Ex Anti-Mormon

[DanishDude]

Hello anyone.

Two years ago I met the missionaries. Now, I come from a Christian background and one of my main interests was to "refute" atheism,non-Christian religions and so called heretical groups.

I started to study Mormonism for myself and as you can probably imagine my main intention was to refute it. However I became attracted to it but I didn't want to give up my "true Christian faith" so this made me even more obsessed with refuting the LDS church.

I even made a YouTube account where I uploaded anti mormon videos..

Today I am convinced that the LDS church is true. I want to be baptized but there is a problem.. I really can't remember the email I used for the YouTube account. So I will never be able to remove the garbage that I uploaded. Can I still be forgiven by Heavenly Father?

Is it too late to be a member of the church?

[notquiteperfect]

You can absolutely be forgiven! And it's never too late to join the Church.

Maybe just do a new video with your testimony, etc. to help you feel better about the other one?

Glad you had a change of heart. Thanks for sharing!

[jerome1232]

Can I still be forgiven by Heavenly Father?

Absolutely!

Is it too late to be a member of the church?

Absolutely not!

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

Welcome DanishDude! You are in good company, there are a couple great stories in the scriptures about people that first fought against the church and then embraced it and became powerful instruments of the Lord. Glad to have your on our side!

[Blackmarch]

Hello anyone.

Two years ago I met the missionaries. Now, I come from a Christian background and one of my main interests was to "refute" atheism,non-Christian religions and so called heretical groups.

I started to study Mormonism for myself and as you can probably imagine my main intention was to refute it. However I became attracted to it but I didn't want to give up my "true Christian faith" so this made me even more obsessed with refuting the LDS church.

I even made a YouTube account where I uploaded anti mormon videos..

Today I am convinced that the LDS church is true. I want to be baptized but there is a problem.. I really can't remember the email I used for the YouTube account. So I will never be able to remove the garbage that I uploaded. Can I still be forgiven by Heavenly Father?

Is it too late to be a member of the church?

Welcome :)

1. It's never too late.

2. Yes you can still be forgiven.

3. Have you prayed to God to either bring to memory your account so you can delete them, or pray to Go to have him remove them by some means? (i'd also say try fasting to go with this)

[Backroads]

I think you'll be forgiven a few YouTube videos.

[NeuroTypical]

Hi DanishDude,

Very cool story my friend. I'm impressed with your desire to make things right. I'm thinking the priciples of repentance apply in all cases - even uploaded youtube videos with lost passwords. We try our best to right any wrongs in our past. When we cannot fully make things 100% better (which often happens), then we rest sure knowing we have done our best, and leave the rest to God.

[DanishDude]

Thanks for the encouragement. It means a lot to me.

Phew, I almost gave up on becoming a member.

Do I have to confess this YouTube thing to the bishop in my town before I can get baptized?

And JFYI I have about 10 (if not more) YouTube accounts and a countless number of emails, it would be impossible for me to remember the email I used.

I can link you guys to the account and perhaps you can write a comment about how the guy behind the whole things has changed his mind?

God bless.

[pam]

We would prefer not to have links posted to this site that would lead to something anti.

[Just_A_Guy]

Thanks for the encouragement. It means a lot to me.

Phew, I almost gave up on becoming a member.

Do I have to confess this YouTube thing to the bishop in my town before I can get baptized?

And JFYI I have about 10 (if not more) YouTube accounts and a countless number of emails, it would be impossible for me to remember the email I used.

I can link you guys to the account and perhaps you can write a comment about how the guy behind the whole things has changed his mind?

God bless.

Surely YouTube has contingencies for this sort of thing? If nothing else, I should think you could assert a copyright claim or something.

Or, if all else fails, create a new account and generate some video responses to the old ones explaining your change of mind/heart?

Edited March 23, 2014 by Just_A_Guy

[NeuroTypical]

Do I have to confess this YouTube thing to the bishop in my town before I can get baptized?

I don't think you really need to confess to your bishop to apply the atonement to these sins. However, you may just want to consider letting him get to know you a little, and that would include sharing this story.

Consider for a moment, you get baptized, join the flock and your ward family, a year goes by, and then someone finds out you used to post this stuff on YouTube, and tells the bishop. Then you get called into his office, so he can see if you're a wolf in sheep's clothing or not.

All that can be avoided if you just share your story with him upfront.

[lagarthaaz]

Thanks for the encouragement. It means a lot to me.

Phew, I almost gave up on becoming a member.

Do I have to confess this YouTube thing to the bishop in my town before I can get baptized?

And JFYI I have about 10 (if not more) YouTube accounts and a countless number of emails, it would be impossible for me to remember the email I used.

I can link you guys to the account and perhaps you can write a comment about how the guy behind the whole things has changed his mind?

God bless.

First...yes you can most certainly repent, experience the joy of forgiveness and be baptized into the Lord's true church, just as others have.

Paul had a similar experience before his life-changing conversion:

For I am the least of the apostles, that am not ameet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. (1 Corinthians 15:9)

So did Alma:

Nevertheless he cried again, saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of God? For the Lord hath said: aThis is my church, and I will establish it; and nothing shall boverthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people.(Mosiah 27:13)

As to your youtube account:

If it were me and I was as experienced a youtuber as you say you have been, then I'd probably know to go here first: https://www.youtube.com/account_recovery

I would also know that the youtube help center would be able to help me figure out what's what - even if it took a little while.

And if it were me, and I had a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel, I probably wouldn't be inviting members of the church to go and look at my anti-mormon videos, because a)I'd be deeply ashamed of the content and b)I wouldn't want to upset or offend anyone with the rubbish I posted. In fact, I'd want to distance myself as far as possible from said anti-mormon videos and I'd be putting my energy into contacting youtube instead.

And if it were me who had been an anti-mormon campaigner, I would know that church members are generally dissuaded from viewing anti-material. I would know that some people use all kinds of sophistry to get church members just to take a look at anti-mormon content in the hope that it will shake someone's testimony and bring them to the 'real' Jesus. I know I sure wouldn't want to send my good and trusting LDS friends to a site that might upset them.

But that's just me.

All the best, and let us know how the missionary discussions go, and when you set a date for baptism.

[Palerider]

Thank you for sharing.

[silarias]

Welcome!  We've all made mistakes in the past.  If you've done everything to try and take the videos down, then that is all you can do.  If you've repented with a sincere heart, wanting to change and believe, then that is all you can do.  Let Heavenly Father forgive you, feel the warm embrace of the Spirit, and let it go.  

 

Don't worry about the past; you can't change what you've done.  You can only deal with what is now, and God forgives sin through the grace of Jesus Christ :)  Besides, light overcomes darkness.  Eventually all that bad stuff will pass away anyway :)

 

I would advise you not to go back to the videos you've posted, for their content and for the comments you get.  Negative comments can really wear you down; I've experienced it before :/  I get the impression you're an experienced Youtuber; this would be a great opportunity to start posting a lot more positive things.  Youtube needs it!