NOM

Hello World!

I'm pretty new here. I've enjoyed reading others posts, questions, responses, ideas, feelings, etc. It's amazing to me the love people have, and the time people give up to offer support to people they do not know, and may never see. A big shout out to everyone! THANK YOU!!

My current status is this: I was born into the church, and have never known any thing else. After years and years, I was finally sick of the way I was feeling. I feel the spirit. I know the church teaches good values, and there are many AMAZING people in the church (and some not so amazing ) But I often wondered why I have never felt the way many members claim to "know" or "believe without a doubt" some of the ideas and teachings. Was it because I wasn't righteous enough? Was K not saying the right things in my prayers your? Was it because I didn't have 100% home teaching over my LDS career ..... There are times I begged and pleaded to have an answer. During a very short mission (head on vehicle crash at over 60MPH put me in the hospital for a week and rehab for a year) I "fervently" prayed all night and into the morning for an answer. Nope, still wasn't my time. But it's just because I haven't prayed until I got a good feeling right? Back to the grind...

I eventually tried to ask myself, a hypothetical question (of course it could absolutely positively not be correct) what if the church was not true. What if I get to the afterlife and discover I had tunnel vision ? I think that is where. I planted my mustard seed, but it was a different mustard seed than what I had grown up learning about. Maybe there was a reason I wasn't getting the answer to the question I was asking. Maybe that was my answer. Slowly I began to dig a little deeper and deeper, until I discovered enough about the church, about the things we AREN'T taught, that I decided I needed to take a step back and process everything.

And so here I am, trying to process all of this. Learning that we were taught half truths. Although I do appreciate the church, and the good values it does offer, there is still more I need to understand, and contemplate. After searching online, I am amazed at how many other people are in the same predicament I am in. It has helped me to read your stories, and feel your struggles, as I deal with mine.

For those that stuck through that, thank you once again. I hope to to contribute more, and not just be a mooch.

MohawkMorman wrote: ↑Sun Feb 12, 2017 10:34 pm For those that stuck through that, thank you once again. I hope to to contribute more, and not just be a mooch.

Some of us mooched for years on many different websites before finally posting on a discussion board like this one. All of the cliches about "planting seeds" that we say to LDS missionaries still seem to apply in the gradual development of apostasy. It is likely that you have read from lots of people that went before you and now is your chance to contribute for people that don't yet know that a faith transition is in their future. We are glad to have you here.

Welcome.

As I'm sure you've seen while lurking, your story is very similar to some of ours.

I'm glad you decided to join the discussion!

I can relate to your experience of tentatively allowing yourself to ask a question you hadn't seriously considered before.

I've found in questioning my own assumptions that there are not only things I had avoided seriously considering but also things that I hadn't realized could be questioned at all. That can be both exciting and frightening.

Welcome to the ward!

Welcome to our NOM family!

Welcome to the family and this small but elect ward (although we always leave the light on and the door unlocked!). I didn't grow up in the church, but I can see how very difficult it would be to learn there's a rabbit hole. It's scary. I was a convert, and my only suggestion would be to separate the church and its narrative from whatever you believe about God and Christ. The church uses the Christian platform to sustain the organization, and it has woven a complicated and extensive series of untruths over the years in order to do that. It hurts terribly when we learn there have been deceptions.

I look forward to your posts - it's great to have you here, and I know you'll make many friends.

Welcome!

Welcome. I don't think many members here care about others level of participation. I am glad you have felt the spirit while attending. I used to feel really good also but then realized other people of different denominations felt the same way I did. I learned that much of this was my emotions. I even felt guilty at times when I stopped attending but also knew enough about psychology to know that it was my mind playing tricks on me.

Welcome friend, you are on an exciting journey of discovery. Glad you could join us.

Welcome! Its good to go through and define what your new values are and discipline yourself to live according to those values.

The simple explanations are usually right.

I was on the post about vibrators when I hit the back button and saw this post's title. I read it as Boob. I thought "hey, another great topic!"

Emower wrote: ↑Thu Feb 23, 2017 4:45 pm I was on the post about vibrators when I hit the back button and saw this post's title. I read it as Boob. I thought "hey, another great topic!"

We're going to need an "invite-only" NSFW forum at the rate things are going.