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Have all Members Lost their Testimony?

voting-opposed

This post is addressed to:

Members of the LDS church.  The rank-and-file, along with all levels of leadership.

Over the past year, I’ve voted opposed at 5 voting conferences:  2 General, 2 Ward and 1 stake.  Of course, I was outvoted.  So, I sustain, recognize and accept the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles…until the next voting opportunity.  That comes up on April 1st at spring General Conference.

As a result of voting my true opinion this is what people say about me:

  • I’ve lost my faith.
  • I’ve lost my testimony of the restoration.
  • I’ve lost my testimony of Joseph Smith.
  • I don’t qualify to hold a temple recommend.

Well, I’m turning that sentiment on its head.  It’s not me who has lost faith or testimony. It’s you!!!       You have either lost or never had faith or a real testimony in the first place.

Jesus Christ

Where is your faith in Christ?  Why do you pick and choose which of His commandments to keep and which to completely disregard?  It’s you who condones the breaking of His law of consent.  Not me.  I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ.  I am certainly not perfect in following His commandments.  But, no way am I disrespecting, dismissing or discounting His commandment to actively participate in common consent.

The Restoration

I’ve lost my testimony of the restoration?  Nope.  I embrace the restoration.  Consent from the general membership is taught in the Bible and the Book of Mormon.  This beautiful principle has now been restored in our glorious dispensation.  What happened to your belief in the restoration?

Joseph Smith & Revelation

Joseph Smith holds claim to many a revelation, several of them involving the Law of Common Consent.  He made sure that the church lived by this law during his lifetime.  A salary for him was even put up for a vote.  It was voted down by his fellow members.  What happened to your testimony of this prophet?  Mine hasn’t withered.

Modern Scripture

We have one book of scripture that contains modern revelation concerning the restoration and the organization of the current church…the Doctrine & Covenants.  What happened to your testimony in the scriptures?  Or are you a cafeteria Mormon, only picking what you like?  What’s the point of a modern canon if you ignore it?  Common Consent is referred to several times in the D&C.  It’s most clearly stated in sections 26 verse 2 and 28 verse 13.

Temple Recommend

Really, I don’t qualify for a recommend because I strive to life the Law of Common Consent?  Nope.  I question whether YOU qualify.  I sustain the apostles.  But, I will vote opposed at the next conference….  opposed that we are not following the law of consent.  One of the qualifying temple questions is this, “Do you strive to keep the covenants you have made?”  In the temple, I made a promise to obey the law of God.  Modern revelation and scripture mandate that common consent is the law of God.  What caused you to lose your resolve to keep your temple covenants?  Isn’t it you who should be forfeiting your recommend?

The Church is True

Today is testimony meeting.  Many of you will stand and bear witness of the truthfulness of the church.  Then why do you scorn its doctrine?  “Policies, major decisions, acceptance of new scripture, and other things that affect the lives of the Saints” are to be presented for approval or disapproval.  This is taken directly from a doctrinal statement on LDS.ORG.  Why do you ignore this doctrine that was established by Christ?

Modern Prophets

Another witness we will hear over and over again is of Thomas S. Monson being a prophet.  Why don’t you have a testimony of that anymore?  Or do you believe it and just choose to ignore him when he speaks?  Here’s what he taught 5 months ago in October’s General Conference:  “Learn, search and pray.  We need to know God’s laws and live them.”  What new law of God did you learn about?  Not common consent.  What new law of God have you started to live at the direction of President Monson?  Not common consent.  Where is your testimony?

At the same conference, Elder Russell M. Nelson, president of the Quorum of the Twelve, follow up with this:  “Every day that we keep our covenants and help others to do the same, joy will be ours.”  I am actively helping people keep their baptismal and temple covenants to obey the Law of Common Consent.  Oh joy!  Joy will be mine.  Where is your joy in shrugging off a command from Jesus to His restored church?

Rights and Privileges

An apostle, Hugh B. Brown, spoke of our role in common consent as a right and a privilege.  Today, my rights and privileges as a church member have been curtailed.  So have yours.  I care about that.  You should, too.  No longer is the sound doctrine of common consent being practiced.  However, there are 318 of us who want our rights and privileges back.  You should, too.  There are 318 of us who are voting to get our rights and privileges back.  You should, too.  There are 318 of us who desire to keep our covenants.  You should, too.  Start by joining the 318 HERE.

Follow Jesus by Voting Opposed

The only way that this beautiful part of the restoration will be restored to its rightful place is for us to take it into our own hands.  To lift our hands in opposition to the continued disobedience of the Savior’s Law of Common Consent.

You only have 27 days from today before the next vote is called for.  Now is the time to:

  • Get your house in order.
  • Get your testimony of the restoration in order.
  • Get you testimony of Joseph Smith and his revelations in order.
  • Get your testimony in the scriptures in order.
  • Get your testimony in your covenants in order.
  • Get your testimony in church doctrine in order.
  • Get you testimony of today’s prophets in order.
  • Most of all, Get your faith in Jesus Christ in order.

Then go to conference, in your home, in your chapel, or in SLC, and vote to have our rights and privileges restored.

Other Resources

  • Common Consent Scriptures & Doctrine, click HERE.
  • Common Consent Register—A Record of Those Who Disapprove, click, HERE.
  • Do We Love Jesus Enough?, click HERE.
  • The Only True Hope for The Only True Church, click HERE.

26 thoughts on “Have all Members Lost their Testimony?”

  2. I would raise my right hand to sustain this one.
    Very valid points (Christ first – or has that changed too? He and His words do not change.).
    IOW, simply follow Christ’s own real commands in favor of new commands, line upon line, nulifying Christ’s own Words?
    How have we come to abandon so many of His own commands, His own words, line upon line (D&C 46:7???) chosing to follow men (Nephi 8:5-8) and riducule those choosing to still follow the Word of God, the Iron Rod (Nephi 8:9-29)?
    I think this article just retold the story of Lehi’s Dream, trying to help us understand it a little better?
    Or, maybe you retold Moroni’s version of it in Mormon 8:32-41?
    Oh, we haughty saints, so often called by the Master like chicks to the hen, warned and forewarned in enough ways that we should not missunderstand Him yet do (D&C 112:23-25 – compare to – Mormon 8:32-41)

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  4. There are too many warnings of these departures from Christ’s own words and commandmanets which naturally get replaced by men – too many warnings scripturally to even list. They go on and on and we seem to have “no ears to hear or eyes to see.”
    Even the Word of Wisdom follows this same puzzling pattern, “to improve on Christ.” How many in your ward are not getting those wonderful promises in verses 18-21? How healthy and free of ailments are they, despite “living the WoW religiously, and judgmentally of others?”

    All 5 prophets of the 1800’s refused to make Christ’s Loving Words of Wisdom into a comandment, very REFINED and UNWHOLESOME at that (D&C 89:2). Those 5 prophets warned that “making the WoW into a comandment would become a stumbling block to the saints,” and has it ever…

    Can you see that it has (eyes to see, ears to hear)? Ailing health and lack of wisdom seems to plague so many of us, for refusing to understand and take heed of its wholesome true meaning, as Christ gave it, and as you can still read and see it, if you choose, crowned with His promises for seeing, understanding and heeding His words (D&C 89:18-21).

    The commanded and REFINED “WoW” has indeed beocme that prophecied stumbling block to the siants. Besides lack of true health and wisdom, the “WoW” has become a source of severe judgment, condemning others, driving others away, with haughtiness, as warned. Are we the modern Zoramites? We sure seem to reject and deny His words (Alma 31).

    Why do we ignore the the real and wholesome WoW’s central warning of thosuands of toxic REFINED “foods” and “medicines” promoted by the warned of and forewarned of modern Gadiantons in sheep’s clothing? You know, the Learned and haughty Gadiantons, the ones now smarter than God, here to be our new saviors of health (AMA, FDA, APA, CDC… D&C 89:4), even worshipping them and their wares as the new best way. Are we also blinded from seeing and understanding the reasons for freely choosing (“not by commandment or constraint,” coercison, guilting, shaming…) thousands of God’s own wholseome foods and herbs for health and healing (thosuands of Do’s – verses 10-11)? Are we now really “blindied by commandment” by those 4 very REFINED (unwholesome) Don’ts?

    Why didn’t we use our commanded agency from Him, to choose to follow His advice on the real unchanging WoW in the first place, and also follow His real Commandment of Common Consent when it came to changing that loving advice of His, unchanging (the same yesterday, today and forever – wholseome foods and herbs for health and healing can’t be synthesized) command to not make it a command (verse 2)? At least then if we had erroneously voted the WoW into 4 refined don’ts, by common consent, we could have just as gracefully backed out of our very costly mistake when we saw thosuands of prophecied refined, unwholesome, synthetic, toxic “foods” and “medicines” coming to pass amoung us?

    When will we “be allowed” to get ourselves out of this dilema of the “WoW,” and many more dilemas? When we stop following the wrong guides and follow Christ Himself (Nephi 9:5-9)?

    How to we reduce Christ’s own thosuands of Do’s, and His warning of the comming (now here) thosuands of Don’ts, now REFINED down into an unwholesome 4-Don’ts-only, yet still somehow expect His amazing promises in verses 18-21? No wonder there are so many sick around us in church, and more even too sick to even make it out to church, but, living the “WoW” religiously?

    Has it occured to us to even look at the refined “foods” of our last ward party (very refined unnatural foods, not forbidden, by commandment or constraint, just lovingly advised against)? Have we even thought to look at the ingredients of so many of the “foods” at the Bishop’s Storehouse too – just as refiend as the “WoW” has become? Still, these too are NOT forbidden or commanded and against, and never are to be. Have we considered that?

    Look at the vaccines and other synthesized toxic FDA approved “medicines” of Gadiantons recommended and endorsed, donated and spread by the Church. Again, not forbidden, by commandment or constraint. And, standing for something, standing for Christ, is also not forbidden, not by commandment or contraint. Are we getting all of this baqckwards somehow, and calling it “of Christ?”

    Christ comanded us to question and verify truths, all truths, and avoid and question all men, especially prophets… He never said to obey them without question, nor that they were perfect and thus could never lead us astray, but rather quite the opposite. Remember that man with appearent auhority, knowing the way, that man in the white robe, who bade Lehi, “Follow me.”?

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    1. I read your comment to my wife. She chuckled at the references to food at ward parties and the Bishop’s storehouse.

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  5. You make a great argument for Common Consent from the scriptures but you fail to apply them to Thomas Monson and the rest of the Q15. Christ specifically stated to judge prophets by their works. I can find no prophesy, no revelations, and no acts of seership performed by these alleged PSR’s. They demand that I sustain them as such in order to be a part of their church. I refuse to do so and thus I vote against them. They are false prophets in my opinion.

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  8. Sam, I question where you got the authority to question my testimony. My testimony is a very personal thing and something I share when prompted. When I am called upon to sustain the leaders, that is what I am doing. I am sustaining these individuals as Prophets, Seers and Revelators. I am sustaining them and their calling from God. You have chosen to use that opportunity to add to that sustaining, your belief in the doctrine of common consent. I believe you are right to believe in this doctrine, but not right in where you choose to bring it to the attention of the leadership. I know you have tried other avenues, but, there has to be an audience for you and a general authority to get this squared away. All this blog has managed to do is polarize people and has become a showcase for antiMormon rhetoric. Now it seems you have become so frustrated that you are calling other’s testimonies into question. You are too good of a person for this.

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    1. What authority exactly do you think is required to question someone’s testimony?

      I question your knowledge and understanding of the church you follow based on comments you’ve made here, to include your comment on September 18, 2016 that indicates you believe the “Lord has chosen men who are infallible to the task to run both the spiritual as well as the temporal well being of millions of people.” Not only is this not claimed by the LDS church itself, it is *demonstrably not true* if one has even a superficial knowledge of church history. I therefore question your testimony because your knowledge is based on false pretense, and I question why you seem to be so anxious to insist that Sam’s adherence to Common Consent is “polarizing” or “anti-Mormon.”

      Few of your comments on Sam’s blog have indicated you have much of a clue, but seem quite interested in insisting that Sam is causing all this harm. Perhaps you should look in a mirror.

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      1. I know and love Sam dearly and he knows that. I don’t need to know every jot and tittle of church history (from both good and questionable sources) to have a testimony. If I said the brethren were infallible, I did not mean that as none are infallible except Jesus Christ. The only person who has the authority to question my testimony is me and the Lord.

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    2. Janice, Janice, Janice. I can tell from reading your responses, as well as comments made by Sam about you, that you are a very kind person. That said, you (and a large percentage of the LDS membership) seem to have the inability to comprehend how someone can have views other than those subscribed to by the leadership of the church. I too know Sam personally and have views very similar to his. Did this post not cause you to stop and think (or ponder as is often used in this religion) of where Sam is coming from, or did it just cause a knee jerk response that this questioning is out of line? You took it personal rather than an opportunity to consider Sam’s viewpoint. You can’t deny that the leadership expects very strict adherence to their views and is not open to any discussion (let alone any change) of alternate views.

      I don’t see that this blog polarizes people, but rather brings to light that there are many members (and former members) that struggle with some of the decisions of the leadership and the judgmental aspect of this religion. Questioning the status quo does not constitute one being anti-Mormon. If this blog bothers you, stop reading and commenting and relieve yourself of the agony this blog appears to present for you. Let this blog be what Sam has envisioned it to be; a place for like-minded views to be shared and debated.

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      1. Roy. I wrote my response last night and it was much longer and I erased it and waited until early this morning to reread Sams post and then rewrite my thoughts. I don’t think my opinions are any less important than yours. Why should I not express my feelings . Sam has always been open to others opinions. I also agree with Sams stand and his the evidence on common consent what I was putting into question was where he was choosing to exercise his disapproval of how he feels the brethren have ignored it. I would love for him to get an audience with a GA and be allowed to express himself and here what rationale they give him. If you go back and read all the responses to all his posts You will see why I sometimes lose my Christianity when I read rantings that have nothing to do with the topic Sam posted. This is what I call antiMormon rhetoric.

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    3. Pot calling the kettle…

      One has no expectation of privacy in regards to their testimony when they share it publicly. If one makes claims in their testimony then others can rightfully examine it as well as discuss and challenge it. Your comment is doing this very thing.

      Mormon church leaders encourage members to share their testimonies with the world.

      https://www.lds.org/church/share/share-your-testimony-with-the-world?lang=eng

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      1. I don’t share my testimony with others with the anticipation that someone is going to challenge it. Nor, would I think to challenge someone else’s testimony. Discussing is not challenging in my vocabulary. My testimony is mine and no one else’s. This is what I meant by these kind of sites never staying on topic. I enjoy reading Sam’s posts because I have always respected his opinion. I don’t always agree with him nor him with me. But we stay on topic.

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      2. Just because you don’t “think to challenge someone else’s testimony” doesn’t mean they aren’t going to do the same for you. While I think it takes courage to stand up for what one believes in, it is risky for people to publicly share their testimonies because listeners aren’t bound to adhere to the unaccustomed expectations of the bearer. What good is a testimony to someone else without examining the claims of the bearer?

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    4. Hi Janice,
      Of course, I respect your testimony. Perhaps now you can see what prompted me to write this piece. I have 2 years of experiencing judgment, gossip, shunning & name calling. And that, because I’ve decided to obey the law of common consent. Up to this point, I have not leveled the same judgment at others that they have leveled at me. I’m not going to do that any longer. If someone tells me I’m risking my salvation, my response will be, “I think you are risking your salvation.” If someone says, where’s your testimony of the restoration. I’ll respond with, “Where’s your testimony of the restoration.” And so it will go.
      Where to discuss these issues? Well guess what. I’ve been told to shut up in my priesthood meeting when I attempted to bring up common consent. Never in my entire life have I seen anyone told to hush in priesthood. How adult does that sound? Who knew common consent was a forbidden subject? Leadership has reinforced that I am not to raise questions. They have said that I should only make comments supportive of the teacher. So, we can’t talk about our own doctrine and certainly not our true history in church. How weird is that? Janice, it’s not sustainable. People are leaving over it. The exodus will continue and become noticeable by more than just me. But, that’s another weird thing. Nobody appears to care about the fact that people are leaving.
      “You are too good a person for this?” I wish members of the church were good enough people to THINK for themselves. They only think whatever the prophet tells them to. Somewhere this saying was created, “When the prophet speaks, the thinking has been done.” That is not scriptural. Christ NEVER taught it. The prophets of our first 160 years of church history were such great thinkers that we now condemn their racist doctrine, policies and practices. Christ taught that when the prophet speaks, the members are to think, evaluate and the offer their honest opinions of approval or disapproval. Jesus knows what he’s doing and why he set common consent in motion. I’m not going to dismiss him or his commandments. But, we can’t even talk about that at church. Something is very wrong with that.
      Janice, I hope you’ll note that regarding the arguments I raised to support my position, you offered no rebuttals to the arguments themselves. That’s OK. Last year Boyd K. Packer said, “Gone are the days that we can answer questions by bearing our testimony.” He was dead on. People want thoughtful responses to the actual issues. Not avoidance and dismissal.
      Let me once again commend you for being willing to discuss here. At least, I have you. In church and with church friends in general, discussion is forbidden. So, thank you, my good friend.

      P.S. I think you’re awesome!!!

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  9. I think you are awesomer! Just one comment here. Pres. Packer was either a prophet, seer, and revelator or he wasn’t. We can’t pick and choose which of his statements we adhere to and which ones we don’t. I just say this because of all the flack he took on his LGBTQ comments. I agree that we need to be ready to defend the church when challenged with questions. But, I strongly believe my testimony is very personal and not something I need to defend. I also love your new approach to asking the question back to the person who is rude enough to say such things to you. That could really drive some people crazy…..

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  11. Hi John,

    Great question. The two petitions are actually quite different. The one on “bycommonconsent” is a record of those petitioning to have the church publish its financial records, And then have them put up for the approval of common consent.

    The Common Consent Register is a a record of those who have or are planning to actually vote opposed at Ward, Stake or General Conference. Our church culture is unfamiliar with the law of consent. Most have never seen a dissenting vote and don’t know what to make of it. As a result, it requires a good bit of courage to put your name in public as being opposed.

    I hope that explains it.

    Thanks for your question…..and for reading my blog!

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    1. Hi Sam,

      Thank you for the explanation on the differences between the petitions.
      I also love to read the scriptures. And I too see that we often do not follow them. I’ve came to the conclusion the only “legal” way of disapproval of how things are being ran is by using our “vote”. I too may be voting “disapprove” in the future, because of the threat of “punishment” of such a vote. To demand people “repent” of such a vote is wrong, and unrighteous dominion. Bring it on! Look forward to standing before the Lord and have them explain to Him how that isn’t unrighteous dominion.

      I’ve been thinking about this a lot for the past few months. There is a scripture in D&C 112:23-28 you might be interested in:
      https://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/112.23-28?lang=eng#p23

      “25 And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;
      26 First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.
      27 Therefore, see to it that ye trouble not yourselves concerning the affairs of my church in this place, saith the Lord.
      28 But purify your hearts before me; and then go ye into all the world, and preach my gospel unto every creature who has not received it;”

      Interesting:
      http://www.ldsfreedomforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=41523#p690389

      I’ve found its very easy to allow anger to take over my heart in these matters. Very easy. Because what is happening is so wrong. But I found comfort in the Lord’s words that He is going to eventually take care of it. Have you heard about the Liahona Children’s foundation? Research that. We have over 100,000 LDS children ages 0-6 starving, with over 1,000 dying each year. These numbers don’t include the family members over 6. Yet we have no problem finding the money to build city creek. My heart sunk when I found out of the negligence of us as a people:

      Moroni defined us so well in Mormon 8:
      35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
      36 And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, unto the wearing of very fine apparel, unto envying, and strifes, and malice, and persecutions, and all manner of iniquities; and your churches, yea, even every one, have become polluted because of the pride of your hearts.
      37 For behold, ye do love money, and your substance, and your fine apparel, and the adorning of your churches, more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted.

      The Book of Mormon was written to us as a people. Once you realize who it is addressing, your eyes become open. Its so hard to not be angry. But I think that it is very important to overcome that anger. I hope I can be filled with the love of Christ, even when all these bad things are happening. To love those that smite me.

      Thanks for your blog, enjoy your writings.

      John

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