Friendly Reader's Letters

GregoABC wrote:

Kelly,
 I'm very grateful for you site.I was recently visited by some LDS
missionaries. I knew a little about the church already, but your site is
giving me much valuable information I can use and ask them about.
I'm curious, did your demolished faith in the LDS church lead you to any
other faith? Our approach to researching what we are told to be true is very
similar, and I'm sure I would have had the same questions had I been in your
shoes.

thepope wrote:

Hi! My wife and I stumbled across your site yesterday (via Mormon Ring) and we've not been able to read and print the stuff fast enough.  Thank you so much for your work.  Your efforts are greatly appreciated. We are now starting to "see".

Bigfordvan wrote:

Hi kelly,
        Don't you think the church is shooting itself in the foot by dragging
around all this weird history and not dealing with it upfront.  Or don't they
see that as an option?  Are you a member?  Do you think you can know what the
church is all about from beginning to end, and still maintain membership?
The article on your website from the father who lost his daughter to the
church was troubling.  What is the attraction of the fundamentalist,
polyagamist groups in Utah to mainstream members of the church?  It seems
like their ranks are filled with them.  Your website is good.  Very clear and
concise.

GIRLY wrote:

Kelly,

 I found this web site to be very interesting.  I am glad that you were able
to find the discrepancies and act of your own free will, instead of acting as
a mindless zombie as the elders of the Mormon church would have you act.  I
grew up in a Mormon neighborhood and I remember the prejudices that were held
against me and the pressure that was applied by the other children my age to
attend church with them.  And the daily book of Mormon lessons that the
children tried to shove down my throat.  Even the adults favored the other
Mormon children over me relentlessly.  I remember one Mormon mother pulled
her car over to offer a ride to one of the other neighborhood children who
was walking home from school no more than 30 feet in front of me, and once
the child got in the car she speed off and didn't look back.  Also, all of
the Mormon literature that one of the other Mormon mothers always used to
bring to our house in her sick attempt to repeatedly lure us into their
church.  I house bitterness towards the Mormon religion because I know how
crooked the members can be and I've seen the unimaginably endless
brainwashing of so many people.  I admire you courageous efforts and want to
thank you for helping to educate the truths about this organization.

tf.white wrote:

Hello,
 
A couple of Mormon young men came to my house tonight and will be back this time
next week.  I enjoy studying different religions and am fascinated by how people
get sucked into them.
  I found your site and have spent a few minutes on it so far.  The reason I'm writing
is to ask you what questions I might ask these two gentlemen when they come back.
I would imagine they know nothing about 'the other side' of Mormonism.

yrulds wrote:

I love your site!

RussellJ wrote:

I am sure I am not the first to say that your website with your
correspondences and personal story reflects their own experiences. I am
struck quite dramatically at how closely your experiences and issues
parallel my own. I am 36 with a wonderful wife (not perfect and no longer
trying to be) and 5 crazy kids. I love them all but don't get me started. I
was raised by goodly parents and refused to even see their human side until
recently for fear of feeling unfaithful. I was raised with all the good
things of Mormonism and I am very grateful to my parents and church leaders
for such a good life. I feel that I owe my good nature and happiness to the
church. My parents were both raised in the church as well so they give all
credit for their happiness to living the gospel as taught. I have always,
however, felt a sense of not really understanding what people were talking
about. I always hated going up and bearing my testimony and crying in front
of everyone and was always embarrassed when others would do it. My first
temple experience freaked me out but I managed to recover and add it to my
list of "someday I will understand better." Anyway, I am writing so
furiously that I could bore you for hours but I will try to make a long
story shorter. I recently had time to reflect, a rare luxury indeed. I feel
that if more people had time to reflect, I mean really reflect, all alone,
just you and your thoughts (or God) fewer would blindly follow. I was
fortunate that my wife was just as relieved as I was to stop playing
"Perfection" and our relationship has truly blossomed in more honesty and
simplicity. The kids don't have a problem with not going to church. Duh!
Sunday is now, ironically, truly a day of rest. And how true it is that the
church is not the only source for goodness in the world. My two older
daughters have much better friends now than they ever would have been forced
to have in the church. Our oldest was beginning to be skeptical already. In
fact her questions and comments about people and doctrine were a catalyst
for me to really start some "soul searching." (To use a religious term) I am
still trying to show my sisters and parents (and in-laws) that I am still
the same person I always was but it is not going to be the same. I will
never convince them that I am happier than ever. My wife has also tried to
explain how great it is to just take some Tylenol instead of waiting for a
blessing to get rid of a headache. ("In the Lord's due time") Sorry, I guess
I am a bit cynical at times. I am now obsessed with religion more than ever.
I am fascinated with the history and origin of beliefs. I am deeply troubled
with religion being used even today to destroy people. Do you really think
that Slobodan Milosovic believes in the Serbian Orthodox God? He's a
communist! Hello!!! People are so quick to believe and act on their
feelings. Call it religion, nationalism, heritage (that's a word I get allot
from my family), it all boils down to feelings. You are so right when you
point out that so many throughout the world and history have demonstrated
that they truly believe. Would you be willing to fly a dive-bomber into an
aircraft carrier? How about exterminating other humans for your cause? Or
riding a bike into a military checkpoint wearing explosives with a look of
elation on your face? Really, the Mormon church is not even close to being
the most devoted and demanding group in history. Thank, God!!!  Let them
think they are and they are happy. The law of sacrifice. Whatever. I know.
My family heritage is full of the sacrifice. Everyone has to have a cause. I
am grateful. I love Utah! So did the Utes! I am glad that it was Utah and
not Texas!  Let the Texans and Mexicans fight the Commanche and Apache for
it. Why? I don't know. Everyone has a cause.
Well, now you got me started. I better get back to work. Thank you for your
diligence and I look forward to getting more time to look at your stuff.

MichaelAces wrote:

Kelly,

      I just wanted to thank you for making this site. I have a religion
project due in early January and I'm doing it on Mormonism. I've taken
several discussions from missionaries, but I just don't "feel the spirit"
like they want me to, and praying didn't seem to help much. God sure didn't
strike me down with a lightning bolt to tell me to join the church.
      There are too many personal beliefs and morals within myself that I am
not willing to compromise to please the people of this church. If I can't be
accepted for who I am now, why should I change for people who don't even know
me? Even if I did join, I wouldn't be "true" to the members or myself, if I
put on a facade.
      My best friend is Mormon. I don't give her any crap about it, but it
does worry me. There seem to be too many claims and too many examples of
things that just don't make sense, or even feel right. I don't want to hurt
her feelings and every time I show her papers or documents that can prove the
church otherwise, she just laughs them off, as a lot of the members do, I
find. Why is that? It is almost like a brainwashing, isn't it? What do you
suggest I do?
      I think religion and spirituality is something that is very personal
and I just couldn't make it in the Mormon Church. Thanks again for taking the
time to make this site. It's really been helpful
      I hope I hear back from you. Have a good one and God bless.

cbusler wrote:

I enjoyed reading your website. It was very professional and factual.
I was a fourth generation Mormon (in the south) but have been out and ex'ed
for about 10 years. I appreciated your story. Heard many echos of my own story.
I have been doing a little early Mormon history gathering on the net lately.
Your information was much appreciated. Have a good holiday, keep up the good work!

StevenHeatherA Wrote:

Good Morning!
    As a person who grew up in the Mormon church and left as soon as
possible, it's nice to have references such as your fabulous site. I now have
legitimate, documented evidence against the Home Teachers (any advice on
getting one's name removed from Church records? It seems near impossible!),
indignant family members, and the missionaries. Thank you, from the bottom of
my spiritual curiosity.

fillmord Wrote:

I especially like the Mormon Map of the Universe.  When I looked at the
drawings and explaination from the Pearl of Great Price, I was
immediately taken back to my long long ago days in Mormon Seminary.
(Where no one ever really studied their religion, it was just a way to
miss an hour of school everyday).  I think, however Seminary was the
beginning of my questioning, as several years later I did start my
"search for answers" by studying  the seminary text, History of the
Restored Church, and found many discrepencies and contradictions in
Mormon writings.  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to find those and
to begin to question even more and search even further.  I have
questioned and studied for more than thirty years, and now have found
the internet.  Websites like yours are such a great source for
information of this nature.  To claim "you are lying" seems a rather
convenient way to escape having to initiate a personal search for
answers.  Much easier to let yourself be fed "the answers" on a cookie,
then be patted on the head and congratulated when you've eaten it up!
The term "bliss ninny" leaps right to mind!

Please keep sharing information.  Mormons may not like it, but many
others who are "inquiring" need to see as much as possible before they
make a life altering decision!

A Mormon enigma:  19 and 20 year old males are known as "elders", while
their fathers and grandfathers are known as "brothers". Eventually,
"elders" are only  "brothers".  Is is just me, or is that backwards?

Prettylady Wrote:

Hi,
I think your website is great!!
some years back I became a mormon but for some reason it felt "fake" I tried
to pray and "feel" the HS but it just wasn't happening, after about 6 months
I left.

I am currently in a debate with mormons about their relgion and its
interesting that they will defend to the "death" their church leaders and
their relgion, and say that anti-mormons are hateful and liars but oh no my
friends its ALL true!

If "we" hated them then we would not be telling them the truth or proving
that their religion is false.

I read the upset letters and the impression I got from them was that they did
not want to hear or know the truth about their religion.  They "boo boo"
about people tearing it apart well a church who calls it self the "true
church" should be able to stand under intense scrutiny but it doesn,t it
tumbles like a house of cards!

Keep up the good work I guess its true what they say the truth hurts!

Jadestone Wrote:

Thankyou for your site.  I know it must take a lot of bravery to do what you
are doing.  I was reading through your "negative" mail, and they all seem to
be saying the same ignorant things.  It is truly sad.  I was adopted into a
Mormon family when I was 13, and almost went on a mission when I was 22.
Thank God I didn't.  Knowing what I know now about the Mormon church
disgusts me.  They continue to "lie" and commit intellectual suicide by
plugging there ears to everything except what they are fed my mislead
"authorities".  What are they complaining about?  You have everything in
context with references to materials they can look up themselves!  They just
don't want to believe that what you are putting out on the internet is true.
To do so would be to give up a lifetime devoted to a religion, and that can
be hard to come out of.  Anyhow.. I just appreciate what you are doing.

Ben Wrote:

Hey Kelly,
Thanks for dedicating your time and energy to putting this site together. It is what I would be doing if I had the resources to do it.
I pretty much mirror your story, and it is comforting to see others that have gone through similar circumstances.
Again, the site is great, I find the lack of editorial comment very refreshing - - just leaving the original sources to stand/fall on their own.
Great work, I hope you keep the site going.
Kind Regards,

&

Woah.
I just wrote you a few minutes ago... but I hadn't yet read the "upset letters" page.  That is some pretty far-out stuff. I love the part where
they kindly demand you to take down the site (especially when the site simply references mostly Mormon-produced documents). Scary, huh, that
people think that way (I used to think that way too...)
Cognitive dissonance will do that to you, I suppose...
Regards,

Trozhon Wrote:

Hdy128 Wrote: