ExMormon Hymn Book: Religion

Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts

Friday, November 30, 2012

I KNOW THAT IT'S FILLED WITH DECEPTION - LDS Hymn Parody #76

Here's another LDS Hymn Parody... #76. Writing a parody of "We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" has been on my "to do" list for quite a while now. Naturally, since I was born and raised Mormon, I remember singing it innumerable times over the years. In fact, I even remember singing it during general conference in the Conference Center when it was still fairly new. Of course, it has been sung at most general conferences since it was published in 1863 - and has been sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir many, many times (and is included on several of their albums, including an album entitled "Praise to the Man," which includes many hymns honoring "the Prophet" Joseph Smith).

Since I no longer believe that the Mormon Church is led by a living Prophet (just as I don't believe that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God or "the Prophet of the Restoration" as Mormons refer to him), it gave me great satisfaction to write this new version. As this hymn parody says, I KNOW THAT IT'S FILLED WITH DECEPTION, and I'm so thankful for that knowledge. When I was questioning and as the conflicts I felt inside began to diminish, I began to feel a peace, joy and tranquility that permeated my life and finally made me happy. After years of struggling, trying to "just believe" and accept it all with faith, I finally came to the conclusion that I was living in denial - that I was clinging to religion that was built on a stack of lies that made no sense. It was such a relief to finally reach that point. And so I bid Mormonism adieu - and I have never regretted that decision. As the last line of this hymn parody says, "I could not continue to follow religion that works to deceive."

I KNOW THAT IT’S FILLED WITH DECEPTION

Sung to the tune of We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet - #19

I know that it’s filled with deception,
So clear from the research I’ve done.
Examining all of the doctrine,
I know that of truth there is none.
In going through its sordid history,
The facts that they try to disguise,
I fully reject Mormonism
Because it is nothing but lies.

I know Joseph Smith was a shyster,
Who made up an enormous fraud
By claiming that he was a Prophet,
And saying that he had seen God.
By researching, it is apparent
That none of what he said was true,
And what others say in the present
Are lies they continue to spew.

I'm thankful that I know the truth now,
Tranquility fills me inside.
Resolved are the conflicts that plagued me,
A joyousness I cannot hide.
And though I am labelled apostate
By Mormons who blindly believe,
I could not continue to follow
Religion that works to deceive.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

OH WINTER NIGHT - Another Alternate Carol

OK, here's another alternate Carol for the Holidays... "Oh Winter Night" (sung to the tune of O Holy Night). Since this Carol isn't in the LDS Hymn Book, it can't be called an LDS Hymn Parody, but I'm adding it here anyway although I'm not going to add it to the listing of actual hymn parodies.

This version was inspired by a comment by someone in the ExMormon Facebook group that I mentioned yesterday (when I posted my version of Silent Night), who said that he would appreciate it if I could write secular words to O Holy Night since it is his favorite and it is "just too damn religious" (with which I have to agree).

To me, there is a huge distinction between being "religious" and "spiritual." My version of this Carol dwells on love and the beauty of nature. A person doesn't have to be spiritual, or even believe in God, to appreciate the beauty in the world and the wonder of nature. Whether the world was created by God or is the result of the "Big Bang" doesn't matter to me. It is awesome and beautiful no matter how it came to be.

OH WINTER NIGHT

Sung to the tune of O Holy Night

Oh Winter Night, the stars are shining brightly,
The falling snow lay in drifts on the ground.
Everything white in its glistening glory,
Majestic scene, picturesque and profound.
In Wintertime, the world is cold and icy,
So beautiful, a frozen wonderland.
Gaze on the world, and view all of its beauty,
In awe, serene, so infinite and grand.
Oh night, oh Winter Night, oh night serene.

Beauty infused in every waking moment,
With glowing hearts we rejoice every day.
Life is a gift so cherish every remnant,
Treasure each breath and don’t ever dismay.
In Wintertime, the world in solemn slumber,
Is draped in snow, magnificent and white.
Sing and rejoice, let's celebrate in Winter,
Behold the world, reflect on every sight,
And fill your heart with joy forevermore.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

OH, DECEPTION - LDS Hymn Parody #69

OK, I know... I've turned into a broken record (again). Sometimes I get tired of hearing myself ramble on and on about how the Mormon Church is nothing but a stack of lies - that it is pure deception. But only sometimes. The rest of the time I simply want to have my voice be heard - and I hope that by speaking out, people will be compelled to do their own research, to look behind the curtain and finally see the Wizard. And once they do that, then hopefully they will realize that the deception ala Mormonism runs very deep - and do something about it.

In November 2011, I wrote an LDS Hymn Parody that goes along with this theme. In that post, I said:

Short and to the point. Just like the original LDS hymn/children's song -
at least in its length, but obviously not in its point.

WHY THE DECEPTION?
Sung to the tune of Keep the Commandments, #303

Why the deception? Why the deception?
The lies are apparent, of this I am sure.
Look at the history, look at the history,
Ugly and sordid, why the deception?
The lies are apparent for sure.

© Diane Tingen, 11/29/2011

My latest LDS Hymn Parody expands on this theme. Actually, this new one is set to one of my favorite LDS Hymns of all time - O My Father. This hymn (the lyrics to which were written by Eliza R. Snow) is famous for speaking of Mother in Heaven. Perhaps that's why I always liked it so much. My feminist side coming out, way back then.

I remember not only singing this hymn in church, but also at funerals. In fact, I think it was sung at my mother's funeral in 1977... back when I was still very TBM and still just going along. The research that led me to realize the truth had not yet begun. I had a lot of questions back then, but rather than doing independent research to obtain the answers, I simply adhered to The Mormon Way by believing what they told me - basically, that if I didn't understand certain things, then it was a failing within me. The message that was given to me was that in order to get the answer to my questions, I needed to pray more, study the scriptures more, attend meetings regularly, and adhere to the gospel. You know, the ol' it's you not them mindset. If there is anything wrong, it couldn't possibly be that the church is wrong, so it must be that you are not worthy enough. Of course, I was also given the message that we cannot understand everything in this life, but that if we endure to the end, it will all be made known to us and then we will know that it was worth it. With that rhetoric, the Mormons basically cover all the bases, don't you think?

The truth is apparent to me now, but that clarity wasn't obtained from doing all that "they" said I needed to do. Instead, the clarity I gained was from opening my mind and doing some actual independent research. I stopped burying my head in the sand - and also followed a famous "Mormon" scripture (James 1:5) - slightly revised:

So here is my latest LDS Hymn Parody... #69... and counting...

OH, DECEPTION
Sung to the tune of O My Father, #292

Oh, Deception, laced throughout it,
Conjured up by Joseph Smith.
He created Mormonism,
Just a hoax, enormous myth.
He convinced them all to follow
Saying he was called of God.
But in truth, he was a shyster,
And the church is just a fraud.

I was born and raised a Mormon,
All my life, I just believed.
Went along with what they taught me,
But I found, I’d been deceived.

When I looked, it was apparent,
All the lies that Joseph told.
Plagiarized the Book of Mormon,
Not obtained from plates of gold.

Mormonism, pure deception,
Not an ounce of truth within.
It is clear when it is studied
How untrue the tales they spin.
But it’s sad that many listen,
Buy it all and just believe.
Unaware of the deception,
And of all the lies they weave.

If they’d only do some research
On their own, then they might see
All the lies, the clear deception
That’s employed, so visibly.
Common sense is sorely needed,
Nothing in it is from God.
It is not the true religion,
But instead, a blank façade.

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE TRUTH - LDS Hymn Parody #67

To me, there is beauty in truth. Plain and simple. No little white lies. No wiggle room. No bobbing and weaving. No hedging. Just the pure truth based on facts and evidence.

But I've been told that I take the concept of truth too literally, at least on some discussion boards where I've attempted to discuss this topic. But in doing so, I have been criticized for saying that since there are obvious lies laced throughout Mormonism, I had to discard it. It has been pointed out that every religion has lies within it, as if that is a justification for the lies I have discovered. But to me, just because "all religions" have lies within them doesn't mean that it is okay for every religion to present lies as absolute truth. After all, if a religion has lies laced throughout it, then what possible benefit can it have to me in my life? For example, the Mormon Church teaches honesty and integrity as important values, and yet they have no regard for the actual truth when it comes to presenting its doctrine or history. I, for one, have a real problem with that.

Perhaps the search for truth and beauty is an elusive one. Obviously truth and beauty mean different things to different people. But regardless of whether or not that may be true, wouldn't a person think that within religion that search would be simpler? That those qualities would intermingle and co-exist within the worship of God? Sadly, though, that doesn't seem to be the case.

THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.

Yes, as far as I am concerned, TRUTH is the bottom line. Is something true - or is it false? If it's false, then I want nothing to do with it. To me, it really is that simple.

Of course, that explains why, when I discovered so many lies laced throughout Mormonism, I had to extricate myself from its grasp. And that also explains why I have such a hard time understanding why some people can know all the flaws, all the deception, all the lies, all the sordid history, and still adhere to Mormonism. Makes no sense to me.

Anyway, here is my 67th LDS Hymn Parody, all about TRUTH...

FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE TRUTH
Sung to the tune of For the Beauty of the Earth, #92

For the beauty of the truth,
Sorting through apparent lies.
Seeing that it’s all made up,
Facts that brought me much surprise.
Truth is what it’s all about,
Knowing without any doubt.

For the beauty of the facts,
Recognizing every clue.
When the evidence is there,
Standing up for what is true.
Truth is what it’s all about,
Knowing without any doubt.

Finding truth, a worthy search,
Ripping off the veiled disguise.
Finally seeing what is false,
Then discarding all the lies.
Truth is what it’s all about,
Knowing without any doubt.

For the joy of feeling free,
Living an authentic life.
Finally facing all the facts,
Free from all the pain and strife.

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.