BYU is the hope for the future of the Church

I believe BYU is the glue holding this church together. Statistically, I would imagine retention rates for BYU grads is higher than those attending other schools or no school at all.

And with a degree in hand, BYU graduates are going to earn more, thus increasing their 10% contribution to the church. The church may find itself in a cash and membership crunch if they ever did away with BYU.

Should we tell people the truth about the Church?

Who am I to knock cracks in the beliefs of someone else? If the church really works for someone, and they are genuinely happy, why would I want to rip their beliefs from them, even if it is all a mirage? At the same time, if someone really would be better off knowing the truth, I believe it is our obligation to inform them of the realities of the Church. But it's a fine line to walk. And you must be careful and deliberate.

Atheists are crazy!!! Right...?

I used to think atheists beliefs were just as unfounded as those who believe in God. Why is it any less unreasonable to believe in the existence of NO god as it is to believe in God? It is just as impossible to prove the existence of God as it would be to prove God does not exist. I realize now I misunderstood the position of an atheist. An atheist says, "I will believe in something when I see evidence to support its existence." This is why religions teach their members of the evils of "sign seekers." Yes, how dare someone ask for evidence to support the existence of a being whom they are expected to dedicate their entire lives!!!

I love the truth, but sometimes it gets you down

Of course I'm depressed. How else could I respond when I discover my whole life has been a sham, a mirage?

The true irony is how strongly I believed I really held the truth for what all of life means when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.

Why can't we leave it alone?

I would love nothing more than to "leave it alone." However, my wife still wants to attend. She also wants our children to attend and to be taught all the doctrine and to engage in all the rituals and rites of passage. (Baptism, priesthood, etc.)

I do so wish I could walk away and leave it alone. But it will continue to be an integral part of my life, whether I like it or not.

It's difficult to not become bitter towards an organization that misrepresents itself. It's hard to not resent the methods the church uses to retain members to the point where even when they learn the truth, they still want to be involved with it.

Mormons are very busy people

When you're completely consumed by administering the church and attending all the meetings, you have no time to investigate the claims and doctrines of the church. When you have no time to slow down, you risk missing the most important details. You risk not taking the time to take a closer look at the Church.

Some people stay in the church even after learning the truth

It's common to hear non-believers say things like, "Well, even if the church isn't what it claims to be, I still want to be a part of it."

The reasons for this may be they enjoy the social aspect of the church. Or maybe they feel their kids will learn good morals by attending.

But for me, I don't see it that way. Regardless of how much I loved and enjoyed the church, I feel absolutely no desire to associate with it after discovering it to be a fraud.

Would I continue to "invest" in a scam after being informed that it is in fact a ponzi scheme? No matter how good I previously felt about the investment, or how much of a return I thought I had received, I would want to get as far away from it as I could after discovering its true nature.