Context

A former seminary teacher, identifying as “Joe”, explained the context of the exchange

… I was recently visited by my Stake President, who also happens to be my Father-in-law, and asked if the two of you [Elder McKay and his FIL] could come to my home and visit with me about church history. I was told that I could ask you [Elder McKay] any question. Until now, I have never attempted to openly discuss my doubts. For good reason. I have witnessed firsthand, just this week, that the reaction from believing members can often be emotionally volatile. Especially within families. I am not now, nor have I ever, tried to convince anyone to leave the church, despite accusations to the contrary. I have no animosity towards the church, and I celebrate the good that it does in the world. It has been a blessing in my life. I do however feel that doubt is a reasonable position. And that those of us that have arrived at this place, did so with integrity. To help organize my thoughts and facilitate a worthwhile discussion, I have created this document. This is my defense of doubt.

Besides visiting with Joe (which Joe recorded), Elder McKay also wrote a letter of response to “Joe.”.

Resources

Excerpt

Excerpt from Kyle S. McKay’s April 26, 2023 response to “Joe”:

(Emphasis added [emboldened])

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The second invitation I would like to extend is to patch up your relationship with the Holy Ghost. During our visit, you said that you don’t trust the Holy Ghost because of a revelatory experience you had that turned out to not be from God at all. You did not share the revelation you had that, in hindsight, you know absolutely was not from God. But if you know it was not from God, which means it was not from the Holy Ghost, then I’m not sure what good can come from ceasing to trust the Holy Ghost, as though He gave you false information.

I have learned by experience and observation that we do two things that make ourselves easy prey for the adversary. First, we say that Satan cannot duplicate or create peace. Lucifer cannot duplicate anything God does or has but he can “come nigh unto” duplicating pretty much everything God does or has. He is a master mimic. I have worked with people who have had profound revelations that align with their understanding of revelation because of how they felt, but they have been deceived. Lucifer can prompt. He can reveal. The great safety net in this process is the word of God as revealed in the scriptures and by the living prophets. I recently listened to a sermon preached by a protestant minister about hearing God’s voice. Among other things, He said, “The voice of God will never contradict the word of God.” Sound advice.

The second thing Latter-day Saints do to make ourselves easy (or easier) prey for the adversary is to misread the account of Nephi slaying Laban. That experience does not stand for the proposition that the Spirit can or will prompt you to do something contrary to God’s revealed word. Nephi shrank not because of some moral dilemma arising from conflicting commands. Rather, in his own words, he shrank because he was young and had never taken a man’s life. He was bumping up against a part of God’s law he had never been confronted with. In D&C 98 the Lord says in essence, “If someone tries to kill you once, forgive them. If they try to kill you twice, forgive them. But at some point, if they keep coming at you, I will deliver them into your hands and you are justified in ending it.”

The Lord identified this as a law he gave unto His servant Nephi. (D&C 98:32) Numerous people, including a close and prominent friend, have been duped because they receive a powerful spiritual manifestation that tells them to do something contrary to God’s law and they think it’s from God because, hey, Nephi. You have probably already thought through all of this. I simply share it here as part of an invitation to mend your relationship with the Holy Ghost. He is deserving of trust and you need His guidance. If you followed a prompting not from Him, it is you who needs to regain His trust, not visa versa. I hope that makes sense.

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Selected snippets particularly relevant to spiritual experience

… I have worked with people who have had profound revelations that align with their understanding of revelation because of how they felt, but they have been deceived. …

… Lucifer can prompt. He can reveal. …

… Numerous people, including a close and prominent friend, have been duped because they receive a powerful spiritual manifestation that tells them to do something contrary to God’s law and they think it’s from God because, hey, Nephi. …