We must be careful what we teach our children

It's very dangerous to condition a child to "do the right thing" because the "prophet says so."

When the child discovers the prophet is just another man, and no different than anyone else, it's possible the child will lose their only motivation for making good choices.

The child may conclude that if the prophet does not actually speak for God then the only motivation to do good has been removed.

It's much better to teach a child to make good choices for the rational and logical reasons behind the good choices. This creates a much stronger foundation. Also, it teaches the child to think critically and trust their own abilities to analyze a situation.

I don't know of anyone who would describe church as "fun."

Membership in the Mormon church means meetings. Lots and lots of meetings. More meetings than you can imagine. Take a look a look around while you sit through one. You'll see a lot of glazed-over looks. Everyone is pretty much mentally checked out.

Prepare to be astounded by the sheer boredom of it all. Church meetings are neither fun nor enjoyable. A lot of clock watchin' is the norm.

But we do it because the meetings are so inspirational and it's only in the meetings where you can really feel the spirit and God wants you in those meetings to worship him.

At least, that's what we've been told...

We need to look objectively at Joseph Smith

The most damning evidence against Joseph Smith is the fact there is not a single instance where one of his translations has been proven correct.

On the contrary, there are many examples where experts have compared the original text with his translation and proven his translation to be a complete fraud.

Book of Abraham
Kinderhook plates
Bible
Greek psalter

How many failures, without a single success, do we allow this guy and still continue to believe his claims of divine authority and communication with God?

Mormons are the happiest people on earth!

If the gospel according to Mormonism really is the source of the greatest happiness we can experience in this life, why aren't people lining up at church buildings to be baptized? Are people really so resistant to happiness?

Why is everyone not jumping at the opportunity to be happier than they could possibly imagine? Why is depression and prescription drug abuse running so rampant in Utah?

Can you imagine how much MORE miserable people would be if they didn't have the ultimate happiness of the gospel? *sarcasm*

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?

Do we really honestly want to know?

For the honest seeker of truth, nothing should be exempt from critical examination. Even if this means examining things you absolutely "know" to be true. (ie, Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon, etc. )