Out of Mormonism... Part II

My Experiences as a Mormon - The Culture

I grew up in a very unique Mormon culture. Living in the inner city of Boston, MA, our branch (and later ward) was not your stereotypical Mormon church. We were a mixed bunch. We had the Mormon born and bred Utahans who were in Boston for school. We had the converts, most of which were of Haitian, African American, or Hispanic descent, who were introduced through the missionaries. And we had the return missionaries who loved our church so much they moved back to Boston after their mission. I was one of the few white convert families, and one of the only white young men. The church was a very positive environment. Mormon doctrine was not pushed as much as community and good works, and in many ways we were more of a social club than anything else. Yes, doctrine was preached, but from my recollection, personal emphasis was rarely placed on the Book of Mormon, Bible, and other church material. People were there for the community, a positive culture that was vastly different than what many of us experienced in our own families and neighborhoods.

Most of the youth were just like the world in their deeds and actions. I myself was a scam artist, others smoked weed, were sexually active, all of us infused into both the positive and negative aspects of the hiphop generation. There were only a few that attempted to walk the "straight and narrow." Most of the leaders knew this, but they were just happy that we were going to church, and quite frankly they were not just our leaders, they were our friends.

I remember being 15 years old and speaking to a street preacher in front of the State Street Orange Line station downtown. I told him I was a Mormon and we spoke for a few minutes, then he handed me some material on why he claimed Mormonism was false. The next day I went to church with the pamphlets and investigated it with a dear friend (who has since passed away - was shot and killed at 19 years old in an act of senseless violence). We started to refute what was said by what we were taught. Once some of the leaders found out they told us not to read it anymore, since it was not published by the Mormon church it couldn't be trusted. That experience planted some tangible seeds in my mind and heart and my questioning of what I had been taught as a Mormon heightened to a new level.



From that day forward major Doctrinal issues, such as the Curse of Cain, Polygamy, Adam-God Teaching, the brotherhood of Jesus and Lucifer, and Temple Rites (As a teenager, I visited the DC temple, pictured above, and performed baptisms for the dead), to name a few, led me on a road towards the Truth.

After being inactive for a while, I decided to embark upon a journey to Rexburg, Idaho and Ricks College (now known as BYUi). There I experienced the culture shock of my life. I found that the Mormons there were not like the Mormons I knew at the Boston Branch. They seemed like very nice, genuine people, but were almost like robots, programmed how to think, act and talk. I felt like I was stuck in an episode of the twilight zone! It was at that point I saw how people who grew up in or had acclimated themselves to the Mormon church had not just accepted a belief system, but a way of life. Those that were Mormons were accepted wholeheartedly. Those that questioned or went against the Mormon teachings were ostricized. It even seemed ok to be inactive, as long as you didn't question or speak up against the Mormon church or their prophet.

I could no longer be a part of it, and I began to see negative cultic characteristics with my very eyes. Still not completely convinced that the religion itself was false, I could not be a part of this culture.

Strolling through websites such as http://www.exmormon.org/, http://www.exmormonfoundation.org/, and http://www.postmormon.org/, I've seen a trend of those struggling with the revelation that the Mormon religion is not true, but wanting to stay so that they can keep the cultural and familial values that the Mormon community offers. This was almost the opposite position I found myself in, wanting to cut away from the culture yet still believing the core teachings were true. Not too long ago I spoke with a few Mormon friends online, who basically shared the same sentiment: they love the culture, think the religion is false, but stay for the sake of their families, their friends, and business connections. Disconnecting from the culture oftentimes means a disconnect from everything you know in life and starting over. Most people don't want to make that kind of a sacrifice.

The only answer to overcoming the difficulties of leaving the Mormon culture is faith in Jesus Christ. The real Jesus of the Bible.

Out of Mormonism... Part I

I've decided to invest a few blog entries on my experiences with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I hate to use that title, because they are far from what it implies - they are not a church of Jesus Christ and are not saints of the true and living God. For the rest of this entry, I'll be referring to them as Mormons and the religion as Mormonism.

It was the Christmas Season of 1989. I was 9 years old living with my mother as a single parent and for the first time she brought home a man. He was a Mormon and invited us to church. I obliged, as it was my first time in a church of any kind other than attending 2 funerals at a Catholic church. There was a community of kids my age who I befriended, activities which included basketball (my favorite pass-time), and I started to enjoy being a part of a tightnit community.  It was as if I was given the family I never had. Shortly thereafter they were married and about 6 months later I was baptized and started the process of indoctrination.

As I grew older, I had issues with some of their teachings, in particular the curse of Cain (people with black skin were cursed due to living unworthy lives in their pre-existance), but I didn't pay much attention to that, I was there for the community. Most of the youth lived as the rest of the world did. I, however, tried my best to live a good moral life and earn my status as a "worthy church member".

At the age of 16, my mother divorced her husband. I was no longer pressured to go to church so I stopped going consistently. I started to seek the pleasures of sin, falling into pornography, fornication, drinking alcohol and smoking weed occasionally. Still feeling the connection to Mormonism, I believed that one day I would repent and be back.

Fast forward 6 years. I moved to Florida to start a new life. I tried to attend a Mormon ward, as they call their churches, and at the same time started to read the Bible and watch Christian television programs. During that time I began to see the vast differences between Mormonism and Christianity and that Mormons were NOT Christians. I finally decided to sever my ties with Mormonism, oddly enough the very same day I was chosen to give a talk before the congregation. I preached the Biblical gospel, even using their book of Mormon to support some of my points, and urged everyone to repent and accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. I have not stepped foot in a Mormon building since that day.

So what's the big deal with the Mormon religion? They believe in Jesus right? They seem to be great people: nice, family oriented, full of good works, pleasant upstanding citizens?



"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 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." - 2 Corinthians 11:13-15



Facts about the Mormon Church relating to 2 Corinthians 11:13-15:

1. Mormonism claims they were established when an Angel (of light) visited their founder, Joseph Smith, telling him that every church on the earth was apostate and that the true church needed to be restored. This angel was first said to be a Book of Mormon figure named Nephi, but later the story was changed to it being Jesus Christ and God the Father as two separate personages with glorified bodies of flesh and bone. (see picture above)
2. Mormonism erroneously take their leadership structure from the example of Jesus and his 12 apostles. A prophet is said to be head of the church, only one can be living at a time and he becomes a prophet only after the current one passes away. 12 apostles (transforming themselves as apostles of Christ) hold positions of leadership under that prophet. Not only was there more than one prophet living on the earth in the Old Testament, New Testament, (and the current Christian church), the only prophet that was head of the church/Israel was Moses, and some may argue Joshua who took Moses' place after his death. Biblically there is also nowhere that says there has to be 12, in fact there were more than 12 Apostles living during the establishment of the church (and I would argue the current Christian church as well). Biblically, apostles are a higher calling than that of the prophet, which also reveals their infrastructure as unbiblical and false.
3. Mormons boast in their own righteousness based on their good works. They believe they have to earn their way to heaven, destroying the Biblical doctrines of grace. Why did Jesus have to die if you have to work your way to heaven? Truly, their "end shall be according to their works" if they are relying on their works to make it into an eternal level of glory, i.e. heaven (celestial kingdom as they call it).
   
   Galatians 5:4 - "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." - Galatians 1:6-9

Facts about the Mormon Church relating to Galatians 1:6-9:

1. The Book of Mormon is called "Another Testament of Jesus Christ", denoting another gospel. But the real evidence is that they teach works must be added to grace in order to obtain salvation.  The true gospel of Jesus Christ can be described as "Salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in the finished work of Christ alone, who paid the penalty for the sins of those that repent and put their trust and faith in Him as Lord and Savior. Justification by grace apart from the works of the law (Galatians 2:16, ...)" It in fact is not just another gospel, but it is a perversion of the true gospel. It sounds like good news, but in actuality being told that you have to work your way to heaven, only to find out on judgment day that your best works are as filthy rags in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6) and the punishment is death, hell, and the lake of fire for eternity, is very, very BAD news. (Revelation 20:11-15)
2. Again this passage teaches that an angel from heaven has the ability to teach this other gospel.
3. The sad fact is that those who hold on to these teachings and reject the Biblical Good News of Jesus Christ will be accursed. In other words, damned.

Current Mormon (false) Prophet and Twelve (false) Apostles:


Part II to come.

Taking Personal Responsibility

"If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible." - Leviticus 5:17 (NIV)

Each man must answer to God for himself. On judgment day every action, every thought, and every spoken word will be judged. As the first 2 chapters in Romans indicate, no man will have any excuse since "the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness" (Romans 2:15). Saved or not, the knowledge of good and evil are ingrained in the heart of every human being (which we inherited from Adam and Eve after they disobediently ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Genesis 3). Because of our inclination towards sin we often choose to ignore our conscience and follow after evil.

To sin or not to sin, that is the question? Every moment of every day we make choices. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us which gives the ability not to sin. Those that have not the Spirit have no such ability. They can make good decisions, live good moral lives, however they are still bound by sin, falling short of their purpose in glorifying God through Jesus Christ in all that they do.

When you ask the average person if they believe they are going to heaven, their answer is usually "Yes! I'm a good person and God will let me in." However Jesus said that "there is none good but one, that is, God" (Mark 10:18). The Gospel destroys the erroneous belief that heaven is gained by our good deeds, because "all have sinned" (Romans 5:12) and "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Only through faith in Jesus Christ can we escape the penalty for our sins, which is death, hell, and ultimately the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14).

As Leviticus 5:17 indicates, even when we don't have knowledge of sin we are still held accountable. There is no way to justify yourself, we can only be "justified freely by his [God's] grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:24).

Not only is this is case with eternal wages of sin, but also temporal consequences. Every day our decisions shape our future. Many times bad choices mount up, and rather than own up to our condition, we hide and try to mask ourselves outwardly, while inwardly struggles plague us. Bad decisions can always be overcome by making good ones. Sometimes it "seems" like it is easier to make bad decisions than to do the right thing, but that is only an illusion.

"Every choice you make has an end result." - Zig Ziglar

What will be the end result of your choices for today? Will you choose to repent, choose to follow after Christ, choose to obey? The choice is yours.

What Motivates You?

Where does your motivation lie?

"And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God." - 1 Samuel 30:6

Wikipedia defines motivation as "the activation of goal-oriented behavior. Motivation may be rooted in the basic need to minimize physical pain and maximize pleasure, or it may include specific needs such as eating and resting, or a desired object, goal, state of being, ideal, or it may be attributed to less-apparent reasons such as altruism, selfishness, morality, or avoiding morality."

The activation of goal-oriented behavior. I've always been someone who has written out goals. Short term goals, long term goals, small goals in order to reach bigger ones, 5 year plans, new years resolutions, etc... I had it all written out, lists upon lists. But what got done? There were seasons I was focused and accomplished goals successfully and was cruising! But I always allowed something to shift that focus and ended up in months and even years of stagnation. This is where I find myself today, asking myself, where is my motivation? Why haven't my current goals been activated?

Where has my motivation been in the past? Has it been in relationships with women? Positions at work? Financial gain? The calling of God on my life? Has it been to "minimize pain, maximize pleasure, obtain a desired possession"? Where should my motivation lie?

Sometimes I wait on other people to push and motivate me. Othertimes, let's face it, I've just been lazy! Yes, I'm a hard worker on the job, when given a task I do what it takes to get it done, but lately I've seemed to have lost that motivation. Where did it go?

Scientific researchers and neurologists all suggest that lack of motivation is a symptom of depression. I'm currently reading "Blame it On the Brain" by Edward T. Welch, and the whole premise of his book is to distinguish, through the lens of scripture, which disorders can be blamed on the brain and which cannot? He argues that we live in a culture where scientific research is skewed in an attempt to blame everything from depression to alchoholism on a brain dysfunction. He gives 3 categories: these issues can be a result of chemical imbalances, brain disorders, or disobedience. I tend to believe that all of these are viable causes, but the solution is the same whatever the cause - Jesus.

In Christ, He has given us the power and authority to take control of our own mind, to exercise self control, to battle every disorder and break every demonic stronghold through his Holy Spirit.

So back to motivation. Let's look at David. He was facing opposition at all sides, no doubt facing thoughts and feelings of depression as evident through his psalms, but no matter where he found himself he chose to turn to the Lord and encourage himself. When he was in a cave hiding for his very life, rather than have a pitty party or wait for someone else to motivate him, he motivated himself. His motivation was the LORD. Pleasing God meant more to him than pleasing himself. Though he fell in sin time and time again, his affections always turned back to God and he got back up and continued to press.

Looking at David's example, we all have some examining to do. What motivates you? What motivates me? Does my motivation lie in being comfortable when uncomfortable? Does it lie in the possibility of losing something or someone that I care deeply for? Where should it lie? Our motivation should be in Christ. Recognizing what He has done for us and what He has made available to us, our motivation should lie in pleasing Him, obeying Him, and enjoying Him as the satisfaction of our souls.

Enourage yourself! Change your thinking and allow Christ to be your motivation. I can guarantee that when we, and I include myself, take on the mind of Christ and learn how to motivate ourselves in Him, we will experience abundance in this life and the next. An abundance of peace, joy, contentment, and satisfaction.

"My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness." - Galatians 5:16 (Message)

The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak...

"Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." - Matthew 26:41

If anyone can attest to the truthfulness of that statement, I can. I was speaking with a brother this past weekend, and he said it was amazing how he could be so caught up in the Holy Ghost one minute and deep in his flesh the next. One minute basking in the presense of God, the next upset and irritated. After reflecting on some events earlier today, I can easily say the same thing myself. This morning dwelling in the presence of God writing the blog you read below, this afternoon finding myself in an emotional rut ready to break down crying.

When I decided to pick this blog back up I revisited some old posts and what I read amazed me. Reading some I knew I was in my flesh dealing with carnal situations, others I was in the Spirit dead on. Posts as early back as 2007 I saw myself in a similar place as I'm in today. I've grown in wisdom and knowledge, but a lot of the same issues plague me. It's like I have all the answers, I just have to apply them to my life. I've had seasons where I was strong in the LORD, and others where I've been weak. As a great woman of God told me earlier today, I'm lazy and need to start doing what I know to do!

My focus now is getting to the point where I make the right decisions even during moments in the flesh. It's in that moment of frustration, that moment of emotionalism that we have to step back and be wise in our choices. God has given us the answer in the verse above, when temptation comes we have to watch and pray. To watch means to identify the temptation and see it before it comes so that when it does try to attack us we can pray our way through it victoriously.

I praise God that we serve a God that knows how to redeem the time, that is all merciful and willing to forgive. Sometimes we all need to understand that God cares and can change things if we would only let him. The old saying goes that we are one bad decision away from dying, but as I was recently reminded it goes both ways as we are also one good decision away from living.

Change must come from within. When your in your right spirit you laugh at the thought of sinning, but as soon as your mind enters into its fleshly realm, like Paul in Romans 7, those things you don't want to do you find yourself doing, and those things you want to do you find yourself not doing. How many times have we found ourselves in this position? Paul goes on to say that He thanks God through Christ Jesus who is able to deliver us from this ungodly mindset.

We don't have to continue in the flesh, in fact now is the time to make your mind up. There is a battle and there are spiritual forces as well as internal forces that want you to stay bound up in your flesh so that you do not soar in the Spirit of God. We have the weapons, we're armed and dangerous, so let us (and let me!) put what God has given us into action and walk in the Spirit!

"This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." - Galatians 5:16

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." - Romans 8:1-6

Life and peace awaits you. Walk in the Spirit.

In His Presence There is Fullness of Joy….

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” – Psalm 16:11 (ESV)

While I was sitting at work the presence of God descended upon me filling me with joy and peace. As I’m basking in Him I don’t want it to stop, in fact I want it to intensify. It’s as if every trouble has vanished, every trial has ceased, and every issue has evaporated. Pure bliss. There is nowhere else I’d rather be than in His presence. A few weeks ago I heard a 10 minute portion of a message by Bill Johnson entitled “Healing Out Of Intimacy”



I don’t know much about Brother Johnson’s ministry, but this sermon snippet really impacted me. He likened the Holy Spirit to a dove. Doves are very sensitive birds. Imagine I have a dove on my shoulder and don’t want it to fly away, how am I going to walk around the room keeping it on my shoulder? Carefully. Every step that I take will have the dove in mind. Every movement, every action, every word, every step must have the dove (the Holy Spirit) in mind.

Do we truly live our lives directed by the Holy Spirit, having Him in mind? Do we acknowledge Him in ALL of our ways and allow Him to direct our path? Or do we do what we feel is right, what we want to do, what is leading us? I’ve had to examine myself this morning. How many decisions have I made without the leading of the Holy Ghost! And how many of my decisions have grieved the Holy Spirit? Too many…

In order to live a life pleasing to God, it must be one of complete trust and faith in God as our Pilot directing our every move. Our confidence must be in God, not in man and certainly not in ourselves.

“Cease to trust in [weak, frail, and dying] man, whose breath is in his nostrils [for so short a time]; in what sense can he be counted as having intrinsic worth?” – Isaiah 2:22 (AMP)

Having Joy is a choice. It’s available. It’s a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). It’s our source of strength (Nehemiah 8:10). It is a command to rejoice, or in other words renew our joy through praise (Philippians 4:4). Joy is our sustainer through difficult times (2 Corinthians 8:2). Joy is a byproduct of having the Holy Ghost and dwelling in His presence (Romans 14:17). Joy is received through faith (2 Corinthians 1:24). The Joy of the LORD is our final destination if we are found faithful / full of faith (Matthew 25:21).

Experiencing the Joy of God is as experiencing a taste of heaven on earth. We all have the opportunity to experience unending joy, no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in as we guard the presence of God, count it as precious, and endure this life in obedience to the leadings of the Spirit. There is no limit to the joy He will pour out on those He deems faithful. Choose to walk in Joy today, rejoice in the LORD and dwell in His presence, by any means necessary.

“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” – Romans 15:13 (KJV)

Amen.

Do You Have Access?

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” – Romans 5:1-2

Everything in God is established through faith. Salvation, deliverance, healings, prophecy and every blessing we shall receive is obtained through faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God, and with faith in God all things are possible. My question today is: do you have access? Access to what you might ask? Access to God.

Access is gained through relationship, and when it comes to God the only way we can receive access to Him is through Jesus Christ:

“For through him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;” - Ephesians 2:18-19

For those of us that are saved and have received that access, what are we doing with it? Imagine a family member passes away and has a bank account with $10 million dollars saved up. In his will, you are given free access to this account, to make withdrawals at your discretion. There is one catch, in order to make a withdrawal you have make a trip to the bank, which is on a remote mountain top and requires specific directions to get there. You have a choice. You can talk all day about the money you have access to, but never actually go to the bank and make a withdrawal because the journey is “too difficult”. You can forget about the money altogether because you’re not willing to sacrifice the time and energy to get to the bank. Or you can take your directions, press your way through the rough terrain, get to the mountaintop, make your withdrawal and come back down. Now say you do choose to make the journey, get your money, and make it back home. You now have the responsibility of stewardship over the money. You’ve been given access to the money. You took advantage of that access. Now that you’ve received the money, what are you going to do with it?

“As each of you has received a gift (a particular spiritual talent, a gracious divine endowment), employ it for one another as [befits] good trustees of God's many-sided grace [faithful stewards of the extremely diverse powers and gifts granted to Christians by unmerited favor].” – 1 Peter 4:10 (Amplified)

Now back to the question at hand: “For those of us that are saved and have received access to God, what are we doing with it?“ The family member is Jesus. The money is the anointing/power of God. The bank on the mountaintop is throne room of God. The directions are prayer, supplication, worship, praise, devotional time in the Bible, perseverance and obedience, all done by faith.

“In Whom [Christ], because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness(courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).” – Ephesians 3:12 (Amplified)

Jesus has given us access to the throne room of the Father so that we can obtain the power of God and use it to bless others. But not everyone is willing to pay the price to get to the mountaintop. There will be stumbling blocks, hurdles, you may get hurt along the way, but when you get there the journey will be well worth it.

“Look to yourselves (take care) that you may not lose (throw away or destroy) all that we and you have labored for, but that you may [persevere until you] win and receive back a perfect reward [in full].” – 2 John 1:8 (Amplified)