Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Mormon Church? What is the difference? When you think about their history, both religions came into existence during the same era. Each religious leader predicted the end of the world. They misled individuals to believe in their fairy tales of an afterlife. They even convinced them that they were the only true religion. The only difference between the two faiths is merely their subjects. The tactics and techniques of each leader were similar. They had a stronghold on their adherents to follow their warnings and deny themselves a life based on their theories.
Our special guest, John Dehlin, discusses the Mormon church, its history, and why he chose to leave the church after 45 years. He is a sixth-generation Mormon and comes from a family that dates back to the early history of the church’s beginnings. Dehlin is an American psychologist, podcast host, excommunicated member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is a well-known activist helping to raise awareness about the Mormon church. He is one of the most eloquent speakers and is one of the best Mormon historians.
John founded the Mormon Stories Podcast. He is instrumental in leading the cause to educate others about the Mormon church. As the founder of the Mormon Podcast Stories, John enjoys interviewing various guests on his show that stem from different backgrounds. He established the podcast in 2005, and it is the longest-running and most popular Mormon-themed podcast.
Remembering Watchtower Twenty Years Later. It was 20 short (or long) years ago, that the United States experienced a tragedy. Everyone we knew was telling us to get back to the Kingdom Hall because “it done started” Yes, they said, the end of the world is near and anyone that wants to be saved needs to get back to the Kingdom Hall where Jehovah’s spirit and blessings reside.
There were many individuals flocking back to the Kingdom Hall in hopes for survival all to realize that not long after being back, nothing was happening (or going to happen). They knew that the life of a Jehovah’s Witness is relentless. Therefore, some chose to drop off again, never to return.
Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world are getting more access to the Internet and learning the real truth about the Watchtower, Bible & Tract Society. Such individuals no longer have to live under fear, obligation and guilt.
This podcast critiques the talk presented by Governing Body member David Splane from the 2021 Regional Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It helps individuals to use critical thinking when listening to the comments on how the Jehovah’s Witness leadership tries to convince its members to treat information they receive from former members or the media.
Throughout his talk, Splane uses the phrase “Spiritual Poison” to describe the bad publicity the organization experiences from anyone speaking negatively about them.
He discourages Bible studies from investigating sources outside of the Watchtower when seeking to learn more information about the religion. He proudly states it’s not an option for a Bible study to investigate information they receive from their non-Jehovah’s Witness spouse asking them to check out the religion prior to joining. Instead, he says, “we have nothing to hide” and begins outlining alternate ways for individuals to learn more about Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Listen carefully to the brothers at meetings
Watch how we interact with one another
Take note of how the organization is financed
Get to know the elders & their wives
Introduce yourself to the circuit overseer & his wife
Visit the world headquarters of the branch
During his discourse, Splane makes an offhanded comment about the things that individuals are no doubt discussing in an online forum. He goes on to say that people are no doubt asking, “do you think the brothers that write Watchtower articles are living in the real world?” and “I wonder if they realize just how hard it is out here.”
Wow! He nailed it. This is exactly what takes place at Watchtower headquarters. And the individuals sitting in the audience are so brainwashed that these type of statements go right over their head. They fail to take time to investigate what is being said from the platform. The Governing Body delivers the exact information they need to wake up and get out, all they have to do is use critical thinking to examine their statements.
During the talk, Splane asks, “how does it make you feel”? after going to an online forum and listening to apostates talk negatively about the organization? He then follows up his statement with the following questions:
When you leave the online forum, do you feel upbuilt?
Do you feel determined to expand your ministry?
Are you more convinced than ever that Jehovah has a loving organization and you feel honored to be part of it?
I learned the truth about Jehovah’s Witnesses on FacebookI found the truth about Jehovah’s Witnesses on Facebook
In this video podcast, Keith tells his story about how he stumbled on the truth about Jehovah’s Witnesses on Facebook. Doing a simple Google search about a Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Melody lead him to the EX-Jehovah’s Witness Critical Thinker Facebook Page. He reached out to express his gratitude and the rest is history.
The following is a partial comment Keith wrote on our Facebook page prior to us contacting him:
Begin Quote:
“I have just come across your channel. I want to thank you so much and commend your courageous actions and stance. I was born and raised in the Kingdom Hall for 18 years. I had the potential outlook and many elders talking to me about Bethel (New York) and of course baptism.
My exit story starts when at the age of roughly 16, when it came time to me being approached for baptism, I don’t know why, but I declined. I explained I hadn’t made the “truth my own” yet. I told the elder in the hall, who told me frank out, if you were not a baptized member of Jehovah’s Witnesses you would die at Armageddon. I shared with him the scripture about from every tribe, nation, and tongue. Also, the scripture referring to God reading heart conditions, the hot and cold, lukewarm scripture…. etc. They backed off and let me go. Or so I thought.
I love this. I know this pain all too personally. I am on my 3rd video today, and have been breaking down into tears for hours. This topic is woefully real, horribly terrifying, and happens everyday in this group of spiritually blind people leading other blind. The reason you’re blind is you stumble in the darkness you’ve created by boxing yourself in and cut yourself off from growth.
In the hands of the Potter you have become hardened and as he lovingly tries to continue to mold you, instead, rigid in your belief, you crumble. Now that box is your coffin. Love, life, family, happiness, kindness, mildness, patience, understanding, compassion, etc,. These things are what is divine. God is Love. It is the all powerful force that drives not only creation, but the continuation of life. Life is synonymous with growth. That ever expanding light you claim to know should be ever adding appreciation, awe, wonder and humility to a person so that in the total “Presence” of the Most High’s creation, we realize we cannot fully comprehend the beauty we live amongst, the contrast and various colors we have be gifted to experience.
How can we judge? How should we take someone we love and care about, find out they are ” spiritually sick”, and cast them out to the ravenous lion that seeks to devour those in the flock? If someone is sick and near death, do we not draw closer to them. Is that not love? Why is it the sacrifice you are most willing to make is that of your friends and family, and not your traditions?” End Quote
In this interview with Goatlike Personality, JT learns a different perspective on racism in European countries and it has nothing to do with the color of your skin. During the discussion, Goatlike talks about why he could have been a PIMO for life, if the brothers would have only helped his wife to appreciate that Jehovah loves a cheerful giver.
As a fourth generation Jehovah’s Witness, the only thing Goatlike feared growing up was being a member of the Bethel family. After taking many trips to Bethel throughout his childhood, his mother kept saying that you should always do what the Watchtower wants. Of course, he knew exactly what that meant. Goatlike speaks his truth about the Watchtower and how knowing something about science and geology can help dispel many myths about the Bible.
As humans, we have many pieces to the puzzle at our fingertips, but we are too afraid to place them in their respective place. All you have to do is be willing to look at the facts. When Goatlike began examining the animal kingdom and Noah’s ark, he looked at the situation with the kangaroo and realized that he wasted a decade of his life. If only Jehovah’s Witnesses can talk opening, Goatlike believes that the religion will crumble over night.
In this video podcast, JT & Lady Cee talk with Craig & Misty about how the Watchtower, Bible & Tract Society divides families. They discuss the fall out on what happens when Misty chooses to join the group and the affect it has on her relationship with her husband. They also discuss how it affects the relationship with Misty and her dad when her husband finally puts his foot down and chooses to turn her in to the elders.
Once Craig turns Misty in, it does not take long for the elders to act and begin the process of expelling her from the religion. As a result, Misty undergoes a lot of undue stress. Her husband states that he had never seen his wife go through this type of suffering before and felt there had to be something wrong with the religion.
During the process of her disfellowshipping, Misty realizes that the Jehovah’s Witness religion is the source of her anguish and stress. She feels that living under their restrictions keeps her from being her true and authentic self. Therefore, when she chooses to sever ties with the group after being disfellowshipped, she is cut off from having any association with her dad and all friendships are null and void unless she rekindles her love for the Watchtower.
This, of course, puts a Misty was upset and undergoing immense stress because according to the teachings of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, if you do not act in accordance with their beliefs, you cannot have any contact with other Jehovah’s Witnesses abiding by their teachings.
This podcast is not about judging the individuals and the choices they make, but more about how the Jehovah’s Witness religion puts a wedge between family members that choose a life course that does not align with their policies. In fact, policies that have nothing to do with the Bible. Policies that cut family ties where fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, etc. will never speak with one another again.
In this podcast, Chef Nelly speaks about her life growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and the difficulty she had fitting in to the congregation. Being home schooled, beginning with the fourth grade meant being isolated from her peers in a public school setting. Also, being that there were not many kids her age at the Kingdom Hall, made it most difficult for her to thrive socially.
Although she realizes that she does not want to return to the Kingdom Hall, she’s still learning the truth about this religion. Because Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught to never place any blame on the Watchtower, Bible & Tract Society, it takes time for individuals to learn that the organization has everything to do with most decisions they make which has a lasting effect on their lives.
Nelly, however, hopes that her life experience growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses will touch the lives of others to help them to begin thinking about the choices they are making when it comes to your future.
In this podcast, Nash relates his personal story about growing up as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The tragic loss of losing a brother to a traffic accident and his father’s near-fatal accident is what brought him to the decision to dedicate his life in baptism to the Watchtower organization.
Nash’s world came crumbling down after losing a second brother to suicide. His brother was a hard-working man and doing everything to fulfill his responsibilities as a good husband and father. He was not, however, all that attracted to being on the Watchtower fast track seeking to attain certain positions and status.
Sadly, most Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that when a fellow brother loses interest in the Watchtower organization, it is because they want to live a life of sin. They feel that the person may have done something wrong. That is why they begin to distance themselves from the organization. But, no, not in this case. That was not the situation at all. Nash’s brother was not disfellowshipped, nor had he ever been disciplined in the past.
The pressure from other Jehovah’s Witness family members to do more Watchtower activities certainly did not help his situation either. But, of course, his family did not realize how much he was hurting. They did not know that encouraging him to pick up the pace to be a better, more active Jehovah’s Witness is not what he needed. Since Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that they are the only true religion and Nash’s brother could not refute these claims, he thought he had a problem. Why was he feeling so distant, not wanting to participate in the group’s activities? He thought something was wrong with him.
His brother was not interested in being a ministerial servant or an elder. No, he was not interested in being on the Watchtower fast-track. He didn’t like commenting at meetings and couldn’t wait for that final prayer to end so he could exit the building. Who knows how things could have turned out for him if he only knew he had other alternatives to living the life of a Jehovah’s Witness.
Fellow Jehovah’s Witnesses only encouraged him to do more in the religion. He would undoubtedly feel much better. Perhaps he would feel better if he only prayed more, attended more meetings, commented more, and participated more in the house-to-house ministry. But, unbeknownst to Nash and his family, this is not what his brother wanted nor need to hear because he was not interested in doing more Watchtower activities.
This podcast brings about much awareness about the Jehovah’s Witness religion and how it tricks its members to believe that their way is the only way to God.
https://www.wyso.org/arts-culture/201… – There are many religious groups around the United States that practice shunning; they turn away from congregates who leave the group even those from their immediate families. Experts call shunning a form of psychological bullying.
During the 2020 annual meeting of the Watchtower, Bible & Tract Society, David Splane, Governing Body member, clearly explained that the low baptism amongst the Jehovah’s Witness ranks are quite concerning. It is something that has been trending for many years. To increase the baptism numbers the release of a new publication titled “Enjoy Living Forever’ was announced at the annual meeting.
Will this new publication result in an increase of converts? Only time will tell.
Rashauna discusses how she was able to regain her identity after leaving the Watchtower. She no longer has to agree with everything someone says or be on the same page with them in terms of acting out to remain part of a group.
She discusses how therapy has helped her to regain her identity after finding out what she wants to do and discover who she is and what she wants out of life.
To learn more about how Rashuna woke up and left the Jehovah’s Witness religion, here’s a link to the interview with her husband: https://youtu.be/on42UtqJZEs.
Lonnie GillardLIFE AFTER WATCHTOWER, THREE YEARS LATER.
Lonnie Gillard appeared on our show three years ago telling his story about waking up and leaving the Jehovah’s Witness religion. He was still living at home with his parents. As a result, his parents no longer allowed him to remain living in their home. He survived by finding online resources and was able to land a place to live at an Airbnb.
Fortunately, Lonnie was able to find support from his non-Jehovah’s Witness family. While most do not live locally, they still took time to provide him with mental and moral support. He expresses how he is most grateful for them calling him to do telephone check ins, something is not receiving from his parents. Fortunately, Lonnie did not have any extreme circumstances, nor did he ever find himself on the street. He always had a place to lay his head at night.
He credits his father for his ability to survive because as he states, “my father said my job is to make sure that you and your siblings are able to stand on your own two feet”. Now that he’s out in the world, he appreciates his home training. Looking back, he said, he thought he was the crazy one because he is the only one saying this religion is a cult. But, after learning the truth about the religion, he realizes that he is not alone especially after meeting other former Jehovah’s Witnesses.
According to Lonnie, life goes on and he’s okay with the notion that the people in his past, including his family no longer want to have anything to do with him. Because he believes that he needs to move on to the next chapter in his life. As he loses all the weight that has been on his shoulders, he can sleep good at night because he knows he’s doing the best that he can do.
Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses-Critical Thinkers 