LDS Leaders AVOIDING Hard Questions on Church Truth Claims | Elder & Sister Rasband Face-to-Face
On September 13, 2020, Elder and Sister Rasband spoke to youth in a Face-to-Face event hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When asked by a young member named Harry about serious doubts regarding the church’s truth claims, Elder Rasband avoided providing a direct answer.
Instead, the Rasbands:
Encouraged reframing questions toward reasons to stay in the church
Showed a highly emotional video connecting leaving the church with suicidal struggles
Emphasized generational consequences and eternal family obligations
Warned against engaging with “anti-church literature” online
This response mirrors a broader LDS pattern of discouraging doubt and minimizing historical or doctrinal concerns, seen in other devotionals by leaders such as Elder Renlund, Elder Corbridge, Elder Soares, Elder Christensen, and Elder Eyring.
In this analysis, we explore how the Rasbands’ approach:
Avoids substantive answers to historical or doctrinal questions
Relies on emotion and spiritual manipulation rather than evidence
Fails to acknowledge that youth today have access to church history, Gospel Topics essays, and critical resources like LDS Discussions, Mormon Stories, and Radio Free Mormon
Watch to understand what leaders say—and don’t say—when addressing doubts, and why emotional appeals cannot replace honest engagement with tough questions.
🔗 Additional Reading (Based on): https://www.ldsdiscussions.com/rasbands
📺 Related analysis:
Doubts Are Not Dangerous — They’re Necessary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKi2OOrh6kY
Please Don’t Look Under the Hood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSEsLtwKzvw
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