We must be ever careful

Members of the church must be ever watchful and careful to avoid ANY information contrary to the teachings of the church.

The reason for this is that the information out there is so clear, so convincing. It is astounding how easily the fundamental claims of the church are so easily discredited.

Even a superficial study of the evidence debunking Mormonism will destroy a "testimony" very quickly.

Why does the Church advocate a flawed method?

The method for gaining a testimony is diametrically opposed to the scientific method. To gain a testimony, you start with the assumption something is true and then work to find some sign or feeling to confirm that truth. If you receive any feeling or evidence that opposes the original assumption, then you go back and pray more until you receive the "correct" answer and you're convinced it's true.

The scientific method starts with a hypothesis and then performs experiments to either prove or disprove the hypothesis. Empirical data is used to measure truth and it is acceptable for the hypothesis to be proven false.

Fast and Testimony meetings have always puzzled me

How many groups of people have to constantly hold meetings where everyone gets up and publicly states their belief in the law of gravity? They have to continually reaffirm their testimony that gravity exists and is a force in their life. If something is really true, why would it be necessary to constantly re-convince ourselves of its truthfulness?

The "Anti-Christ" gets it right

-This thought was borrowed because I like it-

“That Korihor didn’t really believe what he was saying transforms him from a heroic champion of empiricism into a mentally unbalanced con man. But it doesn’t invalidate his implicit claim of a potentially more fulfilling life outside religion. In Gospel Doctrine on Sunday, I asked what a person who believes has to fear from the words of a person who doesn’t? The answers I received were as troubling as they were predictable. And they were all based on this idea that there is no good alternative to full belief and participation in the Church. So the question I’m left with is this: how meaningful can active Church membership be if you are afraid that every possible alternative leads to misery?"