I discovered RFM. My beloved father had passed away in 2000 and a high priest from his quorum decided getting me back to the church and dragging my Catholic wife along were his personal quest. Ignoring him didn't work. He was relentless. I was always congenial and tried to steer him away from his target (us) to no avail.
But learning here that I could actually resign my membership in the cult was an epiphany and I jumped at the chance....and I never heard from "him" again and not so much as a peep from him when my wife died in 2017.
But I'm still here and learning more about the cult and the damage it continues to do in people's lives.

You made me think about when was it for me? August 2005. My exmo therapist suggested I come here to read about not wearing garments anymore and giving my special name. I had just started dating my old boyfriend from 1978 and he was definitely not mormon and I was still married, but you all know the story. Was I ever married? Is it legal if he is gay and you're straight???

Anyway--it was my therapist and this board that got me through the worst of it.

My daughter is mormon and she and her husband live here with us right now. I just leave it alone, but I tend their dog when they go to the temple about twice a week. Glad it isn't me going to the temple!!

Back in the late 90s I was messing with polygamists on one of their many forums back then. An admin discovered I was not serious about joining polygamy and politely asked me to leave suggesting RfM.

I read and posted a bit but wasn't ready.

Then I was still a bit of a believer. Then in 2003 I discovered polyandry. The polygamists back then never mentioned it. Always Brigham's way.

When I read about the coercion by Smith of my ancestor Zina and about Helen Kimball I was mentally out all the way and a bit suicidal. I came and went from RfM but found a home at the long dead NotAMormon forum. After it I just stayed here and stopped changing my screen name. I don't really know how long I've been here. It has been a journey.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/2025 12:11PM by Elder Berry.

It's always been my mission to "drive"people back to church.
If you preach loud enough long enough and obnoxious enough people will cave.

Phil wrote in part:

"If you preach loud enough long enough and obnoxious enough people will cave."

Or do they go and hide in their "caves" until they're sure you've gone away.

I think I've finally figured out that Phil is spoofing us (in the jocular way).

If I'm wrong then you'll see why/how I was so easily duped into baptism by some earnest young missionaries. I can't always tell what is meant at times.

I also used to have trouble saying no. The Mormons cured me of that!

Thank you sir, may I have another?

RFM was also where I learned I could resign. So I did, 2003 or 4 if I remember correctly. I had tried in the 1970s while still a BYU student and almost got my butt expelled for my trouble. So much for trying to leave as a "conscientious objector", so to speak.

Wow, BoJ, time really does fly!

It's amazing, too, how many people RfM has helped through the years, and brought together.

Thank you Eric, and all the behind-the-scene-ers. Appreciate it all very much.

I wasn't irretrievably (or even terribly) harmed by Mormonism - although the last great debacle was inexplicable and hurtful for a good long while.

I'm over it. Although the tentacles are long and still reach out every now and then.

Meanwhile, it's been fun connecting with all the fine people who have graced the RfM stage for all these years. I appreciate everyone's accounts of their times in and out of Mormonism. Who knows how many people you all have helped very much through all the years, as well as those who have/are working behind the scenes here (Eric, CZ, Sus I/S, et al).

Thank you!!

I've given them many bottles of my finest whines.

Back in the day, you literally couldn’t resign (the legal precedent had not yet been established).

I was a Ward Clerk back in the mid 80s. One day the bishop called me and told me that I needed to be at a Bishop’s Court (I think that was what they called disciplinary counsels back then). They even rescheduled it around my travel schedule to be sure I was there to document the proceedings. Some poor guy just wanted to no longer be a member, but churchco wouldn’t just let him go. So we went through with the charade, and the bishopric voted unanimously to excommunicate him.

No surprise, the guy didn’t show up for the nonsense.

My 2 semesters at Ricks really planted the seed in my mind that I didn't give a rat's ass about whatever the church was preaching and I made a conscious decision about a week into the first semester that I damn sure wasn't going on a mission. I played along for a few more years but quit attending for good in 1971 after meeting my wife to be. Zero regrets.

He never said it would be easy but he did say it would be worth it (leaving Mormonism I mean)