Thoughts On Contradictions Within Mormon Doctrine, Culture, and History
For a church that preached how important family is, I couldn't believe how often I was being expected to spend time or money away from my family. I was burned out and angry that so much was expected of me, and I didn't ask for any of it. Church responsibilities were demanding more and more from me all the time, and I was nearing my breaking point.
When I returned from the mission field I had a completely different belief in God than I did when I left. He was not as involved in the church or my daily life nearly as much as I'd been taught to believe. No, He would pop up for the real important things, but otherwise leave us free to exercise our judgement as best we could. That was a major takeaway for me. So it continued to bother me when others at church would tearily blare their testimony about the so-called "God of lost car keys". The God who cares so very much about you that He guided you to your missing car keys so that you wouldn't be late to work. The personal, coddling God, by whose grace it is you scored a touchdown. The vending dispenser God who would shower you with blessings if only you would but ask. The God who solves mundane, unimportant, banal first world problems in such a miraculous way, that one can't help but bare testimony of it at Open Mic Sunday.
LDS and Biblical prophets have required many difficult tasks of their adherents. This includes cutting off part of their penis; giving 10% of their income to the church until they die; marrying a man who is married to many other women and pretending to be happy about it; migrating across states, countries, and oceans; leaving families to preach the gospel for years on their own dime at at their own risk; murder someone for their genealogy book; not drinking coffee, tea, or alcohol which are quite possibly the most popular drinks in the world; sexually repressing yourself into addictive or violent behavior; giving your spouse to someone else; amongst others. But of all the things prophets have asked of people, getting a vaccine is the most banal and simple thing to comply with.
One might ask the question then why the precautionary earthquake measures weren’t taken sooner? Why didn’t Mr. Nelson foresee the earthquake today which has been one of the top three biggest earthquakes in Utah’s modern history, and the largest earthquake since the early 1990’s?
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, "Ordinances instituted in the heavens before the foundation of the world, in the priesthood, for the salvation of men, are not to be altered or changed." So let's look at how they have.
Everyone has heard that the Mormon leaders made some changes in the endowment ceremony of the temple. Faithful members are excited. Many are relieved that women have more representation and are less subservient in the presentation (and covenanting to obey their husbands). It's an exciting day for equality in the Mormon church. But how quickly …
I Know Cognitive Dissonance Is True 