Yearly Archives: 2024

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In my second year of teaching, I met a man and fell in love. Six months after meeting, we were sealed in the temple. Eleven months after that, we had a baby, Morgan, and postpartum depression hit me like a ton of bricks. Our marriage went south, mostly because he just couldn't relate to my mental illness. After six years of marriage, we divorced. Soon after the divorce was finalized, I met another man on an LDS dating app. With encouragement from both of our bishops, I married far earlier than was healthy (again, only six months). We had four kids between us, and our daughters were the best of friends. Unfortunately, my new husband and I were not. Our marriage was never a particularly happy one, but it wasn't supposed to be, was it? Obedience. Sacrifice. Endurance to the End. That doctrine had been pounded into us since birth and there was no way we were going to waver from the straight and narrow. At least we were working toward happiness in the next life. - Kate's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/midlifeexmomomma/
In my second year of teaching, I met a man and fell in love. Six months after meeting, we were sealed in the temple. Eleven months after that, we had a baby, Morgan, and postpartum depression hit me like a ton of bricks. Our marriage went south, mostly because he just couldn't relate to my mental illness. After six years of marriage, we divorced. Soon after the divorce was finalized, I met another man on an LDS dating app. With encouragement from both of our bishops, I married far earlier than was healthy (again, only six months). We had four kids between us, and our daughters were the best of friends. Unfortunately, my new husband and I were not. Our marriage was never a particularly happy one, but it wasn't supposed to be, was it? Obedience. Sacrifice. Endurance to the End. That doctrine had been pounded into us since birth and there was no way we were going to waver from the straight and narrow. At least we were working toward happiness in the next life. - Kate's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/midlifeexmomomma/
I'm a mom, dog mom, divorcee, former teacher, barbershopper, future author, and public speaker. Born in the covenant, this past summer I turned 45 years old, and for my birthday I got a sweet midlife crisis. In a matter of months, I ended my 18-year teaching career to support my husband in his new career out of state, I quit grad school halfway through, my shelf came crashing down, I left the LDS church for good, my second husband and I divorced, I severed ties with my parents and others who refused to show empathy or respect my boundaries, we sold our home, I packed the place up single-handedly, and wound up homeless and unemployed. And all parts of this midlife transition were tied to my decision to first stay in, then ultimately leave the church. I was a Mormon. - Kate's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/midlifeexmomomma/
I'm a mom, dog mom, divorcee, former teacher, barbershopper, future author, and public speaker. Born in the covenant, this past summer I turned 45 years old, and for my birthday I got a sweet midlife crisis. In a matter of months, I ended my 18-year teaching career to support my husband in his new career out of state, I quit grad school halfway through, my shelf came crashing down, I left the LDS church for good, my second husband and I divorced, I severed ties with my parents and others who refused to show empathy or respect my boundaries, we sold our home, I packed the place up single-handedly, and wound up homeless and unemployed. And all parts of this midlife transition were tied to my decision to first stay in, then ultimately leave the church. I was a Mormon. - Kate's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/midlifeexmomomma/
“the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in the attitude of calling upon the Lord in the 16th year of my age a piller of fire light above the brightness of the sun at noon day come down from above and rested upon me and I was filled with the spirit of god and the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying 'Joseph my son thy sins are forgiven thee'” - First Recorded Account of the First Vision Joseph Smith Jr Journal, 1832 | wasmormon.org
“the Lord heard my cry in the wilderness and while in the attitude of calling upon the Lord in the 16th year of my age a piller of fire light above the brightness of the sun at noon day come down from above and rested upon me and I was filled with the spirit of god and the Lord opened the heavens upon me and I saw the Lord and he spake unto me saying 'Joseph my son thy sins are forgiven thee'” - First Recorded Account of the First Vision Joseph Smith Jr Journal, 1832
“by searching the scriptures I found that mankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatised from the true and living faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament” - First Recorded Account of the First Vision Joseph Smith Jr Journal, 1832 | wasmormon.org
“by searching the scriptures I found that mankind did not come unto the Lord but that they had apostatised from the true and living faith and there was no society or denomination that built upon the gospel of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament” - First Recorded Account of the First Vision Joseph Smith Jr Journal, 1832
“To me the gospel is not a great mass of theological jargon. It is a simple and beautiful and logical thing, with one quiet truth following another in orderly sequence. I do not fret over the mysteries... I am not worried that the Prophet Joseph Smith gave a number of versions of the first vision” - President Gordon B. Hinckley, as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, November 1983 | First Presidency Message, October 1984 Ensign | wasmormon.org
“To me the gospel is not a great mass of theological jargon. It is a simple and beautiful and logical thing, with one quiet truth following another in orderly sequence. I do not fret over the mysteries... I am not worried that the Prophet Joseph Smith gave a number of versions of the first vision” - President Gordon B. Hinckley, as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, November 1983 | First Presidency Message, October 1984 Ensign

Nothing to Hide?

President Gordon B. Hinckley, top leader of the Church (1995-2008) addresses several issues related to the church’s history and practices in an interview on Christmas Day in 2005. The interview covered many topics but here we’ll look closely at what he said about polygamy and fundamentalist Mormons and church history and transparency. Polygamy and Fundamentalist …

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“Let's Go Shopping!” “We’re so pleased to join in inviting the world to come to downtown Salt Lake City... Everything that we see around us is evidence of the long-standing commitment of The Church to Salt Lake City. Downtown, thanks to so many, is indeed rising.” - President Eyring spoke on behalf of the church during the ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opening City Creek Center. Church President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor President Dieter F. Uchtdorf  and the Presiding Bishopric were also in attendance. | wasmormon.org
“Let's Go Shopping!” “We’re so pleased to join in inviting the world to come to downtown Salt Lake City... Everything that we see around us is evidence of the long-standing commitment of The Church to Salt Lake City. Downtown, thanks to so many, is indeed rising.” - President Eyring spoke on behalf of the church during the ribbon-cutting ceremony officially opening City Creek Center. Church President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor President Dieter F. Uchtdorf  and the Presiding Bishopric were also in attendance.
“So there is no misunderstanding, I emphasize that none of that money comes from the tithing of faithful members. That is not how we use tithing funds.” - Presiding Bishop H. David Burton | October 8, 2003 Press Conference Announcing Church strategy to revitalize downtown Salt Lake City | wasmormon.org
“So there is no misunderstanding, I emphasize that none of that money comes from the tithing of faithful members. That is not how we use tithing funds.” - Presiding Bishop H. David Burton | October 8, 2003 Press Conference Announcing Church strategy to revitalize downtown Salt Lake City

What is Cognitive Dissonance?

Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person experiences discomfort due to holding conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors. To reduce this discomfort, individuals often try to reconcile these inconsistencies, either by changing their beliefs, justifying their actions, or avoiding information that exacerbates the conflict. Leon Festinger Social psychologist Leon Festinger coined the term “cognitive dissonance” in the 1950s in …

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This is a spotlight on a profile shared at wasmormon.org. These are just the highlights, so please find the full story at https://wasmormon.org/profile/spenceay94/. There are stories of Mormon faith journeys contributed by hundreds of users like you. Come check them out and consider sharing your own story at wasmormon.org!
This is a spotlight on a profile shared at wasmormon.org. These are just the highlights, so please find the full story at https://wasmormon.org/profile/spenceay94/. There are stories of Mormon faith journeys contributed by hundreds of users like you. Come check them out and consider sharing your own story at wasmormon.org!
"I first read the letter for my wife and I couldn't reconcile with the facts it contains, Joseph Smith was not a good man, he wasn't even pleasant from the sound of it. After that I struggled to see why I should stay." - Spence's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/spenceay94/
"I first read the letter for my wife and I couldn't reconcile with the facts it contains, Joseph Smith was not a good man, he wasn't even pleasant from the sound of it. After that I struggled to see why I should stay." - Spence's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/spenceay94/
“Scholars still argue whether Joseph Smith was convicted of glass looking in 1826, but the point is moot. Church scholars now acknowledge that he had a seer stone and did look for lost objects as a young man... No one denies that magic was there, especially in the mid-1820s. Smith never repudiated folk traditions; he continued to use the seer stone until late in life and used it in the translation process.” - Richard Bushman, LDS Historian | wasmormon.org
“Scholars still argue whether Joseph Smith was convicted of glass looking in 1826, but the point is moot. Church scholars now acknowledge that he had a seer stone and did look for lost objects as a young man... No one denies that magic was there, especially in the mid-1820s. Smith never repudiated folk traditions; he continued to use the seer stone until late in life and used it in the translation process.” - Richard Bushman, LDS Historian
“The treasure-seeking stories of Joseph Smith’s youth have done more than cast a shadow on his character. They supply a secular explanation for his extraordinary religious claims... The response of Mormon historians in the 1970s was to deny almost everything... Not only the Smiths but also many of their neighbors were looking for treasure in Palmyra in the 1820s. It may not have been the most uplifting activity, and some scoffed, but it was something like reading astrological charts today—a little goofy but harmless. The only harm came when someone tried to deceive others to get gain. That was why Joseph Smith was put on trial.” - Richard Bushman, LDS Historian | wasmormon.org
“The treasure-seeking stories of Joseph Smith’s youth have done more than cast a shadow on his character. They supply a secular explanation for his extraordinary religious claims... The response of Mormon historians in the 1970s was to deny almost everything... Not only the Smiths but also many of their neighbors were looking for treasure in Palmyra in the 1820s. It may not have been the most uplifting activity, and some scoffed, but it was something like reading astrological charts today—a little goofy but harmless. The only harm came when someone tried to deceive others to get gain. That was why Joseph Smith was put on trial.” - Richard Bushman, LDS Historian