Jim Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight

Jim’s upbringing in a remote Idaho town was deeply tied to the Mormon faith, where he committed himself to its principles from a young age. However, after decades of unwavering dedication and significant leadership roles within the Church, Jim found himself at a crossroads. A mid-life crisis prompted a profound reassessment of his beliefs, fueled by a growing list of unanswered questions and a sense of impending despair. As he grappled with the dissonance between his faith and his lived experiences, Jim made the courageous decision to embark on a journey of self-discovery. Rejecting blind allegiance to doctrine, he delved into a diverse array of disciplines, seeking enlightenment and truth. Jim’s quest led him to challenge entrenched beliefs, ultimately culminating is writing his own science-based alternative to the world’s religions. His story underscores the power of critical inquiry and the pursuit of authenticity in the face of uncertainty.

I was born in Idaho in a tiny remote town, my parents later divorced, Mom remarried an inactive Mormon, I was nudged into the Church at age 12, became devout, gave 100% (mission, branch president, high counselor, stake president) and that nearly killed me, so I was either going to die or do something else. After 35 years of devotion with numerous major callings, I had a near-death mid-life crisis and decided I had to start over with a “zero-based budgeting” approach to my beliefs. I was a Mormon.

From my baptism at age 12, I had a shelf of “unanswered questions” in my head. That shelf grew and grew over time. When things piled up at age 48 so high at home, work and church so that I could see tomorrow things were going to get worse, not better, I contemplated ending my life. I was released. Soon thereafter I was sitting in sacrament meeting listening to my former high counselors speak on “Be Ye Therefore Perfect Even As Your Father in Heave is Perfect” and “Even Your Thoughts Will Condemn You” and my body began to shake and tremble. I got up and walked out and never went back.

Members tried to drag me out of my bed to church (literally). My wife spent three years thinking and feeling about what was going on. My four children were confused. My wife eventually stopped going–and now says she’s happier than she’s ever been. So am I. The full(er) details of my life and into-and-out-of-faith journey are included in my book. I admire those who were able to “see clearly” earlier than I. Who knows what other paths one might have walked? That said, I just do not believe in believing in things that aren’t accurate/true. My motto is “In Truth We Trust.” I wish I’d figured this out at age 15, not 48.

So, I started over again reading widely in history, cosmology, physics, astronomy, chemistry, psychology, anthropology, archeology, evolution, evolutionary psychology, management, religion, physiology, brain chemistry, genetics, childhood development, and other related fields. When I joined I was going to be “all in”. I have come to believe that there are billions of defenseless children around the world being indoctrinated by the narcissistic fantasies of Bronze Age goatherds–despite what we’ve learned over the last 200 years.

I was fortunate to travel the world with my work. I’ve read all the major scriptures. I wanted to leave a global perspective on humanity’s creation of religions and provide an alternative. So I wrote my alternative. I realize it’s an uphill battle. After 20 years of reading stuff they told me not to read, in my retirement, I wanted to do more than complain. I wrote “A Song Of Humanity: A science-based alternative to the world’s religions”.

Jim

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/jajisee/. There are over a hundred more stories of Mormon faith journeys contributed by users like you. Come check them out and consider sharing your own story at wasmormon.org!