M
Marie5890
Guest
(I didnt want to derail TOm’s thread so I thought I would give a more detailed post by starting another thread as to how and why I left)
Background: I was the only LDS member in my family. I was as TBM as they came. I was living in Provo, UT at the time and was part of a BYU ward and stake. I knew my family well enough to know that they would never would become Mormon so I had accepted that we would never be “sealed” in the temple in order to become a “family forever”
A very common thought at the time (and no, I dont believe it was every doctrine, but more of speculation within the general LDS population I was exposed to. Again, BYU/Provo UT. My ward was basically made up of Non-Mormon corridor members; ie not from ID or UT or AZ. It was a very diverse “mission field” membership and most of the guys were RM’s and a good handful of the girls as well) was that those who went to the Celestial Kingdom would most likely have access to the lower kingdoms and be able to freely move from one to another and visit those in the lower kingdoms. Those in the lower kingdoms, however, would most likely not have access to any of the other kingdoms. They would not be able to visit other kingdoms.
Ok. So that had me possibly making it to the Celestial kingdom and the rest of my family either in the Terrestial or Telestial kingdoms. Most of my family are decent people so they would qualify, according to what kind of people went where, would end up in the Terrestial kingdom…
So here I was, in sacrament meeting where the topic was temples, temple ordinance, families are forever. You get the drift.
Ok, so assuming I was in the Celestial kingdom and the rest of my family was in the Terrestial kingdom. According to the thought of the time, I would be able to visit them, but they would not be able to visit me (maybe there are guards that keep people confined to their appropriate kingdoms? fences? I dont know. No wonder ever pondered that one.)
Ok so I go and visit the Terrestial kingdom. My mother is no longer my mother? My father is no longer my father? Same with brother and sister? What if I called my mother “Mom” even though she is in the Terrestial kingdom? Do I get in trouble? Is there someone there to monitor my relationship with the people who apparently are no longer my family? Is the memory of the wiped from my mind and my heart? Is the love I have for them wiped from me?..
Remember, we are not sealed to each other. Never will be. But some how they would no longer be my mother? my father? My sister and brother?..
It fell like a house of cards and I was like “Marie you dont believe this”
Quite frankly, I find the whole idea of needing to be “sealed” to each other, though on the surface a very warm fuzzy feeling, just falling apart in the face of reason and logic.
Being “sealed” to someone does not make sense to me. It’s doesnt make families eternal.
Love is eternal and love is what binds. Families are eternal because love is eternal.
Hope that makes sense.
Mormonism, when really thought and pondered on, just no longer made sense.
Temples, temple ordinances, families are forever are foundational doctrines in Mormonism. FOUNDATIONAL.
When I saw that foundation was nothing more than a cloud of “warm fuzzies” it was easy to leave.
Again, hope that makes sense.
Background: I was the only LDS member in my family. I was as TBM as they came. I was living in Provo, UT at the time and was part of a BYU ward and stake. I knew my family well enough to know that they would never would become Mormon so I had accepted that we would never be “sealed” in the temple in order to become a “family forever”
A very common thought at the time (and no, I dont believe it was every doctrine, but more of speculation within the general LDS population I was exposed to. Again, BYU/Provo UT. My ward was basically made up of Non-Mormon corridor members; ie not from ID or UT or AZ. It was a very diverse “mission field” membership and most of the guys were RM’s and a good handful of the girls as well) was that those who went to the Celestial Kingdom would most likely have access to the lower kingdoms and be able to freely move from one to another and visit those in the lower kingdoms. Those in the lower kingdoms, however, would most likely not have access to any of the other kingdoms. They would not be able to visit other kingdoms.
Ok. So that had me possibly making it to the Celestial kingdom and the rest of my family either in the Terrestial or Telestial kingdoms. Most of my family are decent people so they would qualify, according to what kind of people went where, would end up in the Terrestial kingdom…
So here I was, in sacrament meeting where the topic was temples, temple ordinance, families are forever. You get the drift.
Ok, so assuming I was in the Celestial kingdom and the rest of my family was in the Terrestial kingdom. According to the thought of the time, I would be able to visit them, but they would not be able to visit me (maybe there are guards that keep people confined to their appropriate kingdoms? fences? I dont know. No wonder ever pondered that one.)
Ok so I go and visit the Terrestial kingdom. My mother is no longer my mother? My father is no longer my father? Same with brother and sister? What if I called my mother “Mom” even though she is in the Terrestial kingdom? Do I get in trouble? Is there someone there to monitor my relationship with the people who apparently are no longer my family? Is the memory of the wiped from my mind and my heart? Is the love I have for them wiped from me?..
Remember, we are not sealed to each other. Never will be. But some how they would no longer be my mother? my father? My sister and brother?..
It fell like a house of cards and I was like “Marie you dont believe this”
Quite frankly, I find the whole idea of needing to be “sealed” to each other, though on the surface a very warm fuzzy feeling, just falling apart in the face of reason and logic.
Being “sealed” to someone does not make sense to me. It’s doesnt make families eternal.
Love is eternal and love is what binds. Families are eternal because love is eternal.
Hope that makes sense.
Mormonism, when really thought and pondered on, just no longer made sense.
Temples, temple ordinances, families are forever are foundational doctrines in Mormonism. FOUNDATIONAL.
When I saw that foundation was nothing more than a cloud of “warm fuzzies” it was easy to leave.
Again, hope that makes sense.
