Last year, I wrote the following post in ‘The Others’ forum on facebook regarding faithful Mormons writing to ex-members:
I have read several posts recently on various threads where people have shared emails from the faithful who criticised them for leaving the Church which they ‘know’ (and always claim that we also still really know) is true. I have had some myself and responded in a similar attempted conciliatory manner in the past. It is interesting how predictably similar they always are and how they are so cruel and critical, telling us they are amazed at how far we have fallen, when all each of us did was to reluctantly follow our conscience. I guess it would be rude to just say “piss off you arrogant, ignorant, deluded Mor(m)on” and we are (or at least try to be) better than that. I have concluded there is little point in responding at all really, as each person must of necessity experience their own personal epiphany before they can see and accept and then have the courage to act on the truth.
At the end of the day, this is the stark reality.
We say we left the Church when we discovered the unwanted but unfortunately fully evidenced truth behind the hoax and that we resigned for the sake of integrity.
This is interpreted as – we left the Church when we sinned or were offended or we refused to obediently follow the brethren.
We say we very reluctantly had to face, accept and deal with the truth, no matter what the consequences, as truth and integrity are the most important things in life.
This is interpreted as – we fell under the influence of Satan and we rejected the spirit and the truth. There is no integrity in following the adversary. We are lost souls.
We may respond with a little of the evidence in an area which we know is conclusive – among the hundreds of claims made by the Mormon Church that have been exposed as fraudulent.
This will be rationalised away as misinformation or even that it doesn’t matter and all will be made clear in the hereafter. We shall see who is right in the next life.
Many of us have concluded that there is no such thing as a God, and if we are correct then there will not be a hereafter in which to conclude such discussions. Who wins?
This is why my web site and my books all contain risk warnings to ward off the faithful. It led me to coin the quote which appears on my home page. I believe it is accurate.
As long as people want the Mormon Church to be true,
more than they are willing to face the possibility that it is not,
they will not entertain evidence or reason.
Delusion becomes a choice.
(Jim Whitefield 2010).
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In order to understand the psychology behind various aspects that comprise the Mormon delusion, I highly recommend reading William Kempton’s writing on the subject which I came across in May of 2011. Understanding the Mormon Brain.
The article addresses how the three different modules of the brain are affected and controlled. An excerpt should help entice you to read the whole article.
“The Mormon Corporation takes over the primitive reptilian brain by training the Mormon’s fight or flight system to respond with anxiety to any material deemed critical of the LDS Faith. The Mormon system also hijacks the entire Limbic system (the mammalian-brain: the seat of emotion) by programming the Mormon to interpret all pleasant emotions as evidence that Mormonism is true, and all negative emotions about Mormonism as “satanic” or “evil.” Mormons are also kept mostly isolated from outside influences, causing the mammalian brain to form a tighter bond with fellow LDS group members, to the point that leaving the group feels like losing one’s whole identity as their sense of self becomes merged with the group. Thus Mormons are hijacked emotionally and nervously. Mormons then form bonds or friendship that are wrapped up in LDS mythology to the point that to doubt the LDS mythos is to sever one’s relationships which for us human mammals can be quite painful. The most powerful “hold” the LDS system has on most Mormons is through the dogma being tied up in family cohesion. The mental programming in the Mormon head is, “to leave Mormonism is to lose one’s family in the eternities.” This hijacks the natural bond between parent and child which is the ultimate form of manipulation.”
This article explains so well, exactly what exMormons come to fully understand and appreciate but sometimes have great difficulty expressing and explaining. It helps us to understand what happened to us as members and what is still happening to those who will not listen to common sense and reason.
Jim Whitefield 