Mormonism and culture/Response to "Why People Leave the LDS Church" (2008)/Social and cultural issues

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An analysis of "Why People Leave the LDS Church" (2008)—Social and cultural issues

Historical and doctrinal issues

A FAIR Analysis of: "Why People Leave the LDS Church" (2008), a work by author: John P. Dehlin

The PowerPoint screencast "Why People Leave the LDS Church" (2008) by John Dehlin deals with two different major issues related to those who leave the Church:

1. Historical and doctrinal issues which surprise and shock members.
2. Social considerations regarding the way that members who deal with these issues are treated by other church members.

This article reviews the historical and doctrinal issues raised in the presentation. For a review of the social considerations raised in this presentation, see "Why People Leave the LDS Church"—Historical and doctrinal issues.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

When Church members discover the gap between what they have been taught and what history shows, they feel stunned and betrayed, like they've been lied to, like there has been a cover-up. They feel disgusted and very angry.

• This is sometimes true, but should not be generalized to all Church members.
• In many cases, the Church has acknowledged these issues, but has not emphasized them in regular Church meetings.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

They starting thinking about all the tithing they paid, and all the time they spent in the temple. All the sacrifices and all the callings. How much they gave to the Church. Worth a lot of empathy and understanding.

• These attitudes are attributed primarily to vocal ex-Mormons who post on public message boards. They feel that they paid a lot of tithing based upon false pretenses, and express the opinion that they wasted a lot of their time while they were members of the Church.
• While we agree that those who face challenging questions deserve empathy and understanding, the group of ex-Mormons that publicly complains about the tithing that they paid and the time that they wasted are usually actively denigrating the Church in public forums, such as "Recovery from Mormonism." Active members of the Church are often referred to in these forums using derogatory terms such as the "Morg" or "sheeple." Church leaders are mocked and made the butt of jokes. This public attitude, unfortunately, does not entice active members to be empathetic or understanding when ex-Mormons complain about the tithing that they paid as members, or the time that they claim to have wasted serving in the Church.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*Once this happens to you...you never look at Joseph Smith the same way again.

• This statement is essentially correct. Those who place Joseph Smith on a pedestal as being some sort of perfect individual who was more than human will realize that he was subject to the same humanity as the rest of us. Joseph Smith was a human being, and was far from perfect. He made mistakes, just like any other prophet throughout history.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*Once this happens to you...you never look at scripture the same way again.

• It is true that if one doubts that Joseph Smith was actually a prophet, that the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great price would naturally be questioned. That is why it is so important to achieve an understanding of why Joseph Smith was a prophet.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*Once this happens to you...you never look at the Church the same way again.

• There are many members who are aware of many of the difficult or challenging aspects of Church history that remain active members with their testimonies intact. It is inaccurate to assume that knowledge of these issues irrevocably leads to one never looking at the Church the same way again.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*Once this happens to you...you never think of "authority" the same way again.

• We disagree that detailed knowledge about Church history should cause us to never think of "authority" the same way again.
• Those who do not think of "authority" the same way again do so simply because they no longer believe in the Church. Church leaders are subsequently portrayed as exercising dominant authority over Church members.
• There are many members who are well versed in Church history that fully believe that the authority delegated by Jesus Christ resides within the Church.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*Once this happens to you...your concept of God and Jesus and "the one true church" can change dramatically.

• We disagree that this is the only logical conclusion after one has gained additional knowledge about Church history.
• If one concludes that the Church has been "lying" to them, then this is simply the follow on. It happens to some individuals. Unfortunately, it may lead to a rejection of belief in God or any religion.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*How do we treat those who leave? Fear. Labels—"Anti-Mormon," "Ex-Mormon," "Apostate," "Dangerous," "Ark-steadiers."

• What did Jesus do? Defended those that were struggling against the "religious."

• The labels "anti-Mormon" and "dangerous" refer to someone who actively seeks to destroy the Church after they leave it.
• The label "ex-Mormon" is simply descriptive, and is applied by ex-Mormon's themselves. They choose to identify themselves as ex-Mormons in the public forum. If they choose to define themselves with a name that clearly identifies them as no longer being associated with the Church, then that is their right. Not all members who leave the Church will chose to identify themselves this way.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*How do we treat those who leave? Cease communication. We ostracize and distance ourselves from them.

• What did Jesus do? Associated with everyone (Publicans, etc.) Go after the 1...leave the 99. Go the extra mile. Turn the other cheek.

• We completely agree with this. It is completely wrong to shun and cease communication with those who leave. This is a cultural issue that should be overcome.

The author(s) of Why People Leave the LDS Church make(s) the following claim:

*How do we treat those who leave? Results. Divorce, dissolution of family. Loss of community. Job loss.

• Some of these things are the natural result of what happens when one spouse radically changes their attitude about something that both spouses were in former agreement on. It is not limited to religion, but can occur due to serious difference between spouses on any other subject.
• "Loss of community" and "job loss" may be primary issues related to the Latter-day Saint culture in heavily Mormon areas such as Utah and Idaho. Unfortunately, there is a tendency within the culture to reject those who choose to think differently. This should not be the case, and it is not taught by the Church.