Mormonism Schism: A MILESTONE, TO SAY THE LEAST...

Monday, October 3, 2011

A MILESTONE, TO SAY THE LEAST...

I've been reading some blog posts this morning about the Mormon Church's Semi-Annual General Conference which took place this past weekend. And I'm jazzed!! Because for the first time in the 7 years since I left the Mormon Church, I totally forgot it was General Conference weekend until late last night when I went on Facebook and read some posts about it (both from ExMos, Semi-Mos and TBMs). Woo hoo!!

Being able to say that I didn't waste a moment of my life on General Conference and its endless moronic droning on about meaningless drivel means the world to me. Truly, I have arrived. Woo hoo again!!

Looking back over the past 59 years of my life - 52 in Mormonism and 7 outside of it - I can say with certainty that I am happier now than I have ever been. I am living my life for myself, based on my own opinions garnered from information I have collected. To me, that is very reassuring.

And to think, it all started with Mile 1. As Confucius said, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

If we never take that first step, then we resign ourselves to be stuck in a routine that may or may not be beneficial to our future happiness. Knowing that I am being true to myself and living an authentic life is its own reward.

Now if I could just get some of those Mormon hymns out of my brain. I've written a bunch of ExMo hymns, and that has helped. But every once in a while, a hymn like "Come, Come Ye Saints" pops in my head and keeps playing and replaying as if it's on a continuous reel (which is very annoying). I suppose the fact that I was a TBM to the core for 52 years has something to do with that. But one of these days...

4 comments:

Donna Banta said...: Woo hoo! Congrats on your conference free weekend. Maybe when a hymn comes into your head you should try imagining Boyd K. Packer in his underwear. That outta make the needle scream across the vinyl and stop the record...; Monday, October 3, 2011 at 12:16:00 PM MDT
Diane Tingen said...: Ewww!! BKP in his (magical) underwear... that's a disgusting thought!! But you're right... that could definitely make the needle scream across the vinyl and stop the record... forever!! Thanks for the suggestion. Gonna try it... LOL!!; Monday, October 3, 2011 at 1:02:00 PM MDT
Anonymous said...: Donna, what an absolutely brilliant suggestion. If I may quote from Boyd K. Packer's immortal 1976 talk (and pamphlet) To Young Men Only:

Sometimes a young man does not understand....He might fondle himself...[t]his you shouldn't do...[y]ou can quickly be subjected to a habit...

The power to prevent such habits or to break them rests in your mind...

I know a way to keep your thoughts worthy....Choose...a favorite hymn... Make it your emergency channel....As the music begins and the words form in your thoughts, the unworthy ones will slip shamefully away from your mid. Because it is uplifting and clean, the baser thoughts will disappear.

Thus we are taught that if thoughts of people in underwear trouble us, hymns can drive them out. But so inspired is the counsel that it also works in reverse! Thank you again for this uplifting insight.; Monday, October 3, 2011 at 8:56:00 PM MDT
jen said...: That is AWESOME! Just awesome!
I didn't forget. I was very aware it was going on. I couldn't decide between wanting to watch (WHY?!?!) and wanting to hide in my bed.

I finally went fishing.

And BKP in his underwear... that's just gross! :); Tuesday, October 4, 2011 at 7:20:00 PM MDT

MY EXIT FROM MORMONISM

As a preface to my thoughts about Mormonism (and my exit from my lifelong religion), I would like to share the following quote:

"Well, it's either true or false. If it's false, we're engaged in a great fraud. If it's true, it's the most important thing in the world. Now, that's the whole picture. It is either right or wrong, true or false, fraudulent or true."

President Gordon B. Hinckley,
Interview, "The Mormons,"
PBS Documentary, April 2007

In essence, after researching the roots of Mormonism, which obviously form its foundation, as well as examining its doctrine in depth, I have concluded that it is a great fraud. Having been born and raised in the Mormon Church, and remaining LDS until my early 50's, facing that realization was very difficult and was not done lightly.

SOME BACKGROUND:
In the Summer of 2001, I went on a Mormon Church History Tour. Before going, I decided to do some research so I would know more about what occurred at the key places when we visited them. But that was the beginning of the end for me as I discovered more and more of the sordid history of the Mormon Church. Soon, I began to realize that Joseph Smith made the whole thing up and that the Mormon Church is built on an enormous stack of lies. Sadly, I also began to realize that I had allowed the Mormon Church to pull the wool over my eyes for a very long time. But even with that realization, it took me quite a while longer to finally break away because of how intricately my life was tied up in Mormonism and how long I had been blinded by the lies Mormonism perpetuates (which, of course, is what they are counting on).

But finally, I did break away - and I have now been Mormonism Free since 2004. What I have realized during the ensuing years is that my intellectual curiosity was squelched by Mormonism. Being told to "have faith" and "just believe" was very detrimental to my psyche, particularly since so much made little sense. Trying to rationalize through everything had a negative effect on me as well, making me very confused and uncomfortable. Since that time, I have discovered that these types of feelings are called "cognitive dissonance" (a feeling of discomfort when simultaneously holding two or more conflicting ideas, beliefs, values or emotional reactions). Cognitive dissonance is discussed in greater length in a book I have written which is now available on Kindle. Since leaving Mormonism behind, I have grown so much and have discovered who I really am - and that is a tremendous gift.

As mentioned above, a book I have written is now available on Kindle. My book (entitled "Closing the Door on Mormonism: The AHA!! Moments that Triggered my Awakening") chronicles my very long journey through and away from Mormonism and discussed many of the issues that had plagued me for many years. It also contains some poems that I have written about my views concerning various aspects of Mormonism as well as discussions relative to the issues that led to my decision to eventually disassociate myself from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

In sharing my opinions and the information I have uncovered, it is my hope that I can in some small way help others by offering some insights into issues that many Mormons undoubtedly face in determining whether or not their faith has been misplaced.

For those of you who are thinking, "Oh, those Ex-Mormons - they can leave the church but they just can't seem to leave it alone," I offer this quote:

"Some of you are probably thinking, 'Why don't you just leave them (the Mormons) alone?' So I ask you, if you saw a thirsty man drinking water from a well you knew to be poisoned, would you let him continue to drink or would you guide him to a safe well?" ~Christopher Miller

While I'm sure that active Mormons (TBMs) and the Mormon Church itself would be much happier if people who have left the church kept their opinions to themselves, I cannot do that. If I can help one person to see the lies that are laced throughout Mormonism, then I will feel that my efforts have not been in vain.

As you will note, I have written many LDS Hymn Parodies (to date, 111 and counting), all of which are posted on my other blog - http://exmormonhymnbook.blogspot.com/
On that blog, you will also find an alphabetical listing of all the hymn parodies I have written.

Favorite Quotes

"The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off." ~Gloria Steinem
"To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.” ~Abraham Lincoln
"Some things that are true are not very useful." Boyd K. Packer
"I have a hard time with historians, because historians idolize the truth." ~Boyd K. Packer
"It's impossible to reach good conclusions with bad information... We're all entitled to our own opinions, but none of us can afford to be wrong in our facts." ~Mort Crim
"...just remember, it's not a lie if you believe it." ~George Costanza (Seinfeld)