So true - I used to tell friends that getting out of the Mormon church is like trying to get out of the mafia. Especially if you have LDS relatives who adhere to the blood atonement rituals of the LDS church. A friend of mine, back in the day when I worked for Exxon had kept hidden in his home a former Mormon who was fearful for his life and who had other Mormon relatives killed for defying “the one true church” </sarc> - if you don’t lose your life you will surely lose familial relationships (as I did). The blood atonement concern is only valid if you were actually baptized in the Mormon church. If you were not, fear not, they’ll just get baptized for you after you die in one of their baptism of the dead rituals. I cling to that verse where Jesus says that “anyone who believes in Me is your mother, father, sister, brother ...” and he also says that his word divides families. I gladly pick him over those clinging to false doctrine, no matter what the cost.
Amen, Brother!
NIV Titus 1:13-16
13. This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith
14. and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.
15. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.
16. They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
NIV 2 Peter 2:1-3
2. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute.
3. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.
3. Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
4. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
You all sound like Richard Gephardt, Al Gore, and Senator Byrd. If you are going to tell stories, work on making them sound more believable first. I do like the "blood atonement rituals" line. That was pretty good. LOL.