The teachings of the Buddha, like those of Jesus in the four Gospels, contain many parables. One of the most famous is the parable of the raft, in which he compares his teachings to a raft that is useful for crossing a dangerous river, but must eventually be discarded if one is to continue their spiritual journey:

A man is trapped on one side of a fast-flowing river. Where he stands, there is great danger and uncertainty—but on the far side of the river, there is safety. But there is no bridge or ferry for crossing. So the man gathers logs, leaves, twigs, and vines and is able to fashion a raft, sturdy enough to carry him to the other shore. By lying on the raft and using his arms to paddle, he crosses the river to safety. The Buddha then asks the listeners a question: “What would you think if the man, having crossed over the river, then said to himself, ‘Oh, this raft has served me so well, I should strap it on to my back and carry it over land now?’” The monks replied that it would not be very sensible to cling to the raft in such a way. The Buddha continues: “What if he lay the raft down gratefully, thinking that this raft has served him well, but is no longer of use and can thus be laid down upon the shore?” The monks replied that this would be the proper attitude. The Buddha concluded by saying, “So it is with my teachings, which are like a raft, and are for crossing over with—not for seizing hold of.”

This parable stands in stark contrast to another shared by Elder Melvin Ballard, one of the LDS Twelve Apostles, at General Conference this past Sunday, titled Stay in the Boat and Hang On!. He began by describing a whitewater rafting trip on the Colorado River:

At the beginning of the trip, one of the experienced river guides reviewed important safety instructions, emphasizing three rules that would ensure the group’s safe travel through the rapids. “Rule number one: stay in the boat! Rule number two: always wear a life jacket! Rule number three: always hold on with both hands!” He then said again, with even more emphasis, “Above all, remember rule number one: stay in the boat!”

Elder Ballard then referenced a talk he delivered to new mission presidents:

The experienced river guides today can be likened to the Church’s apostles and prophets and inspired local priesthood and auxiliary leaders. They help us arrive safely to our final destination… Keep the eyes of the mission on the leaders of the Church. We will not and cannot lead you astray. And as you teach your missionaries to focus their eyes on us, teach them to never follow those who think they know more about how to administer the affairs of the Church than Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ do through the priesthood leaders who have the keys to preside. I have discovered in my ministry that those who have become lost and confused are typically those who have most often forgotten that when the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve speak with a united voice, it is the voice of the Lord for that time… In other words, they leave the Old Ship Zion [yet another boat metaphor!]—they fall away; they apostatize… Our local Church leaders, like seasoned river guides, have been tutored by life’s experiences; have been trained and mentored by apostles and prophets and other officers of the Church; and, most important, have been tutored by the Lord Himself… [emphasis added]

Elder Ballard continued, in a way that can only be described as boastful and condescending:

I have heard that some people think the Church leaders live in a “bubble.” What they forget is that we are men and women of experience, and we have lived our lives in so many places and worked with many people from different backgrounds. Our current assignments literally take us around the globe, where we meet the political, religious, business, and humanitarian leaders of the world. Although we have visited leaders in the White House in Washington, D.C., and leaders of nations and religions throughout the world, we have also visited the most humble families and people on earth. When you thoughtfully consider our lives and ministry, you will most likely agree that we see and experience the world in ways few others do. You will realize that we live less in a “bubble” than most people… Along with rule number one as I’ve applied it, remember rules two and three: always wear a life jacket, and hold on with both hands. The words of the Lord are found in the scriptures and the teachings of the apostles and prophets. They provide us counsel and direction that, when followed, will act like a spiritual life jacket and will help us know how to hold on with both hands.

The church’s message can be summed up as follows: “Don’t think for yourself; accept everything we say without question; we are smarter and wiser than you are; we will never teach anything that is not true.” Apply this thought process to any other extreme religion that utilizes mind control – Scientology, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc. – and it is not hard to see how Mormonism resembles a cult.

I credit Mormonism with many things. It was the reason my parents met, allowed a very insecure teenager to develop confidence and form lasting friendships, kept me out of drugs and alcohol as a youth, immersed me in the Spanish language and Latin culture as a missionary, was the means by which I met my amazing wife and formed our beautiful family, and gave me a world-class scientific education at BYU (which, ironically, is the reason I lost my faith). And that is just the shortlist!

I would be extremely ungrateful (not to mention dishonest) if I didn’t acknowledge the profoundly positive effects that the LDS church has had on my life. To a large degree, I am and will remain a product of those transformative events. And although there have been negative effects – excessive guilt and unhealthy views of sexuality as a teenager, a tendency to judge others who thought or lived differently than me at one time, and others – they have largely been overcome, and do not outweigh the positive effects of the religion. And to my friends and family who still derive meaning and comfort from Mormonism – my love and respect for you hasn’t changed, and I value your friendship as much as ever.

But I also cannot stand in silence and support an organization that opposes gay marriage and gender equality, that refers to those who disagree with their policies as “adversaries,” (Dallin Oaks’ talk last Saturday), and that is so afraid of dissent that it disciplines and often excommunicates unorthodox members for the “sin” of stating their views publicly. (That nearly happened to me because of the contents of this blog, but that’s a story for another day…)

The LDS church’s approach to “truth” is authoritarian (“follow the prophet”) and, in common with other fundamentalist Christian sects, is based largely on the writings of Iron Age tribes that have been discredited by scientific and ethical advancements over the past 300+ years. Scientific discoveries such as evolution and the 4.55 billion year age of the earth—not to mention complete lack of evidence for Adam and Eve, Noah’s Flood, Nephite and Lamanite civilizations, and other foundational myths—remain unacknowledged and are contradicted each Sunday by “correlated” lesson manuals. And the effort to whitewash the very interesting life of Joseph Smith continues, as evidenced by Neil Andersen’s conference talk.

I will always be grateful that the raft of Mormonism did not sink during those critical, formative years of my life, and that when most vulnerable I had the good sense to stay in the boat and hold on tight. Without that raft, my life would be vastly different right now, and the people I love most would not be in it. However, there is no need to “hold on with both hands” when firmly on solid ground. And doing so would prevent me from continuing my journey of spiritual growth and self-discovery.

So I’m afraid it’s time for me to set this raft down. There are still many miles left in my journey, and the vistas are breathtaking.

Image credit: jon.noj on Flickr, via Dominique Allen on her blog, Heaven Can Wait.