Why I left Mormonism

[Parker_Chess]

Where do I even begin? One day I just woke up from this hypnotic state. I was watching General Conference on my new 50" Vizio. And this is the big event that happens twice a year where the Apostles of the Lord speak. Their talks are then studied for the next several months and treated as modern day 'revelation'. I couldn't help but feel how shallow everything was and how empty inside I felt. These men were stressing things like wearing our temple garment and obedience. Stuff that was so off based from the God I believed in. It was that day I knew I was done. I already had an experience with an Orthodox church the year prior so I began attending there instead. I still haven't formerly left but I thought I'd share my brief story of why I left.

After this happened, I did meet with my Bishop for breakfast one morning. And discussed with him my issues with the Church, Joseph Smith, and The Boom of Mormon. Of course that went about as well as you could expect. He couldn't really give sufficient answers for anything that would satisfy me. He later asked to meet again but I said never did.

In hindsight, I feel like there are many cultish aspects in Mormonism and deep regrets I have for unethical things I did or was encouraged to do by the Church leadership. Stuff I felt weird about at during the time but didn't feel confident enough to call it out.

For others wishing to speak to Mormons to try and preach the one true God to them. In my experience it's pretty fruitless. It's something most will have to come to on your own. Because when you're inside the Church you feel like it's the greatest thing ever and you have all the truth and everyone else is lacking the fullness of the restored Gospel. Mormons are taught that good feelings are the spirit telling them something is true. So if you are combative towards their beliefs or hostile they'll take that as Satan controlling the conversation. The Book of Mormon itself says all you have to do is Pray to God and the Holy Ghost will manifest that it's true. And the Church encourages it's members to write these feelings down in a journal and re-read the journal anytime they're having doubts.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

My wife's ex-hubs was a Mormon.
It was interesting to watch Big Love with her

 

[Parker_Chess]

My wife's ex-hubs was a Mormon.
It was interesting to watch Big Love with her

View attachment 67571486

Never heard of that

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Never heard of that

Never heard of Big Love?
Okay, brief synopsis:

Bill Henrickson, (Bill Paxton) who grew up on an FLDS compound, decides it is time to take plural marriage mainstream so he and his First Wife Barb (Jeannie Tripplehorn) move to Salt Lake City with the two "Sister Wives" and they buy three adjoining homes in the suburbs, playing the ruse of the sister wives being "friends who just happen to be single mothers" but in reality it's just a clever disguise for his own suburban plural marriage compound.
Bill is owner and CEO of hardware chain "Home Plus" and the comedy comes from him trying to handle the cluster of disasters and train wrecks arising from juggling his adherence to "The Principle" with modern life plus all the hell and rage he receives from his relatives and peers who still live way out on the rural compounds.
They cannot and will not abide his modern appearance while they stay dressed in overalls, string ties and prairie dresses.
Bill wants to meld with the modern world while his compound peers continue to insist that the outside world is evil and must be avoided.

There's also lots of heavy duty drama as well.

 

[Sweden]

Where do I even begin? One day I just woke up from this hypnotic state. I was watching General Conference on my new 50" Vizio. And this is the big event that happens twice a year where the Apostles of the Lord speak. Their talks are then studied for the next several months and treated as modern day 'revelation'. I couldn't help but feel how shallow everything was and how empty inside I felt. These men were stressing things like wearing our temple garment and obedience. Stuff that was so off based from the God I believed in. It was that day I knew I was done. I already had an experience with an Orthodox church the year prior so I began attending there instead. I still haven't formerly left but I thought I'd share my brief story of why I left.

After this happened, I did meet with my Bishop for breakfast one morning. And discussed with him my issues with the Church, Joseph Smith, and The Boom of Mormon. Of course that went about as well as you could expect. He couldn't really give sufficient answers for anything that would satisfy me. He later asked to meet again but I said never did.

In hindsight, I feel like there are many cultish aspects in Mormonism and deep regrets I have for unethical things I did or was encouraged to do by the Church leadership. Stuff I felt weird about at during the time but didn't feel confident enough to call it out.

For others wishing to speak to Mormons to try and preach the one true God to them. In my experience it's pretty fruitless. It's something most will have to come to on your own. Because when you're inside the Church you feel like it's the greatest thing ever and you have all the truth and everyone else is lacking the fullness of the restored Gospel. Mormons are taught that good feelings are the spirit telling them something is true. So if you are combative towards their beliefs or hostile they'll take that as Satan controlling the conversation. The Book of Mormon itself says all you have to do is Pray to God and the Holy Ghost will manifest that it's true. And the Church encourages it's members to write these feelings down in a journal and re-read the journal anytime they're having doubts.

Thank you for an interesting post. Has it ever occurred to you that every religion reacts to serious questioning as if it was Satan speaking? I'm not convinced that Mormonism is any worse in this respect than all the others.

 

[phoenix2020]

Thank you for an interesting post. Has it ever occurred to you that every religion reacts to serious questioning as if it was Satan speaking? I'm not convinced that Mormonism is any worse in this respect than all the others.

I would suggest that every evangelical religion reacts in this way.

The non-evangelical religions that don't particularly care strongly about the fate of non-adherents tend to be much more chill.

 

[rjay]

Where do I even begin? One day I just woke up from this hypnotic state. I was watching General Conference on my new 50" Vizio. And this is the big event that happens twice a year where the Apostles of the Lord speak. Their talks are then studied for the next several months and treated as modern day 'revelation'. I couldn't help but feel how shallow everything was and how empty inside I felt. These men were stressing things like wearing our temple garment and obedience. Stuff that was so off based from the God I believed in. It was that day I knew I was done. I already had an experience with an Orthodox church the year prior so I began attending there instead. I still haven't formerly left but I thought I'd share my brief story of why I left.

After this happened, I did meet with my Bishop for breakfast one morning. And discussed with him my issues with the Church, Joseph Smith, and The Boom of Mormon. Of course that went about as well as you could expect. He couldn't really give sufficient answers for anything that would satisfy me. He later asked to meet again but I said never did.

In hindsight, I feel like there are many cultish aspects in Mormonism and deep regrets I have for unethical things I did or was encouraged to do by the Church leadership. Stuff I felt weird about at during the time but didn't feel confident enough to call it out.

For others wishing to speak to Mormons to try and preach the one true God to them. In my experience it's pretty fruitless. It's something most will have to come to on your own. Because when you're inside the Church you feel like it's the greatest thing ever and you have all the truth and everyone else is lacking the fullness of the restored Gospel. Mormons are taught that good feelings are the spirit telling them something is true. So if you are combative towards their beliefs or hostile they'll take that as Satan controlling the conversation. The Book of Mormon itself says all you have to do is Pray to God and the Holy Ghost will manifest that it's true. And the Church encourages it's members to write these feelings down in a journal and re-read the journal anytime they're having doubts.

I think all religions have cult members. That is not to say that all religions are necessarily cults. In Christianity, some denominations are more prone to being cultist then others. I think there are likely cult factions in all of them. For some denominations the cultists may be a majority, while with others it is a small minority. I sometimes wonder if doing things like 'The Pledge of Allegiance' from a young age may, inadvertently, train your mind to become more susceptible to falling prey to cult like organizations.

 

[Parker_Chess]

Never heard of Big Love?
Okay, brief synopsis:

Bill Henrickson, (Bill Paxton) who grew up on an FLDS compound, decides it is time to take plural marriage mainstream so he and his First Wife Barb (Jeannie Tripplehorn) move to Salt Lake City with the two "Sister Wives" and they buy three adjoining homes in the suburbs, playing the ruse of the sister wives being "friends who just happen to be single mothers" but in reality it's just a clever disguise for his own suburban plural marriage compound.
Bill is owner and CEO of hardware chain "Home Plus" and the comedy comes from him trying to handle the cluster of disasters and train wrecks arising from juggling his adherence to "The Principle" with modern life plus all the hell and rage he receives from his relatives and peers who still live way out on the rural compounds.
They cannot and will not abide his modern appearance while they stay dressed in overalls, string ties and prairie dresses.
Bill wants to meld with the modern world while his compound peers continue to insist that the outside world is evil and must be avoided.

There's also lots of heavy duty drama as well.

I can't believe this is real

 

[Parker_Chess]

I think all religions have cult members. That is not to say that all religions are necessarily cults. In Christianity, some denominations are more prone to being cultist then others. I think there are likely cult factions in all of them. For some denominations the cultists may be a majority, while with others it is a small minority. I sometimes wonder if doing things like 'The Pledge of Allegiance' from a young age may, inadvertently, train your mind to become more susceptible to falling prey to cult like organizations.

Mormonism stands out as particularly culty. There are parts I didn't even get into.

Thank you for an interesting post. Has it ever occurred to you that every religion reacts to serious questioning as if it was Satan speaking? I'm not convinced that Mormonism is any worse in this respect than all the others.

From my understanding, mainstream Christianity preaches that questioning and debate is fine.

Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

I can't believe this is real

It was a very interesting show, even if one has never been a Mormon.
I am certain that liberties were taken, or were there...and of course FLDS is not mainstream Mormonism but it traces back to the roots of the old church.
Just find the first one or two episodes somewhere and I guarantee you will be hooked, it's just such a well done show.

I freaked out my wife one night early in by pretending to be going through a personal transformation, and acting like I suddenly believed in "The Principle of Plural Marriage"...had her going for about two minutes.
Big laughs, she is a lot of fun that way and yes of course once the jig was up I got "payback" in spades.

When those "leaving Amish" reality shows became popular I did it to her again, last time she ever fell for one of my acts, but well worth it in terms of prank comedy.

 

[Stealers Wheel]

I've heard Mormonism described (charitably) like this: The worst theology wrapped up in the prettiest package.

In many respects, this is accurate.

It has many of the benchmarks of a cult.

 

[Revelation]

I would suggest that every evangelical religion reacts in this way.

bottom line, what are you seeking after? God or the approval of religion?

we all different, every one of us regardless of Atheism or christian.

some like me here and some don't.

um, so?

the real question is: does God like me ? if he does, then things will go good today. am i on God's narrow way today? now we thinking deeper and should pay attention.


whatever a religion reacts to, can be interesting, so i listen. listening to God more important, so he left his book for us to Listen to him.

start there.

The non-evangelical religions that don't particularly care strongly about the fate of non-adherents tend to be much more chill.

not an issue my friend.

real issue? are you Desperate?

maybe you are, Jamie poses that issue...


....#JamieMacDonald #Desperate


blessings all. everything depends on where you start and end up.

.

 

[watsup]

I've heard Mormonism described (charitably) like this: The worst theology wrapped up in the prettiest package.

In many respects, this is accurate.

It has many of the benchmarks of a cult.

They all do.

 

[Mithrae]

They all do.

Mormon: "Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, Catholics, atheists, they all have it wrong; everyone who isn't us is totally deluded!"
Atheist: "Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, Mormons, agnostics they all have it wrong; everyone who isn't us is totally deluded!"

The use of "all religions" rhetoric often strikes me as kind of culty thinking itself... even moreso from folk who devise doctrinal purity tests to attack non-religious agnostics too

 

[LittleNipper]

Where do I even begin? One day I just woke up from this hypnotic state. I was watching General Conference on my new 50" Vizio. And this is the big event that happens twice a year where the Apostles of the Lord speak. Their talks are then studied for the next several months and treated as modern day 'revelation'. I couldn't help but feel how shallow everything was and how empty inside I felt. These men were stressing things like wearing our temple garment and obedience. Stuff that was so off based from the God I believed in. It was that day I knew I was done. I already had an experience with an Orthodox church the year prior so I began attending there instead. I still haven't formerly left but I thought I'd share my brief story of why I left.

After this happened, I did meet with my Bishop for breakfast one morning. And discussed with him my issues with the Church, Joseph Smith, and The Boom of Mormon. Of course that went about as well as you could expect. He couldn't really give sufficient answers for anything that would satisfy me. He later asked to meet again but I said never did.

In hindsight, I feel like there are many cultish aspects in Mormonism and deep regrets I have for unethical things I did or was encouraged to do by the Church leadership. Stuff I felt weird about at during the time but didn't feel confident enough to call it out.

For others wishing to speak to Mormons to try and preach the one true God to them. In my experience it's pretty fruitless. It's something most will have to come to on your own. Because when you're inside the Church you feel like it's the greatest thing ever and you have all the truth and everyone else is lacking the fullness of the restored Gospel. Mormons are taught that good feelings are the spirit telling them something is true. So if you are combative towards their beliefs or hostile they'll take that as Satan controlling the conversation. The Book of Mormon itself says all you have to do is Pray to God and the Holy Ghost will manifest that it's true. And the Church encourages it's members to write these feelings down in a journal and re-read the journal anytime they're having doubts.

What got you to think? Are you now a Christian in the biblical sense? Thank you for any consideration. I know it can't be easy.

 

[BirdinHand]

All of the monotheistic religions seem to be fighting over which flavor of ice cream is the “right” flavor

It really is very interesting - if only it wasn’t such a bloody and ugly history between them all…and they all weren’t guilty of such horrific treatment of humans. Both inside and out of their particular denominations

 

[LittleNipper]

All of the monotheistic religions seem to be fighting over which flavor of ice cream is the “right” flavor

It really is very interesting - if only it wasn’t such a bloody and ugly history between them all…and they all weren’t guilty of such horrific treatment of humans. Both inside and out of their particular denominations

As a Christian, I'm not interested in seeking the "right/correct " denomination. I seeking CHRIST. My guess is that churches that are not interested in that would not interest me. But there is more than one "denomination" that believes what is true, Christianity isn't rocket science... And I'm glad CHRIST makes it easy.

 

[Daisy]

All of the monotheistic religions seem to be fighting over which flavor of ice cream is the “right” flavor

It really is very interesting - if only it wasn’t such a bloody and ugly history between them all…and they all weren’t guilty of such horrific treatment of humans. Both inside and out of their particular denominations

Belief in the trinity doctrine is not a monotheistic religion...

 

[Parker_Chess]

What got you to think? Are you now a Christian in the biblical sense? Thank you for any consideration. I know it can't be easy.

I've attended an Orthodox Church for the past year and half. I took classes and learned about early Church History. So yes, I'd consider myself a Christian. But I've yet to formerly join the Church. I've lost friends and my support group.

Really, because I was a convert to Mormonism I never fully felt the leaders of the church were prophets. And during Sunday school we would study their talks. I never enjoyed it. I thought I learned more about my faith reading the Bible and Book of Mormon (at the time). Now I can no longer reconcile the Book of Mormon with the Bible.

 

[LittleNipper]

I've attended an Orthodox Church for the past year and half. I took classes and learned about early Church History. So yes, I'd consider myself a Christian. But I've yet to formerly join the Church. I've lost friends and my support group.

Really, because I was a convert to Mormonism I never fully felt the leaders of the church were prophets. And during Sunday school we would study their talks. I never enjoyed it. I thought I learned more about my faith reading the Bible and Book of Mormon (at the time). Now I can no longer reconcile the Book of Mormon with the Bible.

Thanks. Keep one thing in mind. There isn't a single church but the CHURCH is the body of ALL saved believer in CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD and SAVIOR. Stay in the word and stay in the truth.

 

[Parker_Chess]

Thanks. Keep one thing in mind. There isn't a single church but the CHURCH is the body of ALL saved believer in CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD and SAVIOR. Stay in the word and stay in the truth.

Thanks man! Lord Jesus saves!

 

[Revelation]

Thanks. Keep one thing in mind. There isn't a single church but the CHURCH is the body of ALL saved believer in CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD and SAVIOR. Stay in the word and stay in the truth.

amen Nip, hopefully he finds a good Bible church or churches soon. remember to pray for all of us on this forum, atheists too.

Thanks man! Lord Jesus saves!

amen Park.

also take a look at Acts 2:47, this changed my outlook on church a whole bunch...

“Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”

people please note who adds to the church: the LORD added to the church daily.

people think they add themselves to the church, or sign some membership card.............keep trying.

when you sign things like that, generally you just joined a 501c3 religious Organization. but keep looking, inside that building is the church/people that Jesus built

the church is not a religious corporation, but a spiritual organization of God's people. find the right Bible church and all is well.



what to do? well in my case i attend and volunteer at a number of churches every week and at home too.

God also saves you too, most believe that but want you to jump some hoops to join up in some way.

God does want you to seek him with all your heart. so i do and attempt to, that is our responsibility we cannot shirk.

Jesus is the Great Shepherd however and cares about you, and we return our love to the Lord thru all of our lives and work.


blessings all, hope this makes sense. well does it? let me know in the Comments section below.


.

 

[nota bene]

I've attended an Orthodox Church for the past year and half. I took classes and learned about early Church History. So yes, I'd consider myself a Christian. But I've yet to formerly join the Church. I've lost friends and my support group.

Really, because I was a convert to Mormonism I never fully felt the leaders of the church were prophets. And during Sunday school we would study their talks. I never enjoyed it. I thought I learned more about my faith reading the Bible and Book of Mormon (at the time). Now I can no longer reconcile the Book of Mormon with the Bible.

So you weren't born LDS. I'd like to think that leaving this church would be a bit easier than if you were cradle-LDS?

As you continue asking, seeking, and knocking, I pray that you will experience Pentecost in your heart.

 

[reflechissez]

So you weren't born LDS. I'd like to think that leaving this church would be a bit easier than if you were cradle-LDS?

As you continue asking, seeking, and knocking, I pray that you will experience Pentecost in your heart.

Why?

 

[LittleNipper]

Belief in the trinity doctrine is not a monotheistic religion...

Whether it is or it isn't makes no difference. Satan tries to counterfeit GOD, and so Satan will come up with distortions of the truth but never the entire truth.