April 9 — Naysayers and Footnotes. In the April 2025 General Conference, Ronald A. Rasband made a remark I’d like to share with you. He said,
“There are naysayers who shout low here and low there just as they did in the prophet Joseph Smith’s time. However, they are and will be but mere footnotes in this noble work.”
Those who leave the Church are no strangers to insults. We’ve been called many things by church members and leaders, but a ‘footnote’ is a new one for me.
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I’ve always found footnotes very helpful in studying a topic, but to imply that we don’t matter and will never have an impact on the lives of anyone could not be further from the truth. Those who choose to leave the church and follow Jesus can make a lasting impact on the people they help lead to him.
The comment “low here and low there” is something I’m going to have to pull out my Mormon decoder ring to be able to decipher. If he’s referring to the people who see problems within Mormonism or voice concerns about its history, I would say, so what? If a church can’t stand up to scrutiny, then it’s not a church worth being a part of in the first place.
With Mormonism is sort of like the scene in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy is told not to look behind the curtain because if she does, she will know the truth about the Wizard.
Mormon leaders don’t want the members to look behind the curtain. They don’t want them to do any research or read anything about Church History that isn’t first approved by them.
I wish the so-called “naysayers” had been a little bit louder in Joseph Smith’s time. They knew the truth but were unable to help their family and friends who joined this religion. Generations of people have been led astray because of his tall tales and lies.
Rasband’s comment makes me think of the saying, “If you have to resort to name-calling, you’ve lost the argument”.
In Christ,
Melissa Grimes melissa@lifeafter.org
References:
Ronald A. Rasband
You can watch his presentation on YouTube.
You are so right. They dont like the truth told about their church or they wouldn’t have a church. 🙏🙏🙏for them all.
I said to a Mormon on u tube, you would think Smith would remember an event like his vision, and he said, you know so much about the 1800’s. 😄
M.j.
To Mj –
History books tell the real story.
[…] Naysayers and Footnotes […]
I was thinking the same thing… aren’t footnotes meant to be helpful?
But I can say this…If you do find your secret decoder ring Melissa, IT won’t be helpful anymore. That’s what happens with ongoing revelation.
I’m a footnote,
-Melissa
Too funny!
Hot Dog!!! I’m a foot note! And yes, Melissa, foot notes are helpful and even help explain what they notate!