The Lamanite
21st January 2009, 09:06 PM
G'day,
I grew up in the Mormon religion and in my teens had some issues with my faith, despite two and a half years of seminary (Mormon teenagers have to do four years of seminary which coincide with high school years) many things didn't add up. Knowing I would have to go on a mission soon I decided to tell my family I wouldn't and that I no longer wanted to attend church. Though disappointed they agreed ( I think it was some kind of attempt at reverse psychology, that never worked) and I thank them to this day for letting me choose my own path. That was 1992 and for about eight years I still believed in many of the teachings, and in some way felt there was still some higher power out there (the teachings of childhood are hard to shake!). Started to become more and more agnostic after eight years of being inactive the church had deemed me an apostate and excommunicated me. In 2007 my Grandfather past away, he had been one of my personal heroes and it cut me deep, having dedicated more than half his life to Mormonism I felt I needed to confront my lost faith head on.
Since Mormon's are only ever given one side of the story I started to research this religion to the point of completely dismantling it and it's origin, Christianity. What I discovered brought many tears and at times still does, since the things I was taught were rumors or just plain "anti-Mormon" where actually fact, and that this organization holds back information from it's members. That hurt and still does, anyway I don't want to bore you any longer that's my story in a nut shell.
My journey of discovery as brought me to my new found atheism and someone who cares a great deal about science and reason.
Cheers!
I grew up in the Mormon religion and in my teens had some issues with my faith, despite two and a half years of seminary (Mormon teenagers have to do four years of seminary which coincide with high school years) many things didn't add up. Knowing I would have to go on a mission soon I decided to tell my family I wouldn't and that I no longer wanted to attend church. Though disappointed they agreed ( I think it was some kind of attempt at reverse psychology, that never worked) and I thank them to this day for letting me choose my own path. That was 1992 and for about eight years I still believed in many of the teachings, and in some way felt there was still some higher power out there (the teachings of childhood are hard to shake!). Started to become more and more agnostic after eight years of being inactive the church had deemed me an apostate and excommunicated me. In 2007 my Grandfather past away, he had been one of my personal heroes and it cut me deep, having dedicated more than half his life to Mormonism I felt I needed to confront my lost faith head on.
Since Mormon's are only ever given one side of the story I started to research this religion to the point of completely dismantling it and it's origin, Christianity. What I discovered brought many tears and at times still does, since the things I was taught were rumors or just plain "anti-Mormon" where actually fact, and that this organization holds back information from it's members. That hurt and still does, anyway I don't want to bore you any longer that's my story in a nut shell.
My journey of discovery as brought me to my new found atheism and someone who cares a great deal about science and reason.
Cheers!