(As a person who was raised in the Mormon church, I know they do not want you to ever read anything about the church that the church has not approved of. So, it is actually those who want to learn more, than what the church wants them to know, who leave.)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its biannual general conference over the weekend, and one particular statement from that lengthy gathering is worth discussing on this site.
At one point during his speech yesterday, the LDS Church’s President Russell M. Nelson explained that everyone will struggle in life, in different ways, but the solution was always the same: “Increase your faith.” But then he kept talking…
You can hear it at the 2:37:12 mark: (follow link for video)
(what is said int he video) That’s a lie. People who don’t have religious faith don’t come to that conclusion because they’re lazy or lacking the ability to learn. It’s usually the opposite. They’re actually challenging the Church’s dogma. They’re questioning their beliefs and demanding better answers, only to realize those don’t exist.
I don't have doubts, I'm sure.
The Moron leadership doesn't want members to know that Smith had some 33 wives (according to Brigham Young) most all married in the last few years of his life. I think of it as his 'wife of the month' revelation. About a third of Smith's wives were at the same time married to and living with husbands which they previously had legally married. At least one of these husbands was sent overseas on a church mission before Smith pursued the wife in her husband's absence. This particular practice of polyandry is completely contrary to the current principle of temple marriage which is supposed to cement families together in the hereafter. Smith taking these married women as his "celestial" wives effectively broke up these families in the afterlife. A wonderful heaven it is when you get there and the woman you thought you were going to live forever with is in a plural marriage with this shmuck Smith. Moron apologists try to say that Smith was doing these women a favor because according to the apologists the husbands were "failing in their faith" and Smith marrying their wives effectively "saved" the women since, according to Moron doctrine, the husband is supposed to open the way for the wife to enter heaven (that is, if anyone can truly pin down Moron doctrine). Then there were Smith's teenage brides, a couple as young as 14. Apologists say that it was common to have child brides during the 19th century, but actual research doesn't bear that out. There may have been some child brides, but the age a women would marry was typically well older than 14. The story of one of Smith's 14 year old brides is documented in a book called "In Sacred Loneliness". The story tells of Helen Mar Kimball who at age 14 was offered to Smith by her parents when Smith began having eyes for her mother. In exchange for not marrying the mother in a polyandous relationship since was already married and living with her husband, they consented to have Smith take their 14 year old daughter. Smith was more than twice her age. The first of Smith's "plural wives" as detailed by Brigham Young was a young woman who was hire by Smith's legal wife as a maid. This was many years before Smith wrote down the "revelation" about polygamy. Smith's cousin who was also a significant Moron figure in the early days had accused Smith of adultery (which it was, imo). The result if I remember correctly was tne excommunication of the cousin. Smith was known for just tossing people out of his church when they disagreed with him. Some of them came back and I believe this cousin did. If one reads the "revelation" about polygamy, it basically says that God gives women to faithful men (like Smith) as a reward for their faith. Like the current Fundamentalist Morons today, God could apparently take your wives away and give them to someone else if a man's faith falters (he doesn't do what he is told). It also specifically threatens Smith's legal wife with damnation if she doesn't consent to allow Smith to marry (and bed - apparently) other women. There are books recounting the stories of some of Smith's plural marriages. A woman was requested to show up at Smith's hotel in Nauvoo, Illinois (the center of Morondon in the early 19th century). She was led to one of the upper rooms in the attic of the hotel with Smith and several other church leaders. Smith would explain the "revelation" about plural marriage and the essentially demand she make up her mind to marry him or not. If she consented, the marriage ceremony was performed, the other men left, and Smith and his new plural bride consumated the marriage. There were at least a couple times Smith's legal wife figured out what was going on, and she would cry and wail pounding on the hotel room door.
This is just some of what I learned about Moron history concerning polygamy. There is more, but not a great deal more concerning Smith's polygamy. He did repeatedly lie to Illinois state officials who came to investigate the Morons pra tice of polygamy which was illegal in the state. There is a great deal more on other topics. Most active members don't even know this much. The last I had been exposed to it, the Sunday school lessons concerning marriage played up some sugar coated version of how much Smith loved and adored his legal wife and she always loved and obeyed him. I once asked my wife who was raised a Mormon how many wives Smith had and she said that no one knew for certain but probably only a few because of his legal wife and her reluctance to approve of other wives.
Now, I haven't attended a Moron church service where I paid any attention to any talks, so they may have had to update what they have to reveal to members. The internet has been a source of getting both good and bad information out - some former members are willing to believe nearly anything bad about Morons even when it is completely outlandish. I probably should add that good sourses do exist from Mormon historians who did their research (from original sources now hidden away in a volt from nearly everyone). Almost all of these historians have been excommunicated from the church which makes their work automatically off limits to church members. At one time, in order to receive permission to enter a Moron temple, one had to answer a question stating that you don't read anti-Moron literature which includes the books mentioned here.
In conclusion, I find it highly insulting for this Moron president to say disbelievers are "lazy". It is the vast majority of Morondon who are lazy having only exposed themselves to the pulp the Moron church spoon feeds them.
Sorry for the long comment. This crap statement about being lazy pissed me off.
@RussRAB These clowns are fighting with the primitive brutality of a rat that finds itself surrounded. They know they are an endangered species and their days are numbered. These religious morons anger me a lot as well. Bottom line is, these idiots want to live in the 1940s or 1950s. The Trumptard party has been trying to drag morals and standards back to the 50s since at least the mid 80s, when the US Senate had a hearing on “Porn Rock Music”
@barjoe - I don't blame you. It's just a bunch of BS about a bunch of 19th century self centered and conceited asshats. I kept going because like most atheists/agnostics and their former religions generally, many former Morons studied their way out which took work (plus I tend to be naturally long winded). Calling us lazy is in itself either lazy or it's simply dishonest to deceive those those still caught in the web of lies - sort of like saying those who leave Christianity just want to commit sin.
Ah yes, do it the Moron (sorry Mormon) way of course.
I.e. Whilst increasing your Faith you MUST also INCREASE your Tithes, the more YOU give, the more the LDS wants, the less YOU have left to live on, the more the LDS will loan you and the more interest they can charge you on the loans.
Just because I'm lazy doesn't mean I'm stupid.
These idiots never know what they’re talking about to begin with.