Betrayal from Spiritual Leaders – How to Recover from Learning that You’ve Been Deceived

Posted July 18, 2025 | End Times Watch | River Wilde

I have discovered that I am not walking my spiritual journey alone. My life had been turned upside down when I discovered that my own religion that I had belonged to my entire life had deceived me through some of the teachings and “Gospel” of the church.

My intent today is not to expose any of the false teachings of my church, rather it is to help people who have found this on their own…and how we can all process what has happened and move forward.

With the tools available today, it is very easy to learn the truths that are taught in the New Testament. In doing so, I discovered many of the things that I was taught in church are simply not true. They are doctrine of the church and not gospel principles as taught when Christ was on the earth, teaching His gospel.

So, if you are in the same position that I was in with this discovery, I invite you to listen to some things that I have found very useful in moving forward, rather than become an “Emotional Mess”.

I believe it is VERY healthy to process the blaring emotion that you are experiencing…That of being betrayed by someone that you trusted intimately.

Understanding Betrayal

• Betrayal feels like a fracture of trust—it’s the painful recognition that something or someone you relied on for guidance, safety, or truth has let you down or misled you.
• Because religion often shapes identity, community, and worldview, betrayal here can feel like losing a part of yourself.
• It’s normal to experience a swirl of emotions: shock, sadness, anger, confusion, grief, and sometimes shame or guilt.

As I mentioned, you are certainly not alone in your discovery. Many, Many other members are discovering the same things. I mention this not to demean the sadness that you have encountered; I’m trying to let you know that you are not alone in this awful time of life. We too can relate to the feelings that you have had surface through your discovery.

Steps to Process Betrayal

1. Acknowledge Your Feelings Fully
   Don’t suppress or deny what you feel. Let yourself cry, be angry, or express disappointment. Your emotions are valid and deserve space.
2. Name What Happened
   Try to clearly identify the betrayal—what specifically caused it? Was it lies, hypocrisy, manipulation, unmet promises? Naming it can help you make sense of the chaos.
3. Seek Understanding Without Excusing
   It’s helpful to understand the context or motives behind the betrayal (human flaws, institutional failings, deception, corporate greed). This helps in separating the person or system from the ideal you once believed in.
4. Set Boundaries
   If possible, protect yourself from ongoing harm—whether that means distancing from people, places, or teachings that reinforce the betrayal. It is not necessary that you switch religions, (I’ll explain this later). My “anger” and “disappointment” is directed to the Corporation of the Church” and not with my ward family.
5. Find Safe Spaces
   Talk to trusted friends, counselors, or support groups who respect your experience and won’t dismiss your pain.
6. Allow Yourself to Grieve
   You might be mourning the loss of a community, a worldview, or a sense of certainty. Grieving is essential and part of healing.
7. Rebuild Your Sense of Trust Gradually
   Trust often breaks slowly, but it can be rebuilt over time—starting small, with yourself and then others. I suggest you gear your main focus involving trust to GOD!
8. Look for Meaning and Growth
   Though painful, betrayal can become a catalyst for personal growth, clearer insight, and deeper authenticity.

Betrayal cuts deep, but it doesn’t have to define your future. Healing is possible, and you can find a way forward where faith, hope, and trust—whether in God, yourself, or others—can be renewed on your terms.

I would venture to guess that the majority of people who discovered the deception of their church have this feeling of betrayal. This in itself has fueled many people to speak out about the church and tell others of what they have found. They are hurting, and are trying to gain a sense of fairness by exposing the lies. I understand this, but I have also found that focusing on this push back keeps you in a stagnant place in your recovery.

I have worked with a former Relief Society President who discovered her own deception from the church. It affected her greatly, and caused her to be admitted to the hospital after suffering a mental breakdown. My point here is that discovering betrayal from church leaders is perhaps one of the most difficult things that you will work through in this lifetime. This deception SHATTERED her world.

A second point: For those betrayed, when they speak out, they are often labeled as the “Problem.” They are seen as the bad guy, rather than the actual leaders who betrayed them. Let the responsibility of this betrayal be pinned onto the actual corporation of the church. For it is these men who are responsible for the misinformation.

I find Great Comfort in Knowing – God Will Judge False Teachers

Jeremiah 23:1 (KJV)
“Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord.”
God condemns leaders who mislead or harm His people spiritually.

Ezekiel 34:2 (KJV)
“Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?”
Leaders who enrich themselves at the cost of truth or care of the flock will face judgment.

Matthew 23:13 (KJV) – Jesus speaking to religious leaders
“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men…”
Jesus openly rebuked religious leaders for preventing others from finding the true way.

2 Peter 2:1 (KJV)
“But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you…”
The Bible foretells that false teachers will infiltrate the church, teaching heresies.

James 3:1 (KJV)
“My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”
Teachers are held to a stricter judgment—God does not overlook those who misuse His word.

When you are ready, give this unfair treatment that you have received from the church over to God. Trust that He will take care of things. I imagine this meeting that Jesus will have with these “Brethren” to discuss how deeply they have hurt many of us with their false teachings, and their focus on building the kingdom of the church and not the Kingdom of God. I pray that you and me will be able to attend that meeting. =)

Matthew 7:21–23 (KJV)

21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Your Religious Experience Has Not Been a Waste of Time.

Human emotion makes us feel that if we have been living a lie, and that lie is later exposed, we have simply wasted all of that time by belonging to an untrue church. Not so-Here’s why.

I still feel STRONGLY that the members of my church are some of the most Christlike people on earth. I can see it in the countenance in their faces, and I’m certain that you can too. I would be so bold as to suggest that you have this same countenance. So, where does that shining light come from? The Church? We know that this is not the case, for they have just been exposed as deceitful.

That light comes from the life that you and me have led in following Jesus Christ. We, as well, as most members, shine brightly because our focus in life is living a life that Jesus Christ would want us to live. IT IS JESUS CHRIST that give us the countenance of LIGHT…not a dishonest church.

Something that has helped me immensely is to actually study the truth as written in the New Testament. Focusing on untruths leads to despair and sense of LOSS. When we focus on the truth, we are once again hopeful, because the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the New Testament is Incredibly inspiring, and will fill you with a renewed light.

I have learned more about my relationship with Jesus Christ in the past two years than I have my entire life while attending the church.

Let me explain it this way. Did you know that when we die, there will be no church there? Think of this…We have spent our entire life devoted to a church that will not exist in “heaven.” Our relationship will be DIRECTLY with Jesus Christ…without any middle man or church in between.

John 14:3 (KJV)
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”

Believers will be with HIM in heaven. Jesus Himself is preparing a place to be with you, not to place you under another system. It’s personal and eternal.

1 Timothy 2:5

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”

Only Jesus stands between you and the Father. No church, no priesthood, no ordinance can replace the direct relationship Christ gives.

Hebrews 4:14-16

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God… Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

Christ is your High Priest in heaven. Through Him, you approach God boldly, not through religion.

Revelation 21:22

“And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.”

In heaven, there is no church building, no temple—only God and the Lamb. You will dwell with Him face to face.

Jesus Himself is preparing a place to be with you, not to place you under another system. It’s personal and eternal.

So why are we having this discussion? Isn’t it just easier to continue to be a member of the church and continue living my Christ like life. IT VERY WELL MIGHT BE that this is your solution. The church gives us a “Ward Family.” It is a big part of our social life as well. Leaving all of this can complicate your life and lead to an overwhelming sense of loss and dismay.

It might be very possible that you continue attending the church, but know that certain things that the church teaches are false. You can not dismiss what you have discovered. I’m also certain that you will continue to learn more of the deceptions that are now being exposed. It is up to you to decide if attending church helps you stay strong in Christ, or if the deception has become too great, and choose to break away.

For those of you who stay, I support you FULLY in your decision. However, I need to prepare you for what is to come. As I’ve studied the “End Times” for the past 2 years, I have come to know that the theme of the final 7 years on earth is DECEPTION.

In my opinion, there is a reason that the church is not teaching the details of the end times. They do not want their members informed about the details, because they may not have your best interest at stake. You not knowing the deception that I am speaking of makes deceiving you all that easier.

We must all recognize that we have found the church to be deceptive, and clear logic whispers that they might not yet be done with this deceptive practice. Here is the WARNING that I must share with all of you…Weather you are in the church or out:

The One World Church in the End Times (KJV Perspective)

1. Mystery Babylon – A Global Religious System

The clearest reference to a unified, corrupt end-time religion is found in Revelation 17, where the “great whore” or “Mystery Babylon” is described.

Revelation 17:1-2 (KJV)
“Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:
With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.”

• This woman represents a global religious system.
• “Many waters” (v.1) = peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues (see v.15).
• This religious system is united with world governments (“the kings of the earth”) and influences the masses.

2. A Religion That Looks Holy but Is Evil

Revelation 17:4-5 (KJV)
“And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls…
And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

• The outward appearance is wealthy, beautiful, and religious, but it is spiritually corrupt.
• She is called the “mother of harlots” – this means she gives birth to false religions and spiritual deception.

3. Persecution of True Believers

Revelation 17:6 (KJV)
“And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus…”

• This global religious system will persecute those who remain faithful to Jesus Christ.
• It is anti-Christ in spirit even if it claims to be about peace, unity, and God.

4. The Beast and False Prophet Promote It

Revelation 13:11-12 (KJV)
“And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth… and he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth… to worship the first beast…”

• This second beast is the False Prophet.
• He leads the world to worship the Antichrist (first beast), blending religion with politics into one global system.

Revelation 13:14 (KJV)
“And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles…”

• Deception through signs and wonders is how this religious system will deceive many.

Warning: It Will Look Like Light

2 Corinthians 11:13-14 (KJV)
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.”

• This final false religion will look like truth, feel spiritual, and speak of love, unity, and peace—but it will be a lie.

5. God’s Call to Come Out

Revelation 18:4 (KJV)
“Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.”

• God’s faithful people are warned to separate from the one-world religious system before judgment comes.

Conclusion

The Bible (KJV) warns of a One World Church in the end times—a global religion will emerge. Many of the current religions on earth today will merge into this new church that will:

• Be unified with world government and economy.
• Be spiritually seductive but filled with abominations.
• Persecute true believers in Jesus Christ.
• Ultimately be destroyed by the Antichrist himself (Revelation 17:16-17).

The faithful must know the truth of God’s Word, discern the deception, and stand firm in Christ alone, even when the world unites in a false gospel.

And the BIG FINALLY…These churches will accept the mark of the beast…and more troublesome, they will encourage all of their members to do the same. What is this mark of the beast? It is received when a person commits their soul to following satan. Well…My church would never do this? Really? Did you ever think that your church would deceive you in the first place? They have, and they just might deceive you when your soul is at stake.

Follow the LIGHT. How? Whatever you choose to do, do it with the understanding that you and Jesus Christ are a team. Yolk up to Him and you will NOT be deceived. Take everything to God in personal prayer, for He will give you your own personal revelation of what to do. Follow NO MAN! If you still feel that following the leader is in your best interest, take what he teaches and ask God for validation. God will always tell you the truth. THEN, do not betray God. FOLLOW HIS DIRECTION. Do not go against what He has just told you and follow the leader because of what you were taught to do. This is not Faith, it is DECEPTION, and quite simply being gullible.

Remember that no church will be in heaven, and you will have to tell God why you chose to follow a man instead of what He told you to do. There won’t be anyone there to congratulate you on being so faithful by following a leader in blind faith when God told you otherwise.

For all of the crushing emotions that I have had after discovering deception in my church, I have found brighter light by studying the New Testament, and the teachings of Christ. I admonish you to dive into the Bible when you feel despair. Study the topic of Being Saved by Grace; Study how a their hanging next to Christ could be told, “Today, you shall be with Me in Paradise;” Study about being judged in the First Judgment, receiving crowns for the good things that we have done, rather than punishments for our sins; And study that Christ’s Atonement was enough, and that our works are not needed to receive salvation and eternal life to live with God forever.

I hope that you have found some comfort in these writings. Consider yourselves to be rescued by finding the deception of the church before the great deception of the One World Religion is created and your soul would be at stake. There is good news in the bad news that we have just received.

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