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Latest Videos from Outgrowing Mormonism on YouTube

An analytical breakdown of Elder Corbridge’s famous address, exploring the underlying premises behind his message, why members resort to defense mechanisms when people leave, and the fundamental tension between belief, reason, and spiritual experiences. ​In this video, we delve deeper into Lawrence E. Corbridge's message to examine why the criticism he received was earned, yet often misunderstood. While defenders argue his points were taken out of context regarding the Church as an institution, the real debate centers on the validity of revelation, the method of the Holy Ghost, and whether trading this life for the next is a sacrifice worth making. Links: The full Elder Corbridge video: https://youtu.be/uCo2iUjX6PI?is=oSrxtqOw1oIe1GLY Jehovah's Witnesses clip from Stop The Shunning https://youtu.be/qgtd5EpGJaw?is=iN2uR_ElRd6MChjB
Elder Corbridge was Right, but His Advice is Wrong
Mormonism has a prophet problem. Are prophets fallible or infallible? It depends on which prophet you ask. Apologist Jacob Hansen of Thoughtful Faith believes he has the answer in his collective witness model. https://youtu.be/KPPuAGpnNpE?is=PtUVYoT_3oSYcft5 The truth is that we can't abdicate our responsibility of judgement to anyone or anything. A happy life requires us to discover true principles and that requires the work of thinking.
LDS Apologists and the Prophet Problem
​Breaking down the fatal flaw in LDS epistemology and explain why relying on feelings over reason creates a dangerous vulnerability to manipulation, fraud, and abuse. ​Analyzing key statements from LDS leadership and exploring the concept of "pious fraud." Examining how a system that replaces critical thinking with spiritual "cheat codes" fails in the real world. ​ ​The Epistemology Flaw: How emotional reasoning undermines discernment and leaves members vulnerable to predators. ​The "Pious Fraud" Dilemma: Why noble intentions behind deceit (from Joseph Smith’s origins to modern AI deepfakes) ultimately collapse against reality. ​The Illusion of Trust: Why outsourcing your judgment to prophets or spiritual feelings detaches you from objective truth—and why you can never truly escape the necessity of your own reason. Links: D Todd Christofferson full video: https://youtu.be/Nj6M82HrNm0?is=Q1Yc_TeNWWjGQz61 Mormon News Update: https://youtu.be/keHuABBC8NQ?is=hvPI6Gpc_ilgmS0n Wendy Nelson: https://youtu.be/ekVlrSr43js?is=C-2Bv2GRG1dNZoXA
The Book of Mormon Cheat Code that Gives Away the Game
​In this video, I answer the big questions about what I actually believe after leaving Mormonism: Am I happier? Am I an atheist or a skeptic? What happens after we die? ​We all need a philosophy of life—one that matches reality as closely as possible. Looking back, Mormonism contains two fundamental ideas in direct conflict: God is in charge vs. Reality is in charge. When you choose reality, everything else—the atonement, the Holy Ghost, the plan of salvation—gets deconstructed. ​Join me as I break down my personal philosophy, from metaphysics and epistemology to why reason and our own judgment must replace spiritual authority. Plus, I share a perspective on life after death that might actually surprise you, and why our true focus belongs on living a deeply happy, value-driven life right here and now. Links: Elder Ballard 2:26-3:21 https://youtu.be/-WqVYrpYqdM?is=-D1MB0imi4JcR6Ts Leonard Piekoff 35:18-38:52 https://youtu.be/Pqbh9zDsLEQ?is=eBbn36E2nn1k5gFf
No Longer LDS? What Do I Believe?
Growing up my wife always believed the Holy Ghost would help to protect her from harm. This week something reminded her she left the oven on. Is it still protecting her? Looking back the Holy Ghost was almost like a divine imaginary friend. In this episode, we dive into our personal experiences with the roles assigned to the Holy Ghost in the LDS faith: as the source of all truth, the comforter, and a source of divine protection. ​ ​In this video, we discuss: ​The Holy Ghost as the Source of All Truth: Scriptural orthodoxy, mission experiences, and how emotional feelings can be manipulated by social pressure. ​Reason vs. Feelings: Why reason relies on facts, while spiritual feelings often change with time and culture Unpacking the psychological side of spiritual prompts, protection, and where reason fits into big life decisions. LINKS: Spiritual experiences from all faiths https://youtu.be/ycUvC9s4VYA?is=avuh3IT-l0GBMMMa https://youtu.be/UJMSU8Qj6Go?is=Iiz-BHjLJa7HXIjb Growing up in Polygamy https://youtu.be/OBhDBMe8PgQ?is=iXaXddMK7fHvwyPR
Is My Wife Still Feeling the Spirit?
​In this video, I explore my journey of outgrowing Mormonism—a transition from a magic worldview where miracles suspend cause and effect to a view of reality grounded in natural laws and reason. ​When you're raised inside a religious belief system, mystical ideas feel completely normal. But as the "shadow of the Enlightenment" falls over church history, the contrast between magic and reason can become difficult to ignore. ​💬 Question for the comments: Which mystical or magical idea in church history was the one that ultimately broke your shelf? LINKS Church History Matters - Book of Mormon Translation https://youtu.be/ChLPminCdJk?is=wrxXZtOeoFLXG9dx Mormwiththosewhomormed on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaEK8t0tdXe/?igsh=MW5oZDVobGgwazY1OQ== SUGGESTED VIDEOS My shelf was unbreakable https://youtu.be/19BX8UHesrg?is=gm8APfuGt3GDhrNt The Story of Korihor https://youtu.be/YyLXrjyW6jg?is=9jxUSsmgTLUEqEkz
How I Outgrew MY LDS Magic Worldview
The In Alma 30, the story of Korihor contains what I believe are three of the most common forms of religious manipulation—not just in the Book of Mormon, but throughout scripture. In this video, I break down how each tactic works, why it's persuasive, and how they all point to the same underlying pattern: replacing independent thought with authoritarianism. - Manipulation #1: "Believe...or else." The false choice between faith and demanding a sign. How appeals to authority and power undermine genuine free will and independent thought. - Manipulation #2: "You've had enough evidence." We'll explore the claim that unbelief is simply stubbornness - Manipulation #3: "It's unreasonable not to believe." The claim that reason and sense experience are inherently inadequate. Ultimately, all three forms of manipulation share the same goal: to get reason out of the way. Whether by threatening consequences, declaring the evidence already settled, or claiming faith is the only reliable path to truth, each approach discourages people from thinking independently. Links: Shane Baldwins Korihor threat on Mormonism Live https://www.youtube.com/live/RyejJHP2ZzE?is=vuLvDcNN_Su9Jnj0 My Video about Shane Baldwin https://youtu.be/oOnRLe0wzSo?is=fc-635MnPPQrc_gw Elder Bednar "That Ye May Believe - part I" https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/that-ye-may-believe/part-1?lang=eng Elder Oaks "Our Strength Can Become Our Downfall" https://youtu.be/X5xCeiXDN9E?is=xB8DsdTnfB9kU3v_ ​00:00 - Introduction & The Story of Korihor An introduction to three manipulative ideas about truth in the Book of Mormon, using the debate between the prophet Alma and Korihor the anti-Christ in Alma 30 as a case study. ​07:27 - Manipulation #1: "Might Makes Right" (Believe or Else) An analysis of how the threat of physical or divine punishment (like Korihor being struck dumb) is used to bypass objective reasoning, framing disbelief as a dangerous threat. ​11:15 - Modern Parallel: Baldwin vs. Dehlin A look at a recent online exchange where a believer uses the Korihor narrative to threaten a critic with a priesthood "cursing" ordinance. ​16:04 - Manipulation #2: The Overstatement of Design A critique of Alma’s argument that God's existence is so obvious that any disbeliever is inherently dishonest or lying to themselves. ​21:15 - Manipulation #3: Bypassing Reason for "The Spirit" An examination of LDS epistemology, which asserts that spiritual feelings (the Holy Ghost) are more reliable than physical senses and logical deduction. ​31:12 - The Orthodoxy Trap & Conclusion A discussion on the logical flaws of relying on subjective feelings for truth, concluding with an encouragement to reclaim personal reasoning.
Three Manipulative Ideas in The Book of Mormon
My wife and I were true beliving Latter-day Saints our whole lives. 18 years into our marriage we began deconstructing our faith. That is when I discovered that my wife never had a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, even though she was a beliving member. Looking back I credit her for having a stronger moral compass than me. she was unwilling to buy in to the Atonement because she knew that it wasn't possible to avoid the consequences of our actions.
A Discussion with My Wife About the Atonement
Aristotle's critique of Plato's World of Forms reveals a fundamental truth about reality: abstractions are not entities. The Atonement is based on Plato’s error of treating abstract concepts as if they exist as physical things in another dimension Aristotle’s rejected this. He realized that form and matter cannot be separated. Actiins and consequences can never be separated. ​"Running" can't exist without a runner, and "orange" can't exist without an orange object and sin only exists as a wring choice tide to an individuals character. You can't transfer your piano practice hours to someone else, and you can't transfer your moral choices. #lds #deconstruction
How Aristotles Rejection of Plato Highlights the problem with The Atonement
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