You and I have been emailing back and forth several times of recent. I have been investigating the Mormon church because I was involved with a non-practicing Mormon. I came upon your website and was obviously drawn to the information you had provided. I told my friend about your website and he visited it. I must say I certainly didn't do any research on you. I didn't believe it was necessary. After my friend visited your website, he obviously felt differently. I am forwarding this letter from him that he sent me after doing so.

I'm not doing this maliciously, at all. Because, quite frankly, aside from your experience with the Mormon church, I believe it is as you say. I'm sending you this, apprehensively so, to ask if what he claims isanywhere near the truth. And, if you don't want to divulge that information, I completely understand. My thoughts are that, more than likely, the Mormons are doing the fabricating about you. Anyway, I trust that this won't come as an attack to you. I just wanted you to see what someone else has supposedly "discovered". And, I guess there is a part of me that would like to vindicate you to him. Although, that is not what the real issue is. The real issue is that we all need to know Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. However you choose to respond, I completely respect.

As stated before, thank you a gazillion times over for your time. I know you are a very busy man, so I appreciate you taking the time to answer my emails.

Blessings,
Cheryl

His letter to Cheryl:

--------------------------------- > Cheryl,

> The credibility of the man/pastor who slanders this religion via his own web site. I enclosed a comment from just one person who read one of Spencers books. Spencer has lied about his progression through the LDS church and how he received certain information most importantly sacred temple ordinances. I would be wary of a man that fabricates his own personal history to get monetary gain from book sales;etc. As a side note Spencer was excommunicated from the Mormon church then began his quest to slander. Possibly sour grapes!

> The following is the quote from that man taht reviewed hsi book:
"From what I've read of his stuff it has been sensationalized with part truth and lies.First and foremost. I am LDS and have been so since my conversion from being Baptist. I was baptized in 1964. My Father is a Baptist Minister. I find the documents that Mr. Spencer has chosen to print in his book "Beyond Mormonism" to have gross discrepancies as far as the dates on these documents are concerned. First he states that he was ordained an Elder in the LDS Church on April 4,1966. He then states that he received a Missionary License on February 27,1966. He goes on to state that he was married to his spouse in the Idaho Falls Temple on Oct 5,1966. And lastly he said that he received his own Temple endowment on January 15,1966 in the Los Angeles Temple. If one should really check these documents out closely they would find gross discrepancies. First, Mr Spencer could not have had his own endowment on JAN 15,1966 BECAUSE HE HAD NOT YET BEEN ORDAINED AN ELDER. (ORDAINED AND ELDER ON APR 4,1966) He stated that he was set apart as a Missionary on FEB 27,1966. Again this could not have taken place as he was not an Elder at the time of his setting apart.(all Missionaries in the LDS Church are Elders or higher in the Melchezedec Priesthood.) and if he had served a full time Mission (generally two years in length) he could not have been married to his spouse on the date he stated OCT 5,1966. He either did not complete a two year mission or he left his mission early. Missionaries in the Church are not allowed to marry while serving their Mission. Because of these misleading documents having so many gross discrepancies, I dispute the validity of Mr Spencer's writings. "

> Cheryl as a side note. What this quote means is Spencer lied about his progression to the temple. You have to be an elder before you can go to the temple. He said he went to the temple In Jan 1966 but didn't become an elder until April of 1966. It's absolutely impossible to do it that way. Evidently he didn't do his homework of how to truly get in the temple and the proper progression. Thus everything he critizes about the temple is wrong and it is. So if he could lie about what goes on in and around the temple he can and does lie about the Mormon beliefs. So much of what he says in his site are absolute lies, but someone like you that hasn't studied the truth about Mormons are very susceptible. How would you know what he writes is true or not. Not that I am supporting the Mormons but I know enough about the church and have read and listened to what he has said and he has sadly fabricated absolute lies. I really feel sorry for him and wonder what wounds he harbors. I pray that he would use his time to help those that are down trodden and destitute, aimless without religion; etc instead of fabricating lies about himself and a church that's trying to help others. I really doubt a man of the Lord would maliciously attack and lie about any church whether right or wrong. A man of the Lord wouldn't lie. I don't believe Pastor Johnny would take part in something like that. If your quest is to find out what is wrong with the Mormon church I would suggest like in any other study you would look at the other side and see their point of view, so you could at least know what has been said is true or not. In closing I've spent all day on Spencers website and most of it is a fabrication unsubstatiated by lies to sway people who know absolutely nothing about the Mormon church. What a waste of time.

They are fabricating, but it won't hurt me. They do it all the time. For your sake, I will briefly respond to his errors.

-------------------------------- Here are his quotes:
"First, Mr Spencer could not have had his own endowment on JAN 15,1966 BECAUSE HE HAD NOT YET BEEN ORDAINED AN ELDER. (ORDAINED AND ELDER ON APR 4,1966) "

Actually, the record shows that I was ordained an Elder on Jan 4, 1966.

----------------------------------- Then he says:
"He stated that he was set apart as a Missionary on FEB 27,1966. Again this could not have taken place as he was not an Elder at the time of his setting apart." I was ordained on JAN 4, 1966 as above.

Your friend is correct that I did not serve full time mission--_I never said I did_. If he actually reads the book he will see that I said:
-- [My Bishop said] "As I said, I was sure of the questions before I asked you. Jim, we would like you to serve a _stake mission_ for the Church."I dont think anything he could have said would have surprised or delighted me more. _A stake mission was similar to a full-time mission call (such as that of Elder Jackson and Elder Morgan), except that it was limited to forty hours per month of service, plus it was local, performed within the boundaries of the local stake._ Aside from that, the work was exactly the same. It was a position of real responsibility." -------------

As a stake missionary, it was never mandatory that I serve two years. When I prepared to be married, my Bishop and I agreed continuing the mission would be too much to ask of a newlywed. There was no negative connotation to it at all. -------------------------

As I said, Cheryl, I only say these things for your benefit. They will mean nothing to a True Believer Mormon. I will add that all of my wife's family are active Mormons. They watched me walk through my journey out of Mormonism. They have all read the book (as have dozens of other Mormons who knew me back then --more than thirty years ago. Most of them disagree strongly with my theology, but none of them has ever accused me of lying, either in the book or otherwise.

I think the mistake you are making is to think that you can actually influenced brainwashed people by giving them my book. Ain't gonna happen. No Mormon is interested in hearing about the problems with Mormonism until he or she begins to have serious internal doubts about the religion.

You can forward this to your friend if want, but I have no intention of trying to "teach a pig to sing." I'm not calling him a pig but I am saying that trying to influence someone in a mind control cult before he is ready is about as productive as trying to teach a pig to sing: It wastes your time and annoys the pig. If you want to reach Mormons, keep your eyes out for those who have already come to see it is not fulfilling.

Jim Spencer
Through the Maze Ministry