are there any of us out there? I only know of one other person in my entire church who smokes weed. It pisses me off how the church looks down upon it so much. I honestly have a deeper faith in god because of weed. but i digress any other mormons out there?
I was. But not anymore. I knew a few. But they were closet smokers that knew how to hide it well. The LDS community isn't very tolerant of their members who drink, smoke etc. But then again I lived in a town where the majority was LDS.
Hi. Me. I might get ex communicated this week, but as of right now I'm still Mormon, I grew up in the church.
Does Mormonism, like Christianity, look down upon punk rock? Awhile ago, I was at a show and met a guy who is part of the LDS and he was jamming the fuck out to buddies punk band.
Ah glad theres a few of us around. I only personally know me and one other guy in my ward that smoke. I don't talk about it much because people can't keep their mouths closed! Whats happens when you get excommunicated? I haven't meet anyone who is, still being in high school and all i am still some what sheltered.
You're brought to what is called a "Court of Love," wherein your Stake President and several other counselors will read the charges against you, and then hear your side of the story. Then they will convene, pray, and decide whether you deserve disfellowshipment or excommunication. If you're disfellowshipped, you can't take the Sacrament, pray in Sacrament meeting or other meetings, cannot offer comments in Sunday School or Relief Society/Priesthood, or participate in any callings. You are still a member of record, and your ordinances remain intact, although you are cut off from the gift of the Holy Ghost for as long as your disfellowshipment lasts. You can pay tithing though! If you're excommunicated, you are no longer considered a member of the church, all of your ordinances are canceled and you're stripped of your priesthood (if you're a male, of course), and you are no longer expected to tithe.
I don't think Mormonism or Christianity look down on punk rock. The people most likely do. Most religious people are pretty conservative. How are you being excommunicated? You have to do something pretty bad to be excommunicated. Like doing a line of a drug that can not be named while in church, having sex with some cheap floozy, busting your nut on a Jesus painting and screaming blasphemies and other religious obscenities. That's how I would do it. Cause I'm a rock'n'rolla.
Have you ever read about the September Six? If not, you should. It's wildly fascinating. They were a group of 6 scholars who were excommunicated or disfellowshipped in the early 90s for "apostasy," although all they did wrong was write about the true (non-Correlated/white-washed) history of the church. One woman in the September Six was disfellowshipped for writing about Heavenly Mother. One guy was excommunicated for writing a book that challenged the Mormon belief that only the General Authorities can determine doctrine. Another 2 women were excommunicated for writing about women in the Priesthood and the fact that in early Mormonism women were allowed to give blessings and other "feminist" topics. Another dude was excommunicated for claiming the church white-washes its history. And the last of the Six was excommunicated, officially, for homosexuality, although I think his books were what really did him in.
Geeze! I never knew any of that even existed?! haha just shows you how sheltered i really! very interesting i will have to look that up.
Mormon history and doctrine, outside of the Sunday School and seminary manuals, is SO fascinating. It's definitely not all that faith-affirming, though! Richard Bushman's biography of Joseph Smith, "Rough Stone Rolling," is perhaps the best book that has ever been written on the prophet. D. Michael Quinn, the last of the September Six who was excommunicated for homosexuality, has written several awesome books about church history and the development of doctrine. "Early Mormonism and the Magic Worldview" talks about the folk magic beginnings of Mormonism, and his "Mormon Hierarchy" books are pretty much the best treatment of church history ever recorded. There is so much about Mormon doctrine and history that the LDS church doesn't talk about, and it's such a shame because it's wildly inspiring and so rich. The Mormonism of Joseph Smith's era was liberal and progressive, with new insights flowing constantly. The Mormonism of today is so conservative and stuffy, and devoid of any doctrinal "meat." Just the milk, and even that has become watered down in recent years.
That sounds like a pretty good way to be released from the cult. So what's the negative side of Mormon Excommunication?
If you are excommunicated, you pretty much can't rejoin if you so choose to later on in life. If you don't want to be part of 'the cult,' just write them a letter and get an attorney to notarize it. Most attorneys will do it for free. That's what I did. It's not like they force you to remain a member...
Haha oh man. I'm already on formal probation, meaning I can go to church an I'm still on the records, but I can't give talks, say prayers, take sacrament, even in classes, I can't participate in pretty much anything. I'm having my meeting this Thursday, and the bishop, counselors, stake president( I think), and ward clerk are going to sit in and I have to tell them my actions and why and if I'm changing and they're gonna decide what action to take I moved here 2 months ago and was trying to turn my life around, after I confessed, I got caught up in everything again. The main sin that I keep doing that they're thinking about excommunicating me for is sexual immorality. I get around&im safe and I don't sleep with anyone I just meet, but I can't be a member if I live that kind if lifestyle.
I know this is an old thread, but if you want to learn more about the mormon church history, mormonthink.com is an awesome site! Always look for sources and proofs obviously, but mormonthink is usually pretty good for that.
Mormons are still Christians, right? First and foremost? What about the idea of forgiveness then? Or don't they bother with such things any more? Gandhi's quote comes to mind again: "I like your Christ but not your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ"