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Recovery from Mormonism (RfM) discussion forum.
Just wondering if anyone has some cool stories about going out with a bang.
I know there's no way the bishop would allow me to walk up to the pulpit, even for fast and testimony meeting (maybe I should try it?), but I know some of you guys have freed yourselves from TSCC while still an "active" and "strong" member.
So, has anyone ever revealed their apostasy from the pulpit in a sacrament meeting?
Kudos if you have!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2011 02:23AM by crossroads.
I know there's no way the bishop would allow me to walk up to the pulpit, even for fast and testimony meeting (maybe I should try it?), but I know some of you guys have freed yourselves from TSCC while still an "active" and "strong" member.
So, has anyone ever revealed their apostasy from the pulpit in a sacrament meeting?
Kudos if you have!
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2011 02:23AM by crossroads.
I know I would love to, since in the cult's eyes I am merely inactive. I'd love to go to a predominately African American ward...if there is such a thing, and bear my "testimony."
Lol, oh boy! I guarantee I would make some new apostates that day! Spawn of Cain, representation of Satan, baby-slaying, and all those other nuggets from the early prophets. Hopefully I'd get enough out before the bishop tackled me.
Lol, oh boy! I guarantee I would make some new apostates that day! Spawn of Cain, representation of Satan, baby-slaying, and all those other nuggets from the early prophets. Hopefully I'd get enough out before the bishop tackled me.
1) A good friend of mine was taking classes at the U, when I was in graduate school. He was older, and had already make his fortune, and wanted to go back and study philosophy, psychology, and religion. Sure enough--he learned! He was a dynamic leader in our ward, and that Spring, the bishop announced that this man had written a paper about Christ for one of his classes, and it had received recognition, and that he wanted to read it to us at Easter. As TBM's we rebelled by not going to church on Easter, because of the absence of Christ there, but this Sunday, I wanted to go.
It was the only time I ever heard a full sacrament meeting talk that was only about Christ and his life, and not about Joseph Smith's interpretation of Christ, and not about the BOM account of Christ in America. It was a beautiful talk, very detailed, and emotionally moving! I definitely "felt the spirit." After my friend finished his talk, he gave his personal testimony of Christ, without mentioning the church was true. He didn't say, "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen," or anything like that. Instead of sitting back down in his seat on the stand behind the pulpit, he walked down the steps, down the aisle, and out the back door!
This friend's wife is still an active TBM member of that ward, but all of his children are out. This man never said anything bad about the church. He spoke only of Christ, with love in his heart--yet that was an overt rebellion, and his way of resigning from Mormonism. He never set foot in a Mormon church again.
2) My daughter told me that in her singles ward, a young man, who was a stranger, got up and bore his testimony that the Mormon church is NOT true, and started listing all the lies. He would not stop his rant, until some men dragged him outside. The very next testimony meeting, a strange young man went up to the podium and introduced himself, and I thought, "This is that guy!" At the time, I was brainwashed, and thought that everything he was saying was lies, and that he was evil in his intentions. He said that people should stop giving money to a church that did not disclose its ledgers, and that Mormons should stop brainwashing little children to go on missions. His list of lies began with GBH and Hoffman, and moved on to JS, and the fact that they are not prophets of God, and then the bishop got up and asked him politely to sit down and give others a chance to bear their testimonies, but the young man kept on talking even more loudly and rapidly. Two other men on the stand got up and each grabbed one arm, and they pulled him down the steps and out the side door. The bishop followed behind, and pushed him forward, every time the man tried to turn around to get back up on the stand. All the while he kept talking louder and louder, out the door.
I guess this approach was not successful, because most of the congregation thought this man was a lunatic.
Of the two approaches, the first one made me think a whole lot more, and it had an impact on my leaving and taking my children with me.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2011 03:26AM by forestpal.
It was the only time I ever heard a full sacrament meeting talk that was only about Christ and his life, and not about Joseph Smith's interpretation of Christ, and not about the BOM account of Christ in America. It was a beautiful talk, very detailed, and emotionally moving! I definitely "felt the spirit." After my friend finished his talk, he gave his personal testimony of Christ, without mentioning the church was true. He didn't say, "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen," or anything like that. Instead of sitting back down in his seat on the stand behind the pulpit, he walked down the steps, down the aisle, and out the back door!
This friend's wife is still an active TBM member of that ward, but all of his children are out. This man never said anything bad about the church. He spoke only of Christ, with love in his heart--yet that was an overt rebellion, and his way of resigning from Mormonism. He never set foot in a Mormon church again.
2) My daughter told me that in her singles ward, a young man, who was a stranger, got up and bore his testimony that the Mormon church is NOT true, and started listing all the lies. He would not stop his rant, until some men dragged him outside. The very next testimony meeting, a strange young man went up to the podium and introduced himself, and I thought, "This is that guy!" At the time, I was brainwashed, and thought that everything he was saying was lies, and that he was evil in his intentions. He said that people should stop giving money to a church that did not disclose its ledgers, and that Mormons should stop brainwashing little children to go on missions. His list of lies began with GBH and Hoffman, and moved on to JS, and the fact that they are not prophets of God, and then the bishop got up and asked him politely to sit down and give others a chance to bear their testimonies, but the young man kept on talking even more loudly and rapidly. Two other men on the stand got up and each grabbed one arm, and they pulled him down the steps and out the side door. The bishop followed behind, and pushed him forward, every time the man tried to turn around to get back up on the stand. All the while he kept talking louder and louder, out the door.
I guess this approach was not successful, because most of the congregation thought this man was a lunatic.
Of the two approaches, the first one made me think a whole lot more, and it had an impact on my leaving and taking my children with me.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2011 03:26AM by forestpal.
We knew we were leaving the church and we picked the time and the place. No one knew of our intentions. We still attended meetings although we did not permit our 3 year old daughter to attend Junior Sunday School. Took a little flack for that but nothing to tip our hand that we were leaving the Church.
We were living in Germany attending the military ward and knew we would be returning to the States. Our plan was to never attend again when we got States side and so we never asked to have our records forwarded. We just walked away. We left no forwarding address. That was 1978. It was probably a lot easier for us since we were both converts and had no Mormon family. Years later we did have our names removed.
Well one Sunday the Bishop stopped us and asked us to be the speakers at Sacrament Meeting the next week. We asked him if he had a specific topic and he said no and that we could speak on whatever we wanted.
When we got home my husband and I looked at each other and said do we dare say what we really want to. We agreed to do it.
We upset them the minute they announced Brother and Sister ______ as the speakers. They expected me to speak first and my husband got up first and a few heads turned but nothing was done/said. His talk was more like a 2 1/2 min talk and he read a poem about I am black, and I am white, etc. It was all about everyone is equal. Can't remember the title now but he read it and sat down. The only remote thing he said that was Mormon was "inthenameofjesuschristamen" LOL.
Then I got up and spoke for about 40 minutes. I started with my conversion story and how I met the missionaries when I was a student nurse in Canada. They didn't ask me, I asked them to tell me about their church. I became one of the Golden Contacts. *sigh*. I shared how when I met the missionaries and thought what a coincidence that they were both from the western United States and they both had the same first name Elder. I talked about how surprised I was to learn that there was a living prophet on the earth and asked if he was in Jerusalem? When they said SLC I asked, where is that? I've never heard of it. I had their full attention through conversion, moving to "ZION", going to the temple, working at Primary Children's Hospital, meeting the love of my life and the birth of our daughter.
Then I dropped the bomb. Of course I said I was speaking for me Helen. I was not speaking for the Church. I went on to talk about the problems I had with the Church from men HAVING to wear white shirts, to Home Teachers showing up at the end of the month. I can't even remember all I said but if I must say so it was good and I maintained "my sweet spirit" through it all {I always hated that term, "sweet spirit" }
I said, "Do you really think Jesus cares if a man wears a white shirt? He wore a long robe and sandals. When our home teachers show up the end of the month they are not there because they care about us; they are there to fill in a square on a report. Well I don't want them coming if all we are is a number and a statistic. I also said I don't have a testimony of the Church or of Jesus Christ. I can tell you all kinds of things that are taught in the Church, I can tell you a lot of things that have been said about Jesus Christ but I don't KNOW anything and I do not have a testimony.
Of course the minute I dropped the bomb some wouldn't look at me anymore and some women picked up their babies and went outside the chapel. I intentionally made eye contact with the congregation and when I felt scared I'd look at my husband and kept going.
We were shocked that the Bishop didn't end the meeting when I dropped the bomb of my un-testimony.
And true to form after the meeting some members came up to me and asked, "Did I offend you?" My response was, "Didn't you listen to what I said? I said I do not have a testimony of this Church." I wasn't talking about individuals in the Church. I was talking about doctrine, policies, and practices that trouble me.
We were living in Germany attending the military ward and knew we would be returning to the States. Our plan was to never attend again when we got States side and so we never asked to have our records forwarded. We just walked away. We left no forwarding address. That was 1978. It was probably a lot easier for us since we were both converts and had no Mormon family. Years later we did have our names removed.
Well one Sunday the Bishop stopped us and asked us to be the speakers at Sacrament Meeting the next week. We asked him if he had a specific topic and he said no and that we could speak on whatever we wanted.
When we got home my husband and I looked at each other and said do we dare say what we really want to. We agreed to do it.
We upset them the minute they announced Brother and Sister ______ as the speakers. They expected me to speak first and my husband got up first and a few heads turned but nothing was done/said. His talk was more like a 2 1/2 min talk and he read a poem about I am black, and I am white, etc. It was all about everyone is equal. Can't remember the title now but he read it and sat down. The only remote thing he said that was Mormon was "inthenameofjesuschristamen" LOL.
Then I got up and spoke for about 40 minutes. I started with my conversion story and how I met the missionaries when I was a student nurse in Canada. They didn't ask me, I asked them to tell me about their church. I became one of the Golden Contacts. *sigh*. I shared how when I met the missionaries and thought what a coincidence that they were both from the western United States and they both had the same first name Elder. I talked about how surprised I was to learn that there was a living prophet on the earth and asked if he was in Jerusalem? When they said SLC I asked, where is that? I've never heard of it. I had their full attention through conversion, moving to "ZION", going to the temple, working at Primary Children's Hospital, meeting the love of my life and the birth of our daughter.
Then I dropped the bomb. Of course I said I was speaking for me Helen. I was not speaking for the Church. I went on to talk about the problems I had with the Church from men HAVING to wear white shirts, to Home Teachers showing up at the end of the month. I can't even remember all I said but if I must say so it was good and I maintained "my sweet spirit" through it all {I always hated that term, "sweet spirit" }
I said, "Do you really think Jesus cares if a man wears a white shirt? He wore a long robe and sandals. When our home teachers show up the end of the month they are not there because they care about us; they are there to fill in a square on a report. Well I don't want them coming if all we are is a number and a statistic. I also said I don't have a testimony of the Church or of Jesus Christ. I can tell you all kinds of things that are taught in the Church, I can tell you a lot of things that have been said about Jesus Christ but I don't KNOW anything and I do not have a testimony.
Of course the minute I dropped the bomb some wouldn't look at me anymore and some women picked up their babies and went outside the chapel. I intentionally made eye contact with the congregation and when I felt scared I'd look at my husband and kept going.
We were shocked that the Bishop didn't end the meeting when I dropped the bomb of my un-testimony.
And true to form after the meeting some members came up to me and asked, "Did I offend you?" My response was, "Didn't you listen to what I said? I said I do not have a testimony of this Church." I wasn't talking about individuals in the Church. I was talking about doctrine, policies, and practices that trouble me.
I did. got up and bared testimony of the blood of jesus
that got rid of the mothman mormon destroying angel as
I kicked against the pricks after my exomunication
and told I'de be denying the holy ghost to go to other churches
was left haunted by satins demons, cried out to jesus
and not having the priesthood, the blood of jesus worked
just fine and the evil spirit left...
However as I should not bared testimony as excomunicted
tho by then while living in another country was re-approved
only to return and be rejected again by the bishop here
I though I'de give them my testimony of how I found the
real jesus since kicked in the teeth in australa but
the bishop tapped me on shoulder and said Mention joe smith
in testimony or sit down.... He didnt know I was excomunicated
as was contemplating moving into that stake..
tho missionaries came up to me and said I bared a strong
testimony of jesus and thanked me anyway. The rest of the
ward turn their heads away and shunned me for talkng about
the blood of jesus is just as powerful as the priesthood
tho possibily the priesthood was only the shadow of the blood
rather than the blood the shadow of the priesthood.
they didnt like to hear that but the blood of jesus
started my recovery and healing..
that got rid of the mothman mormon destroying angel as
I kicked against the pricks after my exomunication
and told I'de be denying the holy ghost to go to other churches
was left haunted by satins demons, cried out to jesus
and not having the priesthood, the blood of jesus worked
just fine and the evil spirit left...
However as I should not bared testimony as excomunicted
tho by then while living in another country was re-approved
only to return and be rejected again by the bishop here
I though I'de give them my testimony of how I found the
real jesus since kicked in the teeth in australa but
the bishop tapped me on shoulder and said Mention joe smith
in testimony or sit down.... He didnt know I was excomunicated
as was contemplating moving into that stake..
tho missionaries came up to me and said I bared a strong
testimony of jesus and thanked me anyway. The rest of the
ward turn their heads away and shunned me for talkng about
the blood of jesus is just as powerful as the priesthood
tho possibily the priesthood was only the shadow of the blood
rather than the blood the shadow of the priesthood.
they didnt like to hear that but the blood of jesus
started my recovery and healing..
Hadn't thought of this, but that would be a nice way to spend my last Sunday. But I'd have to be sneaky about it, because there would be a lot I would want to say and not want to be cut off.
I know of a Mormon bishop in Logan, a professor at Utah State, formerly at BYU, who announced to his ward during sacrament meeting that he and his wife were leaving the church. This was in the 1960s. Unfortunately I wasn't there, but I met him later.
My dad "sort of" did this in the early 1980s. He had wanted to be a High Priest (was a seventy) and instead was given the job as scout master so he was the lead speaker at sacrament meeting. He was super angry about this and didn't want to be scout master. The bishop gave a prelude before my dad spoke telling everyone that my dad would be the new scout master (I guess it’s when they have the vote where everyone blindly raises their hand to vote…). My dad went up to the podium and told the congregation that he had no idea why the bishop went ahead and took the vote because he had already told him that he turned the job down and that he had no intention whatsoever of being the next scout master and sat down. People came up to him afterwards congratulating him on his new calling of scout master. He was infuriated!
It's been so long ago, but I remember 3 things, because the stares I got. One, that I have a hard time being worthy enough to be the wife of a future "God". The other, reading a letter I got from Hinkley where our so-called Heavenly Mother" was mentioned. Hahaha!
And on my last day, that Jesus died for ALL of my sins, jhust by asking him. I quoted where it was so stated and got up and left.
And on my last day, that Jesus died for ALL of my sins, jhust by asking him. I quoted where it was so stated and got up and left.