Is there a bigger mindfuck in Mormonism than the idea that your thoughts are the devil tempting you or the holy ghost guiding you?
Posted Jul 8, 2021, 5:06 PM UTC
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I was thinking this morning if the natural man is an enemy to god but it’s literally exactly how he made us then god is a real dickhead for not making us the way he truly wants us to be.
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Exactly so. It would mean that God made us as his enemy, a thing which we cannot remotely be held responsible for. That's not a human problem, that's a God-problem. And afaIc, he can fuck right off and leave us alone while he sorts it out. (If such a magical sky Daddy actually existed...which I rate as slightly less likely than Odin, Athena, Brahma, Baphomet, or Flying Spaghetti Monster.)
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The notion of promptings by both sides goes far beyond mormonism.
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This sounds true. When I read your comment my bosom burned. Facts.
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Was really stuck on this one when I was a Mormon. Implies that humans can never really do anything on their own, just passive receptacles of two different opposing forces.
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No, there is not a bigger mindfuck. I struggled with scrupolosity for many years. I thought (based on many GC talks) that the devil was constantly tempting me. Fasting day after day to make it go away until I developed trauma around fasting. I read scriptures and prayed sometimes over 8 hours/day. The 'Holy Ghost' made me run down my gravel road in bare feet, step on particular 'correct' rocks and fall to my knees on the rocks to pray every few seconds. My knees became swollen and it hurt to walk. The Holy Ghost prompted me to give away 30+ Books of Mormon in my senior year of highschool, in awkward, forced, relationship-damaging interactions. The Spirit also prompted me to feel as sorrowful as possible so I could feel true 'Godly Sorrow' for my sins... This same 'Holy Ghost' was what told me the church was true and that God was real...
Surprise surprise, after I got therapy and started thinking more rationally, the voices went away. I could lead a happy life and be a normal, sociable human being.
The people who get most fucked over in this church are those who actually try to live the Gospel as hard as they can. General Authorities dont seem to give a fuck about the casualties of their teachings.
Damn! Exactly. You have to question the motive of your thoughts. Finding out that are just thoughts and you don't have to listen to them was life changing for me.
(Edit: It was pretty hard for me, but many people have it harder, like trans and gay people who go through conversion therapy, and try to live the gospel hardcore.)