Danna has a bad night.

[_truth dancer]

Thanks Danna,

These are my thoughts and perceptions as well.

I imagine those that invested their life savings with Bernie Madoff had a similar experience when they began to evaluate how the loss would affect the rest of their lives.

That's a really interesting analogy. Imagine if a believing Mormon had just dismissed and diminished an ex-Mo's experience, and then that same Mormon discovered that he had lost millions of dollars to Madoff.

Can you imagine how that LDS member would respond if we ex-Mos said, "You just oppose Madoff because of your own pride or sin or laziness. If you really don't have any faith in Madoff, you need to just move on and never talk or think about it; otherwise you'll become bitter and angry, which tends to be the lot of those who wrongly reject the wonderful benefits of Madoff's investments."

Actually Runtu, the reason people no longer have faith in Madoff is because they spoke badly of him. All those people who had suspicions that he was deceiving them spoke up, and those people who felt there was something amiss went to the police, and well, it had nothing to do with Madoff at all. If only people would stop complaining and just tow the line all would be well.

[_truth dancer]

Hi Harmony,

Very beautiful post.

What amazes me is that there are many apologists who want you to just resign from the church. It is as if they WANT your family to be harmed, your children and grandchildren out of your life, your husband brokenhearted.

Who in their right mind would want this for anyone? And how could this possibly be God's will?

Any church that teaches doctrine or ideas that promote the destruction of a family to promote their church is not of Divine Origin, I'm pretty sure of it.

I know, I know, apologists will share the scripture Christ came to put families members against each other. NONSENSE.

~td~

[_Jason Bourne]

I've never seen a case otherwise. Antimormonism sometimes get's brought in in order for the person to make a covering excuse.

Frankly I don't know how else to say this. So I will.

BC, you reach this conclusion because really , you are a narrow minded dumb F...k!

I usually avoid such comments and language. But it really is the truth.

Wake up dork. There is a world beyond the LDS Church.

[_antishock8]

I've never seen a case otherwise. Antimormonism sometimes get's brought in in order for the person to make a covering excuse.

Frankly I don't know how else to say this. So I will.

BC, you reach this conclusion because really , you are a narrow minded dumb F...k!

I usually avoid such comments and language. But it really is the truth.

Wake up dork. There is a world beyond the LDS Church.

Big Up to Jason Bourne!

[_truth dancer]

The usual suspects get dragged out. Taking offence, wanting to sin, weakness, stupid trite reasons.

I've never seen a case otherwise. Antimormonism sometimes get's brought in in order for the person to make a covering excuse.

Sigh.

Yeah, every other person in the world who leaves their cult, religion, or faith tradition, leaves because they do not believe what they were taught or they found something that made more sense or felt more real, but LDS folk leave because they are followers of Satan.

All those people who apostasize from their religions to join the LDS church stop believing in their churches because they found the real truth but if an LDS person leaves for what they consider a higher or more serious or more full truth, well Satan just got a hold of them, or they are just evil and made horrible choices.



It is such nonsense.

As I have said before, if sin is the reason people leave their churches then the LDS church should pray for the world to start sinning, well except for its members.

~td~

[_Inconceivable]

The usual suspects get dragged out. Taking offence, wanting to sin, weakness, stupid trite reasons.

I've never seen a case otherwise. Antimormonism sometimes get's brought in in order for the person to make a covering excuse.

In reflecting my concerns with the stake president before my exit, he told me of one of his best friends that apostatised. He said that he became an adulterer and made a baby, destroying his eternal marriage with his wife and ruining the lives of his children...

Yeah, I was deeply insulted. Real pissed, in fact. He has since apologised for such an inane insinuation.

I left primarilly because Joseph Smith and his band of studs had done just this. Why leave a religeon founded by whoring dirtbags that prostitute women in order to become one?

BC, help me understand how you can be a follower of Christ without revealing you have no more understanding than a skinhead.

[_harmony]

Someday, one of your kids or g'kids will approach you and ask you why you never told them how you felt and what/when you knew the truth (to save them years of dead works). I hope they'll be mature enough to understand the duress you were under to remain silent for the life of your family's sake.

When my oldest was in high school, he fathered a baby. I found out things about the mother that showed her for the person she really was. I didn't tell him, because he would not have believed me. When he finally found out from another source the things that I already knew, he asked me, quite vehemently, why I hadn't told him. I told him that he would not have believed me, and there were some things he needed to find out for himself. It struck him very strongly that I was right: he would not have believed me.

I feel the same way about this. I think the harm done to them by the church is minimal compared to the harm I would do to our relationship were I to tell them anything they aren't ready to hear. They would not believe me; some things they have to find out for themselves.

As for my husband, I would never put him through the hell my resigning would cause. There is nothing false about my love for him. I will shield him in any way I can from pain that I could inflict on him.

Nor is there anything false about my love for the church. I love the concept of the church, my ward members, my bishop. My problem is with the Brethren and the history.

In situations like this, I prefer to err on the side of caution.

[_harmony]

I'd like to explain a little more about my own decision to forsake the religeon:

For much of his life, my father was a duplicitous man that left a wide damage path of broken souls in his wake. He was the poster child of D&C 121:37-40. When I learned the more truthful history of particularly Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, I became fatally wounded spiritually. They all had so very much in common. My soul was literally in pain to be seen as one with them just as I had no desire to be affiliated with my own father. Keep in mind, previous to my knowing their darker natures, I would have gladly given my life for these men I had seen as my heros.

Everyone must follow their own path. You must do what is best for you and yours, and I must do the same. I never fault you or anyone else who leaves. I don't even ask for understanding of why I stay. I live my life walking to my own beat, and that is not going to change. Yes, sometimes I feel like I'm alone in a crowded room, and I avoid certain situations that I know will upset me, but I will maintain this course for as long as I need to, even if that is the rest of my life. Anyone who has ever loved as much as I love my family would understand. They may not make the same choices, but they would understand my situation.

[_Jason Bourne]

Everyone must follow their own path. You must do what is best for you and yours, and I must do the same. I never fault you or anyone else who leaves. I don't even ask for understanding of why I stay. I live my life walking to my own beat, and that is not going to change. Yes, sometimes I feel like I'm alone in a crowded room, and I avoid certain situations that I know will upset me, but I will maintain this course for as long as I need to, even if that is the rest of my life. Anyone who has ever loved as much as I love my family would understand. They may not make the same choices, but they would understand my situation.

Good for you. I feel the same. I live life and worship and believe on my own terms these days (though I do pray for direction in all of this). I don't stay LDS because someone says I must and I refuse to leave because someone says I must. I stay because for many reasons I want to. If I ever leave it will be for the same reasons.

And guess what. I am happier than I have even been and feel more at peace than I even have by approaching things this way.

[_Jersey Girl]

Hi Harmony,

Very beautiful post.

What amazes me is that there are many apologists who want you to just resign from the church. It is as if they WANT your family to be harmed, your children and grandchildren out of your life, your husband brokenhearted.

Who in their right mind would want this for anyone? And how could this possibly be God's will?

Any church that teaches doctrine or ideas that promote the destruction of a family to promote their church is not of Divine Origin, I'm pretty sure of it.

I know, I know, apologists will share the scripture Christ came to put families members against each other. NONSENSE.

~td~

There are a great many ex's, anti's and critics who would also encourage her to resign. Just sayin'