I have spent a lot of time writing about some of the disillusionment and estrangement I felt during my exit process from Mormonism, a lot of which stemmed from the misconceptions surrounding Mormons who leave. Currently, there is an open letter to the LDS Leaders, which was released with the following statement.
"As current and former Mormons, many of us have been through emotional turmoil as we’ve struggled with our beliefs. Some of us even made the difficult decision to leave. Our most cherished relationships have been strained or lost. We’ve experienced pain and distress, sometimes having to keep silent out of fear—all because of a lack of understanding between active members and those who question their faith."
There are a lot of different people who read this blog. Our common connection is Mormonism, whether it is curiosity about Mormonism, a past connection with Mormonism, or just a need for practicing Mormons to understand those who chose to leave. Our common denominator is that we want to understand each other. The actions of the current leaders - and the lack of historical transparency - has only served to cause divisions among family and friends. So, if you have the time, I would recommend checking out the Open Letter.
The Mormon Open Letter can be found here:
Thank you so much for posting and supporting this. We hope it makes a difference for people and gives me an opportunity to discuss things with their family/friends.
ReplyDeleteAlison Udall
Thanks for taking the time to write this - and happy to help.
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Rachel
I was skeptical at first--it seemed like something that would fall on dear ears. But I ended up signing the letter. Any attention to these issues is good.
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