Mormons, why should I return to the church?

I attended for many months before I decided to put the church to the test. I attended because I liked the members. I decided to read the Book of Mormon. It took about three months. Then I prayed to know whether it was true. That day I gained a surety that the Book of Mormon is true and that the LDS church is true. It awakened in me a great thirst for knowledge; suddenly I wanted to learn everything I could about the church. Forty years later, I am still reading and studying.

Sometimes I find questions that cannot be answered by turning to the scriptures or looking through old conference talks. I have found that prayer often gives me the answers that I seek. As a result, my understanding may not exactly match the understanding of others who have not inquired of the Lord; I'm okay with that. No two people have exactly the same knowledge and understanding of spiritual things. I'm sure that some of the things I believe are false; I will let the Lord correct me through his spirit in his own due time. By the same token, I don't expect all prophets to be carbon copies of each other; some have more light and knowledge than others. It is just the way things are.

The Spirit of the Holy Ghost is real, and if you humble yourself, and allow it to guide you, it will lead you to all righteousness. First you have to hunger for it. It doesn't reward a casual attitude.

I think you need to do more investigating. I was a true believing mormon but since two weeks ago I'm not anymore. There are too many problems with the church and not only that but I have reason to suspect that the "spirit" one feels is a placebo. One only feels it once someone points it out to you. That's how it was for me. I never felt it until someone told me what it feels like and when you should feel it. When I stopped expecting it to happen in a certain way, and instead decided to go about prayer in an open manner, with belief that it could happen but not expecting to feel the spirit, I didn't feel the spirit. I didn't stop after one prayer, I prayed over the course of 3 years, sometimes going to the temple and still not feeling the spirit. So, if you feel the spirit only because you expect it to happen, suspect it being a placebo. If you feel the spirit without expecting it, then perhaps it is true.

I think them telling you what the spirit feels like is a way they bring people into the church. They place the placebo and then one is gullible enough to believe in it.

Here's an interesting read: http://cesletter.com/

It's a collection of issues within the church that no one is taught about at church. This person was an RM, like me, and had some questions about the church arise. He tried to answer them, but the closer and closer he got to an answer, the closer he got to realizing the problems in the church. It wasn't what he expected nor hoped for. When a CES director asked him what questions/issues he had about the church and he sent the CES director a letter outlining the issues, the CES director promised to reply, but never did. This is that letter.

When someone does an objective study of the church, this will always happen. Learn about the truth and I hope you will be guided to what is true. If you can find answers to those problems that don't make the church out to be wrong, then good for you. I'd love to hear it as well since I don't want to accept the church being false either... but I can't deny the truth.

Have a good day and may your searching become fruitful.

I have been a member of the Church (LDS) all my life, since 8 years old. and I have had many of the same struggles you folks mention, but I can tell you the spirit is real, if you do it right! Moroni 10;4,5 states..."And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. 5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." There are three things you are instructed to do to get a witness from God. 1.Ask with a sincere Heart. 2. With real intent. 3. Having faith in Christ. Now what does it mean to have a sincere heart? If you really want to do something, and I mean anything, for instance suppose you wanted to become a Doctor, or a Lawyer or Scientist? If you really want to be one of these occupations or any other, there is no power on this earth that could stop you! Except you yourself! If you want to do it bad enough you will find a way to do it, you will not let anything stand in your way! That is having a sincere heart. Now what does "With real intent mean?" In Amos 1 we read where he has just been selected by his father to be a Prophet/Teacher for the Nephites. But Amos knows he is not worthy so he goes out hunting and while in the woods he kneels down and prays for a remission of his sins. We are told he prayed all the day long and when it was night he says, "I did still raise my voice unto my God." And finally at some point the Lord spoke to him from heaven and said, "Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee." Now that's praying with real intent. And the last one, "Having Faith in Christ" is pretty self explanatory, if you don't believe God will answer your prayers, you are not sincere, nor will you pray with real intent. But I can promise you this works, I know I did this. It took me 3 long hard weeks of praying 40-50 times a day before I got my answer, but BOY was it worth it. I now have no doubts, I know Joseph Smith was and is a Prophet of God. I know the book of Mormon is absolutely true and I know this Church is the one and only true Church on the earth today. The Lord himself answered my prayers in person. Not face to face, but he spoke to my mind and I heard his voice just as plain as day. This method works, if you really want to know the truth from God.

If you return YOU will not gain anything. There is no benefit you can be promised. The ones who gain are your brothers and sisters when you share their burden. When you are in the service to your fellow man you are only in the service of your God.

And what happens when the mormons on here "earnestly pray" that you discover the truth of God.... and its determination is NOT to return to the LDS?

They will call you faithless, and you know it. Honest prayer, mormon-style, means falling in line with their carefully constructed smooth sounding... lies that they have also fallen for.

GOD is God. No other. No matter how smooth the words seem.

I see no reason you should. A great many claims of the church and its scriptures are proven false by ample evidence.

Now use the same rational evaluation of claims you used to come to that conclusion on "religious belief" in general, and you'll be doing much better.

the only reason to return, IMHO ONLY, is that you recognize the truth there. that you have prayed and studied your way to that. I can't think of any other honest reason....but that may just be me.

I too was baptized mormon at 18 and when I went to college I never returned. I tried to for about 15 year but since mormonizm is false, God lead me away.

Try going to another church of your choice. I did.

BTW Mormonizm teaches racism see passage below.

And he had caused the CURSING to come upon them yea, even a sore CURSING because of their iniquity For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint: wherefore as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a SKIN of BLACKNESS to come upon them (2 Nephi 5 :21)

Why would you want to be a member of a church that claim to be perfect in yet denied black people into the priesthood until 1979 because the church believed they was under a curse that darkened there skin

OR

Claimed that Native Americans were descendants of Israel (which was later debunked by MTDNA evidence

The book of Mormon is not the book of the Holy Spirit.

So Mormons are not baptized in the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit of Pentecost didn't come to the ancient people of the American Continent.

So there was no anointing power/authority of the Holy Spirit come to the American Continent.

While the Holy Spirit did come on the fulfilled Pentecost following Jesus Death and Resurrection. And Who baptized those waiting in the upper room on the Sabbath Pentecost in Jerusalem. This was a Holy Season/Feast, where Israelites from all around gathered for the Holy Pentecost of the First Covenant.

And the Gospel was firstly sent out from Jerusalem, to teach all nations the Gospel in the Power of the Holy Spirit.