Sharing Discovery of the Truth

Since publishing my work, I have been approached by a number of people who have been coming to terms with the truth, asking my advice on how to approach family members with the devastating news that their Church is not true. Experience has shown that if someone studies everything out privately and concludes for themselves that the Church is false and only then faces a spouse or other family members directly, fait accompli, with all the evidence at once, claiming they have discovered the Church is not true, then they may be in trouble. Immediately, an almost impenetrable and extremely defensive ‘wall’ may well be put up; the evidence (and invariably also the messenger) may be rejected without conscious consideration. Any and every aspect will be strongly argued and not ‘considered’ at all. The Church programmes us to subconsciously reject anything that may ‘offend’ a testimony without consideration.

Members already ‘know’ what is deemed to be true through ethereal means alone. The unwelcome messenger is considered to have lost the spirit; they are under the influence of Satan and viewed as ‘apostate’. Many a Mormon Bishop has advised an active member to divorce an apostate spouse and find someone else who is worthy to take them to the ‘Celestial Kingdom’. There are countless heartbreaking stories on exMormon web sites concerning broken Mormon marriages.

In discussing this problem with a number of worried and concerned members who were studying their way out of the Mormon Church, it transpires that by far the safest and most successful method of tackling it is to immediately discuss initial concerns with a spouse in terms of the first thing that they discovered which indicated there may be a problem with the authenticity of Mormonism. When someone approaches their partner in a manner such as: “Look at what I accidentally discovered (specify an aspect) concerning the Church. This can’t be right, surely? It contravenes all we were ever taught and yet appears verified as true. If so, it brings the truth of the Church into serious question. What do you make of this? What do you think?” In instances that I am aware of, members who have entered into some such early discussions have usually succeeded in continuing their study of the truth together, subsequently leaving the Church as a couple. They have then been much more easily able to take the same approach with children who are then much more likely to follow them.

If you find yourself in this situation, I strongly advise early, open, non confrontational discussions, allowing you both to reach the same conclusions together, gently and with care and love, before moving on to the next topic. It is truly devastating to have to face the truth and many people would rather not have to. However, the ‘joint study’ method of gaining an understanding of the truth, then being able to both arrive at a final decision together, will, more often than not, at least save a good marriage, whereas facing a partner down with an already made personal decision could cause irreparable damage to an otherwise healthy relationship. For a happy outcome, find a way to ‘discover’ the truth together.

Why I will never respond to Apologists

Mormons who formally resigned their Church membership when they discovered the truth number in the thousands, possibly tens, if not hundreds of thousands – and the number is growing.

As members of the Mormon Church, they were completely unaware of the truth behind the Church. When they discovered the truth, devastating and unwanted though that knowledge may have been, they had the integrity to face and deal with it and then to act upon it. They resigned Church membership in protest at the lies and deception, accepting the consequences of their actions in respect of damaged relationships between friends and family members and often the complete loss of a social life.

Apologists on the other hand, are faced daily with all the evidence of the hoax and the conspiracy, but they act as deluded puppets of their prophets, leaders and employers, with neither the courage nor integrity to accept and face the truth. Instead, they protect, rationalise and perpetuate all of the lies through constant manipulation and distortion of the facts, creating more and more nonsense in order to obfuscate the truth and keep members in a deluded state. They don’t even see that their own original testimony was based on a fundamentally flawed supplication, before they learned of the reality behind the superficial and constructed lies that constitute what is taken to the Lord in prayer by the faithful.

They just do not seem able to put their misplaced faith aside and face reality when facts override what they had faith in, in a given area. If there were say just one, or even two, aspects of the Church that were suspect and uncertain then there could be some understanding of a need for apologetics. However, every single aspect of the Mormon Church’s teachings today is provably integrated within a conspiracy to suppress the truth; manipulated to make it fit a preconceived but unsustainable position. Continued apologetic endeavours today prove nothing other than attempts to hide the truth and stem from a deep delusional state, embedded in the minds of those who participate in writing such material. Subconsciously, they must know the truth but rarely does an apologist ever consciously realise, face and accept the facts.

You cannot argue unassailable and proven points (and there are literally hundreds) with someone who cannot see the light because their faith in proven fiction supersedes all reason and also common sense. They know the truth and yet seem able to rationalise and accept that ‘lying for the Lord’ always was and still is, via their own manipulation, an honourable occupation in the Mormon Church. It is not. Any true God would condemn, not endorse such a thing. Shame on them; I will have nothing to do with them.

I have looked at one or two so-called critiques or reviews of other authors’ work by apologists who immediately attacked the messenger rather than simply face and deal with the evidence presented. In one review, the apologist stated the first thing that should be said was that the writer erroneously called his ‘Preface’ (which is written by an author) a ‘Foreword’ (which is written by someone else), to show that the writer was ignorant of correct procedure. He thus tried to undermine and discredit the author by any means possible before even considering what he actually had to say. This would be to convince any enquiring Mormon who may happen to read the critique, that the author of the work under review was not worthy of further consideration.

After putting down the author in every way possible, the apologist, in this instance, wrote a lengthy text which offered no tangible evidence in rebuttal whatsoever. It was just full of ‘faith promoting’ supposition with assertions that the writer was of course not directed by the spirit. Complaints of incorrect ‘understanding’ and ‘misrepresentation’ were not backed up with tangible facts or reliable evidence. The net result was the apologist only satisfied his own demands – and possibly those of his peers. No doubt a faithful Mormon reading the review with the preconceived notion that an apologist working with the spirit must be better placed to identify the truth than an apostate author would just accept the apologist’s position and not consider reading the actual material under review. That of course is the whole objective of an apologist but not the objective of a genuine critique. Apologists manipulate the truth in order to defend absolute lies rather than objectively evaluate good academic work and accept the truth.

I have seen the same derogatory approach taken regarding the academic status of some authors. Unless they have some kind of university degree, they are not worthy of consideration as authors of Mormon history. I fail to understand why such an attitude is taken when the author may have had a lifetime of experience in the Church and a good grasp of the truth for which an educational standard is hardly required. Apologists are academics and they promote their position as far above a lowly writer who has no such status. During my career, I was for a period, the Business Manager of an American International University, where I was responsible for everything except the faculty. Some of the faculty were highly intelligent and very interesting. Others however, clearly had no experience of life whatsoever. They had never left school… after completing their own education they immediately started teaching. Their experience was so limited that their education was of little help to them in understanding how to prepare others for life in a world they had never experienced.

Well, in case apologists do ever decide to critique my work, I have correctly called the preface the preface, and I hope I have managed to be accurate in all I have written. If not, then I hope the facts and evidence will be judged rather than me as a person. The English style of writing I have adopted is the ‘logical view’ rather than the ‘conventional view’ regarding punctuation and quotation marks – despite the American way being slightly different. I doubt American Mormon apologists have ever even been taught the difference, so if they criticise that it will just show they don’t understand English outside of the American style.

I wrote my work simply as Jim Whitefield, an ex Mormon who had accidentally stumbled across and felt obliged to expose the truth behind the Church. I did not choose to include my full name or any academic achievements, which I considered had nothing to do with my writing whatsoever. If I were not retired, no doubt my business cards would still contain at least some of the following, depending on my line of work: James I Whitefield MMS., MIIRSM., AIIM., MIMgt., MLIA., MCII., CGLI (Work Study, O&M)., Master Builder.

After six years of full time research and having published five academic standard, ‘Harvard System’ referenced books, several articles, and having obtained the requisite peer reviews, along with internationally lecturing on the subject of Mormonism, I qualify to apply for a doctorate from several universities, but that was never my aim. I chose not to do so, as my work has little to do with qualifications and everything to do with the truth behind the continued conspiracy to deceive members and investigators of the Mormon Church. I prefer to get on with retirement, so if apologists do decry me for not having a doctorate, it is not because I am not eligible to obtain one, it is simply because there is no point in bothering. I am after all – finally retired!

My work is done. The truth is established. 
Accept it or reject it; either way – it remains the truth.
Jim Whitefield

Passive v. Aggressive Stances

Of course, for those who criticise sites such as The Mormon Delusion for exposing people to the truth, this is but a passive position; you don’t have to look, you know what it is about. It is unlike the Mormon Church’s more aggressive stance, taken every day of the week when it imposes uninvited upon people in the street, at their doors, by advertising and through the coercion of members endeavouring to introduce their friends and neighbours to Mormon missionaries. Most people are not generally seeking to be taught about Mormonism. Missionaries teach ‘investigators’ that anything they currently believe is wrong and actually stems from the adversary rather than God. Try telling a Mormon that about what they believe.

Information the Mormon Church provides to potential converts is very restricted, thoroughly sanitised, and much verifiable truth is hidden away because the fact is that most of it makes no sense and cannot, with the best will in the world, stand up to the remotest, even sympathetic, scrutiny, if put to the test. If you want to keep a testimony – don’t put it to the test – what you will find will shock and dismay, for the truth is out there – and today, it is only a few clicks away.

However, should it be discovered by some Mormons (such as myself) that the very basis of their belief was founded on a hoax, continued as a conspiracy and perpetuated by lies, then such evidence should at least be made readily available for study, so that anyone who has occasion to, will be able to access it and determine for themselves what they make of it. In my view, integrity demands this take place prior to joining the Church. It should be illegal for known fiction (i.e. falsifications) to be published as if it is the truth. I know more than most members seem to know about the truth and I appear to know more than some BYU professors, and from personal conversations, even some of the General Authorities, regarding some of the real historical aspects which they deliberately avoid, so I feel my opinion counts.

It is my opinion, after forty-three years of study, research and teaching of official Mormon doctrine and history, that all the things I could not account for, which made no logical sense (without a reliance on faith), are now readily explained. I am drawn to conclude, after studying many sources, full time, for six years, that there is so much evidence against historical Mormon Church claims, most of which stem from within its own falsified accounts, that no one exposed to the truth before considering joining would ever contemplate or even consider becoming a Mormon.

The irony is that whilst the Church teaches the ‘saints’ that they should not look outside the Church for information as it may be biased and unreliable and not given by the spirit, my analysis shows just the opposite. Having studied many actual historical records, it is a fundamental fact that much documentation by historians who publish material the Church would rather they didn’t, is actually highly accurate and unbiased; it is in fact well researched, fully substantiated and very compelling. Mormon Church historians get excommunicated when they write the truth, as ‘it is not helpful.’ The Church can then distance itself from them.

Conversely, official Church history, scripture and resource material is demonstrably highly questionable, much of it being fabricated. Church material is actually filled with many thousands of changes and falsifications through additions, deletions, deliberate omissions, and interpolation (if it isn’t suppressed), containing the very biases, inaccuracies and conspiratorial writings that many good non-Mormon and ex-Mormon writers as well as truthful Mormon Church historians are accused of by the Church. The Church would call this ‘clarification.’ The trouble is that far from clarifying anything, their alterations often change the very meaning and context of the original text, which in many cases were associated with ‘Thus saith the Lord’ and God is not supposed to get things wrong – or change His mind.

The habit of accusing so-called ‘enemies of the Church’ (who are usually Church members writing true history) of undermining the truth with lies, when it is actually the Church which has falsified its own records, reminds me of Joseph Smith who used similar tactics. When he was accurately accused of polygamy by someone, Smith would publicly deny he practiced it and equally publicly falsely accuse the person of adultery. Nothing changes in Mormonism. ‘Lying for the Lord’ is still alive and well. The question always is – would any God ever be involved with such people? (Occam’s Razor). It is a pity that modern Church leaders don’t have the integrity to come clean, correct everything, and face the truth, but then so much has been falsified, would there be any Mormons left if they did?

I believe the reason they don’t come clean is that the Church view is taken from a preconceived position which must be sustained as correct no matter what and must be protected at all costs, so everything must be made to fit that position even if it means perpetuating known lies. I expect many General Authorities today feel more than uncomfortable about the past, as well as the falsified history, but can see no way of doing anything about it without losing faith – and of course members. So they bury their heads in the sand and ignore the truth, presumably ‘for the greater good.’

A classic example of that is the reason the Book of Abraham is still canonised scripture. It is ludicrous to still claim it came from God but the Church chooses to ignore the evidence and say nothing, leaving apologists the impossible task of dreaming up nonsense so-called ‘plausible’ alternative solutions to what has become an unsolvable problem. It is absolutely outrageous to continue to claim something is of God when conclusive evidence proves otherwise. Everyone who has remotely studied all the facts is left in no doubt that Smith made it all up.

Non-Mormon historians simply look for and report the truth they find. Whether it helps or hinders any position, it is simply history. They question and then publish the results of their questioning. To date, I have found absolutely nothing that substantiates the Church’s overall position. Yet I have discovered more than I can take in, regarding evidence against the Church and of its conspiracy to deceive. That is why my research has extended to five volumes when I only started out, from idle curiosity, to discover how many wives Joseph Smith actually had. Who would have thought that it would have led to such a long and devastating journey?

There is no possibility of Joseph Smith remotely being a plausible choice for use by a God for any holy purpose. He simply does not qualify. He was positively and demonstrably evil. It then got even worse when Brigham Young got his hands on the reins of the Church. I find it amazing that the Church now manages to hide the truth of the past from members so well. What a way to run a Church; rewrite and falsify scripture and history and then teach members that they have the truth and anything outside it will be suspect. To even look outside the Church for answers shows a lack of faith, will possibly destroy a testimony, and could cost someone their eternal salvation. And yet, if someone has the courage to seek, they will find the awful truth – that they have been deceived – the evidence of that is conclusive and it is available in abundance.

Stay in the delusion and all will be well. I agree; it can be a ‘warm and fuzzy’ place to be. The only problem is, that is all it is; and millions of Mormons spend their lives chasing a rainbow that, unlike a simple faith in God, is provably just an illusion and the whole idea of Mormonism a cruel deception. Evidence provided in ‘The Mormon Delusion’ Volumes 1-5 proves that to be the case beyond any doubt.

March 2009

I recently had a polite and interesting exchange of emails with an active member of the Mormon Church. One misconception he had was that authors such as myself write the material we do in order to make money. Just to clarify matters, very few authors make much of anything financially from their efforts. It’s a bit like being a recording artist. Very few make substantial returns. Most never ‘make it’ so to speak. In this ‘limited interest’ genre, no author is ever likely to recoup the costs of the time, research and publication of their work, nor in my experience is it their objective. Authors have to sell a great many books to actually gain financially and books on Church history do not exactly make any ‘best seller’ lists, even when written by more prominent authors. There is relatively little interest outside the community who have left the Church and those who are seriously questioning their faith.

It takes years of research to produce such work and in my case I doubt very much that I will ever get back even a small percentage of the costs I have incurred. The motivation (and I am sure this applies to most if not all others who write such material) is purely and simply a compulsion to publish the truth for those who seek it.

In my own case, it has been my therapy as I try to somehow come to terms with the awful truth that the things I accepted as real in my life were no more than a complete fabrication, established for the sole purpose of satisfying the appetites (money, power and women) of Joseph Smith. My hope is that one day, some of my family may find the courage to read my work, learn and accept the truth. I hope a few others may also benefit from my writing along the way.

To recoup the costs of three years of full time research and writing would require sales of many thousands of copies of my work. Realistically, some people may be surprised to learn; many books such as this, sell no more than a few dozen to perhaps a few hundred copies. Few get into the low thousands and none sell more than that. With just a few dollars per book in royalties, it is easy to calculate the amount an author may expect in return for his or her efforts. Please be assured that writers of Mormon history who expose the truth are motivated by anything but money.

Another interesting thing mentioned by this member was that he could accommodate the lies concerning early polygamy and also the lies after the Manifesto, accepting there really was a ‘greater good’ behind it all. This I simply cannot understand, but clearly he is not alone in his ability. This is not a measure of faith, it is evidence of a very deep seated delusional state. Personally, I could never have accommodated any such thing as a member of the Church and I hold Church leaders to the same standards ‘expected’ of rank and file members – i.e., Articles of Faith 12 & 13 – to say nothing of the standard I hold any God to, Mormon or otherwise.