NOM

I met with my bishop recently. He called me in probably because he wanted to see how I was doing since I had met with him before and let him know of my non-belief. He asked me the usual questions that you would ask a non-believer such as what spiritual experiences did you have in the past and I told...

Red, did you ever have to explain why you stopped paying tithing to your wife? I did. As a new college grad I started working as an auditor working for one of the Big 4 accounting firms. I started auditing numerous churches and other non-profit entities which required audited financial statements b...

I was able to go back and get my history for the last 14 years… $0 It's interesting to see where I stopped paying tithing--mostly this past year. Unfortunately I lied about tithing to my wife recently. But I didn't want to have the conversation where I would have to explain that since I paid on my ...

Joseph Smith in the voice of Donald Trump, love it

I've been watching Paganism (ancient religion) on Great courses via Roku. It has been interesting that some of those things parallel modern religion. Baal was a Phonecian storm deity that was another form of Yahweh who was the Jehovah of the old testament and we are taught in Mormonism is Jesus Chri...

Maybe there is the "sunk cost" factor also. It seems the older generation may be more concerned about "saving" the younger generation from leaving the fold right?

"Spiritual" beliefs? Y'all know what I'm going to say aboot that: I don't believe in ghosts. Beyond that I like shocking believers with the term: Apatheism . In not-so-many words: "Don't know, don't care." In a few-mor-words: I don't believe in the existence of any gods, and I don't really care too...

I would probably label myself the same. Although, I tend to have a greater belief in science than I do in religion. I guess there is still the "unknown". Like are there ghosts? and do miracles happen? There was a missionary who spoke yesterday (homecoming) and he said that he was prompted to quote a...

Years ago the people living on 90th South in Sandy, Utah did not know their neighbors on the other side of the street. Why? Because the middle of the street was the dividing line between the LDS Stakes. Same for Highland Drive. Boyd K. Packer used to live just across Highland from me and we never h...

Jfro18, I have really liked your work on Mormon stories. What is the best way to support you? Donate to Mormon stories or elsewhere? So I'm not making any $$ for these (I know John pays regulars but I want to make sure no one can ever say I'm doing this for the money) which is probably a really dum...

Jfro18, I have really liked your work on Mormon stories. What is the best way to support you? Donate to Mormon stories or elsewhere?

Thanks everyone for your responses they were all helpful and insightful. Just a side note, awhile back when I asked my EQP that I didn't want to minister anymore that led to him inviting me to breakfast and I let him know that I no longer believed. Curiously, his wife this past Sunday spoke and sai...

Thanks everyone for your responses they were all helpful and insightful. Just a side note, awhile back when I asked my EQP that I didn't want to minister anymore that led to him inviting me to breakfast and I let him know that I no longer believed. Curiously, his wife this past Sunday spoke and said...

Being a non-believer in a community of believers creates a constant worry that something bad is going to happen. Maybe partially rooted in the teachings that people who lose their belief are going to hell. But there are also countless possible social consequences that can be dreamt up. It's like li...

I think your approach sounds great Linked! And an easy analogy is likening the church to santa claus except maybe not the best if you want your wife's viewpoint to have a chance. But yeah I think it's a good idea to let him know that you and your wife have different beliefs about the church and he p...

Just ask what people actually want and need, and then match them with others who are able and willing to deliver on that need. -lost That's a great idea lost! Sparky, I told my EQP that I was no longer interested in ministering. Unfortunately, that led to him having breakfast with me and me telling...

I don't know about you guys and gals, but lately I am feeling more like a fish out of water at church activities. I am sort of ignored especially by the bishop and eqp since they know my status (beliefs). Anyway, it sort of makes me not want to go. I have already stopped going to elder's quorum. I w...

I went to church on Sunday and only half the ward showed up I think because of Fall break--people were out of town. Anyway, I think it is becoming more of a thing for people to mention that they know of friends and relatives that have left the church. But I did notice this past Sunday that there wer...

I grew up in the church also in an orthodox home. And in a small Utah town with no other churches in it. They used to have a bust of Joseph Smith on the outside window of the museum with a blue light behind it. It gave me sort of a mystical feeling as a child. I also think that being ultra religious...

Being raised in an orthodox home and attending BYU I believe made me very picky. I dated a lot of girls but usually found a flaw that caused me to stop. And those who I thought were great weren't very interested in me. Finally when I was in my forties attending a mid singles ward I decided that I di...