I Have Officially Resigned From The Mormon Church

[Andrew777]

Even Martin Luther admitted that an adulterer would be saved in heaven, if he had professed Christ's name.

BTW, did your Church believe in original sin? Most beliefs in it establish that there is always a gulf between us and God that Christ cannot ever fully recover: partially because we are of a different substance than God.

If he professed his name and believed it and was repentant, this is like taking things out of the Journal of Discourses and using it out of context to make things sound like they aren't. There is no Christian I have ever met that has told me salvation is dependent on saying a couple words, this is taking the idea to a silly extreme.

As far as I know most Christian faiths teach that Christ's death and resurrection was enough to atone for any sin, including original sin, otherwise everyone would be in hell.

The church I attended saw original sin as being a matter of having been born in a fallen state unable to achieve salvation without Christ's atonement. Humanity became spiritually 'dead' after Adam and Eve ate from the tree in the Garden of Eden. Those who are too young, mentally incapable or didn't have a chance to hear the gospel will not be judged on the same level. No matter how good you act it doesn't make a difference if you don't have faith and without God's grace. God extends his grace to all people which then allows them to accept it or not and exercise their free will. Without the atonement man would not be able to exercise their free will at all and would be completely fallen, Christ died for all not just a group of predestined elect. The grace that is extended to all humanity also takes us just enough out of our fallen state to exercise our free will to accept or reject it. After making the choice to accept God you have to continue believing and trying to live a Christ-like life, if you sin and fall into temptation the holy spirit will no longer keep guiding you as you harden yourself to it's guidance and you will eventually lose your faith, then you will fall into apostasy and lose your salvation.

[Dale]

Holly you might do a search for Jeff Burton's For Those Who Wonder website. He wrote that book to help LDS persons deal with doubts and questions. He has his book online along with other articles. I bought a used copy from Amazon. He also has i think another book on the topic, Another good book is entitled If I Really Believe Why Do I Have These Doubts by Lynn Anderson.

With questions as a lifetime struggler i am still searching for answers. I have found answers that fully satisfy me, partially satisfy me, and ones that don't satisfy me at all. Some topics i will always have to wait for answers. On some topics i decided i will have to live without answers. The big temptation in the search is to throw yourself like wheat to the wind. Find a religiously stable environment and stick to it even if you struggle.

[AnthonyB]

rameumptom,

Could you please not use the term "sects" when refering to the groupings of Traditional Christians, it has a very negative tone. (Rather like us calling LDS a "cult".)

[havejoy]

Well everyone, I just thought I'd stop by to say that I am reconsidering Mormonism but I still have many questions. If anyone would be willing to chat with me in Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or AIM, I'd appreciate that.

Holly, you crack me up. Last week your profile said you were Baptist. Now it says you're Catholic. And yet, somehow, during this same time period you were able to get a PB that was almost identical to your brothers. Yeah, you really crack me up.

Don't feed the trolls.

[ruthiechan]

Holly, you crack me up. Last week your profile said you were Baptist. Now it says you're Catholic. And yet, somehow, during this same time period you were able to get a PB that was almost identical to your brothers. Yeah, you really crack me up.

Don't feed the trolls.

Holly and Funky Fool are the same person?

[havejoy]

Sorry, I'm getting my trolls mixed up. Holly was a Baptist last week in her profile and now she's a Roman Catholic in her profile. And yet somehow has also managed to be Mormon and resign from the Mormon church all in the same week. It boggles the mind.

[AnthonyB]

Liberal baptist, conservative Catholic and lapsed but reconsidering Mormon, that is a very wide spectrum of belief.

Holly might have a logical explanation and I'd love to hear it, it would be a mighty interesting story.

[skalenfehl]

Sounds to me like she's investigating the truth wherever she may find it. I for one appreciate her willingness to make sure she's in the right place. Holly, best wishes on your journey and we are here for you.

[ztodd]

Let's not try to play detective and catch people in their follies. By so doing we just might judge unrighteously.

[rickg]

But the bluntness of your post abpout smacking someone round the head does kind of give off a certain message about you....

Let's just say that Porter Rockwell is one of my heros.

[havejoy]

Let's not try to play detective and catch people in their follies. By so doing we just might judge unrighteously.

Sorry, but I've seen Holly on other message boards. She an orthodox but moderate Episcopalian at Catholic Answers; she's Pentecostal on one forum, sometimes Baptist, sometimes others. I just get tired of her leading people around when I don't think she's the least bit serious about searching for the truth.

[HomeAgain]

Sorry, but I've seen Holly on other message boards. She an orthodox but moderate Episcopalian at Catholic Answers; she's Pentecostal on one forum, sometimes Baptist, sometimes others. I just get tired of her leading people around when I don't think she's the least bit serious about searching for the truth.

LOL. Sounds like she's having a good time yanking our chains!

[rameumptom]

rameumptom,

Could you please not use the term "sects" when refering to the groupings of Traditional Christians, it has a very negative tone. (Rather like us calling LDS a "cult".)

Sects does not have a negative connotation. Cult does, which is why I didn't use that term.

Definition of Sect:

# a subdivision of a larger religious group

# faction: a dissenting clique

wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

# In the sociology of religion a sect is generally a small religious or political group that has broken off from a larger group, for example from a large, well-established religious group, like a denomination, usually due to a dispute about doctrinal matters.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sect

Definition of Cult from Wikipedia:

Cult typically refers to a cohesive social group devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture considers outside the mainstream, with a notably positive or negative popular perception. In common or populist usage, "cult" has a positive connotation for groups of art, music, writing, fiction, and fashion devotees,[1] but a negative connotation for new religious, extreme political, questionable therapeutic, and pyramidal business groups.[2] For this reason, most, if not all, non-fan groups that are called cults reject this label.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Liberal baptist, conservative Catholic and lapsed but reconsidering Mormon, that is a very wide spectrum of belief.

Holly might have a logical explanation and I'd love to hear it, it would be a mighty interesting story.

Sounds a bit like me once. I was a half Catholic Baptist when I was investigating the LDS church.

[AnthonyB]

Willow,

Whilst only a fool would believe everything they read on the internet. I can conceive how Holly's story could come about, in fact given I was Christianed Catholic via my Father, but raised in a "restoration movement" church by my Mother and currently attend a Baptist church, I could infact see a way for it all to fit together. But it is an interesting path that Holly has been on and not one that many would have walked, the differences in the three groupings she has listed are fairly large, it would be fascinating to hear about.

Holly if you are there we would love to hear your story (or as much of it as you feel free to share an such a public forum.)

[Abraham]

Though we need to love our brothers and sisters as Christ would, you will soon find out my friend Jonathan, that truth is not relative. I have taught this many times that with all sincerity of my heart, "It does matter!"

Abraham

[Hemidakota]

I just wanted to let you all know that about a week or so ago, I sent in my resignation letter to the Mormon headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

I have decided that I no longer wish to be a member of the Mormon Church and I totally understand all the "consequences" of resigning. I know that the effects of my baptism will be canceled and that any temple recommends I had will also be canceled but I didn't have any temple recommends. Even if I did, I wouldn't care if they were canceled.

I simply find myself no longer able to agree with the tenants of the Mormon faith. I have nothing against Mormons themselves. I only have something against what the Mormon church believes. The most important of which would be the unorthodox view of the Trinity that the Mormon church holds.

I hope that none of you will be angry with me for resigning my membership in the Mormon church and please know that I hold nothing against any of you. My decision to resign was not the result of anything anyone said on these forums or anything of that sort. It was a result of my own choosing.

The headquarters did mail me back and told me that my decision would have to be handled by local priesthood leaders. I did not know this at the time that I mailed my letter to the headquarters.

Anyway, may God bless you all and may you all someday find the truth which I personally do not believe is found in the Mormon church.

Being witness like the Prophet Joseph, I wish you could reconsider on your choice.

[Palerider]

Let's just say that Porter Rockwell is one of my heros.

ditto to that.....:)

[Shell72]

Holly - God speaks to our hearts and tells us what His will is for us. Trust yourself with God. Do not let any human come between You and your relationship with God. I am proud of you seeking answers and truth - it is what God asks us to do.

[aranyborju]

Holly,

I know that a decision as big as this doesn't come without a lot of inner turmoil. I hope that you are fully at peace with your decision, and that you continue to have peace in the future. God bless.

[Dale]

Holly - God speaks to our hearts and tells us what His will is for us. Trust yourself with God. Do not let any human come between You and your relationship with God. I am proud of you seeking answers and truth - it is what God asks us to do.

I see a temptation in trying to fit in with groups of men who hate Mormonism. I am Community of Christ/RLDS. But if i listened to my Evangelical friends i feel that would effect my relationship with God. I know they don't have a better God so i am going to keep my God. Their God tells them to hate Mormonism and mine tells me to keep my beliefs.

Seeking answers and truth are great, but do not seek the confusion of men.

[ErikJohnson]

Their God tells them to hate Mormonism...

"Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way." (Psalm 119:128)

Is this the God you have in mind, Dale, the one who advocates hatred of "every false way?" Seems like this is not merely the God of some "evangelical" religion--but rather the God proclaimed in the Bible...

But perhaps I've misinterpreted "hate" to mean hate...

;0)

--Erik

[prisonchaplain]

"Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way." (Psalm 119:128)

Is this the God you have in mind, Dale, the one who advocates hatred of "every false way?" Seems like this is not merely the God of some "evangelical" religion--but rather the God proclaimed in the Bible...

But perhaps I've misinterpreted "hate" to mean hate...

;0)

--Erik

This evangelical is careful with the "hate-bomb." Yes, I hate the false ways of sin, and of clearly false and evil doctrine. But, as a Pentecostal, do I hate Baptists? Methodists? Catholics? Nope. I disagree with some of their teachings--especially about specifically pentecostal understandings. But, do I declare their beliefs false and worthy of hatred? No. Likewise, with my LDS friends. We have a multitude of thoughtful disagreements that we discuss intelligently and with respect. Like Jesus, I'll save my "righteous indignation" for religious hypocrites and those who would labor little but also gleefully load up others with unbareable burdens.

[ErikJohnson]

This evangelical is careful with the "hate-bomb." Yes, I hate the false ways of sin, and of clearly false and evil doctrine. But, as a Pentecostal, do I hate Baptists? Methodists? Catholics? Nope. I disagree with some of their teachings--especially about specifically pentecostal understandings. But, do I declare their beliefs false and worthy of hatred? No. Likewise, with my LDS friends. We have a multitude of thoughtful disagreements that we discuss intelligently and with respect. Like Jesus, I'll save my "righteous indignation" for religious hypocrites and those who would labor little but also gleefully load up others with unbareable burdens.

Appreciate the response, prisonchaplian. And let me be clear as well. I don't hate Buddhists, Mormons, Muslims, etc., either.

Question, prisonchaplain, just so I know where you're coming from. Do you affirm the Trinity? I understand some Pentecostals (i.e., Oneness Pentecostals) don't...

--Erik

[Snow]

I simply find myself no longer able to agree with the tenants of the Mormon faith. I have nothing against Mormons themselves. I only have something against what the Mormon church believes. The most important of which would be the unorthodox view of the Trinity that the Mormon church holds.

And how do you think that the orthodox view of the Trinity compares with what the early Christians taught and believed about God in the first two centuries CE prior to the Helenization of Christianity from Greek philosophy.

I assume that you are aware that "the Trinity" was a later innovation and not part of original Christianity.