"You having fun? Because I'd like to put a stop to that."

This, from an old joke seems to be the mission of MFMC these days.

Gone are almost all of the things that built community & friendships.

It is as if the rush to Protestantize the outfit they looked at the Hard Shell Southern Baptists and deliberately picked the worst aspects to copy.

Most of what is just for enjoyment has been tossed.

And leadership can't figure out why so many are leaving.

Exactly. Life is supposed to be miserable, and we're her to help!

any one of us knew to what extent we were unhappy, until we were out. Why are so many leaving? Because it's finally been found, that it is a sham. Any religion is a sham.

I'd rather live the way I do now, because I am more honest with myself and others. Plus, there is an authenticity about us that seems to be more than we thought possible. And we are living those authentic lives.

The 'Mission' of the LDS Church was always money, and will always be money. From JS's liquor cabinet, to BY's distillery. Everything has revolved around 'Jehovah', and money. I mean, if you read the D&C, you can tell that there is someone other than Christ speaking (In fact he never speaks at all in the D&C).

From the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood, to the 'it never happened' restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood, according to time, it all never happened. The History of the Church doesn't mention the Priesthoods. But that's what Jehovah wanted, or whoever else wanted to 'restore' the church, supposedly.

None of it was real. Control. It was all about control, and is still about control. Maybe someday the leaders will stop and think: 'We don't need any of this fate crap... we're in control of our own lives, remember?' (Matrix Reloaded, The Oracle)

We are the ones that were able to leave, and free our own minds. Some went with us, because they loved us. Family, friends, children. There were also endings to most of the religious relationships that we had, because in the end, they were fake. Where we go now, is up to us.

The Matrix is the most profound movie of our lifetime. That's what I believe it is. That, and the two successive films. I've watched them all hundreds of times, and there is something new that I learn every time. I went from Mormon, to Gnostic, to agnostic, to a really close relationship to my kids, and then just short of atheism.

We all seek the truth, even if there isn't any proof. We are always looking about for it, because that is what we do. Search for truth. Theocracy, and to do what we believe is right. For me, that will soon come to an end.

The only memory of my religious past, is touching my son's face while crying during NanoWriMo planning years ago in later 2023. I honestly felt I touched the face of God, but I also realize that it was a hallucination. That's the one thing I will remember. Even if it's the last thing I am able to remember in my life.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2025 12:29PM by lousyleper.

dagny Wrote:
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> Life is supposed to be miserable, and
> we're her to help!

Blaming everything on women? Again???

Hahahaha. I was too lazy to fix the typo.

I think the pandemic really did the church in. So many people quickly discovered that members were not really blessed any more than non members.

My mom doesn't know everything about her ward, but the church is largely allowing members to choose what type of church experience they want to have. This is largely unheard of; coming from an organization which is accustomed to dictating how and when members are permitted to do anything.

For example, there's a bunch of members in my former home ward who are allowed to watch sacrament on Zoom. You have to have all kinds of permission to do this. Salt Lake wants members in person with butts in the pews. Wards and bishops know that members have figured out the church's bank accounts. People can go elsewhere to worship or not.

Another twist. The stake called a brother in my ward to rescue several prominent leadership brethren who have left. The rescues were complete failures. And then the church realized that the one called to make the rescues is in danger of needing rescuing himself.

As people grow older, both time and money become priceless. Members are figuring out how the thankless church robs them of both.

I have a friend in Southern Cal. who said the same thing is happening in his stake. Senior leadership is distraught that formerly stalwart families are leaving and they would love to have them back, even if they disagree with the church on its LGBTQ policies.

His comment was made in response to CES director Gilbert and his recently articulated policy that BYU faculty better get on board with the church policy on same-sex marriage, or they were likely to be fired.

I find it interesting that many devout temple attending women in the church are over the moon about that cap sleeve in the garments going away! Yay, I can wear a sleeveless blouse now. These little scraps of independence are really an insult in my mind, but many just "praise jesus" that they get anything.

There are places in SLC that sell t-shirts that say
"I'm Mormon
I can't"

That's boiling something down to its essence.

That's it.

You don't need a religion anymore to escape 19th Century social taboos about having sex with more than one partner. Mormonism isn't even Mormon anymore.

It's simply a self-perpetuating cult to supply a tax shield to LD$, Inc.