How I Escaped the Mormon Temple [Ex-BYU prof tells how her family was rescued from legalistic cult]

Christianity Today ^ | Nov. 22, 2013 | Lynn Wilder

[Colofornian]

...For eight years, I had been a professor at Brigham Young University...

I looked down on Christians...They had part of the gospel, but I had the fullness of it. I kept the laws and ordinances of Mormonism.

Three weeks before the end of his two-year mission, Micah called to tell us he was being sent home early—a horrific disgrace in Mormon culture. He had been reading the New Testament. There he encountered a different Jesus than the one I was taught about in Mormonism—a God of grace, not of works, so that no one can boast...

To a roomful of missionaries at his parting testimony, Micah had professed faith in Jesus alone and not the Mormon Church. He told them he had found a deep and genuine faith—one that didn't include Mormonism. It did not go over well. Church leaders told us that Micah had the spirit of the Devil in him, sent him home, and subsequently, back in Utah, invited us to bring him before the high council...

Micah pleaded, "Mom and Dad, please read the New Testament." We commenced. As I read, I became increasingly consumed by reading about the God of grace. I barely ate or slept. It's all I wanted to do.

...In John's gospel, I read, "These are the very scriptures that testify of me yet you refuse to come to me to have life." Salvation did not require the Mormon Church, only Jesus...

...on a chilly October evening in 2006, Michael and I settled in with Katie in our basement to watch the movie Luther. My heart pounded as I learned of the reformer's struggle against the Catholic Church. I seemed to be facing a similar struggle: Did I believe the Mormon system of obedience to laws and ordinances would secure my forgiveness?

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“And does your church follow the teaching in John 6 that they are to consecrate bread and wine which becomes the actual body and blood of Christ? If your church doesn’t follow that, they don’t have the fullness of the faith.”

I get the story Romans believe. It is clean and understandablen for the religious masses. We just don’t believe what you wrote is Biblically true. So condemn away, based on the simple story you believe.

I think Satan already has the role of “Accuser of the Brethren”.

[metmom]

The first book of what constitutes the New Testament wasn't even written until a good 10 years after the ascension. Belief was first handed down through the ORAL tradition of the apostles. Who had the authority to decide what should be considered scripture? There were a lot of books circulating, and even read in church, that did NOT make the cut, such as Shepherd of Hermas. [hint it wasn't Martin Luther who decided what constituted the NT, though he tried to knock out James, because he didn't like what it said about faith AND good works.] The belief in "scripture alone" is in fact, contrary to scripture. 2 Thessalonians 2:15 -- "therefore, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, EITHER by an oral statement or by a letter of ours." so the graphic is far from impressive.

OK, please answer these questions then. You'd be the first to do so for as often as I've asked them.

Just what are those traditions Paul was referring to that he handed down that we are to keep that were not included in Scripture?

How do you know?

How do you know they’re from the apostles, Paul in particular?

How do you know they’ve been passed down faithfully?

What is your source for verifying all of the above?

Please provide the sources for verification purposes.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

"My Witness of and for Jesus Christ"

A FALSE Witness that leave out the perverse things Mormonism teaches and believes, carefully styling itself as Christian - as has been revealed many times previously.

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves ... For such are FALSE apostles, DECEITFUL workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.” (Matthew 7:15; 2nd Corinthians 11:13).

 

- Warning -

 

This testimony has been flagged previously as Cultic Mormon Spam

by Christians on FreeRepublic.com

 

Let the reader beware!

 

- Warning -

 

This testimony has been flagged previously as Cultic Mormon Spam

by Christians on FreeRepublic.com

 

Let the reader beware!

[metmom]

Are you saying the Catholic Church, the Church that Jesus founded, is wrong?

The Catholic church is wrong. And it is NOT the church Jesus founded.

Jesus didn't say he was going to FOUND a church but build one.

Your link is a joke. No Scripture to support the Catholic church's claim of being the OTC but lots of old opinion pieces from supposed *church fathers*.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

“Just what are those traditions Paul was referring to that he handed down that we are to keep that were not included in Scripture?”

You’ll NEVER get an answer to that! They don’t know! It’s the equivalent of claiming the USA has a “living Constitution.”

[Salvation]

"We are compelled to concede to the Papists
that they have the Word of God,
that we received it from them,
and that without them
we should have no knowledge of it at all."

~ Martin Luther

[metmom]

I know. I just like to challenge assumptions.

I was born and raised Catholic and accepted without questioning and without thinking all I had been taught. Doing so would have run the risk of being sent to hell. You just accepted what you were told, no questions asked.

After all, that priest had the power to retain your sins and not forgive you.

[Jeff Head]

My witness and my testimony is between me and my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am thankful and humbled beyond measure that it is He who will judge me and the sincere witness of my heart, and not the type of sanctimonious, judgmental spirit that you are displaying.

I am happy to leave it to other. sincere lurkers here to choose as they will.

If you have a testimony of Jesus Christ and Him crucified, I say God bless you for that witness, and I hope you share and spread it.

But it is also not given to you or I to pass judgment on the heartfelt witness and testimonies of others.

The scriptures teach that no one confesses Christ Jesus, and Him crucified, unless they are moved upon by the Holy Ghost. That scripture is true...and I so witness Christ Jesus to you now.

Finis.

[Colofornian]

Mormons are the staunchest conservative demographic...what’s the point of this post?

Staunchest?

This shows a high level of miscomprehension:

Abortion:

The official Mormon church position (see http://www.religioustolerance.org/lds_abor.htm) is that it's "OK" for an abortion if...
(a) Incest needs to be covered up;
(b) The baby is disabled and needs to be destroyed accordingly
(c) Mom's "health" (whatever that means...distinct from saying "life" of the mother)
(d) If the abortionist says it's "OK"
(e) If the Mormon god says it's "OK" in prayer...

E alone above could "justify" abortion to individual Mormons as long it overrides the person's conscience!

*******************

Homosexual rights:

* Mormon church supports Salt Lake City's protections for gay rights
* Mormons Back Salt Lake City Gay Rights Laws
* Mormon Church Working on Bill to Protect Gays From Discrimination
* And a Utah State senator active Mormon has become a "hero" to the homosexual community there.

******************

Harry Reid is an active Mormon

Reid gets warm reception at BYU

Reid got a near standing ovation from over 4,000 students, faculty @ BYU...From the link: "Reid first spent 40 minutes delivering a well-received and sometimes tender BYU forum speech in the Marriott Center to 4,091 students, faculty, staff and visitors"

Illegal Immigrants

* 2 LDS branch presidents in Utah deported to Guatemala, El Salvador
* Immigration pits Mormons against hierarchy

Mitt Romney, Active Mormon

* Socialist government-takeover of healthcare pioneer
* Was pro-abortion; then against it; then in favor of it when he governed Mass; then against it when he began his '08 campaign; then was pro-abortion again by late in '12 campaign.
* Was pro-embryo research; then against it by late '04; then in favor of it again.

Romney details available upon request

[Colofornian]

God sent us the Holy Spirit, but there is no teaching in the bible that says the Holy spirit gives to each one of us the ability to CORRECTLY interpret the scripture.

Well, what does 1 Corinthians 2 teach (from the Bible)?

However, as it is written:
“What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”—
the things God has prepared for those who love him—
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14 The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15 The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16 for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

So what? You're lambasting the Holy Spirit now & His ability to teach?

Please study 1 Cor. 2:12-13, 16 very carefully.

[pgyanke]

Sorry. I am sick and can't spend the time on this topic that I would like. This post just screamed for a response, though. I'll get to the others as soon as able.

I was born and raised Catholic and accepted without questioning and without thinking all I had been taught.

Then you were wrong. There are settled truths which we must all believe. Heck, as acknowledged here, all Christians believe at least 95% in common. Other areas of faith require lively discussion and experience. That's how the Church has always grown. If we didn't question and think, there would be no Aquinases, Catherines, Augustines, Chestertons, and the rest. You lived your Catholic faith under a bushel basket.

Doing so would have run the risk of being sent to hell. You just accepted what you were told, no questions asked.

Absolute idiocy that no thinking person could possibly believe.

“There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.” -- Archbishop Fulton Sheen.

You are part of the problem. You spout absolute nonsense as Catholic Doctrine from a "born and raised" perspective to give yourself an undeserved authority. If you want to understand the Catholic perspective, ask a Catholic... not one who never understood it herself.

[Campion]

Martin Luther, the courageous apostle of the "Gospel" that everyone has erred, everyone is wrong, except for him. How does he know that? Why, "Dr. Martin Luther will have it so!" ... that's why!

[Campion]

That you’re wrong about the scripture not being the rule of faith for Christians.

Scripture is absolutely the rule of faith for the Church, which is what Cyril is talking about. It is absolutely not the "rule of faith" for every Christian to make up his own mind about, and all go astray like sheep, everyone to his own way.

[Colofornian]

God does not need multiple personality disorder counseling!

ALL: This is where Mormons like Teppe misrepresent the Christian faith. We clearly teach that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is NOT the same Person or Personality.

Three Persons within One essence.

Also, note: That when the Mormons want to sound trinitarian -- but avoid the term -- they use the word "Godhead"...

So the Mormon "Godhead" is simply a Mormon euphemism for "Trinity."

[Tennessee Nana]

There was no church as yet when the LORD Jesus Christ told the thief on the cross next to Him that that very day he would be saved..

Church is not necessary for Salvation..

Salvation is necessary to be part of the church...

The Blood of Jesus is necessary for Salvation...

you have to be saved first to become part of the church, the Bride of Christ..

Nobody is a member of the Bride of Christ until they are saved..

Jesus is coming back for an unblemished Bride washed in His Blood..

[Colofornian]

I didn't know "the Way" had been transferred from Jesus Christ to a church (see John 14:6).

It's an off-base statement -- no matter what Catholic council or what Lds top hierarchist (like Marion G. Romney, cousin of Mitt's dad) claims it for their respective churches!

[restornu]

Why are you falling for this silly story Teppe for gosh sake this is a phony tale you should have spot right the bat LOL

“looked down on Christians...They had part of the gospel, but I had the fullness of it. I kept the laws and ordinances of Mormonism”

Such deceivers and tell such untruths about the LDS
https://byustudies.byu.edu/Resources/NewTestament/NewTestamentLessons.aspx

After reading the Book of Mormon we even love the Bible more because of the key which unlocks so many precious verses that laid doormat for years. I know this for a fact because I was mainstream first and never in the years was there as much enlightenment as now so many passages have been open up and fuller understanding it is only when they began to debunk the LDS for the first time many could read and receive clearer understanding.

Because the Standard works meaning all of the scriptures that the LDS have testify and make clear of the passages in the Bible and this is the hand of the Lord wanting his people to have more understanding which the Tradition of Men would have never allowed.

They sure did not know in the 60’s or 70’s but now many act as if this knowledge now, they were always aware of...

I am thankful I can witness the difference.

[Colofornian]

God is the literal Father of Jesus Christ...Jesus Christ is the literal begotten Son of our Father in Heaven!

Just posted last week over at Mormon Coffee:
* Teaching Mormon Children: Jesus is God’s Only Begotten Son — In the Flesh
* Virgin Birth Part I
* Virgin Birth Part II
* Virgin Birth Part III
* Virgin Birth Part IV
* Virgin Birth Part V
* Virgin Birth Part VI http://blog.mrm.org/

[Tennessee Nana]

Resty Resty Resty

you know that there are no verses in Joey Smith’s book of Mormon that parallel the verses in the Christian Bible..

If you never understood the Bible for yourself years ago when you attending a Christian church then that in itself is unfortunate for you..

but the author of the Bible is God not Joey Smith..

You need to ask God for help with the verses in the Bible..

for from what you have written in these threads over the years, it seems you STILL don’t understand that Joey Smith is not your savior..

The LORD Jesus Christ is the savior and only through His Blood which He shed on the Cross, can you be saved..

The LORD Jesus Christ said to Resty, “I AM the way, the Truth, and the Life. No man or woman comes to the Father except by Me” John 14:6

[Tennessee Nana]

Eh ???