“The closest TBM [True Believing Mormon] to me knows pretty much 80% of what I know (I told him) and he admits there are problems but still wants to believe. He can take each issue one at a time and admit the dilemma with each (‘Yes, that is a problem,’ ‘that was obviously a mistake,’ ‘that was wrong,’ etc). Go through with me with a fine-tooth comb and everything presented, individually, is admitted, by him, to be church-faulty. But then still say The Church is True.

 

“This is so frustrating and confusing to me. It is like proudly proclaiming they have a purple lawn when it is obviously a regular green lawn:

 

“‘Ummm, no. It’s green.’

 

“‘No, no, it’s purple. I know it’s purple.’

 

“‘What about that blade of grass? That one is green.’

 

“‘Well, OK… that one is green but the lawn is purple.’

 

“‘What about that blade?’

 

“‘Ok, that one is green too. But the rest are purple (we go through every individual blade… all admitted to be normal green).’

 

“‘So we inspected all the blades. You admit they are all green, thus the lawn is green.’

 

“‘No. The lawn is purple.’

 

“What is going on in the thought process of these TBMs? Is it plain ol’ psychology?

 

“Is there anything that could help someone in that situation?”

E.S., FB post – 8 December 2016