My day of Independence:  July 6, 2009. This was the day I sent the following to the bishop of the local ward - I hesitate to use the term “my bishop”:

Dear Bishop:  Please release me from my calling in the ward.  I am no longer willing to serve.  Attending church on Sundays, or any other time for that matter, is pure torture.  Being in this ward has sucked the life out of me.  I would never wish the loneliness of this religion on anyone.

The bishop, of course, wanted to speak with me after receiving the letter.  I obliged.  One of my favorite parts in the chat – he even laughed when I said – was that I could be my husband’s vacation from the Celestial Kingdom.  Yes, I married in the temple.  I’ve heard that those from the CK can travel down and visit us others in the lower kingdoms.  My husband has commented that maybe he’ll like his other wives too much to be visiting me.  Oh, bother!

One of the latest, you’re sure to find it framed at Deseret Book, phrases of the current “prophet” is “Find Joy in the Journey Now.”  I was not finding joy in “the church,” no matter the angle I attempted to view or live it.

I refuse to be part of a religion where I or anyone else can look at someone and ascertain their “righteousness”:  Is she wearing garments?  Check.  Does she have only one pair of earrings in her ears?  Check   Is she refraining from coffee and alcohol?  Check.  Aha!  She must be righteous and I can now be her friend!  Clapping!

For those of you TBM’s reading this, if you want to have a truly, “Say, what?” experience with someone outside the church, try explaining to them why Mormons refrain from coffee but they are free to guzzle caffeinated colas in unlimited quantities.

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."  -- Albert Einstein

I am no longer a part of the pursuit of misery and thank God the insanity is finally over.

Best-Brittae