It’s the first Sunday of the month and a young teenager goes up to the podium in front of the congregation. In one sentence she says, “I’d like to bear my testimony I know this church is true….”
If I believed that a church was true, I would stay a part of it even if the culture of the church wasn’t awesome. Because if a church is right then it’s right, regardless of the imperfect people inside of it. So you can read my other essays for the doctrinal and logical reasons why I…
A distinctive feature of the Mormon church is its long list of commandments. Like the 10 Commandments of old, worthy Mormon members are required to adhere to a laundry list of do’s and dont’s in order to maintain their temple recommend and their standing in the…
One of the key trains of logic in the Mormon church goes as follows:
Joseph Smith was a poorly-educated farmboy.
Joseph Smith published the Book of Mormon.
Growing up I’d watch movies like the Da Vinci Code or Indiana Jones or Sherlock Holmes or National Treasure that highlighted strange groups that had devilish, complex, barbaric rituals. These rituals usually occurred in caves or underground rooms and involved group chants, secret…
As a child growing up in the church, I soaked up the songs and lessons and scripture stories like a sponge. As a teenager, I prepared to go on a mission, learned about the priesthood, and read the Book of Mormon. Then I went through the temple, went on a mission, and came…
There is a common saying in the Mormon church that is adopted by many families inside of it, including my own: “No empty chairs.” This refers to the idea that if you’re righteous in this life then you’ll get to go to the highest heaven, the celestial kingdom, and be with others who…