PDF Leaving Mormonism Why Four Scholars Changed their Minds Corey Miller Lynn K Wilder Vince Eccles Latayne C Scott 9780825444814 Books

Product details Paperback 320 pages Publisher Kregel Publications (November 28, 2017) Language English ISBN-10 9780825444814 ISBN-13 978-0825444814 ASIN 0825444810

Leaving Mormonism Why Four Scholars Changed their Minds Corey Miller Lynn K Wilder Vince Eccles Latayne C Scott 9780825444814 Books Reviews

• As someone with Mormon family and friends that I love deeply, and who has studied Mormonism for years, I'm quick to notice when misunderstandings, uncharitable interpretations or hate undergird Christian books about Mormonism. From what I understand of Mormonism (specifically LDS), this book accurately reflects official teachings, citing primary Mormon sources (e.g. Standard Works, general conferences, missionary training materials) in their original context. It is also clear that the authors have a genuine affection and love for Mormons, while being critical of Mormonism. I think many of the usual dismissive statements that can be lobbed against a book like this or its authors are circumvented in this book (e.g. Mormon-a-phobia, ignorance, malice). The authors also give strong positive reasons for the truth of Christianity.
  
  Since doesn’t list it, here's the table of contents
  1. Introduction Contemplating Mormonism Lovingly, Credibly, and Truthfully (Dr. Corey Miller)
  2. In Search of the Good Life (Dr. Corey Miller)
  3. I Was There. I Believed (Dr. Latayne C. Scott)
  4. Social Consequences of Mormon Teachings Finding Post-Mormon Mental Health (Dr. Lynn K. Wilder)
  5. Wrestling with Nature and God (Dr. James Vincent Eccles)
  6. Why Believe in God? Objections to Faith by the New Atheism (Drs. Corey Miller and Lynn K. Wilder)
  
  I found this book to be beautifully engaging both intellectually and emotionally. Whether you are Mormon or not, I think you will be drawn into the authors' personal stories and appreciate their candor and transparency. Yet these authors are no intellectual light-weights. In assessing the truth and impact of Mormonism, the authors bring to bear their respective fields of academic expertise, with cogency and requisite hefty footnote sections.
  
  The authors are honest about what is attractive about Mormonism, and the many positives it brought to their lives. I found Dr. Scott's story particularly gripping, given that she thought of herself as the happiest Mormon she knew and how much she didn't want to leave the LDS church. She wasn’t looking for reasons to leave Mormonism.
  
  They not only tip their hat to what is good about Mormonism, but there is even honest treatment of what the Christian church often does wrong in interacting with Mormons. And even though the authors are honest about how they've been hurt by people in both Mormon and Christian churches, they are wise enough to not let that blind them to their investigation of the truth.
  
  Even aside from the book's content, I respect the authors for writing this. Clearly, each recognizes the risk they are taking in writing this book, knowing the negative relational impact it will undoubtedly have with friends and family.
  
  I appreciate the treatment of the role of sincere personal testimony, internal experience, evidence and testability regarding grounds for knowledge. Even on the hot topic of testimony, a balanced approach is provided. For example, Dr. Miller covers the relationship between belief, trust, knowledge and the role of evidence. Relative credit is given to Mormons for being open to spiritual epistemology while at the same time Dr. Miller points out the need of something (evidence) to arbitrate between competing experiential religious truth claims.
  
  The book helped me to become more aware of the trend toward atheism or agnosticism when people leave Mormonism -- even though that was my path for 7 years before eventually becoming Christian. I thought I was alone in this regard. I can identify closely with aspects of Dr. Eccles’ story (though I think he goes a little longer than needed on the topic). This is such a big deal that the final chapter is dedicated to responding to the New Atheism.
  
  I also wasn’t aware of the psychological and social impacts of Mormon doctrine and culture that Dr. Wilder emphasizes. Her chapters have only increased my love for and sense of urgency to fruitfully engage with the Mormons in my life.
  
  One of the major take-aways I'm left with is the reminder that Mormons are individuals, each with their own stories, their own struggles, and their own reasons for why they are Mormon and not otherwise. I look forward to seeing how what I've learned in this book will help me better love my Mormon family and friends.
• “Leaving Mormonism” addresses many issues I have encountered in my attempts at finding God again since leaving the LDS Church. Mormon doctrine and its apologists’ lack of critical thought (little if no apologia to be found in the religion) is a common theme.
  
  Miller rightly assigns Mormon pantheistic theology to the same general category as Hinduism. Scott defines “Truth” and ultimately concludes that Mormonism's foundations have little of it. Eccles intersperses an historical ontology of the divine into his search for a natural theism, non contradictory to scientific truths. Wilder address the sociological consequences of a belief in Mormonism.
  
  Wilder and Miller end with a defense of theism, though they include scripture as evidence with a brief nod to biblical historicity. When Mormon I felt as though I was stuck in a traffic round-about; traveling, but going nowhere. The Mormon male-gendered anthropomorphized Godhead was absolutely uninspiring and depressingly limiting. Though I am not now a believer in Biblical Christianity, the religion certainly provides a larger container for intellectually satisfying answers to life's big questions than do the narrow confines of Mormon theology. This compilation advances a discussion toward that end.
• A very enlightening book about Mormonism full of useful information about the religion and its deceptive practices.
• You don't have to be a scholar to see through the myriad of deception created by Joseph Smith and other early LDS leaders. If you are a modern scholar and you find flaw in Mormonism then it does give even greater credibility to the argument that Mormonism is a man-made religion. If you are a former Mormon scholar then it adds even more credibility to the fact that Mormonism is not a "restoration" at all and is not a "gospel" at all because it is not good news. These four authors demonstrate through both scholarship and personal experience the many flaws in Mormonism. It is my hope that the many dear LDS people who have been so deeply deceived and taken advantage of will find the freedom that comes through faith in the true and only God revealed in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.