The thing I found interesting when I joined this Church is that it didn't make me feel bad about all the wonderful experiences I had with people of other faiths. In fact, I gained my testimony of Jesus Christ while attending the Episcopal Church. One of the sweetest experiences I had after joining was that my mother who was a lifelong Christian felt the spirit in our services.
Wendi EricksonAugust 31, 2021
This is a time of separation. It's a tragedy to those of us who have lost loved ones to this or any other reason they find to leave. Our heart aches when our grown children refuse to even come on mothers day. Our ward has recently seen a wave of our brothers and sisters leave our ward family. Thankyou for writing this. Perhaps it will be just what someone needs to hear.
The Lord has promised me that in His time and His way all 4 of them will return. I pray for them and others who left. The fact remains that there are 2 churches only. All will find themselves aligning with one or the other. The scriptures are clear about this. As we settle into 2 apposite camps, I feel that there will be a lot of shuffling back and forth for many of us. I pleas with you all to join me in prayer for 1 ourselves to not be caught by surprise. For us to have the faith sufficient to be firmly planted in the restored gospel and 2 for those who have turned away for any reason to have whatever experiences they must in order to find their way back to the fold of God. This is His promise to our loved ones as we are true and faithful to our covenants. 3 lastly pray to see Hos hand in their lives so we see that they are not really lost to heavenly Father. And in closing the undying gratitude for the pure love that is the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Jonathan StreeterAugust 30, 2021
This was an excellent article that really got to the heart of the matter.
The best part of your article is that it has universal application. It should be distributed to defenders of many different faiths - Jehovahs witnesses, Christian Science and Many other faiths also have apostates who try to tear down faith by creating a big lie that their church is deceiving them. This post reveals the true deception at the heart of these deceivers.
Thank you for your eloquence and faithfulness!
BeccaAugust 30, 2021
Great article. One common thing I see as people buy into the negative things they are being taught is that they eventually end up where they no longer believe in God. Seems like this attack on the Church is simply using church history as a stepping stone to draw people away from God.
And the influencers are making a lot of money doing what they are doing.
HalAugust 30, 2021
Thank you for this wonderful article. I have several friends and family members who have succumbed to this "Biggist Lie." Sadly, I have watched them transition from faith-filled, happy people to cynical, perpetually angry, and contentious souls where the darkness of hopelessness has replaced the light that once filled them with happiness. All I can do is pray for them and encourage them whenever I can.
Maryann TaylorAugust 30, 2021
No one leaves the church because of any events in church history. That is simply an excuse. People leave because they have not built a strong testimony. Anyone who keeps their testimony alive by continuous prayer, scripture study, and enjoying the companionship of the Holy Ghost will not be bothered by incomplete and subjective accounts. I would trust that about as much as I trust news reporters and commentators today. How many contradictory "facts" do we hear about the same story??? Attempting to render a complete judgement of people by going back into history, whether it is the history of the church, or American history, is tricky business. I would certainly hate to have my life judged by people 100+ years from now based only on what they can dig up from the written word. We can read the MANY accounts from faithful saints who knew the Prophet, Joseph Smith, very well and who walked and talked with him, who repeatedly bore witness of his goodness, and the divinity of his calling--Or we can rely on varied and confused accounts, based on partial and limited understanding of what actually happened. We may find ourselves with some unanswered questions. So what? We can KNOW that the Book of Mormon is true, that it is a sacred witness of Jesus Christ, and that Joseph Smith translated it by the gift and power of God. If we know that, nothing else really matters.
LizAugust 30, 2021
Thank you for this very well written article and for standing up in ways many won’t.
Tom GlassAugust 30, 2021
We have a past bishop doing the same on his podcast,his feelings were hurt so he went on a rampage against the Church.Pride took him away,with his whole family!
Zen FeatherstoneAugust 30, 2021
The great tragedy I have seen with my family is children who have no faith or hope because they left The Church of Jesus Christ and don't have any place to go. If the truth about God and Jesus Christ is not in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then it is nowhere. They have an understanding of the apostacy and the need for a restoration. If the truth was not restored, then they feel it is nowhere.
So they are "free" to do whatever they think is right. The laws and commandments of God that make us truly free and happy when we live them, are ignored and the true peace that comes to our souls cannot be found in worldly interpretation of the rules of life.
Norma J EntrekinAugust 30, 2021
Interesting article. But the main point should have been stated clearly in the first paragraph. Period- Thanks
Douglas MarkAugust 30, 2021
Jacob: just ask these disaffected friends what they will say to Nephi or Mormon when they meet them after death. Ask them if you can keep their patriarchal blessing and their temple garments and their scriptures in a safe place for them while they wander in the desert for awhile. Ask which of their kids they want “unsealed” while they are at it, or maybe it will be their spouse they are willing to cast off.
WeezieAugust 30, 2021
Thank you Jacob for using you talents in writing to illuminate the truth. You gave such great reasons and things to carefully and prayerfully consider. I love the part about peace. That is absolutely something absent from all those who believe they’ve been lied too by people who are anything but full of peace. If only every member of the church could read this article before they make their infamous Facebook post on how leaving the church is the best decision for them.
Harold RustAugust 30, 2021
Great presentation of an important perspective that is vital if we want to avoid the trap of being drawn in to persistent pernicious pounding against the fundamental fruits provided by all the prophets.
vickieAugust 30, 2021
there are and there have been so many negative comments regarding the church that use to shock me but over time i realized that these are truely ignorant people they believe what their preachers tell them and then spread the negativity to others. i always say to some who believe the wrong things abt our church, that we dont spend time in church downgrading any other religion. we dont have time for this. God doesnt teach negativity in church and esp about other beliefs. we only concentrate on the truth and what God teaches us.
Comments | Return to Story
Ben JonesSeptember 3, 2021
The thing I found interesting when I joined this Church is that it didn't make me feel bad about all the wonderful experiences I had with people of other faiths. In fact, I gained my testimony of Jesus Christ while attending the Episcopal Church. One of the sweetest experiences I had after joining was that my mother who was a lifelong Christian felt the spirit in our services.
Wendi EricksonAugust 31, 2021
This is a time of separation. It's a tragedy to those of us who have lost loved ones to this or any other reason they find to leave. Our heart aches when our grown children refuse to even come on mothers day. Our ward has recently seen a wave of our brothers and sisters leave our ward family. Thankyou for writing this. Perhaps it will be just what someone needs to hear. The Lord has promised me that in His time and His way all 4 of them will return. I pray for them and others who left. The fact remains that there are 2 churches only. All will find themselves aligning with one or the other. The scriptures are clear about this. As we settle into 2 apposite camps, I feel that there will be a lot of shuffling back and forth for many of us. I pleas with you all to join me in prayer for 1 ourselves to not be caught by surprise. For us to have the faith sufficient to be firmly planted in the restored gospel and 2 for those who have turned away for any reason to have whatever experiences they must in order to find their way back to the fold of God. This is His promise to our loved ones as we are true and faithful to our covenants. 3 lastly pray to see Hos hand in their lives so we see that they are not really lost to heavenly Father. And in closing the undying gratitude for the pure love that is the atonement of Jesus Christ.
Jonathan StreeterAugust 30, 2021
This was an excellent article that really got to the heart of the matter. The best part of your article is that it has universal application. It should be distributed to defenders of many different faiths - Jehovahs witnesses, Christian Science and Many other faiths also have apostates who try to tear down faith by creating a big lie that their church is deceiving them. This post reveals the true deception at the heart of these deceivers. Thank you for your eloquence and faithfulness!
BeccaAugust 30, 2021
Great article. One common thing I see as people buy into the negative things they are being taught is that they eventually end up where they no longer believe in God. Seems like this attack on the Church is simply using church history as a stepping stone to draw people away from God. And the influencers are making a lot of money doing what they are doing.
HalAugust 30, 2021
Thank you for this wonderful article. I have several friends and family members who have succumbed to this "Biggist Lie." Sadly, I have watched them transition from faith-filled, happy people to cynical, perpetually angry, and contentious souls where the darkness of hopelessness has replaced the light that once filled them with happiness. All I can do is pray for them and encourage them whenever I can.
Maryann TaylorAugust 30, 2021
No one leaves the church because of any events in church history. That is simply an excuse. People leave because they have not built a strong testimony. Anyone who keeps their testimony alive by continuous prayer, scripture study, and enjoying the companionship of the Holy Ghost will not be bothered by incomplete and subjective accounts. I would trust that about as much as I trust news reporters and commentators today. How many contradictory "facts" do we hear about the same story??? Attempting to render a complete judgement of people by going back into history, whether it is the history of the church, or American history, is tricky business. I would certainly hate to have my life judged by people 100+ years from now based only on what they can dig up from the written word. We can read the MANY accounts from faithful saints who knew the Prophet, Joseph Smith, very well and who walked and talked with him, who repeatedly bore witness of his goodness, and the divinity of his calling--Or we can rely on varied and confused accounts, based on partial and limited understanding of what actually happened. We may find ourselves with some unanswered questions. So what? We can KNOW that the Book of Mormon is true, that it is a sacred witness of Jesus Christ, and that Joseph Smith translated it by the gift and power of God. If we know that, nothing else really matters.
LizAugust 30, 2021
Thank you for this very well written article and for standing up in ways many won’t.
Tom GlassAugust 30, 2021
We have a past bishop doing the same on his podcast,his feelings were hurt so he went on a rampage against the Church.Pride took him away,with his whole family!
Zen FeatherstoneAugust 30, 2021
The great tragedy I have seen with my family is children who have no faith or hope because they left The Church of Jesus Christ and don't have any place to go. If the truth about God and Jesus Christ is not in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then it is nowhere. They have an understanding of the apostacy and the need for a restoration. If the truth was not restored, then they feel it is nowhere. So they are "free" to do whatever they think is right. The laws and commandments of God that make us truly free and happy when we live them, are ignored and the true peace that comes to our souls cannot be found in worldly interpretation of the rules of life.
Norma J EntrekinAugust 30, 2021
Interesting article. But the main point should have been stated clearly in the first paragraph. Period- Thanks
Douglas MarkAugust 30, 2021
Jacob: just ask these disaffected friends what they will say to Nephi or Mormon when they meet them after death. Ask them if you can keep their patriarchal blessing and their temple garments and their scriptures in a safe place for them while they wander in the desert for awhile. Ask which of their kids they want “unsealed” while they are at it, or maybe it will be their spouse they are willing to cast off.
WeezieAugust 30, 2021
Thank you Jacob for using you talents in writing to illuminate the truth. You gave such great reasons and things to carefully and prayerfully consider. I love the part about peace. That is absolutely something absent from all those who believe they’ve been lied too by people who are anything but full of peace. If only every member of the church could read this article before they make their infamous Facebook post on how leaving the church is the best decision for them.
Harold RustAugust 30, 2021
Great presentation of an important perspective that is vital if we want to avoid the trap of being drawn in to persistent pernicious pounding against the fundamental fruits provided by all the prophets.
vickieAugust 30, 2021
there are and there have been so many negative comments regarding the church that use to shock me but over time i realized that these are truely ignorant people they believe what their preachers tell them and then spread the negativity to others. i always say to some who believe the wrong things abt our church, that we dont spend time in church downgrading any other religion. we dont have time for this. God doesnt teach negativity in church and esp about other beliefs. we only concentrate on the truth and what God teaches us.
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