Synopsis: Things as they really are

Synopsis

“Things as they really are…will be manifested unto us plainly” – Jacob 4:13

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I tend to go on and on when I write; sometimes brevity is required for clarity, though, so I thought I would try to sum up why I am no longer a believing Mormon in 200 words or less:

This is Hôr.
Hôr is not Abraham.

Joseph Smith and his successors claimed that
Hôr is Abraham.

The LDS Church now agrees that
Hôr is not Abraham.

The LDS scriptures and website still say
Hôr is Abraham.

Hôr is not Abraham.
This is Hôr.

1. Since Joseph Smith misinterpreted the real Egyptian characters that became the Book of Abraham, I cannot accept his claim to have translated the reformed Egyptian characters that became the Book of Mormon, the keystone of the LDS faith.

2. Joseph Smith admitted that he couldn’t discern between the good angels and the bad angels who purportedly instructed him.

When his wife Emma discovered his secret relationships with other women, he claimed an angel told him to do it.

I cannot trust a man who claims that his secret affairs were sanctioned by the same power that guided his mistranslations.

3. Joseph Smith and his successors taught and promoted supposedly God-given, racist principles.

The LDS Church has now denounced and disavowed all racist doctrines, practices, and policies.

When today’s LDS Church promotes exclusivity and implements discriminatory and sexist policies, I therefore trust my own conscience over the Church’s claims of divine guidance.

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So there you have it; each of the preceding sentences in this synopsis sums up a chapter of this book that I felt compelled to write in an effort to make sense of my former beliefs and to plot my path forward. The rest of the dominos are still falling; I’m not sure which, if any, will remain standing in the end, but these three basic arguments are all it took to initiate the tumbling chain reaction.

And yes, I used chiasmus here. So did Dr. Seuss. I used it because I like it. Not because I’m an ancient Hebrew author. Neither is Dr. Seuss.

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2020 Footnote:

This synopsis was intended for those not wishing to dig through the 300+ pages it took me to reach these relatively simple conclusions. Now that the official style guide for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requests that all written references include the complete name of the Church, I thought about increasing this odyssey’s length even further by replacing the 750 or so references to the discontinued nickname. For now, I’ve decided to leave it alone, but I must admit that makes me feel a bit two-faced. Here’s why:

Whether we’re talking about race, nationality, or gender, I respect people’s right to be called by their chosen name, and I strive to avoid using names that are offensive, even as those preferences change over time. I’ve heard ex-members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and non-members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claim that there are too many syllables in the official name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to adopt its use…yet they’ll deride standing members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for refusing to adopt pronouns.

Likewise, I’ve heard member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say there are too many letters in the LGBTQIA+ acronym and that there are far too many pronouns to keep track of these days. One group derides reporters for dead-naming the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which in their eyes (supported by President Nelson’s words) provides Satan with a victory; while the other group derides members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for dead-naming trans and non-binary youth, which in their eyes (supported by study results), increases suicidality.

I see hypocrisy and validity on both sides, and I strive to strike a respectful balance with my own writing. Although I could add the disclaimer that I wrote these essays before the request was issued by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, that’s not why I decided to leave the original text alone. As I went back through the references to “Mormons” and “Mormonism”, I found that most of them apply to the wider Restorationist movement and not just to its modern Brighamite branch. Most of the deconstruction documented in my writing involves challenges to Joseph Smith’s claims, and the current Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is just one of many subgroups who trace their origins and doctrines back to that source.

So for now I’ve decided to let the nickname stand as a reference to the movement as a whole. While I debate how to handle the terminology in the future, could any current members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints please just ask your leaders for a shorter, officially endorsed name…please? I ramble enough as it is!

All nomenclature aside, I’d like to sum this synopsis up as succinctly as I can:

If I look at where I’ve arrived today after taking the turns described above, I feel like I’ve found a vantage point with some additional perspective and accompanying simplicity that is perhaps best summarized in some short and sweet lyrics: I look at the world and I notice it’s turning. Or alternatively, I’m free falling…not like a scary, terminal-velocity collision course, but rather in a chilled-out, Petty-esque sort of Zen that could also be encapsulated in a Stardust, anti-gravity view of the world:

I’m stepping through the door…I’m feeling very still,
and I’m floating in a most peculiar way,
and the stars look very different today.
Planet Earth is blue…[and it’s really quite a view!]

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