Believing that if I just had faith the size of a mustard seed I could literally move a mountain. I was ten.

I tried walking on water when I was that age. I had no doubts, and truly believed. It never worked out though.

I walked thru water today.

I was 13, but I should have listened to that part of me that said "See, it is all made up". Actually, that thought terrified me when I was 13. All those threats of going to hell worked for awhile. Not really hell, no it was suffer the eternal consequence.

I can turn $20 into a pretty decent bottle of wine!

wine country girl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I can turn $20 into a pretty decent bottle of
> wine!

I've got one... and what a sight that would be?

Where and when might the magic (spectacle) begin?

!Cheers!

OP - I remember a lot of things growing up (in tscc), 90% of which are not true... one of which was - "I hope they call me on a mission" - that was completely false. "I know this (scam) church is true" was another one. I didn't - because it ain't.

I can remember really believing in Santa Claus and in the Easter Bunny at one time too. Then I grew up. Too many people choose not to grow up. They'll believe whatever the church tells them to believe. It seesm to them, to beat the alternative.... taking responsibility for their own life.

I always thought that was a bit of a stretch, and when priesthood leaders told me that a lowly deacon had more power than the Pope...well, I thought that sounded like bragging and not a very Christian thing to do.

Feeling that the temple ceremony was STUPID, DUMB!

And, now, what exactly was I supposed to do? Here I was 21, taking in/out my endowments (whatever in the hell that really meant?), taking the plunge in matrimony, and I felt like I was a member of a cast (since I was, you know, in a costume and all) of a very, VERY bad and weird road show.

Hey, this is not what I heard this sacred thing was going to be like!!! It all was supposed to be so, so spiiiritual. The best day of my life. I was supposed to learn amazing eternal information to guide me through my existence on this evil earth.

And, all I really wanted to do was laugh. Laugh out loud at the irony of the whole SILLY thing. (Hell we acted like this as 3rd graders with our special codes and secrets for our club membership).

At his point I knew that something was way wrong. Not long after, I took a philosophy intro class at the university and read Fawn Brodie's biography of Joseph Smith, "No Man Knows My History," and the church walls came tumbling down all around me.

Now, I had my answer.



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Looked like this: http://www.churchsupplier.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/media/pins1/315mi.jpg

A constant reminder of my lack of faith, because dammit, that mountain would not budge.

I remember thinking... this is all I have to choose from?

So much for free agency!

Fortunately, I grew out of the home and out of the church... it was never big enough for me anyway.

It (tscc) always had such small ideals, and lowly goals, and weak stories... now known and shown to be shot full of holes.

I had mustard seed faith alright, but I hate mustard greens! I'd rather have kale, stinging nettles, or turnip greens.

Any true climber would never want mountains to be moved [unless it was closer] (they are in the right place already and are sometimes too far away anyway).

Man's job is to climb (and ski!) mountains, not move them.

"Who plants a seed beneath the sod and waits to see, believes in God."

I believed this stuff up until about 20 years ago. I'm 57.

As a adult convert to the system I came with life experiences that would drawn on while being taught LDS gospel principles.

A red flag should have come up when I was being taught by teenage missionaries with zero life experiences but yet always having an answer.There was always something which was sacred but not secret or not of this world when a question would arise.They really overworked the quotes "Put your Trust in the Lord" or "Endure to the End".These guys are way overrated. Elders ya right.

Looking back the odds were always stacked against me totally transforming into a full fledged member and in my mind I just never really bought into a lot of the doctrines even the temple experience.

Liberal adult converts or a least ones who can think on their own are not what TSCC wants. You ask to many questions.In our area of Canada ever notice how membership isn't really stacked with people with higher education who actually will pick up a book and read it.They hate pointed responses and I have learned that anything less than "NO" and they'll be back knocking on the door next month.

I never agreed with Salt lake City telling me to keep off the internet or only read church approved books or listen to church approved music.If you buy into this then its that much harder to leave when the time comes.

When I look back it was really the next generation that is most valuable to them. The children of record or born under covenant are the real objective. The ones that have no life experiences and can be molded and formed into the warped way of that Mormonism views life. Its is the way they replenish the membership roles for the future. If your family is exploring Mormonism tread lightly.