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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
​My reaction to an interview with Shane Baldwin on Mormon Book Reviews. Shane Baldwin tells his story of meeting John the Beloved, who was allowed to tarry until the return of Jesus. I relate my own story of what it was like being a Mormon mystic. The Interview https://youtu.be/gC1-S-d98uM?is=U7-dkOrn5BE4sMjc Baptists at our BBQ https://youtu.be/wMcSijmf79I?is=LYSyufEh5rFUa7Qk
Mormon Mysticism and Shane Baldwin
The Book of Mormon survives largely as an argument from ignorance: "You can't prove it false, therefore it might be true." The narrative is free to change to answer the problems. • The many anachronisms in the text, including horses, cattle, elephants, swine, chariots, silk, iron, and steel. • Translation issues and Christian concepts that appear centuries before they should, including terms such as Christ, synagogue, and even the concept of a bound book. • DNA evidence and passages such as 2 Nephi 1:8 There is also an interesting irony here. If the Book of Mormon were conclusively proven true, there would be no need to gain a testimony through the Holy Ghost. Evidence would compel belief. The LDS truth-claim depends on remaining just uncertain enough that faith can fill the gap. For many members experiencing a faith crisis, the BOM becomes the last line of defense: not evidence that the Book of Mormon is true, but the inability to prove it false. "Informal Fallacies, Part 1" by: Leonard Peikoff https://youtu.be/U3Jm8zF7bJ8?is=i1jn83LhXNy-3hOg Elder Holland- Safety for the Soul - LDS General Conference https://youtu.be/2gAOrQBXEks?is=LoRZ5SxCbyuxdetv Let's Get Real - Interview with David Snell https://youtu.be/OH6iKdSzDbQ?is=hIbDzUWXYMIrgTX- DanVogel Book of Mormon Witnesses P1 https://youtu.be/v-jNV6jN-VQ?is=cz0CLxSgdegxnLE7 Grant Palmer on the witnesses "second sight" https://youtu.be/3KpYoMGCqpE?is=LUlDqmEWNVE5aNrk Dr John Lundwall on Mormonish https://youtu.be/xu6VV9Nfq3E?is=vsLrvFb-6o54BE4e
The Book of Mormon and the argument from ignorance
John Larsen on Mormon Stories https://www.youtube.com/live/pEtCMHkpG-M?si=H-8a-tbAhS009z4b
The LDS Plan of Salvation Can't Stand Up to Scrutiny
In this video I explore a foundational principle within LDS theology that, if fully embraced leads out Mormonism. That principle is objectivity. Latter-day Saint scriptures and prophets reject the idea of creation ex nihilo — the belief that God created everything out of absolute nothingness. Instead, the Book of Abraham says, “We will go down, for there is space there…” (Abraham 3:24). That small phrase carries massive philosophical implications. If there is “space there,” then something exists independent of God. Space is not created by Him. It simply is. And if objective reality exists independently of God, then truth itself cannot merely be whatever authority declares it to be. In this episode I examine how LDS theology accidentally opens the door to objective reality, objective truth, and objective morality — concepts that ultimately undermine systems built on obedience to prophetic authority. If reality exists independent of any prophet, institution, or even God Himself, then truth must be discovered through objective means. King Follett Discourse https://josephsmithfoundation.org/docs/the-king-follett-sermon/ LDS Book of Abraham https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/abr/3?lang=eng
The Principle at the Heart of the LDS Worldview that Leads Out of Mormonism
While I was still a fully believing TBM, a close friend called me and told me his shelf had broken. He brought up things like the rock in the hat, and the Book of Abraham translation. Honestly… I wasn’t phased. Of course Mormonism sounded unbelievable. It was supposed to. I viewed Mormonism like two puzzles: One was the physical puzzle — the historical evidence, the contradictions, the archaeology, the translation issues. The other was the spiritual puzzle — happiness, morality, meaning, purpose, principles, the feeling that the story “fit together.” As long as the spiritual puzzle worked, it didn’t bother me that the physical one didn’t. I assumed the answers would come later. My shelf felt unbreakable. But eventually the spiritual puzzle stopped fitting too. That’s when things changed. I didn’t just deconstruct Mormonism historically — I outgrew it philosophically. Video referenced: https://youtu.be/UP8NRgWtPaE?si=L017LLQdY-isGY2q Historian Dan Vogel on all three shelf items: Seer Stone https://youtu.be/uawcYN-O8t4?si=ualWLRblZT_8Hn6r Book of Abraham https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjxwXGB2KzRaejlyYHN1Lm9qDYmUpGgQw&si=1btqgW91OZHqzHBY First Vision https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjxwXGB2KzRYW4_WgycBuAerb3pGPog7R&si=vnvXGTEhYqRIDCex
Why My Mormon Shelf Was Unbreakable
For most of my life, I believed the LDS model of truth worked like this: God speaks to prophets, prophets teach us, and the Holy Ghost confirms the truth. But what happens when prophets contradict each other? What happens when doctrines change? What happens when teachings once defended as eternal truth become embarrassing relics of the past? In this episode, I argue that the deeper issue is not simply that prophets make mistakes — it’s that prophetic authority itself is fundamentally anti-objective. #lds #deconstruction Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/ezra-taft-benson/fourteen-fundamentals-following-prophet/ The letter to Eugene England https://www.eugeneengland.org/a-professor-and-apostle-correspond-eugene-england-and-bruce-r-mcconkie-on-the-nature-of-god BH Roberts quote on doctrine https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Question:_How_does_the_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints_establish_new_doctrine%3F Here is a structured breakdown of the video into clean, logical chapters with timestamps: ​00:00 — Introduction: Objectivity vs. Revelation ​The Core Debate: Introducing the fundamental tension between an objective reality discovered through human reason and the LDS doctrine of modern prophets receiving knowledge through revelation. ​The Anti-Objective Model: Why relying on revelation inherently steps away from reality-based context, shifting instead toward mysticism or absolute obedience to authority. ​00:02:30 — Managing Revelation in Early Church History ​The Problem of Multiple Revelations: How early Christianity and early Mormonism both faced the dilemma of everyone receiving personal revelations, requiring an institutional "canon" to filter them. ​The Hiram Page Incident: Exploring the 1830 conflict where Hiram Page claimed revelations through a seer stone, forcing Joseph Smith to establish exclusive prophetic authority. ​00:04:38 — The Need for a Prophetic Framework ​Emerging Contradictions: How historical shifts and past theological doctrines (like the Adam-God theory, polygamy, and priesthood bans) forced the institution to create explanations for why prophets occasionally err. ​00:05:34 — Model 1: The Living Prophet Supersedes Scripture ​The Infallible Mouthpiece: An examination of the belief that the current, living prophet is God’s active mouthpiece, carrying greater weight than past scripture or dead prophets. ​Brigham Young’s View: Discussing an anecdote from Ezra Taft Benson's "14 Fundamentals" talk where Brigham Young physically sets down the scriptures to emphasize the supremacy of the "living oracles." ​00:09:39 — Model 2: The Consensus of the Top 15 ​Institutional Harmony: Moving away from individual statements to a democratic/institutional model, where true doctrine must be consistently taught in unison by the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. ​00:12:20 — Model 3: Prophets Speaking as Men & The Circular Logic ​Anchored in Scripture: Reviewing the viewpoint of theologians like B.H. Roberts and Bruce R. McConkie, who argued that church leaders can teach false doctrines as personal opinions, meaning true doctrine must only be anchored to the canonized standard works. ​The Self-Defeating Loop: Why the concept of "he was only speaking as a man" creates a circular, unobjective loop of authority. ​00:19:44 — Objective Principles vs. Divine Edicts ​Induction from Reality: Using the concept of honesty to contrast an objective principle (learned naturally through its real-world consequences) with a top-down commandment. ​The Complexity of Commandments: How a commandment-based system can cause morality to work against itself, using historical examples of early church polygamy and secrecy. ​00:25:08 — Personal Reflections and Moving Beyond the Checklist ​Encountering Past Doctrines: Sharing a personal mission experience discovering old prophetic teachings on birth control, which began the process of questioning uncritical belief. ​The "Gospel Checklist": Looking back at a life driven by compartmentalized tasks (tithing, callings, home teaching) rather than integrated critical thinking. ​00:28:40 — Conclusion: Finding Peace in Intellectual Honesty ​Embracing Objectivity: How letting go of the need to filter life through prophetic edicts brought genuine peace. ​Final Thoughts: A closing invitation to prioritize intellectual honesty and objective reality above the requirement to follow institutional leaders.
Prophets Are Anti-Objectivity
The Holy Ghost is framed as a tool for personal truth, but the method is designed so that it's not actually possible to get disconfirmation. If your personal revelation differs from the prophets, you are told you are wrong, which effectively replaces individual guidance with institutional obedience. Watch this video about competing spiritual confirmation https://youtu.be/ycUvC9s4VYA?si=v9TnnSHeU6fPJSri ​Video Chapters ​[00:00] Introduction: Epistemology and Certainty Jeff introduces the concept of the "LDS epistemology of knowing" and how the promise of individual certainty through the Holy Ghost can paradoxically lead to blind obedience. ​[01:27] The "Bait and Switch" and "Package Deal" An explanation of how the Holy Ghost is presented as an individual guide (the bait) but comes attached to a requirement to follow church orthodoxy and prophets (the switch). ​[02:48] The "Package Deal" of Moroni’s Promise A breakdown of the logic used in the LDS faith: if the Book of Mormon is true, then Joseph Smith is a prophet, and therefore the current LDS church is the only true church. ​[05:12] The Doctrine of Prophetic Infallibility Quotes from church leaders like Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff asserting that the Lord would "sweep" a prophet from the earth before allowing them to lead the members astray. ​[08:45] Stewardship and "False Revelation" A discussion on how personal revelation is invalidated if it contradicts church leaders, citing Elder Oaks on the dangers of "concocting" answers or receiving "false revelation." [11:01] ​[12:37] Comparing Spiritual Witnesses Across Faiths Examples of individuals in other religions (Islam) or even cults (Heaven's Gate) who describe receiving the exact same spiritual "witness" or feelings of certainty to validate conflicting beliefs. [14:27] ​[17:33] Gaining a Testimony by Bearing It An analysis of the LDS practice of "finding" a testimony by speaking it out loud, and how this acts as a form of self-persuasion that bypasses critical thinking. [18:06] ​[19:48] Conclusion: Reason vs. Feeling Final thoughts on the importance of staying objective and using reason as a guide when deconstructing faith.
The uncomfortable truth about the Holy Ghost
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