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My Mormon Concerns

This may be long. There are some things I need to express, but I don't really have anyplace to express them. I don't want to do it in my public blog, or even on the forum blog. I do welcome feedback, but I ask you to understand that this is an expression of my beliefs and feelings.

To start with, these are things that I have a strong testimony about.

• Jesus Christ as Saviour and Redeemer of mankind.
• The truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.
• The reality of God as our Father.
• The mission and teachings of Joseph Smith.
• The importance and truthfulness of the Doctrine and Covenants and The Pearl of Great Price.
• The reality and importance of the Davidic King or Servant - The One Mighty and Strong.
  I am not sure who he is, but I strongly suspect that it is/will be John the Beloved.

Here are some things that I believe strongly.

• The Temple ordinances are some of the most important principles and teachings available to man. I believe that they are, essentially, the "Holy Grail" spoken of in Arthurian legend, and the "Secret" that was protected and transmitted by the Knights Templar. They should not be trifled with, but we should each be seeking to understand and apply them in our lives.
• That Prayer is the central point and purpose of the Endowment. That what we learn about prayer is meant to be used by each of us in our searches for greater light and knowledge from our Heavenly Father.
• In order for us to become ready for Zion and to participate in the Second Coming, we must be willing to live the Fulness of the Gospel.
• We are in the very Last Days. Not the Latter Days, but the Last Days before the 7th seal. I really believe that we will see many of the end events of the 6th seal, and the early events of the 7th within the next 4 years.

Now it gets sticky. There are a lot of things going on within the Church and the culture that really concern me and bother me.

• The Temple ordinances keep getting "Streamlined" and important things are removed.
• Image seems to have become the driving force for policies and actions within the church. This has reached the point that people are rapidly becoming judged of their spirituality and worthiness based on the clothes they wear, how they wear their hair, and how much facial hair they have.
• The Book of Mormon specifically tells us that priestcraft is a very bad thing:

At the same time, we see that many of our leaders make their livings by writing books about the Gospel. Would we even consider reading these books if they weren't written by these same leaders?

Plural marriage was taught for many years as being the ultimate ordinance and principle upon the earth for the exaltation of mankind. Even after a large group of the Saints rejected it, several leaders, including the Prophet, continued to live in it and perform it. Yet now, it is considered the most grave sin a man can commit, next to murder. It is classed directly beside adultery, and is actually more harshly dealt with in the Church than adultery.

We hardly ever hear of the other main doctrine of the Fulness - consecration. We should be doing everything possible to prepare for this principle. But we don't. I was taught at BYU that we are in a position to live it better now than ever in our history. I don't find that to be true. We, as a people, are more selfish and worldly than at any time in our history.

I see a very prideful, self-righteous attitude among the Saints. It is so strong, that many times we (yes, I include myself) are unwilling to consider that other religions and cultures have anything to teach us.

Even at my age (43), I remember people standing up in testimony meeting telling of the dreams, visions, and spiritual experiences that they have had. Yet I haven't seen a bit of that in well over 20 years.

I remember there being rooms in every chapel that were kept locked. At the time, I was too young to really be interested in learning about them, but now I know that they were prayer rooms, including prayer altars. I have been in old buildings in the last few years, where I saw that the rooms are still there, but now they are just "Junk rooms", where ladders, paper towels, and light bulbs are stored. I know people who had participated in prayers in those rooms prior to 1978.

People are functionally forbidden to actively use their endowments in this life, for their own enlightenment and good. There is no time, ever, where they perform the true order of prayer for themselves and/or their families. This is in direct contradiction to the first (almost) 150 years of the history of the Church.

There is almost no evidence of spiritual gifts, other than healing, within the membership of the Church.

We now persecute anyone who is within the church who does not believe exactly as they are told to do.

Well, that is probably enough for now. There is more. This is likely to cause enough trouble to start with.

Concerns Mormon My

Nighthawk, thanks for sharing your concern with us. I have some questions for you in order to understand some of the points you made in your message:

I heard that many Church leaders do write books but usually they do not write more than 2 in their lifetime, I heard also that the profits goes towards charity or is donated to the Church...Are you refering to the General Authorities? (those are the ones who I am refering to). I do not have "proof" of it but knowing that the Church leaders do receive enough income to maintain themselves and their families from the Church I do not see the need for them write books in order to make a living. They live very comfortable lives economically speaking.

I do not undertand fully your last sentences. Are you saying that plural marriage is consider a more serious crime than adultery? or you are saying that plural marriage is dealt as adultery and that's why is consider the most grave sin next to murder?. How is Plural Marriage deal more "harshly" than a person that committed adultery?.

I agree with you but how can the Church prepare the Saints if some of them cannot even deal with Tithing?. I do not know how it is where you are, but here the Saints have a BIG problem with Tithing.

This is VERY true and I think the Church leaders are sensing this through a wide variety of sources: local leaders report, letters, etc and I think is also the reason for the latest talks about being kind with people from other religions, allowing them to use the Tabernacle, etc.

I understand most of your concerns, and I can relate to some of them, although I would like to know how did you get a testimony of the Davidic King?.

My Mormon Concerns Studies Doctrine Mormon

Let's look at one instance. Neal A. Maxwell. How many books did he have published after he became a GA? I don't know whether or not the GAs keep the money. I know that I have seen several apologists point out that many of the GAs get asked to be on the board of directors of various companies, write books, etc, to support themselves since they are unable to take time from their schedules to make a living. That is what concerns me.

I personally know men who have committed adultery, and then have not been excommunicated. I also personally know men who were excommunicated for believing in plural marriage. I also know men who have been told that despite the fact that they no longer are in plural marriages, they cannot be welcomed back into the church.

That has always been the case. It didn't stop several groups from trying their best to live the law of consecration in the 1800s. How can the Church prepare the saints to live the Fulness, if it doesn't expect us to do so?

A couple of years ago, I was reading through a book I have talked about on this forum a few times: The Last Days Unsealed, by Robert Smith. As I read through it, I learned quite a lot about the Davidic King. Robert Smith is firmly convinced that the Davidic King is John. I tend to agree with him on this, for various reasons.

Anyway, while driving to work one day, I was thinking about all that I had learned about the Davidic King, I had been praying for wisdom and understanding. Suddenly, I received a strong testimony that the Davidic King is real, separate from Jesus Christ, and that he has a specific mission for the last days - including setting the Church in order. The exhilaration of that experience stayed with me for days, as I read more and pondered the meaning of what I had learned.

I believe it is John, because John is the senior living Apostle, by about 1800 years. He is senior to the Three Nephites, as well as all of the apostles and GAs now living.

Another very popular belief about the Davidic King is that it is Joseph Smith, who will come back as a resurrected being. I certainly allow for that possibility.

I don't allow for the claims of so many individual men that THEY are the "One Mighty and Strong".

Concerns Mormon My

I do not believe this is true because the Church supports financially each GA, isn't that true?.

Okay, I know people who have committed adultery and then have not been excommunicated. This is again the case of leaders who interpret things and laws and commandments in many different ways. Now, regards to the men who you know were excommunicated for believing plural marriage then we are all facing excommunication!. Isn't the key that the person has to teach the doctrine in order to be excommunicated? You can believe whatever you want but you cannot teach it as doctrine, that's the key, isn't?. Regards to the people who no longer are in plural marriages, I have no answer for that, whoever do that (not welcoming them) goes against Church policy since in the General Handbook specifically says that if a person has abandon the practise of plural marriage and wishes to return, they can do so.

Concerns Mormon My

I always thought the end times would be around 2011 or 2012. Not sure why, just a feeling I had in my youth 30 or 40 years ago and even about 15 years ago, I still felt that way. Today, I'm beginning to think we are farther off. Too many things need to come to pass. I'm beginning to think the second coming may not come for another 40 years or more.

I don't think church leaders make their living off writing books. From what I understand, once you become a full time GA, you live the Law of Consecration and the church provides for your material needs.

I too remember more claims of visions and revelations spoken from the pulpit when I was younger. I'm not so sure these things have decreased, we just aren't as vocal about them anymore. I've heard several people tell me they have had experiences too sacred to share.

My Mormon Concerns

Since I believe in revelation, I have no problem with this. I do not believe important things are being removed. I think it is stuff that isn't so important. That is my opinion based upon what I know has been removed. We are a living Church stuff changes. I don't think this should be a worry for us. That is why we have prophets leading us. If one has a testimony that our Church is led by a true prophet of God, then it shouldn't be a problem when that prophet says a procedure or even a doctrine has changed.

This one, I completely agree with you on. I think it is misguided, but I see little harm in it. So what if someone needs to wear a white shirt and be beardless. Perhaps Heavenly Father and the Savior don't really care about this issue, but it also won't hurt that person to wear a white shirt and be beardless. So, why not worry about stuff that matters? In my opinion any way, this is just an inconvenience, but one worth accepting for the good we get from the Church in general.

To me, this is like casting pearls before swine. I think these experiences are too sacred to share publicly. Not all in attendance are truly "saints." Many appear to be more than what they are. I know one woman who often does share such stuff and it makes me uncomfortable because I think it should be treated as sacred, just like we do Temple ordinances.

Excommunication is not meant as punishment, but as encouragement towards repentance. In the case of adultery, it may be that the repentance process is well on its way already and disfellowship may be more appropriate. If someone is actively living in a polygamous relationship, they are actively continuing to commit adultery. To me, it makes sense. In addition, since everyone should be well aware that the Church is very serious regarding plural marriage everyone who chooses to enter into such does so at their own risk. If they are not welcomed back into the Church, that doesn't mean the Lord won't forgive them, just that the leaders here on earth feel it is necessary for the Lord personally and that they cannot offer this forgiveness openly. This is also how a murderer is treated. It doesn't mean the murderer isn't forgiven their sins, but just that the Church leaders don't have the authority to say such forgiveness has been granted.

This is, of course, all just my opinion on these matters. I know the plural marriage issue is a big one for you, Nighthawk, and I don't see any easy answers for you. For me, it is simply a matter of obedience.

My Mormon Concerns

But this is not Church policy. Even people who have murdered or sexually abuse a person can become a member again with a special permission of the First Presidency also Bishops or members who have been acting in high callings within the Church need this permission. Why cannot a person who abandoned the practise of polygamy entered to full memembership?. I do not see why not.

My Mormon Concerns Mormon Doctrine Studies

I do not know if they can or not. However, I know I have been told a murdered cannot be baptised or granted "forgiveness" by Church leaders. Perhaps by first Presidency, I don't know.

As far as Nighthawk's example, I don't know the facts. It is possible that the person is no longer practicing it, but still believes the Church is wrong to forbid it. In that case, the decision could be that they haven't fully repented. This is all speculation, of course.