Why are you here?

[_BrianH]

Sorry about your brother ...but I think you have hit on something here. You're poor brother is simply, after so many years of Mormonism, one of the more extreme examples one can expect from a cult that indoctrinates its victims with indefensible nonsense under the rubric and authority of God himself.

An organization that elevates total fantasies to the status of objective TRUTH, and makes a "deity" (either literally or metaphorically - Mormons differ on this) of a twice-convicted occult con artist who pretended to have a magic rock in his hat can be fully expected to generate the social pathologies we see in Mormonism and, unfortunately, in your brother's behavior. Lies necessarily breed liars. Liars must ultimately and necessarily become delusional and even psychotic. A church that tells lies and and elevates its lies to a level of divine authority only burns those delusions more indelibly into the souls of its victims.

I have observed the symptoms of such delusion in Mormons who render the blank, incurious, and even idiotic "defense" of Mormonism's bluntly obvious fantasies for decades. The LDS apologetic almost always consists of the same old cookie-cutter, boilerplate collection of guesswork and speculation that Mormons are trained to regurgitate any time the claims of their organization are challenged. When those "arguments" (and I use the word loosely here) are quickly and easily debunked, the preferred tactic, chosen by Mormons, is the obviously desperate move to change the subject, usually into a personal attack on anyone who dares to challenge the claims of Mormonism, or to some remote, irrelevant tangential minutiae where even more wishful "thinking" is engaged.

I am sorry for your brother. I am sorry for all of the victims of LDS church. But, there is hope. The truth of the Gospel is available to those who have ears to hear. God really does love these poor deluded people and He is eager to redeem them.

-BH

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[_Drifting]

I'm here because ths is the best place to discuss Mormonism free from censorship or the risk of being shunned for doing so.

[_Yoda]

I came here originally because my wounds were difficult to deal with and I could freely express myself here.

I stay here because I am a member of this community and I love this community just as a I love my ward.

I couldn't have worded things better! A big ditto for me! :-)

[_harmony]

God really does love these poor deluded people and He is eager to redeem them.

-BH

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Which deluded people would that be?

[_Zelder]

I also had three really nasty experiences in the Church which made me question if they really believe all the supernatural and eternal promises they make to us on Sunday. It seems as you get one step removed from the purely volunteer service they want from you, our hard core values don't seem to mean much anymore.

What were your experiences?

[_keithb]

I had to look this thread up using search. I originally meant to contribute, but then I ended up going on vacation, etc.

To summarize:

I think that the main reason why I found this forum was because of my disaffection with the Mormon church as a result of my divorce a little over a year ago. I was hurting at the time, especially since I realized that my former marriage wasn't the only place where I had been lied to for years. I needed a place to vent about my "divorce" from the church, and the board is a perfect place to do this.

The reason why I have stayed and still lurk here frequently is that I enjoy the board immensely. Not only are many of the conversations and viewpoints very well thought out, but the posters -- everyone from ex-Mormons to NOMs trying to find a middle ground -- really do have a unique perspective that allows me to see the issues in a unique way. I really have learned a lot about theology, philosophy, and logic just from reading the various posters on the board.

Whether I'll still be here a year from now, five years from now, etc. is hard to say. But, it serves my needs for the moment. In any case, it has been a pleasure reading all of the posts.

[_aranyborju]

I just like to come here to read what other people have to say. I rarely post my own thoughts. I still attend church and hold a calling, although I don't have a testimony and it is refreshing to read other people's thoughts and experiences. I started out a few months ago on a mainly TBM forum, and after mentioning that I no longer had a testimony, I was quickly called to repentance and told that I must have a sin that I didn't want to confess. (On person even went so far as to accuse me of cheating on my wife. HA)

I find that this forum and the ex-mormon forums, which I also frequent, are generally thought provoking and non-judgmental. Although usually, by the time I finish reading a thread, I find that someone else has already stated what I would have said...and much more eloquently to boot.