Resigning Mormonism

THIS IS MY OFFICIAL MORMON RESIGNATION LETTER.


Membership Records Division
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
50 E North Temple Rm 1372
SLC UT 84150-5310

Dear Membership Records Division:

My name is Joseph Samuel Edwards, I am writing to resign my name and records from the membership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

United Nations Betray Jewish Faith's Holy Sites

Regarding the rights of the Jews' claims to Jerusalem and their ancient lands: War and Conquest by nature do not only kill people, they remove the rights of human beings. If anyone values the work done by groups like the Red Cross (which tries to restore human dignity) then you have no valid reason to deny people the dignities they had before being killed and conquered. Israel is the ancestral home of the Jewish people and the Jewish religion, a home that they were violently forced from.

The actual history of the land is far more complicated than many are saying.There was in fact a forced Diaspora, it is not revisionist history.

#MormonLeaks

So many people have been tuned into the LDS General Conference this weekend! Thousands upon thousands have been Tweeting and Posting Conference messages and musings for the last two days but something else has happened today that may at first seem overshadowed by the shear mass of #LDSconf (and other hashtags). Despite being overshadowed by the popular LDS media frenzy this new event is extremely important to the future image of Mormonism.

I'm sure we have all heard of the controversial power house WikiLeaks, well as of today the world has been introduced to MormonLeaks (#MormonLeaks)!

MormonLeaks appears to have the same basic mission of WikiLeaks, to expose secrets and damning information that governments and corporations don't want the general public to know, only this time the information in question directly and only involves the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

At the moment the videos are available on YouTube at this URL: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJTIFO9JJWiXABNXHDUKj4A?app=desktop

Framing The Transgender Reality For Mormons

The Mormon reaction to a person being Transgender has confused me for several years. The LDS Church repeatedly has insisted that gender identity (like sexual orientation) is a matter of Mental Health or Wretched Wickedness. These positions may fluctuate from time to time but generally speaking Mormons seem react with even more disdain towards a Transgender person than they do to a Homosexual or Bisexual person. This hostility is something I simply don't understand from a doctrinal standpoint, being Transgender is living proof for some of the most fundamental doctrines in the LDS cannon, so opposing a Transgender reality has the effect of shooting your own doctrines in the foot.

In Mormonism the belief in a Pre-Mortal Existence is paramount and is one of the most supreme tenants of a Mormon's faith. It is the Pre-Mortal Existence that solidifies the beliefs in Family, Gender, Satan, Creation, Divine Potential, Mortal Trials, Pro-Creation, Choice/Agency, Afterlife, etc.

Elder Oaks Promotes Fake Science and Conspiracy Theories From The Pulpit

On Sept. 16, 2016 Elder Oaks participated in a Stake Conference Q&A where he was asked how to bring LGBT members back to Church. Instead of answering that question he spoke on LGBT related principles. During his response Elder Oaks appears to reference (with high praise) Dr. McHugh's research claiming that "Gender Confusion" was a mental illness which usually is "grown out of". Oaks continues by suggesting that the "Media" is purposefully avoiding references to McHugh's work for undisclosed reasons. The audio file and transcript for that response can be found HERE.

 

Dr. McHugh is famous for his Anti-LGBT beliefs and research. His Wall Street Journal article claims to have research support, but was exposed by pro-LGBT advocacy groups as a hoax because he falsified research data in his citations, modifying other research studies until they support his claims. Elder Oaks gives credibility to this falsified study by promoting it from the Pulpit. It is also disconcerting that an LDS Apostle would promote Media Conspiracies from the pulpit over his own personal beliefs.

 

Just as dangerous is the notion that an LDS Apostle is publicly endorsing the idea that being Transgender is nothing more than a Mental Illness, a claim no longer supported by the international scientific community.

More information will be forthcoming about Elder Oaks' comments in a future post.

Right Even When Wrong

If you ever want to know what's like arguing with a Mormon, just read the following story:

"A friend's world history teacher told his class that Confucius once remarked "It is wasteful to try to kill a fly with a cannon or a bullet." Someone mentioned that Confucius lived thousands of years before gunpowder was invented, in response to which the teacher argued he was right for some time. The next day he told the class "Even though he wasn't right, they shouldn't have questioned him because he has authority and experience."

He is not teaching at our school next year."

Answering A Mormon

Today's Post is copied from my Facebook response to a Mormon who held some misconceptions about what it means to be LGBT and Mormon, especially at BYU. This is entirely in my own words, I just copied my post from Facebook to here. Please feel free to share this link to any Mormons who you feel need to better understand the LGBT/Mormon situation.

I think you might understand more if your child (scenario) was active in the Church and yet came out of the closet as LGBT. The pain you witness in your child is absolutely destructive and not at conducive to the faith you both once had. I grew up a very faithful and active Mormon but now want practically nothing to do with it because of the LDS efforts to go out of their way to attack LGBT beliefs (even when those beliefs have nothing to do with the Church, like Gay Marriage). 

The horrible name calling I've received from Church members and leaders has scarred me forever;

What If Abinadi Lived Today

Perhaps the most repeated defense for the Prophets and leaders of the LDS Church, and why members or non-members (mostly ex-members) cannot or should not criticize the Prophet or other Church leaders, is that these men have the Authority to speak for God. To so many active and devoted members of the Church their authority seems like an impenetrable defense, unfortunately for them however, it is actually a very weak scriptural defense, one that is contradicted regularly in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. There are multiple accounts in both scriptural records proving that a Prophet's Authority is not enough to protect a Prophet from being rebuked over his own wrongdoing. Anyone who desires to protect the Prophets and Apostles will need to prove the defense of their leaders by other means after these examples are published and explained.

Abinadi's story is well known to Mormons, as is the painting of his trial before the Wicked King Noah, but perhaps the details of his situation are not so clearly understood.

Star Wars Again

STAR WARS AGAIN!

These are my theories/points from the Star Wars movies (movies only, I do not include information from books, games, or tv shows)

Roll Call - Good Things Only

Looking through a number of my blog posts you'll notice that I have a lot of negative experiences and opinions about the LDS Church. I am very willing to criticize them on what I believe they do wrong or what hurt they cause through their words and behaviors. However, there is one thing that distinguishes me from certain other Ex-Mormon, Angry-Mormon or Gay-Mormon messages: I am willing to compliment the Church whenever they might deserve it. Today's post on Good Things is directly inspired by a General Conference talk titled "O Remember, Remember" by President Henry B. Eyring of the First Presidency of the Church.

What's So Great About Being Gay?

Lately I've started playing a game called Crusader Kings 2. It's an excellent game by the way that focuses on being a sort of replacement for the all-time epic game series "Civilization" but set in the Middle Ages. It's incredibly detailed with lots of computer characters and historical accounts incorporated into actual game play. This game is unique in how it's played because you don't just have one character that you play until you win or lose, instead you have your starting character that you play until he/she dies and then you continue playing as the family or kingdom's heir (you do get married and have children in this game) and so on. You lose when you have no heir to replace you when you die, which means the game can last for centuries.

Believe it or not this game does actually relate to today's post topic.

We Are Orlando

I've so far been quiet on the horrific tragedy in Orlando. It's been hard for me to think about even though I've not been directly involved. I cannot imagine the pain and suffering these people and their families are and have been going through, straight or gay. My heart goes out to the families of the dead and injured, as well as to the heroes of that night who helped save lives (even at the cost of their own).

On the Talk this afternoon I heard of a story where a mother (a straight woman) had gone to Pulse to go dancing with her son that fateful night. When the shooting started she threw herself over her son, shielding him from the shots and died literally saving his life. This is pure heroism and love, she deserves to be remembered as do all the others who died or were injured there. There was a young gay couple who were getting married soon and will now be having a joint funeral instead. A club bouncer risked being shot and killed by leaving his safe hiding spot to run and open the back escape door, saving roughly 60 lives in the process. #heroesoforlando

Leading Them Away From Suicide

*NOTE: I am not a Psychologist or a Counselor, instead I've survived my own war with Suicide for over 15 years.

Suicide is a Tragedy that is happening all over the world every day. Suicide is a child of fear, hate, despair and most importantly, the loss of feeling loved.

Suicide is an epidemic affecting all walks of life, from the very poor to the very rich. It affects all races, religions, nationalities; it literally crosses all boundaries and knows no discrimination. Suicide, no matter who is affected is heartbreaking. No matter who you are, if you struggle with wanting or needing to commit suicide, you are not alone, there are many people all over the world who can find you and help save you if only they could see your personal SIGNAL FIRE. We WILL search for the human being behind every S.O.S. If you live in the United States, the National Suicide Hotline is a good potential resource for anyone who needs help (1-800-273-8255).

Even though Suicide reaches everyone, not all groups are affected in quite the same way. Sometimes the causes are different, sometimes the behavior leading up to suicide might be different, sometimes the community response is different, sometimes even the number of people affected can be different within a community. That is why I and so many others concentrate so hard on Suicides affecting youth, children and young adults who are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender. We do not diminish the tragedy of any other person who feels so alone and desperate that suicide feels necessary or desirable, we reach out to them as much as we can too. All are welcome at the doors of the LGBT community.

If you are feeling like suicide is an option, how do you light your SIGNAL FIRE and ask for help?

What do I want out of Life?

This is probably my most emotionally taxing question. My answer is "I have no freaking clue".

I have a lot of topics that I'm interested in but I have no idea HOW to progress with any of them. I love to write (obviously), I love music, I love horses and other animals, I love politics (well that's a love/hate relationship), I love spirituality (not the harassing and self-righteous creeds of most religions but the actual attempt to build a person's relationship with the divine), I love science of all kinds, I love history, I love mythology, I love art, I'm fascinated by business; I could go on but I think you get the picture....

The Tennessee Bible

The text of the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution is probably the most frequently quoted and misused text in America.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;..."

That is all the 1st Amendment has to say about religion. Creating a law to place any one Holy Book of any religion as an official government record (of any kind) is a violation of the Amendment as stated. The Governments of the United States are not allowed to hinder the actual worship within any religion but they are also not allowed to formally endorse any specific religion. Having the Holy Bible as the OFFICIAL STATE BOOK of any U.S. government has the effect of an endorsement of that branch of Christianity which favors that particular translation. So not only would this law set Christians as superior above all other world religions but it would also set certain Christian sects above the others.

I pray that the Governor vetoes this bill and that God forgives the people for violating their principles and oaths.

It could become the first state to do so.

Posted by NBC News on Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Consensus vs Dissension

We regularly hear in the Church the idea that Consensus between the Brethren (Prophets and Apostles) is an indication of Truth. If they are united on a principle it is more likely to be appropriate and doctrinally true, or at least that we are told. We've also been told frequently (as was reiterated in Elder Rasband's talk this past General Conference) that it is acceptable to have questions but never to be "questioning" the Brethren. We are taught to sustain and unite with the Brethren in word and in deed. In essence we are told to be in Consensus with the Brethren of the Church at all times.

But is Consensus all that it is cracked up to be? Is Consensus always considered a good thing? President Monson openly acknowledges that it is not always for the best to be in Consensus and that sometimes Dissension is necessary and right.

So sometimes Consensus is right and sometimes Dissension is right.

The Trump Wars

I think most Americans would agree that we are tired of constant warfare like what have experienced these past 15 years. Even Republicans, who make the military their one of their top priorities, seem to be tired of these unending wars.

So, America's fascination with Donald Trump becomes even more confusing (as if it isn't confusing enough already). How many wars has Donald Trump fought so far in this Presidential election alone?

1. The Megyn Kelly War - platform: Twitter, TV; reason - personal dislike
2. The Vatican War - platform: Twitter; reason - disagreement on religious issues
3. The Dick War - platform: Twitter, TV, Rallies; reason - crude insults on sexual body parts
4. The Protesters War - platform: Rallies, TV, Twitter; reason - believes booing and disapproval of him needs to be silenced by violence
5. The Sanders War - platform: Twitter; reason - Sanders' supporters disapprove of Trump and say so, Trump believes Sander's should control "his people" or face violent consequences
6. The Fox War - platform: Twitter, TV, Rallies; reason - Trump believes Fox News is mean to him
7. The CNN War - platform: Twitter, TV; reason - Trump doesn't like CNN's Debate platform, tells CNN to pay money or he won't attend

I know I'm missing some but this is good enough to give a general idea of what Trump's Presidency will be like. First off, it'll be a real life episode of Mean Girls. Second, can you imagine how North Korea, Russia, Iran and other nations will react to his insults? ISIS bombed France because the publishing company drew the Islamic Prophet Muhammad; what will they do when Trump accuses Abu Bakr of having a sexual deformity? If Trump doesn't lead us into a long series of real life wars, we will have a White House media filled with endless Twitter Wars, TV Wars, and Civil Unrest.

If you're wanting Peace in America, Trump is not the way to get it. He already has at least 7 Wars under his belt and he's not even President yet.

IRS SCAM

I received this e-mail claiming to be from the IRS, offering me a chance to get additional tax refunds from previous years. It is a scam.

I remembered that the IRS does not initiate contact via phone or e-mail, so I regarded this e-mail suspiciously. I'm glad I did.
It is a scam, the link provided goes to a dangerous phishing website. I managed to test the site with my virus protection software and check the html code to view the link destination. It does not go the IRS website or anything recognizable. Instead it goes a site called "uolga,com/apps" (which was flagged by my virus protection software.

If you receive this email or one similar to it, do not hesitate to report it to the IRS via their specific e-mail address: phishing@irs.gov.

Mexican Immigration

This photo pisses me off to no end. I found it on Facebook and wrote my response. To those who may doubt the details I give, you should know that I've lived with and worked with Hispanic immigrants for years. My job as a Missionary for the LDS Church was to get to know these people and their struggles while teaching them the Gospel. The stories and experiences I learned from them shocked me and broke my heart. They are not the villains they are made out to be by American politicians.

 Let's try this:

Trump vs Sanders - Philosophies of Freedom

Today's world is filled by two primary beliefs: 1 - The belief that everything must be limitless and 2 - The belief that everything must be limited. Both are WRONG and both are RIGHT.

Freedom, Action and Thought all have limitless potential. Everyone has the power (or freedom) to act or think for themselves in every instance. But therein lies the problem, if each of humanity's billions of individuals were infinitely free to act or think as they please there would be chaos as each person would be acting for their own interest regardless of the consequences (to themselves or to others). This is the world we are currently witnessing: the unrestrained belief that each individuals' thoughts, actions or beliefs are superior to anyone else's. Such freedom must be limited or restrained.

Limitations, Laws, and Restraint are also limitless in potential. Everyone, or every law, has the power to exercise unlimited control on another. This too is a problem as it is the reality of Tyranny. If every action or thought of all people were limited or restrained without limit there would be no uniqueness, no creativity, no peace and no enjoyment. We see this in the world around us too. The attempts of various groups to forcibly control or limit the choices of others (and possibly themselves as well) in the name of righteousness is a danger to all of mankind. We also see the attempts of many to forbid a change in society simply to ensure the consistency of the status-quo.