Hi, my name is Doug, and I’m not a Mormon. :)

[Reluctant Watchman]

A few of you are aware of this, but recently I had my records removed from the church. (Quite the appropriate day for such an announcement, as it is GC.) Now, I know that’s a shocker to some of you, especially since I’m so quiet about things relating to the church and religion, but I thought it was about time we made things official. It has been an interesting journey, to say the least. I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude to God for allowing me to see, feel, learn, and internalize much of what the church is doing and teaching today. And… for me to seek God for understanding and to find peace.

In an attempt to help my family and friends understand the path we’ve taken, I put down a few thoughts about why we made this decision, as well as things we’ve learned in the process. While I was pondering on ways to explain myself, I got the idea of writing down my own Articles of Faith. It has been really quite fun actually and I highly recommend the exercise to anyone. I’m excited to revisit this list in a year or so to compare notes and see where my faith journey is taking me.

I have a lot more I could say… but I’ll save those thoughts for future comments in this thread.

FYI, a copy of our resignation letter is included at the bottom of the essay/link: https://www.reluctantwatchman.com/leavi ... low-christ

Most of you also don’t know that I like doing photography. Here’s one of my favorite pics from a recent trip to the mountains. You can see the gallery from this trip here, as well as a few other trips: https://douggneiting.smugmug.com/

[RosyPosy]

A few of you are aware of this, but recently I had my records removed from the church. (Quite the appropriate day for such an announcement, as it is GC.) Now, I know that’s a shocker to some of you, especially since I’m so quiet about things relating to the church and religion, but I thought it was about time we made things official. It has been an interesting journey, to say the least. I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude to God for allowing me to see, feel, learn, and internalize much of what the church is doing and teaching today. And… for me to seek God for understanding and to find peace.

In an attempt to help my family and friends understand the path we’ve taken, I put down a few thoughts about why we made this decision, as well as things we’ve learned in the process. While I was pondering on ways to explain myself, I got the idea of writing down my own Articles of Faith. It has been really quite fun actually and I highly recommend the exercise to anyone. I’m excited to revisit this list in a year or so to compare notes and see where my faith journey is taking me.

I have a lot more I could say… but I’ll save those thoughts for future comments in this thread.

FYI, a copy of our resignation letter is included at the bottom of the essay/link: https://www.reluctantwatchman.com/leavi ... low-christ

Most of you also don’t know that I like doing photography. Here’s one of my favorite pics from a recent trip to the mountains. You can see the gallery from this trip here, as well as a few other trips: https://douggneiting.smugmug.com/

This not gospel related but was that picture taken with a gimbal mounted to a drone?

[Mamabear]

Great pics Doug! You’re awesome and so is your son, if he is who I think he is. Since you name dropped, mine is Jessica.

[Reluctant Watchman]

This not gospel related but was that picture taken with a gimbal mounted to a drone?

Yep, all of the Autumn photos in that gallery were taken with a drone. I took the drone and my DSLR camera with me on a fishing trip and on the way home I saw the hillside lit up with color. Due to the surrounding private land, I could only get within a mile of the area. To get the photos that I did, I used up three drone batteries. There are also a handful of drone photos/video from my Sawtooth gallery.

This video in particular is from Imogene Lake near Redfish: https://douggneiting.smugmug.com/Sawtoo ... jZ4bXV/buy

[Shawn Henry]

I commend you for having the courage to do something that was hard to do.

[Reluctant Watchman]

Great pics Doug! You’re awesome and so is your son, if he is who I think he is. Since you name dropped, mine is Jessica.

Nice to meet you Jessica.

[IsaiahVision]

RW, you are much younger than I thought you were. It seems everyone I know has family or kids that are leaving the Church.
Best of luck to you. I hope you will stick around on LDSFF.

[Cruiserdude]

RW, you are much younger than I thought you were. It seems everyone I know has family or kids that are leaving the Church.
Best of luck to you. I hope you will stick around on LDSFF.

He can check out, but he can't ever leave

[Reluctant Watchman]

RW, you are much younger than I thought you were. It seems everyone I know has family or kids that are leaving the Church.
Best of luck to you. I hope you will stick around on LDSFF.

That photo was taken a few years ago, but I liked the lighting. I don’t take many photos of myself. This was pre-plandemic, so I’m sure I have a wrinkle or two more. My friends say that I look young for my age… I’m over 40 btw.

And for sure, I’ll stick around these parts. This forum is a wonderful place to be exposed to new ideas, and have old ideas shredded, beaten, and left for dead.

[RosyPosy]

Doug/RW, my name is Mark. I noticed we have some things in common. We look younger than our real age, many people perceive I just entered my 20's, I'm really 35. I don't own a camera but we both love good quality glass. I got a spotting scope that I enjoy observing nature with.

[Reluctant Watchman]

Doug/RW, my name is Mark. I noticed we have some things in common. We look younger than our real age, many people perceive I just entered my 20's, I'm really 35. I don't own a camera but we both love good quality glass. I got a spotting scope that I enjoy observing nature with.

I thought more about that photo and I think I was 35 at the time, so a bit more than “a few years ago.” Oh well.

It’s also nice to meet you Mark. My dad always told me that time spent fishing didn’t take away from your allotted time in the life, hence why he looked so young.

That’s cool you have a spotting scope. Do you have an adapter for a phone? People get some really cools video/photos with spotting scopes.

[RosyPosy]

Doug/RW, my name is Mark. I noticed we have some things in common. We look younger than our real age, many people perceive I just entered my 20's, I'm really 35. I don't own a camera but we both love good quality glass. I got a spotting scope that I enjoy observing nature with.

I thought more about that photo and I think I was 35 at the time, so a bit more than “a few years ago.” Oh well.

It’s also nice to meet you Mark. My dad always told me that time spent fishing didn’t take away from your allotted time in the life, hence why he looked so young.

That’s cool you have a spotting scope. Do you have an adapter for a phone? People get some really cools video/photos with spotting scopes.

One of the best moments of my life was standing in a lake casting for fish.

Yes I do have a phone mount for it, I managed capture a photo of buck mule deer sparring.

[Ado]

A few of you are aware of this, but recently I had my records removed from the church. (Quite the appropriate day for such an announcement, as it is GC.) Now, I know that’s a shocker to some of you, especially since I’m so quiet about things relating to the church and religion, but I thought it was about time we made things official. It has been an interesting journey, to say the least. I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude to God for allowing me to see, feel, learn, and internalize much of what the church is doing and teaching today. And… for me to seek God for understanding and to find peace.

In an attempt to help my family and friends understand the path we’ve taken, I put down a few thoughts about why we made this decision, as well as things we’ve learned in the process. While I was pondering on ways to explain myself, I got the idea of writing down my own Articles of Faith. It has been really quite fun actually and I highly recommend the exercise to anyone. I’m excited to revisit this list in a year or so to compare notes and see where my faith journey is taking me.

I have a lot more I could say… but I’ll save those thoughts for future comments in this thread.

FYI, a copy of our resignation letter is included at the bottom of the essay/link: https://www.reluctantwatchman.com/leavi ... low-christ

Most of you also don’t know that I like doing photography. Here’s one of my favorite pics from a recent trip to the mountains. You can see the gallery from this trip here, as well as a few other trips: https://douggneiting.smugmug.com/

I enjoyed reading your blog post. I can relate to a lot of what you said, especially this: "...choosing to leave the church, and having my records removed, has been one of the most impactful decisions in my life, incurring great heartache and immense joy and peace." What a great way of putting it. It feels like all the stages of grief - sometimes all at once, and sometimes one after the other in rapid succession. It's a whirlwind!
I also enjoyed your thoughts on the temple, and how edifices of worship can became idols in themselves. I was just studying 1 Samuel 4 and the incredible story there which paints that same picture. The Israelites thought that having the ark of the covenant with them would result in a victory against the Philistines. Nevermind that the priest's, Eli's sons, were wicked and corrupt. Nevermind that the hearts of the people weren't actually turned to the Lord their God. And when they lost and the ark was stolen, Eli and Phinehas's wife both died at the realization that God's glory had been taken from them. His glory wasn't the ark. It's not a temple. It's not an organization. It's not a building or a religion. It's a broken heart and contrite spirit kneeling at the altar of the cross of Jesus!

[nightlight]

Excellent photos

I'm a Mormonish Christian.

[Seed Starter]

A few of you are aware of this, but recently I had my records removed from the church. (Quite the appropriate day for such an announcement, as it is GC.) Now, I know that’s a shocker to some of you, especially since I’m so quiet about things relating to the church and religion, but I thought it was about time we made things official. It has been an interesting journey, to say the least. I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude to God for allowing me to see, feel, learn, and internalize much of what the church is doing and teaching today. And… for me to seek God for understanding and to find peace.

In an attempt to help my family and friends understand the path we’ve taken, I put down a few thoughts about why we made this decision, as well as things we’ve learned in the process. While I was pondering on ways to explain myself, I got the idea of writing down my own Articles of Faith. It has been really quite fun actually and I highly recommend the exercise to anyone. I’m excited to revisit this list in a year or so to compare notes and see where my faith journey is taking me.

I have a lot more I could say… but I’ll save those thoughts for future comments in this thread.

FYI, a copy of our resignation letter is included at the bottom of the essay/link: https://www.reluctantwatchman.com/leavi ... low-christ

Most of you also don’t know that I like doing photography. Here’s one of my favorite pics from a recent trip to the mountains. You can see the gallery from this trip here, as well as a few other trips: https://douggneiting.smugmug.com/

You know my thoughts on this but I want to publicly wish you and your family well. It is obvious to me that your decision came about through a sincere wish to follow the Savior. Anyone can see you've put in a good amount of time researching, pondering, and praying.

[Reluctant Watchman]

Excellent photos

I'm a Mormonish Christian.

Thanks. I work with photography as part of my job, so understanding all aspects of color, composition, tone, contrast, etc., is quite interesting. In reality, the “perspective” with which we see the world makes a huge impact on our core values. Very similar to the gospel.

I want to be known as a kind person and a disciple/follower of Christ.

[Reluctant Watchman]

A few of you are aware of this, but recently I had my records removed from the church. (Quite the appropriate day for such an announcement, as it is GC.) Now, I know that’s a shocker to some of you, especially since I’m so quiet about things relating to the church and religion, but I thought it was about time we made things official. It has been an interesting journey, to say the least. I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude to God for allowing me to see, feel, learn, and internalize much of what the church is doing and teaching today. And… for me to seek God for understanding and to find peace.

In an attempt to help my family and friends understand the path we’ve taken, I put down a few thoughts about why we made this decision, as well as things we’ve learned in the process. While I was pondering on ways to explain myself, I got the idea of writing down my own Articles of Faith. It has been really quite fun actually and I highly recommend the exercise to anyone. I’m excited to revisit this list in a year or so to compare notes and see where my faith journey is taking me.

I have a lot more I could say… but I’ll save those thoughts for future comments in this thread.

FYI, a copy of our resignation letter is included at the bottom of the essay/link: https://www.reluctantwatchman.com/leavi ... low-christ

Most of you also don’t know that I like doing photography. Here’s one of my favorite pics from a recent trip to the mountains. You can see the gallery from this trip here, as well as a few other trips: https://douggneiting.smugmug.com/

I enjoyed reading your blog post. I can relate to a lot of what you said, especially this: "...choosing to leave the church, and having my records removed, has been one of the most impactful decisions in my life, incurring great heartache and immense joy and peace." What a great way of putting it. It feels like all the stages of grief - sometimes all at once, and sometimes one after the other in rapid succession. It's a whirlwind!
I also enjoyed your thoughts on the temple, and how edifices of worship can became idols in themselves. I was just studying 1 Samuel 4 and the incredible story there which paints that same picture. The Israelites thought that having the ark of the covenant with them would result in a victory against the Philistines. Nevermind that the priest's, Eli's sons, were wicked and corrupt. Nevermind that the hearts of the people weren't actually turned to the Lord their God. And when they lost and the ark was stolen, Eli and Phinehas's wife both died at the realization that God's glory had been taken from them. His glory wasn't the ark. It's not a temple. It's not an organization. It's not a building or a religion. It's a broken heart and contrite spirit kneeling at the altar of the cross of Jesus!

Thanks for the kind words. The decision was such a big deal because the church has created a system where if you leave, you lose everything. Standing on your own spiritual foundation is a huge deal.

I also know a lot of people who pitch aside things like the temple, when in reality, if they were to look at the basic premise, they would seem remnants of truth, but it has taken a lot of time to sift through things.

I’ve said it like this, there are a lot of core ideas within the church that are good. For example, baptism, HG, blessings, baby blessings, priesthood, callings, ministering, etc., etc. BUT… when when you have corruption from the top, it affects everything within the church. They have their fingerprints on everything. They have changed nearly everything from the early restoration era.

[Reluctant Watchman]

I guess this is an appropriate place for this quote from Nelson. Just chew on this and ponder and who this man really is:

“The apostle Paul prophesied that in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. There is no end to the adversary’s deceptions. Please be prepared. Never take counsel from those who do not believe.” —Russell Nelson

[JuneBug12000]

Excellent photos

I'm a Mormonish Christian.

Thanks. I work with photography as part of my job, so understanding all aspects of color, composition, tone, contrast, etc., is quite interesting. In reality, the “perspective” with which we see the world makes a huge impact on our core values. Very similar to the gospel.

I want to be known as a kind person and a disciple/follower of Christ.

Me too.

More than a few years ago the Lord told me to unaffiliate from everything and be only a disciple of Christ.

So I did. I left the political parties i had served and worked with. I stopped identifying with anything but disciple of Christ. . . except the church. It took me this long to really understand, He meant that too.

I went to a Baptist church today with my oldest. First time at another church in many years. The first time I went and wasn't the guest of someone else.

I don't want to join another church. Or any church.

I just want to be a disciple of Christ and fellowship with other disciples .

It was really great.

One of main points of the sermon, a values statement of the church:

"We compare the words we hear against the words of truth."

No compromise on truth.

Second thing that stuck out to me. They ended with a prayer where the teacher prayed "If anything that I taught today wasn't true, let it fall in dear ears that no one will learn it."

Uncompromising desire for truth. Humility. Public humility.

It was good.

[Reluctant Watchman]

We mailed our letter to SLC on a Friday afternoon. By Tuesday morning I received a text from my stake president. He said he considered me a friend and hoped that I'd still be his friend. His text struck me as odd. I did thank him for helping me come closer to God, but our last correspondence was not of the friendly type. I sent him a video showing how the jab was killing people. He called me to repentance from supposedly calling the PSRs liars and deceivers. Then he doubled down and called me to repentance for encouraging people to go against the counsel of these men. "Safe and effective" was all that mattered. That email was over 2 1/2 years ago. Not a peep since that email. So yeah, kind of odd that he'd reach out and ask if we could still be friends. I thought friends cared about and conversed with each other...

While I'm not surprised, the communication culture of the church is broken when you don't believe all of their doctrines.

[sushi_chef]

prolly now under directly peter, james and john priesthood-order-wise. (or since dispensation head, resurrected joseph after his resurrection some future time)
in the spirit world under joseph and/or some patriarchs order, guesstimates all church callings/functions are for this world, except temple works and priesthood/patriarchs order that may continue over the other side.

[RosyPosy]

We mailed our letter to SLC on a Friday afternoon. By Tuesday morning I received a text from my stake president. He said he considered me a friend and hoped that I'd still be his friend. His text struck me as odd. I did thank him for helping me come closer to God, but our last correspondence was not of the friendly type. I sent him a video showing how the jab was killing people. He called me to repentance from supposedly calling the PSRs liars and deceivers. Then he doubled down and called me to repentance for encouraging people to go against the counsel of these men. "Safe and effective" was all that mattered. That email was over 2 1/2 years ago. Not a peep since that email. So yeah, kind of odd that he'd reach out and ask if we could still be friends. I thought friends cared about and conversed with each other...

While I'm not surprised, the communication culture of the church is broken when you don't believe all of their doctrines.

Doesn't sound like a friend to me, I'd tell him to go pound sand.

[Reluctant Watchman]

We mailed our letter to SLC on a Friday afternoon. By Tuesday morning I received a text from my stake president. He said he considered me a friend and hoped that I'd still be his friend. His text struck me as odd. I did thank him for helping me come closer to God, but our last correspondence was not of the friendly type. I sent him a video showing how the jab was killing people. He called me to repentance from supposedly calling the PSRs liars and deceivers. Then he doubled down and called me to repentance for encouraging people to go against the counsel of these men. "Safe and effective" was all that mattered. That email was over 2 1/2 years ago. Not a peep since that email. So yeah, kind of odd that he'd reach out and ask if we could still be friends. I thought friends cared about and conversed with each other...

While I'm not surprised, the communication culture of the church is broken when you don't believe all of their doctrines.

Doesn't sound like a friend to me, I'd tell him to go pound sand.

I honestly don’t know what good that would do. I think telling him that I have an immense love for him in how he helped me come closer to God probably hit home more than spending excess words in expressing my viewpoint of church culture. Although… I do hope the church sent him a copy of my resignation letter.

[RosyPosy]

We mailed our letter to SLC on a Friday afternoon. By Tuesday morning I received a text from my stake president. He said he considered me a friend and hoped that I'd still be his friend. His text struck me as odd. I did thank him for helping me come closer to God, but our last correspondence was not of the friendly type. I sent him a video showing how the jab was killing people. He called me to repentance from supposedly calling the PSRs liars and deceivers. Then he doubled down and called me to repentance for encouraging people to go against the counsel of these men. "Safe and effective" was all that mattered. That email was over 2 1/2 years ago. Not a peep since that email. So yeah, kind of odd that he'd reach out and ask if we could still be friends. I thought friends cared about and conversed with each other...

While I'm not surprised, the communication culture of the church is broken when you don't believe all of their doctrines.

Doesn't sound like a friend to me, I'd tell him to go pound sand.

I honestly don’t know what good that would do. I think telling him that I have an immense love for him in how he helped me come closer to God probably hit home more than spending excess words in expressing my viewpoint of church culture. Although… I do hope the church sent him a copy of my resignation letter.

Well good for you. I'm an individual that usually take the militant approach to things.

[Bonhoeffer]

We mailed our letter to SLC on a Friday afternoon. By Tuesday morning I received a text from my stake president. He said he considered me a friend and hoped that I'd still be his friend. His text struck me as odd. I did thank him for helping me come closer to God, but our last correspondence was not of the friendly type. I sent him a video showing how the jab was killing people. He called me to repentance from supposedly calling the PSRs liars and deceivers. Then he doubled down and called me to repentance for encouraging people to go against the counsel of these men. "Safe and effective" was all that mattered. That email was over 2 1/2 years ago. Not a peep since that email. So yeah, kind of odd that he'd reach out and ask if we could still be friends. I thought friends cared about and conversed with each other...

While I'm not surprised, the communication culture of the church is broken when you don't believe all of their doctrines.

I’m surprised he didn’t tell you he “loved you” like so many say lying through their teeth with their practiced feminine smile thinking it disarms their victims.
In all sincerity though, thank you for your thoughtful post. My journey out started during Covid too and while I asked for a release from my stake calling, told my bishopric member I won’t be renewing my temple rec, the next shoe to drop will be us telling the bishop, whom we like a lot and have been good friends with, that we don’t give the church any tithing and haven’t for the past 2 yrs. Not sure what he’ll say/do as it’s out of my control, I’m kind of looking forward to educating him on the why’s. I’m also trying to prepare myself for complete rejection from him and others esp now that they’re pushing the communist dogma of only listening to their approved messages & messengers. Don’t know how much of conference he heard though since he was enjoying his sons college fb game (as was I - let’s go Blue!)