A cousin, an uncle and a gun. Why I resigned?

[_Sanctorian]

This new policy regarding same-sex marriage has really brought to the mainstream the damage the church can do by flexing its muscle (I'm inferring to that one ugly man muscle). When I first started doubting the church, I envisioned being able to stay a member and participate in some NOM fashion for my wife and kids. I tried for months to keep my calling as the executive secretary to the bishop. As the months dragged on, it became harder and harder and I realized the NOM lifestyle would not work for me. I asked to be released from my calling and resigned officially a short time after.

What put me on the path to resignation was reading story after story of real people and the damage the church had done in their lives. Each story I read (hundreds) put a human being against a ruthless organization that really doesn't care about human life, but rather the almighty dollar. It was becoming more an more apparent the church was not concerned with saving souls, but more concerned with saving it's vast empire and in the wake, real people were the casualties.

I remember getting a phone call from my dad a month before I resigned that my cousin and killed herself. No one had heard from her for a week and so the cops were called to do a welfare check. They entered her apartment to find her body had already started to decompose from the self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The stench was so bad the only option was to have her body cremated.

As the days passed following the discovery of her body, details began to surface as to why a young 20 something girl would have killed herself. She was a lesbian and had a following out with her parents recently at the accusation that her dad had sexually abused her as a child. When she presented these accusations to her mother, instead of investigating these claims for validity, her mother sought answers in prayer like a good Mormon is taught. After all, God is the source of all truth regardless of the evidence. When her mother told her that her accusations were false because she had prayed about it, my cousin loaded a gun and put it to her temple pulling the trigger. No one noticed for an entire week. Not one friend, not the school she was attending, and not her family.

I resigned shortly thereafter. I resigned because human life means more to me than social pressures. I resigned because in all the stories I read about people, there are people that are thinking about, attempting or have killed themselves because of the harmful teachings of the church and don't have a lot of support. I resigned to show my support. This new policy from the church highlights the reason why more people need to resign and if even ONE person doesn't kill themselves because they see the support of people like me, it's worth the heartache of the social pressures that come with being an outcast from a religion that has demonstrated hurtful and harmful policies.

[_annie]

I'm so sorry Sanctorian.

I resigned with my husband and children in early 2009. Proposition 8 was pretty much my final straw. I have a gay brother. He attempted suicide but was, fortunately, unsuccessful.

[_just me]

I resigned this morning.

[_SteelHead]

:(

[_RockSlider]

:sad:

I resigned this morning.

ya ok?

[_just me]

:sad:

I resigned this morning.

ya ok?

Yep, thanks. It caused me some small anxiety (family concerns), but I have been meaning to do it for months.

[_RockSlider]

Sanctorian, good heavens, this place has turned into a Christmas Carol being haunted by the ghosts of past, present and future. Especially at this time, after the ghosts which have already visited one would think I might be cognizant of the memories and the sensitivities that might have us on the edge, especially at this time. I'm sorry for questioning you earlier and once again, I'm blown away by such a personal thing being shared.

The Church dorked themselves with the words of one of their own hymns

"In the silent heart is hidden sorrows that the eye can't see"

It's like Ghost busters, this has got be be breaking out all over the place ...

Cats and Dogs, living together and all.

Thanks Sanctorian

[_RockSlider]

Yep, thanks. It caused me some small anxiety (family concerns), but I have been meaning to do it for months.

I've been considering it for some time as well. I told my wife the night I heard I was going to. I've been dropping little know your religion emails to my kids for a few months, but was too upset to write much to them at the time. I simply wrote them (group list cc to wife) asking them to please write back, privately if they prefer and tell me what they thought of this, and if they supported it.

I have not heard back from any of them yet. So after studying this out I think I have one last try at this and considering seriously sealing this last try with the announcement of the resignation.
There lives are so busy like all of us, its just not on the list to be considered at this time.

The indoctrination is still there, the minding my own business is really there, and yet so is my responsibility .... so I appreciate your strength in finally doing it as I struggle with how to proceed will the iron is hot, as it were with this total screw up.

[_just me]

Yep, thanks. It caused me some small anxiety (family concerns), but I have been meaning to do it for months.

I've been considering it for some time as well. I told my wife the night I heard I was going to. I've been dropping little know your religion emails to my kids for a few months, but was too upset to write much to them at the time. I simply wrote them (group list cc to wife) asking them to please write back, privately if they prefer and tell me what they thought of this, and if they supported it.

I have not heard back from any of them yet. So after studying this out I think I have one last try at this and considering seriously sealing this last try with the announcement of the resignation.
There lives are so busy like all of us, its just not on the list to be considered at this time.

The indoctrination is still there, the minding my own business is really there, and yet so is my responsibility .... so I appreciate your strength in finally doing it as I struggle with how to proceed will the iron is hot, as it were with this total screw up.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in your home and mind. We all have individual circumstances and I have confidence that you will find the proper way to proceed given your life particulars.

[_pashaman]

:sad:

I resigned this morning.

I'm thinking of doing so, as well. My problem is that I've already come out about my doubts to my family and it caused a small crap storm and now I'm waiting for it to kind of settle down. I don't really want to make any more waves, right now.

I can't stand having my name associated with this organization anymore, however. So, I'll eventually get around to it I'm sure.

God bless you, "just me". I hope everything works out well for you.