David Fitzgerald Offers a Heretic’s Guide to Mormonism

From a purely mathematic standpiont, Mormonism is less likely to be true than Christianity.  It is essentially Christianity plus a whole lot of extra claims ontop.  So for example Christians believe in the Garden of Eden existed and Mormons belive it existed in Jackson County Missouri.  So whatever the probably of the Christian’s being right the probality of the Mormons being right must be less becaus ethey make the more detailed claim.

Note: there was no revelation to stop practicing mormonism. They simply stopped, saying: “from here on out we won’t practice it anymore.” meaning those who were married to multiple wives continued to do it but no new ones were allowed. It’s still on the books, no reversal from god at all. So according to D&C 132 every mormon since 1890 is going to hell. That’s why there are fundamentalist groups out there now because there was no official commandment from god saying to stop. The fundamentalists are practicing the religion as taught by Joseph Smith.

~Ex Mo, Happy Atheist. 

Exmo here. 

There’s a lot to comment on. If you get a Mormon apologist on here, they’ll go off on “official” vs. “un-offical” doctrine; sometimes prophets speak only as men and not as a prophet; Book of Mormon people were such a small group that we’ve lost evidence of them (the Church changed the intro of the B.O.M. to describe the Lamanites as “among” the ancestors of modern native americans as opposed to the “principal” ancestors); and other weaselly excuses.

If you want to get a more balanced view on Mormonism, I’d check out Mormonthink.com

I grew up in northern Utah as a fifth generation mormon.  My ancestors converted in Wales around 1880, and pulled a handcart across the US to get to Utah.  Yes, mormonism really is this ridiculous, and this talk was very well done.  All of the beliefs that David covered were consistent with what I heard growing up.

I wish that idiotic beliefs were the worst that mormonism had to offer the world instead of the  extreme racism, misogyny, and homophobia that have caused so much pain, suffering, and death.

I couldn’t help reading your statement as, “essentially Christianity plus a whole lot of nuts on top.”

Like a Sunday sundae.

I remember reading that story as a kid. My dad loved it, I thought it was absurd. 

Growing up Mormon (left in the mid 90’s), this guy was spot on.  I liked how he didn’t go into complete detail on some things (like blood atonement).  Although I would have loved for him to have touched on the whole “calling and election made sure” or second anointing as it’s formally labeled.

Ex Mormon here as well.

I can’t believe he was able to talk about so much in just 45 min.  I think the thing that amazes me to this day is that so many of my friends and family are still Mormon. Even with so much proving the entire religion wrong.

Everything he mentioned, except the Bigfoot thing, I had learned about growing up Mormon. (Except for the things that would prove it wrong.) I learned about how in heaven I would have sister wives and how if my future husband and I were worthy, one day we would have planets of our own. Yup, as ridiculous as it sounds, I believed it all.

I’ve actually done baptisms for the dead, which is a two step process. You get baptized and they also ‘lay their hands upon your head’ to confirm the Holy Spirit… which is also referred to as your ‘Confirmation’. (You need both to get into heaven.)

I had my Patriarchal blessing, which is a blessing given to you in your early teens by a higher up male member of the church called the Patriarch. It’s kinda like a fortune telling of sorts. He is getting a message from god to tell to you. I will have to look for mine, but it basically promises you happiness if you stay on the ‘straight and narrow’ or ‘hold to the iron rod’.

I heard that they stopped doing the Blood Atonement in the Temples in the 1990’s, but I can’t be certain. Hell, I couldn’t even go to my brother’s wedding in 2008 (in a temple) because even though I was Mormon, I hadn’t paid 10% of my income to the church, so I wasn’t ‘worthy’ to enter…

But, yeah, he summed up all the batshit craziness rather well.

More like some anthology that was put together by a committee, and has at least a couple of major versions, and lots of books that for one reason or another were left out.  And another single book that was written by one person that a bunch of people say is the ‘last work’.  And yet another book written by some other single person that a few other people say is the ‘last work’.  And everybody saying their version is inspired by God.