Not too long ago, Britt and I were eating dinner with a family member when she proceeded to tell us that she was seriously struggling with doubts about the Church. She told us that she and her husband had stopped attending Church meetings a year earlier and that she didn’t know if she would be able to look past the things she had heard about Church history. We tried to share some of our thoughts and experiences, but she didn’t seem interested in hearing what we had to say. Their struggle was heartbreaking for us to see, but, unfortunately, we know many others like them.
If you are like us, you also have multiple friends, family members, and acquaintances who have struggled deeply with doubts and maybe even left the Church.
And after seeing so many good people struggle, Britt and I have decided to do something about it. You see, there are many people who want to believe, but after learning seemingly disconcerting things about Church history, they are unable to work past their doubts.
Too many have been driven from the Church, not because they were looking for a reason to go, but because they happened upon information that they couldn’t reconcile with their faith nor simply ignore.
I personally know what it’s like to struggle with understanding how certain historical realities fit into the story of the Restoration. I also have many ex-Mormon friends, and have become familiar with just about every anti-Mormon argument in the book. And yet, I’m a Mormon through and through.
Today, I am sharing a list of 5 reasons that anti-Mormon arguments are not nearly as convincing as they sometimes seem to be.
I hope that by sharing what I have learned through both faith and reason, someone who is struggling might find strength and perhaps a few who have left the fold might find their way back.
1. Negative Evidence Isn’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be
Some intellectuals argue that “negative evidence” is supreme. To understand what they mean by this, consider the hypothesis that “all swans are white.” According to these intellectuals, it doesn’t matter how many white swans you find, you never really prove that “all” swans are white. However, as soon as you find one black swan, you have disproved the theory that “all swans are white.” They conclude that positive evidence doesn’t ever really prove anything, but negative evidence can. And it’s easy to see why they think that way.
This is the approach that anti-Mormons want us to take with our faith. In the face of unsettling information, they demand that we disregard all of the positive evidence because they think that a few points of negative evidence is sufficient to end the discussion. And given how logical the above reasoning seems to be, it is no wonder why.
But their approach is very misguided.
To understand why, consider another example. After first discovering the planet Uranus, astronomers attempted to predict its orbit by using Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of physics. They could observe the orbit of Uranus with their own eyes, but when they used Newton’s mathematical models to predict that orbit, they failed time and again.
It made no sense. Newton’s laws had been right about so many things, but astronomers had found a case in which Newton’s laws did not work. So, was Newton wrong? Were his laws not quite as infallible as they had seemed? In light of this “negative evidence,” it would have been easy to conclude just that.
However, the astronomers kept searching and studying until, many years later, they discovered another planet–Neptune. And as it turns out, when astronomers accounted for the mass of this newly discovered planet, Newton’s laws predicted the orbit of Uranus perfectly.
So, as it turned out, it wasn’t that Newton’s laws of physics didn’t work. It was that they didn’t seem to work. And that’s because the astronomers simply didn’t have all the relevant information and context.
This example shows very clearly why negative evidence is far from supreme. You can dig up all sorts of facts about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, but you will never know if you really have access to all the relevant context and perspectives. And if that is the case, why discount the positive evidence proving that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God?
I could give you a list of examples a mile long of incredibly disconcerting and persuasive arguments that have been made against the Church since its founding but have since been invalidated by new information. How many accounts against the Prophet turned out to be forgeries? How many Book of Mormon animals and crops were supposedly nonexistent before European settlement, but in recent years were discovered to have ancient American date? Ever hear about the Spaulding-Rigdon theory? Probably not. It used to be all the rage in the anti-Mormon community, but it’s now joined the long list of discredited claims against the Church.
To be fair, there are certainly things about the Church and its history that continue to defy any honest attempt to explain. But again, if we are sincere in our quest for truth, we will be very careful about how much weight we give negative evidences considering all the context we are potentially missing. While no one should reject negative evidences blindly, the sincere seeker of truth will consider the possibility of missing context and will fairly weigh the negative evidence against the positive evidences, not to mention the potential for spiritual witnesses.
In short, the sincere truth seeker will not take negative evidence to be supreme.
2. The Evidence in Favor of the Restoration Is Truly Extraordinary
Joseph Smith prophesied that he would be proven “a true prophet by circumstantial evidence.” Now, more than ever before, the evidence is mounting in Joseph’s favor.
And I don’t care if you think that the Book of Mormon was actually written by Oliver Cowdery or Sidney Rigdon or if you think that a 23 year old Joseph Smith was some kind of genius, you still can’t explain away what a feat the Book of Mormon would be if it truly was an invention.
The positive evidences may never “prove” that the Book of Mormon is true, but they can provide a strong justification to carefully and prayerfully study it.
Since the evidences are so incredible and I want to do them a decent justice, I have taken them up in another article: 5 Surprising Evidences for the Book of Mormon. However, the following is a teaser of that longer and more detailed list of evidence:
- The Book of Mormon, from start to finish, is filled with ancient Hebraic art forms. The LDS Church wasn’t even aware of this until a missionary discovered it in the 1950s.
- The Book of Mormon explains a monetary system that happens to not only be closely related to the ancient Egyptian one, but that also constitutes the most efficient money system the world has ever known.
- The Book of Mormon’s seamless fit with Bible doctrines and the lack of self-contradiction is incredible.
- It is difficult to imagine a fraud producing so much good.
This is a very abbreviated list of the items that provide serious cause to seriously and prayerfully study the Book of Mormon. Get more information in the article mentioned above.
3. Anti-Mormon Arguments Are Like Conspiracy Theories
If you poke around Netflix or YouTube, you’ll find all the conspiracy theories your heart could ever desire. I personally think that they’re a waste of time, but I’m also fairly acquainted with quite a few of them because I used to work at a hospital where a couple of employees would talk my ear off about one conspiracy after another.
One of the principal problems with government conspiracy theories is that they assume the guilt of government from the beginning (this is also known as circular reasoning). Since it is a “conspiracy” theory, any information put out by the government is immediately suspect. This means that conspiracy theories operate by poking holes in things that government or the “main stream media” says or does without allowing either of those sources to be used to counter their claims.
Whatever proof or context the government provides to exonerate itself is simply dismissed because “of course, they’d say that” or “it’s just a government cover-up.” Most conspiracy theorists don’t recognize the problem with this, but imagine that you are accused of a crime and when you go to trial you aren’t allowed to defend yourself or bring witnesses in your defense. Your attorney isn’t even allowed to make a case on your behalf. Why? Because you are “biased”; you’ll do anything to disprove the charges against you, so we can’t trust you or those who may be “conspiring” with you.
Sound just to you? Of course not.
But critics do the same thing with the Church and its members.
Skeptics get to present the facts (and half-truths and outright lies) in whatever manner they please, but when the Church releases context or LDS scholars present alternative views, critics paint these attempts as worthy of dismissal since they come from “biased” sources. That makes no sense. And doing so means that they are assuming their conclusion is true without actually caring about proving it to be true.
This anti-Mormon tactic really needs to be taken seriously because it is used very subtly. Critics attempt to undermine the credibility of Joseph Smith, the 11 witnesses, modern apostles etc., all so that it seems only natural to distrust the Church as a source. But that’s about as fair as your friend deciding that the gossip they heard about you is all they need to know. Your side of the story wouldn’t be worth hearing.
If you want to see claims that are an awful lot like anti-Mormon arguments, look at this list of debunked claims that the Moon landing is really a hoax. The claims all seem to be very convincing, but when you dig a little deeper and talk to the people who actually know something about science, space, and NASA, you realize very quickly that the claims don’t hold much water.
Furthermore, tough questions NASA might pose in its defense, such as “if the Moon landing were really a conspiracy, how could they have kept the secret for so long? Wouldn’t an astronaut or film crew worker have spilled the truth by now?” are a lot like “Why did none of the 11 witnesses ever deny their testimony of seeing the gold plates, particularly when several of them became disaffected?”
And if you are the type of person that dismisses NASA’s explanation for why the American flag appeared to be “waving” in the Moon landing film, then there is a whole world of conspiracy theories that will interest you. Just Google any one of the following: the Federal government is really being run by a shadow world organization, the Earth is actually flat, lobster men live beneath the crust of the earth, Obama is really an alien, President Kennedy was really killed by the CIA, etc.
4. Anti-Mormon Literature Uses Deceptive Presentation Tricks
One of the main reasons that anti-Mormon literature leads people from the Church is because it artificially produces a shock and awe effect. You see, the Church focuses on teaching the Gospel and the things that matter, while historical items that are unimportant, unedifying, or difficult to understand are often brushed over in the process. Unfortunately, this provides an opportunity for the naysayers to say, “Let me tell you something you don’t know about. Do you know why you don’t know about it? It’s because the Church is hiding it from you. Don’t you see? These historical facts are incriminating, and that is why they have kept it from you.” Suddenly, what wouldn’t have been such a big deal if you had always known about it, is made out to be a conspiracy by Church leaders.
The Church has responded to this by demonstrating that they have nothing to hide. They have released article after article discussing the biggest controversies, but placing them in context and providing a faithful perspective. For example, the Church is plenty open that Joseph was indeed a treasure hunter as a young man and that he used superstitious practices in this pursuit. Of course, this seems less wild when one takes into account how common this sort of thing was in Early American culture, particularly among the uneducated and poor.
Of course, you’ll never get the relevant context from the Church’s critics.
What people have to understand is that while anti-Mormon literature is filled with many historical facts, they are often presented in a sinister light. So, while there may be nothing sinister about what happened, events are made to appear that way by the manner of their presentation.
An example of this is the way that some anti-Mormons will surprise their audience by revealing that Joseph Smith translated much of the Book of Mormon through means of a seer stone, instead of mainly translating through the urim and thummim as most members imagine. Joseph would place the seer stone into a hat and then press his face into it so as to block the outside light. There’s really nothing more strange about using a seer stone to translate than ancient spectacles, however, anti-Mormons describe the events in a way that makes Joseph sound like a lunatic peering into a hat. They also make it seem as though the Church is trying to keep this information secret (it’s actually on the Church website).
By capitalizing on information that the Church does not hide, but which few members know, anti-Mormons are able to control the presentation in a way that makes what Joseph did seem to be something that it is not.
In these and so many other cases, it is not the force of reason that drives people from the Church: it is the effect of emotion.
In addition to manipulating information that few members know about, anti-Mormons also talk about things that happened two hundred years ago that are difficult to understand from a modern perspective. Without putting ourselves in their shoes and understanding all of the facts of the day, things that aren’t really that big of a deal suddenly appear to be very important pieces of negative evidence.
I could go on and on about deceptive presentation tricks, but I’m going to leave it here for now.
5. A Spiritual Witness Is a Really Good Reason to “doubt your doubts”
The real reason that I believe in Christ and in the Restored Church is because of the spiritual experiences I have had. Human reason is limited. Pure and simple. Whatever atheists tell you, they have to exercise faith too. There are just so many things that are unknowable and that is why personal revelation is so important. Revelation bridges the gap between what Humans think they know and the truth that only God can distill.
So, when you experience personal revelation confirming the existence of God, Christ’s love for humankind, the Book of Mormon’s veracity, and Joseph Smith’s sacred calling, it only makes sense that this would be an overpowering piece of evidence. It may be evidence that no one else can understand, but it is evidence, and it is certainly logical to draw conclusions from it.
Before my mission, I had a crisis of faith that led me to study and pray more fervently than ever before. I really wanted to know. And after many weeks of effort, praying and studying for hours each day, I had experiences that witnessed to me the truth I had been seeking.
And I’m not talking about the type of feeling you get when you hear a touching story—you can experience that with or without the Spirit. I’m also not talking about the feeling you get when you hear something that defies Human understanding and the hair on the back of your neck stands up—you can experience that with or without the Spirit.
I’m talking about something else. And if you don’t know what that something else is, I challenge you to discover it. Just remember that half-hearted scripture study here and there doesn’t cut it. God expects more from us.
Why You Should Consider Sharing This Article:
More people than you may be aware are struggling with the flood of information and arguments made against the Church. You used to have to seek it out, but now it finds itself in your pocket by virtue of social media and the internet more generally.
So, consider sharing the article to help someone you may know or love who needs a little help seeing that the arguments made by the “world” are not as convincing as they seem to be.
We’ve also got some really cool forthcoming articles that look at this topic from a variety of different angles, including some interesting spiritual perspectives. So, make sure to like our page and give us your email so you get updates.
By Dustin Phelps
This was an amazing post and gives me a lot to think about. Thanks so much.
Loved it!!
I have been deeply studying church history for answers. I have seen the volumes of fabricated stories to discredit Joseph Smith. I know that it is extremely difficult to distinguish truth from falsehoods and twisted truths…extremely.
This article describes how I currently feel about yhe church, its history and the exercising of faith. Well done!!!#
Excellent read. I too have heard all the stories of anti Mormons and their reasoning and have kept my faith in the Gospel due to wanting to seek out divine truth. I think however that you don’t address what I believe is the bigger issue, which is that most of the people that leave the church are not anti Mormon, they just find out things that shatter their view of the church. To gloss over our history is wrong. Mormon history is filled with incredible stories (the Logan temple has so many incredible stories) and also some very alarming ones. The reason that it’s okay to have history that may be disturbing is because the church is run by mere mortals, and we are imperfect and the actions of those men doesn’t change the truthfulness that was revealed to us. The message of the gospel doesn’t change, just the attitudes and policies of the church. Accepting the fallibility of our leaders instead of believing them to be infallible will go a long way to strengthen people’s testimonies I believe. All is not well in Zion, and that’s okay because we’re still learning. I think if people understood that, they would be quicker to forgive mistakes by our leaders and realize that they are walking the same paths that we are.
By the way, I loved point number 5. I have been blessed to have had that experience and I cherish it.
Thanks for that I agree….I know the Gospel to be true ad I know the church to be made up of imperfect mortals…….I struggle with this as wrongs go unanswered and men fail. However I hold to the rod.
Bang on Drew, you nailed it!!
Amen! While it is Christ’s church, it is run in this mortal existence by human beings who make mistakes, no matter their position in the world or the church. We all need to work on forgiveness and tolerance of each other’s humanity– even when the human behavior is unbecoming or offensive, especially in our teachers and leaders. In a lay ministry, it could just as well be one of us in their position, being condemned for our own human foibles despite our best efforts.
I naively came across anti Mormon literature 30+ years ago on my mission to East L.A. I read most of it and I’ll tell you what offended me then about it and still does offend me after 35 years of familiarizing myself with it.
1- I am offended by their language that I am not a Christian. Please do not tell me what I am or what I believe or define through your eyes MY personal relationship with Christ.
2- their insincerity. They do not seem to care about my personal salvation. Only destroying and tearing down what I believe. The church does not do that as our articles of faith states and I don’t do it to you. Believe what you will. I do not set up anti-Baptist or anti-anything websites or produce anti anything. How and what you believe is your business, but bring what you know and see if the restoration can offer more.
3- Their tactics are unbecoming and offensive. And they go beyond what anyone has taught. Example: Mormon women will be “eternally pregnant” because of spirit birth. I don’t buy it and I’ve never heard it preached. I don’t know how spirits are born and/or created and neither do self proclaimed anti Mormons. The list is long, long on number 3.
4- I personally believe what the scriptures teach. You offend the light (through less study, prayer, following the prophet, etc) the more darkened you become until Satan influences you and you do not think rationally. How many of you have seen this happen? I have. To friends and family.
5- it intrigues me who people put their faith in and follow. We all follow someone or something. Either you can follow the good men called as prophets and apostles or you can follow the world and the puppets of Satan who are working terribly hard in these last days to lead astray those who are not consciously following the prophet, going to church, praying and reading the Book of Mormon. In fact I can always tell when people have “wandered off the path”- They stop reading the Book of Mormon. If you read it everyday, you’ll NOT go astray or be blinded by the craftiness of men. I know it! I’ve read it all by anti-Mormons. I’m very familiar with their arguments. But I know Joseph is a prophet and the church is true. No doubt in my mind.
Your experience and conclusions that you report here are nearly identical tial to mine. Amen, Brother.
Amen to all 5 points.
Excellent. I really appreciate your well thought out and honest reply. It really touched me.
Thanks for your thoughts. Very well said!
Thou shalt have NO other Gods before me. Question. Are you TRULY seeking the one true God or are you putting your own faith or church before the True and Living God. This is idolatry. Remember the Pharisees were so stuck in their “religion” that they denied Jesus and sent him to the cross. Read John 10 and 11 with an open mind and heart of a child. The true sheep will hear His voice and follow Him no matter how great the cost as the blind man did. Ask God humbly and sincerely to show you His truth. God bless.
Cindy,
That’s a good reminder. But does believing that Christ has instituted a Church and a line of authority among men necessarily mean that we worship that church or authority?
We totally understand that no church or man can be placed before God. But it’s hard to believe that God would have no church, no leader. Why did he call Moses and the hundreds of other prophets throughout history? Would God change course and decide there should be a Church for every opinion? We believe that having access to God’s Church and prophets and apostles is necessary to truly following Him. Otherwise, it is too easy to be swept away by every wind of doctrine. There are so many forms of Christianity…how can you know which one is ordained of God?
How can we believe that God would lead His people for thousands of years and then suddenly decide to let us follow the Bible on our own?
Latter-day Saints follow Christ. Our Church just helps us to not start substituting the philosophies of men for the word of God.
I suppose in an upcoming blog you will cover the “straw man argument” ploy used by propagandists of many stripes. The propagandist sets up a straw man to represent those who oppose his views. The straw man is easily knocked down and the propagandist “proves” that his views are correct. Example: To “prove” that God did not create the earth, first the pseudo-scientist says that (all) Bible believing creationists believe that God created the entire universe out-of-nothing six thousand years ago. Then he presents some scientific facts and arguments easily debunking these ignorant creationists and “proves” that “anyone who believes in God or the Bible is an idiot.” [The truth is that, unlike other creation myths, the Biblical creation story mirrors the order of the geologic and fossil records, if it is taken from the proper perspective and allowances made for translation errors. Mormons know the creation was not ex nihilo.]
Eternity is a very very long time. We all need to be sure we get it right.
Number five is right on. I’ve had two exceptional experiences. The first in answer regarding the Book of Mormon and the other concerning our general authorities. Should I deny the truthfulness of this church I will stand condemned before our God and our Saviior. There have also been too many experiences of interactions with the Holy Ghost that continue to confirm my testimony of the restored gospel. Unfortunately I can not just take it out and show someone. They have to get it for themselves. Moroni 10:4-5
Great article; well written; thank you
Reading “Planted” by Patrick Q. Mason (published by Deseret Book and the Neal A. Maxwell Institute) is another great help in understanding ways to reconcile the mistakes of Church history. People don’t need to leave over our far-from-perfect, but still wonderful past leaders. Sadly, however, they always have and will continue to leave. Check out Mason’s book. I loved it…
So did I.
I also am reading “Evolving Faith” by Steven Peck (Biology professor @ BYU). Outstanding book. Faith and reason can and must be balanced…
Excellent book! I’ve met Mason, he is an extremely intelligent and sensitive author. I also highly recommend “The crucible of Doubt” by Terrell and Fiona Givens, and “Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis” by Thomas Wirthlin McConckie.
Good blog article. As a lover of history it is apparent that all great men and women of history are an enigma. None of them ever claimed to be perfect and like us their life was striving to understand and to be better. Sometimes they succeeded and sometimes they failed. As we study the OT prophets we see that they to were human. Also, I guess you have heard before that, we should never judge them within the context of our time and social norms. We need to judge them within their time, socio-cultural, political framework.
Personally, I find their human weaknesses are encouraging to me. I am not a molly mormon and it is good to know that neither were they. I strive like them to be a better yet I make mistakes. I hope my children and grandchildren will focus more by my testimony than my errors, weaknesses, mistakes, failings and sins.
Love this view. Thanks!
I’ve looked into most of the “controversies” about the church. I’ve always found reasonable explanations to things that on the surface seem shocking.
Most of the time, people have a simplistic understanding, and are reacting to fallacies instead of the truth behind the matter. Sometimes, however, I find that my understanding has been naive, and learning about the matter has helped me get a more realistic or deeper understanding.
You have to be willing to hold on to your faith, though, while you learn more. Instead of just freaking out at a headline. Also, as pointed out, anti-Mormon sources should be taken with a huge grain of salt. They aren’t usually trying to get at the truth, but are come from a very bitter or biased viewpoint.
The Gospel Topics and fairmormon.org have helped me a lot.
https://www.lds.org/topics/essays
http://en.fairmormon.org/Table_of_Contents
This is great! I served in the Utah Provo Mission, and did explain to many of those that had fallen away these very points you’re bringing up in this article! I think you’ve just formulated them better than I did! There are answers, and teaching people how to find them on their own through study and prayer is very important, especially for the youth!
As I was reading through the article, I kept thinking to myself “how can anyone doubt the truthfulness of the restored gospel though the Prophet Joseph Smith when they have had a personal witness through the Holy Ghost” then I came section 5 and there it was! A personal witness of the truth is the key. I have been blessed to have received a few spiritual witnesses of various aspects of the restored gospel since I joined the Church in 1980 therefore no logical or intellectual argument can sew any seeds of doubt. I KNOW it is true!
I was born and raised in the church. I did it all: aaronic priesthood, mission, temple marriage. I was true blue through and through.
I left the church last summer, at least mentally. I still attend with my wife. She knows my disaffection but I still attend to support her.
I never read “anti” material. I don’t consider myself an anti-mormon. The historical record speaks for itself. The church’s policies/doctrines speak for themselves. For me it was beyond damning to completely destroy me belief in the church.
This article is beyond insulting to everyone who has left the church under circumstances similar to mine. Just because something is true does not make it “anti”. It is simply a fact.
What destroys testimonies so quickly is the “facts” promulgated by the church are not actually facts. The church’s historical record has been modified into an official record. Some parts may or may not be true. Example: I could handle the “fact” that J.S. used a rock in a hat if I was taught that all along. But this is just one small example of how the truth has been modified and the cumulation of these modifications is too overbearing.
By simply dismissing any argument as “anti-mormon”, you simply further the group think mentality that is pervasive in LDS culture and do not allow the entire record to be shared.
It’s OK if you are aware of all the issues that cause people to leave the church yet still remain in the church. I respect your conscious decision. At the same time, please realized it’s OK to leave the church based on the same information. Do not label me as Anti, unfaithful, wrong, misguided, deceived, etc. I have simply made a conscious choice based on the information, same as you.
The gospel change my life living on this earth being baptized 19 years ago Served a mission and I tell yah..scripture study prayers they are powerful things to get you going and see the truth .I am so grateful for the chance to be a member of the true gospel. .I don’t care what the history or wrong things our first leaders did in the past.. the fact is I am spoil to just received all of these blessing because of them..I had been experiencing some hard questions asking by anti Mormon calling me I antimicrobial not a Christian and my church is based on some dude that he is Satan and I’ll tell yah I am a Polynesian This guy was lucky walking away from me .or else I will put two coconut smack on his face lol…thank you so much for the article. .I will always forever cherish my love for the gospel and the truth ……
Great article, and great responses posted here below. I especially liked Mike C.’s comment.
So glad I found this!
Good article, I share many of the frustrations written in this article. I would suggest though not pointing out specific people’s name in the article. It creates the opposite effect of the point you are trying to make.
I loved this article so much! I am definitely scaring it on my page in hopes of helping anyone, active or inactive, that could use it. We all need a reminder that what we cherish is worth cherishing. Thank you!!
It’s interesting that so many people are actually being “tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine”. The problem that many people have, is that they are determined to evaluate truth based on “the arm of flesh” (their own logical abilities or those of someone they trust). Where that leaves them, is CONVINCED. And they will be convinced until new information or arguments convince them otherwise. Then again, all they are is CONVINCED. This continues until that great break-through happens in their lives (sometimes repeated) where they are touched by the Spirit and get past “the arm of the flesh”.
I’ll confess something… I am currently one of those members who is considering leaving the church.
My Bio:
I have been a lifelong member. Pioneer ancestry. I read the BoM for the first time when I was 13 or 14, and have read it many times since. I served a full-time mission (and if I may say so, was an excellent missionary). I’ve been an active member my whole life, and I am still active now. I have never shirked away from a calling. I’ve been the Gospel Doctrine instructor (my favorite calling, btw) for many years, though that isn’t my current calling. I have watched every single talk in General Conference over the last 21 years, and have taken time to re-read or re-listen to them afterwards. Generally speaking, I have always WANTED to be active in the church.
Why I’m Thinking About Leaving:
I’m thinking about leaving the church for a pretty simple reason: I have no testimony that God leads the modern-day church. I have never received a testimony. I didn’t have one on my mission (even though I did have HOPE that the things I believed were true). I have NO CLUE what Moroni’s promise is supposed to do for a person, because every time that I’ve tested that promise, there has been no noticeable difference (literally… nothing). I have fasted. I have prayed. I have had my moments in the woods struggling to get answers. But, my heavenly petitions have all been in vain.
So, what is a person to do??? Honestly, does one continue “in the faith” when there is no witness of the truth? It is VERY difficult to do so. I’m looking for reasons to stay, and am increasingly finding it harder and harder to do so.
(As an aside… we all know that many, many members are leaving the church right now. Please don’t assume that it’s safe to assume that those people are leaving because of sin, or because they’ve come across “anti” material, or because they cannot reconcile something from church history. In my case, it is none of the above.)
Thanks for being honest about your situation. I can definitely relate, and I’m sure that there are others. I also served my mission with hope of receiving a testimony, but inside I worried because I’d never felt anything like Moroni promised. However, I had felt the spirit at other times, at least enough for me to continue trying to get an answer.
It wasn’t until over a year after my mission that I finally felt the spirit powerfully testify to me that the gospel is true. Why did God take so long to answer my prayers? I have no idea. To be honest, I really wish He hadn’t. It was very difficult.
So, the only advice I can give to you is to look for moments where you have felt the spirit. If you can’t think of any, use the testimony of others as support. In any case, just hang in there and keep trying. When the spirit finally does speak to you, it’s an incredible feeling, something of a combination of peace and clarity. It’s definitely worth fighting for.
I understand you completely! I was, maybe still am in that boat. I think you would be surprised how many feel the same way you do, but are maybe too afraid to admit it. I have a firm testimony of Jesus and even the Book of Mormon, but I’m not sure God leads our current church. I have a long list of why I doubt, but in the end, I’ve come to this conclusion:
I had an awesome upbringing in the church. It didn’t protect me from sorrow or pain, but the basic gospel doctrine helped me through those hard times. Mormon doctrine has helped shape who I am and where I’m at in my life. And I like where I’m at so I have to give a nod to my roots. Would I still be the same person had I been raised in a different religion? Possibly, but I will never know. I only have my life experience to go on.
Basically, the fruit is good so I continue on, sometimes begrudgingly. I hope to raise my children the same way, focusing on the basics of the gospel and being Christ-centered more than anything else. I’ve also learned that its okay to say no to a calling or miss activities, for both myself and my children. All that extra stuff can just add more stress to an already stressful life.
I’m not sure if anything I said helped, but at least know that you’re not alone. Even if you leave the church, it sounds like you have a testimony of the Savior and I firmly believe that is all that matters – to believe in Him and live like Him. Everything else can be worked out later if it needs to be. 🙂
Thank you for this, I dislike the assumptions about those who have left the church as well. It is unkind. For all members who read this, Please stop. You hurt people with your assumptions, and I’d like to believe you seek to be be loving.
I left the Church when I was a teenager, and had to struggle to come back.
When my children were teenagers, I told them that being raised in the Church is like being raised in a warm, lighted room. Converts to the Church come in out of the dark and cold – so their conversions are more dramatic, because a light was suddenly switched on.
My oldest child, who struggled to know if she had a testimony, finally realized that she did. We had attended a funeral for a family member who was Protestant. When my daughter heard the Protestant minister speak about “hope” that the resurrection would happen, and that there was a Heaven; she realized that as a member of the Church, she had heard all her life about the certainty of these things.
I hope and pray that you will be able to feel the light and warmth of the testimony that you already have. You have done so much good in your life. I pray that you will find peace.
Yes, you just keep trying! If it takes you a lifetime, it will be worth it. Do the little things EVERY DAY. Read, pray, attend church, go to the temple, pay tithing—do not stop. There may be people who get answers quicker or more amazing, but there are those of us who are slower. Who cares as long as one day you stand before God and you say, “I never got an answer, but I kept trying.” Then a wonderful, kind voice says, “Father, that is true, my atonement makes up the difference.” And then you hear, “Well done thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into My rest and inherit all that I have.”
Is there even a moment of struggling to know that wouldn’t be worth hearing those words? Don’t quit, dont give up. It is not easy, but it will be more than worth it. God cannot lie, nor His son. You will make it if you just keep trying. I promise and even better, They promise!
One more note—want a great talk that very well may change your life?
read Absolute Truth by President Kimball. It is in the September 1978 Ensign online at lds.org. I am 58 now and read it when I was 20 and I have never forgotten the peace and understanding it gave me. May it bless your life as you keep pressing forward each day of your life. Good Luck, you’ll be in my prayers
What’s funny is when people say “science has proven…”
Science and reason never fully prove anything, and to say so is ignorance. It is in the pure definition of science itself that science proves nothing, it only gives us probable and very probable explanations that stand until disproven.
Like number 5 states, and y’all have loved, is that the spirit gives us more of a confirmation, more proof, that something is true than science or reason could ever do.
I also LOVE your explanation of negative evidence. Perhaps we found something we can’t explain and assume it disproves A but really if we knew B, C and D we would see it doesn’t but rather we are missing info.
I believe this is a very thoughtful and wise article. In 1975, while on a mission to Pennsylvania, I first was ‘introduced’ to anti Mormon literature and for a short time I was a bit taken aback. As I studied and compared the gospel with what was being presented, I could see the inconsistency and deception in the material. I had not realized that the manner it is presented was also a factor. Thanks for sharing.
I consider myself a rather knowledgeable person when it comes to anti. I was raised Wesleyan and bible holiness, converted to Catholicism at 17 and there taught for several years. One class I was involved in was the teaching of false faiths LDS fell under this category. It was then that I began feeling the call to the true church but didn’t know it. I began studying anti-Mormon regularly out of what I thought was curiosity when in fact it was the only way Heavenly Father knew I would listen. I went from trying to learn why the LDS church was wrong to why it was right. Every anti can be proven wrong with the bible. Anti only listen to the bible so it’s a beautiful thing to know heavenly father was ready for that when he came to Joseph Smith. I can talk all day about how true the church really is using their own anti to prove the point. I’ve been a member for over a year now and I visit investigators with the missionaries. I can’t tell you how invaluable the things I learned have become and that is all the proof I need. Thank you
This article was surprisingly touching to me. I have one critique: please use language that does not alienate these members, these fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. They’re doing the best they can, and I believe your post can really help people.
By and large, it looks like your responding audience is enormously appreciative and in agreement. For those who struggle, having an “us vs. you” rhetoric that invalidates their current experience is incredibly UNhelpful. I know several people who have left the church, and, like you, I have mourned their loss. Let’s give those on the brink a safe place to really discuss their views, through validation (I can see why you think that way, I understand your perspective, I believe you’re doing all you can, I’m here for you, let’s talk more), kindness and love UNFEIGNED (this means you’re not just acting like you love a person; our B.S. meters are finely tuned).
Thanks for a thought provoking post.
Good comment thanks for that.
This article does read as very black and white, us vs. them
^ YES. This very much.
Agree with Emily. Several friends of mine left the Church. As I’ve spoken to these guys they want a few things: to be understood, but not be pitied. They didn’t say this but I’m sure it’s true: they want to be loved and respected. One pal says he may return (to church), but likes his current position. Just be there and be genuine…
I wonder if there really are more empty lamps* than ever before, or if they are just more readily seeking excuse for inactivity due to the more easily accessed denialists in this internet age.
My own experience included an early inoculation against anti-LDS/Christian schemes, when I became engrossed in the tales of Sherlock Holmes, and read the anti-Mormon “A Study in Scarlet”. At first it distressed me greatly, but as I considered the great empowerment I saw in the Restored Gospel (especially with great examples of gratitude, thinking, and faith in my family), I gained a mature outlook which has served well in faith and other discernments.
*as in the wise and foolish virgins, which certainly allows that there may be a great many more yet to fall away
I recently told a freind of mine that although my testimony of the restored gospel is spiritual, and I have had many witnesses of the spirit for its truthfulness, I worship and practice my faith logically, and weigh my study’s with math. My starting thesis on the matter is that truth is its own life force, and that truths definition is its self, truth. truth needs no believers, needs no followers and will continue being true whether or not its being observed. With that being said, humans are the only species on the planet that is able to work and grow and learn counter intuitively to the truthfulness of his/her design. This ability allows humans the power of choice. I say this to help you understand the fullness of how I enjoyed this article. Its not often I read opinions so closely related to mine. One example was a discussion with a heckler harassing a man who wrote a sincere poem about Noah and the flood. My argument was that with our current understanding of history and available information, not having the evidence isn’t enough to say that no evidence exists. As our technology and understanding grows, new tools and information helps us to see and uncover information that was previously unavailable to us. We don’t have enough information other then the bible, to say the story’s is false, and only faith to say its true. Using logic he proved my point himself and disappeared from the forum, and we never once argued religion. God lives and loves us, Thank you.
I found this intriguing! I’m aware of the concept of falsification as it applies to the philosophy of science, and the power it has repeatedly demonstrate to create more and more powerful scientific concepts. I am also aware how no honest scientist will abandon a cherished theory, that has worked all but one time to make a predicted result, without careful thought, analysis, and experiment. Most often, the new theory isn’t thrown out, but evolves to accommodate the new evidence – as in the example of Newton’s laws and planetary motion. Keep up the faith, and an open mind, people! Truth will survive, and our imperfect understandings evolve into higher knowledge as we learn new things and let go of prejudice and falsehoods.
One I heard in Costa Rica is that Michelle Obama is really a man. 🙂
This is great, thanks for addressing these issues in a ‘logical’ way.
Another tactic that is used is discrediting the whole faith based on the mistake of an individual. Many members in the church seem to believe if a leader in the church makes a mistake the whole church must not be true. But throughout the Bible and Book of Mornon there are many examples. In the Old Testament Joshua was supposed to destroy neighboring villages but he was tricked by moldy bread and worn out shoes even though in the previous chapter he was talking to God. How could God allow a prophet make such a mistake? He didn’t ask God. But it doesn’t mean the religion is untrue.
David who had the deep faith to conquer Goliath committed adultery with Bathsheba and sent her husband to his death. But his actions do not mean the church was untrue.
Saul with his checkered past is thought to be part of Stephen’s death and Saul was trying to get rid of the church yet his past did not prevent him from becoming Paul. His past did not mean the Gospel wasn’t true.
Judas who was an Apostle of God chosen by Jesus Christ himself betrayed the Lord for some Silver. Yet that did not change the omnipotence of God, the gospel, or the atonement. It just shows men have weaknesses and God believes strongly in agency.
In the Book of Mornon you have Alma’s checkered past as a Priest of wicked Abinadai. Who reformed was rebaptized and went about doing good. But present day antimormons would point to his checkered past to discredit him.
You have Alma the younger. How could a Prophets son ever rebel against the church? If he doesn’t believe his dad it must not be true. No, he just had agency. Same with Laman and Lemuel.
There are other examples.
But the theme throughout the Old and New Testament is mankind is given agency. They may have a checkered past or sinned in the future. They may make mistakes even as a prophet. But their choices are separate from the Gospel. They are free to act and will not be perfect. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true regardless of the actions of apostles and prophets as demonstrated by Samuel, David, Judas, Saul/Paul.
Have faith on the Gospel and don’t let their choices get in the way. That is why the Book of Mormon is the Keystone. It is a good book translated in a very short period of time. Yet its clarity and connection to the Bible is amazing. The power in it and stories of faith are amazing and I feel different when I read it. It is the divine stamp of approval. It lets me know that regardless of people’s choices or our ability to discredit their perfectness the Gospel is true.
You obviously meant King Noah. Abinadai was certainly not wicked.
I liked the article, including this comment. I love the positive attitude in the comments section! It is very refreshing compared to other stuff I have seen online.
My wife and I recently finished watching Jake Hilton’s 50 hour clip on The Time is Now. It riveted us both to the core, and has caused us to deepen our faith immensely in the Lord Jesus Christ. Toward the end, Jake talked about how the church is really the vehicle that delivers the gospel (the good news). That really seemed to resonate with me. My testimony of the gospel is solid because it is based on truth about the Lord, and his message, especially as found in the scriptures. He has given me countless spiritual experiences. Too many to ever be able to deny his existence.
Whatever false traditions may exist in our present church will not have the power to affect my testimony. I used to think the church and its leaders were flawless. Now I realize that both are flawed. At first this shocked me, and I felt sick to my stomach. Over the past few weeks, I have been praying about this, and I feel the Lord leading me to a new viewpoint. Even though both are flawed, they still provide a valuable role. I often try to put myself in the place of a flawed person or organization. I am far from perfect, and I think to myself, if I were an important church leader, doing the best job I could, and yet still made mistakes, I would feel horrible if I saw that some left because of my personal mistakes. I think we need to be more open about our mistakes and weaknesses, and work to strengthen one another.
Amen
Focus on conversion to Christ and not to the Church. It’s important to understand the Church for what it is – an organization established and led by God, but run by men. Because of this, there will always be some imperfection. The purpose of the Church is to provide a place where followers of Christ can come together, participate in ordinances, and strengthen and serve each other. However, “It is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation.” I have a personal relationship with God and with my Savior that no amount of history or ‘evidence’ against the Church will ever erode.
Yes. This is the most important point here.
I really liked this post. It explaines exactly how I feel. I have a personal relationship with God and his son Jesus Christ. The Church is built on the foundation of faith and love. If you have these, your faith cannot be shakened by the anti mormon doctrine.
I was working as a student in the religion dept at BYU when the “Salamander letter” document came out. Folks left the church because of this “proof” that Joseph said the Holy Ghost was a salamander or something similar. THE most world renowned experts declared the document legit!
But those who asked God and kept their faith were soon vindicated when said document was discovered to be a forgery and all the “experts” were proved wrong. (never did see those apologies on the front pages of the newspapers like the condemnations were).
A LOT of people were led down a false path by con artist Mark – by then they had also trashed the church and its members so much they were embarrassed to come back and further down the path they went… I see the same thing happening nowadays. Folks are being suckered by con artists who care nothing for them and leaving the church over silly things we know very, very few details about. So, so sad for everybody involved….
Love your article — you are so much more eloquent than I expressing these thoughts.
A powerful reason people leave the Church is because so many within the Church are unaware or apathetic of these issues. Many members are afraid, some lack commitment in their pursuit of truth and many swat away questions as moral failings instead of seeking to understand. Dismissive responses from members to questions from those who are struggling often come across as weakness, ignorance or condescension, none of which is conducive to having a spiritual witness. Joseph Smith said, “I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by force or reasoning, for truth will cut its own way.” Unfortunately, if we do not even understand our history and what we believe, and if we lack confidence that truth will cut its own way, how will we be able to reason with those who have concerns? I believe we need to not only continue to be more transparent online, but we need to fearlessly confront every and all concerns head on at church. It has become a major obstacle for too many people to come unto Christ.
Amen.
This is good, but I take the opinion that, so what if the all the anti Mormon stuff it true. I think one of the flaws of the culture of the church is that Joseph Smith is white washed. He is painted as such a perfect person. I believe that Joseph was a crazy dude, and he was also a prophet of God. They aren’t mutually exclusive. So what if he did all that stuff? Hopefully he learned from his mistakes, but just because he did some crazy stuff doesn’t mean he isn’t a prophet of God.
So true when you say that it is easy to look back to the 1800s and find stuff that just looks weird to our modern eyes. Yes, Joseph Smith married someone who was almost fifteen years old, but that was actually par for the course back then. This should be very low on the list of stuff that could shake your faith.
I’ve had non-members declare to me that the “religion” they follow can’t be wrong because of this one time or that that they had felt the Spirit. To which I reply that the difference is with the proper authority and ordinance, you could hear the Spirit all day, everyday. And it leaves them baffled.
It is a little humorous how easily admiration gets manipulated into “worship” with respect to Joseph Smith. When I hear, “but you’re not christian because you worship the guy who wrote the book”, I have to giggle….and then politely correct the error. I think that and the “magic underwear” are my favorite. (I feel I should note that I am a convert as of 2002. I was raised Baptist and then non-denominational and we were taught that Mormons were nuts. I used to think they were a little dilusional. So, there is hope for anyone. Haha)
So good. Much like pornography, if it is thrust upon you the Lord will protect you. If you go seeking for it or linger, you are on your own. I had never before correlated anti-mormon sleaze with conspiracy theorists but it so true; many of my disaffected friends are also into conspiracy theories. Thank you for sharing.
What a great post! I especially liked reason number four. You’re so totally right, the church has nothing to hide, but anti-Mormons like John Dehlin always use deceptive presentation tricks. Just look at all of the new Gospel Topics essays on the church website. The church is 100% open about it’s history.
I did hear a vicious anti-Mormon lie that John Dehlin was the one who got the church to publish the essays. Reason number three, anyone?! Total conspiracy theory that I know is a falsehood because the spirit bore witness to me that he had nothing to do with them! The church is true! Keep these blog posts rolling, you two!
Thank you for this article & for the insightful comments. My heart has been breaking because a beloved family member has recently announced in writing that they have had their names removed from the church.
I have since felt the pains of Father Lehi partaking of the fruit of the tree of life as his loved ones condemned him for his “ignorant” choice from the great & spacious building. Knowing the sweet joy of the gospel makes it bitter too when those we love condemn it!
I had just prayed in my heart this evening that my sorrow for this family member could be swallowed up in my faith & hope in Christ. I prayed for remembrance of my many life experiences confirming my faith, making it steadfast & immovable.
This article & the wonderful testimonies of you who have gone through the mists of darkness to get to the tree were just what I needed to hear! This article was right where I needed it when I needed it! It is a miraculous thing to be led to what is needed time and again as we place our faith & trust in Christ & our Father in Heaven! Thank you all for your examples of the believers! I love you even though I don’t know you! We are truly the body of Christ together! It is real & it is true!
I share many of your thoughts.
What I would add is that I think there is a broader secular undercurrent that is giving added momentum to the shift against religion. Europe has been dealing with a general slide away from religiosity for a few decades now, with churches closing and less people identifying with any religion. That trend has been developing in the United States as well, starting with the coasts. The LDS church is not alone in facing the shift. It is broader and bigger than any one religion.
The testimony of the 11 witnesses is really enough for any person with doubts. And I feel like that is one of the reasons we have both of those (of the three and of the eight). You could probably form a pretty strong case against one person alone if you wanted to. But how can a person disregard three persons who saw both an angel and the plates and another eight who saw and handled the plates? And they swore that their testimony was true! And, like you said, a number of those became disaffected with the church later on in their lives. David Whitmer’s statement on his deathbed:
“That I have never at any time denied that testimony or any part thereof, which has so long since been published with that Book, as one of the three witnesses. Those who know me best, well know that I have always adhered to that testimony. And that no man may be misled or doubt my present views in regard to the same, I do again affirm the truth of all my statements, as then made and published.
As a non-member born again evangelical christian I am saddened that true disciples of Jesus whatever their denomination cannot be true brothers and sisters in Christ and go about changing this world together. Often too much time is spent trying to fight one another on who has the correct “Jesus’. If you know Jesus, truly know that you know Him, and His will for your life, then you really don’t have to worry about what anyone says about your denomination. Jesus never worried!
That makes sense to me Frank-well said.
How do you know Jesus never worried. I reckon he did.
Great article! If I’m honest, I’m still kinda bothered by learning that Joseph married other men’s wives cuz that just seems kinda….ugh, but I think that was normal back then. Anyway, after struggling with this stuff, I realized I’m at the point that it really doesn’t matter what church leaders teach or do, I’ll still believe because it’s not about them. I think that’s what they mean when they teach about being truly converted. I pray we all can strive to get there through all this messy stuff
Excellent post. A shout out to Imre Lakatos would be in order. I’m guessing this is not a coincidence: http://www.lse.ac.uk/philosophy/department-history/science-and-pseudoscience-overview-and-transcript/
I was a strong and very faithful LDS member, husband, and father of four children. During a recent deployment to the middle east my faith in God was absolutely destroyed. Not even six months of one-on-one meting with our Bishop could help restore my faith, no matter how bad I wanted it to happen. I am not anti-Mormon, just really more agnostic (for now). Your article gave some interesting perspectives for me to consider. I sincerely appreciate you taking time to document and share your thoughts!
Don’t give up, Eric. Stay in good company (as you’ve found here). Many faith-nourishing sites are available. Life is a journey. I’ve experienced bumps, been bruised, and (usually) try to move forward. Sincerely wish you the best…
Thank you so much for this article, very articulate, well-researched, and uplifting.
Read the Bible…as a child. The LDS provided copy, a regular Bible… Read an NIV Bible if you like (so much easier than KJV to understand, and is a closer translation to the original documents). Read John. Read Romans. Read Hebrews. Read. God answers these questions. Don’t give up.
Yes, indeed. Thank you, Marcy. I took up the challenge to read the Bible a few years ago. It changed my life.
This was a great read, thanks!
I assume that is a direct quote from Joseph Smith saying that “Joseph Smith prophesied that he would be proven “a true prophet by circumstantial evidence.” but can anyone tell me where I can find that?
Thank you and this was a very good article.
Shaken Faith Syndrome is a good book to read about this subject. CAn’t remember the author, but it is a powerful rebuttal to all the critics.
Michael Ash wrote Shaken Faith Syndrome and several other books. “Investigating the Book of Mormon Witnesses” (author is Richard Anderson) is another great book. It’s a great little book, highlighting details of the 8 witnesses’ lives and testimonies…
Such an excellent read! Thank you!
I am uplifted by the comments here and so grateful for this article.
My faith in Christ and Heavenly Father’s plan is unshakable. I have never had doubts. I have had times when I thought to myself “I don’t really KNOW about this or that because I have not studied and prayed for answers,” but I have never doubted the Gospel was restored to Joseph Smith as a boy. I am a descendant of Hyrum and feel such a strong connection to the whole Smith family. I have prayed and diligently studied the scriptures my whole life and the Lord always blesses me with answers and confirmation of truth.
I truly feel saddened when loved ones leave the church but all we can do is love them and do what we can to strengthen ourselves and our own families in our homes. I will continue to pray for those members who struggle.
Someone mentioned not being afraid to say NO to callings. I would like to add that saying “yes” will bless you in ways you could never imagine. Of course it is your choice, but it is the Lord Himself who is extending that call to you…because He knows you better than anyone and He knows what you need more than you do yourself. We struggle to always see the bigger picture but HE doesn’t!
Thank you all for your thoughts!
look forward to seeing more
Thanks for this great post and for all of the follow up posts. As I read all of the replies my heart swelled as I recalled my own testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thanks to all who have so freely shared their testimonies. May those who are wavering ask themselves “did not our hearts within us burn?” I’m gratful for the confirming power of the Holy Spirit, the third member of the godhead. Blessings on us all as we walk our mortal paths.
Amen! ?