I’m opening up this page of my blog to those who would like to tell their story and be understood.
Here are the guidelines:
Try to keep it under 750 words. Its not strict though, so take the time you need.
Please follow the attitude and purpose you see through the rest of this blog – be inviting and tell your story in a self-disclosing way that helps people experience what it was like for you. Help them feel what you felt. Don’t be unbalanced and argumentative, but be honest and straightforward at the same time. If you have difficulty striking that balance I would suggest pretending you’re writing to yourself. If you’re no longer religious, pretend you’re writing to your religious self of a few years ago. Try to write with that level of love, respect, and honesty.
If you’d like to submit your story my email is jefferson.aablog@gmail.com. Let me know if you have any additional questions.
Readers will always be able to access the Series links from this page – click on the series you would like to read and you’ll find links to the stories within the main blog.
Story Series Number One – Leavers
For those who have left the LDS Church to tell their story, to give us an idea of what it was like to make that choice.
Story Series Number Two – Stayers
For Mormons who have had family members leave to express what it is like.
Story Series Number Three – Returners
For those who left the Church and decided to return.
The Accidental Atheist 
Absolutely love this idea bro. Thanks for letting me write just a fraction of my story. This is the first time I’ve expressed much of how it felt as I lost my marriage and left the church.
Last week I attended Stake Conference at the request of my wife. The first time I had been to church in a while. One of the speakers testified of less actives “I don’t believe there are any less actives in the church, only those who don’t fully understand the gospel”. It was interesting to hear that said about me since I was now in the less active category. Then I read the post of 10 reasons people place on you for leaving the church, and the stories of your family and girlfriend leaving and it nearly brought tears.
The speaker had just unknowingly(or at least I am hoping it was unintentional) added fuel to the fire of judgement. Active Members now had the right to condemn their less active family members for not knowing enough about the gospel.
I wonder how many members after hearing the talk will discount the feelings of their loved ones, they will set aside the real emotions of people they have known their entire life, people whom they have had intimate relationships. They won’t believe the real reasons someone has left the church. How could they?the man in the suit told them how it really is.
I have started my story here – I just don’t know yet if I am a stayer or a leaver – I’m lost in the mist, I have quoted you in my posts though because your blog has been a big help to me: http://rubyslippersx3.blogspot.com/search/label/faith%20crisis
Thanks for linking that here, Janie – you have some great articles and I hope some of my readers will stop by your blog and look around!
I would love to tell my story. Thank you for the forum. I appreciate the ground rules- I also like the different categories, so we can come to understand what it’s like to be in various places in our lives in regard to ‘the church.’