It struck me earlier today that I've spent more of my life as a non-member than as a member. My family joined the Mormons when I was 10, so I'm counting the first half of my childhood too.

In fact, I missed that point sometime early last year, when I had spent more days as non-Mormon than as a Mormon.

I guess I should celebrate or something. :D

Tyson

Congrats! I think it is more than worthy of celebration. I stopped believing at 16 and then again at 34. I didn't start believing until probably around age 6.

I don't know how it adds up. probably over 2 decades of solid belief. So I don't know if I can really say at 50 if I've believed more years than not but definitely I have not believed for almost 20 years. When I'm older I will feel that my time freer from the constraints of solid belief in my head being longer than with them will be more admirable to celebrate than when my parent's celebrated a Celestially sealed 60th wedding anniversary and my mother went on to not care for my father in his decline into death.

I don't so much celebrate my time out, as I am surprised that I once even sort of believed what look to me now like blatant absurdities that even a child ought to be able to see through.

It's both humbling and embarrassing.

Brother Of Jerry Wrote:
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> It's both humbling and embarrassing.

It can be good to have both happen to you in life and celebrate waking up from something.

I've made lots of mistakes in my life that I celebrate not making anymore. Mormonism is a big one.

Brother Of Jerry Wrote:
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> I am surprised that I once even sort of believed what
> look to me now like blatant absurdities that even
> a child ought to be able to see through.
>
> It's both humbling and embarrassing.

Yeah. Goes double for a "convert". Ack...

*Really* humbling.

And *really* embarrassing.

I have studiously avoided telling anyone I joined. Especially that I got baptized. Even my family doesn't know.

Anything (or at least, most things) you have to do in secret, and keep hidden, cannot be good. At least, not mentally healthy.

It's truly odd how much early religious indoctrination sticks with you. It can take years and years to work through it.

I was texting with my brother who used the church's app to look up our deceased father's ordinance dates. It appears that I had my baptismal year wrong.

My parents and I were baptized on the same day, but a year earlier than I remembered. Damn!

Accordingly, I have to wait until February of next year before I've been out longer than I was in. And if I discover the date on my resignation letter was in fact later, then maybe it's later still.

Anyway, I guess I have to save the bubbly for Groundhog Day 2022, which seems appropriate. :D

Tyson


P.S. this makes things even worse - because it wasn't as a 10-year-old that my parents asked me to make the decision on whether both they and I should get baptized, but as a 9-year-old!

A 9-year-old making a decision for a pair of grown-ass adults. WTF?!



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2021 04:12PM by Tyson Dunn.

I'll be 87 before I reach that lofty goal.

Congrats Tyson! It has been a pleasure reading your posts over the years. Thanks for taking us along in your exmo journey.


HH =)