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.
honestone Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > That must have felt great. And what courage you > had. I applaud you.
It did feel good to be able to do that because I knew this would be my only chance to give my un-testimony. I was pretty nervous but got the courage because I had my focus on the fact I'd never have that kind of oppourtunity again.
We wondered why they didn't stop me and think perhaps it was because they knew we were returning to the States and figured we could be the next Bishop's headache. [don't think they figured out we were actually leaving the church]
I wish my wife and I had the cahones to do something like that. We're still friendly with a few couples from the church (that are fellow eye rollers) and I told the home teacher how we REALLY felt about the living "prophet" and "testimonies". It's nearly been 6 months for us and we've managed to escape it.
But I would have LOVED to stood up there and given my "testimony" on what I really believed in and how I can't STAND their side speech/guilt trip fasting sunday talks. Ugg.
Sometimes I think if I hear one more person deciding that we leave because we've been offended, I'll scream.
Even though I've explained to a few friends why I left, I don't think they hear me either. They still believe I was offended.
I said, "Give me some credit for intelligence. Do you really think that if I thought that this was God's true church, that I'd let someone being an idiot push me away from it? No. I'd say, 'What an idiot,' and keep moving forward."
Greyfort Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I said, "Give me some credit for intelligence. Do > you really think that if I thought that this was > God's true church, that I'd let someone being an > idiot push me away from it? No. I'd say, 'What > an idiot,' and keep moving forward." > > But still they don't hear a word I've said.
I use to say to my TBM friend who kept choosing to believe that I was offended, "Please don't insult my intelligence." I did tell her I thought the doctrine was offensive.
This is the same friend who I told that I remembered the temple ceremony even though we are taught that if we leave the church the things we learned at the temple will be erased from our minds. And her response, "It has not been erased from your mind because Heavenly Father knows you will come back to the Church." *groan*
> 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.
> I said, "Do you really think Jesus cares if a man > wears a white shirt? He wore a long robe and > sandals.
You had me at I am black. Ok I'm not black I'm Caucasian and this time of year I could probably use a tan.
Yet I choose to wear black. I wear black every day. My moniker is no mere word to me. Aside from the fact that the Princess Bride is my favorite film I really I do wear black at least a little always. It is my symbol. It is my moniker on this forum and my crest in real life. I always have black somewhere on me. It is not so much to simply wear black, but explicitly to not wear white. Even if it's just my underwear.
There is a very long story to the whole wearing black thing but I reserve the details for my exit story which has yet to be fully conceived. The color black wearing quirk however has a good ten years behind it and it is who I am. If you saw me on the street you'd notice that I am a dude wearing black. Not goth, emo or vampire. Just a guy wearing black.
Not only does black go with literally anything, but it's so not Mormon. I wear it to church just to mess with them. I drink black coffee. I do everything black I can. I have black friends who have the priesthood. Eat that Spencer W.
If I'm buried in white I'll be really pissed, assuming I'll care then.
The Man in Black Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > There is a very long story to the whole wearing > black thing but I reserve the details for my exit > story which has yet to be fully conceived. The > color black wearing quirk however has a good ten > years behind it and it is who I am. If you saw me > on the street you'd notice that I am a dude > wearing black. Not goth, emo or vampire. Just a > guy wearing black.
"Inquiring minds want to know."
looking forward to hearing your exit story when fully conceived
Thank you for reposting this. I am just trying to wrap my mind around how entirely awesome it is that you got to share your untestimony in front of an entire congregation of brainwashed Mormons. I totally wish I had been able to do that!