Mormon Thinking

An Example of How Mormons Justify Their Faith

The following was posted on the Recovery from Mormonism mailing list in response to a query by a non-Mormon as to how the Mormons can justify their beliefs in the strange doctrines and practices of Mormonism. The author is a woman who was an active Mormon for many years. Her very accurate tongue-in-cheek characterization of the typical Mormon way of thinking is used here with her permission. It has been slightly edited.

The practices and dogma of the Church are true because God said they are, the General Authorities said they are, the Bishop said they are, Mom said they are. They aren't weird. Only people who don't understand what truth is would dare say they are weird. What God requires his chosen people to do isn't weird, it's a mark of their chosen-ness. Just look at the Jews! They also are God's chosen people and they have all kinds of dogma and practice that "sets them apart" from mainstream, sinning, low-morals society. We're set apart from society, too, and all these rules and practices and dogma mark us as God's chosen people. Why, we're even more chosen than the Jews because we know about Jesus Christ and we're here to convert and save the Jews just like we're here to save and convert the whole rest of the world and everyone who ever lived on the earth!

So, if you happen to think these dogmas and practices are weird, it must be the result of your sin, of your lack of faith, of your fear! We all know that such thinking is not of God but of Satan. You need to lengthen your stride, fast and pray more, search the scriptures daily, ponder deeply the truths of the Gospel as taught by the prophets, do your visiting teaching, reach out to help others, humble yourself and pray with a sincere heart and God will show you how blessed and special and unique and wonderful and ingenious all these dogmas and practices are!

What? You still have doubts? Wow! You must have been one of the most valiant in the pre-existence, and that's why Satan really wants to trip you up. Satan is deceiving you bigtime. Don't give in to the Evil One! You can make it! I'm praying for you! I know God really loves you and is calling to you! Can't you hear him? You are breaking his heart! And after all he's done for you! Sending his Only Son to die for your sins even before you were born! You don't want to make more pain go through the heart of Jesus by being a filthy unbeliever, a sinner of the worst magnitude, a denier of the Holy Ghost, do you? You don't want to embarrass your mother, your bishop, your God by denying all the stuff we know is right because we've been told it is, do you? Here, just trust me. I know it's true.

See, it says right here in The Ensign that all this stuff is true. And look, all the General Authorities say it is. They are smart men; they wouldn't lie to us. Why, once I was in the personal presence of President So-and-So and he just looked right through me, like he could see all my sins and I know that no one could do that unless they were full of the Spirit of God! So, there you go, that proves he's God's prophet and inspired and so that means the Book of Mormon really was translated from Gold Plates and that the Temple Ceremony is divine and I really know what I'm talking about and besides I feel really, really good when I'm sitting in Sacrament Meeting dressed up in my nice clothes and thinking about Jesus, so it must be true!

So, shape up, repent, get with the program! We're right, and don't you ever scare me like that again by asking a question that might shake up my testimony! Okay?!

-- "AnnaH" (Linda Heinsohn)

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©  2000 Richard Packham and Linda Heinsohn    Permission granted to reproduce for non-commercial purposes, provided text is not changed and this copyright notice is included

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The biggest cause of trouble in the world today is that the stupid people are so sure about things and the intelligent folks are so full of doubts.

-- Bertrand Russell