I am running into a few people on this board who are really struggling with trying to leave the Jehovah's Witnesses. I want to post a question that might be beneficial.
If you struggled with leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses, why didn't you struggle with the Mormon exclusivity claim? If you do not know about Mormonism, the founder, Joseph Smith claims to have seen god in 1820. In Smith's own words:
"My object in going to inquire of the Lord was to know which of all the sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to speak, than I asked the Personages who stood above me in the light, which of all the sects was right (for at this time it had never entered into my heart that all were wrong)—and which I should join.
I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.”
20 He again forbade me to join with any of them..."
This is the core basis of testimony for millions of devout Mormons. They will not tell you that they think they have God's truth, they know that they have it. And they know that all other religions are in error. Did you or Do you struggle with that? I assume that you do not.
As a devout Mormon up until 2 years ago, I never agonized over the JW's claim that they were the only true church. Why? And why don't JW's agonize over Mormonism? That is a great question. It has much to do with indoctrination.
I can tell you that there is huge agonizing going on in most ex Mormon minds upon contemplating leaving Mormonism. Major confliction, major fear about what it means to be cut off from the Mormon god if they leave. There are huge hesitations. It takes many ex Mormons years of studying the flaws in order to finally disassociate enough to the point where they can break free. Years of research, pouring over books and documents fighting of the cognitive dissonance time and again.
Yet, will you so casually disregard Mormonism? You should. And you should reverse the logic and apply it to the Jehovah's Witnesses. You should be able to dismiss the Jehovah's Witnesses truth claim as easily as I do.
This might help a few currently struggling JW's with some inkling of perspective. If this is not helpful, I am interested as to why.
Noggin