Wikipedia turns Anti-Mormon (or maybe just Pro-Fact)

A most excellent discovery at Wikipedia is a section on Joseph Smith's "First Vision" accounts, backed up with dates, places, references and actual facts surrounding the course of events. My favorite part is the picture posted with the article. It depicts a scene in which an early 1820's revival is portrayed, complete with tents, and a tower or stage from which various leaders took turns "exorting", or proclaiming the gospel, and calling the attendees to repentance.

For those who are still contemplating whether or not Joseph Smith may have written the Book of Mormon, in it's pages is a replication of this event, complete with tents, a tower, and an exhorter named KING BENJAMIN. So, one has to seriously consider that, given the context of Joseph Smith's life experience, it wouldn't be that far of a reach to believe that he inserted this story into his writings when developing the characters and the story line of the Book of Mormon. The reasons it was easier to accept this book as a companion gospel was because it reflected attitudes and beliefs of the 1800's, not because it was written and complied by "Lamanites" and "Nephites" 1400 years beforehand. The reason it is so difficult to gain and retain converts today, in the 21st century, is because we no longer identify with the era of "exhortations" and beliefs that the American Indians were members of one of the "Lost Tribes".
The only people who can convert and believe are those who have nothing to compare the teachings to, or worse, refuse to check out other sources for fear of losing their beliefs.

My thoughts are:

If you are SO AFRAID of discovering something that might dissolve your belief, then that belief must not be very strong, or you wouldn't have to go out of your way to protect it. Truth can withstand scrutiny, and if it can't, then it isn't truth after all.

Why would you WANT to hang on to an un-truth? If it can stand criticism, then there is nothing to lose by challenging your beliefs. If it can't withstand criticism, then it isn't really a belief, it's just a hope. If you are just HOPING that what you have been taught is true, simply because you have invested so much into protecting it, then you are really just trying to maintain it so you won't feel betrayed by those who taught you. Truth hurts, but first it will piss you off. Nobody likes getting earth-shattering bad news, but you can't avoid discovering unpleasant things, nor can you call all unpleasant discoveries "lies". Sooner or later, everyone gets their beliefs challenged, and they can do either one of these things:

They can spin, excuse, manipulate, twist, compromise, ignore or otherwise do what it takes to maintain their position.

They can take the new information and test it out against their beliefs, really do the research and reason it all out with their OWN minds that God (or whatever creative essence) gave them, and make choices based on all information available, pro and con.

Then adopt a NEW belief and continue to let that belief mold and change based on what you learn EVERY SINGLE DAY. Your beliefs do not have to be rock solid and unmovable. You do not have to be reduced to a child-like dependence on your ecclesiastical leaders and get your information only from one central source. Adopt your own way of thinking and reacting to the world, don't let anyone put you in a conformity shroud and threaten you with "outer darkness" if you fail to comply and conform.

That was the "alternative plan" after all, and if you really are supposed to be Christ's followers, you would be given the freedom to worship in the way that resonates within YOU, not according to a form and an attendance record and a "calling" responsibility designed to keep you bound to the system. There is no salvation in being forced to conform or be cast out.

This Mormon system preaches "free agency" but it really teaches conformity, through wearing of garments, participation in rituals held in secret in the temples, through doctrines taught in church but denied publicly (i.e. polygamy, men becoming gods, blood atonement), and other structures designed to bind the members closely to the system and casting those who question out of the church, creating a fear of abandonment and shunning from the rest of the members and even close family members. There is nothing to be gained from maintaining a belief in a system that alienates family members from each other, or creates such tension and feelings of inadequacy for shortcomings and questioning "the Lord's annointed". It only serves the system, not the individual, and what's in it for the member? A promise that can't be guaranteed or proven.

They don't have the answers, because it's all based on the false idea that the Book of Mormon is scripture and Joseph Smith a prophet. Once those things are proven false, the rest of the church falters. It is the one thing that the church needs to protect the most or the whole system fails. That's why they go out of their way to "protect" the members by "exhorting" them to shun outsiders and especially former Mormons (their worst enemies). They can't afford to be discovered as a fraud, or risk losing their base, the standard members whose tithes they depend on to keep their enterprises running and keep the pockets lined for the upper eschelons. You'll never make it there unless you already live in Utah as a multi-millionaire. And you can't get the Second Anointing anyway, so all this work is for nothing because you'll never get to the "Holy of Holies" without it, especially if you aren't married to a Mormon.

So, if you can't get there from here using this system, it would make sense to me that the system is the problem, not you. Time to examine your beliefs, compare them to what your church teaches and know your religion before you trump it out to be the "one true church".