Born Again in Christ
Testimony of Becky White
It’s been since fall of 2011 that I went through the biggest trial of my faith. I went through something that not only changed my life but saved my life. I became a “Born again Christian” and I gave my life to Jesus.
What does that mean? Most knew me as a “Mormon”. As was recently stated in Conference by Sister Dibb: “I’m a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it.” And I DID love it, but not anymore.
I am not a Mormon anymore. Many were shocked by this news.
How is this possible? I thought I would be the last person to ever leave the Mormon Church. I believed it and I lived it the best I could.
I attended the Temple, I did my callings faithfully. I did everything and loved doing it. There was just one problem. I did not like Joseph Smith. Yeah that is a big problem to have negative feelings about the Prophet that was the foundation of the Mormon Church.
I know some would think that because I found fault with him it caused me to apostatize. but did God not give us brains to think and to reason to find truth? To find out for ourselves so that we wouldn’t be led astray?
Before coming into mainstream Mormonism I came out of polygamy. I grew up in a polygamous group and also believed it was true; because I was told it was the only way to Heaven growing up. Many things happened though that led me and my husband to believe that if Mormonism were true it had to be true in the mainstream Mormon Church.
Growing up as a child in polygamy, there are plenty of things I was told about the Prophet Joseph Smith, such as he married 14 year old girls, threatened them that an angel with a drawn sword would kill him if they did not marry him. He lied to Emma and others to protect himself from slander… “This was called Lying for the Lord” I grew up thinking we had to lie to protect ourselves from the outside world. I learned many other things about Joseph Smith that made me feel the way I did about him. As my husband and I were thinking about leaving the polygamous group we were trying to find out truth so that we would not be led astray.
Salvation was and still is the most important thing to us.
At the time, We were able to meet with men in the LDS Church to ask questions about our concerns. I was told that the things I learned about Joseph Smith from the polygamous groups were lies and that the only salvation was through the Mormon Church, so we ended up joining mainstream Mormonism because we love each other and want to live with God and our family forever.
I have to tell you that life as a Mormon was so easy. It brought me so much happiness and contentment. (Especially compared to a polygamous lifestyle!). I felt it was true with all my heart! They tell you everything you need to do. Do this, this and this etc. and you will be saved.
There are times that some of the things I learned about Joseph Smith would come up and I would feel discouraged that they after all really were true, after being told they weren’t by LDS Priesthood leaders who should know their own history. That bothered me but I would put it on a shelf and ignore it. I did not want to upset my world.
As with most Mormons I would always hope I could at least make it to the Celestial Kingdom as a servant or something just so that I could see my family, because I never felt I was worthy enough no matter how hard I tried to be.
I also always wondered about the other worlds and how we really wouldn’t be together because all of my sons would be Gods on their own planet, and my daughters on their own planets with their husbands. Just a lot of problems when I thought too deeply about it all. (which wouldn’t be a problem at all if it really was Gods plan.)
After hearing so much of Warren Jeffs and all of the things he did to those poor girls and to the people in Colorado City and Texas, (Jeffs) was now in Prison for these crimes, it always brought me back to Joseph Smith and how much alike I felt they were. It made me feel sick that he (Joseph Smith) could be chosen by God.
After discussing this with someone I love very much, she questioned me how I could doubt Joseph Smith as he was the foundation of our Church. This scared me so much I cried and cried. I knew I had to gain a testimony of him once and for all, and I was determined to do so.
I got the latest Historical book on Joseph Smith from Deseret Book called “Rough Stone Rolling” by Richard Bushman. I read some, I cried, and I read it more and cried more. I could not believe what I was reading. It was worse than I ever could imagine.
While I was trying to prove Joseph Smith was a true Prophet and Mormonism was true through much study of Church History I found so many contradictions in the Mormon gospel that I knew the god of Mormonism was not constant and his gospel was ever changing. All of the Mormon prophets and apostles have contradicted each other so much what is the use of revelation if we can’t even trust what one apostle says to the next one?
I came to the conclusion that Mormonism could not be true! If there was a God, he must be able to be trusted, not lie and not change.
I also questioned why would God use Joseph Smith to restore something that Jesus failed twice to keep alive, not only to those he taught during his life and through his disciples but here in the Americas to the Book of Mormon people? God couldn’t do what he finally needed a man to do?
I kept all of this to myself. I lived day and night in a nightmare. My testimony of Mormonism was gone forever. I could not sleep, I read constantly trying to prove that Mormonism was true, but finally realized it wasn’t. I came to the conclusion that I couldn’t trust God if there was one.
I finally told my husband who had been traveling for work and I rarely saw, about the book and that I was done with God. I was just going to fake it to keep the peace in our family. He told me then, that as he had been traveling the only station he could get was on Bible studies. He had been listening to the Bible and it was amazing. As he was talking to me I remember exactly where I was driving and I looked up at the beautiful mountains, I knew that they didn’t just happen, but that they were made by an amazing God. I knew then that I wanted to find out all I could about him.
Through all of my studies and questions I met an amazing lady Rauni Higley who used to work in the LDS Churches translating department and also found that all of the Mormon prophets kept contradicting fundamental gospel principles, and the Mormon gospel continued to change and evolve from what the original foundation was.
(The LDS Church since Joseph Smith has been very meticulous at record keeping. Because of this we are able to read and compare from Mormon inception.)
Rauni worked in the translating department at Church headquarters for many years but finally could not believe the Church was true anymore. She too went through a crisis of her faith in God but turned to the Bible. She got the Hebrew and Greek text to see just where or if the Bible was translated incorrectly as Joseph Smith states in the 8th Article of Faith.
After much study of the Bible she realized it truly is the word of God and it did not fail and could be trusted, but she told me that I needed to read and study it for myself so that I could know. This I did do.
I have now come to realize that the Bible is truly the word of God, kept and preserved by him for us and that we can know who he is by reading it and studying it daily.
My God is so amazing! There isn’t anything he couldn’t do if he wanted it done and he DID preserve his word!
When we read the Bible we put on the armor of God daily and he protects us from being deceived.
The New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament and the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament.
It is a set of 66 Books written by 40 authors all by the amazing power and hand of God!
ALL OF IT POINTS TO THE SAVIOR AND WHAT HE DID ON THAT CROSS FOR US! That is the Gospel! So simple a little child can understand it!
In the Bible God tells us we cannot trust our hearts or feelings but to test all things by the word of God and what it says.
Not so in Mormonism. Mormons are told to pray and they will know through feelings such as the burning of the bosom or a strong feeling of peace. This is not Biblical. Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: Who can know it?
Satan can deceive you through feelings because we live on a fallen and sinful world and he is the prince of it. He knows how to deceive you!
Jesus said in John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
You can have a “peace of the world” that is not from God. Do not be deceived!
Think about how you feel when you hear the national anthem or when you feel emotional about something, or watch a Hollywood movie that makes you feel moved.
DO not attach “feelings” to the Mormon Church that make you believe it must be true! This is why by feelings I felt the polygamous group was true. Those same feelings! They both can’t be true.
Other religions also use feelings to know whether they are the only way. They all can’t be true!!!!
Find out what God says in his holy Bible how to find truth! That is how you will not be deceived.
Sadly many Mormons who find out about the true History of the LDS faith leave and give up God all together because they can’t trust in the Bible because of what Joseph Smith said about the Bible.
Satan’s goal is to get one to believe God’s Holy Bible cannot be trusted.
Jesus Christ said his word would never fail. Mark 3:31 “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.” Mathew 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Joseph Smith said God’s word did fail. Who will you trust with your salvation? Joseph Smith, with his polygamy, polyandry( Joseph Smith sent men on missions and married their wives while they were gone), threatening 14 year old girls, the Nauvoo banking scandal in which he tricked members to give him money and fled when it failed. He then ended up filing bankruptcy.
You can only imagine how many people left the church at that time, when they realized the true character of their prophet.
Joseph Smith also boasted that he was better than Jesus Christ! : Come on! ye prosecutors! ye false swearers! All hell, boil over! Ye burning mountains, roll down your lava! for I will come out on the top at last. I have more to boast of than ever any man had. I am the only man that has ever been able to keep a whole church together since the days of Adam. A large majority of the whole have stood by me. Neither Paul, John, Peter, NOR JESUS ever did it. I boast that no man ever did such a work as I. The followers of Jesus ran away from Him; but the Latter-day Saints never ran away from me yet . . . ”
(History of the Church, Vol. 6, p. 408-409).
Many will think these are lies and that I have been deceived, and that is fine but if you care about your salvation you might want to verify for yourself and not be afraid to find out the truth. After all truth is all that matters right?
John 18:37 …. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Will you trust God, who became man, even Jesus Christ, who loved us so much that he gave his very life on a wooden cross 2,000 years ago and saved us from our sins through his gift of Grace?
When he died on that cross he said “It is finished.” and the veil was rent in twain. (It’s a very significant thing about the veil. I hope you study it out.)
Or will you trust in a man who according to Deuteronomy, fails the test of a prophet over and over again.
Deuteronomy 18:20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die. 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
Joseph Smith spoke many prophecies that failed miserably. I know of 53. It takes only 1 false prophecy!
Mormons try to save themselves through their own works and in a temple doing work for the dead. Acts 17:24 “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, DWELLETH NOT IN TEMPLES MADE WITH HANDS;
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Jesus died in vain for Mormons, but for us who take his free gift of Grace and accept him, and only him, the Biblical Jesus, are saved and will be in his arms forever.
I have wondered lately if the Mormons have done the work for the thief on the cross. Jesus told him he was saved at that moment, but he did not have done all that Mormons require for eternal salvation, such as baptism, Temple ordinances. Can we really believe Jesus when he said “today thou shalt be with me in paradise(Living with God.)
One of the Mormons own prophets stated: “I cannot imagine anything that is so vastly important as to work for and obtain one’s own individual exaltation and glory. That undoubtedly is one great purpose for which we came into the world. . . . No man or woman should be discouraged when they feel that they cannot complete what they would like to perform, but we all should do what we can toward carrying out the grand work for which we are here” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, p. 178).
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace ye have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God. Even the faith you have, is a gift from God!
Jesus did all of the work on that cross! We can do nothing!
For Mormons it is all about themselves. What YOU do to make it to the celestial kingdom, becoming a god and etc. All about SELF! When in reality it is all about finding Jesus Christ and having a personal relationship with him and WORSHIPING HIM! Sharing the good news with others!
Jesus Christ warned the Pharisees to not put yokes upon the people that they could not bear and could not save them. Mormons do this. It’s an impossible gospel, because we can never be good enough.
God can not allow any sin in his presence and since all of us sin, none of us can live with him, except through the gift of grace, Christ shed blood for all those who put their complete trust in him. For those who have excepted him and him only, we are covered by him! Completely. That is how complete what HE did on the cross is.
For Mormons, Jesus is their brother and Satan’s brother.
The Biblical Jesus is Always God Almighty and created all of us including Satan.
There’s only one Jesus that saves. All of the rest are false christ’s that we are warned about in the Bible.
There is no missionary work after this life. Read Luke 16:20-31. It is very clear your chance is in this life to accept the truth.
John 8:24 “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
John 8:32 “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” Build your foundation on “Rock”. Not sand. Gods word is the “Rock” and it is found in the Holy Bible.
John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This is the rock you must build upon!
Paul warns us of the very thing that happend in Islam and Mormonism in Galations 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
Joseph Smith did the very thing Paul warned us about by bringing a different Gospel then what is found in the New Testament!
God Bless you to have the integrity to want to know for sure that you’re on the right path. Not through feelings but through the word of God, The Bible.
Joseph Smith did bring a different gospel and it is leading many to believe in a false Christ. One that cannot and will not save you! The Mormon Jesus is their brother and Satan’s brother. The Biblical Jesus was always God and created all things, including all people and Satan.
Colossians 1:16 For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him.
The Mormon Jesus was once a mere mortal who sinned. The Biblical Jesus is God, and always has been. Never at any time has he ever sinned!
The Mormon Jesus cannot save because there must be works, such as tithing so you can go to the Temple full of Masonic oaths,(where God does not dwell, so that you can be sealed and make it to the Celestial Kingdom, thus saving yourselves….) This proves that the Mormon Jesus can’t cover everything to save.
The work the Biblical Jesus did on the cross was so perfect that there is NOTHING, not one sin that cannot be covered by his shed blood. That is how perfect his shed blood is.
You will think and I know this because I have been where you are, “well then if you don’t have to do anything and still can be saved then you might as well go out and sin!”
When you are truly born again,
John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water (physical birth) and of the Spirit (Spiritual birth), he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Jesus changes you from the inside. You do good because you now realize that God can not dwell with any sin and perfection is impossible! It is hopeless without that grace! God wants us to know it isn’t our works but through HIS work on the cross that we are saved! It takes any pride away that we might have of our own works and it brings us to him in humbleness and utter gratitude! And then we also have the Holy Spirit to indwell us and convict us to do good works!
I believed that Joseph Smith was a prophet. He said that the Bible couldn’t be trusted. I believed him. I believed that the Book of Mormon was translated by the hand of God. When I discovered all of the problems with the Book of Mormon, the close to 5000 changes, (not just grammatical but doctrinal changes!) The plagiarizing from other books and the Bible and the fact that Deuteronomy 13:1-3 tells us how to test a false prophet and Joseph Smith failed the test! (not to mention all of the other problems Archaeological, Dating Inconsistencies, DNA problems and the list goes on!)
You can visit Biblical museums all day long with real artifacts! There is not one Book of Mormon Museum with an ounce of historical artifacts. No bones, weapons, coinage, NOTHING!
There are those that can say so many things about the Nicene creed and so many things to prove that the Bible cannot be trusted, but we have a promise from Jesus himself and I can’t think of anyone I would trust more than him with my salvation! We also have the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls found in 1947!
Jesus said in Mathew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Joseph Smith said you couldn’t trust what Jesus said you could trust! Who are you going to trust with your salvation?
After spending months at trying to prove Mormonism is of God, I now have given my life to Christ. It is him I put my trust and him only I worship! and I can truly say it is an amazing relationship! I am truly free in Christ!
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Yes it is that simple! Give your life to him!
I pray you will look outside the box and make sure it is the saving Jesus that you put your trust in. All other christs are just a fable.
Do not find yourself on the other side and find that you were deceived.
Jesus said in Mathew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Could that be you?
Don’t let fear keep you from the truth but be as diligent with your salvation as you would with a financial investment. After all it will be forever in Heaven or Hell and that is a very long time!
As I was sitting in the crowd at BYU at my oldest son and his wife’s graduation, Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the twelve said “’Our religion is adapted to the capacity of the whole human family. It does not send a portion of the people to howl in torment for ever and ever, but it reaches after the last son and daughter of Adam and Eve, and will pluck them from the prison, unlock the doors, and burst the bonds and bring forth every soul who will receive salvation.’” Universal salvation is not Biblical! This is a lie that the Mormon Church has evolved towards but is not even foundation to Mormonism.
You must know that I looked at only Church History. I did not lose my testimony online as Mormon apostles say most lose their testimonies but I lost it in the written word of Mormon Prophets, apostles and doctrines. I compared it to the word of God in the Holy Bible and they are not the same gospel!
Truth be told , Mormons own history and doctrine books are anti Mormon.
There will come an end to your life and you will be judged by the works you do if you choose “works” or you will be covered by the blood of Christ that can and does cover all sins for all those who choose him and only him.
Mathew 10: 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36 And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 40 He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
As hard as this was for me, because most of my family feels I have been deceived, I chose him who can and will save me. The Biblical Savior, Jesus Christ.
My God is so amazing and the plan he has is so perfect that he has everything covered. He has promised that every person on this earth will be given the opportunity to come to Christ and have a personal relationship with him. Sadly not everyone will take their salvation seriously enough to study to find truth, but will live in the traditions of their fathers and beliefs. and find themselves outside of that saving grace.
God has promised, (I know he can’t lie) that he will wipe the tears from my eyes and wipe the memory of those I love that are not with us and I will have a fullness of Joy. As much pain as I feel now at the deception my loved ones are in, I give it to God, trust him completely and know that he will do what he promised. He does all of the work. He just wants us to pray for what he will do anyway. As a Biblical Christian, my job is to witness of him. He brings forth the fruit and gets all of the credit!
I am a Biblical Christian. I witness of my Savior Jesus Christ. I know Him. I love Him. I live for Him. He alone paid the price for my sins through His spilt blood on the cross. It is him I worship. Him alone!
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.