About
About the author
In full disclosure, the author of this website is no longer a member of the church. After many years of study and prayer, he has willingly decided to remove his name from the records of the church. As with most people who go through a faith transition, there was a period of time where anger, bitterness, and sadness overshadowed most of his thoughts, words, and actions. Though the author still prefers to not be involved with the church, his attitude toward the church and its membership has tamed drastically.
A personal note from the author:
In his October 2018 General Conference Talk, President Dallin H. Oaks said these words in regards to seeking truth:
"We live in a time of greatly expanded and disseminated information. But not all of this information is true. We need to be cautious as we seek truth and choose sources for that search...
We should also be cautious about the motivation of the one who provides information. That is why the scriptures warn us against priestcraft. If the source is anonymous or unknown, the information may also be suspect...
Our personal decisions should be based on information from sources that are qualified on the subject and free from selfish motivations..."
These words beg the following questions:
"What are your sources?"
"What are your motivations?
"Who are you?"
My sources come mainly from past general conference talks. I try to not use quotes from church presidents or other leaders that didn't live during my lifetime. This keeps all information recent and accurate. I cannot promise that I will never use talks from people in the past if needed. Written sources come from the canonized works of the church, including The Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Other sources come from information freely available on the church's website. I will never go into detail with things the church considers sacred, such as temple ceremonies, unless that information can be found on ChurchOfJesusChrist.org, the church's official website.
As far as my anonymity, my name is Logan Hill. I am a former member of the church. I served my mission in the Utah Salt Lake City West Mission from 2012-2014. I have publicly outed myself as a non-believer on my social media. The local church leaders are aware that I have left the church. My identity is no secret, though I do retain the privacy of my family members.
My motivation is also simple. I can't tell you the number of stories I have read where people fear exposing themselves as doubters just because they want to talk about issues in the church. For instance, there are things you can talk about in church history such as something you read in the church essays that you might be ridiculed for if shared in sacrament meeting. The stigma around doubt is astoundly negative.
On the other hand, people who wish to talk about the issues with people they care about often don't know how. They don't have resources to share that adequately capture what they want to say. They are often afraid if they share their opinions or even ask questions that their spouse might leave them, that their parents may kick them out, or their lives will drastically change for the worst.
This website provides resources to both the doubter and the faithful to share. If you came to this website because you saw someone post one of my videos, don't automatically assume they have left the church or don't have a testimony. Don't think they have sinned or broken covenants. If you see something posted from this website, have a look around. As President Reuben J. Clark once said, "If we have the truth, it cannot be harmed by investigation."
About the website name:
The name "Great And Spacious" can seem be a bit threatening if you're not aware of the context it's used in on this site.
Below is an explanation of why this name is used:
1 Nephi 14:10-11
“And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.
And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.”
The last verse in this passage specifically says “all people.”
It doesn’t say “some people” or “all people except those in the church of the Lamb of God.”
It says “all people.”
Just as all people can be part of that great and abominable church, all people can be part of the multitude inside the great and spacious building.
1 Nephi 11:36
“And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world...”
When anyone begins to think that they are better than another person because of their belief in Jesus Christ, that person takes his or her first steps into the great and spacious building. Those who hold this belief may know the gospel, but they do not understand it. Hence the name, “Great And Spacious.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: You’ve left the church, why can’t you just leave the church alone?
I was a member of this church for twenty-five years. My parents are still members of the church. My wife is still a member of the church. My friends are still members of the church. My entire life has been about the church. It is harder to “leave the church alone” than one might think.
Question: Why do you care what happens in the church?
Aside from the previous answer, it still just interests me. Take, for example: I’ve lived my entire life in North Carolina. If I moved to Alaska, can’t I still be interested in what's going on in North Carolina? I have devoted a lot of time into the church. Even though I no longer believe in its teachings, I still want to study about the church and stay up to date with current church events.
Question: Are you an Anti-Mormon?
At one point, I would have answers this question in the affirmative. Now, as my anger and grief has ended, I feel much more love for the people of the church than I once did before. I don’t see the lay member of the church as my enemy. Members of the church are some of the most hard-working and spiritually committed people that I know. I’ve often said to my family members, “I have left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but I will always be a Mormon." I maintain that the scope of Mormonism goes beyond the Salt Lake City based Brighamite branch.
Question: Do you ever see yourself returning to the church?
At this time I have no plans to return to the church. This is not to say that I won't participate in family events or services, attend church meetings and classes, or take part in other church related matters. I do not see myself rejoining the church.
Question: Are you saying you only post things that are positive toward the church?
I'm going to let it be known ahead of time that I am not a member of the church and I have a vast number of opinions that those in the church would disagree with. On other websites, forums, or social media accounts, I let those opinions be known. However, on this website there will be none of that. None of my social media accounts will be linked and I will not point to any place where I make those opinions known. This keeps this website what it's supposed to be.