Thank you for sharing, I am planning on officially resigning my membership this Sunday. Hearing the stories of other people who've left has been very helpful because my family's not at all supportive.
8 ปีที่แล้ว +3
Jonathan, thanks for your willingness to be open and vulnerable and totally honest with your videos the past five years. Your sharing of your journey is surely helping others.
Congratulations on being able to move on and leave the Mormon Church behind. I was struck by your comments about taking control of your own life -- in effect taking away the power these "men" in the Church tied to hold over you. From my perspective what you have described re: the Church is how cults are defined. Being able to extract yourself from that is a real tribute to your strength as a person. I hope you are continuing to grow and develop. Best wishes.
Jonathan, I felt for you so in my heart as I heard you speak about resigning. As a brother in humanity, I support you wholeheartedly. Resigning took great courage. I'm sure it hurts, emotionally, very badly. You delivered the message clearly and thoughtfully. As a gay man who has suffered persecution in the parishes of my Anglican/Episcopal faith, I relate, while realizing that the hurt I've been facing over these years is less intense than yours due to the intense, rigid doctrine. Don't get me wrong, I fully respect all those who practice their faiths or don't practice. I'm just sad to see you hurt. Jonathan, I have ALL faith that God loves all of us -- -and I mean ALL of us. In all faith, I tell you that you couldn't be away from God even if you tried, and God loves you and all of us eternally and perfectly. Count on that! My loneliness with some of these struggles has contributed over the years to depression and anxiety for me. With lots of help, I do very well now. See that you get the nurturing, joy, love,help from around to lift you up! The day WILL come when this won't look so gray or gloomy. You're going to be fine! big hug from John
Congratulations on taking your life back my brother!! Just remember you are not alone in your disbelief. Giant HUGS to you!! I wish you well in all you do!!
“Cultivate an attitude of happiness. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine.” 🌝
I watched your story and it's really impressive... I believe everyone has an important resign in its life to make, in a way or another, but yours it's so brave and also amazing...! Blessings to your heart!
Congratulations Jonathan for being true to yourself. Standing you for yourself, and living an authentic life is acceptance of yourself. Unfortunately many men don't get to that point. Please continue to post about your journey.
You exposed neatly your personal quest, and I admire and respect you and your human and personal growing. My best wishes for your happiness and recognized worthiness. Don't dismay, bro.
At March 2018, the maximum number claimed for the LDS church is 18 million worldwide. These quotations are from the original 1830 Book of Mormon; in brackets I show the current reference points by chapter and verse numbers. The 1830 Book of Mormon very clearly taught the Trinity, i.e. that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Spirit) comprise ONE GOD. (I own a copy of the 1830 BoM) Page 120 (2 Nephi 31:21) And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen. Page 531 (Mormon 7:7) And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgement day, hath it given unto them to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which is one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end. Also, please note these references which say that Jesus Christ IS the Father: Page 544 (Ether 3:14 ) Behold, I am he which was prepared from the foundation of the world, to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have light, and that eternally, even they which shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. Pages 546-7 (Ether 4:12) and whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none, save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words, will not believe me, that I am; and he that will not believe me, will not believe the Father which sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world. Thank you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I understand exactly what you spend… remember that God loves you have a good heart and find the person with whom to share. Forward with joy. We expect to see more videos, hugs :) :) ;) :D :) ;)
On this date in 1954, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Steven Benson was born in Sacramento, Calif., the grandson of Ezra Taft Benson, who served as Secretary of Agriculture under Pres. Eisenhower and became president of the Mormons (1985-1994). Benson was an Eagle Scout and graduated with a degree in political science, cum laude, from Brigham Young University in 1979. "I was on track to eternal Mormon stardom, reserved especially for faithful men in a church run by men," he has written. Except for a brief stint as editorial cartoonist for the Morning News Tribune, in Tacoma, Wash., Benson has been editorial cartoonist for The Arizona Republic since 1980, and won a Pulitzer in 1993. He and his wife, Mary Ann, who have four children, left the Mormon Church in a highly publicized break in 1993, "citing disagreement over its doctrines on race, women, intellectual freedom and fanciful storytelling," as he has written. Benson lists among the benefits of leaving religion: "another day off, a 10 percent raise and getting to choose his own underwear." Among his favorite sayings is Mark Twain's adage: "Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please." An atheist, he has has appeared at several annual conventions of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, where he received a "Freethought in the Media: Tell It Like It Is Award" (1999) , an Emperor Has No Clothes Award (2002), and a Statuette of Liberty Friend of Freedom Award (2003). For several years beginning in 2001, Steve teamed up with Freedom From Religion Foundation staffer Dan Barker for the inimitable "Tunes and 'Toons" production, an irreverent look at freethought and religion in the news combining cartoons, music and satire. Some of their jointly-written parodies, "Godless America" among them, are recorded on the Foundation's "Beware of Dogma" CD.
To leave or not to leave a church that controls you and reduces your view of the world to conform to their fairy tale theology ought to be a clear sign what to do.
Do we not all operate on fairy tales? I grew up being taught a Newtonian model of the universe. We made models of atoms which we were taught had electrons orbiting around on clearly tracks around a nucleus. Turns out that isn't really what is going on. Not even science can give us more than progressively more accurate fairy tales. There is far more we don't understand than what we do understand. And besides, stories don't need to be true to be worthwhile, otherwise- why would we read fiction or see movies or watch television? All of us are controlled by the language, the culture, to society which we were born into. It isn't just religion. People conform to society in all areas of life. All of our world views have been limited. They are necessarily limited. We can't simply drop out of the material world altogether because it lacks the truth. We can venture into the unknown and strip away our conditioning, but for that to do us any good we have to bring bits of truth we find in that process back into the material world where it can be manifested. We should work to revitalize religion and enliven it with truth. If human history is any indication, religion isn't going anywhere, so why not make it better?
Good luck in the Community of Christ, in another Christian group, or whatever. You're a good-hearted young dude that deserves better than what the L.D.S. has disched out to you so vindictively.
Hey Jonathan , I have a couple of gay friends whose stories are almost a parallel to your own . Now , things are different , they have been accepted for who they are , even more importantly , they have accepted themselves for who they are . You're really brave dude to make a video like this which should tell you that you are a strong person who is ready to face the world . Be the best you can every day and you will be doing what God asks of us all .
Jonathan, I watched several of your video's this one stuck in my mind, I live in central NC, I do not know if you will ever see this, but here goes. In our area by far there were more UCC Churches, ( United Church of Christ.), very few of any other Like you I went to Elon University a UCC school, still is, and I have friends even from the LGBT's that are Professors there. When Gay Right's, and Marriage's were sanctioned by the UCC, local churches started dropping out of the UCC. If I remember correctly, there were 36 UCC Church's in our area. that number has over the years to 5, or 6,. Only because of Homosexual right's, you mentioned racism here in the south, ( alive and well.), No it is 7. none of the predominantly Afro-American Church's left the UCC, it is 4 of them, several of the Church's member's of the one's that dropped out went to the ones that were still UCC's heated argument's with in those that dropped out occurred. I know I have heard some people, and in two, some of the UCC's combined church's like one I am in. We had to make new charters and names. I was on 1 of the Charter member's, and I had remembered the Title of this video, Several people wanted life in the name, I listened and thought okay. I said this is what we will call it, they all looked at me, I said, " Life's Journey"' they loved it. We are now Life's Journey UCC. Roughly 25%- 30% LGBT, and I have you to thank for that,. So, Thank You As my preacher knows and several other's I do not like religion, I am more spiritual. But we are all on some kind of path, or journey. Again Thank You, . I send unconditional Love, and I hope you find your Soulmate. Ritch
Thank you for your message. There will always be a group of outcasts... a group of "others" who are too "other" to accept as our equal. Over time, we come around to inclusion of the group we shunned and we find that accepting those differences expand us beyond the borders of our own limited perception. But perception is always necessarily limited, and so it is only a matter of time before new distinctions arise and new borders are drawn and a new "other" is identified until we learn to expand our sense of self to include that "other" as well. This same process happens within our individual psychology. Rejecting parts of our being, insisting we be something else... until we learn that we cannot root one part out without destroying our whole selves in the process. It is this journey that ultimately expands our consciousness and teaches us to trust in the unknown- the realm beyond our immediate control... a deeper intelligence. It teaches us to recognize that our perception of the way things are is always limited and that truth is spacious beyond our ability to fathom. I'm glad to hear of churches that embrace the other, even when it is unpopular. And as much pain and struggle there is associated with LGBT rights/inclusion, I can now be grateful for that experience. It expanded my life in ways I may have never otherwise known. It forced me to continue to inwardly inquire about who or what this thing I call "I" fundamentally is, stripped from all the things that decay and pass with time and culture. It brought me back to a new view of the cosmos that is alive with wonder and gratitude and curiosity. It has enriched my soul.
Jonathan, I have been looking for some new material, and can not find any, have you stopped Vlogging? And if I could find tour work, or group on face book? you seem to be well grounded, and Philosophical, I am sorry if I seem to be nosey. I started teaching Biology in HS when, and our county wanted an ATC so they paid for me to go to Wake Forrest University Medical School to get a M.S. in Sports Medicine, to teach a teacher at each HS to be a TAT, Then I went on to get my Ph.D. in Adolescent Pshcology. I, turned 50 last year so I retired, I am now going to volunteer with the mental health department to exclusively work with the LGBT teens through various methods, I want to stop what happened to me, ( I have tried to commit suicide a few times.}, out of every 5 teenage suicide's 4 are LBQT's identified. In our state. these video's helps me see anxiety levels and depression's, so I can catch it quickly. I will not say all, but most of us have had these feelings, I hope you have found your niche. Ritch
I haven't resigned my mormon church but I don't go anymore.After talking with the bishop I confirmed taht the church will NEVER change,so I decided to look for a new church,and I found out,an inclusive church.,and I hope so to find a gay christian boyfriend soon.
You should find what is right for you. I don't think anyone can say with any certainty that the church will never change. But that isn't really the question worth considering. The question is whether or not you feel supported and empowered to become your best self... which would be the self that is aligned with your deepest essence. Our essential nature is one with the divine. If the church isn't a place where we can deeply feel the truth of that, and we aren't being transformed by that truth, it is like a branch cut off from its root and will not bring forth any fruit. If you feel another institution will help you connect to your deepest essence, then you should follow your intuition. As for me, I found the compass within my own being and no longer look to others for how to live. But regardless of the paths we walk, all things can turn out for our good when our intentions are pure- even the unpleasant stretches of time that we inevitable find ourselves on crooked paths that end up being dead ends. I wish you well on your way.
You're brave. It was difficult for me to come out to my parents, I can't imagine if we were mormons... ouch. You're brave. I'm happy that you chose life. I understand your need of belonging to your community, but if they don't allow you to be you, then you did the correct thing, but tough situation anyway. Do you still see your parents or you had to split the relationship up?
You ought to investigate the Restorationist Community of Christ (a.k.a. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). It has the best of the same Mormon heritage but is less crazy and weird, and far, far more tolerant. Good luck in your life!
Well, it was a Mormon school and the principal, in his sermons to the children, would arouse emotionalism, and the children would become so emotional that they would declare that they saw angels. Of course, I did not see any angels and therefore did not join in the emotionalism … I was called into the principal’s office. -Culbert Olson, California Governor, 1939-1943
Fortunately I was a rebel since I was a kid even my strict parents could never corrupt my libertarian soul, I came out last November officially, publicly after 20 years with my partner only to become one more warrior on lgbt causes, and to stop specially my family to play pretend that we were mere friends after 2 decades. I understand that is very difficult to get rid of all that religious crap that insist on keeping the remote control of your life but you have to break it eventually. Sorry but Jesus himself never said that the love between 2 boys or girls was wrong so I am a Jesus follower and proudly gay. By the way you're getting more and more cute, sexy, handsome, beautiful man. Tell us who's that lucky guy that got your heart or are you lonely at the moment? All the best. Love u.!!!
+MormonGuy13 I did. I Served in Korea from 2004-2006. There certainly were ways that it influenced my life for the better. For example, it exposed me to a different culture, expanded my world view, and changed my diet in positive ways. There are also ways that it was deeply negative. I felt as though God would not and could not help me because of my homosexual feelings. I believed any failure was due to my own unworthiness. I carried an unnecessary burden of guilt that was only intensified by my interactions with leaders at the MTC.
These quotations are from the original 1830 Book of Mormon; in brackets I show the current reference points by chapter and verse numbers. The 1830 Book of Mormon very clearly taught the Trinity, i.e. that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Spirit) comprise ONE GOD. (I own a copy of the 1830 BoM) Page 120 (2 Nephi 31:21) And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen. Page 531 (Mormon 7:7) And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgement day, hath it given unto them to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which is one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end. Also, please note these references which say that Jesus Christ IS the Father: Page 544 (Ether 3:14 ) Behold, I am he which was prepared from the foundation of the world, to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have light, and that eternally, even they which shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters. Pages 546-7 (Ether 4:12) and whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none, save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words, will not believe me, that I am; and he that will not believe me, will not believe the Father which sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world. Thank you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi William, that's a great question. Probably one that I won't be able to answer sufficiently in a comment. My view of God is that which is, in and of itself. The first cause, if you will. Infinite, eternal... and that all things which are (or, in other words, all things that are associated with an experience of being) have that being in God. "In God we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). Trinitarian models, I think, are a fairly good way to attempt to give a sense of the attributes of God. Father-Son-Holy Spirit (Christianity), Sat-Chit-Ananda (Hinduism), Goodness, Truth, and Beauty (Aristotelian). Each of these three can be broken down and analyzed for their intended meaning, but I don't have room here to explore all of that. For me, this is primarily a philosophical exercise informed by direct experience. As far as holy texts and religion is concerned, I tend to view the texts as deeply significant to human psychology and consciousness and that scripture is not primarily meant to be understood literally or historically. I think the texts are filled with wisdom and that their meaning can be opened up to us as we develop "eyes to see and ears to hear." I also believe that we have access to that understanding without the need of a mediator to interpret the text for us. I view religion the way William James defines it in "Varieties of Religious Experience," that is that religion is primarily rooted in religious experience which is interior to the individual. We build framework in order to integrate those experiences and it informs our action and gives meaning to our experience. The personal religion of Jesus (and of any human) can be said to be the cause of his way of being in the world. His action and attitude can be understood as the effect of his personal religious framework. Institutionalized religion, however, is exactly that. It is an institutionalized form that attempts to take religion proper (which is personal) and make it into something general within which many people can participate. I think institutionalized religion is good up to a point, but that it must ultimately be transcended. It creates a container within which people can form a healthy sense of self in. Human beings need good containers for this first part of development. It is why children need stable homes and rules and consistency to be able to thrive. It also becomes a vessel for holy texts which can then be passed down through generations. However, institutional religion can get in the way of spiritual development and it can also muddy the waters by misrepresenting the texts due to false traditions that creep in. Institutions are liable to decay if they are not continually renewed and re-enlivened. They begin to produce rotten fruit. There comes a time to move beyond the womb of the "mother" (the institution) and into the world where we have to hoist the full responsibility of making meaning of the chaos of the world upon our own backs. Good religion prepares us to do that and equips us with tools to do that. But institutionalized religion can become infantilizing... insisting that we stay within its walls. This doesn't mean the institution doesn't have it's place. I just think of it like the training wheels on a bicycle. Finally and ultimately, what we are talking about is rooted in direct experience. It isn't in the words or the models or the symbols we create in our attempts to articulate it, it is in actual experience. My experience has taught me far more than any book or intellectual exercise. The experience is primary. So it is the experience which sheds light on the meaning of texts and symbols and myths and which reveals the brilliance of those metaphors and parables and helps us frame our experience. When we are young, we don't have much experience to draw on, which is why we must lean on and borrow from a religious tradition. But this isn't just a statement about age or physical development, it is also a statement about our psychic development and the evolution of consciousness within us. As experience unfolds, we grow in understanding which makes us more free to act rather than be acted upon. I have a far better articulated structure of my spiritual/religious beliefs today than I ever did in the past, and I continue to expand on them. Unfortunately, I am not able to explore everything here. I've thought about starting to make videos that explore my religious reconstruction after leaving Mormonism... just not sure how much interest there would be.
I am a Christian having been in Catholicism since birth. When I say Christian I mean born again having received the Holy Spirit, a living reality of Jesus the divine son of God. I would suggest that you consider reading the gospel of John in the New Testament. It is known to be a great pleace to begin reading the Bible. You are a very intelligent and insightful man. I admire you for these attributes.
Jonathan, when did you lose your testimony? I, too, am gay, but my testimony would not leave me. I have had a difficult time with my sexual orientation, but I know any problems I have will be taken away in the hereafter; I don't know how, but I AM hopeful. Good luck to you in your life!
+MormonGuy13 I didn't "lose" anything. I found the truth that there was nothing wrong with me. I cannot deny who I am and it is wrong to make a person feel ashamed of who they are. Being gay doesn't change what kind of person I am. It doesn't reflect whether I am doing good in the world or not... whether I am a positive influence in the world or not. But it is a very deeply important and inherent part of my being. Being gay is part of how I experience the world... it influences the relationships I have and the connections I build. I see the world through this experience that is mine... and to take that away would mean I would cease to be the person I am. I don't believe that being gay is an illness or an undesirable trait. It isn't something that will be "fixed" because I am not broken.
32 members of Britain's parliament are gay. 12 anti-gay republican politicians have been outed. In 2009 Iceland elected a Lesbian as prime minister. Barney Frank was the first in the U.S. congress to come out in 1987. The U.S. has six ambassadors who are gay, appointed by Obama. 50 states have elected an openly gay politician in some capacity. There are two gay governors. -Advocate June/July 2016"I can't abide by people imposing their values on me." -Chinese gay man to Chinese court seeking right to marryANNUAL ticket revenue from visitors to the Sistine Chapel painted by gay artist Michelangelo --- $87,000,000. Does this not show what a bunch of hypocrites reside in Vatican City?Homophobic Men are Most Aroused by Gay Male Porn. Homophobia is associated with sexual excitement by male-on-male sex. Posted Jun 09, 2011 Psychology TodayThis inner conflict can be seen in some high-profile cases in which anti-gay public figures are caught engaging in same-sex acts, the researchers say. For instance, evangelical preacher and anti-gay-marriage advocate Ted Haggard was caught in a gay sex scandal in 2006. And in 2010, prominent anti-gay activist and co-founder of conservative Family Research Council George Rekers was reportedly spotted in 2010 with a male escort rented from Rentboy.com. According to news reports, the escort confirmed Rekers is gay.All brought on by our culture. The good news is our culture is rapidly changing in the free world.
nathan, I heard your reasons for leaving your Church and it took you only 5 years to do what took me 50! There is a great community of support you give up when you leave your faith and Mormons are even more encased in that community than most others. As a gay person, you have many other problems to face as well not the least of which is to marry and bring forth many children. Unless you have a sham marriage, the Church will never allow same-sex marriage so you will remain celibate and then be cut out of many other activities in the Temple and other opportunities even the economic ones. You may be considered an apostate and not even have the love and fellowship of your mom, dad, and siblings. It is a very difficult step to take and you have been thinking and reasoning what your best course of action should be for you. I personally do not want to be a member of any group that does not allow me to ever have sex with another consenting adult and marry. I do not think such theology is of God and if the Prophet is so wrong about the sex drive, equality of the sexes and racial equality, I would question the whole concept of a religious belief in the truth that Prophet is giving to our world.
The Mormon church is great about de-balling men from their natural instincts. Not surprised your homosexuality comes from a very pressured family situation. Sorry your family sucked so bad. From my opinion, rather than continuing to seeking out the real truth (which can take several lifetimes), you defined your own truth to fit into a homosexual lifestyle because that is where you felt accepted and most comfortable.
I'm working on resigning right now. It's emotional, but I'm glad I'm doing it. I haven't attended church in 7 years. I hope you've found happiness. 😀
Thank you for sharing, I am planning on officially resigning my membership this Sunday. Hearing the stories of other people who've left has been very helpful because my family's not at all supportive.
Jonathan, thanks for your willingness to be open and vulnerable and totally honest with your videos the past five years. Your sharing of your journey is surely helping others.
You are such a sweet and gentle soul. All the best to you.
Congratulations on being able to move on and leave the Mormon Church behind. I was struck by your comments about taking control of your own life -- in effect taking away the power these "men" in the Church tied to hold over you. From my perspective what you have described re: the Church is how cults are defined. Being able to extract yourself from that is a real tribute to your strength as a person. I hope you are continuing to grow and develop. Best wishes.
Jonathan, I felt for you so in my heart as I heard you speak about resigning. As a brother in humanity, I support you wholeheartedly. Resigning took great courage. I'm sure it hurts, emotionally, very badly. You delivered the message clearly and thoughtfully. As a gay man who has suffered persecution in the parishes of my Anglican/Episcopal faith, I relate, while realizing that the hurt I've been facing over these years is less intense than yours due to the intense, rigid doctrine. Don't get me wrong, I fully respect all those who practice their faiths or don't practice. I'm just sad to see you hurt. Jonathan, I have ALL faith that God loves all of us -- -and I mean ALL of us.
In all faith, I tell you that you couldn't be away from God even if you tried, and God loves you and all of us eternally and perfectly. Count on that! My loneliness with some of these struggles has contributed over the years to depression and anxiety for me. With lots of help, I do very well now. See that you get the nurturing, joy, love,help from around to lift you up! The day WILL come when this won't look so gray or gloomy. You're going to be fine! big hug from John
I can relate to most of what you have shared and have much empathy for you. I am proud of you and the progress that you have made. you are loved.
Congratulations on taking your life back my brother!! Just remember you are not alone in your disbelief. Giant HUGS to you!! I wish you well in all you do!!
“Cultivate an attitude of happiness. Cultivate a spirit of optimism. Walk with faith, rejoicing in the beauties of nature, in the goodness of those you love, in the testimony which you carry in your heart concerning things divine.” 🌝
I watched your story and it's really impressive... I believe everyone has an important resign in its life to make, in a way or another, but yours it's so brave and also amazing...!
Blessings to your heart!
Congratulations Jonathan for being true to yourself. Standing you for yourself, and living an authentic life is acceptance of yourself. Unfortunately many men don't get to that point. Please continue to post about your journey.
You exposed neatly your personal quest, and I admire and respect you and your human and personal growing. My best wishes for your happiness and recognized worthiness. Don't dismay, bro.
Free at last, free at last, thank God you are free at last.
The world is filled with people who wish you well. Take care, be free, be happy.
Just because 50 million people believe something doesn't make it true or right or moral.
At March 2018, the maximum number claimed for the LDS church is 18 million worldwide.
These quotations are from the original 1830 Book of Mormon; in brackets I show the current reference points by chapter and verse numbers. The 1830 Book of Mormon very clearly taught the Trinity, i.e. that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Spirit) comprise ONE GOD. (I own a copy of the 1830 BoM)
Page 120 (2 Nephi 31:21)
And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.
Page 531 (Mormon 7:7)
And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgement day, hath it given unto them to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which is one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.
Also, please note these references which say that Jesus Christ IS the Father:
Page 544 (Ether 3:14 )
Behold, I am he which was prepared from the foundation of the world, to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have light, and that eternally, even they which shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
Pages 546-7 (Ether 4:12)
and whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none, save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words, will not believe me, that I am; and he that will not believe me, will not believe the Father which sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.
Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I understand exactly what you spend…
remember that God loves you have a good heart and find the person with whom to share.
Forward with joy. We expect to see more videos, hugs :) :) ;) :D :) ;)
I left this year. Thanks for sharing this Jonathan! :)
I've been waiting for part 2 of Losing My Religion @jonathan thanks for sharing your story, I look forward to new videos!
On this date in 1954, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Steven Benson was born in Sacramento, Calif., the grandson of Ezra Taft Benson, who served as Secretary of Agriculture under Pres. Eisenhower and became president of the Mormons (1985-1994). Benson was an Eagle Scout and graduated with a degree in political science, cum laude, from Brigham Young University in 1979. "I was on track to eternal Mormon stardom, reserved especially for faithful men in a church run by men," he has written. Except for a brief stint as editorial cartoonist for the Morning News Tribune, in Tacoma, Wash., Benson has been editorial cartoonist for The Arizona Republic since 1980, and won a Pulitzer in 1993. He and his wife, Mary Ann, who have four children, left the Mormon Church in a highly publicized break in 1993, "citing disagreement over its doctrines on race, women, intellectual freedom and fanciful storytelling," as he has written. Benson lists among the benefits of leaving religion: "another day off, a 10 percent raise and getting to choose his own underwear." Among his favorite sayings is Mark Twain's adage: "Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please."
An atheist, he has has appeared at several annual conventions of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, where he received a "Freethought in the Media: Tell It Like It Is Award" (1999) , an Emperor Has No Clothes Award (2002), and a Statuette of Liberty Friend of Freedom Award (2003). For several years beginning in 2001, Steve teamed up with Freedom From Religion Foundation staffer Dan Barker for the inimitable "Tunes and 'Toons" production, an irreverent look at freethought and religion in the news combining cartoons, music and satire. Some of their jointly-written parodies, "Godless America" among them, are recorded on the Foundation's "Beware of Dogma" CD.
Thanks for the update. you are awesome
If God's love is unconditional, then who is man to place conditions on God's love?
To leave or not to leave a church that controls you and reduces your view of the world to conform to their fairy tale theology ought to be a clear sign what to do.
According to Rob Mckay.
Do we not all operate on fairy tales? I grew up being taught a Newtonian model of the universe. We made models of atoms which we were taught had electrons orbiting around on clearly tracks around a nucleus. Turns out that isn't really what is going on. Not even science can give us more than progressively more accurate fairy tales. There is far more we don't understand than what we do understand. And besides, stories don't need to be true to be worthwhile, otherwise- why would we read fiction or see movies or watch television? All of us are controlled by the language, the culture, to society which we were born into. It isn't just religion. People conform to society in all areas of life. All of our world views have been limited. They are necessarily limited. We can't simply drop out of the material world altogether because it lacks the truth. We can venture into the unknown and strip away our conditioning, but for that to do us any good we have to bring bits of truth we find in that process back into the material world where it can be manifested. We should work to revitalize religion and enliven it with truth. If human history is any indication, religion isn't going anywhere, so why not make it better?
Because I don't want to try to make something I don't believe in better?
Hope your doing ok buddy ❤️🤟❤️
You are very brave, Jonathan.
Good luck in the Community of Christ, in another Christian group, or whatever. You're a good-hearted young dude that deserves better than what the L.D.S. has disched out to you so vindictively.
Blame your problems on the LDS, in other words.
Hey Jonathan , I have a couple of gay friends whose stories are almost a parallel to your own . Now , things are different , they have been accepted for who they are , even more importantly , they have accepted themselves for who they are . You're really brave dude to make a video like this which should tell you that you are a strong person who is ready to face the world . Be the best you can every day and you will be doing what God asks of us all .
Thanks! I've also come a long way since those early videos :)
Jonathan, I watched several of your video's this one stuck in my mind, I live in central NC, I do not know if you will ever see this, but here goes. In our area by far there were more UCC Churches, ( United Church of Christ.), very few of any other Like you I went to Elon University a UCC school, still is, and I have friends even from the LGBT's that are Professors there. When Gay Right's, and Marriage's were sanctioned by the UCC, local churches started dropping out of the UCC. If I remember correctly, there were 36 UCC Church's in our area. that number has over the years to 5, or 6,. Only because of Homosexual right's, you mentioned racism here in the south, ( alive and well.), No it is 7. none of the predominantly Afro-American Church's left the UCC, it is 4 of them, several of the Church's member's of the one's that dropped out went to the ones that were still UCC's heated argument's with in those that dropped out occurred. I know I have heard some people, and in two, some of the UCC's combined church's like one I am in. We had to make new charters and names. I was on 1 of the Charter member's, and I had remembered the Title of this video, Several people wanted life in the name, I listened and thought okay. I said this is what we will call it, they all looked at me, I said, " Life's Journey"' they loved it. We are now Life's Journey UCC. Roughly 25%- 30% LGBT, and I have you to thank for that,. So, Thank You As my preacher knows and several other's I do not like religion, I am more spiritual. But we are all on some kind of path, or journey. Again Thank You, . I send unconditional Love, and I hope you find your Soulmate. Ritch
Thank you for your message. There will always be a group of outcasts... a group of "others" who are too "other" to accept as our equal. Over time, we come around to inclusion of the group we shunned and we find that accepting those differences expand us beyond the borders of our own limited perception. But perception is always necessarily limited, and so it is only a matter of time before new distinctions arise and new borders are drawn and a new "other" is identified until we learn to expand our sense of self to include that "other" as well.
This same process happens within our individual psychology. Rejecting parts of our being, insisting we be something else... until we learn that we cannot root one part out without destroying our whole selves in the process. It is this journey that ultimately expands our consciousness and teaches us to trust in the unknown- the realm beyond our immediate control... a deeper intelligence. It teaches us to recognize that our perception of the way things are is always limited and that truth is spacious beyond our ability to fathom.
I'm glad to hear of churches that embrace the other, even when it is unpopular. And as much pain and struggle there is associated with LGBT rights/inclusion, I can now be grateful for that experience. It expanded my life in ways I may have never otherwise known. It forced me to continue to inwardly inquire about who or what this thing I call "I" fundamentally is, stripped from all the things that decay and pass with time and culture. It brought me back to a new view of the cosmos that is alive with wonder and gratitude and curiosity. It has enriched my soul.
Jonathan, I have been looking for some new material, and can not find any, have you stopped Vlogging? And if I could find tour work, or group on face book? you seem to be well grounded, and Philosophical, I am sorry if I seem to be nosey. I started teaching Biology in HS when, and our county wanted an ATC so they paid for me to go to Wake Forrest University Medical School to get a M.S. in Sports Medicine, to teach a teacher at each HS to be a TAT, Then I went on to get my Ph.D. in Adolescent Pshcology. I, turned 50 last year so I retired, I am now going to volunteer with the mental health department to exclusively work with the LGBT teens through various methods, I want to stop what happened to me, ( I have tried to commit suicide a few times.}, out of every 5 teenage suicide's 4 are LBQT's identified. In our state. these video's helps me see anxiety levels and depression's, so I can catch it quickly. I will not say all, but most of us have had these feelings, I hope you have found your niche. Ritch
I haven't resigned my mormon church but I don't go anymore.After talking with the bishop I confirmed taht the church will NEVER change,so I decided to look for a new church,and I found out,an inclusive church.,and I hope so to find a gay christian boyfriend soon.
You should find what is right for you. I don't think anyone can say with any certainty that the church will never change. But that isn't really the question worth considering. The question is whether or not you feel supported and empowered to become your best self... which would be the self that is aligned with your deepest essence.
Our essential nature is one with the divine. If the church isn't a place where we can deeply feel the truth of that, and we aren't being transformed by that truth, it is like a branch cut off from its root and will not bring forth any fruit.
If you feel another institution will help you connect to your deepest essence, then you should follow your intuition. As for me, I found the compass within my own being and no longer look to others for how to live. But regardless of the paths we walk, all things can turn out for our good when our intentions are pure- even the unpleasant stretches of time that we inevitable find ourselves on crooked paths that end up being dead ends. I wish you well on your way.
por favor de la traducción al español o hacer más vídeos en español hay muchos mormones latinos pasando circunstancias similares
You're brave. It was difficult for me to come out to my parents, I can't imagine if we were mormons... ouch. You're brave. I'm happy that you chose life. I understand your need of belonging to your community, but if they don't allow you to be you, then you did the correct thing, but tough situation anyway. Do you still see your parents or you had to split the relationship up?
My family has been very supportive. I have been very lucky in that regard. Many people are not so lucky.
In Norway it's much easier to come out as gay than as a christian.
cool, thanks
You ought to investigate the Restorationist Community of Christ (a.k.a. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). It has the best of the same Mormon heritage but is less crazy and weird, and far, far more tolerant. Good luck in your life!
Well, it was a Mormon school and the principal, in his sermons to the children, would arouse emotionalism, and the children would become so emotional that they would declare that they saw angels. Of course, I did not see any angels and therefore did not join in the emotionalism … I was called into the principal’s office. -Culbert Olson, California Governor, 1939-1943
Fortunately I was a rebel since I was a kid even my strict parents could never corrupt my libertarian soul, I came out last November officially, publicly after 20 years with my partner only to become one more warrior on lgbt causes, and to stop specially my family to play pretend that we were mere friends after 2 decades. I understand that is very difficult to get rid of all that religious crap that insist on keeping the remote control of your life but you have to break it eventually. Sorry but Jesus himself never said that the love between 2 boys or girls was wrong so I am a Jesus follower and proudly gay. By the way you're getting more and more cute, sexy, handsome, beautiful man. Tell us who's that lucky guy that got your heart or are you lonely at the moment? All the best. Love u.!!!
+marcelo fg haha, I am single by choice at the moment. Alone, but not lonely :)
Being single and happy is very good.You're very young , let nature takes its course.
Great to know that. Be patient. Circulate. Get involved in issues and causes. Those are some of the best (not all, of course) people worth knowing.
One question, Jonathan, did you serve an LDS mission? If so, how has this experience influenced your life?
+MormonGuy13 I did. I Served in Korea from 2004-2006. There certainly were ways that it influenced my life for the better. For example, it exposed me to a different culture, expanded my world view, and changed my diet in positive ways. There are also ways that it was deeply negative. I felt as though God would not and could not help me because of my homosexual feelings. I believed any failure was due to my own unworthiness. I carried an unnecessary burden of guilt that was only intensified by my interactions with leaders at the MTC.
These quotations are from the original 1830 Book of Mormon; in brackets I show the current reference points by chapter and verse numbers. The 1830 Book of Mormon very clearly taught the Trinity, i.e. that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Spirit) comprise ONE GOD. (I own a copy of the 1830 BoM)
Page 120 (2 Nephi 31:21)
And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen.
Page 531 (Mormon 7:7)
And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgement day, hath it given unto them to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which is one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end.
Also, please note these references which say that Jesus Christ IS the Father:
Page 544 (Ether 3:14 )
Behold, I am he which was prepared from the foundation of the world, to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have light, and that eternally, even they which shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
Pages 546-7 (Ether 4:12)
and whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do good is of me; for good cometh of none, save it be of me. I am the same that leadeth men to all good; he that will not believe my words, will not believe me, that I am; and he that will not believe me, will not believe the Father which sent me. For behold, I am the Father, I am the light, and the life, and the truth of the world.
Thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So what do you believe now from a spiritual perspective?
Hi William, that's a great question. Probably one that I won't be able to answer sufficiently in a comment. My view of God is that which is, in and of itself. The first cause, if you will. Infinite, eternal... and that all things which are (or, in other words, all things that are associated with an experience of being) have that being in God. "In God we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28). Trinitarian models, I think, are a fairly good way to attempt to give a sense of the attributes of God. Father-Son-Holy Spirit (Christianity), Sat-Chit-Ananda (Hinduism), Goodness, Truth, and Beauty (Aristotelian). Each of these three can be broken down and analyzed for their intended meaning, but I don't have room here to explore all of that. For me, this is primarily a philosophical exercise informed by direct experience.
As far as holy texts and religion is concerned, I tend to view the texts as deeply significant to human psychology and consciousness and that scripture is not primarily meant to be understood literally or historically. I think the texts are filled with wisdom and that their meaning can be opened up to us as we develop "eyes to see and ears to hear." I also believe that we have access to that understanding without the need of a mediator to interpret the text for us. I view religion the way William James defines it in "Varieties of Religious Experience," that is that religion is primarily rooted in religious experience which is interior to the individual. We build framework in order to integrate those experiences and it informs our action and gives meaning to our experience. The personal religion of Jesus (and of any human) can be said to be the cause of his way of being in the world. His action and attitude can be understood as the effect of his personal religious framework. Institutionalized religion, however, is exactly that. It is an institutionalized form that attempts to take religion proper (which is personal) and make it into something general within which many people can participate. I think institutionalized religion is good up to a point, but that it must ultimately be transcended. It creates a container within which people can form a healthy sense of self in. Human beings need good containers for this first part of development. It is why children need stable homes and rules and consistency to be able to thrive. It also becomes a vessel for holy texts which can then be passed down through generations. However, institutional religion can get in the way of spiritual development and it can also muddy the waters by misrepresenting the texts due to false traditions that creep in. Institutions are liable to decay if they are not continually renewed and re-enlivened. They begin to produce rotten fruit. There comes a time to move beyond the womb of the "mother" (the institution) and into the world where we have to hoist the full responsibility of making meaning of the chaos of the world upon our own backs. Good religion prepares us to do that and equips us with tools to do that. But institutionalized religion can become infantilizing... insisting that we stay within its walls. This doesn't mean the institution doesn't have it's place. I just think of it like the training wheels on a bicycle.
Finally and ultimately, what we are talking about is rooted in direct experience. It isn't in the words or the models or the symbols we create in our attempts to articulate it, it is in actual experience. My experience has taught me far more than any book or intellectual exercise. The experience is primary. So it is the experience which sheds light on the meaning of texts and symbols and myths and which reveals the brilliance of those metaphors and parables and helps us frame our experience. When we are young, we don't have much experience to draw on, which is why we must lean on and borrow from a religious tradition. But this isn't just a statement about age or physical development, it is also a statement about our psychic development and the evolution of consciousness within us. As experience unfolds, we grow in understanding which makes us more free to act rather than be acted upon. I have a far better articulated structure of my spiritual/religious beliefs today than I ever did in the past, and I continue to expand on them. Unfortunately, I am not able to explore everything here. I've thought about starting to make videos that explore my religious reconstruction after leaving Mormonism... just not sure how much interest there would be.
I am a Christian having been in Catholicism since birth. When I say Christian I mean born again having received the Holy Spirit, a living reality of Jesus the divine son of God. I would suggest that you consider reading the gospel of John in the New Testament. It is known to be a great pleace to begin reading the Bible.
You are a very intelligent and insightful man. I admire you for these attributes.
Jonathan, when did you lose your testimony? I, too, am gay, but my testimony would not leave me. I have had a difficult time with my sexual orientation, but I know any problems I have will be taken away in the hereafter; I don't know how, but I AM hopeful. Good luck to you in your life!
+MormonGuy13 I didn't "lose" anything. I found the truth that there was nothing wrong with me. I cannot deny who I am and it is wrong to make a person feel ashamed of who they are. Being gay doesn't change what kind of person I am. It doesn't reflect whether I am doing good in the world or not... whether I am a positive influence in the world or not. But it is a very deeply important and inherent part of my being. Being gay is part of how I experience the world... it influences the relationships I have and the connections I build. I see the world through this experience that is mine... and to take that away would mean I would cease to be the person I am. I don't believe that being gay is an illness or an undesirable trait. It isn't something that will be "fixed" because I am not broken.
32 members of Britain's parliament are gay. 12 anti-gay republican politicians have been outed. In 2009 Iceland elected a Lesbian as prime minister. Barney Frank was the first in the U.S. congress to come out in 1987. The U.S. has six ambassadors who are gay, appointed by Obama. 50 states have elected an openly gay politician in some capacity. There are two gay governors. -Advocate June/July 2016"I can't abide by people imposing their values on me." -Chinese gay man to Chinese court seeking right to marryANNUAL ticket revenue from visitors to the Sistine Chapel painted by gay artist Michelangelo --- $87,000,000. Does this not show what a bunch of hypocrites reside in Vatican City?Homophobic Men are Most Aroused by Gay Male Porn. Homophobia is associated with sexual excitement by male-on-male sex. Posted Jun 09, 2011 Psychology TodayThis inner conflict can be seen in some high-profile cases in which anti-gay public figures are caught engaging in same-sex acts, the researchers say. For instance, evangelical preacher and anti-gay-marriage advocate Ted Haggard was caught in a gay sex scandal in 2006. And in 2010, prominent anti-gay activist and co-founder of conservative Family Research Council George Rekers was reportedly spotted in 2010 with a male escort rented from Rentboy.com. According to news reports, the escort confirmed Rekers is gay.All brought on by our culture. The good news is our culture is rapidly changing in the free world.
The church seems to be all about keeping these covenants.'
You're super cute ;)
and now super-SMART ! Well done, wishing you great success in life.
nathan, I heard your reasons for leaving your Church and it took you only 5 years to do what took me 50! There is a great community of support you give up when you leave your faith and Mormons are even more encased in that community than most others. As a gay person, you have many other problems to face as well not the least of which is to marry and bring forth many children. Unless you have a sham marriage, the Church will never allow same-sex marriage so you will remain celibate and then be cut out of many other activities in the Temple and other opportunities even the economic ones. You may be considered an apostate and not even have the love and fellowship of your mom, dad, and siblings. It is a very difficult step to take and you have been thinking and reasoning what your best course of action should be for you. I personally do not want to be a member of any group that does not allow me to ever have sex with another consenting adult and marry. I do not think such theology is of God and if the Prophet is so wrong about the sex drive, equality of the sexes and racial equality, I would question the whole concept of a religious belief in the truth that Prophet is giving to our world.
The Mormon church is great about de-balling men from their natural instincts. Not surprised your homosexuality comes from a very pressured family situation. Sorry your family sucked so bad. From my opinion, rather than continuing to seeking out the real truth (which can take several lifetimes), you defined your own truth to fit into a homosexual lifestyle because that is where you felt accepted and most comfortable.
THIS GUY IS NUTS. HE NEEDS ADMIT HE LIKES BOYS AND STOP BLAMING OTHERS FOR HIS CHOICES.