What advice would you give folks who are transitioning?
1. Beware of what I term as the pendulum effect. Imagine that you may be at an extreme, in many ways, that is not of your doing. I have observed, to some degree in myself, that when released from that extreme, one tends to fly off to opposite extremes. Those may not be the genuine "you" any more than the Mormon version was.
2. When you think you are healed, de-programmed, free, or fully awakened... you probably aren't, yet.
deservelibertyLove yourself and don't be ashamed of your loss of faith.
You don't owe anything to anyone. This means that you don't owe anyone an explanation, apology, or justification for your choices.
Hold true to what YOU believe is right and don't take mind to those who belittle you in the name of their god.
Take it slow, and don't deep dive into everything all at once. You don't need to learn everything about the church and its dishonesty in one night. That isn't healthy. Instead, write your questions down and do your research one question at a time.
Don't seek to pull people away from the church. It is possible to be respectful of peoples beliefs without sharing those beliefs yourself. For example, think of how you viewed other faiths as a true believing mormon. Likely you weren't tearing down your catholic or evangelical friends for their beliefs. Don't tear down mormons either. It will not yield positive results and will only damage relationships that need not be casualties.
Continue to seek after truth and know that you are loved by so many who have already walked the path out.
curtishartleyThe transition is painful. There will be a lot of grief and anger but those emotions do not mean the transition is wrong.
bethlundgreenGive yourself time! Take breaks, find a therapist that specializes in religious trauma, love yourself.
madisonc