of the AC/DC electrical turban which runs our modern electrical world) believed that he received his "inspiration" from the AKASHA: the Sanskrit term for the Cosmic Records, or what some call today "The Cosmic Internet".
But, again, what did Tesla know?
I can say: HE KNEW A LOT more than most of us know! He believed
in the AKASHA (Cosmic Internet), and claimed that is where
he got his information/inspiration. I claim the same.
This website was created by a former Mormon apologist, who spent tens of thousands of man hours, and many decades (from 1979 until today), researching Anti-Mormon claims and Pro-Mormon (Mormon apologetical) claims. The author of this website wrote books defending the Church, in the 1980s (one was called "The Gainsayers" which was published and sold in LDS bookstores for 10 years, and other was called "The Book of Answers to Anti-Mormon Questions" which was never published). I also created a set of 24 cassette tapes that defended the Church, called the "Defense of the Faith Tape Series" that was published by Tree of Life productions out of Las Vegas, Nevada. Those cassette tapes sold in many LDS bookstores during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
I served a mission to the California San Jose Mission in 1983-85. I was honorable released. I never attended BYU. I was never married in the Temple. I never violated the Word of Wisdom. I have never committed adultery or fornication. I am NOT LBGTQ (and never was). I was a conservative orthodox "Mormon" (as we then called ourselves).
I was a "Good Mormon" in that I obeyed the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity, and was generally active.
I was a "Bad Mormon" in that I hated doing home teaching, and often refused to do so (note: Home Teaching was largely abandoned by the Church in 2018 and is now called "Ministering"). I just "hated" to do Home Teaching, because most of the people didn't want you there. It was "forcing" yourself on others, and I hated it. So, I didn't do it. I just refused. I believed that the Church would one day "see things" my way, and get rid of it.
Also, I sometimes had "different" ideas than the Church taught. For example:
*The Church taught that "Dead Prophets" were fallible, but "Living" Prophets were infallible. I rejected that.
*The Church taught "Negroes" were the children of Cain, and Cain was a white man until the LORD changed him into the first "Negro". I rejected that. I believed that some Africans had Ancient Egyptian blood, and that the ancient Egyptian blood was "cursed" as pertaining to the Priesthood. I never accepted the doctrine that an Anglo-Saxon Cain was "changed" into the first "Negro". I accepted the reality of pre-Adamites.
*The Church taught that paying tithing made you wealthy and protected your family from accident and disease. I always rejected this "Prosperity Gospel" teaching.
*The Church taught that God sends Mormon males "beautiful women" in return for being good Mormons (I suspected this was untrue, but rejected it after observing Mormons and their behaviors for a few years)
*The Church taught that wealth and material prosperity were outward "signs" of one's being "blessed" by God (and thus being "worthy" or "righteous"). I rejected that as contradicting the Book of Mormon.
*The Church taught that God the Father had literal physical sex with Mary, His spirit-daughter, to produce the body of Jesus. I rejected that, as contradicting the Gospels and the Book of Mormon.
I was a Conservative Mormon, but not an "Orthodox" Mormon in that I rejected some very popular Mormon teachings that were extremely popular with Mormons during the late 1970s and 1980s, when I was an active convert to the Church. I just didn't "think" like most Mormons do. I still don't.
I was never a "Sunstone" (Liberal) Mormon. I was Conservative, but not quite "orthodox". The Church taught things even then I could not accept. My belief at the time was that the Church was in "error" in some doctrines and practices (like the missionaries being pressured to baptize, so they would baptize homeless people, insane people, etc.), but I was confident that the Church would correct itself with time.
I was never a "Sunstone" (Liberal) Mormon. I considered them to be hypocrites. I was never a New Order (Active Non-Believer) Mormon. I considered them to be hypocrites. I took the religion seriously, but I never accepted Church Presidents as "never wrong". Yes, I was told many times when I was an active Mormon:
"The Brethren don't make mistakes"
"The Brethren would never lead the Church astray!"
"The Brethren CANNOT teach or do anything contrary to the Mind and Will of God!"
I remember saying to an Institute Director: "The doctrine about Cain becoming the first Negro is false, and the Church will repudiate that doctrine one day!" He laughed at me hysterically, and then pointed his finger at my nose and said: "THE BRETHREN DON'T TEACH FALSE DOCTRINE! They will never, EVER, repudiate the Curse of Cain doctrine!"
In December, 2013, the Church repudiated the Curse of Cain Doctrine (see "Blacks and the Priesthood" statement under "Gospel Topic Essays" on churchofjesuschrist.org online.
Now, mind you, I didn't reject the belief that black Africans had some "ancient Egyptian" blood in them, that was "cursed as pertaining to the Priesthood" (Abraham chapter one). I accepted that fully! I just could not accept the doctrine that an Anglo-Saxon Cain, son of Adam and Eve, went to bed an Anglo-Saxon and woke up the next morning as the world's first "Negro". I thought that teaching was ridiculous! Of course, Orthodox Mormons accepted it fully! I believed that black Africans were pre-Adamites, except for the little "blood of the ancient Egyptians" they had in them. I always believed there were pre-Adamite races.
Like I said, I did not "think" like Mormons do: neither the Orthodox nor "Sunstone" (Liberal) Mormons.
Over time, I discovered that "Mormons" are just like most people anywhere you go. They are pursuers of wealth posterity and status: the "Good Life". They are active in the Church for the same reason that Hindus attend temples dedicated to rat-gods or monkey-gods or elephant-gods: to get "gain" (material rewards). All pagan religions are founded on the one purpose: "blessings" (material here-and-now rewards from a deity or deities). Mormons are exactly the same as most people on Earth. Nothing wavering.
The "Mormon" Gospel is a "Prosperity" Gospel: just exactly the same as all pagan religions.
When I was a "Mormon" (that's what we called ourselves then), from 1979 until 1989, anything critical of the Church was called "Anti-Mormon literature". That was a misnomer, because even then there was video and cassette tapes (remember those?). Still, it was all "Anti-Mormon Literature". There was a lot of it then, in the form of books, pamphlets, tons of cassette tapes, and some videos. The internet did not exist back then.
What is called "Anti-Mormon literature" (which now includes videos) can be classed into the following categories:
*Generally unreliable
The "Anti-Mormon" websites and YouTube videos listed on this webpage are in the category of "Very Reliable" in that they do NOT use:
*lies
During the 1970s and 1980s, most popular Anti-Mormon literature and films were "generally unreliable" because of the following facts:
*they were written by con-men and con-women who where atheists who pretended to be Evangelical Christians whose sole motivation was making money ($$$) and they found that by lying and exaggerating, they work up the emotions of their audience and thereby get larger and more frequent donations to their "ministries". These "con-men" were best typified by the following individuals:
*"Dr." Walter R. Martin (Christian Research Institute)
Yet, even in the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, there were Anti-Mormons whose literature (and cassette tapes or videos) were "generally reliable". These include Gerald and Sandra Tanner, Floyd McElveen, John L. Smith, Elaine Scott, and many others.
Today (circa 2020 A.D.) the era of the Ex-Mormon con-man or con-woman who seeks his fortune by pretending to be an Evangelical Christian and preaching against the Church inside of various Evangelical churches, is largely past.
This website will only list VERY RELIABLE "Anti-Mormon" websites and YouTube videos, that do not use lies, nor exaggerations, nor any deception of any kind! Yes, such websites, books, and videos do exist today, in the hundreds! We will only list the VERY BEST OF THE VERY BEST here on this website!
What does that mean? We have to be specific here:
1) Was Joseph Smith a true Prophet of God? Answer: Probably not. Almost certainly not.
2) Is The Book of Mormon a true history of Jews who lived in the Americas anciently? Answer: No. And that has been conclusively proven with massive overwhelming evidence.
3) Was The Book of Abraham an accurate translation of the Joseph Smith Papyrus? Answer: No! Not even close.
4) Are the American Indians the descendants of Lehi the Jew and Ishmael the Arab? Answer: No! And they are not "partially" their descendants either.
5) Was the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is (or once was) the fastest growing religion on Earth? Answer: No. Never was! Never even close!
6) Has not archaeology proven The Book of Mormon to be true? Answer: No, archaeology has proven The Book of Mormon to be false. All evidence (DNA, linguistics, anomalies in the Book of Mormon, etc., has conclusively PROVEN beyond any doubt, that The Book of Mormon was a product of the early 1800s)
The websites, websites, and YouTube videos that are listed below will PROVE that Mormonism is a man-made religion, and that Joseph Smith lied about many many things!
You can either:
a) attack the messenger (call me a "liar" and ignore the evidence)
or...
b) look at the evidence yourself, and then come to a conclusion based upon the evidence.
The kind of person YOU are, will determine your response. If you are the type of person that simply "ignores" all facts you don't want to accept, then you'll chose "a". If you are the type of person who makes judgments only after reviewing the evidence (facts), then you'll choose "b".
"Atheism" or "Agnosticism" are not the only two choices after Mormonism! Most Ex-Mormons think they have only three choices:
a) Mormonism is true
That's it! Only three choices in the Cosmos. However, Seekers of Truth believe you have many, many, many choices:
*Mormonism
I could list hundreds of other spiritual alternatives! The point is: YOU HAVE MANY CHOICES after you lose faith in Mormonism. And You don't have to throw out God and Jesus with Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon! That is NOT required!
Just because I chose Spiritualism (New Age spirituality/reincarnation/karma/etc.), does not mean YOU have to do likewise. I would encourage you to become a Seeker of Truth. In other words, "be open" to many spiritual options that may come along in your life.
Some Former Mormons decide to be "spiritual but not religious". These people are called "Deists" or in Germany they are called "God-believers": you believe in God, and the Afterlife, but you simply don't practice any organized or formal "religion". Becoming a "God-Believer" is a spiritual option.
Some Post-Mormons choose Epicureanism (the pursuit of sensual pleasure) as their new "religion". They seek new experiences with drugs, alcohol, and sexual adventures. More often than not, this choice ends in addiction, divorce, suicide, depression, loss of well-being. Why do some Post-Mormons choose this self-destructive path? There are deep sub-conscious reasons. This is the Post-Mormon "getting back" at the Church and their own family for "deceiving" them all their lives: by being self-destructive. I hope you don't choose that path!
I would encourage you to become a Seeker of Truth. Start out as a God-Believer, and pray to God: "God, please lead me to the Truth". See what happens. Perhaps God has already done that. Perhaps this is why you found this website today!
Stage One: Denial. "The Church is true! All Anti-Mormon stuff is all a pack of lies written by people who were lazy or just wanted to sin!"
Stage Two: Doubt. "What if the Church is false? Could this anti-Mormon stuff be true?"
Stage Three: Anger. "I've been lied to all my life! The Church is false. I'm so angry at this! How could they have lied to me like this?"
Stage Four: Depression. "Oh no, the Church is false. All is lost. There can be no god. There is no purpose to my life! My world is turned upside down! The universe is devoid of all meaning! I'm so depressed!"
Stage Five: ACCEPTANCE. Okay, the Church is not true! That's okay. The Truth is still out there. I can still lead a happy life. The Church did teach some true principles, and I will continue to live by those true principles. I will keep the Golden-Rule. I will do good works instead of evil selfish works, so, that if there is a Day of Judgment, I'll have clean hands and a clean heart! Maybe I'll find the TRUTH one day, or maybe not. I'll do good for the sake of good, and try to lead a happy life. My life has meaning and purpose!
Once you get to STAGE FIVE (Acceptance) you will be happy again! You will have no more depression, and you can get on with your life.
*The Book of Mormon is a non-historical fabrication based upon a novel, plus various books available on and before the time of Joseph Smith Jr.
*The fathers of both Joseph Smith Jr. and Oliver Cowdery were known "grifters" (con-men) in Vermont, before the Smith family moved to New York State.
*The Book of Abraham is a false translation (a fabrication) of the Joseph Smith Papyrus (re-disocovered in 1967 in Chicago).
*Joseph Smith Jr. was a known "juggler" (con-man), arrested twice for it, and a sexual predator of "Bill Cosby" or "David Koresh" proportions!
*The Hill Cumorah is not the scene of two separate final battles (Jaredites and Nephites) in which millions perished, but has absolutely no remains or any battles.
*The American Indians have absolutely ZERO Jewish or Arab ancestry, and YES the DNA evidence is reliable and has been done!
*Brigham Young was a robber-baron, a murderer, a liar, a racist (of course) and a mega-thief who "borrowed" millions of dollars from the Tithing Office and never paid it back.
*Church leaders since Brigham Young have been sincere, yet deceived, men: no different from the "Governing Body" of the Watch Tower and Bible Tract Society (sincere yet self-deluded).
No, I am NOT an Atheist or Agnostic! I've had many supernatural experiences: seeing ghosts, shadow beings, out of body experiences, prophetic dreams, etc. I am now a Spiritualist. I believe in the following:
*Karma is the Law of the Cosmos
*Reincarnation is the Way of the Cosmos
*We are judged by our "deeds" (works) not our "beliefs"
*Our current life is our Day of Judgment for our last life,
and our last life is our Day of Judgment for our current life.Do I "Hate" the Church?
*The overemphasis on "Following the Prophet" rather than the Person of Jesus.
*The long legacy of lying (by omission or commission) of Church leaders in the name of "protecting the faith or the weak" aka "Lying for the Lord"
*The "judgmental" behavior of most Mormons who often "judge" people according to their wealth, possessions, academic or material "success"
*The Mormon obsession with spreading false and negative rumors (which, I suppose, is general human behavior, but should not be the general behavior of anyone calling themselves "Saints")
*The practice of some Mormons to "shun" other Mormons they think are "inferior" to themselves.
*The unethical business practices of "too many" Mormons: especially (for some reason) those in Utah.
*The Mormon overemphasis on the pursuit and attainment of wealth.
*The general Mormon attitude of being "superior" or "better" than others, the Chosen, Elect of God, simply by being born into the Church)
*The practice of Mormons to shun and disown their gay children, which FORCED their gay children to marry in loveless marriages, and to lead double-lives as hypocrites: with the most likely outcome to be broken vows and broken marriages. (NOTE: I believe that churches should not be "FORCED" to accept or perform ceremonies for gay people, nor do I believe that gay people should be "FORCED" to lead hypocritical double lives).Latter-day "Saints"?
The earliest Christians DID NOT BELIEVE in the doctrines of Mormonism, nor the Watch Tower, nor Seventh-day Adventism, nor even Roman Catholicism! Their doctrines match perfectly with the Eastern Orthodox Churches (Greek, Russian, Coptic, Syrian, Assyrian, Antiochian, etc.)
In 1968-1969, over 250,000 Egyptians (Christians and Muslims) observed many visitations of Mary to the Church of St. Mary in Zeitun ("zai-toon"), a neighborhood of Egypt where Joseph and Mary (and Jesus) lived when Jesus was a child (i.e. after Joseph and Mary fled Bethlehem to escape the wrath of King Herod). Cairo did not exist when Joseph and Mary and Jesus lied in Zeitun. It was just a small village then.Doubting Mormons (Members going through a "Faith Crisis")
Pro-Mormon/Anti-MormonISM
b) do I wish to stay active in the Church or resign from it?
*The Book of Mormon
*The Book of Abraham
*The Mormon Temple Endowment
*Mormon history
*Church finances (where tithing goes)I Am A Spiritualist
Two Types of People
2) Seekers of Truth (The Truth)
2) Superstitious Seekers of Gain (most people on Earth)The Very Best of the Very Best Evidence About Mormonism
I Was A Neo-Orthodox Mormon
Anti-Mormon Literature
*Somewhat reliable
*Generally reliable
*Very reliable
*exaggerations
*false assumptions
*circular reasoning
*fabricated evidence
*Ed Decker ("The God Makers" books and films)
*Richard "Dick" Bear (Ex-Mormon and Christian Alliance)
*Richard Schnoebelen (former Assistant Direct or Saints Alive in Jesus)
*etc.Is the Church True or False?
Spiritual Alternatives to Mormonism
b) Atheism is true
c) We cannot know the truth (Agnosticism)
*Catholicism
*Cao Dai
*Watch Tower
*Buddhism
*Taoism
*Shamanism
*Candomble
*Spiritism (Alan Kardec)
*Spiritualism (New Age spirituality)
*Cargo Cult
*Judaism
*Hinduism
*Druze religion
*Islam (many different sects)
*Eastern Orthodox Christianity
*Evangelical Christianity
*Zoroastrianism
*Community of Christ (RLDS Church)
*Atheism
*AgnosticismThe Five Stages of Grief
When a Mormon (Latter-day Saint) loses faith in the Church, it can be DEVASTATING! Their entire world implodes. They lose not only their faith, but their personal "identity". Recognize that YOU have to go through the Five Stages of Grief:
Don't let Joseph Smith destroy your life. Don't "give" him that! Don't let him make you choose a self-destructive "Epicurean" path as a Post-Mormon. Accept that the Church was not "all" bad, and actually taught you a lot of "good" principles that can help you lead a good and happy and fulfilling life.
Don't throw God and Jesus "out" with Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon. The existence of God and Jesus IS NOT DEPENDENT upon Joseph Smith and The Book of Mormon! They are "independent" of whether or not the Church is true or false! You must realize that.
The Church NEVER made God and Jesus true, and the Church cannot make them untrue! God and Jesus and the Afterlife are not "tied" to Joseph Smith and the Church!
Asking Your Bishop For Answers
Your bishop will not have answers for you. He will do one of three things:
a) tell you "Don't worry about it!" (i.e. put all your doubts on the Shelf of Faith and stop thinking about them)
b) tell you: "Just pray and read the scriptures more and your doubts will cease!"
c) accuse you of having "unrepentant sins" you have not yet confessed and forsaken, and "THAT is the reason why you have doubts!" (i.e. you have doubts because you're just a bad person!)
He will have no answers for you, except perhaps the most "lame" answers imaginable! Your bishops HAS NO ANSWERS for you. He will tell you a, b, or c (above).
Your Institute Director probably will say the same thing your bishop will slay, or his answers will be lame (mostly). The best Pro-Mormon answers you'll find are at a website called FairMormon.
FairMormon
FairMormon is an extremely large website, with thousands of pages of material. It was founded by Scott Gordon (a Mormon from Redding, California) and several other active "Latter-day Saints" in their attempt to refute all anti-Mormon claims. It was founded when the term "Mormon" was still used and accepted by Church leaders and members.
I have read everything FairMormon has written (and their answers have mostly "changed" over the years!). Some of their answers are based upon answers "I" came up with, when I was an active Mormon Apologist (but I've never worked for or with FairMormon directly) back in the 1980s! Most of the founders of FairMormon read my book in the 1980s and listened to my casette series. I find the answers of FairMormon to be:
*Some (a minority of them) are accurate and good
*Many are equivocal or semi-deceptive
*Many answers are "lame" (they are just not logical, and they just don't work)
But, you should judge their answers for yourself. It takes many hundreds of hours to read their complete website! Whether you are willing to spend the time and effort to do that, is up to you.
I have read all of it, and my own personal conclusion is: FairMormon fails! Mormonism itself fails any close examination!
Sorry, but that is the TRUTH! That is REALITY.
The TRUTH is not what we "want" to believe. The TRUTH is what "is". It is REALITY: whether we like it or not!
But, again, you have to decide that for yourself. All I can do is list the URL of FairMormon, and then list the very best of the very best (most accurate) "Anti-Mormon" websites and YouTube videos, and then tell you, Dear Reader, "go at it".
You can access the FairMormon website at:
http://fairmormon.org
The FairMormon massive website will be linked below.
Your Quest for Truth
How much time and effort you wish to spend in this "Quest for the Truth" is up to you. It all depends on how busy you are, and how much time and effort you wish to give it.
If you are "happy" in the Church, and don't "want" to know the Truth about Joseph Smith and Mormonism, then I would suggest you leave now and don't come back. Just put all your questions and doubts on a mental "shelf" on the back of hour mind, and FORGET ABOUT IT!
But, if you want to know the TRUTH, then keep reading and watching! To do that, you must make the time to read and watch the following websites and videos. I suggest you take out an hour or two a week and say "I am going to set aside two hours on Saturday afternoon (or whenever) for my quest for truth!" So, you have a choice:
a) leave now and do not return. But your doubts on the back "shelf" of your mind, and don't think about them again.
or...
b) keep reading and watching!
So, make your choice now!
CES LETTER
There is now one Anti-MormonISM book that covers the major Truth Claims of Mormonism, and refutes them with evidence (facts). That book is called "CES LETTER" and it was written by Jeremy Runnells, a former Mormon who was a missionary for the Church in New York City. You can read the book online in English for free (or in Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, German, Japanese, Finnish, etc.), or you can order the book for under $15, and it will be mailed to your door (with no "missionaries" attached). The book is fully illustrated. Its all there! Yes, the book is 100% factual and accurate in everything it says.
You can read it online, or order the book at:
http://cesletter.org
The link will be below.
Happy in the Church? Leave now! "Forget" the problems and contradictions! Put them out of your mind, and don't revisit them. Put your doubts on the "Shelf of Faith" and bury your head deeply in the sand, and have a happy life!
Or, are you a Seeker of Truth?
Then keep seeking!
Darrick Evenson
darrick_evenson@yahoo.com
November, 2020
The Very Best of the Very Best "Anti-MormonISM" Websites and Videos (Very Reliable and Factually Accurate!)
CES LETTER (book by Jeremy Runnells)
Fifty Major Mormon Problems (10 minute YouTube video)
Letter to My Mormon Wife (brief overview of Mormon Truth Claims written in a loving non-confrontational style)