I might leave Mormonism or religion all together, help?
Lately I've had thoughts about Mormonism might be wrong. There are so many choices in religion, how can anyone be expected to choose the "right" one? What kind of God would put so many choices then damn you for all eternity for making the wrong one? Then I thought the only reason I'm Mormon is because I was born one. Why can't I be allowed to leave and see what else is out there, then come back if I believe Mormonism is the best choice. Why can't I make the decision now that I am old enough to understand how the world works instead of my parents making it for me before I could think for myself.
What should I do? Are these thoughts normal? And how would I tell my family (Especially my grandparents who are all 'holy-er than thou') I'm leaving if that is what I decide to do?
And please no mindless bashing against Mormonism, this is hard enough.
Alissa's answer: That is just it, God doesn't answer. No dreams, visions, revelations, signs, miracles, and no angle on my shoulder.
Nobody is stopping you from investigating other religions, you are allowed to do it, but investigate the LDS church as well.
Have you read the Book of Mormon? have you asked God if the church is true?
EDIT
"No dreams, visions, revelations, signs, miracles, and no angle on my shoulder."
I never had any of that either, it was just a simple warm feeling and I knew it was true in my heart and in my mind. It was nothing amazing.
Did you read the Book of Mormon? that's what did it for me. It took me until last year to read the Book of Mormon, that's about 18 years, and once I read it I just knew it was true.
If you're following what you can best determine is right and true, the alternatives should seem irrelevant. We have senses and intelligence to sort those things out for ourselves.
My sincere counsel is (1) to encourage your choice to leave Mormonism; and (2) to look directly to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith for your personal salvation ? http://www.jimfeeney.org/onlyonewaytoGod.html
Well, certainly the thoughts are normal, you should not follow a religion just because your parents do. Have you read the bible (not the book of Mormon, the regular bible) all the way through? Get a copy and determine to read it all before making your decision. Pray along the way for God to show you if he is real and what is the truest way to follow him.
Try to get your hands on some books about Mormonism that are not written by Mormons to consider what others say about it. Only after much research and prayer should you decide what you will follow. Then, tell you parents what you have done, what you have decided, and why, and expect them to throw a fit. Continue respecting them in every way after you tell them, but in matters of religion follow what you believe is right.
I don't blame you for wanting to leave a "religion" - maybe it is God's way of telling you that it's time to begin a relationship with Him and His Son, your Lord and Savior :}
If you agree with all their beliefs and practices than you should stay. If not, maybe do some internal soul-searching to find what is out there that is right or if you'd rather just not choose altogether. And you can come back if you find that Mormonism really is right for you, they just like to discourage it. I had to make the same decision when I got old enough and it was very difficult since my dad was such a firm believer. But you must do what makes you happy inside, be truthful to yourself. Trust me, they want members, so they will not shun you if you decide to come back after leaving.
You are right, there are a lot of choices. Now since you are old enough, do research on christian religions or religions in general. You may want to check out a few books that compare or discuss various religions at a college or public library. Then the one or two that seems to be make sense or "flows" easily, go to their publishing house or their library to get a more insight into their teaching and practices.
-Man has believed in millions of Gods and others fairy tales throughout the history of mankind- the probability you pick the right religion is very very slim.
-If you're born in Bolivia, your most likely Christian, if you're born in India you're most likely a Hindu, and if you're born in Afghanistan you're mostly likely a Muslim. It's almost as you just believe what everyone else around you believes? Hmmm? Think about that one.
Any who, yes these thoughts are normal. I went through the exact same thought process when I left Islam. My advice is to keep asking questions boldly.
"Why can't I be allowed to leave and see what else is out there..."
What in the world is stopping you? How old are you anyway? If you're a minor and feeling out of place because of friends and school, that is understandable. If you have no testimony, have no plans to stay in the church, not living a Christian lifestyle and are not active anyway, what's the problem? I don't get it.
No one is stopping you from investigating other faiths. If you feel like going to other churches you should to see how they are.
This is something you should do pray fully and carefully, as all religious decisions take faith and prayer.
Consequently I don't believe anyone is going to be damned for all eternity because of what they believe. The God I believe in loves all His children and that doesn't matter what faith you're in.
I find it hard for so many churches to think that other members in other faiths condemn someone to be damned to Hell because there beliefs are different from someone else, as are not those people just as sincere as someone else is in another faith?
It's not going to hurt you eternally if you search out other faiths. You're searching for God and that is not going to damn you at all. Do keep this in mind during your search and realize that God will be with you no matter what faith you search out and go to. Do not pay attention to others who say because you flip flop to other churches that you're damned because it simply isn't true as a faithful person searching for God is looking for Him and that should not be damned at all, as that would be a contradiction in God and His grace.
You are allowed to leave and see what else is out there. Who says you we rent?
If you are under 18 then you have to go along with your parents. Thats life. That doesn't stop you from exploring what you really believe in.
I have been where you are now. Its not easy and its frustrating and it can make you angry, esp when you are looking around at all these people that claim to know what the truth is and you are thinking to yourself, well whats wrong with me that I dint know.
My suggestion to you, coming from your place, is to go back to the basics. Figure out if you even believe in a God. What really helped me was reading the New Testament. Our lives are suppose to be centered in Christ and yet so many people dint bother to read about Christ.
Pray and fast and ask for help with the hope that you might get an answer, even if you cant tell yourself you really believe you will get an answer.
Then just read the NT. While you are reading pray for answers. Again, dint get frustrated. Dont expect miracles. Just pray with that tiny mustard seed of hope that something or someone out there might be listening.
It might be hard to believe in a God if you have nothing to base that belief on but its not hard to hope there is a Heavenly Father out there listening to you. Start with that tiny bit of hope and just read the scriptures and pray.
Try to push aside the anger and frustration and forget about what you think you are suppose to know or feel.
Its not easy. Its not some kind of miraculous revelation of perfect truth, but you will find the answers you are looking for, even if it takes more time then you think it should.
Good luck
edit
there was a specific conference talk on testimonies and what exactly they are in the Saturday morning conference session (I wish I could remember who it was) but it addresses a lot of what you might need to hear, too
Everyone who is honest and who remains in the LDS church has had to come to find out for themselves if it is true or not. You are just at the cross road in life where it is your turn to find out.
I would suggest though, that instead of turning away from it, try living it and see if it makes you happy or not. Then ask God in prayer. Do it sincerely, and be humble and then you will receive an answer. Read Alma 32 and try it out. See if it works for you.
I think that when you are young and just starting out in life that it is kind of adventurous and fun to think of being a little bit rebellious, but it won't lead you to true happiness, and isn't that what our ultimate goal is...to be happy? It can be dangerous too to sew your wild oats because some mistakes are not easily undone or overcome and once you make those mistakes you may be set on a course or path that will limit the opportunities you will have in the future.
For instance, if you want to marry a Mormon girl some day who has kept herself morally clean, then don't you think that she will be looking for someone who also has been morally clean? Your choices of brides later may be limited by your choices now so be careful.
You ask: Why can't I be allowed to leave and see what else is out there? You can. You have complete freedom of choice. That is God's gift to you, but consequences follow the decisions you make so choose carefully. This time in your life is very important because big things such as what career am I going to go into, who am I going to marry, what do I believe in, are all life changing questions that can direct the path of the rest of your life. My advice to you is to be careful in what you choose.
People often have an issue in realizing whether or not they know.
People don't normally get their answers to prayer by a dream or vision or huge sign or miracle. For every person who sees an angel there are 100,000 who don't have a conversion experience that way.
People forget what Alma 32 is about and miss the continuation of the topic in chapter 33 and skip right to Moroni 10 about getting an answer.
You sound frustrated, you also sound like you're looking for your personal identity. But why do you need to leave the church to see what else is out there?
Well, first I'm a Muslim born and have the same problem as you have. First I searched through my religion try to find out did any of it has a certain meaning, common sense or real benefits.
Since our Holy book mentioned so many things about science & rules imposed to humans, I had to study Human Biology, Astronomy, High-energy physics, Geology, Meteorology, Human Psychology, Atom, Genomic, etc...
I also conducted comparative religion and I ended back to becoming a Muslim.
First off Google "science and intelligent creator" you'll find that now science is baffled on how everything from the tiniest of Atoms till the billions of Galaxy of Cosmos has a balance and design in them and this would ended up in the conclusion of a GOD.
Find your own faith & find the True GOD
"Science without God is Lame" -Albert Einstein
well there's WNW.harunyahya,com, the guy totally destroys Darwinism in Europe with his Atlas of Creations, it's free....
if you have further question please email me at fajri.al.kautsar@gmail.com
EVERYONE who is a convert to the church goes through what you're going through. This is absolutely normal. It is a test and a trial of your faith, and your ability to discern and decide and be accountable for your choices and your freedom.
That in mind:
Fallacies in your thinking - and these are not faith:
"How can anyone be expected to....." - appeal to "logic"
"What kind of God would....." - another appeal to "logic"
"Why can't I be....." - you ARE allowed to....you are encouraged to... Moroni says "study it out for yourself" - although I don't know that you'll get an answer simply by comparing one to another. That still won't tell you whether this or that is "right".
"No dreams, visions....", the scriptures don't promise you dreams or visions......nor that you'll get an answer right away, only that you'll get one if you ask in faith. Press ahead in faith, not doubt. Doubt and learning are two different things.
What do YOU think is right? Do you think you'll get an answer by leaving?
I am a convert to the church and it wasn't until I was willing to do WHATEVER IT TOOK TO KNOW - including become Mormon if needs be - that I got my answer.
We all go through that period in our lives sometime. I went through it in high school too, and even a little on my mission.
All I can say is that you should trust that promise made in the Book of Mormon. Read it, from the beginning, praying and fasting about it as you go. You'll get your answer. I know you will. I've seen other people get their answers.
As for reading other books, like philosophies that other men may have compiled, if you decide to do that, I recommend you spend an equal amount of time reading the Book of Mormon or the Bible or something. Any book that you don't feel good as you read, you should just stop.
Remember, you received the Gift of the Holy Ghost. As long as you are living a worthy life, you are entitled to the Spirit.
If you want a good book to read, that isn't the Book of Mormon, but that explains a lot of the mess that we have in the world, check out this book on the Internet or somewhere else, it's called "The Great Apostasy"
faith, you should not be led by your emotion, they are fickle, Hebrews 11:1, tells us this, so you can investigate other religions, each Churic visit should have a welcome packet with their they bleiv ein when you visit their churhc, if you have any questions, you should be able to talk to the pastor or a decon at the end of the servic eif you don;t understand anything, and beleive me, I was so lost when I found out what mainstream christians REALLY believe. I asked alot of questions. You then figure out if you want to join another church or you liek thei rinterpreation of scripture and you join or you go back to the mormon faith, I personally went from mormonism, to wicca, to atheism, to agnostic, to being saved and finding a church, if you need to, you can take REL. 101 at any college this will cover the religions of the world and giv eyou an over view of everything, including the great awakening, the reformation, the second awakening, tent reivals and such. stiff you may never have heard of liek the baptism of the holy spirit, getting slain in the spirit, the rapture, hinduism, buddsim, muslim ect.
Of course it is normal to wonder and question things - we all do. And of course you are free to study and learn about other religions. I spend a good deal of my time doing just that....and it has served to strengthen my own beliefs and to clarify questions I have had concerning the LDS religion - so for me it has been a good thing. I have known others who, however, have become lost (I say lost, not because they left this church for something or nothing else - but lost because they no longer are able to determine what they do and don't believe in), because in their research, they have not actually done the legwork, but have instead just accepted someone Else's opinions or ideas and not really looked into them or prayed about them. I think it's important to remember that if you are researching religion - you ought to talk to the head honcho (God) about it for clarification. Just keep God in the loop.
Remember too, that God has given us free agency - we have to make the choice ourselves. And the LDS recognize that there is truth in all religions - so even if you find something that seems 'better' or 'truer' it may just be that you actually finally made a choice to accept some truth and that is God's way of confirming that truth. So you may recognize a truth and think it is a religion. Personally, I have found more truth in the LDS religion than anywhere else.
I would be happy to answer questions or tell you what my findings on questions I had have been if you are interested....email me.
Mormonism does not teach that those that choose the "wrong" religion are damned for eternity. The good and honorable people of other religions will have it better in the afterlife than they have it now. Before deciding to leave Mormonism, perhaps you should figure out what it is actually about. I am Mormon and I study other religions, there's nothing wrong with that. And you do not have to take anyone Else's word for it that the LDS church is the "right" church. Kneel down and pray and ask God with an open heart.
I might leave Mormonism or religion all together, help?
