Thanksgiving Thanks — Part 1

One member is examining the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from a biblical perspective viewpoint when Mormonism is sponsored by Mormonism research ministry since 1979 Mormonism research ministry has been dedicated to equipping the body of Christ with answers regarding the Christian faith in a manner that expresses gentleness and respect. And now, your host for today's viewpoint on Mormonism welcome of this additional viewpoint on Mormonism.

I'm your host, Bill McKeever, founder and director Mormonism research ministry with me today is Eric Johnson. My colleague at MRM this week, the United States will be celebrating Thanksgiving national holiday that is been on the books officially since 1864. We'll talk about that a little bit more in tomorrow's show. But today we wanted to kind of extend the tradition that we've had at Mormonism research ministry during this time of year where we normally read some of the comments that we have received from our listeners, and some of our subscribers to our newsletter and instill a little bit of commentary because a lot of these emails though they appeared in our newsletter.

That's all there is, we don't really comment on a lot of things that they have to say. So this gives us an opportunity not only to let you our listeners hear some of the things that we have received from people such as yourself, but to also comment on some of the things said and in today show. We'd like to focus on two emails that we have received from active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know this might surprise some of you but we really do have a lot of Mormons who listen to the show we know by the phone calls we receive and also as you are going to hear from the emails that we've received also and we enjoyed that we are very conscious of the fact that there are Mormons listening to the show and we hope that what we have to say will have an effect on them. Naturally Bill, we don't have any idea who's listening to our show. When we air here in Utah where were broadcasting from and also from other states where were in a but I'm going to say that we know for fact that Latter Day Saints are listening to us and I'll give you an example. I was just recently talking to a friend and he told me how of another friend of his who was Latter Day Saints was asking him some questions and so my friend said well I have a couple of friends who would be able to answer your questions and he mentioned your name in my name, he says he wouldn't know who they were. Anyway, and he says oh yes I do. And this man is asking thinking questions to my my friend wondering about some of the things that we have talked about. And he's listening to our radio shows. We know certainly that there are many people who may be purposely listen to the show.

Maybe by just passing glance. We don't know. But that is important for those of you who are Christians listening you think that nobody else is listening now that we are talking to Latter Day Saints and we know that so we want to be very courteous, gentle and respectful in the way we do things we don't make the latter-day St., our enemies, but I think the information or providing Latter Day Saints ought to know they are to have responses to what were having to say will start off with us first when that we have and are listed. I am an active member of the LDS church. My wife and other family members would be considered very TBM which means True Blue Mormon true believing Mormon and it continues I have doubts about the authenticity of the church, its history and doctrine. I have studied the gospel topic essays fair Mormon CES letter and have been listening to your podcast that we should stop and explain a lot of this is your not familiar with this. We have talked a lot in recent years about the gospel topics essays. These are a number of essays that came out over what would you say over about a two year period starting in 1013 at 2013 at 2015 over a dozen essays were written and are on the church of Jesus Christ.org website today and they do deal with a lot of the more controversial issues of Mormonism like the black revelation polygamy in such but fair Mormon.

We should mention is an apologetic organization that is meant to respond to a lot of the criticisms that people have towards the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This other that he mentions the CES letter.

We talked a lot about that, but this is dealing with the church education system and it was put together by a former Mormon by the name of Jeremy Runnels. If you want to check this out.

You can do so by going to the website CES letter.org CES letter.org and that this is how he introduces at the CES letter is one Latter Day Saints on his quest to get official answers from the LDS church on its troubling origins, history, and practices.

Jeremy Runnels was offered an opportunity to discuss his own doubts with the director of the church educational system.

That's where you get the CES and was assured that his doubts could be resolved. After reading Jeremy's letter, the director promised him a response and he says that no response ever came up. Perhaps not from this particular director, but certainly a lot of other Latter Day Saints have tried to respond to some of the concerns that Jeremy Runnels had but I'll tell you Eric. I I've had a lot of former Mormons that I've talked to personally tell me that this CES letter had a big impact on their lives. They didn't realize there were so many problems in LDS Church history and theology, and if you go to that website. You're going to see that he covers a lot of areas that we certainly covered over the years. That's to be sure, but because these are important topics that need to be resolved in the minds of members who may have some concerns about Mormon church history, but let's go on with what this individual wrote us. I listen to multiple Christian ministry podcasts and Mormon related podcast I am reading about the Bible and the book of Mormon.

I am on a very confusing faith journey.

Thank you for your podcast and your insights. It feels very fair and genuine. You have a very good grasp an understanding of our religion.

For me this is a very confusing time in my life. I am 51 years old and served a mission I'm aware of the issues with the history of the church. It is so overwhelming that I am not sure what to do.

Even though I would not do it. It would seem easier to just slip from this mortal existence so that I would not have to deal with the inner trauma. This is causing in the trauma.

This would put on my family if I stepped away from the church. Again, thank you for your insight. I just got done listening to your podcast with Dr. Lynn Wilder and this gives me hope that this will work out somehow. I have not read this in a long time, Eric, but I was getting those feelings that I had when I first read this and in the grief that I often feel when I read letters such as this. Knowing this is coming from heartfelt emotions that these members are feeling.

I think that's something that a lot of Christians don't take into consideration and they should. It's not easy for a member of the LDS church is given their life to this organization everything up out there. Life is dedicated to the church their friends are all a part of the church. Everything revolves around the church and then to all of a sudden start seeing the foundation of that belief system starting to crumble. You can only imagine as he uses that word, the word trauma.

That's exactly what a lot of them feeling Christian. We've got to understand that that's why when we are talking with our earliest friends and acquaintances.

We need to be mindful that what we are saying could have a devastating impact, and this is why we need to be very careful in how we give this information to them.

We don't want to be flippant. We don't want to be obnoxious and we certainly don't want to be arrogant, but I can sense the pain that this individual was going through when he wrote that if you don't have compassion for a latter-day St.

After reading that. Then you have no heart because that you and I built our people and we do love the latter-day St. people and it does break our heart.

When people are so distraught and depressed. Now we certainly believe there's a solution to that we believe his name is Jesus, and having a personal relationship with him, but it does cause us pain to read. When somebody is so sad about trying to figure this out because he's right there family is going to be incredible to tap the deal, telling people who have been Latter Day Saints maybe going back into their family going to the 19th century and to be able to leave is going to be very difficult for that person. Here's another letter. I am an active Mormon who has lost faith in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I love God and my Savior.

I am trying to find my way out I want to thank you for all the available information regarding the accurate history of the Mormon church. I have not believed a lot of what is been taught but didn't realize the extent of the hidden truths plural God's word of wisdom Garden of Enid Missouri mother in heaven, etc. I've shared my feelings with my husband who only believes what the church puts out the rest of the information on the Internet is quote unquote anti-Mormon. According to him, he's on the stake high council. I am very fearful that the church will urge my husband divorced me when I become inactive. I'm taken the time to find the facts in our own history, hoping to get him thinking about it. My husband said quote we have a promise that God would never allow a false prophet to lead his church astray."

Your videos and writings that help me to know what is truth.

I'm still confused today, because the church puts a spin on everything and excuses the past. In a way that makes it sound almost innocent. I'm still sorting out what doctrine is biblical