Subject: How did you find (stumble upon) this board?
Date: Mar 22 12:54
Author: John Corrill
Mail Address:

If I remember correctly from a year or so ago, I found this board while using a search engine to find information on a church history topic that was discussed in Sunday school class. I wasn't looking for dirt on the church just trying to learn more about something that wasn't fully explained during the sunday school lesson. My curiousity created a land slide of church issues.


Subject: It was the Prop 22 issue in California for me
Date: Mar 22 13:07
Author: not a mormon
Mail Address:

I was raised Catholic.

The Catholic Church and Mormon Church were "strange bedfellows" in support of this issue.

I'm married and fortunatedly fit the image of "normal" in the society I live in, but the Prop 22 issue struck me as a very mean spirited act by two great churches that purport to bring the spirit of love to the masses.

From the gay people I know (and I know very very few in fact) it's not about a religious marriage - its about some of the legal rights that a civil union affords, most importantly the right to care for a loved one who is sick.

I have been heavily proselytized and in put ackward positions in my past (military commanding officer - that's not fair!) but never became a Mormon.

I just can't tear myself away from this bulletin board. The level of humor and discussion is the height of internet discussion.

I learn so much here on numerous topics.


Subject: I was researching church-state separation issues.
Date: Mar 22 13:38
Author: Stray Mutt
Mail Address:

One link led to another and another and here I was.


Subject: I was searching for "blood atonement".
Date: Mar 22 13:41
Author: TruthSeeker
Mail Address:

It sounded weird to me that I didn't know this teaching. A friend of mine asked me what it was. I was horrified and shocked to find out this practice and the covenants taken at the Temple. I knew right then, that Mormonism was a cult.


Subject: It was a dark and stormy night...
Date: Mar 22 13:42
Author: Fly
Mail Address:

...and I was hunched over my computer in a desperate attempt to save the world, and my testimony, by obtaining greater light and knowledge via the internet.

That was July of 2000.

I lurked, but didn't post for months. This board can be scary.


Subject: An acquaintance sent me here
Date: Mar 22 13:42
Author: Lilith
Mail Address:

for help in understanding a relationship.


Subject: General reseach on mormonism
Date: Mar 22 13:45
Author: MMI
Mail Address:

Found the link through Yahoo search. I actually just checked out the articles and links. It was many months before I started reading the bulletin board and a month or two until I made my first post.


Subject: Pretty much a newbie here.....
Date: Mar 22 14:09
Author: Broken Hearted Non Mormon Mom
Mail Address:

but I'm hooked and visit every day to get my many questions answered that my son and DIL won't answer. I have realized that I haven't imagined the way we have been treated and that they really don't want anything to do with us. This board has been very supportive and has given me alot of ideas on how to come to grips and get over it. Thanks everyone!


Subject: Re: How did you find (stumble upon) this board?
Date: Mar 22 14:20
Author: CIA Pope

I came upon this board less than a month ago when I was searching for information about Sunstone and Dialogue (as in "I wonder if they're still around?"). I got side-tracked and excited about the idea of delisting and then stunned by this board of individuals who have shared this similar experience.


Subject: i didn't come here for months after reading the biographies
Date: Mar 22 14:29
Author: J.

will you open a thread and tell more, CIA Pope?


Subject: While I was researching the whole black/priesthood issue...
Date: Mar 22 14:33
Author: Exmorg

I never got a good answer as to why black men weren't allowed to have the priesthood in the FIRST place. Then I found key words like "salamander letters," "Mark Hofman" and "blood atonement." I searched those further and came across this site. THANK GOD (IF THERE IS ONE)!! Of course the church "truths" came tumbling down, and I couldn't stay and still be able to live with myself. So I left. I owe Richard Packham a huge thanks!!


Subject: Brian B. lead me here
Date: Mar 22 14:34
Author: elee

I was posting on the TribTalk bb, where Brian was also a regular poster. He provided links, I followed them, and after reading for several weeks, I checked out the bb here.


Subject: Re: Typed in anti-Mormon on a search engine...
Date: Mar 22 14:36
Author: SD
Mail Address:

and got Eric's site. This was a long time ago. I've been on the board since the very beginning. It's my new religion.


Subject: Me too...while looking for stories of how others got out of the church nt
Date: Mar 22 15:22
Author: vickilynn
Mail Address:

 


Subject: through www.lds-mormon.com and www.teleport.com/~packham
Date: Mar 22 14:55
Author: vlc
Mail Address:

I don't remember how I found www.lds-mormon.com


Subject: I was about this time, in my 40 somethingth year,
Date: Mar 22 14:55
Author: tanstaafl
Mail Address:

My father's family was a bunch of mormons, as were my mothers family. During this time of real excitement my mind was called up to serious reflection and great uneasiness; but though my feelings were deep, and often pungent, still I kept myself aloof from all those parties, though I attended had not attended their several meetings even when occasion would permit for more than 15 years. But in process of time my mind became somewhat partial to atheism, although I felt no desire to be "united" with them, but so great was the confusion and strife among the different denominations, that it was impossible for a person, old though I was, and even though unacquainted with men and things, to come to any certain conclusion who was right and who was wrong. My mind at different times was greatly excited, the cry and tumult were so great and incessant. The Christians were most decided against the atheists, and used all their powers of sophistry to prove their errors, or at least to make the people think they were in error. On the other hand, the Mormons, in their turn, were equally zealous to establish their own tenets and disprove all others.

In the midst of this war of words, and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself, 'What the f*ck is to be done? Who of all these parties are right? or, are they all wrong together? If any one of them be right, which is it? and how shall I know it?' While I was laboring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contests of these parties of religionists, I was one day reading Calvin & Hobbes, which reads, 'If any of you lack wisdom, get off your but and search the internet, that giveth unto all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given unto him.' Never did any passage of comics come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from Calvin, I did, for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passage so differently, as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible.

At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as Calvin directed, that is, search the internet. I at length came to the determination to look on the internet, concluding that if it gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture. So, in accordance with this my determination to surf the net, I retired to the woods with my laptop and extra battery pack to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful clear day, early in the spring of 2000. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt; for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to surf the net in the woods. After I had retired into the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to surf up the desires of my heart. I had scarcely done so, when immediately I was seized upon by some power which entirely overcame me, and had such astonishing influence over me as to bind my tongue, so that I could not speak. Then I saw that my battery pack was sitting in a puddle, so I dried it off and tried again. Then thick darkness gathered around me, and it seemed to me for a time as if I were doomed to sudden destruction. But exerting all my powers, to deliver me out of the power of this enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair, and abandon myself to destruction--not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such a marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being; just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.

After I chased down the kids who were shooting off illegal bottle rockets in the woods, it appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound and my excite search gave me two results. I saw two results, whose brightness and glory defy all description, on my laptop that I was holding above me in the air. One of them seemed to speak unto me, as if calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other, This website is run by Wade Englund; do NOT hear Him!' My object in going to inquire of the net, was to know which of all these sects was right, that I might know which to join. No sooner, therefore, did I get possession of myself, so as to be able to type, than I asked the clicked on the other website: www.exmormon.org. This site had the answer: that I should join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the personages who posted said that all the creeds were an abomination, or at least factually insupportable; that those professors were all corrupt. The posters also told me many other things that they did say unto me which I can not write at this time.



Subject: I Was Researching the MMM, Specifically John D. Lee . . .
Date: Mar 22 15:01
Author: SL Cabbie
Mail Address:

When I hit on this link as well as the Tanner's. Read most of the biographies over the course of two years (my own is till half-written), and finally pulled up the BB. Haven't had so many laughs in one place in a long time, so I threw in a few of my own. I've appreciated everyone's kind words.
I still find Mormon history fascinating (and think it's okay to claim the pioneer heritage while rejecting the religion). Still waiting for stuff from the "Seagull Myth Debunkers"; I hadn't seen those claims, and, if true, they're real mind-blowers.
Anyone have any recommends on history volumes that detail the Kirtland episodes? I've read about the Missouri Wars and Nightfall at Nauvoo (and also No Man Knows My History), but feel a gap in my knowledge of that era.


Subject: I was praying for further light and knowledge
Date: Mar 22 15:15
Author: msmom
Mail Address:

when an image of whoopie goldberg flew across the sky trailing a banner with a web link here.

Why whoopie? - I don't know, but I try not to let facts get in the way of a good story.



Subject: That's it-stumbled. I'm hooked, I feel like I'm spending too much time here!! Thanks all!! n/t
Date: Mar 22 15:46
Author: Michele
Mail Address:
Subject: Believe it or not...
Date: Mar 22 16:12
Author: dimmesdale
Mail Address:

I heard about it in a New Testament Symposium at BYU for Seminary Teachers.


Subject: Re: Believe it or not...
Date: Mar 22 16:27
Author: KingM
Mail Address:

My dear friend dimmesdale. You cannot leave it at that! What was the context? What made you think you should come home and seek it out?


Subject: I had all these doubts crammed inside my heart, so I truned to the Yahoo search engine...
Date: Mar 22 21:23
Author: Shaggy
Mail Address:

the rest is history. I have deep gratitude for those who have made this possible, as well as those whose post made me laugh, wonder, spit nails, cry... you get the idea...


:) ttfn!!!


Subject: I was so sick of my TBM family preaching their
Date: Mar 22 22:05
Author: Matt

bloody Mormonism at me that I thought: "Even though I have been out of the Mormon church for a long time, I wonder how many other ex-Mormons there are?

I'll do a search on Ask Jeeves. I'll see if I can find anything under ex-Mormon."

I did and I found a link to one of the stories on the story section on the site. I found the other stories and began reading them. Then I noticed the rest of the site. And thought: "Bulletin Board? Ex-Mormons, chatting together? This I have got to see!"

So I lurked for a couple of days, reading posts. And learning.

I think my first post was a reply to something Dagny had said.

I also remember that whenever Kymba used the "" sign on the old, original board, it'd look really cool, as it always came up in hypertext blue!

Ah, those were the days! God bless you, Eric! We are still here! ;o))


Subject: I was the weekly ward bulletin coordinator...
Date: Mar 22 23:17
Author: coveygirl
Mail Address:

I was looking for inspirational stories or quotes to
include in the sidebar and got the idea to look on the
internet. I typed in "mormon stories" and this was the
first site that came up. I started reading out of curiosity
and found a community of people who had doubts just
like me.


Subject: Oh, the irony!!! NT
Date: Mar 23 00:30
Author: Midnight Oil
Mail Address:


Subject: Former mission companion (or his wife, I forget which) pointed me here (You know who you are! :-) N/T
Date: Mar 23 00:12
Author: Justanotherexmo
Mail Address:
Subject: Did a search on TCOJCOLDS
Date: Mar 23 11:04
Author: backslider
Mail Address:

Eric's site came up. This was years ago before the bulletin board. I was delighted and read all the stories. I was about 6 months in-active at the time and completely fed up with the church. Eric's site gave me the tools to become exmo. If it hadn't been for this site I'd probably have went back; having struggled with inactivity since coming home from my mission in 84.


Subject: I had already decide to leave church when I read about this site in the newspaper.
Date: Mar 23 11:18
Author: brefots
Mail Address: