Windy Sydney

It's been a full year since I started my journey out of Mormonism.

I can't get over how much my life has changed.  I am stronger, I am more emotional, I am more willing to stand up and fight for something that I believe in, but most of all, I am more likely to examine everything someone tells me very, very carefully.

I am reminded of the SouthPark Episode titled, "All About Mormons."  Watching that cartoon was the first clue that something wasn't adding up between what my church leaders had taught me, and what was the actual, factual truth.  Before watching the cartoon version of Joseph Smith sing and dance his way through history, I had the basic "knowledge" that he was a prophet of God and a leader of the one true church.  I assumed my church leaders and family members were telling me the truth.  

I remember going to a testimony meeting and watching my own elementary school teacher share her testimony.  She taught me reading and writing... if she believed that Joseph was a prophet, I was probably going to believe that, too!  It didn't hurt that everyone I knew was Mormon, and willing to stand up and testify to it at any time.

As one of the cartoon characters said, "Why would he make that up?"  Yes, it's in jest.  He had so, so many reasons to make it up.  Money, power, women, law... you name it.  Joseph Smith got away with so much.  I am surprised that he lived as long as he did.  I am not saying that I agree with murder in any way... I am just saying that he married two 14 year olds, and if one of those girls was my daughter I would have sent hubby out looking for him with a shotgun and some arsenic.

He lied.  It's documented.  He lied to Emma about polygamy, he lied to the law about polygamy... Hell, he denied it until he couldn't deny it anymore.  Can you imagine how that made Emma feel?  Would a real prophet of God do that?  Would God choose a prophet who could be so horrible?  I say no. 

I now look closer at everything.  I used to believe in psychics, not anymore.  Once you look at things closely, you see how they manipulate you into believing that they were correct in what they said.  Just look at Sylvia Browne for instance... she made millions and millions of dollars through best-selling books and personal readings.  She was made famous by Montell Williams, and now she is cancelling all her shows in Trump's Taj Mahal.  Why?  Because so many people took a closer look at her so-called predictions.

Looking at things closer has taught me that you shouldn't take anything at face value.  You might find something strange and beautiful in something ordinary.  You might realize that something is amiss in your life and you never took the time to notice before.  Never assume people are being one hundred percent honest with you.  Do your homework.  Homework really does make you smarter.

I took this thought a step further into my photography.  Please be nice... I can't change the size of the photo, so they look out of focus on the blog.  Its driving me nuts, but what can I do? These are just the beginning... I plan to get outside tomorrow and get better close-ups.  It's just a visual of how intricate and beautiful normal objects can be.

Andee