I have a testimony of the Church, that it is made up of men and that men make mistakes, they are fallible, venal and broken. I have that same testimony of Joseph Smith but also that he was a prophet of God. I know that God can take a fallible man and use him for Holy purposes. It matters not to me if there were physical golden plates or not, I know that the words of the Book of Mormon are true and that Heavenly Father can use many ways of communicate with us. I know that how we understand Heavenly Father is limited by our own intellect and knowledge. Thus you can have steel and horses when none were there because that is how you understand what has been presented to you.
My testimony is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it has changed me and works within me. I know it is true; I have no doubt of it. The fallibility of man doesn't change that. That there are General Authorities that would subvert truth to help others to maintain faith doesn't change that. My testimony is not in man but in God and his works.
TubalothAugust 5, 2013
Just because people remain in their faith tradition despite being knowledgeable about all the controversial history does not mean there are reasonable explanations for everything. I always find these types of arguments a bit odd, as if faith isnt really a requirement because there's simply enough evidence out there based upon the behaviors of otger people. Faith is still required and thus some things are never going to make perfect sense. Also, I sought out the most official reputable sources I could find on church history. Anti stuff is so easy to spot by its tone and bias that I didn't pay it no mind. Apologetic sites like FAIR, featuring our best scholars and official sources lead me to the massive catalog of all things legitimately controversial. The recurring reliance upon "God's ways are not man's ways" and "even a prophet doesn't have a clear idea of God's will when he's speaking for God" to justify some pretty ugly things of the past really saddened me. For me, I felt my spiritual confirmations of truth were undermined. I had felt what I interpreted to be the spirit confirm that things happened a certain way and then discovered they happened in much different ways or under much different circumstances. I know that some people will maintain faith in Mormonism no matter what contrary evidences may come. That's a part of being faithful in any religion. I can respect that. What I can't respect is a condescending attitude towards those who have legitimately done their best to seek truth from the right places and have come to different conclusions. We are not all fooled by anti-Mormon parlor tricks. Many of us have fought hard to maintain our faith and integrity and yes, many of us feel according to the same spiritual types of confirmations that we felt before our faith was shaken, that we cannot in good conscience continue to support or be a part of the church anymore. It is extremely painful to let go of the literal believer world view and the LDS communities. These decisions are not taken lightly and without thought and meditation. Please don't assume we are all being petty and "silly". Please have some compassion and show some respect.
MaryannAugust 4, 2013
People do NOT leave the church because of reading falsified accounts of church history. They leave because they do not have a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and His church. People who have paid the price to receive deep rooted testimonies are not blown about by the winds of false doctrines and doubts. Many times people leave the church because they just don't want to put forth the effort to live the commandments or repent. They need to justify themselves by trying in vain to "disprove" the church. After discovering that the "freedom" they sought through leaving the church does not exist, they often humble themselves and return.
AnnAugust 2, 2013
Wouldn't it be wonderful to put the responsibility back on individual members of the church for their own testimonies? I'd love it for teachers, speakers, Bishops and General Authorities to say before every talk, "don't believe my words, don't trust me. Ask God for his confirmation."
DarcyAugust 2, 2013
Great article. I really appreciate your efforts here. I have known several people who have left the church because of listening to and reading falsified history. It is too bad some people can be so easily led to believe lies about Joseph Smith. The bottom line is, stay away from anti Mormon literature. Don't waist your time reading it because it is packed with lies that are designed to shake or destroy our faith.
Frank StaheliAugust 1, 2013
Great article. We can't PROVE some of the events of LDS history, but we can't DISprove them either. Which brings us to the stark reality that it is ultimately what WE believe vs. what our opponents believe.
That leaves only one way to FIND OUT the truth--ask God.
Forrest CuttingsAugust 1, 2013
The history of the church increases my testimony of the gospel. There is no such thing as a "testimony" of an unsanctified church. Where, in all the scriptural record, do we EVER find a prophet of the Lord bearing witness of the truthfulness of the church? Never, not even at times when the people themselves are in a sanctified state. The church is just a servant, like any individual. It is capable of sin, and it is under condemnation, ALWAYS, until it becomes Zion - this according to the teachings of Joseph, of Brigham, and of our latter-day scriptures. See D&C 84:54-58, 103:5-10, 105:2-6, etc., etc..
Mike RosenhanAugust 1, 2013
This is an awesome article that ought to be read by everyone. I too have a testimony of the church, not it's history. I pity those who have lost their testimonies because of thinking that the history and doctrin have to line up.
Tom JohnsonAugust 1, 2013
This is an article on a very important topic. As a person who has studied Church history for over 40 years, often in response to anti-Mormon attacks on Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, or some other aspect of Church history, I have learned that there are satisfactory, faith-supporting answers to these questions, but it takes work and patience to find them out. Sometimes, when those attacking our religion circulate their mis-information, half-truths, and, yes, lies, we are more inclined to believe that the Church has hidden the truth from us and deceived us than to trust in the testimonies of those that we respect the most, including parents, Church leaders, and friends--and our own experiences, including the enlightenment that has come to us through scripture study, answers to prayers, and the blessing we have received by keeping the commandments of Jesus Christ. How silly! The next thing we know, our faith has become doubt, our testimony weakened, and our Church activity reduced, and our effort to seek out the truth about the issue stops, all to the loss of our own blessings. I commend Meridian for re-publishing this article
Comments | Return to Story
Michael GillmanAugust 7, 2013
I have a testimony of the Church, that it is made up of men and that men make mistakes, they are fallible, venal and broken. I have that same testimony of Joseph Smith but also that he was a prophet of God. I know that God can take a fallible man and use him for Holy purposes. It matters not to me if there were physical golden plates or not, I know that the words of the Book of Mormon are true and that Heavenly Father can use many ways of communicate with us. I know that how we understand Heavenly Father is limited by our own intellect and knowledge. Thus you can have steel and horses when none were there because that is how you understand what has been presented to you. My testimony is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it has changed me and works within me. I know it is true; I have no doubt of it. The fallibility of man doesn't change that. That there are General Authorities that would subvert truth to help others to maintain faith doesn't change that. My testimony is not in man but in God and his works.
TubalothAugust 5, 2013
Just because people remain in their faith tradition despite being knowledgeable about all the controversial history does not mean there are reasonable explanations for everything. I always find these types of arguments a bit odd, as if faith isnt really a requirement because there's simply enough evidence out there based upon the behaviors of otger people. Faith is still required and thus some things are never going to make perfect sense. Also, I sought out the most official reputable sources I could find on church history. Anti stuff is so easy to spot by its tone and bias that I didn't pay it no mind. Apologetic sites like FAIR, featuring our best scholars and official sources lead me to the massive catalog of all things legitimately controversial. The recurring reliance upon "God's ways are not man's ways" and "even a prophet doesn't have a clear idea of God's will when he's speaking for God" to justify some pretty ugly things of the past really saddened me. For me, I felt my spiritual confirmations of truth were undermined. I had felt what I interpreted to be the spirit confirm that things happened a certain way and then discovered they happened in much different ways or under much different circumstances. I know that some people will maintain faith in Mormonism no matter what contrary evidences may come. That's a part of being faithful in any religion. I can respect that. What I can't respect is a condescending attitude towards those who have legitimately done their best to seek truth from the right places and have come to different conclusions. We are not all fooled by anti-Mormon parlor tricks. Many of us have fought hard to maintain our faith and integrity and yes, many of us feel according to the same spiritual types of confirmations that we felt before our faith was shaken, that we cannot in good conscience continue to support or be a part of the church anymore. It is extremely painful to let go of the literal believer world view and the LDS communities. These decisions are not taken lightly and without thought and meditation. Please don't assume we are all being petty and "silly". Please have some compassion and show some respect.
MaryannAugust 4, 2013
People do NOT leave the church because of reading falsified accounts of church history. They leave because they do not have a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and His church. People who have paid the price to receive deep rooted testimonies are not blown about by the winds of false doctrines and doubts. Many times people leave the church because they just don't want to put forth the effort to live the commandments or repent. They need to justify themselves by trying in vain to "disprove" the church. After discovering that the "freedom" they sought through leaving the church does not exist, they often humble themselves and return.
AnnAugust 2, 2013
Wouldn't it be wonderful to put the responsibility back on individual members of the church for their own testimonies? I'd love it for teachers, speakers, Bishops and General Authorities to say before every talk, "don't believe my words, don't trust me. Ask God for his confirmation."
DarcyAugust 2, 2013
Great article. I really appreciate your efforts here. I have known several people who have left the church because of listening to and reading falsified history. It is too bad some people can be so easily led to believe lies about Joseph Smith. The bottom line is, stay away from anti Mormon literature. Don't waist your time reading it because it is packed with lies that are designed to shake or destroy our faith.
Frank StaheliAugust 1, 2013
Great article. We can't PROVE some of the events of LDS history, but we can't DISprove them either. Which brings us to the stark reality that it is ultimately what WE believe vs. what our opponents believe. That leaves only one way to FIND OUT the truth--ask God.
Forrest CuttingsAugust 1, 2013
The history of the church increases my testimony of the gospel. There is no such thing as a "testimony" of an unsanctified church. Where, in all the scriptural record, do we EVER find a prophet of the Lord bearing witness of the truthfulness of the church? Never, not even at times when the people themselves are in a sanctified state. The church is just a servant, like any individual. It is capable of sin, and it is under condemnation, ALWAYS, until it becomes Zion - this according to the teachings of Joseph, of Brigham, and of our latter-day scriptures. See D&C 84:54-58, 103:5-10, 105:2-6, etc., etc..
Mike RosenhanAugust 1, 2013
This is an awesome article that ought to be read by everyone. I too have a testimony of the church, not it's history. I pity those who have lost their testimonies because of thinking that the history and doctrin have to line up.
Tom JohnsonAugust 1, 2013
This is an article on a very important topic. As a person who has studied Church history for over 40 years, often in response to anti-Mormon attacks on Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, or some other aspect of Church history, I have learned that there are satisfactory, faith-supporting answers to these questions, but it takes work and patience to find them out. Sometimes, when those attacking our religion circulate their mis-information, half-truths, and, yes, lies, we are more inclined to believe that the Church has hidden the truth from us and deceived us than to trust in the testimonies of those that we respect the most, including parents, Church leaders, and friends--and our own experiences, including the enlightenment that has come to us through scripture study, answers to prayers, and the blessing we have received by keeping the commandments of Jesus Christ. How silly! The next thing we know, our faith has become doubt, our testimony weakened, and our Church activity reduced, and our effort to seek out the truth about the issue stops, all to the loss of our own blessings. I commend Meridian for re-publishing this article
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