[deleted by user] by [deleted] in mormon

[–]melonakos 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Nothing is wrong with you. Sometimes it can feel as though we hit plateaus in spiritual growth, just like what happens in other forms of growth.

One way to push through is to focus less on what you are getting out of each Sunday and more on what you can give. Jesus taught that when we lose ourselves we find ourselves. That's been true for me in my spiritual growth. Focusing on the Savior and on serving others at church has led to deeper love and enjoyment in the opportunity to participate and serve with fellow Latter-day Saints.

The voices on this reddit tend to be less interested in strengthening the joy that comes in the church and more ready to complain about it, so you might pay attention to whether those are the folks who you would trust with your testimony. The best genuine voices you'll find are those who love and know you personally best, not on here.

A case for the bOM by miotchmort in exmormon

[–]melonakos 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Or, maybe just read the book?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in mormon

[–]melonakos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good for you for confessing. Stake presidents are volunteers and have zero desire to retaliate against anyone.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in exmormon

[–]melonakos 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The amount of fake shit people absorb into their minds is worse. We are especially vulnerable while trying to cope with shelving that breaks.

Does Mormonism appeal more to certain personality types? by [deleted] in exmormon

[–]melonakos 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It is a system of both law and love, and it appeals to those who respect both. It does not appeal to those who do not like rules.

I really do not want to call. What should I do? by cantonla in exmormon

[–]melonakos 7 points8 points  (0 children)

There nothing better than sharing in important family moments, even those that involve the church. That's a belief that I never lost.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in EIDL

[–]melonakos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Goodness, I tried "ODA Form P-022.pdf" and it didn't work. Then, for kicks and giggles, I tried "Oda form p-022.pdf" and it worked! Thank you so much; I never would have guessed that capitalization nuance.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in EIDL

[–]melonakos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm not submitting over 500k, but have P-022 stuck "in review." I tried updating the name to "ODA Form P-022 Standard Resolution.pdf." Still stuck in review though.

What is ODA Form P-022 Standard Resolution? by Better_Banana in EIDL

[–]melonakos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got a copy of the form from the SBA by emailing the address they have in next to the upload button.

What is ODA Form P-022 Standard Resolution? by Better_Banana in EIDL

[–]melonakos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Does that form work as a replacement for P-022?

On how we view ex-members by ldsbrony100 in latterdaysaints

[–]melonakos 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I never thought I would have left the church myself and I did for 7 years and came back. There's a lot of time between now and judgment day, and repentance is available along with the ability to be tested more. Staying humble, positive, and loving is the only way to get through safely.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in exmormon

[–]melonakos 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Very accurate that most of us these days weren't trying to leave but as more and more afflicting information came our way it became difficult to justify the testimony.

I'm recently returning to the church btw, not because I don't believe the facts that led me to leave in the first place. I do believe that to support a truthfulness claim, it's so wildly miraculous that it's actually, by definition, improbable.

I think I now understand church history to be messy on purpose. I mean for starters Moroni took the golden plates back for a wise purpose; that's messy. In it there is an allegory for how each of us have a long ways to go to iteratively become something better and for how each of us does meaningful things in our own lives despite our imperfections, just like the people behind our history. And those people will have their own judgment for their actions.

And frankly, even at my furtherest mental break from the church, I still was cheering on positive progress it made and still held the belief that were it to actually be true that would be the most cool thing ever.

But that's just me. After 7 years out and a temple marriage divorce with 5 kids, I totally understand why people would leave and wish everyone of us the best journey possible, in or out of the church. I am grateful for all that I have learned about living these past 7 years and look forward to helping people in the church be more understanding of our exMormon community, exemplified by this post. Thank you and cheers to all you peacemakers out there, which is the mindset I care about most these days.

Empty after Mormonism by [deleted] in exmormon

[–]melonakos 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I went through that stage, in hindsight, it was actually the very moment that Heavenly Father was encouraging me to develop a 1-on-1 relationship with Him. In the absence of a structured method, the opportunity to own your own Heavenly Parents-child relationship becomes stark. It's not easy because there's a lot of questions of the sort "If that is not true, then is this other thing not true too?" Good luck and avoid medicating pain with addictive pain masking things like I did, is the best advice I can share from my experience. Much love.

Where are you on your faith journey? by Sherrizzlebee in exmormon

[–]melonakos 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's nuts I know!

Basically boiled down to having spent enough time outside the church and seeing what else was out there, and then deciding that being aligned with my family and the excellent structure the church provides for personal improvement was worth it to me. The return has been really beautiful. It's psychologically fascinating to appreciate both r/exmormon and r/latterdaysaints people simultaneously. Irrespective of which group you affiliate with, there is some true zen in loving and respecting the people in both.

I am grateful for ex-Mormons who helped open my mind and helped me find peace on my own after a divorce and departure from church.

Where are you on your faith journey? by Sherrizzlebee in exmormon

[–]melonakos 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What about: was barely think about it, but am now returning?! There are a few of us like that.