I am not a "lurker"- but I will not comment alot. Unless I think i can add something, I am content to listen. You all seem to have everything covered pretty well.
"Remember Jerry, it's not a lie if you believe it."- George Costanza
Well, I believed it for 23 years...until I read the Essays on TSCC website. yes...imagine the gall I, as a TBM, had in obeying M. Russell Ballard's instruction that we should read the Essays and know them "like the back of our hand." OK. Being a good soldier, I begin reading...and my jaw drops to the floor. It changed my whole life; rocked my world, so-to-speak. See my current entry on this page called "Unintended consequences of the Essays."
Hi Ed Meeting with Bish never materialized. Got my ass kicked by twins from hell this past Saturday. Both weighed in at 11 ounces. Coded #2 at delivery for 22 min with no heart rate. Finally got heart to respond. Exhausted Sunday. Never went. Worked at food bank today. Made another comment to a missionary there that my house was a "safe house" if any missionary ever wanted to leave. I will continue to do this until quieted by an unknown force....I am always willing to get in trouble. How has it been for you?
Tsk tsk. Nothing worth having is easy, unless you're short on time.
I believe, in my wallet of wallets, that Judic West was speaking metaphorically, and simply used a comic ploy to indicate that you should invest your free time in having and doing 'fun'.
i am from texas and i went on a mission and saw that the church is a utah country club, no more, no less. it's a helluva thing to justify every decision you make as being the "word of the Lord"
there was an elder there "dating" a sister missionary. not only was the inspired mp clueless, he made the faithful servant an ap.
Yeah, seeing their "inspiration" fizzle in the real world can sure get you thinking. Like the time I weasled my way into the SLC temple without a recommend, to see my brother's wedding, after I was long gone from the church for months. No "inspiration" there. :)
We're like drug addicts who cleaned ourselves up. Some have sworn off drugs (dogma) for good. Others found another fix that's less unhealthy than Mormonism.
I cracked my Mormon blinders after I determined that none of Mormonism's promises and benefits were appealing to me. Then the journey down the rabbit hole began.
A testimony is something that is described to you as a young, or new mormon so that you will recognize it so you can have one. You're told how valuable it is, including guarding it with your life if needed.
With that description, you begin to pick up your testimony and carry it around, always sharing it with your fellow mormons, seldom sharing with those outside the faith.
Eventually, or in some cases very suddenly, you realize this thing you have picked up and have been carrying around is worthless and is actually a stone hung about your neck.
So you take it off and put it down and walk away. That isn't losing anything.
I know right where mine is.....it's in Provo, in the duplex I lived in for the last two years at BYU. That's where I was when I put it down and walked away from it.
I love that you said this. I am not trying to steal your excellent thunder but I used to say the same thing. "I didn't lose it. I know right where I left it." Mine slid off like an old rag of clothing onto the floor in about 2 seconds flat. And, this was also in an apartment while I was at BYU. 1973. High Five, Jonny the Smoke. You made my day.
The idea of "losing" ones testimony reduces the situation to losing your car keys. It implies that the valiant, strong TBM took their eye's off their testimony, probably to look at porn or some other worldly thing, and while engaged in that sinful behavior, lost track of where they put their testimony .....like it wandered off because they weren't helicoptering around it keeping it safe at all times....and now they can't find it again. And they only way to find is to ask god to help.
The reality is that most people I am aware of that left the church, did so because they were steadfastly keeping their eyes on their testimony, trying to nourish and strengthen it (see what I did there)....and while doing so, they discovered its a worthless piece of curlom dung and should be discarded.
It's interesting though.....god seems pretty god at finding lost car keys when asked. Not so much when asked to find a lost testimony.....why? Because testimonies aren't lost, they are discarded....god must know this.
I was born and raised in the church. My dad was BIC and my mom was a convert so I heard ALL the lessons from the stake mishies (I was 10 years old). It didn't interest me then and that has never changed. My mom dutifully read the BofM. I did not. I went through all the steps ups to and including being ordained an elder...to please my dear beloved parents. But I did not believe. I never had a testimony and actually found having to endure listening to other's bear theirs to one of the most profoundly uncomfortable things about Mormonism. I often wanted to yell out "really!!...you really think I needed to fuckin' hear that? I walked away from the church a month into being an elder, married a Catholic and raised my children without any religious training.
RB
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2016 02:11PM by Lethbridge Reprobate.
I took the G.B. Hinckley challenge "greatest hoax or greatest work and fullness of truth".
My testimony is rock solid, it is the greatest hoax. BTW, the 3rd discussion, back in my mishie days says, apostacy is a falling away from the truth. My testimony is built on solid truthful facts. How can I be an apostate? Oxymoron or oxymormon?
I was told in Primary that "Thou Shalt Not kill". I also memorized the 13 Articles of Faith where we obey the laws of the land.
Then I read about Nephi killing Laban. At an early age, I realized, something is wrong here.
The shelf was created when I turned 12. I added "Line upon Line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little" until the the shelf crashed with a BANG!
Thought i read somewhere a couple months ago that the original meaning of apostate was escaped slave...seems like a useful description...go wild spend that ten percent on any dam thing you like...the fossils seem to enjoy it
Now I'm not approving or sanctioning... For me, ever after, the origin of 'apostate' will be escaped slave, but...
apostate (n.) mid-14c., "one who forsakes his religion or faith," from Old French apostate (Modern French apostat) and directly from Late Latin apostata, from Greek apostasia "defection, desertion, rebellion," from apostenai "to defect," literally "to stand off," from apo- "away from" (see apo-) + stenai "to stand." Used in non-religious situations (politics, etc.) from mid-14c.