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J.D. Jensen Guest Book Comments J.D. Jensen's comments in our Guest book: Name: J.D. Jensen Our response: Mr. Jensen, 1. You are mistaken when you say "It appears that I'm one of the few EX-MORMONS to visit your site." If you compare our web counter with the Guest book you can see that relatively few visitors sign in. In fact, most critics who have something to say prefer to send us e-mail (with their e-mail addresses) rather than just make a vituperative comment in our Guest book. Though this is really a minor issue, it serves to illustrate how easy it is to make erroneous judgments based on incomplete evidence. 2. As for being a "fifth-generation member of the Mormon Church," this gives you no special insight unless you have read and seriously pondered your ancestors' histories, and if they contain information which would have an actual bearing on church history or doctrine. Many of us are of pioneer stock. Many of us also think for ourselves and have done the necessary research. Our discoveries have confirmed that which has been revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. 3. Your comment that "there is no going back," is untrue. One of us has personally baptized back into the LDS church a former member who, while he was gone, was a very active professional critic. While most who leave do indeed stay gone, many have returned when they have once again seen the light. 4. You state that: "I'm interested in seeing just what Mormon "apologetics" consist of other than the stereotyped testimony." Though each of us is more than willing to state that the Lord has blessed us with assurances of the truthfulness of the LDS Church, our testimonies are not recorded here. Furthermore, you have provided no criticism of the material that is here. In addition to our site, we suggest that you visit web sites that we have made links to. They also contain a lot of high quality, non-testimony, "apologetic" material. The FARMS web site is an excellent example. As the scriptures teach, men's minds (including yours) are fallible and when they "rely on the arm of flesh," men make mistakes. Revelation from God is more reliable than man's reasoning ability. Critics seem to think that by mocking the LDS for their "burning in the bosom," they discredit those testimonies. Many members of the LDS Church have testimonies that have been given by the revelations of the Holy Spirit to their souls. Most have already seriously "Ponder[ed] this." Please consider the responses we have placed in evidence on this web site, which refute some of the criticisms that have been leveled against the LDS Church. Those who raised them felt they were substantial enough to spend time researching and writing. Rather than using hit and run tactics, we invite you to take your best shot at demonstrating that our responses are inadequate. To date only one other critic has attempted to do so. We admire him for his forthrightness and approach. As a result, we have updated our article on The Alleged 56-Year Second-coming Prophecy of Joseph Smith and placed it on this site for all to see. J.D. we invite you to repent, reconsider the truthfulness of The Book of Mormon, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and return to the Lord Jesus Christ in his true church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Stan Barker |