I read your post over again and am left wondering again what do you believe? You say you do not believe that I believe the LDS Articles of Faith because you believe they are in conflict with what you believe about the LDS faith. Sheeeesh already.
The Holy Ghost is my witness that the LDS Church is true, that the Book of Mormon is True, the Bible is true, that Jesus Christ is my Savior, that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth in these latter days, that we have a living Prophet today . . . everything stated in the 13 Articles of Faith.
I have been a member for ten years. I have been hurt and disappointed by fellow members and I’m sure I have hurt and disappointed others, too. Here’s what I always say: The Church is perfect but the people are not.
I wish you could open your mind and heart just a little to be more understanding of us Mormons. Jesus died for us, too.
I am an apostate Saundra, I was a member for a while. I did not quit the LdS church because of hurt feelings as is implied in your post. I quit because I do not believe a man can become a god as the D&C teaches.
I’ve tried to be quite respectful to those who offer respect and I believe I have done so with you to a great extent. I can’t review all of my posts, but will accept any correction to that you may have. It’s next to impossible to impart feelings in a written post, so it’s quite easy for things to be taken out of context.
I’ve replied to some of your posts before and they may have been dismissed or overlooked. Don’t know. Either way, I’ve tried to explain my position on the church on numerous occasions.
I’ve been learning more each day since I earnestly started to review what I had been taught whilst in the church and compared it to biblical teachings. I cannot reconcile the teachings of Mormonism with biblical teachings. For me, the crux of the problem with Mormonism lies in the veracity of JS. Once I learned that he was not who the LdS church claimed him to be, everything became suspect, eventually leading me away from the LdS church. Everything taught in the LdS religion is dependent upon the belief that JS was a man of virtue and high morals. He wasn’t. That is a painful truth for many LdS to hear and is construed as “attacking”.
The point being, I’ve been keeping an open mind to what I’m learning about Christ and how the Christ of the Bible is much different than the Christ of the BoM. I’m not what you would call well versed in the scriptures. But I’m making an honest effort in it.
Yes, Jesus died for all of us. It’s how we get there that matters a great deal. The Mormons teach that women are dependent upon a man doing all he can to become worthy to become a god and then him calling for his wife to accompany him. Jesus did not teach that.
I have respect for you and your faith Saundra. I am married to a Mormon, have been for over 20 years. I know firsthand the difficulty that Mormon women face. I also know firsthand the amount of effort Mormon women put into ensuring their salvation when it’s not required of God. It’s painful to see.
Here is a post that may explain some of my feelings on the matter and offer some background. It may not answer the question about what I believe, but it will offer much insight as to why I don’t believe in Mormonism.
God Bless
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/2449952/posts?page=929#929