I was raised in a Roman Catholic family and attended Catechism faithfully until I was thirteen years of age. At this moment in my life, I felt a need to serve God. So, I became an altar boy at my local Roman Catholic church. However, this really didn't do much for me. I wanted more of God than a mere ritual. While surfing through the channels on the TV one day, I came across an ad for a King James Version bible that was being offered for free of charge - without any obligation. So, I called the 1-800 number and waited for my Bible to be mailed to me.

After I received it, I read it. About a week later, I received a phone call. It was a guy from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asking me if I received my Bible and if I've been reading it. I responded affirmatively. He asked if some members could stop by my home to talk more about the things in the Bible and to answer any questions I might have. I thought that would be a good idea. I was searching for something more in my life and this seemed like a very good opportunity to learn more.

So, after a few days, two women in dresses were standing near my front door as I approached my home on my bicycle. They introduced themselves as Sister Owen and Sister Patterson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They asked if "Shannon" was home. I responded that I was him. They looked pretty surprised - but, now that I think about it . . . they might've been expecting a girl - not a guy. They probably would've sent male missionaries instead. I don't know. But, anyway . . . they asked if I've been reading my new Bible and if I had any questions regarding the things I've been reading. I stated that I was enjoying it immensely and didn't have any questions at this time (I was reading the Bible for THREE DAYS, people . . . I was still in the Book of Genesis . . . I was feeling a little rushed). They then asked if they could share something with me. They reached into their bags and presented a book with yellow post-it notes sticking out in various places.

Upon opening the book at the designated sections, they shared with me my first exposure to the "Book of Mormon - Another Testament of Jesus Christ". After sharing specific stories in the book, they read a few verses from the Book of Mormon, Moroni chapter 10. Afterwards, they handed me the book and asked me to read it and do what Moroni says. I took the book with earnestness and promised I would do exactly that. I was so excited. Another book! I loved to read, so this was like Christmas. They asked if they could return in a few days to see how I'm doing and answer any questions I may have. We scheduled another visit a week later.

That night, however, I remember sitting in the kitchen looking out the window with tears in my eyes after reading the testimony of Joseph Smith. I wanted to have such an experience. I desired the Lord to appear to me like He did to Joseph Smith. Of course, I didn't experience that. But, I still felt as if what I was reading was true. I mean, why would Joseph Smith lie? Why would the three witnesses lie? Why would the eight witnesses lie? I was feeling things I never felt before. I was convinced that this book was true. I was convinced that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the true Church. It HAD to be. Everything I felt was telling me this is it. This is where I need to be. So, I devoured it. I don't know how long I stayed awake that night reading the instructions the missionaries left for me on the post-it notes inside the Book of Mormon, but I managed to follow every single one.

A week later, I was very excited to see the missionaries again. I shared with them my experiences with the Book of Mormon and their faces just lit up. They assured me that I was feeling the "Spirit" and should trust in my testimony. So, they started giving me the missionary discussions. I learned who Joseph Smith was and why he was needed. They explained to me that the early Church was like a mirror on a wall being held up by 12 strings. The 12 strings, they explained, represents the 12 Apostles. As each string (apostle) was cut off (or died) . . . the mirror eventually fell and broke in pieces. The early Church thus fell into complete apostasy and God raised up Joseph Smith to restore the early Church again. It all made sense!

So, after the lessons, the question came up if I were willing to be baptized. Without hesitating, I said yes. However, since I was young, I needed my parents permission in order to be baptized. But, they wouldn't consent. My mom told me that she heard things about "the Mormons" that she was uncomfortable with. My dad basically said I was born a Catholic and I'll die a Catholic. I was crushed. So, I prayed to "Heavenly Father" asking "Him" to make everything work out. Eventually, my parents consented and I was baptized in November of 1994 at a local Stake center in Lake Charles, LA. They threw me a party and even gave me gifts. I received the "Holy Ghost" that afternoon as well. The "best gift" I received, or so they said. I felt right at home. Such wonderful people. Surely, I was on my way to Heaven!

Or, so I thought.

I came across quotes from a work known as the Journal of Discourses every now and then. I wondered what this work meant. I also ran across another work cited as Mormon Doctrine by LDS scholar and later LDS Apostle, Bruce R. McConkie. What relevance did these have? Were they still available today? Were they available to members or just the leaders?

After discovering this information, I was more determined than ever to find out more about the LDS Church and the things they didn't bother telling me. I found out that when Joseph Smith first organized the LDS Church, they didn't have 12 apostles. So, how in the world can missionaries go around the world telling people that Joseph Smith "restored" the early Church when he clearly didn't ? Of course, that's assuming the early Church needed to be restored. Upon further research, such a claim is baseless. In the Bible, we read the following:

Ephesians 3:21 (NASB) - to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Marvin W. Cowan comments on this verse in his book, Mormon Claims Answered:

The Apostle Paul wrote: "Unto Him (God) be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end Amen" (Eph. 3:21). Could that be true if there was a universal apostasy of the church for several centuries? Jesus also said, "Upon this Rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). Notice that it is Christ Himself (not mortal men) who builds His church or adds to it (Acts 2:47), and Christ has all power in heaven and in earth (Matt. 28:18; Rev. 19:6). LDS often claim that the true church must be built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets, as Eph 2:20 says. This is commented upon later in this chapter under the sub-title, "Apostles." But Paul wrote, "...other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 3:11). Since Jesus Christ is the Foundation of the church, He is also part of the church! Could that church "collapse" or become extinct when the omnipotent Christ is the Foundation of it? Is it possible for Christ to lose "the church of God which He hath purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25)? Christ is called the "Good Shepherd" in John 10:11. But, any shepherd who loses all his sheep is not a very good shepherd!

The claims of Mormonism just keep tumbling down.

But, why would Joseph lie? Why would the three witnesses lie? Why would the eight witnesses lie? Didn't they care about their own souls? Why would they lie to their families? So, I dug deeper. I found out that Joseph Smith's "First Vision" as recorded in the "Book of Mormon" wasn't his "First Vision" after all. I think it's deceptive for missionaries (and the LDS Church hierarchy) to teach people that the account of Joseph Smith's "vision" as recorded in the "Book of Mormon" is the "First Vision" when it's clearly not. Anyone that will take the time to compare the earliest written account of Smith's vision (written by Smith himself) will see that it's certainly not the one recorded in the "Book of Mormon" today.

What about the witnesses? Well, it helps when you realize what time period these witnesses lived in and what they believed. They all, for example, believed in "second sight," or the ability to see things with the "spiritual eye." They "saw" gold and other artifacts hidden in mountains and hills . . . before they met Joseph Smith. So, they had that in common. And it's interesting that there are conflicting reports from the witnesses themselves as to "how" they "saw" and "handled" the plates. Some say it was via supernatural vision, i.e. it wasn't a physical experience, while others say it was. For example, on March 25, 1838, Martin Harris testified - in public - that none of the witnesses saw or handled the physical plates. This statement caused apostles Luke S. Johnson, Lyman E. Johnson, John F. Boynton, high priest Stephen Burnett and LDS Seventy Warren Parish to leave the church. In a letter dated April 15, 1838, Stephen Burnett wrote the following to Lyman Johnson:

I have reflected long and deliberately upon the history of this church & weighed the evidence for & against it -- loth to give it up -- but when I came to hear Martin Harris state in public that he never saw the plates with his natural eyes only in vision or imagination, neither Oliver nor David & also that the eight witnesses never saw them & hesitated to sign that instrument for that reason, but were persuaded to do it, the last pedestal gave way, in my view our foundations was sapped & the entire superstructure fell a heap of ruins, ... I was followed by W. Parish[,] Luke Johnson & John Boynton[,] all of who[m] concured with me[. A]fter we were done speaking[,] M Harris arose & said he was sorry for any man who rejected the Book of Mormon for he knew it was true, he said he had hefted the plates repeatedly in a box with only a tablecloth or handkerchief over them, but he never saw them only as he saw a city through a mountain. And said that he never should have told that the testimony of the eight was false, if it had not been picked out of [h]im but should have let it passed as it was ... (Stephen Burnett to Lyman E. Johnson, 15 Apr. 1838, Joseph Smith Letterbook, 2:64-66, d155/2:2, LDS archives; qtd. in Vogel, Early Mormon Documents, 2:288-93.)

David Whitmer, in his book An Address to All Believers in Christ referred to the experience as a "vision."

Interestingly, Joseph Smith wasn't the only one who produced witnesses to substantiate ancient records. A man by the name of James J. Strang was able, like Smith, to produce 11 witnesses who testified that they seen and examined ancient plates. It was Strang who, after Smith’s death, claimed to be his successor.

Of course, none of this is explained or even brought up in missionary discussions or in LDS chapel services every Sunday. One has to go out of their way to find this information out. But, thankfully, the information can be discovered for those who want to know the truth. I found it and that means anyone can.

So, with this knowledge under my belt, I knew I just couldn't remain in the LDS Church any longer. The fear of dying and standing before God knowing what I knew and yet not acting on it really drove me to seek the truth. I managed to put away my Quad (an LDS term used to described the Standard Works: the Holy Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price all in one volume) and purchase a new Bible because the Bible the LDS Church uses adds their own chapter headings and cross-references. I wanted to start clean and fresh. No LDS baggage. It wasn't easy, though.

When I stopped going to Sacrament on Sunday mornings, I started to get phone calls. At first, they were just friendly inquiries as to why I wasn't there. But as the weeks turned into months the phone calls turned into visits. It was really something else. I thought I could just stop going to this church and that would be it.

But, was I wrong! I don't know how many times I, my parents, and my relatives even (!) told them to stop coming over and bothering me. They eventually stopped, but every now and then they would send a new set of missionaries to my door, trying to get me back into the fold. I was so confused at this time in my life. I just found out what I believed wasn't what I thought it was. I lost friends that I enjoyed being with. I actually had thoughts of going back just for the love and support I felt in the LDS Church. But, I just had to shake these thoughts out and think rationally.

There is such a thing as truth. There HAS to be. So, I dug into my new Bible. And - wow - what a breath of fresh air! It's like I was reading the Bible for the first time in my life. I wasn't just reading words on a page for the sake of reciting a specific passage for a class, the Bible was reading me! I came across verses such as:

"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12)

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. (Romans 3:19-20)

Ephesians 2:3 says that we're all (myself included!) . . .

". . . by nature objects of wrath."

Now, I was terrified at this. I read about God's feelings towards idolatry and I knew I was guilty of placing other gods before Him. According to His law, I was condemned. In fact, I wasn't only condemned - I was God's enemy according to Romans 5:10! Surely, this wasn't the image I had about myself as a member of the LDS Church. I was a child of Heavenly Parents. I was greatly loved. This couldn't be right. But, then I realized I was carrying my LDS baggage along with me and allowing it to infiltrate my understanding of these verses. I had to "demolish" those "arguments and every pretension that set itself up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor. 10:5)

According to the Word of God, I was in bad shape. I was not only guilty before God. I was an idolater and an enemy of God! Woe to me! I felt like Isaiah when he stood before the glory of God:

"Woe to me!" "I am ruined!" (Isaiah 6:5)

I frantically searched for hope. I wanted to know how I could change this. I wanted to know what I had to do. Surely, I HAD to DO something - right? I mean, surely I had to work at getting right with God.

Or, so I thought.

Little did I know, it was God who was working in me. He was opening my eyes to His Word. Like Lydia, He . . .

". . . opened [my] heart . . ." (Acts 16:14)

I came across the following:

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." (Romans 3:21-26)

This is what LIBERATED me from my bondage of sin & drove me to the cross of Calvary and into the arms of the resurrected Christ. Righteousness comes by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ apart from any kind of works. I can't do anything to merit the righteousness of God. Without the Lord Jesus Christ, I am God's enemy & under His righteous wrath. But, like Abraham who was justified because of his faith in God's promise BEFORE he was ever circumcised, so too we can be justified in the sight of God by just believing God's promise. And what is His promise?

"All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and whoever comes to Me I will never drive away." (John 6:37)

"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (John 3:14-21)

That's all it took. I looked upon Jesus just like the Israelites looked upon the snake Moses lifted up in the desert. That‘s all they could do. That‘s all I could do. And He saved me. And He can do the same for you. Jesus is someone you can trust. The Bible is a book you can trust. Luke wrote the following to Theophilus:

P.S. For more information about Mormonism, please visit these links:

http://www.utlm.org

http://www.mrm.org

http://www.equip.org

http://www.carm.org

Footnotes in this article by website owner.

3. The following is taken from Amazon.com reviews on An Insider's View of Mormon Origins: