UPDATED INFO ON LEE & KATHY BAKER —
IT’S WITH A HEAVY HEART WE FOUND OUT EARLIER THIS YEAR (2019) THE BAKERS MADE A DECISION TO PUBLICLY ABANDON THE ONE AND ONLY GOD – CHRIST JESUS.
WE’VE BEEN IN PRAYER THEY’LL RENOUNCE THEIR DECISION, AND REPENT STRAIGHTAWAY.
WE’VE LEFT THEIR ORIGINAL POSTINGS ON OUR SITES BASED ON THE MANY E-MAILS, AND SEARCHES ON OUR SITES FOR THE INFO.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, THE FOLLOWING IS THE ORIGINAL INFO WE POSTED WHEN LEE INITIALLY CONTACTED US IN 2013.
As a former Mormon Bishop and member of the Church for over 32 years, I have come to know the Lord Jesus Christ. He had placed before my wife and I five years of spiritual and emotional trials, so that we may better know His grace.
The most enlightening and rewarding action a member of the Mormon Faith can do is precisely what they have been told to do: “Study the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Prophets of the Restoration”. From my personal family experience, one of the most dangerous elements of coming to know that the LDS Church is false, and certainly the most treacherous long-term effect of this knowledge, is the thought that, if I was wrong about the LDS Faith, is it possible that I have also been deceived by Christianity itself?. I know the discouraging and depressing fear well from considering that as I had been so thoroughly deceived, maybe I encouraged the deception by my own deep desire for it to be true.
When one leaves the LDS Church, based on a confident witness that the very Doctrine of that Church is not in harmony with the teachings of Jesus Christ, that realization and the action that one takes on behalf of that commitment is only the first step to a closer more personal (and certainly a more correct) relationship with Jesus Christ. Exposing the malice in Mormonism is not the verification that Christianity itself is wrong, only that the Mormon’s distorted version of Christianity is wrong. In fact, it is the exceptionally tender and legitimate teachings of Christ Himself that will expose the enormous errors. These very teachings, chief among them; His Atonement for us, not Brigham Young’s teaching of Blood Atonement, His Grace , and not just the good works of the Mormon Pioneers, that stand as the example of His divine Mission on our behalf. The fact remains that if we, as former Mormons, were blinded for a time and yet remained believers in Him, then we have lost nothing, for He never left us and we never left Him. His guidance for us was only momentarily distorted by the teachings of Mormonism.
I have spent many years in various Leadership positions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, documenting, verifying and studying, specifically, the original teachings of the Church. I have found many of the most fundamental of these teachings to be completely out of harmony with the Lord’s teachings in the Bible.
To my former Mormon Brothers and Sisters, my testimony is this: that Jesus is the Christ and that we need not worship Him from behind the dark shadows of men who would have us believe that He is individually the author of Polygamy, Polyandry, Blood Atonement, Lying for the Lord, or a myriad of other personally motivated corruptions. He wants a direct and very personal relationship with each of us, as He has ransomed our sins. Not through a maze of changing doctrines or through the endless layers of administrative officers and clerks or executive church officials, committees, counsels or presidencies. He wants you to truly know Him. Know that a sweet and spiritually fulfilling relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ awaits you as you discard the teachings unique to Mormonism. Read and study all the Mormon Doctrine and Teachings you can, and then ask your Bishop if you get confused. By this you will come to know the Lord.
I have documented my forced excommunication from the Mormon Faith by asking questions and searching for the truth in: Mormonism – A Life Under False Pretenses – The True Story of a Mormon Bishop’s Journey of Discovery.
In my book, I discuss the fundamental difference that sets the Mormon Church apart from all truly Christian churches—the sinister and self-serving distortion of the very personality and character of the Lord Jesus Christ. For Mormonism to be true, Christ Himself must be corrupted into one who authorized horrible behavior and thus rendered the past Mormon Prophets completely blameless concerning the motivations of their unspeakable actions.
Defense of these disgusting misrepresentations of the very nature and character of the Lord continues today within the walls of Mormon chapels and Mormon temples throughout the world. My book examines real-world examples of how these beliefs are covered up so that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is able to hide better among true believers in the compassionate Savior of all mankind, Christ Jesus. In Mormonism He and His holy name have been disgracefully used so that self-centered men could gain some measure of power, prestige, and perversion.
This book recounts the true-life experiences of my life as a Mormon Bishop, who for over thirty years was a High Priest, Elders Quorum President, and a member of three High Councils for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons. I have participated in hundreds of Mormon Temple Endowments and witnessed firsthand the practice of ceremonial rituals in which the taking of human life was mimicked, all in the name of Jesus Christ.
If you would like a copy of my book, Mormonism – A Life Under False Pretenses – The True Story of a Mormon Bishop’s Journey of Discovery, it is available at amazon.com and at fatherspress.com.
Most Sincerely and in Christ’s Holy Name, Lee B. Baker
I have a lot to say but will try to make this concise. I, too, went through the journey of reading the same materials that you are referring to: history of the church, commentary on the history of the church, etc. It was a long and painful process that went on for years. I, too, discovered a more vibrant relationship with God and better understood the Savior’s amazing grace and role in my life, outside of “the Church”. However, I came out on a different side. I did not end up leaving the church, but instead, with the aid of the spirit, was finally able to reconcile the troubling things I had “learned”. As I changed my approach, I was able to find, through the Spirit, answers and satisfying resolutions to each and every troubling and disturbing thing I had discovered and I made my way back into full activity in the church . . .now with a firmer testimony than ever of the restored gospel.
Because I have been there and understand the mentality of this experience, I know that nothing anyone says will convince a person of the error of their thinking. However, I do want to make just a couple of points. I recently watched a You Tube video of Ed Baker answering questions about his exit from the church. I’ve heard all of the same things before and they bothered me as well. However, with my new understanding, it saddened me to hear some of the conclusions he and his wife have drawn from their experiences. Specifically, I am talking about their temple experience. Someone asked them about what they thought about a certain part in the temple where you are asked to put on the apron. Both were asked what they thought about it, and what they felt it meant. Both Lee and his wife indicated that “they didn’t think much about it at all”, they just did it because that was what they were “expected to do.” I, too, was uncomfortable in the temple for many years and it meant nothing to me. However, after a process of many years and a long stint of not going because I hated it so much . . . I went back. With a different attitude. There is a reason the temple ceremony is done the way that it is done. It’s so that not “just anyone” can go in and think they understand. There is IMMENSE significance and beautiful symbolism to be found in each and every act performed there. Even the ones that people find, on the surface, to be distrubing and uncomfortable. There is deep meaning and beautiful doctrine to be found, but searching, thinking, and pondering must be done, both in the temple and after to find it. Going through the robotic motions of the service will yield nothing but frustration and confusion. If Lee and his wife “never gave it a thought”, that is precisely why the temple ceremony affected them as it did. And that is very sad, because temple is now the pinnacle of worship for me. I can honestly say it is awesome. Truly awesome. Not just in the flippant use of the term that people use so often today . . . But truly “awe”some . . . I am in awe of the insights that have come to me about God and His Plan as I have humbly sought for guidance and direction in the temple. The signs, symbols, and tokens have slowly unfolded a deeper learning and understanding for me that I find difficult to put in words. I’m so grateful that I did not ultimately give in the initial disturbing feelings that I had with the temple. Disturbing feelings do not originate with God . . .
Second I’m saddened when I hear people quoting page numbers from Church volumes, etc. with certain quotes that malign Jospeh Smith, etc. There were more than just a few quoted on the video that were taken completely out of context. People often read things that disturb them and then do nothing more to discover it’s validity. If it’s in print, people have the tendency to believe it rather than put it to the litmus test of researching source and context . . . All answers can be found by going to “the Source”. I finally, in my journey, began praying about troubling subjects . . . Going directly to The Lord in prayer and asking Him if the things I was reading were true. I asked specifically to understand His position on polygamy, race, the Bible . . . And answers came. Miraculous answers . . . And insights I had never considered before. I decided there was too much at stake to rely solely on what ink and paper were telling me.
Satan is genius. He uses truths to lead people away from the bigger truth. It’s funny that many Mormon critics emphasize that “feelings” are not a confirmation of truth, yet they use those same “negative feelings” that they get about reading troubling parts of doctrine as their basis for NOT believing. The truths about God are indicated by a feeling of peace . . . If you don’t have a feeling of peace (or if you are unsettled about something) it means it’s not accurate). People are bugged (not at peace) about certain points in the LDS Church, but instead of seeking to understand . . . They leave. And they miss out.
God is not a God of confusion… God is not a God of lies and cover-ups… God is not a God of contridictions… God does not change… God is God alone, there are no other “Gods”.
“…but instead of seeking to understand . . . They leave. And they miss out.”
AND- it is a good thing that they do leave because the longer that they are there, hearing and reading this stuff from the LDS, the more that they will rationalize it to themselves.
For true research to take place, you’ll need to concentrate solely on a NON-LDS Bible and put their stuff aside. Stop going for a while and look outside for the truth.
Feelings and faith do not mix. Feelings depend on happenings; faith depends on God.
Great story Lee! I love your book and have read it several times… I have the Kindle version and it makes highlighting and bookmarking really easy.