Deconstructing Mormonism: An Analysis and Assessment of the Mormon Faith
Since its inception in 1830, Mormonism has continued to gain prominence on the world stage as a unique form of Christianity embedded in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Mormonism not only holds that the Mormon Church was literally "restored" to the earth by `God' through direct revelation to its founder Joseph Smith, making it therefore the "only true" church of Jesus Christ, but regards itself as a "rational" theology, and a way of life that is beneficial to the social and psychological well-being and welfare of its adherents and society at large.Deconstructing Mormonism explores these claims in depth. In the end three unavoidable conclusions are reached. First, Mormon theological truth-claims are ultimately false or incoherent, and therefore unjustifiable and unwarranted as truth-claims. Once deconstructed such truth-claims are found to be factually vacuous. At bottom, there is simply nothing to believe, leaving Mormons, like all theistic believers, with merely subjective, non self-justifying interpretations of brain-induced phenomena, and an irrational belief in their beliefs derived by self-deception. Second, the status of Mormon truth-claims, including their believed origin, makes Mormonism, like all other theistic faiths, an irrational belief system, and its adherents likewise irrational in holding such beliefs and asserting them as Truth. And finally, that at its darkest and most fundamental core, the Mormon faith, as an authoritarian and `revelation'-based social system, represents the worst in all theistic faiths, and is potentially, if not actually, one of the most personally and socially damaging, dangerous and destructive theistic religions of all. While the argued conclusions reached and personal criticisms made in this work will likely be troubling to honest readers of any faith (particularly parents raising their children in their faith), they will hopefully be therapeutic and liberating as well, leading them - defensive and resistant or not - slowly but surely back to their natural atheism, and to the path of mental health and intellectual integrity.About the Author