Mormon: Why'd you leave the church? Me: Because I quite enjoy laughing out loud... Mormon: So? Me: So your church makes people swear an oath not to laugh out loud... Mormon: ...
That's a good one. I also like the idea of saying "Because I know more about it than you do" in a slightly smug voice. Of course, no one ever asks me anything, probably because they know I will answer and not mince words and their own testimonies "can't handle the truth." (to quote Jack Nicholson)
I like this, CA girl. It's similar to mine, which is, "I learned some factual things about Mormon history that were very different than what we are told in church. I discovered I cared very much about truth. Would you like to know more?"
I have literally had not one person want to know more about truth in the Mormon church. EVEN MISSIONARIES.
The same reason I stopped playing with army soldiers. I grew up and moved from a magic world view to a pragmatic understanding.
It's amazing to me that grown adults wear secret gowns and exchange secret Mormon gang symbols and handshakes. Priesthood is the tree fort with a "no girls allowed sign." Relief Society is like the priesthood, but without the fort. The girls have to have their tea party on the lawn.
"You can't be twenty on Sugar Mountain, though you think you're leaving there too soon." --Neil Young
The Mormons don't want to leave Sugar Mountain, ever. So they go all Peter Pan and act childish. Then they call their behavior a virtue.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2013 07:27PM by donbagley.
Amen. I see this a lot when TBM family talks about going to Disney world. The kids are under 5 or babies but they're off to meet Snow White. In general, the morg is a lot like junior high school. The folks that really enjoyed that time seem to be the same folks I still at church now. Being "like a child" really appeals to some people, enough to even scrub poop off of toilets to make it happen.
I have to admit I was a morbot "slave" for so long I really enjoy the freedom I have on Sunday now and look forward to it. Instead of 3 hours of torture meetings and normally assignments I now wake up to a leisurly day of TV, Internet Bible study/servmons, taking a walk and enjoying the out of doors, then normally dinner and activities with the grandkids.
My DW is still a morbot (by not wanting to hear the truth) and sees how I am enjoying the day (instead of being tortured for telling church leaders what they could do with my callings and not paying fire insurance) versus her running here and there doing assignments, etc. so she comes home somewhat worn out.
She was clearly jealous of my enjoyment of last Sunday, especially with the time change and all she had to do. We will see how long it takes until she finds I am not being obviously punished for not paying tithing for the last 3 years and not holding any callings or attending church and wants to know more! Hopefully, my mature kids will also see how God is punishing me and desire that same punishment for themselves.
I am still a Christian but bring in the best Sermons/Preachers via internet and do feast at the smorgasboard of Christianity --- I actually like some of the Preachers so much I watch their sermons each day ------- of course just to punish myself with the positive Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Because it made my life a living hell and I was miserable. I've found it pretty much stops the conversation completely, even when I really want to explain!
I love that idea of comparing Santa Claus and Joseph Smith. And if they try to argue that Joseph Smith was a real person in history ... you can say ... "oh, so history DOES matter?" Then proceed to lay out all the historical facts that joseph smith was in fact a pretty terrible person.
Actually, Santa existed in many cultures, under different names. I'm too lazy to site all the historical evidence, but, suffice it to say that Joe Smith is the real phony, not Kris Kringle and the others...
My best answer so far (although I may use the "laughter" one at some point) has been "Because living as a Mormon was too easy." When the questioner claimed that "living the gospel is hard" I pointed out that it isn't, because all the decisions of how to live and all the thinking about life have already been done for them. If all decisions of how one is going to live have already been made, life become too easy.
I teetered for a long time on whether to jump the train or quietly ride off into the sunset and leave it alone. My family had pretty much all left it years ago and I had recently moved from Utah to Oregon. I had a conversation with gay friend of mine that was tormenting over his fear of leaving the church because, "What if I'm wrong!", was overwhelming. I challenged him to go to the "This is the place" monument, stand on the edge of the wall surrounding the statue, and shout out as loud as he could, "I no longer am controlled by the church. I am free!".
He actually did that challenge and felt relieved and excited. I then challenged him to go ahead and write the letter. He was still too afraid to go that far, but I realized I was actually challenging MYSELF.
I got on line, found the standard letter, filled it out and mailed it in. There were several anxious months as I waited, complied with the demands I contact the local bishop, and still hadn't heard anything. Finally, I wrote a demand notice saying my attorney would be the next person they hear from and the final letter was here in a matter of days.
I left the church because it no longer represented WHO I AM. The lies and deceptions regarding JS, BOM, BOA, murders, dominations, polygamy, polyandry, all of it was made very clear in a short time space and that did it for me.
"The church built a higher-end great and spacious mall that few faithful members can afford to shop at, and the prophet is there opening day chanting 'Let's go shopping'". The LDS church built a monument to Babylon that is within throwing distance of the SLC temple. Clearly your church is no longer His."