part 2: exorcising the Holy Ghost

This post follows an earlier one, the spirit. Check that one out first so you can get a segue into where I’m coming from. During my long process of questioning and exiting, I’ve re-evaluated just about everything in my life. I had a especially hard time explaining, defying, and reinterpreting the Spirit. One issue that held me up was that my mom spoke to the Spirit on a daily basis. Spoke. Daily. Even to the point that other Mormons thought she might be a little cuckoo. I think she eventually Read more [...]

Posted by fta on May 8th, 2007 | 3 Comments Posted in Family, Holy Ghost, The Spirit

part 1: the Holy Ghost

I remember the first time I felt one of my prayers was answered. How old was I? After baptism, but still a pre-teen. I had just learned to really love reading novels, and I picked one up from my parents’ library. It was a Tony Hillerman book, a murder mystery. The first scene–a description of the mangled victim of a murder–scared the shit out of me. Of course, that’s what the author wanted; it was a thriller, after all. I felt that thrill of horror, and wanted to get rid of it, because it didn’t Read more [...]

Posted by fta on May 7th, 2007 | 3 Comments Posted in Holy Ghost, Prayer, The Spirit, Youth

“I want to be something”

We have various neighbors who are devoutly Muslim, Jewish, and Catholic. There are also Hindus, atheists, and every variety of Protestant. And, of course, most of our extended family is Mormon. So our son is not unaccustomed to hearing “Because they’re Muslim” or “Because they think that’s what God wants them to do” when he asks, “Why do they do that?” I also try to explain a little about the different religions when he asks, and I hope he will understand diversity.For example, on Halloween, when Read more [...]

Posted by fta on April 11th, 2007 | 13 Comments Posted in Community, Parenting

staking a claim

Since moving away from the LDS church, I’ve explored how I feel about my new identity. Am I still Mormon? Do I want to identify as Mormon? Even if I deny that I am Mormon, am just lying to myself? Will I always be Mormon, somehow? It is, afterall, not just my upbringing, but my heritage. I grew up in Utah county, daughter and granddaughter to many generations of Mormons. People who are from other faith backgrounds still think of me as Mormon, just non-practicing. Some faithful Mormons still Read more [...]

Posted by fta on March 14th, 2007 | 11 Comments Posted in Community

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