Found this while looking for a different community.

Though I have not considered myself a Mormon since some time in high school (at least ten years ago) I am technically still a member since my name is still on their records somewhere. I intend to change that before the end of January. I am rather worried what my mom will say when she finds out. And she will, b/c church is a hotbed of gossip and I am sure the bishop would say something to her.

So... Reasons I left the church. I have a great number of fundamental differences of opinion with their doctrine. I think I started not to like the LDS church when I was 8. Got baptized then, like all kids born into it. I didn't know I was supposed to have a choice. No one told me it was a choice. I was petrified of going underwater, ever since I fell into a swimming pool when I was about 3. and then my dad winds up having to dunk me twice, because apparently my foot came up the first time. I was NOT happy. As a matter of fact, I wrote in my diary when I got home that it was the worst day of my life. I've had worse days since then, but still. No one should consider getting baptized into a church the worst day of their life. If you do, it is obviously the wrong church for you.
When I was 12, my Sealed in the Temple, supposedly for time and all eternity, parents, got divorced. It was a long drawn out messy bitter divorce. Any faith I had in the church got shattered by the blatant hypocrisy. It was a bit before that when I started to be interested in Magick and paganism. Had to keep very quiet about it, naturally. After the divorce I got a pleasant surprise when my dad actually bought me my first two magick books. Two of Scott Cunningham's Encyclopedias.
For a while I was a fence sitter. I knew there were things about the church I didn't like or agree with, but I knew until I was 18 I didn't really have a choice anyway. And I liked the girls in YW at our branch in Kosciusko, MS. I was less fond of most of the girls in the ward at my dad's house. I only had one girl I would count as a friend there, and she didn't always go. Her mom wasn't as active as my mom. Also she got into a boarding school up in Starkville, so after that I never saw her again.
I was more myself at school and got teased mercilessly for it. So I couldn't really be myself anywhere. I was forced to go to seminary all four years and I graduated. Guess what? I cheated on two of the finals. So there.
After I was 18 I moved in with my dad and quit going to church. I finally got to be myself. He didn't care whether I went to church. He had only been making us go because of Mom and the Judge.
I never liked the church's stance on Homosexuality, among other things, and their stance on Prop 8 was the final straw for me. I refuse to be even nominally a member of a church that would do that.
If it makes my mom disown me, then so be it. My dad won't. My other relatives are Southern Baptist and would be relieved I was out, if I wasn't also Pagan.

Anyway, that's me. Feel free to comment or holler at me for more info or whatever.

Hi!

I come from a long line of mormons, 5 generations on each side. My great-great-great grandfather on my father's side was Israel Justice Clark, and he owned land in Nauvoo. It is now under the Mississippi river.

I am the oldest of 5 children... I share that standing with my twin brother, who has cerebral palsy. My other siblings are all sisters, the youngest two of which are twins.

I first began to question the church when I turned 12, when my brother went off to priesthood and I was stuck in young women's classes. I remember feeling outraged when my brother needed help setting up the sacrament as a young priest, no other men were around, and I started helping him because he needed help, only to be told that because I was a WOMAN I shouldn't be touching the sacred implements of the sacrament. Right. Because I'll make it dirty. Because I have a uterus.

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It would absolutely crush my mother, and every known relative (there are a lot!) if I were to do such a thing.  Emotionally, I left the church twelve years ago... but I am re-immersed every time there is a funeral, or family gathering.  It would be nice if we could just be "family" without the constant emphasis on the church.  I'm the only member of my immediate family that is not active... but I am thrilled that I have one brother who is quietly following my lead, so I can have one honest conversation... without censure of my self as a "normal" person.

I'm Emily, formerly menemni. I was born into the church. I've been officially out since 2003 (wow!). I don't have a dramatic story. The only thing that kept me from fully disbelieving was my belief in Jesus. So I nixed that, after some thought and research. Now I don't believe in much of anything, except a mumbo-jumbo of beliefs from here and there. And that's okay with me.

My family's reaction to my leaving was pretty harsh, but they've come around... even my one brother who didn't talk to me for 2 years has reconciled with me. It's nice. I still get invited to church sometimes, and I always politely decline. I know it's just a knee-jerk reaction my family has... that ritual of: "Oh, while you're in town, you can come to church with us if you'd like." Eh... no.

I recently went to a mormon pool party, thrown by some "young" moms (I was still the youngest one there) in the AG1 ward. It was a bit weird, but we had people (and kid-stuff) in common, so it wasn't too bad. As I was leaving, the hostess was like: "So, we'll see you at church on sunday?" I fumbled around for an answer because I genuinely liked some of the ladies there. I think I said something along the lines of... "no." Oh well. I haven't been invited to another gathering since. I'm thinking inquiries were made, and I was busted.

It's sad, but I still have 2 best friend who aren't mormons, our kids get along great, and they don't mind if I smoke in their (respective) backyards. :)
Plus, one of my friends has about 10 bottles of Johnnie Walker BLUE label (the one that sells for $165 at Costco), and doesn't mind sharing. *g*


Yeah, so, now that I don't care too much about being shunned by mormons, there's no family drama, and that part of my life is so far behind me, I'm one of those boring exmormons who just doesn't give a rat's arse. :)

On Tuesday night, I printed and signed my letter of resignation from the LDS church. I sealed, addressed and stamped it before remembering that, unless sent Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested, it will probably be ignored. That informatino, and the letter itself, were obtained from mormonnomore.com.

So this Saturday, I'll head to my local P.O. so I can mail my letter.

And that will be it. After so many years, I'll be out.

Recently, Corn Child and I were wondering about some of the Mo slang we've encountered over the years. Is there church-wide Mo slang, or is it regional? Do English-speaking Mormons the world over "turn the time over" to each other during meetings? Do Mos in Alabama and Washington pray to god to "bless this food to nourish and strengthen our bodies and do us the good we need"? Do Mo-Mo Mommies everywhere ask their daughters if they think it's "appropriate" to wear sleeveless shirts?

What sort of Mo slang have the rest of you encountered, and does it vary by region?

I got my Greg Dodge letter yesterday... the one from Member Records that starts out "Dear Sister Blue" and then says that they are done jumping through all their little hoops and now acknowledge that I am not one of Theirs! Kind of annoying that they still called me "Sister", but hey... I'll take it. Of course, I was a non-member the minute my request was received in Salt Lake, so, no biggie. :) Just wanted to share!

Anyone have any experience with the church's no-contact list? Has anyone ever asked to be put on a no-contact list, and if so, were your wishes respected? Or has anyone, while in the church, been told to not contact (or conversely, TO contact) members on this list?

I have heard that every ward maintains a no-contact list, but I'm not sure how often it is respected.

Thanks!

J

I first heard about Flying Spaghetti Monsterism from the Iconist over dinner with a serious republican (not the Iconst) about a month ago. It interested me,a nd made me laugh, and I filed it away under "that was fuckin' hilarious, what's for dinner?" until Slashdot mentioned it today in an article about Wikipedia.

Flying Spaghetti Monsterism. Why the hell not? Why couldn't the universe have been created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster who employed his Noodly Appendages to do His will?

Sounds just about as plausible as Old Joe's story.

Old Navy carries this shirt in a color called "chastity pink". Just thought you'd all like to know.

Because, of course, "modesty is always in style".

(Unless you're a harlot.)