After five long years of NOMhood, I have finally left the church. I am document over on the NOM forums. I was BIC, left the church as a young man, came back as a young adult (18,19) and became totally TBM: mission, temple marriage, callings, etc.

About five years ago my dad, who was (and is) super-TBM, was discovered in downloading and viewing alleged child pornography. I say alleged because he was never convicted, but I believe he did it (I found the evidence and turned him into the police). My mother divorced my father and had her temple recommend removed, he didn't. At that time, I was TBM enough to trust the church establishment to help: I witnessed the "good-old-boys" club in action. I had my temple recommend removed and was called to repentence.

I knew the history of the church previous to this. I had enough trust and love for the prophets and apostles to believe them (and to believe Joseph Smith). I haven't learned anything new in the past 5 years in regards to how the church works, but once the trust is gone for the hierarchy (and patriarchy), the entire structure crumbles. It was then that I discovered that it wasn't Jesus Christ that the church was founded upon, it is founded entirely upon the "priesthood", a collection of men who demand obedience from their underlings.

I tried my darndest to stay in the church. I attended, held callings, went to the temple, but it continually crumbled all around me. My TBM-wife was in shatters over my loss of faith, although she, as a liberal Mormon, understood. Slowly over time, with her feminist awakening, we started moving towards the same page. The biggest holdups were the social and church structure that we loved so much (we are still Christians).

Well, it sort of happened humorously. I was offered a position as an organist at a local United church of Christ congregation and soon found that there is nothing unique (except for the doctrine) that the church has than other churches do not. The people and the doctrine felt so much closer to what I believed. I don't believe in a "true" church, but I do believe there are some that fit the person quite well.

After a while, I applied for a job at the Lutheran church where I was rejected based upon my religious background ("unorthodox" Christianity) but was immediately head hunted to play organ for the local Episcopal church, where I found my home.

Flash forward to two weeks ago, my wife and I removed our garments, sent our letters off, and have joined the Episcopal church.