I was wondering if anyone of you have tried it and what the results were. Actually, here, I suppose I know the answer already. It didn't work. How can you UNknow what you know? I sometimes think it would make life so much easier being blissfully ignorant of all the facts I do know. SIGH>

yes, I have not done it personally, I would not care to try.
but my convert who helped me out of TSCC made some really remarkable observation about others that he knew that had done that very thing including some of his kids.

For a lot of ppl principles are mostly political and conditional. If they get enough reward out of being in a social group by endorsing its whacko belief system, then they will do it. we are all susceptible to it to one extent or anouther. to this very day my mom will not admit that santa claus does not exist.

he found out about the head in hat, banking fiasco, BofA, and other women involved with JS.

He said it was the best thing out there and so he put his full effort into it. He was a bishop, high counselor, patriarch, mission leader, and GDoctrine teacher, etc.

He chose to stay after all his questioning and even with the evidence he found in contrast to what he had been taught.

I think it is more difficult for older people to change. It is a social network that they depend on for comfort and help.

I haven't heard of anyone younger finding out the truth/facts and returning to the fold. They may try, but it seems always to be too difficult to listen without saying something and then begins the labeling of them as a doubter or losing the faith.

I think many try, but few can achieve the same blind faith after their eyes are open. It is too difficult for the older member to face reality.

Yeah, I believe it is. My aunt & uncle were inactive after having been treated very horribly & with incredible contempt by another member. Yeah, someone could say they were 'offended'. My uncle should have just resigned, but he didn't. I don't even think he knew he could resign at the time. So they became inactive, & were disfellowshipped. My uncle was even 'stripped' of the PH. I think someone was even considering exing them.

Well, my aunt & uncle became active again, & my uncle had his PH 'restored' to him. They had brainwashed themselves back into believing.

Yep, I would think it would be common among apostates who only address symptoms and not the root problems of faith in general.

For example: someone who leaves the church because they found out that Joseph Smith married a 14 year old but still clings to the god & jesus stuff might eventually realize that mainstream christianity makes even less sense than kolobianism, and so they'll make excuses for Joseph's behavior, or church history/deep doctrine, and come back to church and relish in the attention they'll receive as a lost lamb returning to the fold.

i left at 20. came back at 35. left for good at 57.
The first time i left, i didn't have the internet. If i knew then what i know now, i never would have went back.
I didn't leave for doctrinal reasons the first time.
The second time id did.

The internet wasn't in full swing when i was 35, or i wouldn't have considered it then.

Yes. You can decide to take the truth that you discovered and disconnect it from how you live your life. Many people in Mormonism who have never left do this every day.

They know the Book of Abraham was a complete fraud perpetrated by Joseph Smith, but the rationalization goes like this,

"He probably got a big head there for a while and was just over the top. Doesn't mean he didn't see God, Jesus, Paul, Moroni, or whoever in the grove, in his bedroom or in a hat. God can work with weak and scurrilous people--that gives me hope for myself! (who is only a porn watching masturbator instead of a servant-screwing adulterous husband)

It doesn't have anything to do with my salvation, besides my daughter loves Primary and a person has to have SOMETHING in this evil world. I mean, anyone can see it's the Last Days... might as well be on the safe side."

Anagrammy

Yup. Spot on Ana. This is exactly how my "friend" dismissed all her doubts and was able to go back to the church and her psychotic abusive husband after a period of inactivity.

Stopped attending at 18. Went back at 30 for two years. Then left and resigned for good. I didn't brain wash myself to go back, I just hadn't gone since I left home. It was easy to go back - until I found out everything I had been taught growing up was "never taught".

Now, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!! Hell no!!

I might be able to convince myself that I could endure it if it were forced upon me, but my ability to believe the unique claims and the whitewashed version of the church is gone.

I destroyed my belief in the LDS Church by subjecting myself to a thought exercise. I reasoned that the most effective way to compare my belief and disbelief would be to switch my mindset to disbelief. While it took me months to actually overcome the fear of being deceived by Satan or punished by God, I flipped the switch and found myself in a very comfortable and positive place.

A month ago at the behest of my TBM spouse, I tried to switch my worldview back in order to be able to give the Church a fair shot. The mental pain from trying to believe in the Mormon God again was unbearable, and I only lasted a few hours. I don't think I could brainwash myself back without a lot of external pressure.

I definitely see the reasons why you leave to be a big factor. God does not make sense to me, and the history of religion would have to change in order for him to.

There is a quote at my school, I'm not sure who it's by but it says, "One's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions. "

oliver wendell holmes

This is sort of what happened to me.

I grew up in the church; my extended family was old Utah mormon, but my parents were only partially active. I grew up going to church, getting the foundation and social reinforcement but it wasn't as dominant a force in my life as many people experience.

By the time I went to college, I had pretty much dropped it and was mostly agnostic, but had not done any real research.

When I was 22 I moved in with my uncle who happened to be a bishop, met a recent convert (the gay guy I ended up marrying) and because I was vulnerable to a perfect storm of circumstances, I got sucked in.

I have spent a lot of time looking back trying to figure out how it happened. I do remember thinking that the people around me -- people I loved and respected -- were SO confident, I thought I had to be missing something. I also remember thinking that even if it were not strictly true, it was still a good way to live.

After all of my experiences and research, I do not think there is anyway it could happen again, (maybe with torture and mind altering drugs) but I do shake my head when I think about how I was out, but allowed myself to be sucked back in.