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Ex-Mormon Shares Secrets From the Church of Latter-day Saints
Christian Post ^ | 8/19/2013 | Tyler O'Neil

Posted on 08/24/2013 11:24:16 PM PDT by reaganaut

A Christian professor and evangelist said that after 30 years in the Mormon Church, she came to a unique realization – the Bible is more accurate than the Book of Mormon, and God is bigger than the transcendent man worshipped by the "Latter day Saints" (LDS).

"I began to feel like somebody was pulling back the curtain in Oz," Lynn K. Wilder, associate professor of special education at Florida Gulf Coast University, former tenured professor at Brigham Young University, and author of Unveiling Grace: The Story of How We Found Our Way Out of The Mormon Church, told The Christian Post in a Monday interview. She contrasted the Mormon and Christian churches, unmasking LDS secrets – polygamy, racism, and a fundamental distrust in the Word and Power of God.

When Wilder and her husband, Mike, searched for a church home following their marriage, they found most churches "boring and out of touch," she said. She had also been reading the Old Testament thoroughly and became convinced that "these must be latter days," since Israel had returned to its homeland.

Mormon missionaries knocked on her door, spoke about the "latter days," and welcomed the Wilders into a close-knit community. "They take you in, they love on you, they began to supplant my biological family," Wilder explained. Joining the church gave her and her husband a higher status in the college and church communities. In 1999, Brigham Young University offered her a job.

Upon moving to Utah, however, the professor recounted new discoveries – the Mormon scriptures still preach racism and polygamy, despite LDS public denials. "The Bible doesn't teach that the mark of Cain was dark skin," she explained, "but the Book of Mormon does." She noted that the mark of Cain is in other Mormon scriptures, too, besides the Book of Mormon.

It wasn't until her son Micah left the Mormon Church, however, that Wilder considered questioning their doctrines, she said. Refusing to present him to the high council for excommunication, she and her husband sent him away, and he encouraged them to read the New Testament.

"Mormons believe that the Bible is often mistranslated and corrupt," the former BYU professor testified. Their scripture tells of a "great apostasy" following the death of the apostles, such that there was no true church until Joseph Smith founded Mormonism in 1830.

But when Wilder read the New Testament, she was mesmerized. "I became consumed with this God of love, the God of grace," she said, noting that Mormons believe in works-based salvation. According to the LDS church, your deeds get you into heaven, she explained, while "in Christianity, Christ did all the work on the cross."

The LDS church also teaches that Jesus failed to hold His church together, the professor noted. She quoted Joseph Smith's History of the Church, where the Mormon founder wrote, "I have more to boast of than any man had. I am the only man who has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam….Neither Paul, John, Peter, nor Jesus ever did it."

Wilder said she believed that God is strong enough to keep His church together and to preserve the message in the Bible. In Mormonism, however, God is not omniscient or omnipotent, "he is a man, basically, who is continuing to progress and I can be on that same journey," she said.

The former BYU professor explained that, according to LDS doctrine, the best Mormons will proceed to become gods like the creator. Women can only achieve this if they are married, and only apostates – those who reject the LDS church – will go to hell with Satan and his minions. Even Hitler and murderers, by contrast, will reach the bottom level of heaven, she said.

The ex-Mormon recalled that, when she turned to Jesus, she began to see signs of the personal Biblical God (the Mormon God is not personal, she alleged) touching many aspects of her life. Her book tells the story of a picture of Christ that survived a burning building, and of a Billy Graham sermon lodged deep in her memory.

Wilder testified that a buyer showed up at her house the day after she and her husband had decided to withdraw from the Mormon Church, and a college dean offered her a job for which she had never applied. "Christianity is wonderful because of God," she said. "He's created for all of us a new family, a new life, and the most amazing trust in Him because of what we watched Him do."

In addition to teaching, she and her husband run a ministry dedicated to "helping Mormons understand a bigger God, trust the Bible, and give a different Jesus a chance." She said they aim to reach the thousands of Mormons who left the LDS church – often to revert into Atheism or Agnosticism.


TOPICS: Evangelical Christian; Ministry/Outreach
KEYWORDS: inman; ldschurch; mormon
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To: Elsie

Tell that to the voters in Mass who get to pay for the bills he signed into law.


He signed those bills into law because that is what the Socialist majority who voted him in wanted.


161 posted on 08/27/2013 6:01:57 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: svcw

You are right we you do not know a dammed thing.


Ok, thanks professor.


162 posted on 08/27/2013 6:05:01 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: Vinnie

What Mitt Romney’s religious beliefs are , within reason, are not my concern as to repairing the economy.


I voted for him for those same reasons, so they can not blame us that we have a man in the white house who may be an illegal alien and a Muslim terrorist sympathizer to boot.


163 posted on 08/27/2013 6:41:58 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: Colofornian

4. Jesus told the Pharisees that they would traverse land & sea to make a proselyte convert “twice the son of hell” they were. You see, Wardaddy, showing you care is ALSO just as much about...
...future cultists
...as it is about its present-day membership...


That is a good point but does it not also work the same way in reverse?

Preaching the Gospel of Jesus is what the Apostles were sent out to do but how far beyond that can it go without proselyting?

In Acts 20:28-31 Paul was talking to the overseers of his Church, to warn them against the grievous wolves, he was not trying to convert the ones he thought of as grievous wolves.

My point is that if the Gospel of Jesus can not convert some one or take them away from their false Church then what can?


But when Wilder read the New Testament, she was mesmerized. “I became consumed with this God of love, the God of grace,

It looks to me like it was the Gospel of Jesus which led this woman to believe in the Gospel instead of religion.

Their son just suggested they read the new testament.


164 posted on 08/27/2013 7:48:19 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: ravenwolf; Vinnie; All
I voted for him for those same reasons, so they can not blame us that we have a man in the white house who may be an illegal alien and a Muslim terrorist sympathizer to boot.

Let's say...
...you're the smartest 10 yo kid in the world. And 100% conservative due to your parents' (especially your Mom's) wonderful Christian pro-active conservative upbringing --
--with a Mom who decided she wasn't going to wait til you were older to clue you in on social issues ethics, economic policies that work both in the household & community, & a good dosage of political acumen to boot.

Let's say your Mom suddenly died...
...and your Dad...
...wanting to quickly usher in a stepmom...
...begins dating two women as potential new "moms"...
...Both are pro-abortion, pro-socialists;
both think they are literal "saviors"...one's even in a whacky cult that thinks that saviorhood extends to dead-dunking others...and tho she's financially responsible & could pick up where your real Mom left off in teaching you the financial ins and outs of the world, she also thinks she's a literal "goddess in embryo" and will one day run her own planet...

Your dad then comes to you and wants your serious input on the choice: "Well, son...which is it...A...or B?"

You realize that if you say (b)...
...you're stuck with this whacky cultist pro-abort socialist until you're 18. What's more, if she's able to con your dad into thinking she's "wife-worthy," then he's a lost cause the rest of his life 'cause he'll dump her in 8 yrs and will rebound from liberal loser to liberal loser...

You, see...even tho you're only 10...
...you're discerning enough to realize how deceptive potential wife (b) is in trying to convey to others that she converted (several times) to a pro-life position...
...as well as changing her mind three times on issues like whether homosexuals should be given minority class status in the workplace, etc....
...You also realize that it really won't necessarily be your stepmom making the call on what goes on in your home if he chooses wife (b)...some of those things will be coming out of Salt Lake City HQ...

With choice (a) on the other hand, you realize that if your dad dumps (b) and marries (a)...
...(1) he realized he was "on" to the deceptiveness of (b)...
...(2) you know that "marriage" wouldn't last beyond 4 yrs...that your dad would dump her by the time you were 14...
...and at least your dad could move on to a REAL wife/stepmom for a good chunk of your teenagehood.

So what do you do as the world's smartest 10 yo kid? Knowing that your dad won't heed your advice, you tell your dad anyway that NEITHER wife is worthy of him...and he should sit out this season of wife-picking for 4 more years until a REAL woman shows up on the scene.

***********

You see...as long as you keep conveying to the RINOs in charge of the GoP that you'll take ANY RINO they send your way, you, your children, your grandchildren, your greatgrandchildren will NEVER see another serious GoP conservative POTUS choice again!

Why...you might as well text the GoP RINO leaders with this message: "Dear GoP RINOS. The Dems are the great Babylonian whores. Therefore, convictionless I, will do the pragmatic utilitarian thing and vote for any regional whore you find who is less of an 'anti-christ' than whoever the Dems offer up. Signed...your local gullible GoP duped voter."

One more note: If potential wife (b) "also thinks she's a literal 'goddess in embryo' and will one day run her own planet..." and that is problematic even for a single household leader in leading their children like a pied piper to hell, think how much more so when you say you want this person to be THE leader of the free world...

Sorry...unlike many FREEPERs...I don't go around endorsing people who think they are literal gods...something to do with THE God taking a wee bit issue with a little ole thing called idolatry.

165 posted on 08/27/2013 8:14:54 AM PDT by Colofornian
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To: reaganaut

Mormonism has no secrets; its nothing but Freemasonry in “christian” clothing.


166 posted on 08/27/2013 8:29:06 AM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Elsie

—Catholic_Wannabe_Dude(Come back; separated Brethen; to the Mother Church.)


Elsie, as i have said i do not make war on any Church and especially its members, because i know a lot of dammed good people from every Church, so the view below is not mine and i simply don,t know that much about the Catholic Church, even so i have had an admiration for her.

But if what the article says is true then that would make all of the protestant Churches the daughters of the Catholic Church,


ROME - the whore of revelation 17
Are you offended already? Please don’t be. My purpose is only to get you to think. If, after viewing the following, you still believe the church of Rome is the true church, then you will have strengthened your own understanding of what you believe. The scriptures below speak of some city on this earth that was extant during the time of the Apostles, and is still around today. If you are Catholic, I am not writing against you! I only wish to present what the Bible says about your church. I welcome any correspondence about the views expressed on this page. Let’s just try and be honest and keep emotion out of our reasoning process. Fair enough? Then read on. The scriptures used are from the King James Version, but you are encouraged to look them up in your Catholic Bible! There will be little difference.

Revelation (Apocalypse)17:1 And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

6.And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

Notice several things about this “woman”.

1. The woman sits on many waters.
Letting the scriptures interpret themselves, what do the many waters represent?

Verse 15.” And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.”
She “sits” on “many” waters. She has some influence over “many” peoples.

2. The woman is a city.
Verse 18.” And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.” - We are looking for a city that has influence over many people, nations and tongues.

3. She (the city) is “drunken” with the blood of the saints and martyrs. She is a “religious” city. (All Christians in the Bible are called “saints” - before thier deaths!) This is a hard one. Anyone honest enough to research the history of the Roman church will find hundreds of thousands of real Christians murdered by the “woman” who is a “city”. What else can we learn about her?

4. She is riding a “scarlet coloured beast”.

Verse 3 “[A]nd I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” Is the beast defined? Yes, it is Satan himself.

Verse 8 “The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”

He is the master deceiver! 1 Corinthians 11:14,15 declares, “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” Satan’s ministers show up as good, upright “ministers” or “priests”. They speak of righteousness and goodness, yet they are the ministers of Satan! They are deceived, and deceiving millions!

Many will wonder when they find that although they were faithful to their religion (think clearly now!), their names are not written in the book of life! How tragic!

5. It is called “Mystery” Babylon. It is not the literal city of Babylon, but a city that is associated with the Babylonian mystery religious system (see Hislops Two Babylons).

6. The city sits on seven mountains, or hills.

What city on earth will match the above? Think! What are the “colors” associated with that city? (The Vatican) The city is a political-religious entity. It “rules”, i.e., has strong political influence over the nations of the earth. The city is Rome. There is no other city on earth that, to an honest mind, meets the requirements of the Scripture. The city has a religion associated with it. It is the Roman Catholic religion. Now, before you cry “bigot” and click away somewhere, please at least give it some honest thought. The Bible says “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8,9). How does that verse square with all the “works” required by Catholicism. Confession, baptism, the Mass, penance, the rosary, the stations of the cross, the seven sacraments. Even marriage is called a “sacrament” (i.e. some work whereby one can “merit” grace). Roman Catholics believe it is a sin to believe that you can know where you are going upon death. Yet, John the apostle wrote in his 1st epistle, chapter 5, verse 13 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. “

My heart aches for so many thousands of dear Catholic people who sincerely believe everything their church has told them. And yet very little of it can be found in the Bible. If you have read this far, and have questions or comments, I will write to any and all who respond with an honest heart. Please don’t be among those who, with surprise, find out too late that their names are missing from the Book of Life.
Evidence from Rome herself that she is the Harlot Woman of Revelation (Apocalypse) Chapter 17. (reproduced from Hislops The Two Babylons see below)

The Apocalyptic emblem of the Harlot woman with the cup in her hand was embodied in the symbols of idolatry derived from ancient Babylon. It is singular that in our own day, the Roman Church has actually taken this very symbol as her own chosen emblem. In 1825, on the occasion of the jubilee, Pope Leo XII. struck a medal, bearing on the one side his own image, and on the other, that of the Church of Rome symbolized as a “woman,” holding in her left hand a cross, and in her right a CUP, with the legend around her, “Sedet super universum,” “ The whole world is her seat.”

Reproduced here is a cut of that medal taken from the book The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop, published in America by Loizeaux Brothers Inc. In England by A & C , ltd. The book proves clearly and conclusively the connection between the ancient Babylonian mystery religions, and the Church of Rome.


167 posted on 08/27/2013 8:56:58 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: exPBRrat

meh...still I rather live among Mormon cultists than the perfect voter group.


Me too. or any one else who thinks they are so perfect.


168 posted on 08/27/2013 9:17:41 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: txrangerette

Both - the Cain mark and the Ham curse causing dark skin - are ridiculous.


Right, the bible don,t say anything about the mark being a color that i know of, but i have heard that since i was a small child and it was not from the Mormons.


169 posted on 08/27/2013 9:23:07 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: ravenwolf
Preaching the Gospel of Jesus is what the Apostles were sent out to do but how far beyond that can it go without proselyting? In Acts 20:28-31 Paul was talking to the overseers of his Church, to warn them against the grievous wolves, he was not trying to convert the ones he thought of as grievous wolves.

On your "grievous wolves" comment, you seem to neglect how much Jews were targeted by the earliest church ... :

"7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." (Acts 6:7)

These were Jewish priests being converted to the faith.

Also on both your points above, I encourage you to read the book of Acts, chapters 17 & 18...One of the first things Paul would do upon arriving at a new city would be to target religious Jews by going into the synagogue...I think that's mentioned about six times (Paul doing that) in the book of Acts.

What kind of an approach would Paul -- and Apollos -- take? (And how far would they go?)

"2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he REASONED with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women." (Acts 17)

"4 Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks...when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it." (Acts 18:4,6)

"24 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue....28...he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah." (Acts 18)

170 posted on 08/27/2013 11:08:39 AM PDT by Colofornian
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To: Colofornian

Let’s say...
...you’re the smartest 10 yo kid in the world. And 100% conservative due to your parents’ (especially your Mom’s) wonderful Christian pro-active conservative upbringing —


We are not ten year old kids, and most moms are not qualified to teach social issues ethics, economic policies any way so i think the comment is a little off base.

As bad as i hate to i tend to agree with what you say under certain circumstances, and that is if what you say are facts.

I have heard all of the accusations against Romney before, how many are because he is a Mormon? the reason i ask that is because i have seen so many Mormon bashing comments here before.

I voted for Romney because i was afraid that if he was not replaced we may not ever have another chance to elect any one, i hope i was wrong.

Besides, even if he was as bad as Obama which i doubt very much, what difference would it make? we could still elect the right one if and when he comes along.

If you were hitchhiking from L.A. to New york would you insist on a ride all the way or none at all?

Socialism did not arrive over night and it is not going to go away over night.

We had no one else to vote for, why? because there were always these so called conservatives bashing every one that sought the position of president.

I have also had thoughts that maybe we needed another 4 years of Obama, maybe that would wake people up.

But i was not convinced enough to vote for Obama by not voting For Romney.


171 posted on 08/27/2013 11:59:13 AM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: Colofornian

On your “grievous wolves” comment, you seem to neglect how much Jews were targeted by the earliest church ... :


You are right.


172 posted on 08/27/2013 12:22:46 PM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: ravenwolf
Well; you are technically correct; as we have to have FAITH that the things we 'know' just happen to be true.

But THAT road circles back on itself and no progress is ever made in 'knowledge'.


If we knew anything we would not have to have any faith.

I disagree with this statement.

We will NEVER know everything, so we must have faith to cover those areas.

173 posted on 08/27/2013 1:19:08 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: svcw

I do!

Henderson, NV

Colorado River.

Likewise at Page, AZ


174 posted on 08/27/2013 1:20:35 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: editor-surveyor

no secrets - That is really funny.


175 posted on 08/27/2013 1:25:26 PM PDT by svcw (Stand or die)
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To: svcw

Nothing about the mormon church is secret to anyone that understands Freemasonry.

Mormonism is just Freemasonry disguised as a form of Christianity.


176 posted on 08/27/2013 1:55:49 PM PDT by editor-surveyor (Freepers: Not as smart as I'd hoped they'd be)
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To: Elsie

We will NEVER know everything, so we must have faith to cover those areas.


Thats what i said, everything covers anything don,t it?


177 posted on 08/27/2013 1:57:37 PM PDT by ravenwolf
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To: ravenwolf

yup


178 posted on 08/27/2013 3:36:34 PM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: ravenwolf
If you were hitchhiking from L.A. to New york would you insist on a ride all the way or none at all?

If it's a station wagon with a dog ontop, no, don't want to be part of Romney's vacation canine abuse.

If it's not a station wagon & there are dead pre-born babies in the trunk...a la Romney's promotion of such an industry...then, no...don't want to hitchhike via that fetal spare parts biz either.

179 posted on 08/27/2013 6:47:55 PM PDT by Colofornian
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To: Colofornian

If it’s a station wagon with a dog ontop, no, don’t want to be part of Romney’s vacation canine abuse.

If it’s not a station wagon & there are dead pre-born babies in the trunk...a la Romney’s promotion of such an industry...then, no...don’t want to hitchhike via that fetal spare parts biz either.


Wow, you are mad as a wet hen aren,t you? there is really no call to get so carried away.


180 posted on 08/27/2013 7:51:36 PM PDT by ravenwolf
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