NOM

When I was in the process of detaching myself from the church, I was pulled in and asked to accept a calling. I had to ask twice what calling it was before they would tell me it was to teach RS. It really is a standard part of their playbook to hook you in any way possible without giving you any mor...

A couple of weeks ago I went down a kind of Sabbath rabbit-hole -- I started playing some of my favorite Sunday morning music. It had been years sinced I'd listened to anything churchy, and the music brought back a rush of really big feelings. I mostly don't miss anything about church, but that day ...

I love this post, Moksha. A friend told me she was struggling with Christmas after concluding that the Nativity story had very little basis in history. My response was that it is still a lovely story, and has as much meaning for me as A Christmas Carol or The Lord of the Rings -- neither of which is...

I was a missionary in France in the mid-80s and it was rough trying to function in a foreign language in a country that had little use for Americans or religion and especially not for an American religion. I still have warm feelings for the family in my first area that had a standing appointment wit...

Those chilaquiles look amazing! My never-mo aunt came into town on Thursday -- Friday we saw the touring production of Cats (audience was masked). It was a powerful experience to be with a live audience enjoying the first live theatre in many months and the applause was thunderous. She left early th...

I remember when I resigned myself to the fact that I just wasn't CK material. I felt guilty and a little ashamed, but also (when I was being honest with myself) relieved. Trying to live up to CK expectations in mortality was so taxing I couldn't imagine having to do it for eternity.

I'm always interested in these updates. It sounds like a pretty tough slog, at least at the moment. Your last comment, about how much the job can take and take, triggered a memory. I was good friends with both the wife and the adult daughter of the man who was bishop during my last active years. Alt...

My nephew's response to Holland's talk was to come out on Facebook. Thing is, he's recently married -- to a woman -- and she also made a long post. They both talked about their faith in the gospel and the priesthood and their support of the brethren . . . you can all fill in the rest, I'm sure. I've...

The headline: Among Mormon Women, Frank Talk About Sacred Underclothes Frustrated by itchy, constrictive church-designed garments, they are asking for better fit, more options and “buttery soft fabric.” https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/21/us/mormon-women-underclothes.html?action=click&algo=bandit-all...

The way the church pushes “goal setting” by demanding totally unrealistic goals, them shaming and berating anyone not reaching those impossible goals is abuse. So, treat yourself like someone who lived in an abusive situation, because you are. You are being triggered. When you cannot avoid the trig...

Fifi, I too struggle with setting goals. I have to do something similar for work for myself and my department. I’ve pulled in my staff and we’ve had a few brainstorming sessions to root out reasonable goals. I always start with the mundane stuff that has to be done, that everyone already does, etc....

I was a new missionary and talked my companion into going along with our zone with some completely impossible goals for the upcoming month. After the month was up, we got a visit from the MP who berated us for not meeting the goal or even coming close. It was miserable. My heart hurts for the ideal...

Red Ryder's post on Ordinary Mormon Trauma really resonated with me and I'll be thinking about it for a good long while. I started to reply with another example of my own Mormon trauma, but I was afraid it was too far off-topic so I started this thread. It's the end of our university's school year a...

Jody England Hansen recounts her experience as one of Helfer's witnesses: https://www.the-exponent.com/here-is-my-witness/ It's unreal how threatened these men with all their priesthood power were by a group of women in Sunday dress. I am finding myself more angered by this episode than I have been ...

Edit to add: Given what Hawkins has said here, that he had a prepared statement, I'm starting to think this is not just a stupid local leader being stupid. Once again, the church is drawing lines that they don't need to draw. And it will end as badly as the 2015 policy of exclusion debacle, especia...

Oh wait a minute, something's untrue about Ayn Rand... So that was kind of a big moment where I just went "I think I've been believing bullsh*t." And then there's that beautiful, kind of, hole in your soul where you're like, "Ok, so if that's not it, what else is there?" and also a lot of small poi...

I think someone's cutting onions . . .you all are the best. It's been six years but you know what -- grief doesn't care how long it's been. There are a lot of good times and days are mostly good, but there are still moments where I can barely stand under the weight of it. Two of Neal's siblings are ...

I sat out for my son's wedding a couple of years ago and it was hard, although neither of my other grown children were there either so I didn't feel so alone on the outside. When I was moaning to some non LDS coworkers about this, it somehow came up that the temple sealing ceremony wasn't at all lik...

moksha wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 13, 2020 6:26 pm

Here is a Mormon Christmas song video that is very touching:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4fvMgN ... gM&index=3

Lovely! Thank you for sharing.

I think John was paraphrasing Spencer Kimball's infamous quote in Miracle of Forgiveness: "Also far-reaching is the effect of the loss of chastity. Once given or taken or stolen it can never be regained. Even in a forced contact such as rape or incest, the injured one is greatly outraged. If she has...