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Next week in Elders Quorum we are Doing the lesson on "The bitter fruits of apostacy". Which you can view here - Here

Rather than scan over the website here looking for quotable quotes, I thought I would ask those of you who might call themselves apostate why it is you left the church, and if you feel any bitterness towards it now that you have left.

For the sake of time, as I might use your quotes in class when I lead the lesson, please keep it down to no more than three paragraphs.

much thanks

Gaz
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Gazelam wrote:Rather than scan over the website here looking for quotable quotes, I thought I would ask those of you who might call themselves apostate why it is you left the church, and if you feel any bitterness towards it now that you have left.

I left the church because I found out it was not true. Yes, I feel bitterness since I was deceived by the church into believing its knowingly whitewashed version of itself.

Hi Gaz,

I think you can best illustrate the "bitter fruits of apostasy" and the contrasting sweet fruits of the faithful by a thorough discussion of Novak's rule and sharing examples of email exchanges from SHIELDS between apologists and critics, where the apologists make the critics look like a bunch of dumb apes.

The lesson really goes overboard in caricaturing the role of "apostate". Certainly, there is a small percentage of disaffected members who rail against the church and wallow in bitterness. But from the first days of the restoration, I would suggest that the majority of those who fall away or leave continue to have productive, happy, healthy lives away from the Church, with many giving no more thought to the Church than one might give to a long forsaken gym membership.

But you can't really stand up in Elder's Quorum and point out that it's possible to leave the Church and be just as well (or even better) off. Heck, I would be shocked if it were ever taught in Church why those early "apostates" actually left, instead of misrepresenting and reducing their motivations with silly stories of "milk strippings" and misspelled names.

cinepro wrote:The lesson really goes overboard in caricaturing the role of "apostate". Certainly, there is a small percentage of disaffected members who rail against the church and wallow in bitterness. But from the first days of the restoration, I would suggest that the majority of those who fall away or leave continue to have productive, happy, healthy lives away from the Church, with many giving no more thought to the Church than one might give to a long forsaken gym membership.

But you can't really stand up in Elder's Quorum and point out that it's possible to leave the Church and be just as well (or even better) off. Heck, I would be shocked if it were ever taught in Church why those early "apostates" actually left, instead of misrepresenting and reducing their motivations with silly stories of "milk strippings" and misspelled names.

Another reason to avoid Relief Society like the plague.

But you can't really stand up in Elder's Quorum and point out that it's possible to leave the Church and be just as well (or even better) off.

Would you like me to do it? Teaching hat-looking and seer stones in GD just re-emphasized to me that there's no such thing as a differentiation between internet and chapel Mormons. So I fully expect that the elders and high priests understand that one might not be LDS and still be prosperous and happy.

It's the final spiritual condition that counts and the LDS Church is the only avenue to achieve perfection and a fulness of joy; if that's what you want.....

Mortality is too short for most people to become bored or dissatisfied with temporal happiness. Therein lies the weakness of many.

Hi Gaz,

I may give you a quote later.

As you know, I'm a former Mormon. I believe that to know the Mormon God is to know the Mormon church. Unfortunately, I may know him better than most Mormons.

No TBM has touched this thread.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8453

Gadianton wrote:Hi Gaz,

I think you can best illustrate the "bitter fruits of apostasy" and the contrasting sweet fruits of the faithful by a thorough discussion of Novak's rule and sharing examples of email exchanges from SHIELDS between apologists and critics, where the apologists make the critics look like a bunch of dumb apes.

Why would you ask him to lie?

bcspace wrote:Teaching hat-looking and seer stones in GD just re-emphasized to me that there's no such thing as a differentiation between internet and chapel Mormons.

Wonder if we will ever get to this point of history in my ward. This is probably one of those areas that are contingent upon the instructor having time spent on the internet.

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Gazelam wrote:
Rather than scan over the website here looking for quotable quotes, I thought I would ask those of you who might call themselves apostate why it is you left the church, and if you feel any bitterness towards it now that you have left.

It all felt fake, for a start. A fake me, a fake (church) marriage, fake friends (people you'd not normally choose as friends), fake home teaching (we really must do this), fake liking of certain things "because you're supposed to like them", just too many fakes.

The reading of "alternative history" (Sunstone, Dialogue, Journal of Mormon History, and even to some extent BYU Studies, et.al) made me realise I really belonged to another community - the doubting and questioning one. One day while in Church, I think about 1983, I thought to myself, this isn't progress, I'm stagnating in mind and spirit, and just following the leader. From those initial thoughts would begin what has now been nearly 26 years of doing my own studying and thinking. It has been very liberating.

I feel no bitterness towards the Church, but it's a lifestyle I could never again "put on". For me, it's just too fake. And that's the only way I can inadequately describe it.