People can experience discomfort, and even distress, when they encounter new information that conflicts with deeply held beliefs. This is called “cognitive dissonance.”  When this happens, we either: (1) reject the new information as false; (2) reject the new information as unimportant; (3) reject old beliefs in favor of the new information; or (4) find new information to validate the original belief. These various ways of resolving cognitive dissonance can be rational, irrational, or extra-rational and are used by faithful members as well as by anti-Mormons alike. The full text of this article can be found at Mormon Times.

Brother Ash is author of the book Shaken Faith Syndrome: Strengthening One’s Testimony in the Face of Criticism and Doubt, as well as the book, of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. Both books are available for purchase online through the FAIR Bookstore.

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