There was a lesson given in a recent session of LDS church meetings that was entitled 'Beware The Bitter Fruits of Apostasy.' If you haven't had this lesson yet, you will. It has been mandated from HQ that every ward will deliver this message to all adult leaders. Here is a link to the lesson materials if you care to read it.
My response: First and foremost, I find the persecution complex that may LDS members exhibit to be distasteful and juvenile. The world isn't out to get you. Joseph was tarred and feathered for a pretty damn good reason. Look it up.
An excerpt from our lesson: When once that light which was in them is taken from them they become as much darkened as they were previously enlightened, and then, no marvel, if all their power should be enlisted against the truth, and they, Judas-like, seek the destruction of those who were their greatest benefactors.
Really? Bullcrap. That's simply not true. There's a place later in the lesson that says I'm a servant of Satan because of the choices I've made. Sorry, that's not true either.
It's even part of LDS doctrine that people should be allowed to worship as they choose. Where, you ask? countless places- but I'll start with the 11th Article of Faith: 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.
Do you believe this stuff? then you have to believe it all. Remember the words of Hinckley and Fielding Smith: It's all or nothing. Black or White. IT IS EITHER ALL TRUE OR THE GREATEST FRAUD EVER PERPETUATED ON MANKIND. (I personally feel that's a little bit self-congratulatory, but whatever.)
A very very wise person said recently on an online discussion board regarding this issue:
We are told to follow the prophet, even if he is wrong, and we will not be held accountable for what he told us to do. I was also taught to follow my conscience.
If there is a God, will he hold you accountable for sincerely following your conscience? No. He will hold you accountable for NOT following your conscience!How, then, can anyone be condemned for leaving the church, if that is what their conscience tells them to do?
Conscience trumps Prophet.Truer words were never spoken.
So what are the actual fruits of apostasy? peace of mind, an ability to spend time with family- without the segregated meetings, no pressure to deliver results now with the promise of eternal rewards, the ability to behave like a responsible, mature adult and make choices based on ones own conscience rather than a long and ever-changing list of rules made up by a bunch of old geezers in a phallic office building.
PS- this lesson contains the usual ratio of Christ/God references to Joseph Smith/Prophet references- 28 Deity references to 39 JS references. (there are also 4 God references in the 'Prophet of God' context) It also contains almost 100% quotes from modern LDS church leaders, and nothing from scripture or from any of the standard works.
It seems to me that Christ would want a good Christian to reject hateful doctrine and name-calling lessons from false leaders. To treat their fellow humans with compassion and an understanding for their circumstances rather than contempt and divisiveness.
6 comments:
Silly boy, this is a Teachings of the Prophets manual, specifically the teachings of Joseph Smith. I would expect a huge amount of references to him in this manual since it's about, um, his teachings! This manual is taught 2 out of 4 or 5 Sundays each month during the 3rd hour of meetings.
EVERY WEEK in Sunday School, we spend 90% of our time in the scriptures themselves. Teachers teach directly from the scriptures in the second hour of church every week.
Ahh yes. Of course you're right.
I'd like to ask one question: Why don't you address my actual post, rather than the silly little trivia I stuck at the end?
Despite the fact that it comes from the 'Highlights and sanitized teachings of JS" manual- does it matter?
Please don't reduce my opinions and statements by calling me boy, unless you're actually my parent. And diverting away from the actual statements isn't noble, it is diversionary and deceptive.
I know what the schedule of meetings recommends. I also know very well how much of that time is often spent listening to a crazy rambling idiot go on and on about their personal interpretation of things.
I'm not sure what you do with your time, but unless you teach LDS doctrine full time somewhere, I'd be willing to bet you a bowl of green jello that I spend more time in a week studying the LDS church doctrine than you do.
So, Mr./Mrs. I don't dare sign my name: Let's discuss the issues at hand. Am I evil for leaving? Bring me proof. Bring me actual primary sources of proof. Show me somewhere that Christ allegedly said I'm an agent of Satan. Prove that Satan exists.
Even better: show me how my TELLING THE TRUTH destroys any of my friends or acquaintances.
Silly Anon: You 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.
You have to take both sides of it. According to your doctrine people should be allowed to come and go in and out of the church AS THEIR CONSCIENCE dictates.
Why would Christ sanction a teaching manual that emphasizes that people who leave (in accordance with church doctrine) are agents of Satan? It's crap.
I've been thinking, you should make it so people can't post anonymously. If people are going to disagree with you they should have the guts to discuss it openly. :-)
I considered that, but I figure that I'll not get any responses to some of this if people can't hide their arguments behind the anonymous button.
I'm big enough to stand behind my words. I figure that anyone with a decent argument will do the same.
I'm just hoping at this point that the Danites don't come to silence me.
Pete, please don't take this the wrong way (which would be somehow me judging you), but I thought you had crossed this bridge some time ago and that your life path had diverged from the LDS church a while back (no, I'm not talking about the mission thing). The reason I bring it up, is that I wonder why the strong feelings now, and I also wonder if you have spent all this time wrestling with your position vis-a-vi the Mormon church.
Since I respect your honesty, I'll be honest myself. There are many points of church doctrine (real important stuff) that I just simply don't believe any more. What I have found, however, is that there are certain core ideals that I DO believe in: family, good will to men, love thy neighbor, community, a spiritually informed/directed/influenced life, the word of wisdom (gads, what my life would have been like without that *shudder*). I have carved out my own place the Mormon faith. Yes it a place that isn't comfortable at times (I didn't baptize my son, which was painfully hard), but it's a place I can live with. Given our upbringing and your environment, is there such a place for you? Or do you feel (as I frequently do) that the Mormon church's attitude of "God or Mammon" is irreconcilable with your beliefs?
It's a tough thing, especially given where you live. I hope there's a happy place for you in all this because the way the LDS church is embedded into our lives, simply walking away feels almost impossible.
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