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Hi, I'm Brent.

I was a mormon.

Layton
Brent Hale profile image for wasmormon.org

    About me

    Born in Salt Lake City, raised in a small, Southern Idaho Mormon community. Descendent of Mormon Pioneers. Most of my Aunts, Uncles and cousins are TBM. My father stopped attending when I was 12 years old and I also didn't go because I got to choose. Then, at the age of 16 or 17 my friends influenced me to return. I served a mission, later married in the temple and served in many callings, from nursery to first counsellor in the bishopric.
    In January of 2011, my wife and I stepped away from the church. Our 4 children were out of the house and out of the church at that time as well.

    On my shelf

    • age of the earth
    • blacks and the priesthood
    • Book of Mormon anachronisms
    • Existence of God
    • LGBTQ issues
    • temple endowment
    • the first vision

    On the Mormon Spectrum

    • Agnostic
    • Atheist
    • Apostate

    Why I left More answers about 'Why I left' the mormon church

    When I was serving as the 1st counselor from 2002 to 2004, the bishop at the time challenged everyone in the ward to read the Book of Mormon. I was on board and excited about the chance to strengthen my testimony about it and dove in head first to that challenge. I encouraged all my family members to participate as well. My attitude and heart were right, but as I read, my logical mind took over and I found myself doubting the validity of it. I had a few specific, but strong issues with it that I struggled with but I put them on a shelf in the back of my mind. A few years later, in a High Priest Group meeting the lesson was about the translation of the Book of Mormon. After that lesson I was convinced that my doubts were unwarranted and that Joseph Smith truly did receive inspiration from God to translate. I was having a testimony roller coaster ride.
    For many years a close friend of mine has discussed with me a lot of topics that I considered anti-Mormon. This friend is one that I respect and admire, but I rejected everything he told me. I will never make a judgment about anything important like that unless I hear firsthand from unbiased witnesses without an agenda. The things he told me were unverifiable even though he believed them to be true and he was convinced that the LDS church was not true. I stood firm to my beliefs.
    In January 2010, on a flight from Minneapolis to Salt Lake, I sat next a Baptist Minister who lived very near where I grew up in Southern Idaho. He had even bought his house from a friend of mine. It was such a coincidence that I decided, contrary to my normal behavior on an airplane, to have a real conversation with a stranger. He told me about the Baptists' "Young Earth" beliefs and when I asked him about dinosaurs, he told me that carbon dating didn't work. I still remember my thought when he said that; "'boy those Baptists sure expect their members to believe some silly stuff. Wait, so does my church'". Soon thereafter, I decided to revisit those issues I had with the Book of Mormon. I determined that I was going to figure it out on my own with church-approved material and taking in to account the experiences that I have witnessed in my own lifetime. Long story short, I came to the conclusion that what I believed in my heart about the nature of God was contradicted by many things I read in the BOM. Chapter 8 of Third Nephi is a prime example. Also, many things written in the book were written in a style that an author would use, not an eyewitness or someone compiling records. In my lifetime I had personally witnessed many major changes in the church. I honestly do believe that all those changes make it better, however, I had been taught that the fullness of the gospel was restored by Joseph Smith so why did it need to be changed? I still shelved my issues. I wasn’t quite sure what to do at that point in time. Then one day I got some very terrible news about a member of my family. My life has not been short on adversity and this was one of the most adverse things that had ever happened. I was really angry at God, feeling picked on, ready to throw in the towel. Honestly, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was a hard thing for me, but I decided that I could no longer count myself a believer of the LDS church. Not even a believer in God. Not many months later, the church published an essay confirming the facts that my non-believing friend had told me many times before, about Joseph Smith’s polygamist marriages to underage girls. So many "anti-Mormon lies" of yesterday, are confirmed truths today.

    Questions about Mormons My Answers to Questions about Mormonism

    Are you lazy? Is that why you left? See more answers about 'Are you lazy? Is that why you left?'

    The lazy question is a funny one to me. In retrospect, I recently realized that I was a "lazy" missionary and there were many times when I was "lazy" in my callings.
    What really was happening, to be honest, was that I just didn't believe 100% in what I was doing, even though I was trying to live as though I did. I left when I realized it was most important to be true to myself.

    Do Mormons Believe in a Loving God? See more answers about 'Do Mormons Believe in a Loving God?'

    Not if they believe every word and story in the Book of Mormon. Would a loving God kill thousands of men, women and children like it's written in Third Nephi, 8?

    What did the Mormon religion bring to your life? See more answers about 'What did the Mormon religion bring to your life?'

    A mostly great experience as a missionary in Japan. Increased levels of self-discipline and work ethic.

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    wasmormon.org

    Though this site discusses mormonism, topics related to mormons, the mormon church and people who refer to themselves as unorthodox mormons, ex-mormons, post-mormons or any other form of wasmormon, it is not officially affiliated with or managed by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or even the Corporation of the Presiding Bishop. They don't want to be called mormon anymore anyways. All of the content, stories or opinions expressed, implied or included in this site are solely credited to those sharing their own personal stories and not those of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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