ExMormon Hymn Book: September 2015

Monday, September 28, 2015

WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE THE CHURCH ALONE? - LDS Hymn Parody #121

Here's another LDS Hymn Parody - my 121st. This one is dedicated to all those TBMs out there who just can't understand why people who leave the Mormon Church just can't seem to leave it alone.

This subject was recently delved into on one of my favorite Ex-Mormon blogs, Ward Gossip (written by Donna Banta). She covered this topic in two posts - Why Ex-Mormons Won't Leave the Church Alone, Parts 1 and 2. In those posts, Donna brought out the two basic reasons why so many Ex-Mormons won't (can't?) leave the church alone:

Reason #1: Because the church doesn't leave us alone.

In her first blog post, Donna cited the below:

Mormon missionaries travel worldwide, knocking on doors and sharing their message.
Members are encouraged to share the gospel with their neighbors and friends, also to reconvert "inactives," even when the so-called "inactive" has made it clear that he or she is no longer interested in attending.
The church springs for in-your-face advertising: TV commercials, billboard, even a feature length film.
Mormon temples and historical sites boast attractive, well-manned visitors' centers.
They have a big choir that regularly tours and records.
High profile Mormons in business, politics and the entertainment industry publicly embrace the faith. In 2012 one even ran for president.
The Mormon Church has encouraged/pressured its members to vote for and donate money to political causes that impose its narrow values on society at large. For example, the extreme liquor laws in Utah, the successful opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment in the late 70's and early 80's, various gambling initiatives, and perhaps most notoriously, the successful passage of Proposition 8 that banned gay marriage in California back in 2008.

Reason #2: Because being Mormon was an integral part of our life experience.

In Part 2, Donna's post included the below:

Five years ago I dedicated a post to my husband, Mark. It was a brief bio that outlined his happy Mormon childhood, his fond mission memories, our courtship at BYU, etc. Then I went on to quickly explain why we eventually decided to leave Mormonism.

Minutes after the post published, I received a person message from an old friend who scolded me for being negative about the church, called me a liar, and suggested that "people like me" should "just leave" and never talk about the church again.

Excuse me? Never talked about this overwhelming experience that dominated our formative years and consumed over two decades of our lives? Forget "why"? How, exactly, does one do that?

Yes, how does one do that???... especially someone like me who was Mormon for FIVE DECADES OF MY LIFE??!!!

Very good outline of the reasons - I totally agree with all that Donna posted.

For me, though, there are a couple more reasons:

Reason #3: The Mormon Church stifled me for far too long, and now that I've found my own voice, I must speak out.

As any Mormon or former Mormon knows, the Mormon Church attempts to stifle anyone who has a differing opinion from the accepted viewpoint. Oh, you can question things, but as soon as you are given the "Mormon-approved answer," your questions are supposed to stop and you are supposed to simply accept whatever you are told. Critical thinking of any kind is completely discouraged, if not prohibited. This is what leads so many Mormons to push down their real feelings and put their issues on imaginary shelves, many of which finally tumble after too many years of performing that futile exercise.

So since having broken that horrible cycle and having found my own voice, no one is going to keep me quiet about my findings. Naturally, the Mormon Church would prefer that those who leave the church would do so quietly and keep their findings and opinions to themselves - but I, for one, refuse to do that.

Reason #4: Because unless people talk about what they've discovered, it won't do anyone else any good.

That's why I created this blog and why I post on it regularly. It is my avenue for getting the word out... that the Mormon Church is a total and complete fraud that, in my opinion, was made by from the get-go by Joseph Smith and has been perpetuated ever since by many others (for their own purposes). If I can reach only one person through my blog who is investigating or questioning Mormonism, then I'll feel like it's all been worth it.

And now, here is my 121st LDS Hymn Parody, dedicated to all those TBMs who as that ridiculous question...

WHY CAN’T YOU JUST LEAVE THE CHURCH ALONE?

Sung to the tune of God Be With You Til We Meet Again ‑ #152

1. Why can’t you just leave the church alone?

Why do you just keep on bashing

What the Mormon Church is teaching?

Why can’t you just leave the church alone?

(Chorus)

Mormon Church, Mormon Church,
Mormon Church do not besmirch.
Mormon Church, Mormon Church,
Why can’t you just leave the church alone?

2. Why should I just leave the church alone?
Why should I not share my findings
And so many of its failings?
Why should I just leave the church alone?

[Chorus]

Speaking out, speaking out,
Speaking out, that is my route.
Speaking out, speaking out,
Why should I just leave the church alone?

3. Why should I just leave the church alone?

I won’t let them crush my spirit
Or just stick me in the closet!!
No, I’ll never leave the church alone.

[Chorus]

Full of lies, full of lies,
Full of lies, there’s no disguise.

Full of lies, full of lies,
That’s why I won’t leave the church alone.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

A STACK OF LIES - LDS Hymn Parody #120

Here's another LDS Hymn Parody - my 120th.
This parody is to a song in the LDS Children's Songbook that I always really liked - very melodic. Back in my Mormon days, I was Primary Chorister and Pianist, and this is a song that I liked to sing and play. Within the lyrics of the original song, it says, "What does the Father ask of us? What do the scriptures say? Have faith, have hope, live like his Son, help others on their way. What does he ask? Live like his Son." Obviously, not bad advice.

But, of course, when I looked at this song from my current ExMormon perspective, the parody became an entirely different song and the end result highlights the "stack of lies" that are, in my opinion, at the very core of Mormonism.

The main thrust of this parody is that the Mormon Church is built on a stack of lies, and although TBMs have obviously been brainwashed into "just believing," the internet and Google are not available to help a person find the truth - and when a person does find the truth, the key to realizing what the real truth is found in thinking for yourself. Critical thinking - analyzing all aspects of the subject matter and applying logic to it. If a person does that, then he/she will know what's true and what isn't. Plain and simple.

A STACK OF LIES

Sung to the tune of He Sent His Son - #34 (LDS Children’s Songbook)

What does the Mormon Church hold out as truth beyond compare?

A stack of lies, so fraudulent, deception everywhere.

How could the Mormon Church profess to be the Word of God?

It is not true, that’s very clear – it’s fake and just a fraud.

Why do the members of the church believe that it is true?

They have been brainwashed very well, they haven’t got a clue.

But now we have the Internet, and what does Google say?

Just find the truth, think for yourself, and simply walk away.

What does it say? Think for yourself.

Monday, September 21, 2015

COME, SEE ALL THE LIES - LDS Hymn Parody #119

Here's another LDS Hymn Parody - my 119th (so far). I keep thinking that I've reached the end of the road on these parodies, but they keep popping into my head so I keep writing them down. Of course, with the wealth of material contained within Mormonism itself, as well as all the lies, deceit and deception they put out there, I guess it's really not a surprise that I can keep going.

What surprises me, though, is that there are so many people who still believe it, especially given what's available on the internet these days. But then it's hard to tell who really believes it and those that are just going along because of personal or family pressures. We all know people who are sticking with it because they simply can't make the separation, mentally or physically. The Mormon Church has brainwashed so many people into "just believing," or at least "just going along." I find that very sad. So glad I was able to make the break and start living an entirely authentic life.

And so, here is my 119th LDS hymn parody. The original hymn is "Come, Sing to the Lord," and that sounds very religious (and very Mormon with the whole "latter days" thing). But I think it's interesting that my hymn parody has taken on more of a "carnival barker" vibe as in "Come, See the Bearded Lady" or "Come, See the Freak Show." Not that Mormons are freaks, but the fact that they adhere to such an obviously bogus religion with so many strange doctrines within it is freakish all on its own. Oh well, to each his own, right??? As long as they keep it to themselves... which they don't, so...

Something else that I find interesting is that Joseph Smith bought the papyrus that he supposedly "translated" into the Book of Abraham from a "traveling mummy exhibition." Now that's something you might find at a carnival... oh, the correlations..

COME, SEE ALL THE LIES

Sung to the tune of Come, Sing to the Lord - #10

1. Come, see all the lies the Mormons tell,
And you will see all is not well
Within the Mormon Church.
And though they claim that it is true,
Come see all the lies, and get a clue.

2. The doctrine they teach and all they say,

From BOM to BOA,
Is clearly filled with lies.
And all the facts and evidence
Will show you the lies, there’s no defense.

3. When searching for truth, no compromise,
No cover-ups, not filled with lies,
I simply want the truth.
So to the Mormon Church I say,
Don’t take me to church, just go away.

When I first began writing LDS Hymn Parodies, I first began by posting them on my other blog (http://mormonismschism.blogspot.com/), and then decided it would be a good idea for them to have their own dedicated place (with special pages in alphabetical order and all), so this blog was created for that purpose.

Having been born and raised in the Mormon Church, I spent my entire life singing hymns, not only in church meetings but also in various Ward and Stake Choirs (and even in the Southern California Mormon Choir). Ward Choir Director was also my calling for awhile. Since I also play the piano (and learned from a Mormon piano teacher), I also learned to play the hymns, and was Pianist in Primary, Sunday School, and Relief Society. Naturally, playing the piano led to learning to play the organ, and then being Ward Organist for a long time.

So it's no wonder that I have so many LDS hymns stuck in my brain. It amazes me just how many hymns I can still sing from memory. Of course, since I've been out of Mormonism now for over 8 years, it irritates me that I know the words to so many Mormon-themed hymns. So one day, I started making up alternative words - and found it very amusing and extremely cathartic. The first hymn I parodied was "I Stand All Amazed," and since then I haven't been able to stop. So I'm gonna just keep going until I can't think of anymore. But since I apparently have the gift for blasphemy (as my daughter recently told me), that probably won't happen anytime soon.

I hope you enjoy my "spin" on some old familiar LDS Hymn favorites. But if you don't, you're probably a TBM and not an ExMormon like me. Oh, well...

MY EXIT FROM MORMONISM

As a preface to my thoughts about Mormonism (and my exit from my lifelong religion), I would like to share the following quote:

"Well, it's either true or false. If it's false, we're engaged in a great fraud. If it's true, it's the most important thing in the world. Now, that's the
whole picture. It is either right or wrong, true or false, fraudulent or true."

President Gordon B. Hinckley,
Interview, "The Mormons,"
PBS Documentary, April 2007

In essence, after researching the roots of Mormonism, which obviously form its foundation, as well as examining its doctrine in depth, I have concluded that it is a great fraud. Having been born and raised in the Mormon Church, and remaining LDS until my early 50's, facing that realization was very difficult and was not done lightly.

SOME BACKGROUND:
In the Summer of 2001, I went on a Mormon Church History Tour. Before going, I decided to do some research so I would know more about what occurred at the key places when we visited them. But that was the beginning of the end for me as I discovered more and more of the sordid history of the Mormon Church. Soon, I began to realize that Joseph Smith made the whole thing up and that the Mormon Church is built on an enormous stack of lies. Sadly, I also began to realize that I had allowed the Mormon Church to pull the wool over my eyes for a very long time. But even with that realization, it took me quite a while longer to finally break away because of how intricately my life was tied up in Mormonism and how long I had been blinded by the lies Mormonism perpetuates (which, of course, is what they are counting on).

But finally, I did break away - and I have now been Mormonism Free for over 8 years. What I have realized during the ensuing years is that my intellectual curiosity was squelched by Mormonism. Being told to "just believe" and "have faith" was very detrimental to my psyche, particularly since so much made little sense. Trying to rationalize through everything had a negative effect on me as well, making me very confused and uncomfortable. Since that time, I have discovered that these types of feelings are called "cognitive dissonance" (a feeling of discomfort when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions). Cognitive dissonance is discussed in greater length in a book I have written, which is coming soon to Amazon.com and Kindle. Since leaving Mormonism behind, I have grown so much and have discovered who I really am - and that is a tremendous gift.

As noted above, a book I have written is coming soon to Amazon.com and Kindle. That book (entitled "Finding My Own Voice: The AHA!! Moments of a Former Mormon Woman") chronicles my very long journey through and away from Mormonism and discussed many of the issues that had plagued me for many years. Also, on my other blog - www.mormonismschism.blogspot.com - you will find some poems I have written about my views concerning various aspects of Mormonism as well as discussions relative to the issues that led to my decision to eventually disassociate myself from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

In sharing my opinions and the information I have uncovered, it is my hope that I can in some small way help others by offering some insights into issues that many Mormons undoubtedly face in determining whether or not their faith has been misplaced.

For those of you who are thinking, "Oh, those Ex-Mormons... they can leave the church but they can't leave it alone," I offer this quote:

"Some of you are probably thinking, "Why don't you just leave them (the Mormons) alone?" So I ask you, if you saw a thirsty man drinking water from a well you knew to be poisoned, would you let him continue to drink or would you guide him to a safe well? ~Christopher Miller

While I'm sure that active Mormons (TBMs) and the Mormon Church itself would be much happier if people who have left the church kept their opinions to themselves, I cannot do that. If I can help one person to see the lies that are laced throughout Mormonism, then I will feel that my efforts have not been in vain.