Monthly Archives: March 2025

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Salt Lake Chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation Gives Shoutout to wasmormon

Doug Hendricks (Doug) shared a presentation about the Salt Lake Chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation at an Oasis Salt Lake meeting. Doug Hendricks’ talk focused on the newly established Salt Lake City chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) and its goals in Utah. He outlined the two-pronged mission of FFRF: (1) …

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There are a lot of places you can go on the internet to find out that you are not alone. wasmormon.org is my favorite because the people who post their stories on this website, are just ordinary people These are ordinary everyday people and so you go there and read their stories, and it's really soothing. I highly recommend it. You can do it anonymously if you want to. If you want to post your story here, it's really cathartic. - Douglas Hendricks, Salt Lake Chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation - Presentation at The Oasis Salt Lake Meeting, March 2, 2025 | wasmormon.org
There are a lot of places you can go on the internet to find out that you are not alone. wasmormon.org is my favorite because the people who post their stories on this website, are just ordinary people These are ordinary everyday people and so you go there and read their stories, and it's really soothing. I highly recommend it. You can do it anonymously if you want to. If you want to post your story here, it's really cathartic. - Douglas Hendricks, Salt Lake Chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation - Presentation at The Oasis Salt Lake Meeting, March 2, 2025

Mary Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight

Mary Kathryn’s journey out of Mormonism is one of transformation, resilience, and self-discovery. A devoted believer, she followed the prescribed path—attending BYU, marrying young, and having eight children by age 35. She dedicated herself fully to the faith, shaping her identity around the church’s teachings on womanhood, family, and service. However, as life unfolded—with personal …

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“Obedience to the law of tithing affirms our loyalty to the kingdom of God. There is a great deal of importance connected with this principle, for by it, it shall be known whether we are faithful or unfaithful. In this respect it is as essential as faith in God, as repentance of sin, as baptism for the remission of sin, or as the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. The law of tithing is a test by which the people as individuals shall be proved.” - Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith: Chapter 31 | wasmormon.org
“Obedience to the law of tithing affirms our loyalty to the kingdom of God. There is a great deal of importance connected with this principle, for by it, it shall be known whether we are faithful or unfaithful. In this respect it is as essential as faith in God, as repentance of sin, as baptism for the remission of sin, or as the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. The law of tithing is a test by which the people as individuals shall be proved.” - Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph F. Smith: Chapter 31
“We never felt that it was a sacrifice to pay our tithing. We felt it was an obligation, that even as small children we were doing our duty as the Lord had outlined that duty, and that we were assisting his church in the great work it had to accomplish... We hear some these days who say that because of economic pressures they cannot afford to pay their tithing... We can pay our tithing. It is not so much a matter of money as it is a matter of faith.” - Gordon B. Hinckley, LDS Apostle. First Presidency Message: The Sacred Law of Tithing, Ensign, December 1989 | wasmormon.org
“We never felt that it was a sacrifice to pay our tithing. We felt it was an obligation, that even as small children we were doing our duty as the Lord had outlined that duty, and that we were assisting his church in the great work it had to accomplish... We hear some these days who say that because of economic pressures they cannot afford to pay their tithing... We can pay our tithing. It is not so much a matter of money as it is a matter of faith.” - Gordon B. Hinckley, LDS Apostle. First Presidency Message: The Sacred Law of Tithing, Ensign, December 1989
“My beloved brothers and sisters, the eternal blessings of tithing are real. I have experienced them in my life and in the life of my family. The test of our faith is whether we will live the law of tithing by our obedience and sacrifice.” - Robert D. Hales, LDS Apostle, October 2002 General Conference. Tithing: A Test of Faith with Eternal Blessings | wasmormon.org
“My beloved brothers and sisters, the eternal blessings of tithing are real. I have experienced them in my life and in the life of my family. The test of our faith is whether we will live the law of tithing by our obedience and sacrifice.” - Robert D. Hales, LDS Apostle, October 2002 General Conference. Tithing: A Test of Faith with Eternal Blessings
“When I was a young intern, my income was $15 a month. One night, my wife Dantzel asked if I was paying tithing on that meager stipend. I was not. I quickly repented and began paying the additional $1.50 in monthly tithing. Was the Church any different because we increased our tithing? Of course not. However, becoming a full-tithe payer changed me. That is when I learned that paying tithing is all about faith, not money.” - Russell M. Nelson, LDS Church President, General Conference, October 2023 | wasmormon.org
“When I was a young intern, my income was $15 a month. One night, my wife Dantzel asked if I was paying tithing on that meager stipend. I was not. I quickly repented and began paying the additional $1.50 in monthly tithing. Was the Church any different because we increased our tithing? Of course not. However, becoming a full-tithe payer changed me. That is when I learned that paying tithing is all about faith, not money.” - Russell M. Nelson, LDS Church President, General Conference, October 2023
“Our obedience is voluntary, but our refusal to pay does not abrogate or repeal the law... The Lord has established the law of tithing, and because it is His law, it becomes our obligation to observe it if we love Him and have a desire to keep His commandments and receive His blessings. In this way it becomes a debt. The man who doesn’t pay his tithing because he is in debt should ask himself if he is not also in debt to the Lord.” - Howard W. Hunter, LDS Apostle, April 1964 General Conference | wasmormon.org
“Our obedience is voluntary, but our refusal to pay does not abrogate or repeal the law... The Lord has established the law of tithing, and because it is His law, it becomes our obligation to observe it if we love Him and have a desire to keep His commandments and receive His blessings. In this way it becomes a debt. The man who doesn’t pay his tithing because he is in debt should ask himself if he is not also in debt to the Lord.” - Howard W. Hunter, LDS Apostle, April 1964 General Conference
“I plead with you in the name of the Lord, and I pray that every man, woman and child ... shall pay one tenth of their income as a tithing.” - 2013 Sunday School Manual, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, Chapter 12: Tithing, a Law for Our Protection and Advancement
“I plead with you in the name of the Lord, and I pray that every man, woman and child ... shall pay one tenth of their income as a tithing.” - 2013 Sunday School Manual, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow, Chapter 12: Tithing, a Law for Our Protection and Advancement

Fast Food Orders vs Quitting Church – McDonald’s, Messed-Up Orders, and the Commoditization of Religion

A popular meme has been making the rounds. These memes read: “McDonald’s can mess up your order 101 times and you still keep going back… One thing goes wrong at church and you quit.” This suggests that people are more forgiving of mistakes at fast-food restaurants like McDonald’s than they are of issues with a church. It …

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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/marykathrynprice/. 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/marykathrynprice/. 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!
Parenting without religion as the guide is 100% improved. We spend our time with each other and our children. They get more of us than they would have because church took so much time. No more therapy after church, no more arguing about seminary no more judging our kids outfits. We even started swearing which I enjoy. At the end of each day I check in with myself to see if i respect who I was that day. If the answer is yes, I rest peacefully in my best efforts and try again the next day. - Mary's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/marykathrynprice/
Parenting without religion as the guide is 100% improved. We spend our time with each other and our children. They get more of us than they would have because church took so much time. No more therapy after church, no more arguing about seminary no more judging our kids outfits. We even started swearing which I enjoy. At the end of each day I check in with myself to see if i respect who I was that day. If the answer is yes, I rest peacefully in my best efforts and try again the next day. - Mary's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/marykathrynprice/
I like who I am as an ex-Mormon. I can love people better because I love myself better. I have more compassion for myself and others. I have changed how I orient to the “spirit”. I see my earnestness to do good and be good in the world as I used to see myself following promptings. I have discovered that all the miracles I was part of came from my own power and inner goodness or maybe even my inner god and amazing things continue to happen. Our families disapprove. We have been told that we are deceived by satan, that I am selfish for not staying and fighting, that we are ruining things for our kids and that we get our information from the wrong sources. - Mary's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/marykathrynprice/
I like who I am as an ex-Mormon. I can love people better because I love myself better. I have more compassion for myself and others. I have changed how I orient to the “spirit”. I see my earnestness to do good and be good in the world as I used to see myself following promptings. I have discovered that all the miracles I was part of came from my own power and inner goodness or maybe even my inner god and amazing things continue to happen. Our families disapprove. We have been told that we are deceived by satan, that I am selfish for not staying and fighting, that we are ruining things for our kids and that we get our information from the wrong sources. - Mary's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/marykathrynprice/
But if I wanted to go, I had to wear a dress to show my support for dictator, I mean, President Lindsey. He told me that I also needed to apologize publicly in front of all the leadership in the stake for derailing trek. I was astonished but willing to do anything as I had poured my heart into this change and had kids who I wanted to experience trek. I barely got through it, because my heart was breaking and my tears were flowing. I was learning that my voice did not count and did not have power in this patriarchal system. Religion makes good people do bad things like treat dissenting opinions especially from women like heresy. He burned me at the stake in front of our stake as a witch for influencing this positive change. I was amazed at this experience. He did not like my passion or tone or volume or body language although I thought I was respectful. I don’t know if he’d ever met a woman who would challenge his authority in this way. I began to realize that I had internalized sexism homophobia and racism. I started listening to podcasts galore to undo these infectious diseases inside of myself. - Mary's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/marykathrynprice/
But if I wanted to go, I had to wear a dress to show my support for dictator, I mean, President Lindsey. He told me that I also needed to apologize publicly in front of all the leadership in the stake for derailing trek. I was astonished but willing to do anything as I had poured my heart into this change and had kids who I wanted to experience trek. I barely got through it, because my heart was breaking and my tears were flowing. I was learning that my voice did not count and did not have power in this patriarchal system. Religion makes good people do bad things like treat dissenting opinions especially from women like heresy. He burned me at the stake in front of our stake as a witch for influencing this positive change. I was amazed at this experience. He did not like my passion or tone or volume or body language although I thought I was respectful. I don’t know if he’d ever met a woman who would challenge his authority in this way. I began to realize that I had internalized sexism homophobia and racism. I started listening to podcasts galore to undo these infectious diseases inside of myself. - Mary's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/marykathrynprice/
We were given an assignment to be Ma and Pa at trek. My daughters did not want to come especially because they didn’t want to dress up in pantaloons and dresses to hike in. They said they would come if they could wear pants. So I raised my hand in a training meeting and asked if there was any flexibility with the women’s dress code. Hard no. So I wrote a letter and met with President Lindsay. I appealed to his inclusive side to make room for kids who did not fit in the box. Turns out he cared less about inclusion and more about me sustaining him as the stake president. He said that if women wore pants chaos would ensue. I asked if there was anything I could do to change his mind. He said he would only change the policy if an Angel came. So I told him I would pray for an angel. He took my letter to a meeting with 10 stake presidents. Then he changed the policy, and the kids were able to choose pants. - Mary's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/marykathrynprice/
We were given an assignment to be Ma and Pa at trek. My daughters did not want to come especially because they didn’t want to dress up in pantaloons and dresses to hike in. They said they would come if they could wear pants. So I raised my hand in a training meeting and asked if there was any flexibility with the women’s dress code. Hard no. So I wrote a letter and met with President Lindsay. I appealed to his inclusive side to make room for kids who did not fit in the box. Turns out he cared less about inclusion and more about me sustaining him as the stake president. He said that if women wore pants chaos would ensue. I asked if there was anything I could do to change his mind. He said he would only change the policy if an Angel came. So I told him I would pray for an angel. He took my letter to a meeting with 10 stake presidents. Then he changed the policy, and the kids were able to choose pants. - Mary's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/marykathrynprice/
Derrick's brother’s baby Charlotte dies of cancer. The family doesn’t want me or the kids to come to the funeral and uninvites us. Derrick has major crisis of self and marriage crisis. We find Jennifer Finlaysen-Fife and start the therapy needed to undo superiority, patriarchy, family enmeshment, validation seeking, toxic positivity, purity culture, modesty etc. We take a time out from Derrick's family and try to fix our marriage. In the process we become differentiated. We grow ourselves up and learn how to self manage. We realize many sources of trouble with our kids and marriage are coming from our rigid belief system. This actually takes several years and a few more bad experiences with church. - Mary's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/marykathrynprice/
Derrick's brother’s baby Charlotte dies of cancer. The family doesn’t want me or the kids to come to the funeral and uninvites us. Derrick has major crisis of self and marriage crisis. We find Jennifer Finlaysen-Fife and start the therapy needed to undo superiority, patriarchy, family enmeshment, validation seeking, toxic positivity, purity culture, modesty etc. We take a time out from Derrick's family and try to fix our marriage. In the process we become differentiated. We grow ourselves up and learn how to self manage. We realize many sources of trouble with our kids and marriage are coming from our rigid belief system. This actually takes several years and a few more bad experiences with church. - Mary's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/marykathrynprice/