LOL! An honest to goodness LDS Apologist.
The most accurate thing you said is this: “ Twenty years of debating anti-Mormons has convinced me there is not a single argument against Mormonism that holds water.”
I’m sure you ARE utterly convinced. So was I when I was Mormon.
Oh BTW Watson, I know a family of polygamous Watsons from Bluffdale. Part of the United Brethren group. You related?
No, not related to my knowledge. Yes, I’m a genuine LDS apologist with more than 80 debates under my belt. However, I’ve grown tired of apologetics - the arguments are always the same and it is rare for me to encounter opponents who are capable of reasonable discourse. I even conceded a tongue-in-cheek defeat to a recent opponent to make him happy since he desperately wanted it for his ego despite the utter foolishness of his claim the Isaiah exclusivity passages support the Traditional Trinity and not the LDS threeness of the Godhead.
As a Mormon, I only abide by one standard: “Whatever is true and whatever is right.” This does not mean I believe the LDS church is perfect or has not taught errors, or has leaders that are infallible. I can point to numerous examples showing these are definitely not so. Despite this, I firmly believe it’s the true church and if it isn’t, then there is no “true church” on the earth, and probably no God either.
Why? Because only Mormonism resolves the problem of evil (http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/bicycleroad/21/id78.htm). Only Mormonism’s multiversal cosmology resolves the problem of a theistic-based reality (http://www.fortunecity.com/meltingpot/bicycleroad/21/id76.htm)
Only Mormonism’s core doctrine of accepting “whatever is true and right” allows perfect resolution of science and religion.
I’ve encountered hundreds of apostates and critics of the church over the years and most refuse to discuss LDS doctrines honestly. They usually dismiss serious discussions out of hand as if not worthy of examination. Such closed mindedness puts to lie their claim of wanting to know the truth. And yet, I’ve also encountered those who simply didn’t understand the Gospel properly or approached it using false assumptions.
In my experience, people who leave the LDS church never do so out of doctrinal issues. Despite claiming they left because they learned the church was false; not one could prove it. Further digging revealed the real reason they left was because they were unable to keep the commandments like the Word of Wisdom, Law of Chastity, or Tithing, were offended by a member or leader, never had a testimony to begin with, or had a false belief that they stubbornly clung to.
Still, I’ll concede there may be cases where this is not the case since it certainly is plausible; but I personally have never encountered them.
I know the church is supposed to have the majority of its members fall away in the Last Days in accordance with the Book of Mormon narrative and it is only the “Righteous Remnant” who will be saved. I’ve resolved to emulate Joshua and stand firm in faithfulness. I hope you return to the body of Christ’s Bride before it’s too late.