wonderfulnewlife

I did say that I wasn't going to reply anymore, but your post upset me a great deal. Firstly, Yes... I AM the same person I have always been. My morals, my love for my family hasn't changed. I understand you believe that your relationship with your savior is the most important thing, but it's easy to forget that treating people as you would want to be treated is living how the savior wants us to live. I am not claiming to be a victim, I am asking a question as to why a family would turn it's back on someone they are supposed to love unconditionally? Of course I love them unconditionally, if I didn't I wouldn't be on an LDS board asking questions, would I? You are very quick to judge me and what I have done, yet you have no idea of the amount of prayer and studying I did before I made my decision. I am different than you, but that doesn't make me less of a person, or less of a child of God. That being said, Goodbye for real this time. I really mean it. I don't plan on coming back and getting judged again.

I think you took my reply wrong... I didn't mean to sound like I thought you wouldn't converse with me. This post is proof that you would. I think that if you could hear the tone of my voice instead of reading the words you would have understood more clearly. Sorry about that. I just find it hypocritical that my family claims to believe that family is the most important thing, and yet tosses me aside because I don't believe what they believe. I actually feel sorry for them, because they are missing out on knowing me... I am a good person, I am honest, polite, and I treat people how I would like to be treated. Which is more than I can say for them. I think I am done here... I seem to be causing more controversy than I wanted to. Thank you all very much for your time. Good luck to you all.

Thank you for not isolating your sister. I say that for all the people like me who are basically disowned.

I understand why you believe that Satan has sifted me, and that my family is trying to keep the "cancer" of unbelief away from their children. I remember hearing things like that in Sacrament meetings. I also understand you are firm in your beliefs, and I respect other's thoughts and beliefs. Thing is, I am the same person I have always been. The LDS church taught me that we should honor and love our family, because they are the most important thing... what I am seeing is that the Church is the most important thing... and their love for me is conditional. You think I am making a mistake by making the decision to have my name taken off the records, and I believe you are making a mistake by believing what you believe. It's o.k. to have different thoughts and beliefs, it's o.k.!! I don't understand why so many people are stuck on, "If you don't go to church where I go to church you are not my friend/family." It's crazy to me. Just crazy.

It's not enough to just become inactive because of what I believe. I am not going to go into details, but it's important to me that I am not LDS. If you like it, fine... not bashing in any way. My values are the same as they have always been. Just because I stopped believing in the church doesn't immediately turn me into a complete sinner. I just believe different things. When I was active LDS I found my friends in the church to be extremely critical of those who were not in the church, or believed something different. Different isn't always wrong. I have been very honest with them, and very patient. It's sad they are acting this way.

Thank you for the reply, I have to admit I thought my post would be ignored... I have been as faithful as most of you are right now. It's not my position to take faith away from someone else. If what you believe makes sense to you, and it makes you happy... I am happy for you. You are probably right about them being afraid that I will plant doubt, but if they are so faithful what are they afraid of? It makes me sad to think that I am the happiest I have ever been, but now my family wants nothing to do with me. There is something wrong with this... and I am not the one doing anything wrong. They should love me the same no matter what, and now I feel their love was very conditional. Thank you again for your time and for your opinion. I appreciate it.

Hello there, I spent 21 years in the LDS Church, and I am still a member. I plan on having my records removed from the church because I have found that I, personally, don't find what other people find here. I don't believe what my family believes, and suddenly I am not treated the same. They have stopped inviting me to family functions, they won't let me babysit my cousins... why? I am still the same person I have always been, are they afraid I am going to try and tell their children to leave with me? I would never do that. Faith is a very personal thing, and they don't believe that. The reason I am here is to find out what many other LDS people think about my situation. I went through years of doubt before I made my decision, and I am happy with the choice I made. Is it not against the very religion they claim to love so much to turn your back on your own family members?