Episode 14 - Jack Mormon

[JulyDiaz 2797]

A questioning Mormon and family man calls Chris up exactly 1 hour and 15 minutes before his final law exam of the semester. But this phone call is more important to him than the test.

[SarahGuskyKemer 1]

Re: Is there a "neo-mormonism": New Order Mormonism http://www.newordermormon.org

 

and

 

Progressive Mormons

http://www.feministmormonhousewives.org

http://rationalfaiths.com

https://bycommonconsent.com

https://www.dialoguejournal.com

http://www.exponentii.org

 

^^ I mean seriously so many of us who have the same historical concerns but believe in the spiritual aspects -- who advocate for various social issues within the church while also holding temple recommends. It is possible if you first, let go of the all or nothing belief system Mormonism often holds onto. Joseph Smith can have written the Book of Mormon with divine interpretation AND have been lead astray with polygamy (and the worst parts of polygamy are from Brigham Young on -- also check out Year of Polygamy with Lindsay Hansen Park). Focus more on personal revelation than obedience. You will find there are many more who agree with that line of thinking than you may think.

 

And if you have trouble, I absolutely think taking time off without expectation of returning is okay. My husband took 12 years to figure himself out and it was only after our marriage and when I was investigating that he went back -- on our own terms. We are not at all conservative Mormons. To label I would say New Order / Progressive. But we fit in. It also helps that we don't live in Utah or Idaho -- East Coast Mormons are easier on the stomach

 

Good luck man. You have your life to figure this out and I hope your wife opens her heart to provide more support for you.

[akiba_drumer 12]

I agree with ahsraie, all that stuff exists and NOMs do exist.

 

But then there are people like me. I just can't. I joined for a girlfriend. Never really believed, and now with the movements against the LGBT community, coupled with the history that has come out, I just can't any more.

 

I am open with my wife (she is not the girlfriend I joined for), who is a new-order/progressive mormon, but I still have to live the same lie when it comes to the in-laws that the caller does. Being even slightly out of the fold means living a lie, if people you care about can't meet you half way. I applaud people who can make it work and live authentically. I wish I could. For a lot of active mormons, there are good people (mormons), people who have not encountered the church, and evil apostates who ruin your shot at eternal life if you allow their satanic influence to overcome you.

 

It sucks. And I hate it. And I get where the caller is coming from to a T.

[Kickpuncher 5012]

Very interesting episode. Maybe Chris felt like it would have been over-stepping to ask about this, but the one big thing that I was still left wondering was how the caller really feels about his family. There was an over-riding theme that he was sort of faking his way through everything and that doing something more creatively fulfilling is his light at the end of the tunnel, and he also talked about being married and having kids mainly in the context of it being the motivator for having a safety net career, as if it's more of an obligation than anything. I would have felt a lot better about his situation if he had just spoken a little more warmly about them and expressed that his motivation to provide for them is more out of love than obligation.