Update

[Anonymous]

StayLDS Friends,

Though I doubt any of you have been wondering, just wanted to give you an update on where I am.

To quote The Grateful Dead – this last year: “What a long strange trip it’s been.” It’s been a little over a year since I stumbled into the rabbit hole and found myself here at StayLDS. I can’t thank all of you enough that were here at the time, I am extremely grateful for this site and others like it and the kind words, the space to express and be authentic without judgement, and the space to process through the different stages of faith expansion.

At this moment (and all things are subject to change), I remain agnostic about the existence of God/Creator/The Divine/Allah. I assume they are busy elsewhere or don’t exist, and frankly I don’t care about the answer to which scenario might be true. I no longer consider myself a doubter, I consider myself a non-believer in the literalness of “one true church”, priesthood, saving ordinances, BofM etc. I consider myself a seeker of spiritual things and have found great value and insight in pursuing spirituality outside of the bounds of the Mormon Church. I consider that all encounters with The Divine are true to the person that experienced them, but those experiences have no authority for me personally.

Growing up in the church and until six months ago I had a lot of Jesus issues. There was too much guilt and shame and doubt built into my life from my Mormon upbringing around the idea of the atonement and Jesus, so much so that I didn’t really like Jesus and really wanted nothing to do with Him. However, as my beliefs burned down around me, and have turned to ash, a few books piqued my interest in the man from Nazareth: Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans and Grace is Not God’s Backup Plan by Adam Miller. I have also read a few books by Bart Ehrman and am currently reading Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time by Marcus Borg. I remain intrigued by Jesus, the story we can piece together, how the mythos and mysticism of Jesus can have a profound effect on peoples lives, and what I can learn from it. Historical Text Criticism allowed me to break free of my paradigms and in the process put in place an intrigue for old world history and cultural context. We have been reading the NT as a family and I have really really enjoyed it. I have no idea if Jesus is divine, I suspect not, but I have found profound insight in the New Testament that I never knew were there before. I would also say that approaching Jesus from other angles has been helpful and the RobCast by Rob Bell has inspired revelation.

So, I am active, still serve in my calling, mix some coffee into my hot chocolate on occasion, swear, skip church some Sundays, enjoy my interaction with Mormons and love them, have no plans to leave anytime soon. I keep pushing the bounds with my Stake President and instead of getting reprimanded he seems to appreciate it. I keep finding more people in my stake like me and have a nice little group of friends that I can meet up with and talk to. I feel happier than I have felt in a long time and would not trade this faith expanding experience for anything.

I will continue to check in on occasion, but I feel I have moved on from the main purpose of this forum. StayLDS was a way station during a difficult trek, and I don’t know that I would have made it without it.

Thanks again friends,

Sunbelt Red

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the update. Glad we could be of help. Like you and many others I have also found comfort in being here and would not have made it from crisis to transition without the help of this site.

As you continue your journey I wish you peace. I am sure others can gain from your insights and your perspectives, so please do stop in from time to time, we’d love to hear from you.

[Anonymous]

I also express a thanks for the update. I always felt like I could relate to your posts and had noticed your absence.

Moving on; it’s healthy, it feels good. it’s one step of many in our respective journeys. Don’t be a stranger.

[Anonymous]

DarkJedi wrote:

Thanks for the update. Glad we could be of help. Like you and many others I have also found comfort in being here and would not have made it from crisis to transition without the help of this site.

As you continue your journey I wish you peace. I am sure others can gain from your insights and your perspectives, so please do stop in from time to time, we’d love to hear from you.

nibbler wrote:

I also express a thanks for the update. I always felt like I could relate to your posts and had noticed your absence.

Moving on; it’s healthy, it feels good. it’s one step of many in our respective journeys. Don’t be a stranger.

Thanks DJ and Nibbler, truly appreciate your friendship and thoughts and interactions we have had here. I’ll continue to lurk here and there.

[Anonymous]

Quote:

StayLDS was a way station during a difficult trek, and I don’t know that I would have made it without it.

I cant express adequately how glad I am to read this. Thanks for the update. Our primary goal for individuals (and our dream for the LDS Church as a whole) is that we cease to be needed at some point – but I doubt that will happen collectively, given the nature of humanity and religion. It is wonderful to hear that we have accomplished our mission for individuals.

May there (continue to) be a road!

[Anonymous]

So glad to hear that someone has found peace. That is just great. I hope that all the lurker’s on this site can realize that joining in can be very therapeutic. Tell everyone your story – you won’t shock us! 😳

[Anonymous]

I have some common points in my path. I found a message through Marcus Borg and Progressive Christianity that has really helped me come to terms with Mormonism, intellectually. I hung on floating/floundering for about eight years and then for the past year I’ve finally flourished with this new perspective.

[Anonymous]

Sunbelt – Welcome Back.

I have missed you. So glad for the happy update. Stick around, the family needs you.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the update and thanks for sharing how you are staying and doing what is most peaceful to your soul on your journey. By sharing, perhaps others read it and can get ideas or not feel so alone or maybe just see how others get past angry stages and move on.

I wouldn’t be surprised if in another 2 or 3 years you don’t change again how you see things. It’s a wild ride.

[Anonymous]

Sunbelt…your comments warm my heart and convince me that unorthodoxy is OK in the church. Plus peeps like you and I can stay and have peace on our own terms.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[Anonymous]

I’m glad to hear your update. I always felt like we had a lot in common. Peace to you.

[Author]

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