Hey Madi,

Another good but forgotten read is Joseph Campbells 'The Power of Myth'...gives you lots of perspective on how past myths have influenced mankind all thru history..

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"When authority masquerades as a power, a simple question will unmask it."

"Just because you think, feel, or believe something is true, doesn't make it true!"

"The doubt of your faith, is not God testing you, but truth trying to emerge and free you."

Thanks to all of you for the book suggestions. Need to find the "Summer Reading" thread...still looking for it...


Received my first response from the Branch Presidency today...of course not the BP or 1C...the 2C. Give him all the dirty work I guess? Maybe because my best friend at church is the 1C...he has yet to respond to my personal email I sent him, either.

Anyways - the 2C asked me to call him so we could chat. Does he really want that?!?!?!?!?! Experience with conversations with church leadership, anyone?

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"...you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God." -Eat, Pray, Love

Hold your ground, as its usually a one way street. Expect to see some fear, guilt and shame cards flashed, but hold onto your main exiting objective.

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"When authority masquerades as a power, a simple question will unmask it."

"Just because you think, feel, or believe something is true, doesn't make it true!"

"The doubt of your faith, is not God testing you, but truth trying to emerge and free you."

Just as an update...

Spoke with the 2C of the branch tonight - of course he's the Mormon apologetic type, served his mission in Utah. Asked me about my issues - I said:

I don't believe in any great apostasy.
I think Joseph Smith was a liar - and Brigham Young. Both are considered prophets but we don't follow all their teachings anymore? Doesn't that contradict the belief that they preach the word of God?
The lies from the church really make me mad...why don't the come straight out with all this history (the book of Abraham, the first vision, Joseph's lies, the BOM revisions, the temple changes, etc.)

I did say that there was a lot more but this is just some of it.

He says the apostasy was fortold in Amos - I said it was taken out of context (it is).

He says that he has had problems before with some of those issues and understands where I'm coming from - but he prayed about them specifically and asked for the answers "did this or didn't this happen?" and every time he felt that regardless, he had faith in the church and the spirit was strong there...Wait so he doesn't know the answers but he has faith in the church so that's enough?

I told him I'd done a lot of research, using FAIR LDS and other LDS resources as well as opposing views and that my mind was made up that this was not the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and that I would not be coming back. He said that he could tell that I'd done a lot of research. The entire conversation totaled 8 minutes.

He then told me that he knew in his heart that I would be back, but believed I was truly in a searching place and that it was healthy and normal for me to do that. He just reminded me that I would feel the spirit of God in any church, but to go to the one that packages everything together and makes the most sense because that's where the true spirit of the Lord is...

I guess he knew that I presented too many facts. Of course I shouldn't listen to the facts, I should rely on feelings. I mean, I feel like eating a cheeseburger with fries but I know I shouldn't because it's not good for me...soooooo...

Anyways. Just interesting that it was so quick and painless. Let's see if when I get back to school and write my letter if it will be that quick and painless.

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"...you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God." -Eat, Pray, Love

He told you that you'd be back? Geez. How arrogant is that?

Good for you for standing up to his arrogance.

When I resigned, the Bishop said pretty much the same thing to me about the fact that he could see that I'd done a lot of research and that I was pretty sure about my decision. He said he was sad, but that he would honour my request.

It was getting them to actually send in the papers which took me quite a bit of nagging efforts.

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"A mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

I figured the paperwork would take a lot more effort. Especially since I'll "be back" HA

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"...you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God." -Eat, Pray, Love

That's right Madi, when you know you know, there is NO going back is there? That is never an option anymore....

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"When authority masquerades as a power, a simple question will unmask it."

"Just because you think, feel, or believe something is true, doesn't make it true!"

"The doubt of your faith, is not God testing you, but truth trying to emerge and free you."

I completely understand. It wouldn't be too difficult to make things up and put them on a website, whereas a good history book will have facts supported by historical documents. I was guarded about information in "anti-Mormon" websites until I had come to the knowledge that the Mormon church is completely fraudulent by reading numerous good history books.

Teoma's advice to start with Fawn Brodie's book No Man Knows My History is excellent. That's the book I started with. Other books I read came from the bibliography from that book and suggestions from the good folks here.

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Dipsnort, sniper of truth and aspiring Harriet Tubman of Mormonism

Madi, a parting similar thought here about your mentioning of studying for understanding...sometimes when you don't understand a difficult subject, like Mormonism,you study it so hard, that you find out its the exact opposite of what you initially thought it was...a good life principle to remember for use later on in your life....

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"When authority masquerades as a power, a simple question will unmask it."

"Just because you think, feel, or believe something is true, doesn't make it true!"

"The doubt of your faith, is not God testing you, but truth trying to emerge and free you."

One book which helped me a lot is one that you can actually find to read on-line. It's called Wife No. 19, by Ann-Eliza Young. It gives you a really good look at what it was really like to be a Mormon in the early days. It's quite a shock to realize what the roots of this organization are. It's a sobering, but powerful read. It certainly had quite an effect in me anyway.

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"A mind stretched by a new idea can never go back to its original dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

These suggestions are great! I will definitely start with no man know my history...I was leaning that way originally. Thanks to everyone...telling family Thursday...not looking forward to it.

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"...you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart, instead. That way, you will know God." -Eat, Pray, Love

Hey Madeline, I'm so glad to see another clear thinking young person on board the curtain. Welcome with warmest wishes for a smooth transition.



No matter how hard one wishes something to be true, if it's false it can't become true no matter how hard we wish.

Mark Twain said........."Faith is believing something you know ain't so"

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Ask questions and Family is no longer forever and more often not even for time.
"I don't know that we teach that...I don't know that we emphasize that!"

{I'm not investigating how we as a family should not consider trying to be closer. But it seriously is appearing we have inadvertently been exposed to an incredibly large and terrible scam.}

Print that on several small business size cards, and prepare to say little and be in quite a bit of a rush, leaving the little note behind. Be sure to say that you want to talk a bunch more, a little bit later on in time.

Say, "I have found out that we are not alone." (PostMormon.org) and maybe not much more for now.

Best of luck!

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God of Poly-Folly Folly

{ If you believe in things that you don't understand, then you suffer ~ Stevie Wonder }
.................. www.­tudou.­com/­programs/­view/­7Q0q-­Vv8sHQ/
.............. http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/7Q0q-Vv8sHQ/
.................. www.tudou.com/programs/view/7Q0q-Vv8sHQ/


God of Poly-Folly Folly

Just wanted to jump in and say hi and give you a "you go girl" high five! I think it's intersting with many people they often assume it is a "phase" that you are going through and someday you will magically return to zombie land thinking.

X

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"Well, the fasting and praying wasn't doing anything for me so I simply took a common sense approach to the issue at hand."