Hi, I'm Shawn Matheson

* Lifelong member until my 2021 resignation

* Knowledge/study/prayer helped me to discern past and present issues

* I was Community of Christ adjacent for 2-years, I really respect what they've done with the restoration root and who they've become. I am so appreciative of Pastor John Hamer of the Toronto Beyond the Walls (online) congregation; Community of Christ and John Hamer provided me a safe restoration space to transition out of Mormonism. If you are looking for a progressive, non-dogmatic, humble Christian church focused on peace and community with a restoration feel, they are a beautiful place. centreplace.ca (see Lectures section for amazing content which John has compiled over the years, his content and his guidance helped me so much). I had a beautiful walk with Community of Christ for two years.

* I'm now non-church affiliated and more of a universalist; I appreciate all teachings and traditions. I am Christian (that is my faith tradition), I am culturally Mormon (that is my background in this lifetime), and I am simultaneously none of these things in need for labels or attachment. I find beautiful harmony (no separation) in simplicity and universality. I love what I have learned and experienced in Christian, Hindu, Taoist, Buddhist, Sikh, Sufi Islamic (Rumi), Gnostic, Stoic texts and practices. I also love the experiences I've had in books/podcasts of MindValley (Vishen Lakani), Deepak Chopra, Sri Preethaji (Four Sacred Truths), Thich Nhat Hanh, Ram Dass, Eckhart Tolle, Terrence McKenna, Esther Weaver (manifestation, transmutation), Robin Yates (Elevation Vibration), Colette Streicher (MAP Method), Dr Carl Totten (What's This Tao All About?), Deloris Cannon (Quantum Healing), Sadhguru (such beautiful simplicity), Allen Watts (seeing religion and life for what it is), etc.

I appreciate and value all expansive spiritual learning and experiences ... which help me flow in one'ness. I'm simply now expanding and leaning in, being present with where I am. I used to have all the answers (haha)... and now I am more comfortable in the questions and the fun of mystery :). Life is a playful dance with people in various masks -- and awareness of this "consciousness stage" and playing our parts without attachment, makes it that much more fun!

Wisdom is everywhere and no tradition or church has a monopoly on God; the source of claiming such exclusivity is our ego. Our religions and spiritual traditions are simply a product of where we grew up, and a language of understanding and approach. I believe our Beautiful God is agnostic to our religious languages of understanding ---and it's more a matter really of our hearts and intentions, i.e. how we treat ourselves and others! (what Jesus said, etc.)!

* It was about 18-months post-resignation for me to sit with my Mormon disappointment, but I realized in gratitude how valuable it was for me to be in the LDS church for the structure it gave me and what I was able to learn from a strong, socially-integrated, organized religion. We are here in this life/our quantum agreement for whatever reasons we needed, and Mormonism was a really valuable journey and lesson module for me! I can't say enough the great things I learned!

Letting go is about radical gratitude, radical empathy, and radical perspective ... these make us un-fuck-withable! :) (a beautiful verb invented by Vishen Lakani of Mind Valley). Suffering in juxtaposition, is what we chose to carry with us.

* If you are looking for a summarized deconstruction, I have hundreds of pages of notes by topic and I'm happy to share with you (I had to mentally unpackage things first). A quick and revealing shortcut to Mormon deconstruction is missedinsunday.com/ (navigation by topic in upper right)
and of course you can find great deconstruction information at cesletter.org/ or letterformywife.com/ or mormonstories.org/truth-claims/ etc.

* If you are looking for a conversation on moving through deconstruction and disappointment into a healthy heart-space of detachment and the peaceful space between (the middle path/road of the yin/yang), I'm happy to be a kind person to listen and chat with you; I welcome conversation. You can find me on LinkedIn (preferred) or Facebook/Messanger

* Whatever works for you and is good for you, is good for you -- it's your journey and only you can discern that; Mormonism worked for me for many years, and then it did not. There is something to learn from everyone.

I love the Hindu principle/greeting of Namaste, or the divine light within me bows to the divine light within you; we honor together the place in us/all where the entire universe dwells.

We have so many beautiful spiritual and religious expressions, which are a compilation of codified stories, traditions, and rites. In the end all is a language of praise to God and our individual and collective intention is what creates.