Thanks for talking about the Mormon guilt! I share your experiences. You are brave for your honesty. I have only found my authentic self after leaving the church.
Agree , I feel like I have alot of unnatural guilt feelings about choices I can live with and feel ok with making but feel guilty doing so even though I don’t think Heavenly Father would judge me or care . I’m talking drinking green tea or coffee . I can’t answer interview questions honestly because I have been making that choice recently and don’t want to lie just to play the game. First time in 36 years I haven’t had a recommend because I don’t think I need to discuss this with anyone and I’m not willing to align at the moment. I lived this my whole life with parents not “worthy “ due to same issue it sucks to think you get this label of unworthiness I grew up with this shame my whole life.
I'm so glad to hear Laura being honest about the church & what happens in the church. I too am a return missionary & agree I've seen a lot of damage done to souls of church members by the church. All sad! And YES, the further we get from the church the better our self-esteem!
She is a breath of fresh air! ❤. My daughter had terrible depression and anxiety with suicidal ideation from early teens. I have the utmost respect for anyone who endures that pain.
Once a member decides to resign from the church that member is taking control of their membership, meaning it is not up to the church to decide whether or not to let you go. The minute the church received your letter you are no longer a member...The church wants to appear to be in control of you after all members are treated like church assets. Don't let the church intimidate you with their "procedures". Again once the church receives your letter you're no longer a member. And yes I have resigned from the church.
Laura you are amazingly brave!!! Thank you! I feel like the Church has ruined so many parts of my life!! 😡 I’m not raising my kids with these horrible self harming teachings! Thank you for this! I love this episode. If you can resign, then I can be brave do it!
@47:57 All I heard growing up in the church was - Be ye Perfect, just as your father in Heaven is perfect. That is seared in my brain. I am 66 years old now. No one can tell me that that was not what was taught. It is a damaging teaching. I struggled and condemned myself for not being perfect when in reality I was just being human and needed to give myself some compassion. The church tells us we need it to be/do better and yet it sets us up for a fall just so we keep coming back to do/be better. It’s a trap. We blame ourselves for not living up to the churches expectations when it is the system itself that needs to do and be better.
I applaud Laura’s honesty and courage. Thank you for sharing this with us. I know it is hard but please, Laura, do not put yourself down. You have courage and integrity and are intelligent. Dumb, you are not!
Ya, and WHY does the LDS Church require THAT book for anyone struggling? Really? Not scriptures? Not "direct revelations" from God? I've read The Miracle of Forgiveness and I didn't find it inspirational. The book seemed like a scare tactic and most of the scriptures which are in the book are not only out of context overall but "bent" to plant fear or shame which I have come to believe is more man made propaganda than being anything from God.
+Rob Poulson "Miracle of Forgiveness" was written by a guy who also taught that Indian children placed in LDS reservations were turning whiter. Obviously he was from the generation that believed in whiter skin equating to more righteousness. Today we are told by the LDS leaders that, that was a not true theory! lol It is safe to consign everything he wrote into the trash can.
I do remember that, It was President Kimball's program to convert the Navajos and other native peoples so they could "blossom as the rose" and become a "white and delightsome people" as prophesied in the Book of Mormon.
Yep. I remember being directed to a passage in 'Miracle of Forgiveness' after being so guilty for making out with a guy a little too much that said something along the lines of "Righteous Mormon parents would rather bury their children than have them commit a sexual transgression". It scared the shit out of me I literally thought my parents would rather have me dead.
I cannot, for the life of me, understand how a loving family could laugh at a 9 year old girl who has the courage to come forward with abuse. I’m sure denial is a huge part of that. “Not in our family, nobody related to us could do that” sort of mentality is prevalent everywhere but especially in the church. I think it has to do with the black and white perspective. That’s a worthy priesthood holding man; therefore, he is good and incapable of that sort of wrong.
The key phrase that really hit me: "He traveled the world doing church business" The key word in this phrase is "business". They are not running a church, they are running a business. Unlike Christ's apostles, these men are picked because of their relationship with Jesus, but rather in how well they conducted their business affairs, and their business skills.
On one hand, I agree that a church purporting to be the church of Jesus Christ would certainly (it would seem to me, anyway) would not be run by successful businessmen but also by plumbers and ditch diggers and...carpenters. On the other hand, many simply exchange one silly fairytale for a slightly less silly one.
Finally! Finally a Podcast that does not portray the typical self-righteous exmormon. For a long time I felt like most of the Podcasts emphasized how those people were pretty much perfect, faithful, in good standing, active member of the church who just happened to come across some issues on church history. Actually the interviewer tries to bring it up sometimes during this interview but for Laura that is not her main concern. I always thought that it would be nice if John could interview some more people who left because of the lack of christian compassion and charity in the church; finally it happened. Church history is not that important for everyone as long as they could find a supportive community that embraces them with their flaws and encourages open talking about difficult stuff in life like mental illness, addictions, etc. The lack of professional ministers and pastoral advise in the mormon church has left a void that is hard to fill with scripture reading and family home evening. The saddest part is that as members we will not even realize that there are people struggling with all these feelings because of course we do not talk about that stuff openly in our meetings. I think many people would rather have a compassionate church than a true church.
Fernando Vazquez People DO care whether the truth claims are valid or not. When we find out information has been withheld that all but proves the church a fraud, it becomes obvious that Christianity is just as big of a fraud.
If you care more about being comfortable than knowing whether something is true, then I understand where you're coming from. But constantly hearing how the church is true while growing up, then later learning how that isn't the case, caused me to care more about knowing the truth than feeling comfortable and having a community.
This was very good as she was simply being honest about life. I think she did it because mormonism is so loud, overpowering and dominating for members and so overarching over families and this was the only way to get her voice heard. It puts her on an equal playing field. I think members of her family should respond well as she was clearly loving and just being honest. You can see the pain in her eyes, I too was deeply unhappy in the church even though I was keeping the commandments and felt stuck there because I was mindwashed to think it was true. Then I found out a number of things and know it's not true. After I found out about freemasonry (which was absolutely shocking) polyandrous wives and his peep stone, it took me 3 weeks to process the information. Then after 3 weeks one day I finally accepted that it is what it is. The church was a fraud and I threw out all my books and garments and wrote a letter to have my name removed. I've never looked back. Only wish I had known these things 25 years earlier and that I could get those years back. I've since found out many more things on top of all that. I can't believe the amount of stuff that is being hidden from members. For a few years I had nightmares I was still in the church but thankfully I don't seem to as much anymore. It's been 3 years now. I'm very happy to be my own person and think my own thoughts.
As for her grandfather's work history, he was not only a car salesman; the dealership he worked for was Ballard-Wade, which means he was owner as well as car salesman. He did very well financially.
Everyone feels that way and if life turns out different than the picture of LDS perfect then you feel like a total failure no matter how hard your try you just will never be this picture of perfection the church says you are to be it ruins lives.
Laura was a great interview and very honest - what is with Dehlin always trying to bring up things that he feels should bother people - he seems to always be trying to cause the people being interviewed to question - it is like he is trying to get them to not believe.
Laura, your grandfather sent me a letter when I was leaving the Mormon church. It didn't help. Our heavenly father loves us, Jesus is the way, not the church. Free yourself. He is true, but man is not. He does not share his glory with a church. He will take you as you are. No conditiins, just love. He is our righeousness. Exchange your rages for his glory, but don't sell out to a church. A robe, a ring, and sandles. Righeousness, power, freedom.
When my parents found out I was gay they burned everything I owned and put a copy of the Miracle of Forgiveness in the middle of my empty bedroom..... Not helpful.
And being gay makes just makes you a bad and wrong person, right?? Tsk, tsk, tsk...people can be so horrible without even trying that hard! Be happy and live your life the best you can! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I was once a Mormon, I was a missionary, I pay my tithing to the Lord's Church.We pay it before every thing. We didn't go on vacation, we didn't any savings. After my wife passed away 😢 I started looking at the church, the leaders live high on hog.Leaders have everything they deserve. Salt Lake Mall,canyon mall build by members tithing.They have a lot of land in Nebraska, Florida, Lowa and Montana and members know nothing about it
I am married to a man sealed to another wife, they are divorced and haven’t had their sealing annulled. When I married him we were both inactive, my first and only marriage. We activated the first year and were sealed a year later after our first daughter was born. I kinda went into it not completely blind but ok with the idea (she ) his first wife wasn’t active so her sealing really wouldn’t be binding in the hear after. I let that kinda suffice at the time but since married 37 years I have a little trouble with the idea as to why men can be sealed to more than one wife. This may sound silly but watching CoDy Brown on sister wives makes me want to puke. This is beginning to be an issue for me I suppose I could ask to have his marriage sealing annulled But when I really think about it I don’t understand why it’s OK for men to have more than one wife? And this idea that it’s all going to get worked out in the wash on the other side just feels a little naïve.
she is really going to hit a wall when she actually gets brave enough to actually do the research on the church and see what a fraud the whole thing is and what a Sexual predator JS was...how humiliating. these people were not real prophets or apostles...they made everything up and we're all con men!
I'm not a physician. This is not medical advise. Just my experience. When I started taking 40,000 IU of vit D it totally changed my life from depression, sadness, loneliness to a life of positive thinking, happiness, wanting to be around other people. Ask your physician. I just buy Sam's Club Members Mark brand little gel caps. It's made all the difference in the world for me!
Why are you taking ten times the amount of Vitamin D the upper register before going into Vit D toxicity? I'm really hoping that you accidentally put an extra zero in there. Unless you live in Siberia, the maximum amount of Vit D you need sits at 2,000 IU daily - anything over 1,000 IU needs to be supervised by a doctor and have lab draws. You're fast tracking your way to hypercalcemia, kidney stones and kidney failure. Take your own advice, stop self treating, and go to a real doctor.
I don’t care about polygamy as long as everybody is happy and the relationship. But I do have a problem with is Tydings. Taking money from the poor and giving to the very very rich is disgusting.
I was actually shocked me to hear a Mormon say: “I was raised to believe in a very terrifying and scary God.” That shock aside, that doesn’t sound like the God she says she believes in now (at the time of this interview), so her uncertainty about whether or not the church is true contrasted with her apparent certainty that it doesn’t really matter to God if she resigns, even if the church is true, confuses me. I wonder where she stands today. I’ll have to look and see if she still has the blog she mentioned. .... on to part 2....
I lived in constant fear as a child and into my early 20’s because of all the horrible things that was supposed to happen before the coming of christ. It absolutely traumatized me.
if he was a baptist preacher do you think he Wouldnt have preached? I think she is honest. Perfection is what gives anxiety and depression. Especially since the larger gap between right and wrong. so much gray now to where a long time ago ther was less for the mind to wonder about from TV and fashion. So the struggle is to stay t the right when the left pulls harder than ever. She is very pretty and will probably be back. she just feels sounds like how a lot of women fel even out of the church in the world. Why was she expelled? but it sounds like she struggled with a lot of things but just got tired of struggles but she will still have them.
So, this perfectionism argument/excuse is used a lot against the church, but... 1.) That is a Christian thing, not just a Mormon thing. (matt. 5:48), so it is unfair to always lay that on Mormonism. 2.) Obviously depression and self-esteem are real issues, but I think that this is a popular/modern way to scapegoat and blame something external for personal failures and guilt. 3.) There shouldn't be anything wrong with asking people (as the gospel does) to have lofty goals, high standards, follow Christ, etc. After all, he WAS perfect and is SUPPOSED to be our example.
+Jim Littler 1)I don't think she claimed it was only a Mormon thing. 2) She fully acknowledged that. 3) The problem is a culture where making mistakes is blown out of proportion especially during childhood. For example masturbating, sexual thoughts, and other important developmental adolescent things are forbidden in the For Strength of Youth explicitly as "serious sins." This is an impossible and unhealthy standard to be perfect at and could lead to self-harming psychological states such as Scrupulosity in those who take it seriously.
+Jim Littler You say "perfectionism […] is a Christian thing, not just a Mormon thing." But I do not think that is true. I am a Christian, born again, not a Mormon; attended a Conservative Baptist church where dancing, smoking, drinking, etc. was frowned upon, so I feel qualified to address this question, and I can tell you with confidence: Christians do not think they need to be perfect, even the legalistic ones. First of all, Mt 5:48 is not even about being perfect in the LDS sense. It's about loving like God does. Read it in context (Mt 5:43-48). Second, when Christ tells us that we have to be more righteous than the scribes or the Pharisees (who had 613 laws and followed them), that should be a clue that something more is going on. Jesus is showing us that it is impossible; we cannot attain that kind of righteousness. So Christians, as every good Mormon knows, rely 100% on grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9), not on works (Titus 3:5). We think we get our righteousness from him (2 Corinthians 5:21). But Mormonism, if I understand Spencer W. Kimball correctly, is not like that. He seems to think (and teach) that perfection *is* attainable in this life. And is required. Here are quotes from the Miracle of Forgiveness. According to Spencer W. Kimball, Personal perfection is achievable. (p. 209; 1 Nephi 3:7) It must be achieved in *this* lifetime, not the next. (p. 210; Alma 34:32-35) Trying is not enough. (p. 164) Discontinuance of sin must be permanent. (p. 160) You must stop. (p. 176) The very *desire* to sin itself must be eliminated. (p. 355) Forgiveness is cancelled if you ever repeat the sin. (p. 169)
Was it BALLARD who said, " ...Put on a little lipstick ..."???? Even as a gurrlly-girl, I about threw my cell phone on the ground to stomp it/him. It really did have a hateful tone. Bless this beautiful woman; THAT TONE doesn't just pop up from nowhere & suddenly disappear. THAT TONE penetrates, permeates, and perpetuates! G**-D****T 😭😭 And I mean these words literally, not just as "cussing.". I KNOW HE damns this kind of awfulness towards anyone; but He did not leave misogyny unaddressed. NO, HE DID NOT.
Can you just let her talk about her story on why she was resigning her membership? It seems like you are trying to lead her conversation. I want to know her story on her decision in resigning. You are making the interview boring and uninteresting.
Whatever a person had done, they have the privilege and right to repentance, this is THE command from God, he/she that has confessed and forsaken their sins shall BE FORGIVEN...Yes there is a path to repentance and back, but if the person is brave enough, the door is always open...We are commanded to be PERFECT, yet we are weak at times,hence OUR NEED to have a Savior and Advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ....I applaud her honesty, very few and far between people I have read.
Where are we commanded to be perfect? And if we are commanded to be perfect and if we fail it is on us and we will not go to the celestial kingdom. According to Nephi God does NOT give any commandment unto us that he won't make a way for us to follow it here on earth...so saying we are weak if we can't obey is a cop out! there is no reason or excuse to not follow all God's commands!! Go read d&c, moroni, nephi... Christ's grace does not cover us UNLESS we have repented of our sins and FORSAKE them!!
Yes, we are commanded to be perfect. But not by ourselves. Only AFTER receiving the baptism of the Spirit, which is being infused with the spirit of Christ, being literally born again with a new spirit - even the Spirit of Christ, which is perfect. This baptism of the spirit is also known as the baptism of fire. It is not the same as someone putting their hands on your head and telling you to receive the Holy Ghost, though the 2 can take place concurrently. After this rebirth, if we center ourselves in Jesus with everything we've got, with every thought, then his grace is sufficient to empower us to overcome every weakness and every sin. By ourselves, we are just bright stars of the telestial kingdom at best. With Jesus, we can journey through the phases of the moon, reflecting the perfection of Jesus. Justification is the spiritual rebirth. That is the start of the narrow path. Sanctification is perfection and having one's calling and election made sure, which is the end of that path. Justification makes one worthy of the terrestrial glory so long as one does not fall back asleep spiritually - a very easy thing to do. Sanctification is the high bar set for entrance into celestial glory - something very few attain. But nothing unclean can dwell in that kingdom.
The story of the Book of Mormon took place right here in the heartland of the United States. Plenty of hard archaeological proof for me in additional to the spiritual proof. It doesn't really matter if Nephi is fictional or a true prophet, though. If we don't accept Jesus, we'll suffer exquisite pain in hell regardless of our opinion of Nephi, the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, or any other mortal. I urge you to accept and receive Jesus Christ as your only Savior. Truly and sincerely receive his countenance, keep his commandments with every ounce of your strength, and acquire his perfect love in your heart.
John this is the restoration's [ Gospel ] message to the world that Jesus is the Christ and is alive and was seen and preached though many do not believe it?
I was her MTC companion. I understand people change but she made sure before she even unpacked that she was Ballard’s granddaughter. Everyone knew because she was very judgmental and he even spoke at the MTC when she was there. She didn’t put effort into learning. Seemed like it was more of a vacation and MTC was just endured. She didn’t want to obey the rules. Would rather sleep. It was hard for me to believe she was sincere but on the podcast to feel apart of something. Rebellion. She says she doesn’t know what to believe but not will to put in the work but following the way of the crowd. You are influencing people to make excuses and not knowing what you think. Maybe your interview was a little premature. I don’t know your heart or your intent but hard to believe you wanted to “Support” others to deny the covenants that you and they made.
She told you who she was likely because she was tired of it following her around by that point. She slept and acted out because she was dealing with unmedicated anxiety and depression. You on the other hand, what's your excuse? Seems like your mission only taught you to be a sanctimonious Mormon. Perhaps your claim to be a Christian is extremely premature, because your words tell me that you're extremely toxic and vile. Wonder how many of your converts realized that you were judging them, and only in it for the glory?
I am fascinated by Laura’s comments about her mental state. I wonder if she might be autistic or even Asperger’s syndrome to a mild extent. Lately, I have been hearing more and more about this. I wish she would look into the possibility because of the suicide issue. This concerns me deeply!
Me too...mental health is a REAL issue just like physical health. CBT is a possibility. EDMR is another treatment that has shown to be effective for some. Medications is another path. Sometimes a combination of treatments is needed. Not bad or good, right or wrong just do what works for each individual situation just like physical medical treatments.
Autism is a neurological disorder, not a mental health issue. There's a big difference. You can't medicate or therapy it away, either. All that does is teach one how to mask. I strongly encourage you to stop spreading misinformation about ASD, as it's harmful as hell, toxic and ableist.
Well, My bio mother had an affair back in 1949 and got pregnant with me. She put me up for adoption. I assume b/c it just wouldn't work with an already established family.
Laura would've been better off marrying a Maori RM. She would've got a real taste of what it's like to be in the minority of Mormons vs non members. She would've got to be her authentic self in NZ alright with plenty drama only the cuzzies can bring. It would've changed her whole perspective of things and she probably end up way less medicated and more grounded
The part where she talks about the service/waiting staff and then says " that should not affect anybody's testimony" is sad because actually, it does. Jesus himself said that whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. I know they are still imperfect people but yeaaah not a great example of humbleness
The sexual drift was very obvious in Joseph Smith to everyone. The fall of man in the garden he turned into something upward-fall, (and twisted the original message from God in Genesis) in order to make the sexual drift legitimate as means to the end, as to having many wives, and also supporting this by the examples of those bad men in the Old Testament who had many women, while God never gave any of his prophets any command to polygamy.
+Chevalie Armant...BY supporting this by the examples of those bad men in the Old Testament who had many women, while God never gave any of his prophets any command to polygamy....YOU do realize these old men ,were-was-is, Abraham, Issac and Jacob and kings Saul and David?.....So these were wicked men in your eyes and God rebuked them for their wives?
mormons son I think what is most significant about polygamy in the Bible is that it was thousands of years ago in a time when polygamy may have made a little more sense. We don't need to try so hard to populate the earth anymore Polygamy now is just a way for some guy to be able to boink a lot of women and make it socially acceptable.
fightthedead-twd feartheliving I had a laugh at what YOU posted and in some ways YOU are correct. BUT God thru the scriptures has verified it and said it will come again in the future for HIS RIGHTEOUS purposes, yes. As for now adays, well its not warranted, for now
Or, just maybe, you could conclude that the polygamy in the bible was not correct! Just like the slavery, genocide, and other behaviors in the the old testament in particular. What could not be justified by "it is God's righteous purposes"?
@@powderandpaint14 Everybody has problems because of how they're treated in their family. Takes two to have an abusive situation. Only innocent children get excused from allowing it to continue. By adulthood everyone should have learned the adage, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me." As I said, she wasn't paying attention to her grpa. That's on her.
@@svartvist that is some mind blowing, victim shaming BS. You clearly do not understand how abuse works, nor are you a hero for blaming someone for being abused. There's one person to blame for abuse - the person who is doing the abuse themselves, not their target, not ever. You really need to get your mysogonistic self into some therapy, and quickly, because you're dangerously close to simply saying, 'she certainly knows how to push buttons', which would land you squarely in the upper register of a third party proximity abuser. You're disgusting.
7 лет назад
Is there any Mormon who can tell me if the Mormon church believes in veracity of the King James Bible ?
7 лет назад+1
kathynyny Paul clearly stated that even deacons must have only one wife. ... Jesus also indicated that a man should only have one wife for life. ....... Its obvious that sexual deviants shall not enter into God's kingdom. .... How can anyone justify breaking God's laws and commands. ..........m
7 лет назад+1
kathynyny Adam and Eve took from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. ..... There is no excuse, God said woe unto those who call evil, good and good, evil. ... Just like the Muslims, praying to a pedophile prophet, pretending that Mohammad was holy, but on judgment day , no lies will be told...... Glad you broke free, keep the faith. ....
EladKooc ~ I can't stand people who do not know how to do proper research. Even though you didn't cite the location, I have seen your quote before - "A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well." 1 Timothy 3:12. Your conclusion is absolute utter garbage. Your trying to make a conclusion about what IT DOESN'T SAY! That is a well known fallacy. You should be seriously ashamed. The only real conclusion that you can make about the new testament's stand on polygamy is that it doesn't make one. You can make some conclusions about polygamy from early Christian history is that the Romans where monogamous and the Jews were polygamous. As you might expect early Christian history was a mixed bag of Greek gentile converts who were generally monogamous and the Jewish Christians who WERE STILL polygamous. That said people can make up their own minds that polygamy leads to an unhealthy family life which is the semantics of *why it is wrong*. I hate Christians who just want to be told what to believe - such as being told a scripture and not even bothering to look it up to see if what they are being told makes any sense.
kathynyny ~ Hmm, I wonder what happens if you apply DNA evidence to the claims of the old testament in Genesis...Also, what about the morally repugnant behavior in the bible - "But all the young girls, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves." ~ Numbers 31:18 - yeah, the bible has pedophilia and slavery in it (and murder of unarmed people + genocide as well as piracy) and that is just one chapter. "It's called dissonance...Just don't think about it. That's how they do it." Note: please do read the surrounding verses in chapter 31 of Numbers to get the context - note: reading of this chapter is not recommended for people with weak stomachs, heart conditions, or have even the most basic morals.
+Todd Stadel Or maybe it's just not a good match for her unique needs right now. Do you really think there is only one organization that is best for everyone to center their life around? Isn't it a possibility that some people will find more happiness, wellness and meaning outside of Mormonism? As a former Mormon I respect that for many of my friends and family belonging to a Mormon community is a net benefit for them and they wouldn't necessarily do better in another organization or on their own.
+You don't know me The thing is she should have just became inactive now she jeopardizes her temple sealing to her husband and her kids. She should have thought about her progression after this life. This life is a molecule of a journey but the after life will never end. “Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father. Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best-better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than His. We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God's purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable.” ― Neal A. Maxwell
+Todd Stadel What a great point you bring up. She really should have gone inactive rather than being true to her self and values. Too bad God already broke his new and everlasting covenant back in 1890, so I guess her temple sealing doesn't mean anything anyway. If Jesus hadn't been so impatient and broke his new and everlasting covenant just because the federal government had just filed to lawfully seize the temple properties, then maybe non-brainwashed people wouldn't be so quick label the "true" church a complete joke.
there is no culture of perfection, what happens is that people beat themselves up, they don't realize they don't have to be perfect, Christ does the part that we can't do, and she didn't understand it, for some reason some people really struggle to try to be perfect, and one can't, it has nothing to do with His gospel, it's how she perceives others and herself, she got into a depression and instead of talking about it, she stuff it away, then left the church, and guess what, she is still not happy
59:49 "Anytime anybody tells me truthfully how they feel about something, I love it, and I don't always like to hear it, maybe it's negative, but I appreciate it, I do." Really? You mean like when your grandpa tells you you could lose some weight? Oh...OK, only if it's something you don't want to use for being offended at the church.
Yeah yeah blame it on others. You have a record of being a trouble maker. You were expelled from school twice. Man, when would people be resposible and say i like to party. Desperation comes because of iniquity
YellowFlowerofTexas Hey shithead, stop judging people. It's us "troublemakers" that actually have figured out that Mormonism is a fraud. She must be doing something right that you aren't.
Aww, if only you knew how the results of neglect and abuse manifest in the victims. So nice to see the very same judgemental BS play out here that has chased so many out of the church. I'm sure your sanctimonious self is lily white. Oh wait, no - being judgemental of your fellow Christians is actually cited as a cardinal sin in the Bible. So, you're actually worse than anything she's ever been.
First of all your statement of being a friend to those that needed a friend is Beautiful. I have to agree with Elder Ballard, that the advise he gave you about the weight and being more attractive is a very true statement. Although your statement that you don't want to be with a Husband that only loves or cares about you if you lose weight or become more attractive hurts you, is also correct and understandable. The fact is, Men are a visual creature and he is less likely to stray if the Wife is attractive to him........wrong or right, that is a true statement. People need to know that Love is the Most Important thing on the face of this Earth........I don't mean Sex, I mean Love. A Person should love and be faithful to their better half regardless if that Person is a Sexy Person or Crippled and sitting in a wheel chair.........that is a Perfect Love.........However, that's not the World we live in and it's hard to not go with the temptations of this World. I truly 100% believe that your Grandfather loves you and that he only gave that advise as a fact of life, ( for this World ) and wasn't given to put you down or make you feel bad about yourself........maybe other things should have also been said around that comment, but it's a lot easier to have 20 20 hindsight than to always get everything correct the first time.
+3DMOVIES4YOU The men I have known who were picky about their wives' weight and arrractiveness turned out to be narcissistic scumbags who couldn't make it with any woman long after their wives divorced them. Truly spiritual men would not be this way, but would see the higher qualities.
+3DMOVIES4YOU The weight issue is a stock go to answer for people who think wives are there to be beautiful for their husbands. Did her grandfather even consider that the husband might be to blame for some of the marital issues, or go directly to the weight thing? I'm guessing, from some of his other comments, that he is an old school sexist, like most of the 12.
+Sarah Pratt He said the "truth".....No one ever said that the husband couldn't have been at fault for the problem in the marriage.........Ballard could have said several things........the weight thing, keeping a clean house, having good meals, saying nice things, showing appreciation etc...........I think someone might be living in a fantasy world, and I don't think it's Ballard.
3DMOVIES4YOU He said the truth? I was dating a guy a few years ago who was using dating sites. I didn't know anything about them. This was before me and him got together. One night I fell asleep at his house and woke up in the middle of the night to find him on the phone with a woman he met online. He got off the phone with her and said they talked about an hour. He said at the end of the conversation she told him she wouldn't date any guy who wasn't making at least $100,000 a year. I found out through watching and reading about dating sites the way men and women operate in relationships these days. I set up an account on a dating site and put my true b'day. I'm 50. I got 3 pages of results of men my age. I thought maybe I should reduce my age so I did by 10 years. Same 3 pages. Reduced again 10 more years. 75 pages of results of men my age. My guy friend had to put on his profile that he is making $50,000 a year. He makes $12,000 a year. He made up career info that was false saying he worked in the health care field. He was out of work and has no experience in that. I researched dating sites and found that 45% of women will lie about their age, height, weight and post 10 year old photos of themselves. 60% of the men lie about their income and job status. Essentially most people in dating sites are selling lies to each other because the world says the only value in women is their appearance and that we are expected to live up to impossible standards of physical beauty FOREVER. No matter what age you are as a woman you are now expected to look young and hot FOREVER. Looking like you are 60 if you are 60 is unacceptable. The world says that the only real value in men is the money they bring in. With your interpretation of what you think constitutes "truth" in expectations some guy has of his wife's appearance all I see is bullshit. We are allowing the world to write the rules as to what makes a good relationship but it's all built on bullshit and lies about what is truly valuable.
Well said ....... Some People are so fake and plastic......As nice as sex is, sometimes I think that the World would act so much better if there wasn't sex and People could just look at who the Person really is inside instead of thinking about how sexy or hot the other Person is and how She or He makes you feel........So Selfish ........You could look at a Woman as a Woman and not including her as a sex object and by darn she better keep looking sexy.........I would love it if People could see People for who and what they are without the sex part.......There might be a " Fat Girl " that might have the sweetest spirit, personality , sense of humor and would do anything in this World for you, but yet in this World, she gets a pass and men move onto someone that turns them on......so sad. The pretty girl in high school has all the dates, gets the cheerleaders team, and sometimes an officer in her school because of her popularity ........ why, because she's Beautiful, and she knows it, and People want to be around her so they can be cool and part of the " In Crowd "........After high school, the pretty girl gets the secretary jobs, because she's cute and spunky..........On the other hand, the ugly and or fat girl, doesn't get the dates, doesn't get the job as an officer in the school, doesn't get the cheerleaders jobs, doesn't have many friends, except other ugly and fat girls.......and after High School, Law firms etc. don't want to hire her......because she's ugly and fat..........How unfair life seems........NEWSFLASH , the girls in High School usually don't stay, sexy and spunky.......about 85% of girls put on weight and guys put on weight or loose their hair or both......etc. etc. etc. We need to love People for who they are...........Not what they look like, and treat them with respect and love Regardless of What They Look Like..........A spirit , A sense of humor , a nice personally , and True, Honest Devoted Love DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CONNECTED TO A SEXY BODY and a lot a times they're NOT ......... People miss the opportunity of being with a Real Nice and Decent Person, by thinking Sex !
Thanks for talking about the Mormon guilt! I share your experiences. You are brave for your honesty. I have only found my authentic self after leaving the church.
Agree , I feel like I have alot of unnatural guilt feelings about choices I can live with and feel ok with making but feel guilty doing so even though I don’t think Heavenly Father would judge me or care . I’m talking drinking green tea or coffee . I can’t answer interview questions honestly because I have been making that choice recently and don’t want to lie just to play the game. First time in 36 years I haven’t had a recommend because I don’t think I need to discuss this with anyone and I’m not willing to align at the moment. I lived this my whole life with parents not “worthy “ due to same issue it sucks to think you get this label of unworthiness I grew up with this shame my whole life.
I'm so glad to hear Laura being honest about the church & what happens in the church. I too am a return missionary & agree I've seen a lot of damage done to souls of church members by the church. All sad!
And YES, the further we get from the church the better our self-esteem!
I'm struggling with ALL these subjects too and this podcast has helped a Lot!
She's a sweetheart!
She is a breath of fresh air! ❤. My daughter had terrible depression and anxiety with suicidal ideation from early teens. I have the utmost respect for anyone who endures that pain.
I can so relate with you. e.g. feeling outcast, cant be your true self, perfect...etc etc etc........you are very refreshing. Thank you!
Admirable Laura! Simply... thank you. I strongly believe God and Jesus Christ value honesty and truthfulness in their children.
Would love an update on Laura and her thoughts, feelings and beliefs now.
Once a member decides to resign from the church that member is taking control of their membership, meaning it is not up to the church to decide whether or not to let you go. The minute the church received your letter you are no longer a member...The church wants to appear to be in control of you after all members are treated like church assets. Don't let the church intimidate you with their "procedures". Again once the church receives your letter you're no longer a member. And yes I have resigned from the church.
Thank you for your response, what you mentioned is a lot like religious bullying imo. Aloha 🌺
Great interview. She was very open about her life. I wonder how she is doing now. Maybe John could do a third interview of how she is doing now.
Laura you are amazingly brave!!! Thank you! I feel like the Church has ruined so many parts of my life!! 😡 I’m not raising my kids with these horrible self harming teachings! Thank you for this! I love this episode. If you can resign, then I can be brave do it!
Listening to her makes me remember How fast and easily false rumors flew around wards. I remember when I was the victim and it was horrible.
I admire Laura for being so honest.
She's just being honest and sharing her thoughts and feelings . I can relate
@47:57
All I heard growing up in the church was - Be ye Perfect, just as your father in Heaven is perfect. That is seared in my brain. I am 66 years old now. No one can tell me that that was not what was taught.
It is a damaging teaching. I struggled and condemned myself for not being perfect when in reality I was just being human and needed to give myself some compassion.
The church tells us we need it to be/do better and yet it sets us up for a fall just so we keep coming back to do/be better.
It’s a trap. We blame ourselves for not living up to the churches expectations when it is the system itself that needs to do and be better.
I applaud Laura’s honesty and courage. Thank you for sharing this with us. I know it is hard but please, Laura, do not put yourself down. You have courage and integrity and are intelligent. Dumb, you are not!
the "Miracle of Forgiveness" . . . Deseret Book's contribution to rubbing salt in the wounds of sinners since 1975.
Ya, and WHY does the LDS Church require THAT book for anyone struggling? Really? Not scriptures? Not "direct revelations" from God? I've read The Miracle of Forgiveness and I didn't find it inspirational. The book seemed like a scare tactic and most of the scriptures which are in the book are not only out of context overall but "bent" to plant fear or shame which I have come to believe is more man made propaganda than being anything from God.
+Rob Poulson "Miracle of Forgiveness" was written by a guy who also taught that Indian children placed in LDS reservations were turning whiter. Obviously he was from the generation that believed in whiter skin equating to more righteousness.
Today we are told by the LDS leaders that, that was a not true theory! lol
It is safe to consign everything he wrote into the trash can.
I do remember that, It was President Kimball's program to convert the Navajos and other native peoples so they could "blossom as the rose" and become a "white and delightsome people" as prophesied in the Book of Mormon.
Yep. I remember being directed to a passage in 'Miracle of Forgiveness' after being so guilty for making out with a guy a little too much that said something along the lines of "Righteous Mormon parents would rather bury their children than have them commit a sexual transgression". It scared the shit out of me I literally thought my parents would rather have me dead.
Karin Robe you mean one of the Lords anointed isn't perfect in his wording? Shocking!
I cannot, for the life of me, understand how a loving family could laugh at a 9 year old girl who has the courage to come forward with abuse. I’m sure denial is a huge part of that. “Not in our family, nobody related to us could do that” sort of mentality is prevalent everywhere but especially in the church. I think it has to do with the black and white perspective. That’s a worthy priesthood holding man; therefore, he is good and incapable of that sort of wrong.
I like you! Thank you for sharing. You are a breath of fresh air. Love your openness.
She's a gem.
The key phrase that really hit me: "He traveled the world doing church business" The key word in this phrase is "business". They are not running a church, they are running a business. Unlike Christ's apostles, these men are picked because of their relationship with Jesus, but rather in how well they conducted their business affairs, and their business skills.
On one hand, I agree that a church purporting to be the church of Jesus Christ would certainly (it would seem to me, anyway) would not be run by successful businessmen but also by plumbers and ditch diggers and...carpenters. On the other hand, many simply exchange one silly fairytale for a slightly less silly one.
This is great Laura seems like a wonderful person enjoyed her perspectives
Her point of view is very refreshing.
nice! I am watching this for the first time in 2920. we are 7th cousins. 👍 Hyrum’s cousin Elias is my 4th great grandfather
Another Awesome interview. Thanks!
Finally! Finally a Podcast that does not portray the typical self-righteous exmormon. For a long time I felt like most of the Podcasts emphasized how those people were pretty much perfect, faithful, in good standing, active member of the church who just happened to come across some issues on church history. Actually the interviewer tries to bring it up sometimes during this interview but for Laura that is not her main concern. I always thought that it would be nice if John could interview some more people who left because of the lack of christian compassion and charity in the church; finally it happened. Church history is not that important for everyone as long as they could find a supportive community that embraces them with their flaws and encourages open talking about difficult stuff in life like mental illness, addictions, etc. The lack of professional ministers and pastoral advise in the mormon church has left a void that is hard to fill with scripture reading and family home evening. The saddest part is that as members we will not even realize that there are people struggling with all these feelings because of course we do not talk about that stuff openly in our meetings. I think many people would rather have a compassionate church than a true church.
Fernando Vazquez People DO care whether the truth claims are valid or not. When we find out information has been withheld that all but proves the church a fraud, it becomes obvious that Christianity is just as big of a fraud.
If you care more about being comfortable than knowing whether something is true, then I understand where you're coming from.
But constantly hearing how the church is true while growing up, then later learning how that isn't the case, caused me to care more about knowing the truth than feeling comfortable and having a community.
My honest person, I have ever heard. Thank you Laura.
I've been waiting for this.
This was very good as she was simply being honest about life. I think she did it because mormonism is so loud, overpowering and dominating for members and so overarching over families and this was the only way to get her voice heard. It puts her on an equal playing field. I think members of her family should respond well as she was clearly loving and just being honest. You can see the pain in her eyes, I too was deeply unhappy in the church even though I was keeping the commandments and felt stuck there because I was mindwashed to think it was true. Then I found out a number of things and know it's not true. After I found out about freemasonry (which was absolutely shocking) polyandrous wives and his peep stone, it took me 3 weeks to process the information. Then after 3 weeks one day I finally accepted that it is what it is. The church was a fraud and I threw out all my books and garments and wrote a letter to have my name removed. I've never looked back. Only wish I had known these things 25 years earlier and that I could get those years back. I've since found out many more things on top of all that. I can't believe the amount of stuff that is being hidden from members. For a few years I had nightmares I was still in the church but thankfully I don't seem to as much anymore. It's been 3 years now. I'm very happy to be my own person and think my own thoughts.
I met Elder Ballard many years ago when he was the mission president in the Toronto Mission. He was an impressive man.
Listening from Boston-so many things I relate to.
As for her grandfather's work history, he was not only a car salesman; the dealership he worked for was Ballard-Wade, which means he was owner as well as car salesman. He did very well financially.
Everyone feels that way and if life turns out different than the picture of LDS perfect then you feel like a total failure no matter how hard your try you just will never be this picture of perfection the church says you are to be it ruins lives.
Thanks again.
Laura was a great interview and very honest - what is with Dehlin always trying to bring up things that he feels should bother people - he seems to always be trying to cause the people being interviewed to question - it is like he is trying to get them to not believe.
@ 1:40:00 , you can choose your friends but you can't choose your relatives...
Laura, your grandfather sent me a letter when I was leaving the Mormon church. It didn't help.
Our heavenly father loves us, Jesus is the way, not the church. Free yourself. He is true, but man is not. He does not share his glory with a church. He will take you as you are. No conditiins, just love. He is our righeousness. Exchange your rages for his glory, but don't sell out to a church. A robe, a ring, and sandles. Righeousness, power, freedom.
When my parents found out I was gay they burned everything I owned and put a copy of the Miracle of Forgiveness in the middle of my empty bedroom..... Not helpful.
And being gay makes just makes you a bad and wrong person, right??
Tsk, tsk, tsk...people can be so horrible without even trying that hard!
Be happy and live your life the best you can!
❤️❤️❤️❤️
I was once a Mormon, I was a missionary, I pay my tithing to the Lord's Church.We pay it before every thing. We didn't go on vacation, we didn't any savings. After my wife passed away 😢 I started looking at the church, the leaders live high on hog.Leaders have everything they deserve. Salt Lake Mall,canyon mall build by members tithing.They have a lot of land in Nebraska, Florida, Lowa and Montana and members know nothing about it
I am married to a man sealed to another wife, they are divorced and haven’t had their sealing annulled. When I married him we were both inactive, my first and only marriage. We activated the first year and were sealed a year later after our first daughter was born. I kinda went into it not completely blind but ok with the idea (she ) his first wife wasn’t active so her sealing really wouldn’t be binding in the hear after. I let that kinda suffice at the time but since married 37 years I have a little trouble with the idea as to why men can be sealed to more than one wife. This may sound silly but watching CoDy Brown on sister wives makes me want to puke. This is beginning to be an issue for me I suppose I could ask to have his marriage sealing annulled But when I really think about it I don’t understand why it’s OK for men to have more than one wife? And this idea that it’s all going to get worked out in the wash on the other side just feels a little naïve.
This podcast and book is for you:
www.mormonstories.org/podcast/ghost-of-eternal-polygamy/
Crazy, we were in youth together in Iowa. I remember her family well.
she is really going to hit a wall when she actually gets brave enough to actually do the research on the church and see what a fraud the whole thing is and what a Sexual predator JS was...how humiliating. these people were not real prophets or apostles...they made everything up and we're all con men!
I'm not a physician. This is not medical advise. Just my experience. When I started taking 40,000 IU of vit D it totally changed my life from depression, sadness, loneliness to a life of positive thinking, happiness, wanting to be around other people.
Ask your physician. I just buy Sam's Club Members Mark brand little gel caps. It's made all the difference in the world for me!
Why are you taking ten times the amount of Vitamin D the upper register before going into Vit D toxicity? I'm really hoping that you accidentally put an extra zero in there. Unless you live in Siberia, the maximum amount of Vit D you need sits at 2,000 IU daily - anything over 1,000 IU needs to be supervised by a doctor and have lab draws. You're fast tracking your way to hypercalcemia, kidney stones and kidney failure. Take your own advice, stop self treating, and go to a real doctor.
I don’t care about polygamy as long as everybody is happy and the relationship. But I do have a problem with is Tydings. Taking money from the poor and giving to the very very rich is disgusting.
I was actually shocked me to hear a Mormon say: “I was raised to believe in a very terrifying and scary God.” That shock aside, that doesn’t sound like the God she says she believes in now (at the time of this interview), so her uncertainty about whether or not the church is true contrasted with her apparent certainty that it doesn’t really matter to God if she resigns, even if the church is true, confuses me. I wonder where she stands today. I’ll have to look and see if she still has the blog she mentioned. .... on to part 2....
I lived in constant fear as a child and into my early 20’s because of all the horrible things that was supposed to happen before the coming of christ. It absolutely traumatized me.
What a nice person, would love an update!
She is really a pretty girl!
if he was a baptist preacher do you think he Wouldnt have preached? I think she is honest. Perfection is what gives anxiety and depression. Especially since the larger gap between right and wrong. so much gray now to where a long time ago ther was less for the mind to wonder about from TV and fashion. So the struggle is to stay t the right when the left pulls harder than ever. She is very pretty and will probably be back. she just feels sounds like how a lot of women fel even out of the church in the world. Why was she expelled? but it sounds like she struggled with a lot of things but just got tired of struggles but she will still have them.
LOL, I was on a mission in Australia with Ken Packer, and Bruce R. McConky's son back in 1969.
Went out couple of times rabbit hunting with members.
So, this perfectionism argument/excuse is used a lot against the church, but... 1.) That is a Christian thing, not just a Mormon thing. (matt. 5:48), so it is unfair to always lay that on Mormonism. 2.) Obviously depression and self-esteem are real issues, but I think that this is a popular/modern way to scapegoat and blame something external for personal failures and guilt. 3.) There shouldn't be anything wrong with asking people (as the gospel does) to have lofty goals, high standards, follow Christ, etc. After all, he WAS perfect and is SUPPOSED to be our example.
+Jim Littler 1)I don't think she claimed it was only a Mormon thing. 2) She fully acknowledged that. 3) The problem is a culture where making mistakes is blown out of proportion especially during childhood. For example masturbating, sexual thoughts, and other important developmental adolescent things are forbidden in the For Strength of Youth explicitly as "serious sins." This is an impossible and unhealthy standard to be perfect at and could lead to self-harming psychological states such as Scrupulosity in those who take it seriously.
+Jim Littler
You say "perfectionism […] is a Christian thing, not just a Mormon thing." But I do not think that is true.
I am a Christian, born again, not a Mormon; attended a Conservative Baptist church where dancing, smoking, drinking, etc. was frowned upon, so I feel qualified to address this question, and I can tell you with confidence: Christians do not think they need to be perfect, even the legalistic ones.
First of all, Mt 5:48 is not even about being perfect in the LDS sense. It's about loving like God does. Read it in context (Mt 5:43-48).
Second, when Christ tells us that we have to be more righteous than the scribes or the Pharisees (who had 613 laws and followed them), that should be a clue that something more is going on. Jesus is showing us that it is impossible; we cannot attain that kind of righteousness. So Christians, as every good Mormon knows, rely 100% on grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9), not on works (Titus 3:5). We think we get our righteousness from him (2 Corinthians 5:21).
But Mormonism, if I understand Spencer W. Kimball correctly, is not like that. He seems to think (and teach) that perfection *is* attainable in this life. And is required.
Here are quotes from the Miracle of Forgiveness. According to Spencer W. Kimball,
Personal perfection is achievable. (p. 209; 1 Nephi 3:7)
It must be achieved in *this* lifetime, not the next. (p. 210; Alma 34:32-35)
Trying is not enough. (p. 164)
Discontinuance of sin must be permanent. (p. 160)
You must stop. (p. 176)
The very *desire* to sin itself must be eliminated. (p. 355)
Forgiveness is cancelled if you ever repeat the sin. (p. 169)
My stepmother is realated to hyrem smith and related to this lady
Really wanted to watch this but the interviewer was hard to listen to. Wanted to hear Laura's story instead of so many weird questions.
Was it BALLARD who said, " ...Put on a little lipstick ..."???? Even as a gurrlly-girl, I about threw my cell phone on the ground to stomp it/him. It really did have a hateful tone. Bless this beautiful woman; THAT TONE doesn't just pop up from nowhere & suddenly disappear. THAT TONE penetrates, permeates, and perpetuates! G**-D****T 😭😭 And I mean these words literally, not just as "cussing.". I KNOW HE damns this kind of awfulness towards anyone; but He did not leave misogyny unaddressed. NO, HE DID NOT.
Brave!
I'm a Kiwi!
They can't "take blessings away " from anyone. It's all imaginary and made up.
I gave myself the biggest gift I could get last year and left the church after 35 years. I am SO MUCH HAPPIER!!
Wow … the weight loss advice! There are just a bunch of old dudes that are the product of last century. RIP Elder Ballard
There is no sound, can't hear this.
No more secret handshakes for Laura.
Can you just let her talk about her story on why she was resigning her membership? It seems like you are trying to lead her conversation. I want to know her story on her decision in resigning. You are making the interview boring and uninteresting.
Thank you, Kathy, and again I would rather listen to Laura herself and not the therapist.
alohatic ~ It was up to Laura to divulge that information. Information does not have to be exciting to be useful - this it not an entertainment video.
Whatever a person had done, they have the privilege and right to repentance, this is THE command from God, he/she that has confessed and forsaken their sins shall BE FORGIVEN...Yes there is a path to repentance and back, but if the person is brave enough, the door is always open...We are commanded to be PERFECT, yet we are weak at times,hence OUR NEED to have a Savior and Advocate with the Father, even Jesus Christ....I applaud her honesty, very few and far between people I have read.
Where are we commanded to be perfect? And if we are commanded to be perfect and if we fail it is on us and we will not go to the celestial kingdom. According to Nephi God does NOT give any commandment unto us that he won't make a way for us to follow it here on earth...so saying we are weak if we can't obey is a cop out! there is no reason or excuse to not follow all God's commands!! Go read d&c, moroni, nephi... Christ's grace does not cover us UNLESS we have repented of our sins and FORSAKE them!!
Yes, we are commanded to be perfect. But not by ourselves. Only AFTER receiving the baptism of the Spirit, which is being infused with the spirit of Christ, being literally born again with a new spirit - even the Spirit of Christ, which is perfect. This baptism of the spirit is also known as the baptism of fire. It is not the same as someone putting their hands on your head and telling you to receive the Holy Ghost, though the 2 can take place concurrently.
After this rebirth, if we center ourselves in Jesus with everything we've got, with every thought, then his grace is sufficient to empower us to overcome every weakness and every sin. By ourselves, we are just bright stars of the telestial kingdom at best. With Jesus, we can journey through the phases of the moon, reflecting the perfection of Jesus.
Justification is the spiritual rebirth. That is the start of the narrow path. Sanctification is perfection and having one's calling and election made sure, which is the end of that path. Justification makes one worthy of the terrestrial glory so long as one does not fall back asleep spiritually - a very easy thing to do. Sanctification is the high bar set for entrance into celestial glory - something very few attain. But nothing unclean can dwell in that kingdom.
The story of the Book of Mormon took place right here in the heartland of the United States. Plenty of hard archaeological proof for me in additional to the spiritual proof. It doesn't really matter if Nephi is fictional or a true prophet, though. If we don't accept Jesus, we'll suffer exquisite pain in hell regardless of our opinion of Nephi, the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, or any other mortal.
I urge you to accept and receive Jesus Christ as your only Savior. Truly and sincerely receive his countenance, keep his commandments with every ounce of your strength, and acquire his perfect love in your heart.
John this is the restoration's [ Gospel ] message to the world that Jesus is the Christ and is alive and was seen and preached though many do not believe it?
mormons son Jesus isn't real dude.
Omg her comment on Miracle of Forgiveness 🤣
The temple was a cover for polygamy. No wonder she didn't like it.
The Church is true and will ever be.
I was her MTC companion. I understand people change but she made sure before she even unpacked that she was Ballard’s granddaughter. Everyone knew because she was very judgmental and he even spoke at the MTC when she was there. She didn’t put effort into learning. Seemed like it was more of a vacation and MTC was just endured. She didn’t want to obey the rules. Would rather sleep. It was hard for me to believe she was sincere but on the podcast to feel apart of something. Rebellion. She says she doesn’t know what to believe but not will to put in the work but following the way of the crowd. You are influencing people to make excuses and not knowing what you think. Maybe your interview was a little premature. I don’t know your heart or your intent but hard to believe you wanted to “Support” others to deny the covenants that you and they made.
She told you who she was likely because she was tired of it following her around by that point. She slept and acted out because she was dealing with unmedicated anxiety and depression. You on the other hand, what's your excuse? Seems like your mission only taught you to be a sanctimonious Mormon. Perhaps your claim to be a Christian is extremely premature, because your words tell me that you're extremely toxic and vile. Wonder how many of your converts realized that you were judging them, and only in it for the glory?
So much damage done by the lds church. Its good to see this young lady stepping out of the brainwashing box.
Wow your beautiful just saying
I am fascinated by Laura’s comments about her mental state. I wonder if she might be autistic or even Asperger’s syndrome to a mild extent. Lately, I have been hearing more and more about this. I wish she would look into the possibility because of the suicide issue. This concerns me deeply!
Me too...mental health is a REAL issue just like physical health. CBT is a possibility. EDMR is another treatment that has shown to be effective for some. Medications is another path. Sometimes a combination of treatments is needed. Not bad or good, right or wrong just do what works for each individual situation just like physical medical treatments.
Autism is a neurological disorder, not a mental health issue. There's a big difference. You can't medicate or therapy it away, either. All that does is teach one how to mask. I strongly encourage you to stop spreading misinformation about ASD, as it's harmful as hell, toxic and ableist.
🤔
Well, My bio mother had an affair back in 1949 and got pregnant with me. She put me up for adoption. I assume b/c it just wouldn't work with an already established family.
Met M.Russell on my 2 year brain washing errrrr mission. He came across as a pompous jerk, she seems nice though.
Wrong/right who cares. Societies curse is the hivemind.
Laura would've been better off marrying a Maori RM. She would've got a real taste of what it's like to be in the minority of Mormons vs non members. She would've got to be her authentic self in NZ alright with plenty drama only the cuzzies can bring. It would've changed her whole perspective of things and she probably end up way less medicated and more grounded
SHE NEEDS A LITLE OF MATURE AND THATS ALL, SHE S A VERY GOOD PERSON.
The part where she talks about the service/waiting staff and then says " that should not affect anybody's testimony" is sad because actually, it does. Jesus himself said that whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. I know they are still imperfect people but yeaaah not a great example of humbleness
She's a hottie. Not exactly an intelligent comment... but true, nonetheless.
The sexual drift was very obvious in Joseph Smith to everyone. The fall of man in the garden he turned into something upward-fall, (and twisted the original message from God in Genesis) in order to make the sexual drift legitimate as means to the end, as to having many wives, and also supporting this by the examples of those bad men in the Old Testament who had many women, while God never gave any of his prophets any command to polygamy.
+Chevalie Armant...BY supporting this by the examples of those bad men in the Old Testament who had many women, while God never gave any of his prophets any command to polygamy....YOU do realize these old men ,were-was-is, Abraham, Issac and Jacob and kings Saul and David?.....So these were wicked men in your eyes and God rebuked them for their wives?
mormons son I think what is most significant about polygamy in the Bible is that it was thousands of years ago in a time when polygamy may have made a little more sense. We don't need to try so hard to populate the earth anymore Polygamy now is just a way for some guy to be able to boink a lot of women and make it socially acceptable.
fightthedead-twd feartheliving I had a laugh at what YOU posted and in some ways YOU are correct. BUT God thru the scriptures has verified it and said it will come again in the future for HIS RIGHTEOUS purposes, yes.
As for now adays, well its not warranted, for now
Or, just maybe, you could conclude that the polygamy in the bible was not correct! Just like the slavery, genocide, and other behaviors in the the old testament in particular. What could not be justified by "it is God's righteous purposes"?
The church dose not circle around one person or one group. Its not a me Church.
Laura hasn't learned her lesson. She didn't really hear what her grpa was trying to tell her. Several issues going all the way back to toddlerhood.
@@powderandpaint14 Everybody has problems because of how they're treated in their family. Takes two to have an abusive situation. Only innocent children get excused from allowing it to continue. By adulthood everyone should have learned the adage, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me." As I said, she wasn't paying attention to her grpa. That's on her.
@@svartvist that is some mind blowing, victim shaming BS. You clearly do not understand how abuse works, nor are you a hero for blaming someone for being abused. There's one person to blame for abuse - the person who is doing the abuse themselves, not their target, not ever. You really need to get your mysogonistic self into some therapy, and quickly, because you're dangerously close to simply saying, 'she certainly knows how to push buttons', which would land you squarely in the upper register of a third party proximity abuser. You're disgusting.
Is there any Mormon who can tell me if the Mormon church believes in veracity of the King James Bible ?
kathynyny
Paul clearly stated that even deacons must have only one wife. ... Jesus also indicated that a man should only have one wife for life. .......
Its obvious that sexual deviants shall not enter into God's kingdom. ....
How can anyone justify breaking God's laws and commands. ..........m
kathynyny
Adam and Eve took from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. .....
There is no excuse, God said woe unto those who call evil, good and good, evil. ...
Just like the Muslims, praying to a pedophile prophet, pretending that Mohammad was holy, but on judgment day , no lies will be told......
Glad you broke free, keep the faith. ....
EladKooc ~ I can't stand people who do not know how to do proper research. Even though you didn't cite the location, I have seen your quote before - "A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well." 1 Timothy 3:12. Your conclusion is absolute utter garbage. Your trying to make a conclusion about what IT DOESN'T SAY! That is a well known fallacy. You should be seriously ashamed. The only real conclusion that you can make about the new testament's stand on polygamy is that it doesn't make one. You can make some conclusions about polygamy from early Christian history is that the Romans where monogamous and the Jews were polygamous. As you might expect early Christian history was a mixed bag of Greek gentile converts who were generally monogamous and the Jewish Christians who WERE STILL polygamous.
That said people can make up their own minds that polygamy leads to an unhealthy family life which is the semantics of *why it is wrong*. I hate Christians who just want to be told what to believe - such as being told a scripture and not even bothering to look it up to see if what they are being told makes any sense.
kathynyny ~ Hmm, I wonder what happens if you apply DNA evidence to the claims of the old testament in Genesis...Also, what about the morally repugnant behavior in the bible - "But all the young girls, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves." ~ Numbers 31:18 - yeah, the bible has pedophilia and slavery in it (and murder of unarmed people + genocide as well as piracy) and that is just one chapter. "It's called dissonance...Just don't think about it. That's how they do it."
Note: please do read the surrounding verses in chapter 31 of Numbers to get the context - note: reading of this chapter is not recommended for people with weak stomachs, heart conditions, or have even the most basic morals.
Its all about the me generation. No wonder why she left the church..She wanted the church to circle around her..
+Todd Stadel Or maybe it's just not a good match for her unique needs right now. Do you really think there is only one organization that is best for everyone to center their life around? Isn't it a possibility that some people will find more happiness, wellness and meaning outside of Mormonism? As a former Mormon I respect that for many of my friends and family belonging to a Mormon community is a net benefit for them and they wouldn't necessarily do better in another organization or on their own.
+You don't know me The thing is she should have just became inactive now she jeopardizes her temple sealing to her husband and her kids. She should have thought about her progression after this life. This life is a molecule of a journey but the after life will never end.
“Patience is tied very closely to faith in our Heavenly Father.
Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know
what is best-better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that
our timetable is better than His. We can grow in faith only if we are
willing to wait patiently for God's purposes and patterns to unfold in
our lives, on His timetable.”
―
Neal A. Maxwell
+Todd Stadel
What a great point you bring up. She really should have gone inactive rather than being true to her self and values. Too bad God already broke his new and everlasting covenant back in 1890, so I guess her temple sealing doesn't mean anything anyway. If Jesus hadn't been so impatient and broke his new and everlasting covenant just because the federal government had just filed to lawfully seize the temple properties, then maybe non-brainwashed people wouldn't be so quick label the "true" church a complete joke.
+Todd Stadel news flash: the temple sealing is not biblical and means nothing.
+Ashley Gleason I so totally agree with you.
there is no culture of perfection, what happens is that people beat themselves up, they don't realize they don't have to be perfect, Christ does the part that we can't do, and she didn't understand it, for some reason some people really struggle to try to be perfect, and one can't, it has nothing to do with His gospel, it's how she perceives others and herself, she got into a depression and instead of talking about it, she stuff it away, then left the church, and guess what, she is still not happy
59:49 "Anytime anybody tells me truthfully how they feel about something, I love it, and I don't always like to hear it, maybe it's negative, but I appreciate it, I do." Really? You mean like when your grandpa tells you you could lose some weight? Oh...OK, only if it's something you don't want to use for being offended at the church.
Yeah yeah blame it on others. You have a record of being a trouble maker. You were expelled from school twice. Man, when would people be resposible and say i like to party. Desperation comes because of iniquity
YellowFlowerofTexas Hey shithead, stop judging people. It's us "troublemakers" that actually have figured out that Mormonism is a fraud. She must be doing something right that you aren't.
Aww, if only you knew how the results of neglect and abuse manifest in the victims. So nice to see the very same judgemental BS play out here that has chased so many out of the church. I'm sure your sanctimonious self is lily white. Oh wait, no - being judgemental of your fellow Christians is actually cited as a cardinal sin in the Bible. So, you're actually worse than anything she's ever been.
So much judgment in lds church.
Read Isaiah 57.
Warning about Mormonism.
I grieve for ALL my Ancestors.
First of all your statement of being a friend to those that needed a friend is Beautiful. I have to agree with Elder Ballard, that the advise he gave you about the weight and being more attractive is a very true statement. Although your statement that you don't want to be with a Husband that only loves or cares about you if you lose weight or become more attractive hurts you, is also correct and understandable. The fact is, Men are a visual creature and he is less likely to stray if the Wife is attractive to him........wrong or right, that is a true statement. People need to know that Love is the Most Important thing on the face of this Earth........I don't mean Sex, I mean Love. A Person should love and be faithful to their better half regardless if that Person is a Sexy Person or Crippled and sitting in a wheel chair.........that is a Perfect Love.........However, that's not the World we live in and it's hard to not go with the temptations of this World. I truly 100% believe that your Grandfather loves you and that he only gave that advise as a fact of life, ( for this World ) and wasn't given to put you down or make you feel bad about yourself........maybe other things should have also been said around that comment, but it's a lot easier to have 20 20 hindsight than to always get everything correct the first time.
+3DMOVIES4YOU The men I have known who were picky about their wives' weight and arrractiveness turned out to be narcissistic scumbags who couldn't make it with any woman long after their wives divorced them. Truly spiritual men would not be this way, but would see the higher qualities.
+3DMOVIES4YOU The weight issue is a stock go to answer for people who think wives are there to be beautiful for their husbands. Did her grandfather even consider that the husband might be to blame for some of the marital issues, or go directly to the weight thing? I'm guessing, from some of his other comments, that he is an old school sexist, like most of the 12.
+Sarah Pratt He said the "truth".....No one ever said that the husband couldn't have been at fault for the problem in the marriage.........Ballard could have said several things........the weight thing, keeping a clean house, having good meals, saying nice things, showing appreciation etc...........I think someone might be living in a fantasy world, and I don't think it's Ballard.
3DMOVIES4YOU He said the truth? I was dating a guy a few years ago who was using dating sites. I didn't know anything about them. This was before me and him got together. One night I fell asleep at his house and woke up in the middle of the night to find him on the phone with a woman he met online. He got off the phone with her and said they talked about an hour. He said at the end of the conversation she told him she wouldn't date any guy who wasn't making at least $100,000 a year. I found out through watching and reading about dating sites the way men and women operate in relationships these days. I set up an account on a dating site and put my true b'day. I'm 50. I got 3 pages of results of men my age. I thought maybe I should reduce my age so I did by 10 years. Same 3 pages. Reduced again 10 more years. 75 pages of results of men my age. My guy friend had to put on his profile that he is making $50,000 a year. He makes $12,000 a year. He made up career info that was false saying he worked in the health care field. He was out of work and has no experience in that. I researched dating sites and found that 45% of women will lie about their age, height, weight and post 10 year old photos of themselves. 60% of the men lie about their income and job status. Essentially most people in dating sites are selling lies to each other because the world says the only value in women is their appearance and that we are expected to live up to impossible standards of physical beauty FOREVER. No matter what age you are as a woman you are now expected to look young and hot FOREVER. Looking like you are 60 if you are 60 is unacceptable. The world says that the only real value in men is the money they bring in. With your interpretation of what you think constitutes "truth" in expectations some guy has of his wife's appearance all I see is bullshit. We are allowing the world to write the rules as to what makes a good relationship but it's all built on bullshit and lies about what is truly valuable.
Well said ....... Some People are so fake and plastic......As nice as sex is, sometimes I think that the World would act so much better if there wasn't sex and People could just look at who the Person really is inside instead of thinking about how sexy or hot the other Person is and how She or He makes you feel........So Selfish ........You could look at a Woman as a Woman and not including her as a sex object and by darn she better keep looking sexy.........I would love it if People could see People for who and what they are without the sex part.......There might be a " Fat Girl " that might have the sweetest spirit, personality , sense of humor and would do anything in this World for you, but yet in this World, she gets a pass and men move onto someone that turns them on......so sad. The pretty girl in high school has all the dates, gets the cheerleaders team, and sometimes an officer in her school because of her popularity ........ why, because she's Beautiful, and she knows it, and People want to be around her so they can be cool and part of the "
In Crowd "........After high school, the pretty girl gets the secretary jobs, because she's cute and spunky..........On the other hand, the ugly and or fat girl, doesn't get the dates, doesn't get the job as an officer in the school, doesn't get the cheerleaders jobs, doesn't have many friends, except other ugly and fat girls.......and after High School, Law firms etc. don't want to hire her......because she's ugly and fat..........How unfair life seems........NEWSFLASH , the girls in High School usually don't stay, sexy and spunky.......about 85% of girls put on weight and guys put on weight or loose their hair or both......etc. etc. etc. We need to love People for who they are...........Not what they look like, and treat them with respect and love Regardless of What They Look Like..........A spirit , A sense of humor , a nice personally , and True, Honest Devoted Love DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CONNECTED TO A SEXY BODY and a lot a times they're NOT ......... People miss the opportunity of being with a Real Nice and Decent Person, by thinking Sex !