Stories of mormon faith transitions. Share your truth – own your story!
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"Peter Wason coined the term 'confirmation bias' to describe the tendency people have to immediately favor information that validates their preconceptions or hypotheses, and ignore anything that contrasts them, regardless of whether the personal beliefs are true or not." - Peter Cathcart Wason (1924-2003)
Cognitive Psychologist. Pioneered the psychology of reasoning
If God answers your prayer, He is increasing your faith. If He delays, He is inceasing your patience. If He doesn't answer, He has something better for you... Confirmation Bias: The tendency to search for, or interpret, information in a way that confirms one's preconceptions. Characteristic trait of cult mentality.
"Oh great Flying Spaghetti Monster, whose noodly appendages touch us all, I come before you seeking your divine sauciness. If it is your will, bestow upon me a sign of your saucy presence. Guide me with your meatball wisdom and your infinite pasta strands. As I humbly ask for your noodly guidance, I promise to keep my heart as open as a freshly cooked plate of spaghetti. Fill me with the warmth of your marinara love and the assurance of your al dente truth. R'Amen." - Similarities to Moroni's Promise found in the Flying Spaghetti Monster Religion
"What usually happens when we begin to ponder how merciful the Lord has been to mankind? To us personally? What happens when we count our blessings, or perhaps our sins for which we must ask his forgiveness, and recognize his hand in our individual lives? Is it not true that our hearts turn to the Lord in love and gratitude? Do our faith and humility increase? Yes, and that, in my judgment, is the impact of verse 3—following the counsel therein helps us to become more humble, more willing and ready to receive new information and knowledge with an open mind. Any person who has sincerely followed the admonition of verse 3 is then prepared to apply the counsel on confirming truth that follows in the next two verses..." - LDS Seventy, Gene R. Cook, 1994
"If we want an answer from God, we will move ourselves out of a neutral position and let our desire to believe that God can help us begin to work in us... The Lord offers us the opportunity to let him confirm truth already in our hearts. But in order to confirm religious truth, one must at least have the idea, or the thought, or the belief (however small) that he has found something true, and then pray to receive the Lord’s confirmation... Thus, our prayer, in essence, is a request for a confirmation of our own conclusions from our pondering." - LDS Seventy, Gene R. Cook, 1994
"Follow Moroni's counsel. Sincerely ask God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, with real intent, if the teachings of the Book of Mormon are true. Ask with a desire to receive a confirmation personally, nothing doubting. There has to be an explanation of that book you can hold in your hand. I know that you can receive a spiritual confirmation that it is true. You will then know that Jesus Christ lives, that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord's Church. You will confirm that the Savior guides His Church through a living prophet. These truths will become a foundation for your productive life." - LDS Apostle, Richard G. Scott, 2012
"I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts. And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." - Moroni's Promise – Moroni 10:3-5, The Book of Mormon
“The power of the positive moral emotions to uplift & transform people has long been known... an emotion that I have begun to call "elevation." Elevation is elicited by acts of virtue or moral beauty; it causes warm, open feelings in the chest; and it motivates people to behave more virtuously themselves.” - Jonathan Haidt, Elevation and the Positive Psychology of Morality (2003) Author, Social Psychologist, Professor of Ethical Leadership
I've got all the evidence I need! Pointing to a single supporting fact while ignoring all the overwhelming disproof.
Did you read my paper on confirmation bias?Yes, but it only proved what I already knew.
"Any human endeavor rooted in the pursuit of truth must rely on fact and not feelings." - Gad Saad, Professor of Marketing, Concordia University, Canada.
The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense
“The furor now arising over the homosexual issue is but one example. Legislators, like everyone else, must recognize that the unclean is unclean regardless of the attire in which it appears. Some say that this evil is no longer evil. But who has the right or the ability to change its basic definition? It was the Almighty Himself who laid down the law on this practice. He condemned it and classed it as a capital crime... Who are they that they should parade their debauchery and call it clean?” - LDS Apostle, Mark E. Petersen, Church News, March 18, 1978
“Legislators are being asked to rule that adultery should no longer be considered a crime, that homosexuals and other deviates should be allowed to practice their depravities legally and without restriction... Apostasy through immorality is at least as bad as returning to paganism... Paul says of those who deviate from the path of virtue into some of the great perversions,
"they which commit such things are worthy of death."” - LDS Apostle, Mark E. Petersen, General Conference Talk, April 1965
“... the "new morality" that is being flaunted now; a lowering of the standards of virtue, a philosophy that anything goes these days. This is a doctrine of Satan. Not only does this delusion include sex before marriage, the abolition of marriage altogether, and assent to infidelity, but it embraces the now widespread movement of homosexuality.
The homosexuals claim that God made them that way and hence are powerless to change, which is a complete fabrication and a deep delusion, for it was the Lord who provided the death penalty for these people in ancient times.” - LDS Apostle, Mark E. Petersen, Church News, January 14, 1978
The Announced Cody Wyoming Temple received approval but was later redacted "It's a lot easier to build temples, than it is to fill temples." - Dallin H. Oaks
"According to relevant Chinese laws and regulations, foreigners are not allowed to establish religious organizations or set up places for religious activities in China. The American Mormon Church released information about building a so-called "temple" in Shanghai, but our city's religious and religious departments were completely unaware of it. This is wishful thinking on the part of the American Mormon Church and a fabrication out of nothing. - Shanghai Municipal Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau Office
"I'm queer. I'm not cisgender or heterosexual and that's a huge problem in this religion. When I was finally able to accept myself for that, I realized the mormon religion would never accept me for it and I'd never be happy where I'm not even accepted." - Frey's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/frey/
"I received a patriarchal blessing. It was generic and the life it foretold made me miserable to think about. The patriarch used what little knowledge he had about me to make a few statements, saying things like "you have the gift of love, service, empathy, and listening", "if you cling to your covenants, you will rise above all your challenges", "when the time comes you will find an eternal companion and enter the temple and get sealed", "you'll have lots of kids who will all look to you as an example of faith" (which was one of my worst nightmares), "you have a duty to do missionary work", and "you'll be resurrected". I was still trying to believe at the time and this "blessing" disappointed me and gave me a lot of anxiety. It didn't mean anything to me and it eventually became one of the items on my shelf." - Frey's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/frey/
This is a spotlight on a profile shared at wasmormon.org. These are just the highlights, so please find Frey's full story at https://wasmormon.org/profile/frey/. There are hundreds more stories of Mormon faith journeys contributed by users like you. Come check them out and consider sharing your own story at wasmormon.org!
"The church teaches marriage is between a man and a woman. They also teach that a person should remain the same gender they were assigned at birth and not socially or physically transition in any way. Members are allowed to call other people by requested names and pronouns but I experienced a lot of homophobia and transphobia in the church regardless. A conference talk once included the phrase that the 3 greatest threats to the mormon church were the homosexuals, the feminists, and the intellectuals. Look at that, I'm a triple threat! 😂" - Frey's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/frey/
"I didn't believe it and I couldn't force myself to. I was happier not following that lifestyle. I could see how I'd been manipulated. And I could see how those beliefs were illogical and hateful. I'm an atheist as well as an eclectic witch and I'm the most happy I've ever been in my entire life." - Frey's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/frey/
"I went inactive multiple times before leaving for good. The vast majority of my immediate and extended family were mormons and my mom's reaction to any problem I had was to "pray about it" even though I never seemed to get answers to prayer. So far, I think I'm the only member of my immediate/extended family to leave." - Frey's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/frey/
"When I was finally able to accept myself for that, I realized the mormon religion would never accept me for it and I'd never be happy where I'm not even accepted. I'm queer. I'm not cisgender or heterosexual and that's a huge problem in this religion." - Frey's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/frey/
"I had so many concerns and questions that were either not answered, or the answers were not logical. I'd never even wanted to get baptized in the first place, and when I started trying to leave apparently an 8 year old was old enough to make a decision about joining but a 16 year old wasn't old enough to make the decision to leave and I "didn't know what was best for me"." - Frey's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/frey/
"I was raised in the church, but I'd always felt something was wrong. I was a mormon." - Frey's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/frey/
"As time went by I learned I wasn’t told the full truth about polygamy when I discovered widowers (but not widows) could have more than one wife in the hereafter. Then in college I learned the truth about The Book of Abraham. I knew it wasn’t an anti-Mormon lie because I learned it in my Pearl of Great Price class." - Nancy's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nancypantsy72/
"I came to this conclusion without reading/listening to anything critical of the church or challenging its truth claims. I’m a slow study but in 40+ years I finally made my way out. I am unequivocally happy now." - Nancy's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nancypantsy72/
"I was a teenager about to enter my senior year in high school. At the time I had many friends converting to versions of Evangelical Christianity. I was a little skeptical of their teachings. I also had a friend who was Mormon. After a lot of discussion I agreed to the missionary lessons. I was skeptical of the Book of Mormon, it seemed like a significant portion of it was copied from the King James Bible." - Nancy's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nancypantsy72/
"Almost from the moment I was baptized I started to feel less than. First I was told my clothes were immodest. Then that I was too fat. (I wasn’t, I was within normal weight for my height) I dieted got very thin and came down with an eating disorder. That was just the beginning." - Nancy's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nancypantsy72/
"However Joseph Smith's first vision resonated with me because he was of similar age as me at the time and seeking the truth like I was. I agreed to be baptized because it was the only church that made sense to me. They also assured me that polygamy was no longer practiced, which would have been a dealbreaker." - Nancy's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nancypantsy72/
"Then the the treatment of LGBTQ people, backtracking on whether being gay was a choice and then not admitting the mistake, as well as the purity culture teaching that women who had sexual relationships before marriage were like chewed gum challenged even that." - Nancy's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nancypantsy72/
"Over the years, as more stuff piled onto my proverbial faith shelf, I came to decide that I didn’t need a true church, just a good one." - Nancy's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nancypantsy72/
"I finally had to admit it wasn’t a good church, much less a true one." - Nancy's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nancypantsy72/
This is a spotlight on a profile shared at wasmormon.org. These are just the highlights, so please find Nancy's full story at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nancypantsy72/. There are hundreds more stories of Mormon faith journeys contributed by users like you. Come check them out and consider sharing your own story at wasmormon.org!
"I was a golden convert. I was a Mormon." - Nancy's "I was a Mormon" story. Read more at https://wasmormon.org/profile/nancypantsy72/
