Leaving Mormonism for Christianity | Guest: Lynn Wilder | Ep 725

Today we’re joined by Lynn Wilder, author of Unveiling Grace: The Story of How We Found Our Way out of the Mormon Church and host of the “Unveiling Grace” podcast, who is sharing her story of finding Christ and leaving the Mormon church. We discuss her introductions to the Mormon church and what led her to not just join, but become deeply involved in Mormon community. We look at some general Mormon doctrine, such as what Mormons believe about the Bible and God’s unchanging nature. Lynn shares the instances that led to the breaking down of her Mormon faith, from teaching at BYU to hearing her son’s salvation story. We discuss Mormon influence over Christian homeschool curricula and media and some questions we should ask about this. Then, Lynn shares the gospel that changed her life.

#christianity #theology #apologetics

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Timecodes:

(00:00) Intro
(01:05) Interview with Lynn begins
(02:30) Upbringing and joining the LDS church
(12:45) Mormon doctrine / theology
(23:17) Reasons for leaving
(33:07) Lynn's son is saved
(40:57) John 1
(50:00) Mormons in culture
(01:00:34) Deflection / "milk before meat"
(01:05:58) The gospel

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Relevant Episodes:

Ep 416 | Once Saved, Always Saved? | Q&A

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Leaving Mormonism for Christianity | Guest: Lynn Wilder | Ep 725

[knz]

I'm a Mormon watching this and I am so confused and struggling so much. I just want the truth. I desperately do not want God to say "depart from me, I know you not." That's my motivation on my faith journey. Please pray for me. I need God and Christ. I need to know the truth. My salvation depends on it.

[Say-Hello-yall]

I left Mormonism last year. I’ve lived in Utah most of my life. The last 10 years I was miserable, lonely, anxious and was suicidal. July 2023, I dropped to my knees and asked God to help me… that was the day I was finally going to take my life. BUT GOD. Now I’m living in the South, God moved my family away. Im born again. All the glory be to Him that saves. Thank you Jesus.

[truthseeker]

I was raised mormon. I remember the pressure of performance as a young child. My mother was raised as an evangelical Christian whose parents moved to Utah and she then met my Dad who is many generations mormon and he converted her to the LDS church. She even works at BYU now. I see the terrible pressure she is in to promote herself. My grandparents watched her turn from her Christian faith and mourned the loss of their daughter. I was about 18 when I left mormonism to follow a life of drugs, alcohol, and even went down the homosexual/new age rabbit hole. I got pregnant with my then boyfriend (now husband) when Jehovah's Witnesses knocked on my door. Their message felt so familiar to me but in an even more powerful way. I thought it must be the truth because this religion teaches world wide unity and rejects worldliness and anything that is "pagan". I was a zealous Jehovah Witness for 8 years. It wasn't until I started listening to YouTube influencers like Allie and Mike Winger and Aplogia Studios when I heard the voice of Jesus tell me "I AM" (which just blew open the Trinity to me). I surrendered in that moment and just wept on my knees. The pressure and anxiety of performance was over. Jesus said "It is finished" and meant it!! I was baptized this last summer and am teaching my wonderful children about the beautiful grace filled gospel and the true God of the Bible. Pray for my family because they are all still suffering in mormonism or new age beliefs. 🙏

[C-BOYZ]

I had some doubts about my faith in Mormonism growing up. The things we did and going to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. I personally always felt unworthy and could never please God. Also asked to do things I didn’t want to do. I relied only on my feelings about the Book of Mormon. Of course I felt good about it. But there was always a void. I stopped going to church for a while and at age 35 I was trying to go back to the ward in my area. I wanted God but God had other plans. I started to hear the word of God and started reading the Bible. I decide not to pursue going back to the Mormon church and focus on my relationship with God in my home. God met me not in a church but at home. I started encountering him daily. He started transforming me. I knew I was saved by his grace and that Jesus fulfilled everything for me. What a relief!!!

[kathyf]

A personal relationship with the God of the Bible thru Jesus is the most liberating, freeing life walk, bringing peace and joy to my life that is incredible. Thank you for telling this personal story for others to learn from. 🙏

[joanneliddle]

Former Mormon here. Thanks Lynn and Allie! I left ‘the church’ 40 years ago. Didn’t like it anymore even though it was my family’s religion from the beginning. I wanted to know the Bible and for years kept getting this prompting to learn the Bible. 20 years ago I started attending a Bible Study at a local Christian church and have been changed, made new, reborn, since then. I pray for the Mormon people every day of my new birth in Christ Jesus. God is good. His will be done.

[malka]

Jesus is the same yesterday today and forever. Very encouraging and comforting!

[thisiscat]

What a powerful testimony. My childhood best friend was a Mormon. She was like my sister, they are very good people. It bothered me even as we were children to think about the things that they hold to be true and the injustice. And was that she was not given the truth. I tried to share with her.

[anabberries]

Please have Lynn Wilder back on your podcast! ❤️ I'm an ex-mormon who grew up in the church and found Christianity at 20. My entire family is Mormon and her story is very inspirational.

[hollayevladimiroff]

Ex Mormon of three years, never looked back!! Thank you for telling the truth, so many people need to hear this.

[codfishbones]

I am a Christian, part an Orthodox Presbyterian Church, grew up Baptist, and always struggle with performance based works- that I am only pleasing to God if I am doing “right” and “good” things— I find this conversation very helpful to me and encouraging to embrace Christ’s completed work on my behalf.

[simplyrelevantlife]

Wow. This message had the power and presence of the Holy Spirit all over it. I wept as she proclaimed the Good News of Jesus—it just never gets old! I’ve been a Christian a long time and I never tire of hearing God’s Truth and His beautiful ways! I love being reminded of why I chose to follow Jesus. We follow THE wonderful God who we can trust ❤ Once you encounter Him, you never want to go back to anything else.

[Lucyyyjaneee]

I’m an LDS youth, I came back to the church and I’m currently my young Women’s president, I feel like I am in a huge season of growth, lately I have really been struggling, I was driving one day and it just hit me like a bus to turn on a song a Christian song I haven’t listened to in a really long time and something I feel like changed to me and now I’m back on this journey of figuring out what to believe it’s so confusing and stressful especially considering my past and I just want to know the full truth and have my questions answered. I love this video! It wasn’t hateful, it wasn’t trashing the church and it wasn’t meant to Fear- Bate like a LOT of videos do. I love this and thank you guys for it.

[bigbandsrock]

I’ve been following Mrs. Wilder and Micah for years!!! They are incredible and I’m so grateful for all the good they have done for the Lord!!! Loved this!! Bless you both!! ❤️🙌💐

[adoMay]

This will be long, but I want to share it. I was born into the Mormon Church. Served a mission, got married in the temple, my husband blessed our kids into it. Starting in 2019 at the age of 29, I had a series of strange dreams with meanings that didn't seem obvious to me. They included seeing church buildings on fire and trying to escape with my kids, swimming in water with sharks at a church event, but seeing a cross in the distance and being told to run to it. And other strange things. I felt like God was trying to tell me something, but I couldn't understand it because I loved the church and truly believed in it. I believed it was a good thing for myself and my family. Fast forward to about a year ago, and I was serving as a primary president in my ward when I watched this video. It was triggering. Many of your videos were triggering. They made me uncomfortable. Steve Deace's videos affected me the same way at the same time. But as I watched and listened, those dreams began to be illuminated to my mind. I started to understand what I was being warned of in them. I cried to God, telling Him that this was a confusing and hard thing for me and I wanted to know what to do. That night, I had another dream. I was a mormon missionary swimming through a high flood with my companion when I was suddenly bit by something I couldn't see in the water. My companion told me it was one of the invisible sharks, and it had taken a chunk out of my arm. I showed the mission president, other missionaries, and none of them seemed concerned. I was in so much pain and wanted help. No one would help me. The mission president's wife said "You were bit by necromancy. That will never stop hurting you." I cried out "My right arm offends me! I have to cut it off!" Then I woke up. I instantly remembered the dream about swimming with sharks at church and realized what it meant. I understood that all the work I did in the temple, all the mormon doctrine I believed, was rooted in this belief in necromancy. I had been attempting to engage in this relationship with dead people in order to save them, and that was not only offensive to God, but harmful to myself! My eyes have been opened to all of the other offensive and harmful doctrine of the LDS church, and I have left for Christianity. So all of this long post to say.. thank you! You and Steve Deace were instruments in God's call to get me out of this false and dangerous belief system. I can't thank you enough. Praise God!

[ash.leeann]

I was raised JW. I've been out since I was 15 and got out just before I was baptized. I'm now born again. My Dad is still an elder, all I can do is pray.

[chsimpsonkid]

I’m a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

@24:38 her comment really hits me as wild. I’m a 2nd generation member (aka I was born into it & my parents are converts) & that is one of the biggest things I’m taught is that I can have a personal relationship with God & He knows me by name.

I have no problem with people who choose to leave the Church; it’s their life. when she says “she didn’t know God could interact with you” that is just quite unbelievable. That’s one of the most foundational things we believe. Her credibility, in my mind, being able to talk accurately about our church really goes out the window.

All of our beliefs build off of our belief that We believe that Joseph Smith had a personal revelation with God & Jesus Christ where they appeared to him….that’s God & Jesus Christ interacting with him.

Edit: it leaves me questioning her being able to the best resource to knowing about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

38:55 “she didn’t know the Holy Spirit could enter you”…man she really didn’t pay attention at church at all.

44:20 again, I don’t think this woman is an expert on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints & our beliefs so she is very misguided in that we think she is going to the same place as Satan & his minions. Outer darkness is for people who knew God & Jesus Christ perfectly & his Gospel & denounce God. That’s not what she is doing. I mean i could write a very lengthy book if I commented on every single thing she misrepresents, but I’ll leave it at these 3 things.

[maebaruiz]

So happy you find the grace of salvation through Jesus Christ! Still many out there are blinded by false teachings. Praying that God will open their eyes and hearts to find the true Gospel of Jesus Christ ❤️ God bless you

[britneywilson]

This was an incredible episode. I learned so much, and felt compelled to share the Gospel of Jesus even more.

[jessmarie]

Oh my goodness! When she told the story about her son Micah, I knew exactly who is because I saw his testimony on tik tok! Wow! How beautiful. Full circle!