Once Deceived, Twice Shy

A recent friendship, that I'm afraid has come to an end, has taught me to be more considerate of the difficulties that come with leaving a cult. My friend grew up in the RLDS (associated with Mormonism) but came to realize this was a false church many years ago and left it. Painfully aware of how thoroughly he had been deceived, he is very sensitive about being deceived again, and for years this has kept him from becoming part of any church.

He recently made attempts to become part of the church I attend, but a host of issues has led him away from any assembly. His path is a lonely one; separated from a community of redeemed sinners, alienated from the visible church, and her means of grace.

I believe my friend is sincere when he says his desire "is to bring honor to the Word of God and the purity of the gospel of Christ." But his desire is unachievable apart from the visible church since Christ came to join us to himself and to one another as his body, the people of God. We are not to be individual points of light in the world, but a city set on a hill. We are not to give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing (Heb 10:25).

In a fallen world we shouldn't expect purity, and this includes in the church. But for my friend, it appears that some of Joseph Smith's lies have yet to be rejected: the witness of the Christian church is so impaired that we must separate from it.

I do have pity for my friend and those in his situation. To be deceived by a cult is painful enough. Doing your best to avoid being tricked again makes sense. But I fear that going alone is just as dangerous a solution.