"My name is Ariane and I'm an Ex Mormon."

http://www.i-am-an-exmormon.com/

http://www.exmormonfoundation.org

http://www.postmormon.org/

http://www.exmormon.reddit.com

http://www.LifeAfterMormonism.net

I used to believe that God had a special plan for ME and that I belonged to a special group that God was personally leading. It felt really good to believe that. After 40 years, I cried as I gave up that belief but found great joy in values that remained-love of family, friends, nature, and the awesome brains of children. Thank you to those who have listened to my highs, my lows, and my shrieks of anger as I learned to live with my new understanding of the truth. May profusions of blessings fall upon your heads!

Recently, a neighbor approached me in the middle of my snow shoveling and asked me, if I didn't mind the question, "Who was it that offended you 15 years ago?" I realized that neighbors and even family members had never been given an explanation of my departure. For my former church members, rest assured—there were no offenses and perhaps this video satisfies curiosity.

I agreed to participate in this project because I choose to offer comfort to those contemplating leaving the church and community for those who have left. Blessings upon your heads as well!

To find links to information that Ariane found helpful in her exit from the LDS church, visit the link below:
http://www.iamanexmormon.com/2011/06/my-name-is-ariane-and-im-an-ex-mormon/

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Ariane
• Ex Mormon
• Relief Society President
• exmormon
• Mormon
• LDS
• Latter-day Saint
• religion
• deconversion
• church

[MikePattonFan24]

Its kind of a dumb reason to quit mormonism

[iamanexmormon]

@MikePattonFan24 If you want to click on the video description, click on the link below the section "To find links to information that Ariane found helpful in her exit from the LDS church, visit the link below:" and then take a look at her links to get a better idea of why she left.

[babyroky1]

did you ever prayed to know what your leaders told you about the manuals changes??? if you really believed in God...

[iamanexmormon]

@babyroky1 She did pray. A LOT.

[typecastyourself]

@krysaliyah You don't have to respond to me if you don't want to, but I will still share my two cents. There seems to be a pattern in the comment section. Mormons are in disbelief that a person can actually live a fulfilling life outside of the Church. They tell all the withdrawing members and their supporters to "get a life" when ironically, by leaving the Church, ex-Mormons feel like they just got their life back.

[AnatoleBelge]

@WasatchIntercept "Ultimately, people who want to believe in Mormonism find reasons to believe, and people who want to disbelieve find reasons to disbelieve."

I think that's a false equivalence. Like saying it's equally valid for someone to find reason to believe that a cat is a cat as another to believe that a cat is a parrot. She finally realized that the thing has fur instead of feather, so to speak.

[Gods1truechurchmyass]

@cindybin2001 said "you must be a troll."

Call me all the names you want. It won't make your church any less man made. I did not say Mormons hated gays, I said they fought against gay peoples right to marry. Don't try to embellish what I write to make what I am saying wrong. To answer your question, no, I am not religious per say anymore.

[cindybin2001]

@Gods1truechurchmyass AARGGGGGHHH! you must be a troll. You are saying the exact things that you KNOW push my buttons! That old "Jesus drank wine" excuse and accusing Mormons of hating gays, etc. And then just look at your user name, with the a-word in it! So you are so religious, eh? Go away, troll.

[Gods1truechurchmyass]

@cindybin2001 Cindy, I like you.You are sincere, however, Jesus drank wine, so, it will not send you to the Terrestial kingdom. Not letting blacks hold the priesthood until 1978 was discrimination. I don't care what you say. In addition, fighting against gay people's right to marry is also discrimination. Please. Don't try to force your religious beliefs on others. That is what the USA is all about. I also support you to share your husband with many women so that LDS can practice Polygamy again.

[exjwconfessions]

Good for you.

You remind me of the courageous nursery school teachers who refused to teach Nazi ideology.

[cindybin2001]

@cindybin2001 to just give up and drop out. But it doesn't mean the church isn't true! And you don't have to be perfect and do everything! I'm a terrible Mormon! Barely even active, for personal reasons! But I know the church is true and I defend it with all my heart! I certainly wouldn't drop out of it. And how can anyone join any other church, knowing what most people think of Mormons? They think we're racist, sexist, hate gays, etc. And so many of them think nothing is wrong with alcohol!

[cindybin2001]

@cindybin2001 I think this woman got way too bent out of shape over such a little thing! She let this one thing cause her whole belief system to just tumble down in front of her? I think there was something else besides just nursery lessons. That was probably just the trigger. From what I've gathered after being on the Internet, many people who are lifelong members sort of get "burnt out" and feel they can't measure up, so they take one little thing that bothers them and magnify it, as an excuse

[cindybin2001]

@cindybin2001 respect, maybe people like me have an advantage in that we already know all this "horrible truth" that some lifelong members just find out about as an adult, which makes them want to leave the church. Maybe we do need to teach harder doctrine at younger ages, so that kids will learn these things and not be so surprised as adults. But again, these little kids are just taking whatever they can get out of the lessons, and you can't force them to learn something they aren't ready for.

[cindybin2001]

@cindybin2001 them to accept or reject the gospel, to gain their own testimony, etc. when they are old enough! And then I keep hearing all these ex-Mormons say that they found out some strange, horrible "truth" about the church after they'd been a member all their lives. Well as a convert, I read all this "horrible" anti-Mormon stuff years ago when I was first learning about the church! It was all I could find back then, when I was searching. (and I found it in Christian book stores!) So in that

[cindybin2001]

I'm a convert to the Mormon church since 1981, I joined in my 20's. Here I did all this work to learn about the church and gain a testimony, and it just astounds me that others up and leave. I listened to this whole video. My thought is that just because they are teaching nursery kids doctrine doesn't mean the church isn't true! And of course these kids are only capable of understanding what they can understand! You can't FORCE them to learn something and just like with everyone, it is up to