The Light and Truth Letter
@MoreLightTruth
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My search for more light and truth.
Joined January 2023
My loss of faith was gradual and then all at once. It felt like my whole world had turned upside down. My wife's reaction surprised me. She told me how excited she was for my faith journey. #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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Recently, the Church of Jesus Christ has received increased criticism of its finances. I was personally unsure how to feel. Then I learned more. The Church has been near bankruptcy about every 20 to 30 years between 1830 and the 1960s.
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Pew landscape study - “Among the 350 families …, no religious group was more effective in passing on their religious identity and beliefs to their children than Mormons.”
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13 years before Joseph Smith became a freemason, the Book of Mormon contains the elements of the temple endowment. In particular, King Benjamin’s address in the Book of Mosiah. #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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The more I understood about the temple, the more I asked myself, what ancient source connects all of these ritualistic and mythological traditions? . I’ve learned that the symbols and themes of the Latter-day Saint endowment are everywhere. All I had to do was look.
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When I debated whether to leave the Church of Jesus Christ, two things concerned me if I left. The first was the Book of Mormon. The second was several powerful spiritual experiences I had had over the years. If I was honest with myself, I could not adequately explain them away.
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How did Joseph Smith know about ancient, early Christian ceremonies/rituals only discovered after 1842? How did Joseph recover ancient temple practices and concepts without source material beyond his revelations?. Why do critics ignore these critical connections?
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Fun parallels to modern LDS temples are found in early Christian writings/apocryphal texts: Baptism for the dead, initiation (including washing, anointing, investiture), new names, handclasps, secret words, prayer circles, passing the angels, admittance into God’s presence etc
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Jeremy Runnells cleverly disguises what the CES Letter truly is: a collection of anti-Mormon arguments delivered via doubt bombing. I’m sure Jeremy was earnest in his gospel questions at one point, but that man was long gone by the time the letter was published in April 2013.
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“I’ve done so much of the work of deconstructing the self-hatred the church instilled in me.”. “I just want them to admit that their Hate hurts & kills.”. What church are these disillusioned former members talking about? It sounds nothing like the Church of Jesus Christ.
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Education generally has an inverse or no relationship with religious devotion. Latter-day Saints, however, are more religious the more educated they are. The Pew Research Center reports (in picture). Why are more devoted members of the Church more likely to be educated?
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In ancient Chinese tradition, Fuxi and Nüwa are revered as the first humans created. On the right, Fuxi is usually depicted holding a square, while on the left, Nüwa holds a compass. Their story also shows temple patterns. Fuxi is often portrayed as “a man wearing animal skins.”
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Freemasonry. Similarities (and many differences) exist between freemasonry and the temple endowment. How do critics account for the various parts of the endowment being present in Joseph Smith’s life and teachings long before the Nauvoo endowment ceremony was created in 1842?
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Ancient Egyptian temple rites (like the LDS endowment, but unlike freemasonry) commonly emphasize:. 1). Purification through anointing, lustration, and clothing 2). Creation 3). Garden 4). Travel 5). Ascension, including victory, coronation, and admission to the heavenly company
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A Sabbath day reminder that while it is possible for your loved ones to be deceived, they shall be reclaimed. #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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The truth seeker is left to themselves to ask God. There is no persuasive influence from a missionary, no threat from an authority figure, no large crowds to excite the senses, and no substances to introduce a drug-fueled awakening. It is simply the individual and God.
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Critics made me ask myself, is the Church of Jesus Christ systematically abusive? Are my children more at risk of physical or sexual abuse because of their membership?. Is there something in our handbook, doctrine, rituals, or ordinances that inspires violence?
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In January of 2014 I lost my faith. I confessed to my wife that I no longer believed in God. Less Jesus Christ and even less a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It felt like my whole world had been turned upside down. I was confused. Everything was different.
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Many critics of the Church of Jesus Christ start their claims from the false premise that our leaders are infallible. They never say it in those words, but it is heavily implied in their criticisms. They do this by using a modern lens to reinterpret the past.
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To make their ideas work, critics must ignore mounds of evidence. They must constantly adapt and adjust as their theories fall out of favor. Critics ask me to leave the depths of truth of the restored gospel to swim in the shallows of misinformation.
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In a royal coronation the individual is consecrated with oil, an oath is administered at an altar, the oath includes Q's and affirmative responses, the ceremony includes special clothing, caps or crowns are worn, and various tokens are brought forth to be held in specific hands.
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The Light and Truth Letter audiobook is DONE. I will be releasing each section over the next month and then releasing the full audiobook in December! The preface, introduction, and 1st chapter (manipulation and fallacies) are up right now on YouTube. 🫡.
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The critics struggle to develop a compelling theory for the Book of Mormon. The best they can do is mentally reconstruct some complicated scenario of how Joseph did it. Usually, the theory critics pose is more unbelievable than an angel giving golden plates to Joseph.
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints emphasizes turning our hearts to our ancestors largely because of our doctrines and temple practices. Researchers have only recently discovered the immense social and emotional benefits of doing family history.
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Here's a link to my most recent interview on Ward Radio. This conversation is the first entry in what I will call the Light and Truth Letter series. I plan on doing deep dives on different parts of the letter with different YouTube creators. Enjoy!.
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Many critics seem to misconstrue what it takes to be a leader in the Church. I am sympathetic to that sentiment because that was me. In high school, I had a bishop with whom I was at odds. To my embarrassment, I was critical of him until I was 29. www
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There are better reasons to be a devoted member of the Church of Jesus Christ than social connections. With that said- Doesn’t having a local community of members help create a place for folks to come together? Doesn’t serving give people a sense of responsibility and belonging?
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I was in a vulnerable state of truth-seeking, and I could feel the critics trying to take advantage of me. Some critics act the part of a neutral 3rd-party, and I was stupid for long enough to believe them. They completely deceived me and of other questioning Latter-day Saints.
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Over time, I have realized that some former members of the Church who criticize it are extremely uncurious. They ask one question and then have no interest in the answer. They spend less time answering their challenging gospel concerns than watching their favorite Netflix show.
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Those who criticize the invitation from the Book of Mormon to pray and ask God for the truth of all things must explain spiritual experiences away. Secularists attempt to rationalize a testimony from the Holy Ghost with counter-neurological and psychological explanations.
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Skeptics must do impressive mental gymnastics to explain the Book of Mormon and other fruits of the restoration. Manipulation + fallacies + half truths + false narratives + “they are the problem” + “we are the solution”? Sounds like an abusive boyfriend.
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“Overall, we found that [the Latter-day Saints] are the most prosocial members of American society,” and “regardless of where they live, they are very generous with their time and money.” (U of Penn School of Social Policy and Practices).
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I saw that the restoration provided the best possible explanation. #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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Jennifer Roach grew up in another faith and is a church abuse victim herself. Recently she has shared some results of an investigation of abuse in the Church of Jesus Christ among boy scout troops. Why is abuse so much less likely to occur among the Latter-day Saints?
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Latter-day Saints volunteer far more than the average American and are more likely to be involved in civic and community-building leadership roles. Why do Latter-day Saints feel more connected to their neighbors and communities than any other religious (& none) group in America?
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It is believed that before the Josiah reforms, the Israelite religion taught about an atoning Messiah. In the Book of Mormon, Lehi, may have represented a faction of Israelites who did not appreciate the changes.
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Props to the critic for owning the mistake. Why do false stories like the one above and many similar ones get so much attention? There are countless examples of critics desperately trying to find systematic violence among the Latter-day Saints. Why are critics so eager to do so?
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In our gospel story, isn’t Eve a hero, not a villain? Aren’t women revered in our theology because of Eve?. Doesn’t our doctrine exalt women in God’s plan? . Doesn’t the The Family Proclamation teach that “fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners”?
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If polygamy was rooted in sexual opportunism, shouldn’t we be seeing those fruits today?. If our heritage is based on sexual conquest, why are the men of the Church more devoted to their spouses and children than other religious and non-religious groups?.
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Brigham Young led the destitute saints to settle a nearly uninhabitable land in the Rocky Mountains. In Utah, the Saints faced continued pressure from the US government. The Church has endured every financial crash, depression, and major economic downturn in the last 200 years.
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Reeling from the Great Depression, the Church was very cautious about its use of the tithing funds. Everything saved was kept in cash. It all came to a head in 1963 when an initiative to build facilities around the world forced the Church to spend all of its reserves.
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Plural Marriage. As I did more research, the critical narrative about polygamy just didn’t fit. If Joseph and other church leaders were only doing what they did for power and sex, much of their behavior makes no sense. That narrative only left me with more questions.
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Latter-day Saints volunteer a lot. Helping others helps the volunteer and the person being served. In 2012, the U of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practices analyzed survey data for 2,664 church-attending Latter-day Saints throughout the country. They found:
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Socioeconomic Status of Members of the Church. Sociologist Tim Heaton reports in Vital Statistics on the subject of “Latter-day Saint Social Life” that members of the Church have above-average socioeconomic attainment. This likely includes both the US and non-US countries.
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Isn’t it farfetched to sweep all devotion-causing experiences under the “rug” of neurological or psychological triggers? Is there a reason critics attempt to tone down the divine and reinterpret it as some misfire in the brain or manipulation from an external source?
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The critics want to take everything away from me and give me nothing in return. No thanks. That’s a bad trade. #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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Ritualistic handclasps and sacred embraces are found throughout ancient Egyptian iconography. See Stephen D. Ricks' article. #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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I hate to say this is the case, but any large organization will have some levels of abuse, and the Church of Jesus Christ is no exception. Does abuse happen in the Church more often than abuse happens at home or in our schools? Or in other churches?
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The Church Finances section of the Light and Truth Letter audiobook now up! . #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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I end with the question that started my faith journey: Is there a God?. Though I knew all of the primary answers, my answers to the problem of evil fell flat this time. Then something happened. In an unrelated setting, I heard a phrase that would change my life forever.
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When my faith journey started, I was an easy target for critics. I did not believe in God, and I already experienced the pain of telling my wife I was leaving. All that the critics had to do was show me that there was more light and truth outside of the Church of Jesus Christ.
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The Welfare & Humanitarian Programs of the Church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints cares for the needy in long-lasting and meaningful ways. In 2023 alone (see infographic). #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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Giving up on the “I know” statements in exchange for “I believe” was so liberating. The gospel became new and exhilarating to me. I don't have all the answers to my questions. However, I can say this much with a degree of certainty: something special happened between 1820-1845
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The Saints, led by Joseph, poured everything they had into the Kirtland temple and then left it. The Saints were driven out of their homes in Missouri, suffering significant losses. They built up Nauvoo and finished the temple, only to leave that behind.
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Should I be proud of myself or worried about medical general psychology??. #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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“It is difficult to imagine a set of beliefs more suggestive of mental illness than those that lie at the heart of many of our religious traditions.” – SAM HARRIS. Video with Ward Radio with my questions/thoughts for atheists.
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The Church of Jesus Christ is highly successful at human flourishing. Throw all that away, the critics insist. For what? Satisfy every immediate desire, damned be my wife, kids, community, and my future self? A nihilistic life without meaning? A life without hope? Without Christ?
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While some parallels exist between freemasonry and the Latter-day Saint temple endowment, the vast differences are the most informative. Unlike the freemasonry rituals, the temple emphasizes creation, fall, redemption, and enthronement concepts.
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Non-Latter-day Saint economist and George Mason University professor Tyler Cowen provides commentary on how religious moral codes may help strengthen the middle class and alleviate poverty. Regarding the Latter-day Saints, he said:. #LightandTruthLetter
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A stable identity is one of the greatest gifts the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has given me. I know who I am, where I fit in the story, and where I am going. #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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There is an ever-increasing amount of positive evidence for the Church’s truth claims, yet the Church does not focus on them. The Church's leaders are impressively committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ, even if some concept or theory seriously bolsters our claims.
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It makes sense that Lehi would emphasize the atoning Messiah and the Tree of Life because those elements were believed to have been removed from the temple. Maybe he was preserving the plain and precious truths. What is more precious than preserving the knowledge of the Messiah?
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I care deeply for the women in my life, and I had to examine if the Church is a good and safe place to raise my daughters. Critics would have me believe that women are deeply damaged because of their upbringing or conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ.
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Do members seek to become a high-ranking leader because of all the money in it? . The root problem with the criticism about unpaid clergy in the Church of Jesus Christ is that we cannot seek to be a leader; we are called to it. There is no way to earn it or lobby for it.
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Here is my interview with Ben Hancock on For All the Saints 🫡. ➡️ Read the Light and Truth Letter to inoculate from Anti-Mormon arguments instead of playing damage control afterward. ➡️ The middle ground between truth and lie is not where the truth is.
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The Light and Truth letter is in a way a conclusion to my 10-year search. And frankly, I have some troubling questions for the critics of the church.
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Ironically, critics of the Church are deterministic unless determinism reflects positively on the Church. At that point, they say that the Church has no effect as a cause external to the will. #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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Next section of the Light and Truth Letter audiobook just dropped. Book of Mormon | Archaeology, DNA, & Anachronisms.
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Here's the unfortunate truth. Most child victims are abused by a parent. The National Children’s Alliance reports in 2021 that 77% of substantiated child abuse cases were perpetrated by a parent. Another 13% are perpetrated by other relatives or an unmarried partner of a parent.
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Do critics have a better system to prevent abuse?. The folks who claim that the Church of Jesus Christ is systematically abusive are not looking at the full picture. Like many other condemnations, critics are taking a strength of the Church and pretending it is a weakness.
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The Church practices several common-sense policies to avoid and prevent abuse. Additionally, Jennifer Roach suggests seven unique practices in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that further protect our children and youth. Read more at:
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The evidence for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' truth claims is not conclusive, but it is compelling. While I cannot prove that the Church is definitively true beyond a reasonable doubt, there is great space for belief. To pretend otherwise is disingenuous.
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@WardRadioShow Special treat especially for the ward radio audience tonight 🤐. Don't miss it.
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I'm concerned how heavy-handed John Dehlin can be with the conclusions of his limited study. What if he is just wrong?. The reality is that most of the other reliable evidence regarding LGBTQ+-identified individuals and the Church comes to radically different conclusions.
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When I read stories from my ancestors and write down my own stories, I have received firsthand the immense benefits. In a short period of time, I have already seen how family history gives my children and me a place in our family’s story and a stable sense of identity.
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Epilogue of the Light and Truth Letter. "A Letter to the Former Member of the Church of Jesus Christ". #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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Some critics wait for and relish when one of our members is guilty of a impropriety or crime. No one would care if a Sam's Club member committed a heinous act. But if that same person is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, it is headline news. It is hypocritical and wrong.
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It’s easy to see the bias. Look at the comments reacting to any clearly positive headline with the Church and see the vitriol. The truth is that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is great at providing aid and helping for the right reasons and with little fanfare.
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@Manhattva I became agnostic years ago and it was the story of the gospel of Jesus Christ that brought me back. In the 2nd to last chapter of the Light and Truth Letter I share that story.
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My wife’s reaction surprised me. She didn’t panic. She told me how excited she was to see my faith journey. Then she made me a promise. She said if I could find more light and truth outside of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints she would follow me. And she meant it.
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For My Christian Brothers and Sisters. If I believe in God, why wouldn’t He manifest himself to me through the Holy Ghost?. Do I need to be a scripture scholar, historian, theologian, divinity student, pastor, and apologist to access God’s truth? .
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"Why didn't the Church tell me?". I watched nearly every baseball game during the historic 2000 and 2001 Seattle Mariners baseball seasons. I easily spent over 300 hours watching baseball during those two years. A 🧵. #LightandTruthLetter
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Tonight! . I've got a special something for @WardRadioShow and it's audience tonight, don't miss it
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Joseph had no manuscript while translating the Book of Mormon. Emma said, “After meals, or after interruptions, [he] would at once begin where he had left off, without either seeing the manuscript or having any portion of it read to him. This was a usual thing for him to do.”
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@pentesaint If you have an hour to spare, I recently did an interview on the Come Back Podcast. Hopefully it's enlightening on your recent thoughts/questions. There is joy and beauty in the wrestle with God for light and truth.
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Isn’t it irresponsible for critics to universally claim that the Church of Jesus Christ is bad for mental health? Especially when the opposite is much more likely?. Quote from Daniel Judd in "Religiosity, Mental Health, and the Latter-day Saints.".
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Critics have a field day with the much-maligned statement from W. Woodruff, “The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray.” The criticism is followed up with “what about” statements regarding controversial topics.
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"How Did Joseph Smith Know?" section of the audio now available! . #LightandTruthLetter. #HaveYouReadTheLightandTruthLetter
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Creation, fall, redemption, and enthronement concepts are a near-universal feature of temple rites in the ancient Near East. Concepts that Joseph would not have known about in 1842. Like freemasonry, ancient Near East rituals included ritualistic handclasps and sacred embraces.
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Oh hi Provo, Utah 📍. I'm glad this trend picked up after I left. I would have been hooked
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Meagan Kohler @TresClare , a contributor for Deseret News and Public Square Magazine, highlights how women’s happiness in the Church cannot be separated from the moral development of men. Meagan shares the following observations:
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