All About Mormons

As a “former” member of the LDS church, I have been deprived of its full blessings for a couple of years now. I will not claim that I am totally innocent of the charges brought against me, for a sin that I voluntarily went to my bishop to confess. I had not participated in the act of homosexuality in over four years when I went to him to confess my actions. I was hoping for immediate forgiveness. What I received was excommunication. I was bitter for a few months, even considered leaving the church; however, my testimony was too strong. I still know that the church is true and that it holds the only way to salvation for all mankind.

I regret my actions during my period of apostasy, and am attempting with all my might to return to the fold. I hope one day to be worthy to enter the temple again.

“Enduring to the end” is the key. May we all receive the aid of the Lord in doing our best here during this mortal probation.

A “former” mormon in st. George, Utah.

Webmaster: Hi friend. I wanted to comment on your dedication and desire to pursue all the blessings of the gospel. Your situation reminded me of a quote from the ever-colorful Elder J. Golden Kimball: “Cut me off from the Church? They can’t do that! I repent too damn fast.”

Thank you for your excellent example. As Mormons, every one of us makes mistakes. Those mistakes can lead to discouragement. If every one of us renewed our dedication to the pursuit of gospel ideals with your same desire, the Church would be all the better.

Because I don’t know the specifics of your situation, I can’t comment on the specifics of your bishop’s decision to excommunicate you. As I’m sure you know, excommunication in Mormonism is not equivalent to “kicking someone out of the Church.” It is at times a necessary step in the repentance process. When someone is excommunicated, the hope is always that they will put their life in order and then return to the Church through rebaptism. Some people choose to forgo rebaptism and leave the Church. This is never the right decision, for the very reasons you cited in your testimony. You’re on the right course; don’t see your excommunication as a rejection or banishment. See it for what it is: a step on the path to repentance and full fellowship. Good luck!