A dear friend and Missionary from the Church of Jesus Christ (LDS) sent me a note about yet another save-a-mormon web site.

That particular Mormon Hope site was an exceptionally well written attack on the latter-day saints concept of testimony. But despite being superbly readable he makes one fatal flaw after another by creating what we call straw-man arguments or “paper tiger” foes which he easily dispatches. This is a common debate tactic. Sound eminently reasonable up front. Get the attention and approval of your audience with reasoned, even keel speech and then slowly begin building your tigers and straw men ....

For example he leads out with this classic. "You can’t trust your feelings". (Can’t tell you how often I hear Protestant radio preachers speak just like we do that the Lord speaks to your mind AND your heart(feelings). These events become testimony experiences but then he asserted that Mormons only talk about feeling’. "How does the HG feel?" Well, he is justified in some regard as I too have heard some LDS sermons even in high places speak almost exclusively to feelings. I hear missionaries teach investigators - this is how the Holy Ghost “feels”. So the author of this hit piece is somewhat justified but unless he is ignorant - and might truly be just that - he would know that others in high and lowly pulpits treat the experience with deity more even handed - as the DC speaks - "I will tell you in your mind and your heart"...DC8:2 So His premise is just wrong, but reinforced by too much emphasis by some and our missionaries on the feeling part. I accept his critique but not his conclusion. Nor do I accept that the Vulcan way is realistic. God made us capable as a multidimensional being and feelings are part of the package. That’s what’s real.

Then that author went straight away to the next old saw - 'you have to really put your trust in the Bible' not your feelings but then skates away like anyone's conclusion taken from 'the Word' were as solid and immovable as Gibraltar. That's where he really loses me as I know he knows that there are a 1000 Christian religions that all claim the Bible says this or that and yet the Bible says NOTHING whatsoever. Its a book and it doesn't talk (unless you have a kindle.ha) So we have to read and interpret and study and debate and if you are an LDS - encouraged to seek the further inspiration and epiphany that the Holy Ghost can provide to your mind and heart - hmmmm and there we go right back to that gut thing......but reality that's just an expression and the Holy Ghost comes to a Man and it is an experience. Its hard to explain how pure enlightenment, sudden understanding, Joy, clarity, peace and settled resolve all wrap up together to speak deeply to one’s soul - It takes all that and more sometimes to change one’s life and trajectory - it comes with power that when yielded to enables one to make that course correction that the person now can see.

So, Is that Holy ‘body and mind’ experience what this author wants us to jettison for his clever sophistry? I believe Jesus is Lord, My God, My Savior and that praying the Father in Jesus’ Name (Yes I believe Jesus has a Father - He said so despite what this trinitarian dogmaton is asserting) will bring power and enlightenment to me and those I pray for. I’ve seen it, heard it, felt it, experienced it. You want to take that from me and claim it was from the dark side? Really???

My life was altered dramatically to care about others. Miracles have been done and I’ve seen it– I have been His hand in accomplishing it! Did not Jesus argue that the devil cannot fight against himself by doing good and teaching Jesus! Luke 11:17-18. Think about what he said about this! As far as I can see many honest Christian preachers are doing a decent job and reaching folks my voice could never reach. People are just plain complex and shifting paradigms is hard to do – so big shifts are fairly rare and that's just life. God will look kindly on those honest brokers of the limited light and understanding they had. That’s my merciful God.

Personally with the help of His Holy Spirit, my family is stable and love the Lord. I have full hope in the power of Jesus to continue to refine me and make me compatible with the kingdoms he has prepared for the faithful. Man - What else do these fear mongering 'get out of hell' salesmen want from me? Cynically, maybe my 10% but that's not it, I know..they are just bloated with an over developed sense of hubris that their particular Hell fire and damnation version of the Almighty is the real ma-coy and if you don't pass their litmus test you are going to burn- so I can see why he'd be freaked out about another viewpoint. Im sorry for that hopeless view - like the fiddler on the roof - indeed a most precarious place to stand and try and preach "the joy" of the Lord.

Going down his litmus test – next was the concern that our visualization of God meant I guess that the God he prays to would not be home when our prayer wafted His way. See where that goes?…If you don’t see my incomprehensible God my way – hit the Highway! Just to let you know, the Bible can indeed support a wide range of visuals for God, I recommend these several essays that I wrote many years back (Excepting one by Millet) that now I draw your attention to:

9. What All this Stuff about One God anyhow?

10. Why are some folks so bent out of shape over the idea of “an Anthropomorphic God”?