Leaving
Mormonism: Why Four Scholars Changed
Their Minds by Miller, Wilder, Eccles, and Scott is
the most recent Kregel Academic book I have read for review. It is a book I looked forward to with a growing
Mormon population in my area, as well as friends that are Mormons.
In the first chapter, Miller explains that
the departure from the Mormon faith does not mean that they all now hate
Mormons. Rather, their heart goes out to
them and they want them to come to know the same Savior, Jesus Christ, that
they have come to know.
Miller continues in the second chapter to
tell her story and explain that she left Mormonism after finding its doctrines subjective
self-authentication, works salvation, and progression to deity as unsupportable
in the context of the Bible – which Mormons claim to believe.
Scott writes the third chapter, telling
her story, and explain that there is no single reason a person becomes a
Mormon, nor is there a single truth that will convince a Mormon to leave. For her, it was attempting to reconcile the
Mormon idea of truth – which is not objective – with what she understood
(102). She continues with a detailed and
fascinating explanation of how Mormon “truth” differs from Christianity
(including charts).
Wilder picks up the fourth chapter explain
that being told her highest purpose was to procreate, and not to pursue higher
education was a great obstacle. As she
studied Mormonism, she bristled at the doctrines that black people are cursed
(157), polygamy (159), the salvation requirements (186), and the whole concept
of Mormon truth when their teachings could always change.
Eccles looks at Mormonism from the point of
a scientist in the fifth chapter and tells of his repulsion at the literal
understanding of the Mormon cosmology and Creation history (218). For Eccles, these views were “stupid.” However, the views of Fundamentalist
Christianity also left his scientist head shaking, so he ended up embracing a
neo-orthodox Christianity (235). He also
sidelines the traditional understanding of the Trinity (253).
In the final chapter, Miller and Wilder consider
the arguments of the “new atheism.” They
argue that the problem of evil falls because without a God, there would be no
objective foundation for morality (285).
With regards to science and the Bible, they conclude that they are
complementary and have their own “areas of expertise and intent” (292). Finally, they consider whether the text of
the Bible is trustworthy, and the argue that the internal evidence shows that
the text must have been completed by 70 A.D., and the texts in existence date
back to the early second century, making them very credible (293).
Reading these testimonies and arguments
have shown me that a good place to begin with talking to a Mormon is with their
own texts – to examine them and see if they don’t see problems with them.
I found the authors to be compassionate
and this book a useful tool in ministry and in day-to-day love of my Mormon
neighbor.
Eccles' chapter did make me tremble as he
embraced non-historic “Christianity” – if it is, and I pray his studies in the
Bible help him to understand it better, while keeping his scientific acumen.
[I received this book for free in exchange
for an honest review. This review appears
on my blog and on Amazon.com.]
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