"Our marriage has survived a crisis of faith. We are the Andersen family, and we are Ex Mormons."
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2011
- www.i-am-an-exmormon.com/
www.exmormonfoundation.org
www.postmormon.org/
www.exmormon.reddit.com
www.LifeAfterMormonism.net
(The following Exit Story was written together by Erik and Shaunalei Andersen)
I have joked with my wife the past few years that I must be a genetic freak since I was apparently born without a 'feeling the spirit' gene. I'm not sure what everybody else feels, but I never feel 'it.'
On my mission and as a single young adult member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I prayed; I fasted; I read through all the standard works; I paid my tithing; I did my home teaching. The works. On a number of occasions, I recollected and repented of every sin I could possibly remember. I would go up into the mountains, kneel down before the lord, and weepingly offer to give up all my sins if I could only know him. I quoted all the scriptures I knew in which the lord promised to answer his children if they would only came unto him: 'Knock, and it shall be opened unto you,' etc. etc. I poured out my whole heart to God, pleading with every feeling in my heart, that he would answer me. Again, and again, and again. (It would be funny if it wasn't so sad.) The church claims Joseph Smith was wrong to keep pestering the Lord about giving Martin Harris the first 116 pages of the Book of Mormon, yet we are taught to keep going to the Lord endlessly to ask him to confirm the truth--rejecting every doubting thought or feeling-until receiving a witness (some positive feeling of the Spirit) which confirms to our heart the truthfulness of the gospel. I kept at it until I lost wind, finally concluding that I was defective and shouldn't expect an answer. Hiding my weak testimony from the girls I dated, however, I continued to hope and act as if the church was true (accepting callings, giving priesthood blessings, etc.), even without the reassurance I'd longed for. Once married, I also withheld it from my wife.
(CONTINUED)
Click on the following link to read the rest of the Andersen's exit story:
www.iamanexmormon.com/2011/06/...
Paradoxically, I'm an atheist who is especially anti-mormon (for its cultish aspects)....but watching these videos I actually come to feel something POSITIVE about mormonism (well, about mormons), because all the people in these videos took such a courageous stand, and relied solely upon truth and honesty to find their way.
Mormonism is a sick and goofy cult, but MANY mormons are really good and strong people. I congratulate you for successfully negotiating a difficult and painful path, and I congratulate mormons generally for trying to be good and honest people.
Yet, I find that only 10% of well meaning and otherwise ethical atheists can NOT see the same damaging types of non-religious dangerous to deadly, controlling dogmas right among themselves (political and fake science, corporate-bought and paid for media, "education" and politicians...) corporatocracy dogmas which enslave and strangle freedom even more than Mormonism, while strangling true advancement and real science right out of themselves and society.
That is why Christopher Hitchen's wrote the dead-on-target book, "Why Orwell Matters," his fellow atheists were glomming onto the next Cults, The Only True Cults, non-rligious Cults.
"I didn't escape Alcatraz just to turn myself in at San Quentin." - RFM
I’m an atheist too, also, I really like Mormons a lot
@2:58-- "I;m going to lose my family, she's going to marry someone else, my kids are going to be taught their dad is a terrible man...."
This is a nearly verbatim recapitulation of a threat made to me by my father-in-law when I started asking impertinent questions about Mormon doctrine and church history. This is a VERY common experience.
AND YOU MADE IT OUT TOGETHER! Fantastic!!!
Thank you, "Oliver Downunder!"
"If we have the *truth* it cannot be harmed. If we have NOT the truth, it *OUGHT TO BE HARMED*"
President J. Ruben Clark (emphasis mine)
When you read stories like this, it makes you wonder how many people in the LDS church do not believe it is true, but pretend to believe it so their marriages don't end in divorce and their families get split apart. Cults like this put a great deal of social pressure on their members. If someone leaves the church, or publicly expresses their doubts, their LDS family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers treat them like they are the lowest form of life on earth.
It is a common occurence I'm sure, David. One of my relatives was highly skeptical of Joseph Smith, I later learned from his daughter, but kept his mouth shut because he taught at BYU. That family member remained in the church because he thought, "It's a good way to raise a family. I like the standards. My father was an alcoholic, and I'm glad the church teaches the Word of Wisdom." In his world, it would have been career suicide (and potentially reputation suicide) to have openly questioned the Prophet of the Restoration (i.e. Joseph Smith Jr.).
Their mind control and fear based tactics are dangerous! I felt so much hatred towards myself because I couldn't afford to buy the stairway to heaven. I mean that they say that you must give them your 10% earnings from your paycheck every month and if you don't you will never get to go to their temple which the temple is suppose to be so so so sacred and in order to go the the highest degree of heaven you have to go to the temple to perform work that will lead to this celestial place. I felt hurt and it really played on my psyche really really badly. The teachings are not for helping people they r for the rich greedy man! I have many stories that I have seen but I don't have enough room to write them down here. It just feels really good to let this out. I was 2 afraid to before but I finally have the strength to. :) I also feel good about sharing my feelings about this and hopefully it could help people as well that they don't get caught up in this moab.
why does everyone always call us a cult when they dont even understand who we are if you want to know the truth why dont you ask the missionaries and then pray about it before you start making claims you have no valid proof of this way to dont sound like an ass. being ignorant isnt an excuse for being rude and bearing false witness. so try to become more informed before you make untrue statements.
gene field We call it a cult because that's what it is. They use fraud and deception to recruit members. Cults teach that their church is the only true church and all others are false. Salvation is found only in faith in Jesus Christ, not membership in a particular church. If you believe the LDS church is true, you did not get that by reading the Book of Mormon, because the Book of Mormon does not teach a lot of Mormon doctrine. The Book of Mormon does not teach baptism for the dead, Celestial Marriage, that God was once a man as we are now and is an exalted man, that men can become Gods, the doctrine of the plurality of Gods, the doctrine of pre-existence, or the three degrees of glory. Scripturally, the practice of praying whether something is true or not is not biblical. Try the spirits to see whether they are of God... (1 John 4:1). Test what is being said to make sure it is correct; don't just pray. There are millions of lost souls in religions throughout the world who will testify their belief is true because they prayed and it felt right. Sincerity does not determine truth. There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death (Proverbs 14:12). I have taken the missionary lessons years ago and was surprised at how little these guys know about their church history and the bible.
gene field "why does everyone call us a cult when they dont even understand who we are" But Gene, we DO understand who you are. I, for example, was once a Mormon. I served a mission. I grew up in the Church. I know very well the solemnity of their claims, and I also know how pathetically they fail to produce good evidence to back them up. The Church puts its members into an abusive relationship, and any counselor will immediately tell a patient to find a way out of it, even before they see the abuse for themselves.
Awesome video guys! My wife and I survived the same crisis and we have only grown closer as the influence of the church has decreased.
It's cool his wife opened up, I hear stories like this all the time on the exmormon forums, It's sad to hear how many marriages don't get out of that distrust stage.
“A cult: easy to join, hard to get out.”
They don't take no for an answer
No, the real cult is the anti Mormon misinformation that can be easily debunked but the propagandists figure you are stupid and uneducated and will automatically believe everything you hear is true. A very few weak lazy members of the church who never studied outside a half an hour Sunday school lesson are actually the only ones who are so easily deceived by the propaganda. Why? Because they don't study anything they become the ones Satan very easily dupes. Then, he tempts them to get recognition and fame by going on line to gain public sympathy from everyone else fueled by the very same propaganda. For me, I simply ruin the propaganda and make them all mad after exposing how the smoke and mirrors they all use to trick people works. After I expose the deception I never hear any rebuttal from them again because the lies I expose cannot possibly be debunked. Critics angrily disappear into the night demonically furious at me, but unable to respond without looking ridiculous and stupid. Yes, even yourself, I tell you that I can prove exactly you've been lied to and everything you've heard is a lie! Let me show you the real Bible study they hide from you. The part of the Bible where God reveals Joseph Smith receiving a book of new scripture buried in the ground. Yes, you thought you knew your Bible. You don't! They deceptively steered you away from Joseph Smith in your Bible. Don't get mad at me,God put it on your Bible I didn't. Grab your Bible now and see the scriptures they've hidden from you all your life about Joseph Smith. Link. CZcams video titled ( Book of Abraham part 7) link Paul Gregersen to get there. Then see how anti-Mormonism just lost in a real court case for fake evidence. Link UTube ( LDS transaction law suit) part 1, 2, 3, 4
How I wish that the information we have available today had been around when my husband and I were younger and raising kids.
If you check out Dallas Willard's lectures on You Tube you will find a trove of interesting information about God and the spiritual life and how to enter into eternal life now. Dallas became a philosophy professor at University of Southern California. Unlike many university academics, he was a devout Christian. Dallas passed away in 2013.
Sir you made a hard choice but made it very very wisely in the midst of a furious storm of truth and error. I am so glad that you did that. God perhaps helped guide you in that process. "Well done that Man."
I can’t even imagine having half of this emotional connection in a relationship
Erik and I are incredibly close, Kaitlynn, in part because we've been willing to share our "innermost thoughts" and" intimate details" (to quote Depeche Mode). Vulnerability is the ground work for intimacy. We are willing to share what scares us, what attracts us, what repulses us. We hear each other out and allow for differences. We take care of each other and express love and gratitude frequently.
Best wishes in taking a good look at your discomfort and sharing the journey with your significant other (or confidante)! 🌻
Me neither.
Thank you for your story. I am in the middle of a situation that is almost identical. I hope we can make it through to the other side as well as you have.
Try atheism. It will free you and your mind .
Cary Francis Cary, I am already there. I've converted to atheism and am enjoying the incredible freedom it gives. Problem is that my wife is still stuck in Mormonism.
skruffy555 I sometimes wish i'd become an atheist later in life than i did, just so i could appreciate the liberating feeling it must bring with it. good luck with your wife. there's a South Park episode that talks about Joseph Smith. Don't know if that would help or inflame the situation, but it's very funny and makes the point very well.
Oh, that's a classic episode. She's not ready for it yet, but I love it!
Love her , love the person. Know the most important thing in life is family. Family above god and ask what she values more. A loving man and father of her children or her god. And your willingness to accept her and what she belives. You will be there for her on this Earth till the end of your days, and you will protect her children in this world.
I'm sorry, but I simply can not support this video. It's disgusting and portrays an extremely unsafe view of how the world should work. Despite everything you think you know, you should never wear shoes on a trampoline.
LOL!!
HAHAHAHA thank you Kevin for totally fooling me initially with that comment. I seriously needed to laugh
That's awesome.
Kevin Taylor The Mormon Church has to be the GREATEST HOAX in the US 19th Century history. Mormonism is a lie! Joe Smith was convicted false "prophet, seer and revelator"
A view of how the world should work and how it does actually work are not necessarily the same at all. How reality factually works doesn’t care at all how we think it should be. Thinking reality can always be exactly what we want it to be is unhealthy and even disordered.
What a great video on so many levels. This can apply to many churches who oust members. I understand why churches feel it necessary to keep their flock from the "worldly" people. But in doing so they cause other problems. I am grateful that my husband and I survived our different point of views. Our daughter is on her own "journey". But she's young still. Our son has a chip on his shoulder. If we had come to realize earlier what we know now it would've helped. Being bitter doesn't help. Being open minded does. Attitude is a choice.
Wonderful video, my wife and little family also resigned a few years ago and experienced many feelings that you described. It's wonderful that others will get to see this video and know they are not alone. We love life and are the happiest we have ever been having left the church.
I am so glad you all made it out together ♥️
Thank you! 🙏
@@Shaunaleiify you're welcome and God bless all of you.
Thankful for your message. I hope and pray my husband and I can survive and be stronger too!
Excellent video. I'm really looking forward to watching all the rest. I've been an ex-Mormon for almost two years and I have never regretted that decision.
Right before I went on an LDS mission, my long-time boyfriend (fiance, really) came out to me about his doubts and how he was deciding to leave the church. I cried when she said she knows how people feel because that's the way I felt leaving on a mission. I came home 3 months later because I had started looking more into church history and reading D&C and didn't believe the church was true anymore - couldn't testify of it anymore. It's been some of the hardest months and decisions of my life and relationship, but looking back, I'm so grateful. I'm so grateful for my boyfriend's courage in telling me the truth, and feel as though even though our relationship was really scary and rocky for a little while, we've become and will always be stronger because of it. I feel so relieved to hear about stories like this and feel so hopeful and happy for this couple and family. It helps people to not feel so alone (:
Thank you for sharing your story, Sarah. Truthfulness in a relationship is a gift, even when the truth revealed is painful and unexpected. Better to be in love with the truth about a person rather than a false understanding!! (Or to split if there are indeed incompatible values, visions, or demands.)
There are support groups for those leaving the church. To see if there is one near you, you might try mormonspectrum.org
Who are you people? I have never seen two more compassionate, intelligent, loving people! You are inspiration to me to live a beautiful life. Where did you learn to understand each other like that? WOW! it is a beautiful thing to watch. WOW!
That was beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
This actually brought me to tears. This is a beautiful example of what marriage should be and what I hope my marriage will look like when I grow up. Thanks for sharing your story.
This gives me hope. My TBM wife is so disgusted with me. I told her a year ago I don't believe anymore. It's tearing us apart. I don't talk to her about the issues, and she keeps asking me to read this, or watch that, and every time I do it further solidifies my position. The church isn't true, and it's important to stand up for truth.
Jesus Divides Families
Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.divide families I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law - a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ (Mat 10:34-36)
Why is that clear truth about the Lord Jesus Christ dividing families avoided? Because people generally want to preach and hear about a loving, all-accepting gracious Savior, who smiled and preached easy to receive teachings with little or no demands placed on them. They want to believe in a Savior like that, a mythical god, not one which divides families!
Why Jesus Came To Divide Families
Why does Jesus divide families? The God of truth (Isa. 65:16) is the God of the Bible. Since truth divides, then Jesus would naturally divide his followers away from those who reject and hate God’s truth, even one’s natural family members. Remember, Jesus divides families:
Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” (Luke 12:51-53)
Those same truth rejecters become enemies to the truth lovers as they resist and persecute the follower of Jesus. That test places the Christian with a divided family in a position where he must count the cost to follow Jesus unashamedly! Is he at that point where he must decide if he is going to please God and remain faithful to him or his truth-rejecting natural family? If he returns as a dog to his vomit to win the favor of his spiritually dead family he will lose his salvation.
Jesus Came To Divide - NOT Bring Peace On Earth
To be worthy of Jesus and eternal life, one must side with God’s truth even though it divides his own family. That truth is vital for especially new converts to Christianity when they are tested by family division. Remember: Jesus came to divide as a test and is basic to true conversion!
www.eternallifeblog.com/jesus-divide-families/
Way to go Eric!!!
And congratulations to both of you!!!!
Shutting up about church history is so hard. I really like what you said about the obligations of integrity from both perspectives.
Thank you. So inspiring.
Hugs from a guy that is passing through a similar process.
What a wonderful, touching life story! Thanks for sharing with us!
It was a privilege to be interviewed by Will for the video, and to share our story with you and others, Piyamit.
Thank you for sharing such a heartwarming comment. 🌻
@@Shaunaleiify I had forgotten that I commented on your story... watched it again and feel just as much awe and happiness hearing your wonderful story one more time! Have a great day!
So sweet to hear that! Thanks for commenting. 🌻
Thank You For Sharing!
Very interesting. Good for the two of you.
You hit that one out of the park Dan. Fantastic.
This is my wonderful sister and her hubby. I love thme and their family so much. LDS or not.
Thank you, Michelle!
Thank you for sharing your story. It is truly amazing =)
i am so very happy for you two to find a way to stay together, will finding a new way to believe.
You are both so beautiful, what a great wittness of faith and spiritual listening. He does answer prayers... happy life to you and your sweet family
In a word, it's the idea that each individual has the right and responsibility to say, "I have my truth, but my truth is not THE TRUTH--since there is so much we don't know."
Bless you all for finding the truth and being courageous!
Hi, Sylvia. Thank you for posting. I'm glad you've found the members of your local LDS branch or ward to be wonderful people. So often, LDS ("Mormon") people are very well intended (with exaltation and an eternal family as their ultimate goal.) Most are doing the best they can with what they understand.
Still, I understand your feeling: "Hey! These people need to wake up and stop being so trusting. There's so much more that they don't know!" Unfortunately, most aren't ready to learn more...
We're grateful to have had the chance to share our experiences on this video, Claudio. It really was a gut-wrenching time. So much fear about judgment--first, God's, then, family and friends'. But the whole process opened me up--allowing me to explore new questions, to experience spiritual connection in a variety of contexts (beyond canonized scripture and the walls of the temple), and to grow in empathy for the lot of we humans: "To do the best we can with the understanding we have."
Kudos, Eric! I wish I could have exercised the amount of restraint you did when I read "Leaving the Saints," and then a whole slew of other books. I just broke out and told her. Fortunately, we got through it, and we are a stronger couple now more than ever.
How precious are these two
Just goes to show that when real people want to save the family, the false prophet can go ...of course and why not?..I would do the same thing, my love for my family is far greater than to respect such leadership men, who are nothing more than aristocratic ideological religious governments, who seek only to milk the sheep for everything they got to give.
thank you...your story is the most moving of all I have seen...
I never was a Mormon. but I raised my own family living in SLC, Utah for many years. I open my heart and my arms to you all. and I say this will all good intentions.
keep the family happy no matter what. go with the love. yes....!
Thanks for your kind words. :-)
These people were lucky. When I learned that the Church wasn't true it ended my marriage because she said if the Church was not true she did not want to know it. It wasn't Rough Stone Rolling that did it for me though it was No Man Knows My History.
Great work! Happy you guys found your way out!
Amazing. So glad for you.
Fantastic!
What an awesome family. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I completely resonate
Beatiful story, I'm getting trouth a similar situation with my girfriend. It could be a good idea to put subtitles (spanish in my case) for the people who don't understand english. Thanks for this videos from Argentina ☺
Hola, Fernando.
Soy Shaunalei, la esposa en el video. Gracias por comentar, y que le vaya bien con la novia.
Yo hice la mision en Argentina (mision Buenos Aires Sur) de julio 1992 hasta noviembre 1993. Seria lindo si pudieramos hacer la traduccion del video en otros idiomas. Le preguntunare' al hombre quien nos grabo'.
?Como averiguaste de este video? Espero que lo hayas entendido bien. Lo mas importante, me parece, es tener paciencia con los que continuan creyendo Y seguir charlando de ideas religiosas--no para convertir el otro a tu manera de pensar sino para tener la oportunidad de "PENSARLO" juntos (aun con distantas perspectivas/creencias).
!Chau!
Vi el video en youtube solo de casualidad. Por suerte, sé inglés asi que entendí bastante bien. Espero que sigan unidos y en familia, los felicito por haber superado esa situación por la que pasaron. Justamente soy de Buenos Aires, vivo en Caseros. Les mando un cariño afectivo.
Saludos, Fernando.
Grief is a normal response to the loss of something important, including a religion that isn’t what it claims to be.
you just proved my point, as long as you go back and thoroughly reread and understand what I was initially saying.
A beautiful LOVE story, thank you.
Thank you! 🙏🌻
I love you guys!
Erik felt confused, rejected, and hurt--but also relieved that he could be honest with me about it. I felt confused on his behalf, too, since I could remember many times I'd been given a witness of the divinity of the church over the years. Why hadn't Erik? (Part 3)
I want to thank you as a channel.
For about year I had been questioning the LDS religion as a whole, and I stumbled upon these videos.
This helped me decide that I no longer identify as a Mormon.
Though I do not bash Mormons as some do, I am glad that I know there are others that think like I do.
That have made that large, life altering decision and are happy.
Thank you for helping me realizing myself.
this family is adorable. I hope my marriage is healthy like this some day
Its so hard. My husband was born and raised Catholic, me lds. We now go to a non denominational Christian church, but I still am lds. He doesnt understand its so much more than a "church" I never had a temple recommend because I never did feel it was the only "true church" and other things I never really could accept fully. But with that said, coming from slc and a family that actually settled the valley, its hard to just walk away from that history. :(
That's a good thing. I genuinely hope, for your sake, that someday you will realize that.
Reading in Richard Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling (a biography of Joseph Smith sold in Deseret Book) in early 2007, Erik learned things about Joseph Smith that troubled him. Following the footnotes, he read Todd Compton's seminal work "In Sacred Loneliness" and was crushed to hear the story of Henry Jacobs. Erik put himself in the man's shoes and wept bitter tears at the loss of his wife and children to Brigham Young. (5)
Thanks!
@sadkingbilly and yetibeef Our cat is a mainecoon, a darling and beloved member of the family. Thanks for cheering for us!
Thank you for your honest question, Craig Norton. I can understand your frustration and concern that a man risk losing exaltation (and his family for all eternity) simply because he didn't believe he'd ever received a personal, divine witness of the church. Please understand that Erik's crisis of faith did not come of his impatience for an answer. He hoped the church was true and that families could be together forever, and he pressed forward in that hope. (Part 1)
It's a great story, I'm very happy for you!!
I'm a hungarian exmormon. Since I came to know the real Jesus Christ I'm a non-denominational christian. But I still love my mormon friends. They are my brothers and sisters as well. Unfortunately some of them don't look at me the same way any more, but it's not everyone. I'm grateful for those who accepted my decision and still love me.
Praise for God.
God bless everyone.
That is correct. Thanks for asking for clarification.
The book, "Rough Stone Rolling," tipped the scale for me as well. If you have doubts about Mormonism, that book will only enlarge them. I'm surprised it is still for sale in Deseret Book.
From someone who is currently an ordnance worker in the temple in my city, your statement is pure bologna, m'man.
UU draws from many sources (part 1 of 2):
* Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life;
*Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
*Wisdom from the world's religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
Good work, you finally saw the light cindy! I'm happy you're finding your way out of the cult.
Your right! Keep the Faith!!!
Sorry if I mumbled. The biography he read was "Rough Stone Rolling" by Richard Bushman.
Given the dysfunctionalism of my parents, the idea of spending an eternity with them holds no allure at all.
In the first 20 seconds I could tell this was going to be a classic. Awesome story. The amount of strength that marriage must have for the guy not to push his anti-Mormon theories on his wife... wow... If he had done that, she would have divorced him for sure. "Don't speak unless spoken to". One of the best ideals to keep in mind.
Leaving the Mormon church was one of the hardest things I have ever done.
The way they indoctrinate, you are faced with a internal ultimatum.if it’s false then if I walk away I am liberated. if it’s true then I condemn myself and also my family.
But what took me to realize that the Mormon church was just a ploy for control was a trip on mushrooms.
I have never been happier in my life and my marriage is better for it.
Hi. Erik and I don't have the answers to happily ever after. We take life a day at a time, as do the rest of you. What we hoped to share, simply, with those people whose marriages are in crisis over the loss of faith (or change of faith) of one of the spouses is-- be patient, try to be understanding, listen without instant judgment, be the best spouse you can be in the trying circumstances of change/upheaval, notice the worry/anger you are feeling and talk with your spouse about it, etc.
I meant that the strength of love that kept them together through something so life altering (faith was a fundamental part of their marriage, it would have been natural for a change in faith to ruin it) is admirable. I don't agree or disagree with the LDS Church. I was an investigator at one point and I have studied many faiths, and I'm not anti- any of them. My response wouldn't have been different if they were Jewish or Muslim. Their love for each other is beautiful, and that is all.
@anddenex I agree. Accurate information is important when looking at both sides for and against the church. I recommend the Mormon Think website. It tries to present both sides of the argument.
What a great husband.
my wife and I both had doubts the church was true after watching the movie The History of Lying and then we began reading "anti-Mormon literature". Now we're happier than ever. We both grew up in very strong Mormon families and I served a mission but I'm happy that we were able to overcome that.
I used to "feel the spirit" reading the D&C and the B of M and at LDS meetings, but I now believe that they were rushes of Dopamine. I still get spiritual feelings sometimes when I attend another denomination or read the Bible, but it doesn''t feel the same as the "Spirit" I felt in Mormonism! The LDS spirit to me is a lot like an opioid high (I got high by accident once when I took a prescribed opioid for pain).
It's probably the effect of feeling extraordinarily special. Imagine--being "right" and part of the "Kingdom of God on the Earth," when over 6.988 billion of our fellow human beings aren't so lucky! When you feel something positive when reading LDS scripture, it suddenly translates into " . . . that means that EVERYTHING the church claims about itself is true! This church is Jesus's chosen vessel, and he's at the helm! I'm at the right place, at the right time, doing the right things! I'm GOOD!"
It seems one spouse is always in denial and eventually caves in after putting family pride aside.
The real deal. Thanks for sharing this. A positive, intimate marriage can be the very greatest joy in life, and I'm so glad the two of you realized this. The next step to becoming truly free is to understand that there is no god. All the best to you and your family.
I heard the same thing from a Jehovah's Witness asking about someone who left their church. Why did they give up?
If you look at everyone who leaves the LDS church as "giving up" I believe that you are asking the wrong question. The right question is "Why did they leave?" to which I hope you watch a few more videos to see the variety of reasons why people leave.
Now for the next book "On The Origin Of Species".
UU draws from many sources (part 2 of 2):
*Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves;
*Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit;
*Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.
I'm sure you're right. It must be EXTREMELY difficult to clime. Heck, I don't even know what it is!
Yep, they embraced reality. Brave people.
This is my situation right now, except I'm single only member of the family and 19 years old.
It was after a series of powerful events in 2006 that Erik finally admitted to me that, as much as he wish he could, he couldn't honestly say he "knew" the church was true. Our marriage had gotten to that point of honesty and closeness, and he felt it was my right to know that he had had to base his faith for years on borrowed testimony because, for some inexplicable reason, God wouldn't talk to him. (Part 2)
Our Heavenly Father wants us to have joy in this life. That's why he gave us his commandments to follow. ( which is not hard to do) Just remember that happiness in this life is only for a short time. You will have hard trials in this life no matter who you are.
You guys should turn some of these videos into ads to combat the "I am a mormon" ads.
If there are any members of the LDS Church that watch this video and have feelings of doubt please look up on youtube or google the talk given by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland "Safety for the Soul"
to you,andersen couple...may i ask.did you give your fast offering and tithes fully to the lord?malachi 3:8-10
Hi, Khariee. Yes, we were fully active, temple worthy members until the day we resigned from the church. I'm curious abour your question. What motivated it?
I think one's ability to feel the spirit is directly in proportion to how susceptible one is to self delusion. Something the church seeds and nurtures through it's omnipresent control and peer pressure on its members.
I knew it all along...it was the garment thing; always getting int the way of the most important things....
something I learned is that if you want people to listen to you, than you must listen to them first. I try to find things in common and go from there. it might sound tough but even the most opposite of people have something in common. I remember going to a youth thing and they asked to tell stories about us converting people. to me that is not how it works we do not change anyone, ultimately we can only be inspiration. we can be guides but it is solely up to the person to make their decisions.
Thank you, featheredhorse. Doubting one's religion is a scary, painful process--until things start to click and you begin to see that there is so much more to life than the narrowly-defined "test of faith" which authorities claim is our principle purpose here. So ironic how diverse religious organization hold up the same "God is testing your faith" card to prevent adherents from doubting, searching for explanations, or following their own heart/conscience.
What a fantastic couple. Seriously, this story seems too good to be true.
Still going strong 10 years after the video was shot! :-)
@greviewer73 It's a life changing event - leaving the LDS Church. It matters because many LDS think that if you leave the Church you will literally end up in the gutter. But this is not true. Many find greater meaning, purpose and happiness outside of the Church.
My marriage has not had any such "crisis of faith". I've been Mormon all my life, and my wife converted 5 years before we first met. She is very deep into genealogy work, by the way.
And what does your "that" refer to? If it refers to my post, then I heartily agree.
Oh well, I didn't read any of the comments not directly replying to mine so sorry about that. If Mormonism is the truth for you, especially even after researching the Church, then good for you. I think that is wonderful.