Review: Took Courage Pulling Down the Smoke Screen
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 19, 2013
The author had to hide her name because of harassment from the Mormon Church and a wing of the church that trolls the Internet looking for people who made comments against the church. Well, you found it in the one-star review who declared the book not to be about the Mormon Church.That is all it is about, the Mormon Church today, its practices and ACTUAL church history. I found it very interesting that Joseph Smith was well known before he started the church as a con man who separated people from their money before he started the church. He was assisted out of town several times and not for religious persecution as he claims, but for taking other men's money and sleeping with their wives. Obviously, with the church, he continued those practices insisting on a full tithe for eternal salvation and marrying women who were often married to other men. The husbands went on mission trips.I also already knew that the Mormon heaven plan includes a planet for the guys with as many women as they can impregnate while the submissive wives continue to wait on the man. This is one reason so many Mormon women are on anti-depressant drugs. The wives have to behave themselves or they will not be called into lame Mormon heaven, but will burn in hell instead. I'd be depressed too. I never understood why women accepted this, but after reading about their constant indoctrination, it makes more sense.None of this is new stuff. I was exposed to some of it in college during my Western Religions class. The new take on it was the consistent pressure and monitoring of the families. Think Mormon families look shining and clean, they are supposed to look like that. I know what that is as I used to be married to an abusive spouse, but always put on the perfect marriage image in public. It is another reason the Mormon Church is running commercials about how ordinary and happy they are. Newsflash: those are actors carefully picked to reach different portions of the population.Is it ordinary to have your home inspected weekly by church elders? Have your wardrobe and marital relations critiqued by the same people? There is no concept of privacy because everything is under the Mormon Church's watchful eye.The Mormon Church is a major industry that brings in millions of dollars from its members and makes no accounting of what it does with the funds. Most churches say they have missions, but the Mormon faith expects you to fund your own mission trips and give 10% of your salary plus various other offerings. It doesn't matter if you can't pay your rent, feed your children or keep the lights on. Failure to do so will result in a visit to your home about your missing tithe.Ever wonder why you never see young girls out pedaling for Joseph Smith? Women cannot be trusted in the spiritual realm. They are more likely to be led astray. What it boils down to is left on their own they might start rethinking the lame heaven idea. The guys liked the idea and want to go there.The author dealt with her personal struggles with the contradictions in her faith. She also realized that many people just don't want to think about their religion, but rather be told what to do. Near the end, she discusses her break with the church and how secretive she had to be. Her entire family and social structure revolved around the church to leave would make her friendless because Mormons do not associate with ex-Mormons, even their relatives.The book written in anecdotal fashion, which made it easier to read. In the beginning, I thought there was formatting issues, but I decided it was formatted differently than I was used to and stayed consistent through the entire book.Thinking of becoming a Mormon, might want to look at this book first.