A Question for **FORMER** Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons and SDAs?

Question

I am so inspired by the questions and answers posted here by former JWs, Mormons and SDAs. Your faith has truly saved you!

So my question for you is this: if you could put your finger on one moment in time when you said to yourself, "I've been deceived," what would that moment be? Was it something someone said or did? Was it something God showed you during private Bible study or prayer? Or was it something else that caused you to see your first flicker of God's true light?

I have no idea how I could possibly pick a "best" answer to this question; I may have to let the community vote (which would be a first for me). But since I'm a "softy," if your story makes me cry, I may just vote for you! ; )

Current adherants to these organizations are not requested to reply.

Wow, you guys are awesome! I'm soooo glad I asked this question. Thank you so much for writing about this deeply personal subject.

DeusexMichael, I have a deep feeling that God is not done with you. Read Princess Yum Yum's testimony -- she went through what you did. Princess seems to have realized she didn't want any part of God because she really didn't know Him. Is that perhaps the case with you? When we worship an organization instead of God, we cannot truly get to know our Creator.

Wow, I'm blessed by so many of these answers. Since I can't possibly pick which is the "best," I'm putting this up for a vote. Peace to all of you.

Answer 1

I was brought up from birth into a Jehovah's Witness family. I believed everything I was taught and genuinely thought I had "the truth" and that every other religion was wrong. However, after 1975 came and went without the promised "end to this wicked system of things" (Armageddon), I became disillusioned and realised that the organisation was a false prophet.

In order to leave the organisation, I literally left the country and started a new life for myself. For many years, I wandered in a spiritual wilderness, having nothing to do with JW's in particular and religion in general. Then, in my early 40's, I began to genuinely seek God and I had lots of questions which I put to my sister, who had also left the JW's and become a Christian. She patiently and lovingly answered all my questions in depth and prayed for me for 10 years.

I finally got down on my knees and prayed for help. Although I had abandoned God, He had not abandoned me, and He answered my prayers. 11 years ago, I finally "got it". It was a Saturday morning, at the end of March, and I was standing at the kitchen sink scouring out a stainless steel, copper bottomed chip pan when the love of God filled me. I suddenly realised who Jesus was and what He had done for me, that He had died for me and that my sins were truly forgiven. God opened my eyes, unstopped my ears and softened my heart to receive Him. What a happy day that was! He led me to fellowship in a Baptist church and it wasn't long before I gave myself to the Lord and was baptised.

Praise be to God!

P.S. Re Suzanne's comments, it is absolutely true that I had turned my back on God, but while I was a JW, I didn't actually KNOW God, or Jesus or the Holy Spirit. I was so indoctrinated from my upbringing I wasn't even capable of thinking for myself! The Jesus who met with me 11 years ago was a revalation. The love of God that filled me just blew me away. The Holy Spirit which convicted me after my baptism was truly a comforter (as well as being scary and powerful). KEY to getting to know God is the DESIRE to get to know God. HUMILITY is necessary before anyone can get down on their knees and honestly confess they are lost, that they need God and would He please forgive them. Then God does the rest. Remember, God knows us better than we know ourselves - but He asks you to trust Him, to call out to Him and to earnestly seek Him. He will never turn you away.

Answer 2

My eyes being opened was scriptural..It was when a Baptist minister showed me in the scriptures Where Thomas touches Jesus Hands and calls him God...and then Jesus blesses him for seeing that he is God....So simple, but this shattered my faith so deeply, that it took 18 years of deprogramming before I felt safe enough to enter a church.

People ask why we are so angry....They have no idea how it is to lose so much for a false faith....The effects of what the Jehovah's Witnesses do to families is catastrophic.....The result of being kicked out for sometimes minor infractions is devastating and in my case I tried to take my own life over it.......It was God who lifted me up out of that.......They are a dangerous cult and people die over their false religion garbage.....I almost did, and there are many who have.
So I will continue to post my exposing questions in the hopes that someone out there will think twice before accepting a watchtower or inviting a JW in their home for a bible study....they do not tell you about all of the bad stuff until you are completely indoctrinated.

Oh being molested by my father who is an elder didn't cause me to leave, but it adds to my rage....especially when I hear witnesses deny that that kind of thing doesn't happen...it does happen, all of the time.

Answer 3

Maybe I am too late to answe this question, but anyways, there were several moments in time. My seminary teacher said we believed (kind of liek a bible study class) that the virgin mary and the father were married before (from the book the journal of discourses) she came to the earth...called the preexistance...something like predestination...anyways and when the holy ghost came over her they consimated the marriage, then it made sence to me why my dad had adopted as a second wife..not why my mom had traded places with me (she was depressed by the way and wanted to be taken care of). The other one was the constant guys testing me to see how far I would go on dates, it was called the test and it was always taught that it was up to the gilr to keep both ourselves and the guy inline, it was sexist. My dad was also a sexist and saw me as an object oviosly, he was OCD about housework. Next, I couldn't handel that God was a wimp and sent a son to die for all of us instead of himself, he created us, why couldn't he die for us, then after a bout with wicca and atheism, someone told me about the trinity and I got saved, it all made sence to me then. The mormons believe in worshipping themselves since they are gods themselves and can do it themselves, they don't need a savior, I did. I left the church and was still suffering from the brainwashing and the mindcontrol, I oviously needed a savior to help me permantely leave the church.

Answer 4

The turning point for me was the whole lack of genuine love among witnesses. They like to think they are nice people but it really is a lie. The conditional frienships I found hard to accept. ie; I'll only be your friend as long as you remain a JW or answer and give talks at the meeting! I am a person that needed to find deep frienships and pretty much all friendships with the witnesses are shallow! I found it very hard to fit in. It is such a relief to be free from religion!

Answer 5

I was very young when my aunt brought me into the Mormon church. I didn't really pay much attention to the fact that they rarely used the Bible and had their own books, I was just wrapped up in the social aspect and the fun. But after a couple of years, it began to bother me. I also witnessed a lot of weird behaviors and listened to a lot of bizarre ideas. By the time I was 20, I was very dissillusioned and did some research. I then realized that it was a very weird cult and I no longer wanted any part of it. I asked for ex-communication, but they would not grant it to me.

atheist

Answer 6

I was a Mormon Elder, return missionary, and former Sunday School teacher. For me the death of faith was during the end of my re-entry in the church. I had been excommunicated for sexual "sin" and later re-baptized. I was awaiting the return of my priesthood when my Bishop said he would submit to Salt Lake to receive the forms needed.

Note, I had passed interviews with both my Bishop and Stake President and was even teaching Sunday School so there was no worthiness question. This was simply a clerical matter of the forms from Salt Lake being put in an envelope and shipped. Days passed. Then weeks turned into months, and each Sunday I would inquire as to their status. After a year I began to analyze my faith. If this is supposed to be God's true church on earth how could something this ridiculous be holding up my return to something that for a Mormon is vital to your Eternal Life? I began to get the sense I was being lied to.

I finally allowed logic to penetrate that part of my mind that had been compartmentalized all these years, my faith. When one analyzes belief in God with real logic and intellectual honesty, he finds no reason for it.

The best case against the Bible is the Bible itself. It shows the nature of a deity that were he to truly to exist, would be entirely unworthy of worship. I stopped trying to fit my faith to my science and let the facts stand for themselves. God was weighed, measured, and found wanting. Thus we have the enlightened Atheist you see before you today.

Answer 7

My moment of resolve came to me one night when I realized that the JW organization is just as political, mismanaged and caste-based as any other organization they claim to be different from. I've personally known how their definition of justice and position is relative to "who you know". For example, I once knew a JW couple who engaged in premarital sex, which is a disfellowshipping offense if they aren't repentant. The guy (my friend) was publicly dressed-down and stripped of all his privileges, but the girl was still allowed to keep all her "pioneer" privileges and status. In addition, she was allowed to attend a special "pioneer" school and then continue in her service. Both were repentant, but why was it handled differently? The girl and her family were long time JWs and good friends with the local Circuit Overseer (a higher-up in the org). He personally pardoned her, and proceeded to cover up the scandal. It gets worse, but I won't bore you with details. I was involved in this process, so none of this is hearsay. I witnessed it firsthand (no pun intended). I've seen so many mishandled cases of similar and sometimes worse occurrences that I simply refuse to be associated with hypocrisy of this nature not to mention some of their controversial teachings.

Answer 8

Mine was more like the straw that broke the camels' back.
There were "doubts that crept in" as their publications call it, but i pushed it back in my mind and just remained gullible.

Several straws happened about the same time.
My husband was an elder in the local congregation.
While I was away for the evening, a "sister" who lived across the street (we were also business partners) crawled in my bedroom window, but a@@ naked and crawled in bed with my husband. My young child was in the bed with my husband at this time. This "sister" had been harassing my husband constantly. I know what some of you are thinking, sure he didn't do anything, but you'd HAVE to know him. Sex was not important even with me; he found her unattractive to the point of repulsion.
When it was brought to the elder's attention and the judicial committees were gathered, guess who got blamed?? Yep, my husband. Why? because SHE CRIED!!!!!! Then I remembered something that my husband (at this time he was a ministerial servant) instructed me on just prior to walking into my own judicial committee that was meeting over something I had actually done. He said, "Make sure you cry, and tell them that you puked right after." (this is a verbatim quote).

So why are these 2 things important? I was being coached to fool what was suppose to be a holy spirit and God driven meeting. It was God directing these men to judge.
So, if God was directing them, why did they fall for it? THAT got me thinking. What else are they not right about.

Then, about the age of 32 ish, I finally got the nerve to step forward to my family regarding abuse suffered by me at the hands of my non-jw brother-in-law. My sister and I (she had also been abused by him but she had "faded away") discussed bringing up charges against him. Like a good little follower, I called the local area where I grew up and told him the situation and what we were planning to do. Brother Merle B. stated: Don't do anything that would bring reproach on the congregation!....Excuse me? Not, why sister, that explains why we were SO worried about you while you were growing up, or how can I help you over come this terrible ordeal through scriptural teachings and faith in God?? Not, why sister that is horrible! The authorities MUST be told!!
NONE OF THAT!!

That began to pray deeply, heartfelt, begging for holy spirit for truth....
I felt a calm about me finally, my eyes became open. I realized that there were SOOO many things that were hypocritical and outright lies within this "mouthpiece of God" that surely his perfect Holy Spirit could in NO way be behind their actions and teachings! The lies started piling up, I read the "forbidden" apostate sites and found them not to be the lies of Satan's organization, for they had dates, places, facts, court documents, everything that could be called proof and support.
As new as my relief was, I still felt the pressure of the years of indoctrination nagging me and realizing what my course of action would mean in so many aspects of my life. It was the HARDEST decision I had ever made. But make it I did!

GOD BE PRAISED!!!!
THANK YOU LORD JESUS!!!!!

Answer 9

I was probably 10 years old when this happened to me. We'd just gotten through preparing for Tuesday night bible study and with the information fresh in my troubled mind, I asked my mother "Daddy isn't a witness, will he die during armageddon, Mommy?"

She nodded in the affirmative and answered yes. Jehovah was going to kill my beloved dad.

That was it for me. The rest was lip service. I was baptized not believing, but just making nice for Mom. Too bad.

added: Suzanne, thank you for asking this. It's very good to read others' experiences. Bless you.

Answer 10

Growing up in the Mormon faith there are many questions that go unanswered. Generally you are told to have more faith, whenever you have a question that there is no answer to in their religion.

In the D&C section on the Book of Mormon Joseph Smith tells mormons to pray about the religion, whether it is true or not. I struggled for a lot of years wondering if I just didn't have enough faith and that is why my testimony was so weak. When I was 12 I took on the challenge to pray about my religion. I prayed nearly every night for a year. After I prayed I would remain on my knees along the side of my bed, waiting for an answer that would strangthen my testimony and allow me the comfort of knowing that I was in the right religion.

That revelation never came. As the year wore on, I became more and more distanced from the church as I could not go on playing the charade of believing when I knew that it was wrong. I began doing research on the internet and at the library concerning the founders of the church and what I found astonished me. Just about everything I found was new to me, I had grown up in a religion that I knew nothing about. I began to take some of these findings to church so that I could question my teachers about them and all I was told is that people who want to persecute us are the ones who wrote these things and often my material was taken from me.

When I was 13 my mother was at her wits end with all of my questions and she invited the bishop over to our house to speak with me, his conclusion.... I was evil and was bringing evil spirits into the house because of the evil in my heart. He then prayed over our house and me and told my mother to keep a close eye on me. The hardest part was watching my mother fully accept his judgement of me.

I was able to completely walk away from the Mormon religion when I was 16 and I had my name removed from their records when I was 18.

I studied every faith that I could from 12 to 17 when I finally decided that being Agnostic was the only path for me. I couldn't give up my belief in God, it didn't feel right, but at the same time I couldn't understand how an all powerful being needed to sacrifice his son to forgive our sins, so believing that Jesus was his son, was something I couldn't do either.

I met my husband when I was 19. He was a born Muslim, though he wasn't practicing at the time. He accepted my adversity towards organized religion and never tried to talk to me about Islam unless I broached the topic and normally I would do so over something I had heard in the media.

One year ago I watched him completely turn his life around in a two month time frame all for the sake of Islam. This peaked my curiosity. There were things that I had been harping on him for years to give up and then overnight it seemed he just gave them up and began practicing Islam. Once again I turned to my old standby of research and looked into Islam. The more I read and heard, the more this fit into my idea of what faith should be. This November will be one year since I accepted Islam and I have never been happier to say that I am a member of a faith.