It recently came to my attention that one frequently used criticism of the Church is that it works to “condition” its members, from the time they are in Nursery, to believe. Antagonists cite things like Primary songs, celebrating baptism, and preparing youth to serve a mission as ways to create a feeling of investment or loyalty toward the Church—after all of that investment, how could one leave? The truth be told, it’s actually a strong argument. I found myself, for days after hearing this, pondering everything I do or have done in my life and internally debating whether or not I really believed. What if I had only been conditioned to believe?
