I want to make this really clear that this isn't a "bash Mormonism" thing. I wanted to make this thing, all of the hours of researching and note taking, into something bigger. I started this after my husband suggested that put all of my findings out there in one place, and ever since then its been something that I've wanted to use to try to bring as many people to Jesus as possible.

With that said, I know that the LDS church tells you what you need to do to get into heaven, I know they give you a list of what needs to be accomplished to make it into the different levels of glory (D&C 76). I use the word accomplish because that's exactly what it is. When you throw works in the mix, you remove Jesus. Jesus came to this world to save the souls of man; to make us adoptive children of the Almighty God. If we have to do works to get into heaven does that make what Christ did in vain?

Jesus came because God the Father knew that we are all damned, we are all hopeless cases.

(Isaiah 64:6-7 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away. And there is no one who calls on Your name, Who stirs himself up to take hold of You; or You have hidden Your face from us, And have consumed us because of our iniquities.). God loves us, but he is a just God who id disgusted with sin and will not look upon it. So he sent is Son as a free gift. You cannot work for a gift. A gift is something given out of love. My Pastor used a great analogy that I love. Our sin is our debt that we will never ever be able to repay, and imagine that what Christ did is a check that will take care of the balance 100%. That check does you know good if you don't take it.

 

Jesus tells us that he is the way the truth and the life and no one enters the Father’s kingdom except through him, John 14:6. And 1 John 5:11-12 tells us "And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” The LDS, church tells you that you have to work for your salvation. So are you going to listen to man? Or are you going to listen to Jesus and take the check? Are you going go to God repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your personal savior, knowing that it is Christ alone and nothing you can do that will get you into heaven?

 

There is so much more out there than what I have posted here. I urge you to look into it for yourself and do your own research. I challenge you to read the book of John with the eyes of a child, meaning throw out everything the church has ever taught you and listen to Jesus as a child would listen to their father. And then go to a bible based church, ask questions, listen you might be glad you did.

 

Romans 10:9-10  that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

http://utlm.org/

 

http://www.mrm.org/

 

http://www.experiencetherock.com/jesus/gospel-message/

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some scriptures that really stood out to me on my journey.

Acts 17:24-  The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.

Matthew 23:27- Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.

John 17:3- Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Matthew 24:35- Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
 
1Corinthians 1:18- For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God
 
Titus 3:5- he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
 
Galatians 5:4- You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.
 
Galatians 1:6-8- I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!

Here are a few videos that are good to watch. I didn't take a lot of notes with these ones but they were interesting nonetheless.


Is it time to embrace the LDS church as Christian?

Are Mormons Christian?

Here are the stories of some Missionaries that left the church.

 

 

 

 

This guy may be a little hard to take. He used to be LDS and left. I've looked into most of what he says and it appears to be true. if its not let me know I'll be glad to listen.

 

 

 

I decided to take a break from my notes and do one more entry today, this time on my experience leaving the church. Everyone assumes that the reason you leave the church is because you were either offended, or you are living a life full of sin, well that's not why I left the church.

I was born and raised LDS, we didn't go every Sunday, but we went often. We had the children's book of Mormon and the living scripture movies, and my mom always tried to have the picturesque LDS family. Things weren't perfect they never are, so I don't want to make it seem as though I am blaming my leaving on that. Growing up I always had faith in Jesus But I remember, even at an early age, stressing out about whether or not I was going to make it into heaven. I remember it being bittersweet when I turned 8. I was going to be baptized, and I knew that was good because that's what God wanted us to do, but at the same time I was so worried and aware that I was now accountable for my sin. From that second I was more worried about my soul then I had been before, if I died I would now be accountable for my sin and wasn't sure I would be able to make it into heaven. Later I was told that if I held a temple recommend I would be able to make it into heaven. From that point on I decided that I would always be able to hold a recommend so I could make it into heaven. I had my heart set on getting married in the temple to a return missionary, starting my own little Mormon family, and eventually reaching Godhood. I went to all of the girls camps and activities, I went on trek, I even graduated from seminary. I was almost more excited to graduate from seminary than I was to graduate high school. But it was there, in seminary, where I started to get lots of questions that were never really answered. I didn't understand why we had to reference the bible with the book of Mormon, or D&C or what have you. Things in the bible and book of Mormon started contradicting each other, and I again began to worry about my soul. I decided that I just had to try harder, I needed to be better, and maybe with enough faith it would all make sense one day.

Shortly before I graduated I met my husband. My husband was also born LDS but was no longer going to church when I met him. When I first met him there was an instant attraction, but I didn't want to act on it, because I knew I had to get married in the temple to get where I wanted after I died. After trying so hard to be friends for a while, and after many tear filled arguments with myself, I gave in and started to date him. He knew that I wanted to get married in the temple, and he respected that, he even started coming to church with me. A few months into our relationship I confided in him that I was questioning the Church. He told me that was ok and we had talked a lot about it. I decided to stop going to church, and that's when I will admit that the sinful really started. It was my rebelling from what I had known. We moved out together, he proposed, we became pregnant, got married, things were amazing. But the further a long I got the more I began to worry about my soul, and the soul of our child. I still believed in Jesus but I honestly felt empty. I spend many of my nights sleepless praying to God to put my family where we needed to be, at one point I even swallowed my pride and told God that I would go back to the church if that's where I needed to be. But it never really felt right to go back. I started to watch the 700 club, it was on the t.v. and I could get my nibble of what I really needed, I say nibble because it was never spiritually satisfying. One day I thought my problem was because I hadn't been saved. So I called the number they show at the bottom of the screen so I could be saved. It was odd and they ended up only asking for my money, I still felt empty and at that point I felt betrayed.

My sleepless nights in prayer continued. I don't remember how all I know is I eventually ended up going to a friend’s church. I walked through the doors and I was met with the smell of coffee, friendly people, and worship music I was not accustomed to. I sat through that meeting feeling odd, but in a good way. It was new, and certainly something I was not accustomed to, coffee and a worship band. But besides that, I felt something different. Something peaceful, and new, I had worked so hard to fight back the tears that meeting. I had prayed so long for peace, and now it was finally there. It was small, but it was peace, and hope, and it was there. We left that meeting without really talking to anyone, I regret that now, but for whatever reason we just left. The next time we went I decided to talk to someone. I had told them that I was a member of the LDS church, and I explained to him that I felt like I was climbing a latter that didn't ever end, I told him how exhausted I was. And that's when he told me the greatest news I would ever hear. He told me I didn't have to climb, he told me that no one on earth would ever reach the top. He told me that's why Jesus did it for me. Nothing anyone can do will get them into heaven, no temple marriage, no amount of tithing, no amount of good works, nothing. Jesus came and did it all because I can't. Jesus loved me so much that he died for me, because no one can do it, no one. We then prayed together, and I don't think I can describe the weight that was lifted off of my shoulders. I swear I was floating.

So I'm sure you're wondering were these 20+ pages of research comes in. Honestly it was curiosity. I felt lied to, I didn't understand. So I began looking, but I treated it as though I still believed. And by that I mean I only took into consideration talks, firesides, presentations etc. that strictly used Mormon material. I'll be honest, there must have been some part of me holding on to the church when I began, there were things that I read that brought me to tears, and not in a good way. After a while I had had enough. I wrote the Church and requested that my records, and anything they had on my daughter, be removed (although I have reason to believe they did not remove my daughter’s records but that's another issue).

Well that's my story. I really want to stress to anyone reading this that Jesus is the ONLY way. No amount of works is going to warrant you getting into heaven, Isaiah 64:6 "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." God see's all of your righteous works as no good. Even one bad deed earns you a ticket to hell. I'm not perfect, I'm nowhere near it. But I have Jesus. Jesus tells us that he is the way the truth and the life, and no one goes to the Father except through him (John 14:6) or John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will have eternal life. I can't tell you enough, turn your hearts to Jesus. Believing in Jesus alone is what will save your soul. Do good works because you are saved, and you want to share the love of Jesus. Don't do works to save your soul, it won't work.



Here's what really stood out to me in all of my research

"Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet." - Joseph Smith History of the Church Vol.6 p. 408

 Matthew 16:18 Jesus speaking to Peter " And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Galatians 1:6-9 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—  which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!

John 17:3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Titus 3:5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,

Galatians 5:4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.


http://www.experiencetherock.com/jesus/gospel-message/

Joseph Smith and the gold plates

Anyone familiar with Mormonism is aware that it all supposedly started with gold plates and the story that surrounds Joseph receiving the plates. But what if Joseph never had the plates? What part of the stories can we believe as miracles, and what parts do we classify as fantasy?

As you may know this all began, after the first vision of course, with the Angel Moroni visiting Joseph in his room one night. But what happened after he had received the plates? According to an account written by Joseph’s mom Lucy; after receiving the plates he wrapped them in his frock, put the plates under his arm and headed home. After traveling awhile on the main road Joseph decided it would be safer to travel home through the woods. Once in the woods he came to a large windfall, as he was jumping over a log an attacker jumped up from behind it and gave Joseph a heavy blow with his gun. Joseph then turned around knocked him down and began to run at the top of his speed. About a half mile away he was again attacked, but Joseph took care of Attacker B the same way he did Attacker A and continued running home. He was attacked once more by Attacker C before he got home. However, this time he dislocated his thumb when he clocked Attacker C, which he did not notice until he got home (History of Joseph Smith by His Mother, p.108)

So how large were the plates? Martin Harris said they were 8x7x4 inches, Orson Pratt claimed they were 8x7x6 inches, and Joseph said they were 6x8x6 inches (History of the Church vol. 4 p.537). One cubit foot of gold weighs 1204 lbs. Using Josephs measurements puts the plates at 1/6 of a cubit foot, which makes them about 200 lbs. Now some say that they wouldn't be pure gold because gold is to thin and you wouldn't really be able to write on in it because the writings would bulge out onto the other side. But we know that at least 24 pages of the book of Mormon are written on pure gold (Mosiah 8:9). Some claim that the plates were never really made of gold, but an alloy. Well the Angel Moroni tells us that they were gold plates (The Personal writings of Joseph Smith p 6), and a Mormon periodical (The morning and evening star) written in 1833 claims that the ancient prophets of God kept their important/sacred writings on gold, among many other church writings that claim the plates were made of gold.

Ok so we have a young farm boy in his 20's running through the woods with 200 lbs. under his arm, fending off 3 attackers, and only dislocating his thumb. First off, gold is such a soft metal, they would have been so easy to damage (I'm not saying there was any I'm simply pointing out the fragility of the plates). Secondly how could any one run at top speed at least a 1/2 a mile with 200 lbs. under your arm, fending off 3 men bent on harming you (one even armed and pistol whipping you) and stealing the plates only dislocating your thumb, AND without damaging the soft metal plates. Some claim that this was a miracle and God gave him strength. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dismissing miracles I believe God still works miracles. However, Joseph, Moroni, Mormon, Emma, or anyone else who handled the plates never glorified God for giving them supernatural strength to move, or lift the plates. And the Mormon apologists know this because they keep trying to get the weight to a manageable amount (for more info/resources please see video attached below).

So what about the witnesses did they actually see the plates? The History of the Church vol. 1 p 54 tells us that the witnesses left the home where the 00plates were located and traveled into the woods to pray to see the plates. A revelation in D&C 17 tells them that if they had faith, they would be able to see the plates. This led the witnesses to leave the house with Joseph and go into the woods to pray to see the plates. After praying with no luck of seeing the plates Martin Harris decided to leave to see if the others would have better luck without him there. Shortly after he left an angel from heaven came down and showed them the plates. Why would the witnesses have to pray to see something physical? Why would they have to leave the house where the plates were kept, go into the woods and pray to see something tangible? Even then when they handled the plates they were in a box or wrapped up, they were never actually touched them with their hands.

I'm going to leave you again with one of my top 10 favorite scriptures: 

Galatians 1:6-9  I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—  which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!  As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!



(I recommend watching these videos I post at the end of my notes. Something could stand out more to you than it did to me.)

 

 

 

 

The many wives of Joseph Smith

Many people know that there was polygamy in early church, and they have many different justifications for why this was. Yes there was polygamy in the bible, specifically the Old Testament, but Jesus didn't want it around anymore. God intended marriage to be between one man and one woman with no exceptions, and Jesus knew that. But it’s just not the bible that is clearly against polygamy, so is the Book of Mormon talks about how horrible polygamy is in the book of Jacob. But D&C 123:38-39 a new and everlasting covenant talks about wives and concubines given by God. This new and everlasting covenant came to an end in 1890. First why would God change his mind in the first place? God isn't a God that flip flops. Second why would a "new and everlasting covenant" come to an end? What God has said he'll do, he doesn't go back on his word. What kind of God would do that? So should all the LDS people still practice polygamy, or was there a false prophecy/revelation?

There are some facts that I want to bring up about Joseph Smith and polygamy. For reference please read In Sacred Loneliness (written by a well-documented church historian) and/or the video linked below.

1- Joseph Smith entered into 34 marriages (only includes marriages documented after death). 

2- 11 of these women were teenagers when they were married (ages 14-19). Yes it was not uncommon for girls to marry young back then. But it was unheard of to be married to 11 young girls. Like it or not, this is the same thing Warren Jeffs does.

3- 11 of these marriages were polyandrous (meaning the women were still married to living men) LDS historians acknowledge that Utah Mormons (including Josephs wives) repeatedly affirmed that Joseph had physical sexual relations with all of his wives. LDS historians can't deny it. Isn't this adultery? So if church historians won't/can't deny Joseph's polyandrous relationships, how do they explain Exodus 20: 14 "You shall not commit adultery." or, Exodus 20:17“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

4- Joseph Smith married 2 sets of young sisters, and he married 2 sets of mothers and daughters. One of the arguments out there is that he married these women because there was no one else to take care of them. Well what does the bible have to say? Leviticus 18:17 “Do not have sexual relations with both a woman and her daughter. Do not have sexual relations with either her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter; they are her close relatives. That is wickedness." This is wickedness! Plain and simple, the word of God marks this as pure wickedness.

Joseph Smith must have known this, because in May of 1844 Joseph Smith said "What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one." History of the Church vol. 6 pp. 410-411. He had 34 documented wives at the time he said this.

Here are the stories of some of his wives.

Helen Mar Kimball (has many writings) was 14 years old when Joseph Smith (who was 37 when he proposed to her) told her that if she agreed to marry him she & all of her family would be guaranteed salvation. She really didn't want to marry Joseph, but her father Heber C. Kimball and Joseph Smith arranged the marriage. Joseph died 1 year after they were married. She then married Horace Whitney; who later took more wives. Later in life she said that she thought her marriage to Joseph was purely ceremonial, and wished she had never been sealed to him.

Marinda Johnson was originally married to Orson Hyde. Joseph and Marinda were married while Orson was on his mission in Jerusalem without his knowledge. She was 26 and Joseph was 36. She was also married to Brigham Young.

The Partridge Sisters (Emily 19 Eliza 22): Joseph married Emily and another 19 year old Flora Woolworth in one day, 4 days later he married Eliza. He was 37 at the time. After their father’s death their mother married the father of the Huntington sisters. Also after their father’s death, the Partridge sisters lived in the Smith home helping Emma with the children and housework. Joseph married the Partridge sisters without the knowledge of Emma. Two months later when Emma finally consented to plural marriage, she told Joseph she wanted to pick the wives. She picked Emily and Eliza and a second ceremony was held, she was never aware they were already married. After that Emma and the Partridge sisters did not get along, and Emma demanded the marriages ended.

Zeena Huntington married Henry Jacobs in 1841. Joseph knew Zeena as a young girl. Joseph approached Zeena saying that the Lord had made it known that Zeena was supposed to be his (Josephs) celestial wife, but they (Zeena and Henry) could still live together as husband and wife. In Oct. Joseph told Zeena that he would lose his life, and his position as prophet if they were not married, so they married. After Joseph’s death Zeena Married Brigham Young.

Lucy Walker was sealed to Joseph Smith 1 day after her 17 birthday, he was 37 at the time. After her mother’s death, Joseph sent her father on a mission, and she (15 years old at the time) and her brother moved in with the Smiths. He proposed to her and gave her 24 hours, or the gate would be closed to her forever. On May 1 1843 when Emma was away, they were married. Lucy continued to live in the Smith home without Emma's knowledge of the marriage. After Joseph’s death she married Heber C. Kimball.

 

 

Prophecies of Joseph Smith

So how do we know if a prophet is a true prophet of God? Deuteronomy 18:20-22 tells us "But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’—   when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him." Even if a one prophecy does not come true that means that prophet is not of God. Why not test some of Joseph’s prophecies. 

First let’s start with D&C 84:1-5. This revelation given to Joseph Smith in 1832 says that a temple will be built in New Jerusalem (western boundaries of Missouri). It was to be "reared" within that generation, and dedicated by Joseph Smith himself. When I last checked (http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/independence/gallery/download.php?id=7519) that temple has yet to be built. Unfortunately this is a failed prophecy. Well what about when we are told that God is an exalted man, and we must learn how to become gods ourselves (History of the church Vol. 6 p 305-306). Even the Book of Mormon refutes this prophecy, Moroni 8:18 "For I know that God is not a partial God, neither a changeable being; but he is unchangeable from all eternity to all eternity." So is the book the Joseph translated wrong, or is he wrong?

Unfortunately from what Deuteronomy 18 and Deuteronomy 13:1-5 ("“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, ² and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ ³ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. ⁴ You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. ⁵ But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst.") Joseph Smith is not a prophet of God. But there is good news, there is Jesus. And that's all you need.  


You can find more in the following videos: