Taking My Voice Back

A few weeks ago I shared my story of stepping away from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The vast majority of comments were kind and accepting regardless of my faith. However, myself and others who are vocal about why we leave are often asked the following questions. “Why do you feel the need to share it?” “Why can’t you leave quietly?”

Well, Elder Uchtdorf’s talk at general conference answers this question. Church leaders will share with the world why we leave by shaming us with a comparison to angry children. However, just as a child may runaway from an abusive home, maybe the members who leave have legitimate reasons.

While I do respect all of my family and friends for their faithfulness, I would hope they will see this rhetoric as not emphasizing love. Instead it is trying to put a loving face over what it is really emphasizing which is “you are not enough as you are.”

Why do I speak of leaving the church? Because if I don’t speak the truth to the world, someone else will speak their version of it for me.