The quote “your body / appearance is the least interesting thing about you” has always resonated with me. Because it’s so true! It is the least interesting and important thing. Your heart and kindness will always matter the most 🫶🏼
We left the church 2 years ago and I have never felt so much peace within myself and had a better relationship with God, the Universe, whatever higher power is out there. It’s amazing. Love that you’ve found your peace too. I literally could have said the exact same thing word for word in regards to my thoughts and feelings about the church. You are seen, heard, and validated!
I love your outtake on motherhood!! I love how real and authentic you are and relate to that feeling of not wanting to give up your whole entire life to your kids. I think there’s a healthy balance and you summarized it so well.
hearing about the belief that if you do this then you’ll get this made me so sad 😭 you’re so right. i’m a christian and salvation and eternity is a gift - it’s free - you don’t have to work for it, you just truly believe in Jesus and have relationship with God. idk this really opened my eyes - thank you so much for sharing!! i think it’d be soooo interesting to hear you and Kristin talk about this subject!!
Yes I was just thinking I hope she talks to Kristin about this stuff! If the church is the body of Christ, it should be the overflow of Christ! And he is the only one who has made the way for it ❤️
My heart has always gone out to the LDS community. It has to be so difficult… there is SO much emphasis on following rules, and doing XYZ to get to heaven. It’s impossible to earn your way to Heaven. Let me just encourage you.. that is not the God of the Bible. True Christianity is the only religion in the world that doesn’t require you to earn your way to heaven and to follow a bunch of rules. The Bible says over and over again, that our Salvation lies in the finished work on the cross. Not to throw out a bunch of religious terms, but I just want to encourage you that God doesn’t want you to follow a set of rules and earn your way there- HE’S ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED THAT FOR US. We don’t have to spend our whole life trying to accomplish it ourselves. I think that the LDS church and even some Christian churches try to twist it around, and tell you that the you have to do all these things to get to Heaven. I just want to encourage you to read the Bible for yourself, and read it for what it says (not through the lens of the church, etc). I’ve found that it actually lifts an enormous weight off of me, because I know that I can rest in Jesus’s finished work on the cross. Just wanted to share this with you, I hope that it’s encouraging! ♥️
Jesus loves and accepts you as you are. That’s the difference between LDS and truly having a relationship with Jesus. You’re absolutely right about these rules not determining you going to Heaven. You don’t have to do anything to earn salvation, Jaci. It’s been given as a gift freely. Just accept Jesus as savior and Lord. He loves you so much.
it’s weird that everyone feels disconnected from content creators on RUclips cause I could watch these videos of Jackie for hours and then also vibe with the tik toks
I’m so proud of you Jaci! Faith journeys are SO HARD. Thank you for sharing and being so vulnerable. Whenever you feel overwhelmed by the church’s hypocrisy, know you were in good company because Jesus came in order to make himself accessible to people at ALL times, not just in the temple in Israel. It brings me so much joy to hear you’ve felt closer to God the past year. Know that I’m alongside you cheering you on!
I love the journey you are on in your search for your authentic self. The peace you are feeling might be that you are being true to yourself and with God in your life. A personal relationship with God & Jesus is a great thing to search for. He rewards those who truly seek Him. You can ask Him like you are already doing. 💐💐💐
Jaci, I love your perspective on finding your faith for YOURSELF. I grew up in a Christian home in Utah, not LDS, but in an environment where it was easy to just follow along with what everyone else was believing. It took me leaving my home and moving to college to really figure it out for myself. My parents always did a great job at encouraging me to take on my faith for myself and not for them, but I really only understood that a few years ago. Being born and raised in Utah I’ve been exposed to the religious culture in so many ways and have a huge burden on my heart for people in the church. It’s so cool to hear about your experience questioning and really considering what you believe. Thank you so much for sharing, it encourages my heart so much.
I’m on a very similar journey right now with the LDS church and what you said is exactly what I’ve been trying to put into words, especially to my LDS friends and family. Really resonated with me so thank you for being willing to speak about your experience ❤
jaci, i just wanted to say thank you so much for being so open, specifically about your faith journey. i know its been really hard for you to talk about it and i appreciate it a lot. you are so right: we don't need to pay our way to heaven. God sent Jesus to this earth to pay for our sins for us, not so we can pay money to get to heaven or try and earn our way through actions and good works. Jesus is what gives us passage to heaven and loving God is the way to get to heaven. i hope this isn't too long or sounding pushy: i just want to encourage you bc you have encouraged me so much ilysm keep being strong.
Not to mention invalidating jaci’s and many other’s concern that paying tithing is a requirement for the temple, the supposed house of the lord, and taught as a commandment to be righteous and be “worthy” to live with God. These are legitimate concerns.
I feel the same way. I grew up in church, my grandparents were pastors, and I tried so hard but never felt connected to it in any way even as a child. I’ve been working through the guilt for years, it takes time
Jaci, you have really good discernment in yourself and the lord, it’s a gift. Every service at my church says “we are imperfect people in an imperfect world pursing a perfect god” and there’s no “perfect” church because what a pastor says doesn’t mean that it’s true but just alway go back to scripture or ask “oh you should read the entire chapter not just focusing on the one verse but the context of the chapter” “we are all disciples but we don’t all gotta go to a person front door, so much people discipline in different ways like just giving encouragement, kindness, or just simply loving others like Jesus because he hanged out with every type of people” Praying for you
I went through such a similar experience with the LDS church and I have the same views that you have on the church now. My relationship with God is 10x better and Im enjoying my life so much more!
I can so relate with you. Growing up as a Christian, lots of things didn't come naturally to me like it did for others. I would go to church which I liked but I always felt some kind of disconnect. I still believe in God. I haven't been in church for almost a year I think. I just had to step back. I'm going to try what you do and just have a relationship with God. I don't think going to church is for me right now. There are some things I believe that I know plenty christians don't. Good luck on your journey and I'm glad that you are doing what works best for you. Ultimately I just want to be a good person on this earth.
Jaci -- as a fellow girlie from a religious household who never really 'connected' with it all and was constantly told to try harder, thank you so much for sharing this!! you verbalized the feeling I've had since I was a little girl and just never knew how to explain with words
I love hearing about your faith journey. I’m a Christian. Once I married my husband we stopped going to church religiously and my life changed. A loving God does not need you to do anything people are telling you to do. He just wants us to be good, faithful humans & that makes sense. Rules that people created do not make sense. Love you Jaci🤍🤍
God does call us to be obedient to Him and His word. To follow Him and His word. As Christians or those who follow the Lord, we cannot just do whatever we please and still have salvation and eternal life with Jesus. God is more loving than words and because of that He calls us away from the ways of the world and sin. That being said, there are MANY Christian churches that are so false and doing things opposite of the Lords teachings. I’ve been to those churches and walked away saying what the heck was that? This is why people don’t want to come to church- I get it. This world is fallen and sin is everywhere. Still, for those who believe, me must continue to pray and ask that God bring us to a church that is doing things the right away and not abusing. God calls us to attend church and worship with the body of Christ. None of it is easy, but Jesus is worth it.
I relate to you in the way I “untaught” myself everything I learned growing up in the Protestant church. Grew up Pentecostal then attended a nondenominational Bible church during my teenage years. I was super involved and helped lead the worship services. I became more and more convicted that what I was practicing was more serving the world than serving God. I finally came across the Orthodox Christian Church, which is the oldest Christian faith. Even though what I was exploring went against nearly everything I was told to believe, it made so much sense and felt way more complete. I hope you can find your way to what leads you to have the best relationship with God. There will certainly be growing pains involved and can be scary questioning the only thing you’ve ever known, BUT you are not alone!! ❤️ keep praying and searching.
girl ! i don‘t know if you are aware but you just preached! you are amazing and doing it so right. having a relationship with god and truely asking him for advice and what is wrong / right, letting him be the leader in your life. i love that❤
I am so happy for you that you found your peace and a better relationship with God. I think there are many ways to find that and I’m glad you found what’s right for you. I am still LDS and have found peace in it for me. For me I’m okay to not agree with everything in the culture and policy while still finding community and service and a path for a relationship with God. It’s so important for all of us to search in ourselves and find what’s right for us. Thank you for being so open in your soul searching. ❤
There’s only one way to heaven and that’s through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins! If we look inward for our hope we will be left with hopelessness because we are a sinful people, but if we look to the cross we will find everlasting peace🤍🤍Have a great day!
I love how open you are about your spiritual journey 🤍 you are so authentic and inspire others to take initiative if they are not feeling right in church. You are right, believing in God is the only way to heaven, good works/ tithing doesn’t do that! Your intuition is always right. As a Christian that is my belief and what works for me! Thanks for sharing your perspective!
You are spot on!! God guides you with the Holy Spirit aka your moral compass! Believing in God is not a religion it’s a relationship that’s why you feel stronger out of the religion because you are in a relationship!!!
I appreciate your openness, humility, and caution in your approach to faith. There is so much of a struggle to be “good enough) and to do what you’re told, even when it doesn’t make sense, in super “organized” religions like Mormonism and Catholicism. As a Christian, I believe that each person must come to God personally, not through some organization that dictates the rules. I also believe that no church has any authority to tell you what you need to do to get to heaven or to have a relationship with God. Only God has that authority. If you’ll accept humble advice from a stranger, I truly believe that, if you are searching and questioning, the best thing you can do is to just open a Bible and start reading, not to earn God’s favor, but with an open mind set aside all you’ve been taught and just read it for what it says. (The gospel of John is a great place to start, and an easy-to-understand translation like ESV or NIV helps. ) I have not had the experience you’ve had, as I grew up Christian and have grown more in love with God over the years, but I have questioned certain matters of doctrine that I was taught and figured out what I believe apart from my parents, the churches I’ve attended, and people I respect. The only way I’ve ever been able to find peace on these issues was by simply reading the Bible for what it says, and bringing my questions to God in prayer. Good for you for continuing to pray, even though you’re still not sure what you believe. Those who genuinely seek God will find Him.
I totally feel you, with the “filming to much around friend and family” I do that all the time and feel like I’m not living in the moment, and that ppl think I’m to attached to my phone
you might like a non denominational church! I was raised baptist and attended that church with my family until we left in 2020 after so many bad things came to light. Without a church my personal relationship with Jesus grew so much stronger and ultimately I am thankful for that weird time in my life that I got to spend alone with God. It took me awhile to find a church that felt safe and brought joy into my life but I'm so happy I gave it a second chance. The thing that I love most about my church is the likeminded/servant hearted community :) praying for peace as you navigate all of these things. Thanks for sharing your heart
I just wanted to say I resonate so much with what you said about feeling more spiritual then religious. I have felt this way for awhile now but I couldn’t put it into words. I want to have my own experiences and not just go along with other people’s or the churches opinions. So thank you so much for sharing your experience❤️
Very thought provoking! I’m currently on my own faith journey and I’m fingering out what feels good and what doesn’t and going from there. Just trying to take the pressure off of myself - whatever I choose to do with my life spiritually will be good ❤ Proud of your example Jaci!
Thank you so much for this video 🥰 I have recently been on a similar path and I’ve actually been focusing on living an authentic life and having an authentic relationship with God. I relate so much to this! Much love 💛
I love how balance you are! You are not a hater, but a thinker. I am not an LDS person but I can sympathize with your feelings. Just keep praying that God will help you find the truth!
Only 6 minutes into the video but I just had to say that I'm so glad that you're talking about your faith journey! I loved your disclaimer that to truly get into that topic it would require so much more time and a back and forth conversation...that's exactly how I feel! I can see how passionate you are about this piece of your life and I hope that you continue to be encouraged to explore it and talk about it- I for one would love to hear more!!
Also, I just wanted to say that I work with kids at a progressive Lutheran church, and I always tell them that questions and doubt are why we call it faith! If we had all the answers from God, it would be a fact. I love encouraging the questions and taking time for doubt and understanding that we will never have all the answers!
Fun Fact: there is a phenomena that people are calling the "rise of the nones"- basically people our age are moving away from identifying with an organized religion but still feeling spiritually connected. It's not just you! There are a lot of issues with a lot of organized religions, so many young people are not feeling like they can/want to be a part of that, but are still feeling a connecting with God (or another higher power). So interesting! I wish we could just have this conversation face to face because I love talking about all of this...
One of the key differences between Mormonism and Christianity is the works based salvation. In Christ, we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We aren’t saved by our works. In fact, there is nothing we could ever do to achieve salvation on our own. By the grace of God, when we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And through that salvation we become a new creation, set apart for His glory. Praise the Lord ♥️
I left Christianity and community post leaving religion can be so tough. Thank you for sharing your experience!! I am so much happier and I’m glad you’ve found your peace & center. Keep doing you, Jaci!! Ily!
I was an Atheist, started to believe in God and never wanted to go to a church because I didn’t vibe with organised religion. Went to catholic mass once and now I’m fully immersed and converting. If the walk with God is one thing it is humbling
5:54 im so proud of you for following your heart and realizing and accepting that what you grew up believing is not true at all! have you ever done any research on Joseph Smith? im not religious but Ive learned some things about him and its honestly mind blowing anyone would believe any of what he claims to be true. The sad thing is mormons dont want to, but also arent allowed to read into these things
Mormonism is not christianity; mormons do not believe in the Triune God of scripture. They also believe that one day you become a god, but the God of the Bible says there is no other God besides Him. It makes sense that mormonism didn’t sit right with you; it’s not right. Please read the Bible and learn about the true Jesus for yourself. ❤️ There’s no strings attached with the God of the Bible. It’s not about a set of rules or practices; and it’s not about striving or playing the part. it’s about genuinely knowing God and having an intimate relationship with Him because He made you and loves you and wants you. the goal is not getting into Heaven. It’s knowing Him, living with Him in your heart, and enjoying Him forever. It’s really that easy. ❤️
“Apologia Studio’s” RUclips channel goes into depth about the untruths that mormons believe and it is so educating! so many people, including myself at one point, aren’t aware of how VASTLY different Mormonism and Christianity are!
Hi Jaci! I was raised VERY strict Catholic (photos of the Pope all over our house haha). I now go to a bible church and am so thankful to be growing in my faith! Hope this helps, maybe you can find a bible church near you where you can just objectively read and learn from the Bible!
May Allah guide u for some reason a lot of people felt the same disconnection u talked abt till they found islam until they found the right path and I truly believe that ur so close to that step to find the whole truth and maybe only then u’ll feel connected I recommend u to search abt Islam and perhaps that’s when everything gonna really change
I love what you said about the body image, but I’m honestly curious how you apply that line of thinking to the work you’ve had done on your face? Your body is a vessel so true…but then what purpose does the chin implants, lip injections etc serve? You may feel more confident and that’s great, but isn’t it in a way at the expense of other peoples confidence? When more and more people use filters and get injections, young girls feel more and more uncomfortable with their own natural bodies and faces. Not trying to be rude at all, I’m just curious of the thought process
Thank you so much for sharing your take on religion. I think there are a lot of lds members feeling the same way- myself included. You explained it beautifully.
I also really love that you want to base your decision on your own experience. Any time throughout the Bible when people met God, they had a personal experience that was revealed to them. I’ll pray the same for you. Keep seeking.
love u sm jaci 🤍 love hearing about your new relationship with God and your prayers to him. God has a journey for all of us, and I feel so strongly he is guiding yours. I am going through my own faith journey and the whole reason I am leaving Catholicism, is because I want a relationship with God rather than a church/organized religion. I have started looking into Christianity, and I have felt that the main message of the Christianity is building your personal relationship with God through Jesus. So just a thought for you to look into for the future:)
The fact you are asking because you want to be a good mom, is an indication you will be a GREAT mom!!! You are asking all the right questions for all the right reasons. ♥️💐♥️👍🇨🇦
Never have i related to you more than this video. I love the real & raw & authentic J ❤ sending you all the good vibes and thank you for speaking about these things!
i really feel everything that you shared about your experience with religion - i’m not religious but i am very spiritual and the idea of organised religion also personally doesn’t quite sit right with me. spirituality and having a more personal relationship between myself and source (or God or the universe etc) and my own personal practices feels really right for me and there’s no ability for it to be performative. instead it’s all about connection and that’s what i love about it
Just want to encourage you that all organized religion is not like LDS organized religion. As many others have said, protestant christian churches don't believe following all those rules is what gives us salvation. We get salvation from Jesus' death and resurrection and we follow the bible out of love and thankfulness for him. And when we mess up? It's okay. The Holy Spirit gently corrects and you move on. The body of Christ exists simply to encourage and strengthen each other, not to enforce rules. Take your time, but when you're ready, the christian church would love to support you ❤
I love listening to your spiritual journey! It sounds like you’re content in the process. 💗 I agree going straight to a new church wouldn’t be the most effective. But I would encourage you to read the Bible on its own, or watch the Chosen, it’s such good representation of the Gospels. And most of Jesus life is historical fact so it’s really touching to see what really happened. Praying you find true trust in Jesus alone, apart from any church, and I’m cheering you on always
Hi Jaci! I’ve been a longtime follower now. I admire your vulnerability with sharing your fertility journey. I’ve done 2 rounds of IVF if you have any questions. The industry is such a black box and I’ve had to learn a lot of things along the way.
I very much related to your thoughts and feelings around religion. I am so glad you are speaking out about it, because I have felt very alone in these thoughts. I am on the same journey of “figuring it out.” I am surrounded by friends and family that are Catholic and I go to church with them, but it does not and has never really felt right to me.
It's not abnormal to avoid organized religion after a negative experience in it. My husband experienced something on a smaller scale but so painful for 11 years straight at a misleading church and has since left, but was able to eventually find a better church that is Bible based and not legalistic. Both are Christian but the one his family attended was severely misled and obsessed with being perfect basically. The Bible calls out organized religion for things like how you said you felt you had to pay your way to heaven. As a Christian, we believe Jesus paid that for us by dying on the cross. We do not subscribe to arbitrary rules such as no alcohol or wear this not that. The matter of the heart behind what we do is more important than the thing in most cases. Jesus loves you and I hope you find peace wherever you are ❤️❤️
Jinger Voulo I think that's her last name, she was a Duggar, she recently spoke on a few podcasts about her experience in a certain Christian denomination and the negative impacts it had. One thing that stuck out to me was how she appreciated how her husband's church that she now attends is "silent when the Bible is silent, and speaks when the Bible speaks." All that to say, we depend on God's word and nothing more than that or less. No where does it say we can't go out past 10 pm or kiss our boyfriends. We are told to be wary of people who make up rules as if they will save us because Jesus already did that for us! Thank God!!!
Thanks so much for being so open and honest, Jaci! I really feel like i got to know you better after this. Best of luck in yours and Leifs IVF journey ❤
i personally love going to worship nights where it’s just fun worship music and everyone can sort of just pray through songs instead of subscribing to a religion. i wish there were more just like religious concerts around lol
Re: tithing. The Bible also says to tither 10% BUT it also says out of the goodness of your heart - if you feel led. That being said Christianity does not need you to do a laundry list of good things. There are no levels of heaven (even tho domination like catholicism and Lutherans may say they have more worldly theology)
14:38 same i see alot of artists celebrates that are 30 my age and dont have kids so i dong feel behind..i used to feel pressure when i was a teen because u hear alot of having kids finishing high school but then u see and compare they couldn't go to college finish college get good jobs still living with the parents..i think if i would've had kids at early 20s my husband and i wouldn't have what we have right now. I feel soms people think differently except the grandmother are to pushy and always with the negative its bad to people to tell us about the negative that could happen..i do want to freeze my eggs..you should think about it too
I totally agree about the religion thing. I always say, I’m spiritual and I believe there is a god however, I don’t think you have to be religious to be spiritual. I always felt super off-put by religious practices and going to church, etc. I never felt right in my soul about it being a part of my life.
I cant even fathom how confusing and frustrating it would’ve been growing up in that religion. It’s all about believing in our hearts Jesus died for our sins & resurrected and we can rest in assurance of that.
I’m in the exact place you are with religion but the only thing I feel guilt about or am stuck with is how do you plan on introducing god and such to your kids without going to an actual church? How do you plan on teaching them if at all?
I would consider watching adrienne bailon houghton story on her journey to have a baby on her youtube there was a lot of info on things she was never tested for before involving ivf ect and that maybe would be good to know xo
Honestly Jaci I feel like that was the Holy Spirit pulling at your heart all those years. God was pulling you away in order to show you the truth about his word and his love. You are free from “religion” now just how he intended it when he sent Jesus to earth. I’m so proud of you for finding your own journey and listening to your heart. 💓
The quote “your body / appearance is the least interesting thing about you” has always resonated with me. Because it’s so true! It is the least interesting and important thing. Your heart and kindness will always matter the most 🫶🏼
We left the church 2 years ago and I have never felt so much peace within myself and had a better relationship with God, the Universe, whatever higher power is out there. It’s amazing. Love that you’ve found your peace too. I literally could have said the exact same thing word for word in regards to my thoughts and feelings about the church. You are seen, heard, and validated!
I love your outtake on motherhood!! I love how real and authentic you are and relate to that feeling of not wanting to give up your whole entire life to your kids. I think there’s a healthy balance and you summarized it so well.
hearing about the belief that if you do this then you’ll get this made me so sad 😭 you’re so right. i’m a christian and salvation and eternity is a gift - it’s free - you don’t have to work for it, you just truly believe in Jesus and have relationship with God.
idk this really opened my eyes - thank you so much for sharing!!
i think it’d be soooo interesting to hear you and Kristin talk about this subject!!
Yes!!
yes!!
Yes I was just thinking I hope she talks to Kristin about this stuff! If the church is the body of Christ, it should be the overflow of Christ! And he is the only one who has made the way for it ❤️
This would be so cool !!
I really hope Kristin is not afraid to share the true gospel with her dear friend!
Leaving the church is the most difficult/freeing process ever! So proud of you!
My heart has always gone out to the LDS community. It has to be so difficult… there is SO much emphasis on following rules, and doing XYZ to get to heaven. It’s impossible to earn your way to Heaven. Let me just encourage you.. that is not the God of the Bible. True Christianity is the only religion in the world that doesn’t require you to earn your way to heaven and to follow a bunch of rules. The Bible says over and over again, that our Salvation lies in the finished work on the cross.
Not to throw out a bunch of religious terms, but I just want to encourage you that God doesn’t want you to follow a set of rules and earn your way there- HE’S ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED THAT FOR US. We don’t have to spend our whole life trying to accomplish it ourselves.
I think that the LDS church and even some Christian churches try to twist it around, and tell you that the you have to do all these things to get to Heaven. I just want to encourage you to read the Bible for yourself, and read it for what it says (not through the lens of the church, etc). I’ve found that it actually lifts an enormous weight off of me, because I know that I can rest in Jesus’s finished work on the cross.
Just wanted to share this with you, I hope that it’s encouraging! ♥️
yes 🌸🤍🔥 perfectly said!!
Love love this!
Beautifully said ❤️
amen sista 💯
YES YES YES GOD BLESS YOU; i could not agree more. I am part of a ministry that reaches out to the LDS community.
i love ur perception on faith and props to u for following ur gut and doing what you want and not caring what others think
Jesus loves and accepts you as you are. That’s the difference between LDS and truly having a relationship with Jesus. You’re absolutely right about these rules not determining you going to Heaven. You don’t have to do anything to earn salvation, Jaci. It’s been given as a gift freely. Just accept Jesus as savior and Lord. He loves you so much.
Cultist
Nope. I’m just in love with Jesus and want to see others come to know His love and forgiveness. But if you think that makes me a cultist so be it!
it’s weird that everyone feels disconnected from content creators on RUclips cause I could watch these videos of Jackie for hours and then also vibe with the tik toks
Love u
@@jacimarie_ autocorrect did me dirty with “Jackie” love u back queen
I’m so proud of you Jaci! Faith journeys are SO HARD. Thank you for sharing and being so vulnerable. Whenever you feel overwhelmed by the church’s hypocrisy, know you were in good company because Jesus came in order to make himself accessible to people at ALL times, not just in the temple in Israel. It brings me so much joy to hear you’ve felt closer to God the past year. Know that I’m alongside you cheering you on!
I love the journey you are on in your search for your authentic self. The peace you are feeling might be that you are being true to yourself and with God in your life.
A personal relationship with God & Jesus is a great thing to search for. He rewards those who truly seek Him. You can ask Him like you are already doing. 💐💐💐
Jaci, I love your perspective on finding your faith for YOURSELF. I grew up in a Christian home in Utah, not LDS, but in an environment where it was easy to just follow along with what everyone else was believing. It took me leaving my home and moving to college to really figure it out for myself. My parents always did a great job at encouraging me to take on my faith for myself and not for them, but I really only understood that a few years ago. Being born and raised in Utah I’ve been exposed to the religious culture in so many ways and have a huge burden on my heart for people in the church. It’s so cool to hear about your experience questioning and really considering what you believe. Thank you so much for sharing, it encourages my heart so much.
I’m on a very similar journey right now with the LDS church and what you said is exactly what I’ve been trying to put into words, especially to my LDS friends and family. Really resonated with me so thank you for being willing to speak about your experience ❤
jaci, i just wanted to say thank you so much for being so open, specifically about your faith journey. i know its been really hard for you to talk about it and i appreciate it a lot. you are so right: we don't need to pay our way to heaven. God sent Jesus to this earth to pay for our sins for us, not so we can pay money to get to heaven or try and earn our way through actions and good works. Jesus is what gives us passage to heaven and loving God is the way to get to heaven.
i hope this isn't too long or sounding pushy: i just want to encourage you bc you have encouraged me so much
ilysm keep being strong.
so awesome thanks for this comment
Not to mention invalidating jaci’s and many other’s concern that paying tithing is a requirement for the temple, the supposed house of the lord, and taught as a commandment to be righteous and be “worthy” to live with God. These are legitimate concerns.
so good!!!
❤yes agreed!
Well said, sister. ❤
I feel the same way. I grew up in church, my grandparents were pastors, and I tried so hard but never felt connected to it in any way even as a child. I’ve been working through the guilt for years, it takes time
💗💗💗
Jaci, you have really good discernment in yourself and the lord, it’s a gift. Every service at my church says “we are imperfect people in an imperfect world pursing a perfect god” and there’s no “perfect” church because what a pastor says doesn’t mean that it’s true but just alway go back to scripture or ask “oh you should read the entire chapter not just focusing on the one verse but the context of the chapter”
“we are all disciples but we don’t all gotta go to a person front door, so much people discipline in different ways like just giving encouragement, kindness, or just simply loving others like Jesus because he hanged out with every type of people”
Praying for you
I went through such a similar experience with the LDS church and I have the same views that you have on the church now. My relationship with God is 10x better and Im enjoying my life so much more!
Thank you for sharing! We left in 2018 and it’s been the hardest/best thing we’ve ever done.
I can so relate with you. Growing up as a Christian, lots of things didn't come naturally to me like it did for others. I would go to church which I liked but I always felt some kind of disconnect. I still believe in God. I haven't been in church for almost a year I think. I just had to step back. I'm going to try what you do and just have a relationship with God. I don't think going to church is for me right now. There are some things I believe that I know plenty christians don't. Good luck on your journey and I'm glad that you are doing what works best for you. Ultimately I just want to be a good person on this earth.
Jaci -- as a fellow girlie from a religious household who never really 'connected' with it all and was constantly told to try harder, thank you so much for sharing this!! you verbalized the feeling I've had since I was a little girl and just never knew how to explain with words
I love how candidly you speak about these topics. Thank you 🤎
I love hearing about your faith journey. I’m a Christian. Once I married my husband we stopped going to church religiously and my life changed. A loving God does not need you to do anything people are telling you to do. He just wants us to be good, faithful humans & that makes sense. Rules that people created do not make sense. Love you Jaci🤍🤍
God does call us to be obedient to Him and His word. To follow Him and His word. As Christians or those who follow the Lord, we cannot just do whatever we please and still have salvation and eternal life with Jesus. God is more loving than words and because of that He calls us away from the ways of the world and sin. That being said, there are MANY Christian churches that are so false and doing things opposite of the Lords teachings. I’ve been to those churches and walked away saying what the heck was that? This is why people don’t want to come to church- I get it. This world is fallen and sin is everywhere. Still, for those who believe, me must continue to pray and ask that God bring us to a church that is doing things the right away and not abusing. God calls us to attend church and worship with the body of Christ. None of it is easy, but Jesus is worth it.
Well said totally agree!
I love this kind of videos sm 💗 I relate so much to your spiritual journey. Appreciate your honesty and always love hearing your thoughts
I relate to you in the way I “untaught” myself everything I learned growing up in the Protestant church. Grew up Pentecostal then attended a nondenominational Bible church during my teenage years. I was super involved and helped lead the worship services. I became more and more convicted that what I was practicing was more serving the world than serving God. I finally came across the Orthodox Christian Church, which is the oldest Christian faith. Even though what I was exploring went against nearly everything I was told to believe, it made so much sense and felt way more complete. I hope you can find your way to what leads you to have the best relationship with God. There will certainly be growing pains involved and can be scary questioning the only thing you’ve ever known, BUT you are not alone!! ❤️ keep praying and searching.
“Sometimes strength can be softness” why am I cryin
girl ! i don‘t know if you are aware but you just preached! you are amazing and doing it so right. having a relationship with god and truely asking him for advice and what is wrong / right, letting him be the leader in your life. i love that❤
I am so happy for you that you found your peace and a better relationship with God. I think there are many ways to find that and I’m glad you found what’s right for you.
I am still LDS and have found peace in it for me. For me I’m okay to not agree with everything in the culture and policy while still finding community and service and a path for a relationship with God. It’s so important for all of us to search in ourselves and find what’s right for us. Thank you for being so open in your soul searching. ❤
There’s only one way to heaven and that’s through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins!
If we look inward for our hope we will be left with hopelessness because we are a sinful people, but if we look to the cross we will find everlasting peace🤍🤍Have a great day!
I love how open you are about your spiritual journey 🤍 you are so authentic and inspire others to take initiative if they are not feeling right in church. You are right, believing in God is the only way to heaven, good works/ tithing doesn’t do that! Your intuition is always right. As a Christian that is my belief and what works for me! Thanks for sharing your perspective!
You are spot on!! God guides you with the Holy Spirit aka your moral compass! Believing in God is not a religion it’s a relationship that’s why you feel stronger out of the religion because you are in a relationship!!!
I appreciate your openness, humility, and caution in your approach to faith. There is so much of a struggle to be “good enough) and to do what you’re told, even when it doesn’t make sense, in super “organized” religions like Mormonism and Catholicism. As a Christian, I believe that each person must come to God personally, not through some organization that dictates the rules. I also believe that no church has any authority to tell you what you need to do to get to heaven or to have a relationship with God. Only God has that authority. If you’ll accept humble advice from a stranger, I truly believe that, if you are searching and questioning, the best thing you can do is to just open a Bible and start reading, not to earn God’s favor, but with an open mind set aside all you’ve been taught and just read it for what it says.
(The gospel of John is a great place to start, and an easy-to-understand translation like ESV or NIV helps. )
I have not had the experience you’ve had, as I grew up Christian and have grown more in love with God over the years, but I have questioned certain matters of doctrine that I was taught and figured out what I believe apart from my parents, the churches I’ve attended, and people I respect. The only way I’ve ever been able to find peace on these issues was by simply reading the Bible for what it says, and bringing my questions to God in prayer. Good for you for continuing to pray, even though you’re still not sure what you believe. Those who genuinely seek God will find Him.
I totally feel you, with the “filming to much around friend and family” I do that all the time and feel like I’m not living in the moment, and that ppl think I’m to attached to my phone
you might like a non denominational church! I was raised baptist and attended that church with my family until we left in 2020 after so many bad things came to light. Without a church my personal relationship with Jesus grew so much stronger and ultimately I am thankful for that weird time in my life that I got to spend alone with God. It took me awhile to find a church that felt safe and brought joy into my life but I'm so happy I gave it a second chance. The thing that I love most about my church is the likeminded/servant hearted community :) praying for peace as you navigate all of these things. Thanks for sharing your heart
I just wanted to say I resonate so much with what you said about feeling more spiritual then religious. I have felt this way for awhile now but I couldn’t put it into words. I want to have my own experiences and not just go along with other people’s or the churches opinions. So thank you so much for sharing your experience❤️
Very thought provoking! I’m currently on my own faith journey and I’m fingering out what feels good and what doesn’t and going from there. Just trying to take the pressure off of myself - whatever I choose to do with my life spiritually will be good ❤
Proud of your example Jaci!
Thank you so much for this video 🥰 I have recently been on a similar path and I’ve actually been focusing on living an authentic life and having an authentic relationship with God. I relate so much to this! Much love 💛
I love how balance you are! You are not a hater, but a thinker. I am not an LDS person but I can sympathize with your feelings. Just keep praying that God will help you find the truth!
Only 6 minutes into the video but I just had to say that I'm so glad that you're talking about your faith journey! I loved your disclaimer that to truly get into that topic it would require so much more time and a back and forth conversation...that's exactly how I feel! I can see how passionate you are about this piece of your life and I hope that you continue to be encouraged to explore it and talk about it- I for one would love to hear more!!
Also, I just wanted to say that I work with kids at a progressive Lutheran church, and I always tell them that questions and doubt are why we call it faith! If we had all the answers from God, it would be a fact. I love encouraging the questions and taking time for doubt and understanding that we will never have all the answers!
Fun Fact: there is a phenomena that people are calling the "rise of the nones"- basically people our age are moving away from identifying with an organized religion but still feeling spiritually connected. It's not just you! There are a lot of issues with a lot of organized religions, so many young people are not feeling like they can/want to be a part of that, but are still feeling a connecting with God (or another higher power). So interesting! I wish we could just have this conversation face to face because I love talking about all of this...
Thank you for talking about religion. I love this!!
One of the key differences between Mormonism and Christianity is the works based salvation. In Christ, we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We aren’t saved by our works. In fact, there is nothing we could ever do to achieve salvation on our own. By the grace of God, when we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And through that salvation we become a new creation, set apart for His glory. Praise the Lord ♥️
never have clicked on a video so fast
I left Christianity and community post leaving religion can be so tough. Thank you for sharing your experience!! I am so much happier and I’m glad you’ve found your peace & center. Keep doing you, Jaci!! Ily!
I was an Atheist, started to believe in God and never wanted to go to a church because I didn’t vibe with organised religion. Went to catholic mass once and now I’m fully immersed and converting. If the walk with God is one thing it is humbling
I resonate so much with you! You’re hands down my favorite influencer 🤍 thank you for sharing this
5:54 im so proud of you for following your heart and realizing and accepting that what you grew up believing is not true at all! have you ever done any research on Joseph Smith? im not religious but Ive learned some things about him and its honestly mind blowing anyone would believe any of what he claims to be true. The sad thing is mormons dont want to, but also arent allowed to read into these things
Ok such a great point about how cringing at our past selves is actually a good thing… and great video video
Was just wanting to know how you make your chai?
jaci ur literally my comfort person i love u and the podcast sm 🩵🩷🩵🩷🩵🩷
If it’s literally just faith why would we have to pay?! That’s crazy.. I am not religious so this is very interesting to learn about.
Mormonism is not christianity; mormons do not believe in the Triune God of scripture. They also believe that one day you become a god, but the God of the Bible says there is no other God besides Him. It makes sense that mormonism didn’t sit right with you; it’s not right. Please read the Bible and learn about the true Jesus for yourself. ❤️ There’s no strings attached with the God of the Bible. It’s not about a set of rules or practices; and it’s not about striving or playing the part. it’s about genuinely knowing God and having an intimate relationship with Him because He made you and loves you and wants you. the goal is not getting into Heaven. It’s knowing Him, living with Him in your heart, and enjoying Him forever. It’s really that easy. ❤️
“Apologia Studio’s” RUclips channel goes into depth about the untruths that mormons believe and it is so educating! so many people, including myself at one point, aren’t aware of how VASTLY different Mormonism and Christianity are!
AMEEEEEN
This!!
So many well spoken thoughts and outlooks! Really a great way to start my day. ❤
Hi Jaci! I was raised VERY strict Catholic (photos of the Pope all over our house haha). I now go to a bible church and am so thankful to be growing in my faith! Hope this helps, maybe you can find a bible church near you where you can just objectively read and learn from the Bible!
May Allah guide u for some reason a lot of people felt the same disconnection u talked abt till they found islam until they found the right path and I truly believe that ur so close to that step to find the whole truth and maybe only then u’ll feel connected I recommend u to search abt Islam and perhaps that’s when everything gonna really change
I was going to comment the same thing Allah isahel 3liha
I love what you said about the body image, but I’m honestly curious how you apply that line of thinking to the work you’ve had done on your face? Your body is a vessel so true…but then what purpose does the chin implants, lip injections etc serve? You may feel more confident and that’s great, but isn’t it in a way at the expense of other peoples confidence? When more and more people use filters and get injections, young girls feel more and more uncomfortable with their own natural bodies and faces.
Not trying to be rude at all, I’m just curious of the thought process
Thank you so much for sharing your take on religion. I think there are a lot of lds members feeling the same way- myself included. You explained it beautifully.
Remember God doesn’t want you to join a religion he wants a relationship with you ❤
I also really love that you want to base your decision on your own experience. Any time throughout the Bible when people met God, they had a personal experience that was revealed to them. I’ll pray the same for you. Keep seeking.
love u sm jaci 🤍 love hearing about your new relationship with God and your prayers to him. God has a journey for all of us, and I feel so strongly he is guiding yours. I am going through my own faith journey and the whole reason I am leaving Catholicism, is because I want a relationship with God rather than a church/organized religion. I have started looking into Christianity, and I have felt that the main message of the Christianity is building your personal relationship with God through Jesus. So just a thought for you to look into for the future:)
The fact you are asking because you want to be a good mom, is an indication you will be a GREAT mom!!! You are asking all the right questions for all the right reasons. ♥️💐♥️👍🇨🇦
Never have i related to you more than this video. I love the real & raw & authentic J ❤ sending you all the good vibes and thank you for speaking about these things!
i really feel everything that you shared about your experience with religion - i’m not religious but i am very spiritual and the idea of organised religion also personally doesn’t quite sit right with me. spirituality and having a more personal relationship between myself and source (or God or the universe etc) and my own personal practices feels really right for me and there’s no ability for it to be performative. instead it’s all about connection and that’s what i love about it
Just want to encourage you that all organized religion is not like LDS organized religion. As many others have said, protestant christian churches don't believe following all those rules is what gives us salvation. We get salvation from Jesus' death and resurrection and we follow the bible out of love and thankfulness for him. And when we mess up? It's okay. The Holy Spirit gently corrects and you move on. The body of Christ exists simply to encourage and strengthen each other, not to enforce rules. Take your time, but when you're ready, the christian church would love to support you ❤
I love listening to your spiritual journey! It sounds like you’re content in the process. 💗 I agree going straight to a new church wouldn’t be the most effective. But I would encourage you to read the Bible on its own, or watch the Chosen, it’s such good representation of the Gospels. And most of Jesus life is historical fact so it’s really touching to see what really happened. Praying you find true trust in Jesus alone, apart from any church, and I’m cheering you on always
Hi Jaci! I’ve been a longtime follower now. I admire your vulnerability with sharing your fertility journey. I’ve done 2 rounds of IVF if you have any questions. The industry is such a black box and I’ve had to learn a lot of things along the way.
I literally want to send the religious part of this podcast to everyone. That was so well put jaci! thank you for saying that
I just had my IVF surgery yesterday! The whole process can be a little tedious, but it was manageable! You got this❤
Mormonism is so strange. I actually never knew that the 10% rule existed that makes me even more cringed with people who are so bought Into it.
10% tithe is actually a very common thing in most Christian communities. Not just with Mormons
Hearing your religious beliefs is so therapeutic because I definitely have felt this too
Maybe not beliefs/ experience
Me and I’m sure so many others, understand where your coming from. Thank you for sharing with us because you are not alone. ❤
i don’t usually comment but loved this chatty style of video :)
loved this so much. very brave for you to speak out 🫶🏼
Thank you for being open. I really needed to hear this today. ❤
I very much related to your thoughts and feelings around religion. I am so glad you are speaking out about it, because I have felt very alone in these thoughts. I am on the same journey of “figuring it out.” I am surrounded by friends and family that are Catholic and I go to church with them, but it does not and has never really felt right to me.
It's not abnormal to avoid organized religion after a negative experience in it. My husband experienced something on a smaller scale but so painful for 11 years straight at a misleading church and has since left, but was able to eventually find a better church that is Bible based and not legalistic. Both are Christian but the one his family attended was severely misled and obsessed with being perfect basically. The Bible calls out organized religion for things like how you said you felt you had to pay your way to heaven. As a Christian, we believe Jesus paid that for us by dying on the cross. We do not subscribe to arbitrary rules such as no alcohol or wear this not that. The matter of the heart behind what we do is more important than the thing in most cases. Jesus loves you and I hope you find peace wherever you are ❤️❤️
Jinger Voulo I think that's her last name, she was a Duggar, she recently spoke on a few podcasts about her experience in a certain Christian denomination and the negative impacts it had. One thing that stuck out to me was how she appreciated how her husband's church that she now attends is "silent when the Bible is silent, and speaks when the Bible speaks." All that to say, we depend on God's word and nothing more than that or less. No where does it say we can't go out past 10 pm or kiss our boyfriends. We are told to be wary of people who make up rules as if they will save us because Jesus already did that for us! Thank God!!!
Thanks so much for being so open and honest, Jaci! I really feel like i got to know you better after this. Best of luck in yours and Leifs IVF journey ❤
Not religious at all but really enjoyed listening to your viewpoint on it!
I’d really recommend the Wild at Heart ministry books and podcasts. They changed the way I view everything about God and a relationship with him.
i personally love going to worship nights where it’s just fun worship music and everyone can sort of just pray through songs instead of subscribing to a religion. i wish there were more just like religious concerts around lol
Re: tithing. The Bible also says to tither 10% BUT it also says out of the goodness of your heart - if you feel led. That being said Christianity does not need you to do a laundry list of good things. There are no levels of heaven (even tho domination like catholicism and Lutherans may say they have more worldly theology)
14:38 same i see alot of artists celebrates that are 30 my age and dont have kids so i dong feel behind..i used to feel pressure when i was a teen because u hear alot of having kids finishing high school but then u see and compare they couldn't go to college finish college get good jobs still living with the parents..i think if i would've had kids at early 20s my husband and i wouldn't have what we have right now. I feel soms people think differently except the grandmother are to pushy and always with the negative its bad to people to tell us about the negative that could happen..i do want to freeze my eggs..you should think about it too
Jaci! Your earnest endeavors to continue to respect the faith of others does not go unnoticed, thank you ❤
I totally agree about the religion thing. I always say, I’m spiritual and I believe there is a god however, I don’t think you have to be religious to be spiritual. I always felt super off-put by religious practices and going to church, etc. I never felt right in my soul about it being a part of my life.
agree with you SO much!! ❤ ily
Thanks for answering my question about vlogging w friends! Totally get it how it can kill a vibe! Sending love always! 🫶
I cant even fathom how confusing and frustrating it would’ve been growing up in that religion. It’s all about believing in our hearts Jesus died for our sins & resurrected and we can rest in assurance of that.
Thankyou for sharing this! I feel like I could’ve said it all myself 🥹 love hearing it put in words.
(Religious stuff)
was just about to watch s2 of next in fashion but then i saw your video and here i am🫣🫶
I’m in the exact place you are with religion but the only thing I feel guilt about or am stuck with is how do you plan on introducing god and such to your kids without going to an actual church? How do you plan on teaching them if at all?
you put how i’ve been feeling the last couple years about church into words !! i resonate so much with everything you said 🤍
You’re so well spoken 🫶🏼
Thank you❤️ such a nice compliment
literally love u sm🩵
I would consider watching adrienne bailon houghton story on her journey to have a baby on her youtube there was a lot of info on things she was never tested for before involving ivf ect and that maybe would be good to know xo
Honestly Jaci I feel like that was the Holy Spirit pulling at your heart all those years. God was pulling you away in order to show you the truth about his word and his love. You are free from “religion” now just how he intended it when he sent Jesus to earth. I’m so proud of you for finding your own journey and listening to your heart. 💓
I love what you said about the rules of religion
loved ur ep on girlscamp
thanks for sharing your heart to us 🥰
I’m so excited for the gut health episode 😬
love you jaci!!! 🤍🫶
You are so well spoken ❤️
Thanks for sharing and always keeping it real Jaci ❤
Felt all this on a very deep level 😭
Also I love the 24 hour cart rule!!