Met with Non-Believing Mormon Family in Our Ward

[Deepthinker]

OK, so I just wanted to give an update from my previous thread about reaching out to the openly non-believing family in our ward that I found out about during one the ward council gossip sessions.

I met with the father a few weeks ago, we talked for over an hour. It was awesome! And to think all this time he only lives a 3 minute walk from my house. A week later I met his wife at the gym and we talked for a while too. Both agreed to keep my conversations with them confidential. He even said, "and not the kind of confidential you get from many church members, where they just gossip about it anyway".

Finding them, opening up and talking with them has really helped me. Also, I know there is a non-believing or NOM couple that just moved into the ward. They spoke last month and her testimony was almost exactly mine that I gave in December last year. Nothing about the BoM, nothing about Joseph Smith, only about love and that she "knows she is happier when following Christ" type of testimony.

I am feeling less and less alone.

[Korihor]

It's a wonderful feeling not being alone. If you now have a few associates in the ward, how many might there be in the stake?

[Deepthinker]

If you now have a few associates in the ward, how many might there be in the stake?

That was one of the things I discussed with my neighbor. We both thought that there were likely many others like us, at varying levels of the unbelief spectrum.

[No Tof]

That is fortunate.

This thread makes me really happy for you and hopeful that there are more out there for me to meet up with.

Cheers.

Other albertans out there?

[TestimonyLost]

I love hearing about these connections. As much as I appreciate and value online communities like this one, It's one of my hopes that I can also find folks in real life that "get" me and my journey.

[blind_nom_ore]

Since my disaffection, I'm in my 3rd ward (1 Washington, 2 Utah) and I've always found NOM types at various levels of the spectrum. My current level of activity in going 2 or 3 times a month, to SS (for wife) and sitting in hall during EQ. Thus I don't get to know too many people at church. Still, my EQP is a special kind of NOM. For all intents and purpose he is a 100% TBM except that he had a faith crisis a few years back and came out of it with a determination to focus only on the good that can come out of church service while ignoring the bad. In other words, he focuses on how people are changed rather than the veracity of doctrines. I can not relate at all since to me the veracity is all that matters. Thus, I still hope to meet that one NOM who can be my bosom friend... Any Lehi NOMs!?

[MalcolmVillager]

I am in a lucky ward. 3 families have left and 5 individuals are NOM with more TBM spouses. We found each other on the ATF FB group. There are probably more too. But most are total TBM I'm the ward.

[JustHangingOn@57]

I live in Alpine Utah, which is literally the center of the Mormon universe. There is one other person in my ward who I know is struggling with his testimony, but his issues are not docternal. He still essentially has a testimony of jc. He just hates Joseph smith, church activities, and the general authorities. His partial disaffection springs from a business deal gone bad in which he blames the church. I go Every week, full tithe payer, and hold a leadership position in the HPG. But I mentally checked out two years ago. I do All this for my wife, who is all in. We have several jack Mormons in our ward. I'm sorry, but They to me are an interesting breed. They never come to church, won't accept callings, yet will defend the LDS Church to the death. I tend to stay away from them. I hope someday to find others like me who can keep me sane! Sorry for the verbosity.

[achilles]

His partial disaffection springs from a business deal gone bad in which he blames the church.

A business deal gone bad in Utah Co? Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit.