I like to think there is something after this life. I don’t know what, maybe just a gathering of the Human Family. My family and I would be part of that.

For thirty years I have been conditioned to think of the mormon afterlife. Gods, wives, planets, all of that.

When I figured out that the church was bogus, I was furious. I was furious that I had devoted a significant portion of my life to something that turned out to be false.

I’ve gotten past that anger, but now I think how furious I might be if I had to find out after I died that it was all bogus. And what about our parents and family members?

Can you imagine the range of emotions heaped on them when they get to the hereafter and find out it’s not what they thought it would be?

As I look back--I just wanted that forever family and so many other things scared me to death. I mean--if the CK is like the temple (and there is polygamy)--I didn't want it, but I thought to have my family I had to live mormonism. What a freaky plan. My mother had some really fanatical mormon friends (one even joined a polygamist group) and I always HOPED I wouldn't have to like that.

Then there are the women (and men) who are married for time and all eternity to someone they can barely tolerate. I know many women who will probably rejoice if they are not sealed forever to the bastard they are married to.

I have the same troubles.

Of course we love the idea of being with our families and loved ones again when we die. It was one of the reasons religion was invented in the first place.

But the truth is we simply don't know and never will know.

So the best thing we can do is live THIS LIFE as fully as we can, and enjoy the moment. If there is nothing after we die, then we won't be around to think about it either way, and our loved ones who have gone before us are already nothing outside of our memories.

I'm going to start living this life, and making the experience as enjoyable as possible for myself and all those I love around me. Don't worry about death, it gets to all of us in the end and the chances are we won't be aware of it :)

Guess what's going to happen?

Same thing as on this planet.

People will form their groups and pretend to speak for god, and continue to con people into "waiting for it show up" but the religion is still "true."

Remember that in Mormon theology you don't go to the CK after you die. You go to either spirit world or spirit prison and await for the resurrection.

If the spirit world exists, a lot of Mormons will be more than happy to still be Mormon and just wait to be resurrected. They'll be more than happy to allow the other Mormon leaders to conitnue to boss them around.

It depends on whether a god actually shows up and says, "I'm here and you're all wrong."

Hm. Good point!

But now I'm content to accept there is no "after life" for a spirit or soul.

I realized sometime ago, I don't need an imaginary place to think of in terms of what happens when we die.

Why would I? Isn't this life more than enough?

Aren't my memories of my family that I keep alive now, enough?
They are for me.

Is there some kind of energy we can tap into that belonged to our loved ones? I suppose there is - something that keeps us
connected by love and experiences. We have books, and movies, pictures, letters, emails, voice mails etc. that keep our loved ones alive to us when they are deceased, sometimes for dozens and dozens of years.

But what happens if we lose our memory? That happens to people. What then?

What if I was never taught that spirits live after they die and they can communicate with us? What then?

Do I need to believe that we will "see" our loved ones and friends and family after we die? No. Not necessary. I don't have any real evidence anyhow. Why would I put my trust and faith in something that is not verifiable?

That's how I look at it ... for now... anyhow.

I have thought many times about this. Of course, we do not really know. Given the church is bogus, it is something different than I believed for many years. I always thought there were so many weird things about the Mormon believes in the next life-I now know how they are not true.

Our mortality is so much an integral part of us that we would not be ourselves without it. If something is resurrected after death, it may resemble us, but it cannot be the same if it is immortal. It will be a homunculus. Only fools envy mannequins.

If it turns out there is a magical afterlife to share with our loved ones - then hooray! That will be great.

It if turns out that death is the complete and irrevocable end of our body, mind, soul (?), well then there won't be anything left of me to be disappointed.

We just need to live each day as if it were our last, because one day it will be.