I've been out for about 15 years now but still have one Utah Mormon family I haven't told. They are SUPER Mormon and yet not hypocritical, sanctimonious, nor obnoxious. They are just completely indoctrinated and deluded. They knock themselves out doing work for the church, caring for special needs kids, and making certain their kids are all "strong in their faith". It's their whole world.

I just can't bring myself to tell these fine people I know their faith is a fraud. We live half a continent apart so we only exchange Christmas cards these past years. In my mind, telling these dear friends about my lost faith would be like telling an excited two-year-old there is no Santa Claus.

Nope. Everyone knows.

I have some that I haven't told. I don't know how to. I don't know how to help them deal with their shock. Some day, they may find out by default.

Those whom I didn’t tell were informed by my wife.

Things are different in the Moridor. Gossip travels fast. I had a cousin in my ward, so I'm sure she blabbed everything to the whole family. I told my cousins on the other side of the family, because most of them have also left the cult.

There are a few friends I haven't told. They live in other states, and aren't around the gossipers. They write e-mails about their missionary children, and their temple work. Do they really touch naked people all day long?

Many of my out-of-state Mormon friends have been on senior missions, and they don't know I've resigned.

I know that if any of these Mormons were to find out about my resignation, they would immediately cease to be my friends. That's why I don't tell them.

There is no Santa Claus, so I don't care enough to tell them. If they can't figure it out for themselves, they will never figure it out. I guess I don't care that much, but given a choice, I wouldn't want to burst their bubble. It's none of my business what they believe; it's none of their business what I believe.

Our oldest daughter and son-in-law know that the rest of us in the family are out, but they don't know the real reasons why. When we had our "come to Jesus meeting",I asked them if they wanted to know why, both of them looked down and quietly said no.So we let them think that the main reason was being offended. My DH tried to give them a clue because he said: "...., I'm sorry that we raised you in the LDS Church". Crickets. It is the sleeping elephant in the room that we don't want to disturb for now.

They all know...including some TBM ones. All good. I didn't tell my TBM cousins. They are irrelevant.

Mother and I were invited to Christmas dinner at my first Bishop's home. They live at a distance that requires almost two hours travel. With my elderly mother who has advanced stages of dementia, I post pond the invite to another time. I didn’t want to ruin their holiday. So I will tell them next year. They will be hurt. They grew up BIC and it's their world. They were like surrogate parents to me when I joined the cult at 14 years old. They are genuinely good people and I respect them. So I want to stay friends with them and will make that clear when I break the news. One of their adopted sons is not active so they have been down this road before. Dealing with truth is not easy when people are accustomed to living in a bubble.

I have too many people to tell so I only told the people

who actually care. Most of them don't give a damn what

religion if any I belong to. I don't live in Utah where

it seems as if people care what religion you attend, thank

ghawd.

There's no one who needs to know that doesn't already know.

My family knows.

My church family is currently a Jewish synagogue. And so I really haven't discussed much about my Mormon background other than to say I'm a former Mormon.

No one asks about what that was like, I'm happy to say.

Amyjo, I presently attend a Jewish Bible Study. That is, it is actually called a "Bible study". Over the past ten months we have been studying Genesis and are now in Chapter 22. It usually takes the class about five years to complete the first five books of the Bible. The rabbi teaches a quite liberal group.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/16/2017 03:20PM by rhgc.

Then you may already know the first five books of the bible are what make up the Torah.

Somewhere I still have a Jewish study bible, from when I attended a Messianic synagogue.

I have another one of the Old Testament (called the Tanakh,) that has the OT scriptures in English on one page. And in Hebrew on the other.

Since I haven't learned Hebrew I follow along in the English.

I've heard both Messianics and Jews say you really can't fully understand the scriptures as originally intended without learning the language they were written in.

While I make it a practice to drink coffee in front of any members, I still find some members who don't know I am no longer LDS.

If I'm in a restaurant and see some TBM's that know me I make sure I have a pint of something good on the go.

For some reason my TBM 90+ year old Dad thinks I'm inactive.
So for 4 decades I've been inactive now.

I guess he thinks I'll return.

He knows I don't attend his church. He knows my kids aren't baptized. He knows enough to figure it out.

But we don't talk about MY beliefs.

Tutu

I've only told one sibling I'm done. I have not officially resigned. I don't feel the need to say anything.