The thread about purging crap when you leave the church had me think about the important things to save.

I still have my temple clothes, garments, scriptures, and some books.

What are the best things to save? My thought is that the church is going to change, so I want to save some stuff to document those changes.

My list of important books to keep -

Gospel Essentials Manual (any edition, the older the better)
Mormon Doctrine
Scriptures (any edition, the older the better)
History of the Church (in book form, since it's so easy to alter digital copies)
Patriarchal Blessing (to compare w/other exmos)


What would you keep?

My sanity.

Um...I hate to be the bearer of bad news...but...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2012 11:38AM by bc.

I was afraid somebody would go there.

You set yourself up :)

D'oh!

I got rid of garments because I couldn't stand the sight of the things after I stopped believing. I'm keeping all of the items listed in the original post, plus my Primary, YW and RS manuals. Haven't decided yet if I'll keep my temple clothes, though.

For me this is academic because with a TBM wife & kids we still have everything.

I think your list is pretty good - except no interest in keeping garments & temple clothes. Also Mormon Doctrine wasn't actually sanctioned by the church, so it has somewhat less value - in fact it was quite controversial even when first published.

Patriarchal Blessing is definitely towards the top of my list for some reason - besides it doesn't take up much room.

My garments are being used for padding in my boys bb shooting range in our unfinished basement - does that count as saving them?

I could also see someone wanting to get rid of everything as symbolic of leaving it behind.

I'd also hold onto "Preach My Gospel" because it gives a pretty good snapshot of the LDS church.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2012 10:32AM by bc.

Back in the day, just about every mormon who had a mormonish library had it. Many members I know that are one generation above me still own the early "tell-all" editions. McConkie was a favored and respected APOSTLE, and Council of the Twelve member. In my world, he doesn't get a free pass.

It wasn't controversial because of the doctrine, but because he put that doctrine into print. Back then there was a lot more teaching from that book than there was disagreeing about it... at least in all the classes I sat through.

And... when mormons today try to distance themselves from it, I remind them of McConkie's position in the hierarchy, and then ask, "why should I believe or follow ANY of the church leaders if [you] have the ability to flippantly discard them like you do with McConkie? Wasn't he an Apostle at the time?"

I got rid of everything, with the exception of my husband's scriptures. G's, temple clothes, books, arkwrok, all of it went away.

These are of great display items for nevermos, teens who might otherwise go on missions or marry in the temple, and anyone who hasn't been through the temple rituals.

Never throw out vintage copies of Journal of Discourses or other pre-1960s materials.

I kept my quad, one pair of garments and temple clothing for show and tell.

I also kept Miracle of Forgiveness for show and tell too.

Nothing quite sums up Mormonism than "better dead than raped."

10%

I actually kept a lot of the manuals, because I remember my father destroying a bunch of manuals, when we were growing up, because he had been instructed to do so, less they fall into the hands of anti-Mormons. It wasn't a matter of simply tossing them in the trash, but destroying them in such a way, that no one going through the garbage would mistake them as something useful. It was actually a church assignment for him to do at home, because they were worried about anti-Mormons targeting the dumpster at church.

We were in the south, and there was a lot of paranoia that the local baptist were actively looking for things that they could use and "twist" to embarrass us. Or at least that was what we were told. I think the church was really worried about us retaining the books, and finding out how the church twists stuff to its own embarrassment.

Your money...

I haven't thrown anything out...not...one...thing..

I didn't keep much, most things I either donated to the thrift store or found a practical use for - scripture pages are great for lining the birdcage.

The few things I did keep:
*hymn book - I really like some of the music and it's good piano practice
*patriarchal blessing - only because my grandpa was the patriarch and so it reminds me of him
*ctr ring - not the cheap one from primary that turned my finger green, but a high quality Spanish version that I got in college. I haven't worn it in years but can't seem to get rid of it either.

Anyone know what to do with garments? Someone asked me if I would burn them out of protest. I responded that I think burning them is actually the correct way to dispose of them, particularly the symbols. Simply throwing them in the garbage would be considered by TBM's as blasphemous.

Any thoughts?

Proper, church approved disposal is cutting out the marks and burning those, then cutting the rest into pieces so that it's not obvious what it looked like before. If you want to use those remnants to scrub your bathroom, totally cool, according to the church, just so long as you've disposed of the symbols correctly.

I'd suggest _not_ burning the entire thing, especially if you happen to have a non-cotton version. Polyester and nylon are nasty when burned.

Get rid of the books....I only kept the big triple combo that belonged to my parents. It is still on the bookshelf more as a matter of the respect and love I have for those two special, wonderful people. Everything else is in the landfill.

Ron Burr

Everytime I declutter I find yet more stuff to get rid of.

However I have kept B H Roberts' History of the church'. I don't particularly want it, but until I find an exmo who does, I'll keep it.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/26/2012 12:11PM by Beth.

As much as I want to burn everything mormon I have in my house, I think I will lock it up in a box and keep it for future reference. In 30 years, I can pull out my old scriptures to see how much they have changed.

I still need to get rid of a mountain of G's, to me they are a symbol of mind control.

Both my parents passed away 12 years ago. I have both of their hymns and primary manuals. My dad was ALWAYS stuck being chorister and always subbed for others in any meeting. He had hand-written notes in his, and his name engraved, and I had bought it for him.

My moms was the orange sing with me manual of the olden days, and she had written her name in it.

I got rid of all my scriptures, garmies, etc. My ex still has his stuff from his mission. I don't think he could wait to get out of his garmies....

It's funny though that his BF still wears garmies at times. They are living here, and sometimes I have to move the laundry from one to the other, and there they were, gray and all. WTF? I don't think he has formally left though, so maybe that's why.

But he has left his family and stuff, lives with his BF of fours years, etc. Wanted to do more than my ex too, if you know what I mean, but yet he still wears garmies. Maybe because he had them and he can't afford to get rid of them.

Makes me wonder though. I keep the paperwork from our resignation, just in case, plus I am pretty damn proud of it.

My son doesn't have much, just a picture of him in temple clothes when we sealed him, and his outfit. I still have those.

I did get rid of temple stone thing, gold temple picture, the mormon christ. Hmmm.

Stored in a scrapbook with my exit letter. I also have my Aaronic Priethood ordination certificate.

I've trashed everything except the scriptures. The plain bom is still in a drawer because I'm too lazy to go get it and put it in the trash... I should do that right after writing this though. I keep intending on throwing it out but never seem to be home when I remember it. Then I still have the quad that was given to me. It has my name on the front so I plan to cut that out. After that I don't know what to do. I hate destroying books. Can you recycle books? Do you have to take the cover off first or anything? I'd hate to throw it away since it has the bible in it, but I don't want to donate it because I don't want some innocent person to pick it up and start to read it. So I have a delima. Suggestions anyone?

TBMs (and other ultra conservatives) have no qualms about burning or otherwise destroying a book that they consider to be too trashy or vulgar or sinful to leave around for anyone else to stumble upon and read. That can go both ways, yes?

If you can't get rid of the book write what you know about the book and how you feel about all that. Glue it inside the front cover.

Excellent. Sort of the anti-testimony, the opposite of what missionaries used to do when they'd glue their testimony to the front cover.

Our exit letters. That's all I saved.

I'm keeping my 1911 hymn book. It has some classic songs, like "Oh, Stop and Tell me Redman." (Story about how the American Indians are descendants of a decadent race of Lamanites that have eschewed the truth of the gospel to roam the earth like heathens.)

Ooo... that's a good one to have on hand!