Welcome to Kay Burningham's blog
about Mormonism: An American Fraud


Meet Kay Burningham,
attorney, advocate, and author of
An American Fraud: One Lawyer's Case against Mormonism

Here we discuss the truth about Mormonism--what people know, but are afraid to say and what others don't know, but are afraid to learn.


Please visit Kay's official site at kayburningham.com




Excerpt from Reader review

"...Kay Burningham’s painstaking studies unfolded for her, and now her readers, the details of a grotesque fraud of cosmic proportions masquerading under a charitable façade of public spirited nobility. In her book, Kay demonstrates for the world to see, how a reasonable application of the law should be applied to the “affinity fraud” of Mormonism, whose very continued existence employs the quiet acquiescence of government officials and judicial officers whose canons of ethics demand of them a higher standard than to allow this fraud to continue unchecked.

An American Fraud: One Lawyer’s Case against Mormonism, is, ..., an historically significant work that calls out the most insidious fraud of American culture for what it is. It is a timeless masterpiece, and will be associated with the beginning of the end of Mormonism in years to come.


For more information about the book, click here

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Direct from Cradle to MTC: Mormon Leaders Lower Threshold Ages for Missionary Service


At LDS general conference this weekend, President Thomas Monson announced a new rule:  young men would now be able to serve missions when they had graduated high school and turned 18, young women  can now serve at 19.  This age requirement was lowered from the previous threshold ages of 19 and 21, respectively.  In response to post-announcement questions by the local press corps, Mormon-owned NBC-affiliate KSL Television reported Apostle Jeffrey Holland stating that: “The demand for missionaries is expanding…” However, before Holland could finish that statement, KSL quickly cut to a commercial and returned to the reporters several seconds later.

I questioned that statement, whether in fact the demand for missionaries was expanding.  If it was, whose demand was it?  I recalled hearing that many Mormon missions had been closed around the turn of the last century, in the early 2000s.  I found a website which I had previously seen, documenting this change:   http://tinyurl.com/8ww8m96


The map depicts the closure (blue) and openings (red) of LDS missions since the year 2000.  According to the creator of the map, this data is taken directly from official LDS sources.  One can see that closed missions are largely in Western Europe, Japan and the US Eastern Seaboard, while newly opened missions are concentrated in Central and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa and the US Mormon corridor.  Here we have proof that the educated are rejecting Mormonism and that the Church is now concentrating its proselytizing efforts on those in developing counties and the descendants of Deseret’s original Mormon pioneers—those children who have had little chance to peek beyond the Zion Curtain.

Clearly, the need for more missionaries is not for the educated of the world.  The question must be asked: with its theology of other-worldly rewards in exchange for a commitment to sacrifice time, money and resources earned in this life, however meager, will Mormonism truly benefit these developing countries?  History tells us that the poor who yearned for a better life followed Joseph Smith and Brigham Young westward to create their own ‘Kingdom of God on Earth.’  Many emigrated from Europe in mid-19th century, selling all they had, for promises of a better life.  Many of the descendants of these same pioneers have realized the insidious fraud of the organization and, many after living a life dedicated to its nonsense, have left it.  Perhaps this Mormon carrot, clearly beyond its prime in the educated world, can yet serve as nourishment for those people who are not as sophisticated as their European or East Coast counterparts regarding the management of social capital.

As documented in the Trinity College Study of last December, apostasy rates are rising for young Mormon men and the LDS Church overstates its membership numbers (in the US).  http://commons.trincoll.edu/aris/files/2011/12/Mormons2008.pdf  Less than a year ago, when asked whether Church members were “leaving in droves,” self-identified Democrat, Marlin K. Jensen, then official Church historian, admitted at USU that:  “maybe since Kirtland, [Ohio, early 19th century] we never have had a period of, I'll call it apostasy, like we're having right now."  http://mormon-chronicles.blogspot.com/2012/02/discussion-of-mormon-apostasy-spreads.html.

As part of the rationale for lowering the age requirements, Church officials explained at the Saturday conference that LDS missionary president[s] have said to the leaders:  “Give me more 18 year- olds.  They’re sweeter; they’re purer, they’re smarter.”  Young Mormons are insulated from the real world at every opportunity by parents and leaders, their time spent at meetings and with tedious and redundant cult-like memorization leading to awards and achievements of questionable value.  

More missionaries might be required not only for more converts, but to ensure an increase in the number of dedicated young people, before they have a chance to think outside their familial lifestyle and perhaps chose a different path in life than the Mormon way.  Serving a 1.5-2 year mission at 18 or 19 will leave little chance for young Mormons to compare the teachings of Mormonism with other religions or philosophies.  These young innocents, lacking any true choice, will no doubt willingly serve to replace the loss of the young men documented by the Trinity Study.  For young men at least, if they are whisked away to an intense training center soon after high school graduation, gone is that first year of college, or opportunity to work in the real world, either of which might have provided an alternative glimpse into new and perhaps superior ways of living.

As Apostle Holland declared, the demand for missionaries does in fact appear to be increasing.  However, this demand appears to be the Church’s own.   



15 comments:

  1. What a sucky Anti-Mormon blog. You suck, bad.

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    Replies
    1. Jordan and Weston, may I suggest you read Kay's book before you bash her, you will absolutely learn something and might even agree at the end. Jordan, you are calling out Kay for "wanting" facts, but you fail altogether because Kay used to be mormon. Get out of the box of mormonism and research the true history and that naggin question that just maybe some of us are right.

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    2. What a great response! You totally supplied actual reasons!
      You're entitled to your opinion, but since the rest of us aren't in your head, you should probably fill in the major gaps of how you derived that opinion.

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  2. If at 18 you can choose to serve in the military, I'm pretty sure at 18 you can choose to serve your religion. The Mormons are NOT forced to do anything. All of their actions are because they believe and have faith. Young men are encouraged to serve missions, but there are no punishment if you do not.

    If you want facts about a church i suggest you go to the churches website and read about what they say and do. http://www.LDS.org.

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    Replies
    1. Jordan and Weston, may I suggest you read Kay's book before you bash her, you will absolutely learn something and might even agree at the end. Jordan, you are calling out Kay for "wanting" facts, but you fail altogether because Kay used to be mormon. Get out of the box of mormonism and research the true history and that naggin question that just maybe some of us are right.

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    2. Really? Because when I didn't go on a mission I was practically shunned. I'm a really good looking guy but the girls would rather date a fat reformed gigolo than give me a chance. And every time a girl started looking like they were interested it would eventually lead go them trying to push me on a mission. The leaders of the church teach the girls to seek a RM. All the others aren't good enough. So much for fellowship.

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  3. Jordan and Weston, may I suggest you read Kay's book before you bash her, you will absolutely learn something and might even agree at the end. Jordan, you are calling out Kay for "wanting" facts, but you fail altogether because Kay used to be mormon. Get out of the box of mormonism and research the true history and that naggin question that just maybe some of us are right.

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  4. I will be serving a mission soon and I can tell you it was my choice, I was not forced, no one tried to make me go and my family and friends (including non-lds friends) are proud of me and support me on this decision. I wish you would do something better with your life than trying to find what others "do wrong", maybe one day you can write on your blog about all the great things that LDS people do. Your blog did not changed my mind, I can tell you that I have a strong testimony of this gospel and I will always be thankful for the great opportunity of being part of this church. You might not care about this but I forgive you for trying to insult my faith and intelligence as an "innocent lacking of true choice", like I said before I made my decision and I had been blessed for that.

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    Replies
    1. she is not insulting your faith. Plain and simple she has done the research. Good luck on your mission, may it open your eyes!

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    2. Wow, Tina, what a condescending response ("open your eyes"), it's intriguing to me that so often when I see those who disagree with Mormon views, they seem to always think they know better than they who are Mormon; that's one hell of an assumption you're making. Here's another perspective to consider: Perhaps Kay is attempting to skew reality into what best fits her desires. Just a thought.

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  5. I was wondering if you know of any families or organizations who have left the church over the issue of abortion liberalization? Furthermore, if you can think of anyone who might know of such people, please send me their contact info. Please forward this to anyone you can think of, and include my email address

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  6. you wrote one of the most insightful comments ever in your book: "...goodness was anything that supported the fables... evil was anything that questioned those fables & reality was quite irrelevant." i can't thank you enough for that - i appreciate your bravery & insightful flashes of brilliance! thank you.

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    Replies
    1. Please accept my very belated thanks. It's an honor to be quoted.

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  7. I love the mormon response "you suck". Oh you hurt their feelings so now instead of intelligent response you get a childish one.

    You know how hard it's been to get my name off church records? They're really desperate for numbers.

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  8. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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