THE SELF-INTRODUCTION THREAD--Introduce yourself here!

[_Dr. Shades]

This thread is (obviously) for purposes of self-introduction.

If you're a new poster, this is the place to introduce yourself, give a little (or a lot) of your background, etc. so that we can all get to know you. The sky is the limit!

This board has been "up" for some time now and there are many regulars, several of whom hail from previous message boards. So, for benefit of the newer posters, please feel free to chime in here even if you've been on the board for a while.

Your post doesn't have to be all about Mormonism, of course. Go ahead and tell us about your hobbies, interests, etc. that we don't otherwise read too much about in the other forums.

THE RULES:

Please don't respond to someone else's post here. If you wish to respond to someone else's self-introduction, start a new thread. Let's keep this thread pure & pristine.

So, let's hear from you!

[Guest]

Woo Hoo!! First post!

Good evening, brothers and sisters, I'd like to thank Shade for the opportunity to speak to you today.....err...ummm...

Well, I guess I'll run down the readers digest version of my exit story.

A little background first, I was born and raised in American Fork, Utah. For those of you that don't know, American Fork is in the north end of Utah County, which is directly south of Salt Lake. Utah County is commonly referred to as Happy Valley because it boast the highest number of active Mormons per capita.

I was born a member, sealed to my parents when I was around 6 and lived a fairly active, but not over zealous upbringing. We did the standard stuff, church on Sundays, family home evenings, etc.

I did not serve a mission. I came close, but the SP decided it was more important to follow the book and make me wait 3 more months than to send me when I was fully ready to go. But that is another story.

I married in the temple to my now ex wife when I was 24.

Like any couple, we had our periods of more active and less active times, but I never doubted I was in the one true church. My highest calling was Elders Quorum 1st (or 2nd, I can't remember) counselor.

The exit story begins with 2 of my co-workers, Bill and Greg. Bill was a TBM, and fairly knowledgeable about the history of the church. Greg was an inactive convert.

One day, I (being Bills boss) was yelling at him for something. Bill said that I was being "ruthless" to him. Greg chimed in and said, "No, my ex-father-in-law is Ruthless. His ex-wifes new name was Ruth, and she left him, so now he is Ruth-Less." After I groaned at the horrible pun, I told him to stop saying peoples new names, and that he was going to get struck by lightning. Greg said, "Naw...I'll just have my guts ripped out." I didn't know what he was talking about, so I asked. This is where I learned about the pre-1990 temple death oaths.

I don't know why, but for some reason, this triggered something in my mind. That was something that cults did! I had to find out more about it, so I looked it up. Of course, RfM is where I landed.

I read all about the death oaths, and started to read a little bit more. I read about how Joseph Smith had 30+ wives. Having never heard this before, I assumed it was just anti-Mormon lies....just like I'd been taught. This was EXACTLY why they told us to not read this crap. I told Bill, "Pbbbt! Look at these lies. They are trying to say that Joseph Smith had 30+ wives!! What a bunch of idiots." Bill, being more versed than I, told me that Joseph Smith DID have 30+ wives.

I was absolutely floored. Why had I never learned about this before? And, if I hadn't learned about Joseph Smith and his wives, what else didn't I learn. I dove in head first.

It was a fairly short exit. Within about a month, I had decided that the church was no longer true and God was the imagination of men. Having something that has been the core foundation of every decision you make, everything you are, ripped away so suddenly is incredibly difficult to deal with. I had to re-invent myself. I had to figure out how to make myself fit in this new world where God wasn't real. I went through depression and anger. And, of course, the constant love bombing of good intentioned family and ward members trying to reactivate me didn't help. Luckily, I was never shunned by anyone. I was treated very well by most members.

My family took the brunt of this. My wife couldn't stand the possibility of our family being ripped apart in the afterlife. I still see eternal families as a threat more than a blessing. She blamed me for breaking sacred promises I'd made in the temple. It's far too simplistic to say that my leaving the church caused the divorce, but it was certainly a huge factor. My wife told me that she had met with the bishop and he counseled her to leave me and find a new man that could take her through the temple and stay true to the priesthood power that she needs in the home.

I have since re-adjusted myself to my new godless world-view. I am happy, although I'm still stuck in the middle of Utah County. I couldn't possibly leave my kids, so I'll suffer through it. The prospect of getting re-married is slim, as women here won't date a non-Mormon, let alone marry one. I know she's out there, somewhere.

Anyways, that's my story.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

[_Dr. Shades]

My mother joined the (LDS) church when I was about four years old. I should've known that I was a rather out-of-the-box thinker when I realized that I HATED Primary with a white-hot passion. Of course, those were back in the days of Primary being on a separate day of the week, so an entire weekday was destroyed, as if the usual Sunday meetings weren't bad enough.

I got serious about the church and did a complete "180" when I became a deacon, however, fulfilling lots of youth callings thereafter. I served a mission to Japan from 1990-1992. I ended up leaving the church about 10 years ago as of this writing. I was fortunate because my wife developed doubts at the same time I did, so we transitioned out together. Ergo, I endured none of the horror stories that you read so often on RfM.

Not long after, I discovered RfM and was amazed to find an entire thriving community of people who had experienced the exact same things I did. Being naturally drawn to debate, I ended up looking around for message boards that featured believer/disbeliever dialogue.

Some sites were better than others in this regard, but none of them were perfect. In particular, I noticed a proliferation of "niche" LDS message boards. Some advertised themselves as being for "New Order Mormons." Others advertised themselves as being for LDS members on "the fringe." Others were devoted to believing Mormons only. RfM, of course, is dedicated to the exact opposite.

None explicitly advertised themselves as being for EVERYONE. Or, if they did, they imposed certain restrictions and regulations on what they did or did not want to see posted. In other words, the boards determined the culture, not the other way around.

After I got the final boot from FAIR, now MA&D, I knew the time was ripe to make my move. "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself," as the saying goes. I hired Keene, who is still a site administrator here, and Bryan Inks to create a message board to my exact specifications. Negative, the other admin. here, taught me everything I know about the day-to-day running of the place. And the rest is history, as they say.

So much for the Mormonism side of me. I'm also a huge World War II buff, with a particular fascination with "what if"-style speculation on what could have happened had different strategies been utilized or had different decisions been made. I'm currently in the final stages of designing a mega-World War II board game which takes all the various strategic possibilities and realities into account. My other hobby is (don't laugh) Magic: the Gathering, the single greatest card game ever invented, BY FAR. Six million players in over 70 countries can't be wrong, right?

Between these hobbies and leisure activities, I never lack for things to do.

[_CaliforniaKid]

My name is Chris Smith. I'm a 22-year old scrawny white boy from California. I graduate with a BA in Biblical Studies from Fresno Pacific U, and am currently studying to get an MA in Christian History from Wheaton in Illinois. I've always been a bit of a square. I was raised Evangelical, and attended Pentecostal churches for much of my youth. I really enjoy the vibrancy of Evangelical faith, community, and worship. My parents are both thinkers, though, and they taught me to think in some non-Evangelical ways. Biblical inerrancy and creationism, for example, were never on the menu for me. Good thing, too, coz that crap can stunt your mental growth. It's backfired, though, because I've largely thunk myself beyond the faith my parents brought me up in. I'd describe myself as a sort of Christian modernist at the moment. Which means I don't especially know what I believe, but I think traditional EVism is bunk, I think morality is really important, and I like Jesus.

My first run-in with Mormonism was in high school. I dated the daughter of the local bishop. Curious, I pulled Leonard Arrington's The Mormon Experience down off my dad's shelf, and introduced myself to some of Joseph Smith's more absurd qualities. That just whetted my appetite, and I started going online and reading antimo sites. Eventually I found www.whyprophets.com, and apologist website with lots of interesting articles and a pretty good forum. They showed me how flawed a lot of the antimo stuff out there really is, and I also read Chris Tolworthy's articles on eschatology, which I still consider some of the more ingenious apologist material available (though Chris has since gone apostate). So, somewhat chastened, I read (part of) the Book of Mormon and prayed about it, which was a really stinking confusing experience of trying to interpret my mixed emotions on the subject as some sort of spiritual confirmation or disconfirmation. I also attended seminary for about six months, during a series on the Doctrine and Covenants.

Eventually I stopped going to seminary (partly because I inadvertently helped my seminary teacher adopt some of her Church's historically racist views) and decided that the whole testimony approach was pretty hopeless. Well, actually I was in my car praying about it one day, and felt like God told me that his salvation is not restricted by church boundaries. Which, as Mormon friends pointed out, could pretty much mean whatever I wanted it to mean. So I switched to a more intellectual tack, and here I am some six years or so later. There's more to the story, but I think that's quite enough for the moment.

I really enjoy reading about theology, politics, and history, among other things. I also like science fiction, whether it be books, movies, or TV. I hold big Age of Empires 2 network battles at my house with as many as six or seven friends at a time, and I also love to play Risk, Axis and Allies, and Settlers of Catan. Oh, and I like to dance and ride my bike, too.

[_Imwashingmypirate]

Hi,

Hmm. I don't quite know where to start.


I still go to church. I have had a lot of questions and have been through AntiMo sites and the like. I have questioned people on various occasions wherewhich I never really got a proper awnser. I have never truely believed in church. But I like to think I do. I find that things like the things that happen in the temple make me MORE comfortable with Mormonism.

In general, I base my beliefs upon things that I feel to make sense to me. I feel all religions are true, because it is relative to the person at that time. It doesn't matter what people believe as long as that belief takes them on a good and happy path.


I have never been disappointed by anything I have found out about church or any beliefs, because I don’t set my self up to be disappointed. Like the Book of Mormon for instance. I do not care the author or where it came from, but rather I care what it teaches me. I do not believe God would for one second tell us to believe in something just because it was written by “prophets”, but more because there is something in there that he would like us to know.

I believe God is a great entity, far greater than we can ever imagine. My image of ‘God’ is everything. Absolutely everything. More amazing than anything because he is the creator of everything amazing as well as everything that causes pain. For without this pain we would have NO beauty. I feel worshiping God and labelling him makes him nothing and worthless. I am using “God” and “him” but I really mean “The Everything”. My proof for these things are that there are complex and abstract things in science and it must exist, for the greatest intelligence is that thing. But not just that thing, but everything as a whole, as one and pure.

I am eating lip gloss. It tastes nice. Why do companies make lip gloss taste nice?

I go to Institute, that’s cool. The best bit about church in my opinion.

I like writing loads of rubbish and random stories. Haven’t done much of that on here though.

Meditation is cool, these things make me awe in wonder and amazement. Sheest, I have spent to long talking to you Americans, I am starting to spell like you all. Nature is brilliant. And the stars are amazing. Just so awesome.

I don’t bother much with things in life, I just tend to flow, but am trying to take charge of my life. I would say I am not doing to bad at the moment.

Ohh, I play Bass guitar. That’s cool. I can also play a little drums and acoustic. And have an addiction for anything papery. Meh heh. , <- An attempt at an evil laugh. He he I just sneezed.

Ok back to being serious.

I try to convince people I am an alien, but it doesn’t seem to work. Oh well, who can blame ‘em.

Some of the biggest achievements in my life are as follows:

Being dumb enough to get into university,
Life in itself,
And setting up a business if you like.

I just think life is great. It gets me down at times, but it does everyone and the best thing is to try pulling oneself out of that and realise that it’s not really that big a deal and that when looking back it would be simple and easy and life will be greater for it.

I don’t know if I said much about myself here.

I am almost vegetarian, in that meat is disgusting. I only eat chicken and even that can be difficult, but I do really love food. I can have a day long conversation about food and how great it is. Where would we be without food? Bless the world for food. Bless God for food.

Some things I hope to achieve in the next few years:

A degree in Physics,
Physical and spiritual wellbeing,
To learn Latin,
And get a life… LOL Jenn Kamp.

I get hyper a lot, but am trying to control this. It is easy to tell when I am hyper as I usually write a lot of rubbish and make very little sense. But mostly I just write what I think.

Is this enough? I hope so.

Pirate.

[_Boaz & Lidia]

Liz did a interview with me back when I was posting as Polygamy Porter.

I will warn those who might find verbal punctuation offensive, as there is a fair amount in the thread.

Read it here

[_Gazelam]

I was also interviewed, although I was not as in depth as our dear Porter.

http://mormondiscussions.com/discuss/vi ... ight=#2277

If there are any further questions, feel free to resurrect the thread.

I just found a very old post of mine from ZLMB, where I introduced myself there: from 8/29/06

Re: Gazelam
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hurm, do I make up something proper or just wing this ?

I would like it if everyone did something like this, it would make interpreting peoples posts a little easier. To know where they are coming from if you know what I mean.

I was born in Georgia, and moved to Vegas when I was 5. I am the oldest of 5 kids. I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My Moms family are al in Georgia, and they tend to be Mostly Baptist. My Mom joined the church through her next door neighbor, who was a member. She was a teenager. My Dad joined when he was younger, while he lived in California. I tihnk he met the missionaries while he was playing football at the park with some friends.

Growing up in the church is one thing, knowing the church is true is another. I left on my mission with a vauge understanding of what I had in store. My main reason for going was viewing those that went before me. I had seen these older boys go, and then come back as Men. I felt their spirit, and knew that something went on out there that transformed them.

I worked construction before my mission, and that usually ment a Stereo blareing rock music across the jobsite all day while wearing t-shirt and jeans. To go otu in the mission field means to not wear jeans, except one day a week, and no more music. Now I thought I knew what that meant, until I actually did it. I was a big rock fan, the kind that reads the rolling stone magazine to find out what the songs meant, etc...(back when rolling stone still talked about music)

The MTC (missionary training center) was quite an experience. Think of all the prayers focused on that place, not to mention the will of the Lord involved. To say the Holy Ghost works you over there is an understatement. I had never felt that before, and was ill prepared to understand what was coming over me. I was there over Christmas break, and got to se a few Apostles speak while I was there.

Once I got to Scotland, I was introduced to my trainer. He was there for all the right reasons. He was a cool guy, and dedicated. I was what my mission president refered to as a "spiritual wart". He was Joseph Fielding McConkie, son of the famous Bruce R. McConkie. He was (is) every bit the man his Father was, and I consider myself extremely lucky to have had him.

I spent the first few months trying to decide if I should really be there. My trainer was getting really fed up. He kept asking me why I had bothered to come out at all. I had the barest inkling of a testimony. Nothing that could hold up in any kind of storm. I got a phone call that informed me that "Zone Confrence" was th efollowing day. The mission president was going to be there, and if I needed to go home I was to just pack my bags and bring them with me and I would be on a plane home the next day. Crunch time. Where did I stand ?

I decided to pray about it. I informed God that I had no clue, and if He thought I needed to be there, he needed to do something, because I was lost. I put it in his hands. I woke up the next morning with a new attitude. I can't explain it. This isn't anythiong I base my testimony on, but I can definately say that God did something to me, because I actually had a desire in me to do the work and to learn my religion and study. Why I didn't pack my bags and bail I don't know, but from that morning on I actually wanted to be there.

What I do base my testimony on occured a year later. I had gotten a tad cocky at this point. I was a "seasoned" missionary, knew my lessons, knew some scriptures, and had felt the Holy Ghost bear witness to my lessons and testimonies. I was Hot Stuff ! At this point I was the "Senior" companion, and was in charge of where we went in the area and who we taught. We came across a pastor of a church (what a find ! maybe if we get him, we can get his congregation too !), The name of it was the Christidelphians (check the spelling on that one). A tenant of their church that springs to mind is that they believed the baptism of the water was when their mothers water broke.

We saw him a couple of times, then he wanted to do an in depth Bible study with the two of us and a friend of his. My companion didn't want to, but I thought, we can handle it. In missionary terms this is known as a "Bash Session". This guy had spent his life it seemed studying the Bible. We basicly lost the spirit when we started contending with him and once the Holy Ghost left us we got shredded. Humbled , we left for home, tail between our legs. My companion was tired and went to bed. I stayed up to study the points I was weak on. I read through the scriptures, but had not yet done anything to regain the companionship of the Holy Ghost, So I went to pray.

I had gotten shaken up, I remember feeling maybe I was in the wrong church and shouldent even be here. I wondered what church I should be in in the first place. My companion being asleep I felt it safe to offer up a vocal prayer, and I asked if the Church was true, and if I was doing what the Lord would have me do. The only way to describe my answer was that it was like I was being filled with light. I knew then that I was in the presence of the Holy Ghost, and he was giving me that same assurance that those men of the scriptures had spoken of. I knew then also why he was called the comforter. while at the same time I felt that pure intelligence flowing into me, I also felt as if a blanket had been wrapped aroiund me, that kind of comfort. it is this experience I look to as the foundation of my testimony. Like Peter, I then knew INDEPENDENT of any other source that Jesus was the Christ, and I was in his church. I had been in the presence of deity.

Getting back up I returned to the scriptures, and they were opened to me and I could see the truth in them. I knew I was in the right place and doing the right thing. I finished my mission training a "Golden" missionary, who was a great guy and there for all the right reasons, opposite of the "wart" I had been.

Since my mission I can't say I have been faithful to my testimony. I went a few spells not attending my meetings or doing what I was supposed to do. I'm not saying I ever did anything bad, just didn't feel like going to church. Maybe it was the weight of all the work the spirit told me needed to be done. I didn't feel up to the task, so I tried to tune him out. I can say that what got me back to doing what I should be was my Dughter being born. Newborns carry the Holy Ghost with them in a strong way, and he was able to speak to me past all the barriers I had put up. Since then I have been studying and paraying again, basicly doing what I know I should've been all along. We got our Temple recommends again, and should be going back here real soon.

My favorite thing I studied here lately were the collection of talks by Truman Madsen on Joseph Smith. Its a collection of Eight Lectures on the life of the Prophet from start to finish. Very very good. He also did a set on the Prophets of the church (One lecture covering each of them) and another set focusing strictly on doctrine and teaching's of Joseph Smith. i listen to then in my commute to and from work. Its like 45 minutes each way.

Oh, I have been married for 13 1/2 years, and have 3 children, the oldest is 8.

http://p094.ezboard.com/Gazelam/fpacume ... =362.topic

[_Sam Harris]

My name is Samantha, I'm the second oldest of four, the only girl. My mother was in a hurry when I was born, so I technically don't have a middle name. But I like my paternal grandmother's middle name, Elizabeth. If I ever get around to it, I might change my name.

I was born in Fairfax Virginia, and grew up in Alexandria Virginia, which is a suburb of Washington DC. Alexandria was quite a quaint little city, but now all the rich folk are moving in (not that there weren't enough before), and the whole dynamic has changed. I live close by, but since the cost of living has soared in DC, much has changed.

Had a tumultuous upbringing, my parents divorced when I was 7, and they spent most of my life trying to cope with the decision they had made to split. My dad did his thing, my mom took her frustrations out on me in order to vent. I spent most of my time to myself, wasn't really well-liked as a kid. But all that happened to me back then has made me a stronger person today.

I'm very close to my older brother. He pretty much raised me. He keeps me laughing. We fight occasionally, but ultimately I can't live without him. He's 32, I'm 26. My younger brothers are 18 and 10. There might be more of us, as my father liked to procreate randomly, but we don't know of them if they exist. I once dated someone who looked like he could be my twin, and the only reason the relationship went on as long as it did, was because my mother grew up with his father, and knew that he looked exactly like his father. Phew! As far as my younger brothers, I'm growing closer to the 18-year-old; he came into my life at the age of 3 months, but the circumstances around his birth and the avent of his mother's arrival into my life (and my father's/family's) really soured things for many years. It wasn't until his mother and our father died that we really had to pull things together as a family. He's made me proud, though. The 10-year-old, sadly I've only seen twice in his life, once at my insistence, and at my dad's funeral. I need to see him more. It's not fair that he doesn't really know his siblings.

I was raised in a non-religious home, but between a Jewish grandmother and a Christian grandmother. I've always had a feeling of the presence of God, but I didn't really gravitate towards organized religion until I started going to Catholic school in 5th grade. I went to Sabbath services with my Jewish grandmother, and occasionally to church with the Christian grandmother, but this was mainly to get away from the tumultuous situation at home. It wasn't until Catholic school that I began to take an interest in religion...and perhaps because it was so different. It was ironic, the little Jewish girl having higher grades in religion than her counterparts...all Catholic.

The most we ever said in our household was grace, and it wasn't until I met my friend Jeanette that I began to be involved in church. I met Jeanette when I moved to Germany with my mom and stepdad. We moved there in 1994, I believe I met Jeanette in late 1995. I began to go to church with her, and also spend time with her family. That was my first real exposure to a non-dysfunctional family. I began to hunger for that, and also for the spiritual life that they had.

Problems within my home caused my mother to send me home in early 1997, but Jeanette and her family kept contact with me. They bought me my first Bible, and were there when I was baptized. We lost contact around 1999, but reunited (yay myspace!), and I saw her again for the first time just before New Years.

I came in contact with the church in 2001. At that time, I was struggling with the idea of the vengeful God. I just cannot deal with the idea of a God who would punish his children for where he put them. The missionaries just gave me a whole bunch of yes-nonsense to get me baptized. The first few months were heaven, because I got so much attention, and I was starving for that, starving for a niche, starving for a place to belong. But once that wore off, and I began to have questions, the problems started.

I was a member for five years. I spent three of those five years trying to get out. I don't even bother to focus on the issues anymore, I consider my journey through the church to be a thing of the past, besides I have so much on my plate right now anyways.

I'm still living at home due to my health, but my parents have blessed me in that the house we live in will be left to me when they retire. One of my biggest fears lately has been that I would not be able to care for myself with my health issues in this expensive area. I haven't worked a 40-hour workweek in a while. I'm lucky to have understanding employers.

I love to read, I get lost in books. I wouldn't consider myself to be a genuis, but I'm pretty bright. My head is filled with useless facts. I love history, I think I might change my major from theology, but we'll see. I adore children, I spent a few years being a nanny. Now I'm ready to be a mother. I never got to be a kid, so there's something within me that wants to make sure that my childrens' lives are nothing like the hell I endured when I was small. When I have energy, I bowl (I have a pink Hello Kitty bowling ball that little children try to confiscate at the alley, LOL), I like to swim. I love to travel, but haven't done that much lately. Last trip was Miami last Memorial Day right after the stroke.

Been working for the Federal Government for the past almost five months. It's flown by. But that happens when you like where you work, I guess. Starting a new relationship, and I pray it lasts. After all the drama I've given this guy, LOL.

Forums....hmmm....started out on the Mormon forums of Beliefnet when I first started in the church, migrated to FAIR when the Mormon forums at B'net got crazy. Was tormented on FAIR by who else but Juliann, and then came here. Like it better here, the weather is much nicer.