I was born-in-the-covenant, lived in Utah my whole life, four years of seminary, returned missionary to England, Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Education from Brigham Young University where I was Young Women President twice, married in the Provo temple, multiple Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women Presidencies amongst a myriad of other callings, and stalwart, dedicated, magnify-my-callings, honest, and true believing LDS member. I have always had an extremely strong conscience that kept me on the straight and narrow path, always striving to do right, and never rebelling.

So what started my disbelief? It started with science. Beginning in seminary and throughout the years, I was taught that "someday science will find proof for the Book of Mormon", and so I put it on a shelf and waited. However, as science progressed, my dissonance grew. After watching a dozen archaeology shows on PBS where nothing in the Book of Mormon was ever mentioned, I called a faithful BYU science professor and asked if there was any archaeological evidence for the Book of Mormon, and how did he handle the dissonance between science and religion? I could tell by his carefully worded responses that he was no longer a believer.

That started my reading frenzy through about 100 science and religion books in about 6 months. It became undeniably clear that science proved the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham to be fakes. After I was grounded in science, then I started with real church history. I read about the multiple contradictory versions of the First Vision, and Joseph's face-in-the-hat translation method. The final straw was reading about Joseph Smith's marrying a 14 year old, and his polyandry with married women. After reading the heartrending story of Zina and Henry Jacobs, I was in tears.

Then came the rage over being deceived my whole life; I knew the church was a fraud, and there was nothing left of my testimony. I continued to research all the little details for eight years, both online and in books, until my family situation made it possible to resign. I so regret my time, energy, youth, and much tithing that were wasted on a lie, but my biggest regret is that I raised my children in the church. Some of my adult children see the fraud, but not all of them will, and there are many damaged familial relationships.

Since many people have told me that my resignation letter has been concise and helpful for them, I'm including it with a few minor improvements. Everyone has my permission to copy and use it to suit their own needs, as I'm happy to be of help. Good luck to us all on our journeys!

November 21, 2006

Bishop *****
Address, Orem, Utah

Re: Resignation from membership of Dianne Chryst Ormond, female, birthdate November *****, Address

Dear Bishop,

This is my formal written resignation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, effective November 21, 2006. I resign according to legal precedents established in Guinn V the Church of Christ of Collinsville and Norman Hancock Lawsuit against the LDS Church. I understand that resigning cancels the effects of baptism and suspends temple sealings and blessings, but since I have determined that the foundations of the LDS church are false, there are no eternal consequences to this action. After years of careful consideration, my decision is firm and unalterable. Please forward without delay the "Report of Administrative Action" to President *****, and as specified in the Church Handbook of Instructions, please notify me that it has been done. As is my legal right, I request that the 30 day waiting period be waived, and request the paperwork be submitted promptly to church headquarters. I will verify with Greg Dodge at SLC Member Records.

Where required to list on the form "reason for leaving", please indicate "at member's request as she is not a believer." I insist that my records show the only reason my name has been removed is that I requested it to be so, and insist the word excommunication or any other derogatory word not be used as there is no basis. I emphasize that my decision is not the result of sin, or taking offense, or any other stereotypical justification, but simply that the church is not what it claims to be, and all evidence falsifies the church. The church is good at instilling ethics and values, so it is disturbing when it doesn't follow its own teachings on honesty. After eight years of intensive research and documentation of all sides, I choose to no longer belong to an organization that deceives its members.

Yes, I've read the apologetics (defenses) of FARMS, FAIR, Meridian, Daniel Peterson, John Sorenson, Jeff Lindsay, Kerry Shirts, Bill Hamilton, John Pratt, Scott Woodward, John Tvedtnes, Matthew Roper, Jeffrey Meldrum, Trent Stephens, Hugh Nibley lds-mormon.com/nibley1 and many others, as well as Limited Geography Theory, two Cumorahs, Bat Creek Stone, NHM, chiamus, word printing, etc.

I have even double-checked many of their sources, read the books they referenced, and written to scientists they quoted. In every case I checked, the evidence was non-existent or twisted and distorted. Why are there only disingenuous obfuscations that strain credulity? I could overlook if there were just a few of the problems mentioned below, but with all the issues together, the picture becomes overwhelmingly clear. A side benefit is that all the dissonance between science and religion has melted.

Since outside information is more credible and accurate, I know now that efforts to steer me away were to hide sanitized and revisionist history. Being told not to read something should have been my first clue.

Multiple social science studies have demonstrated that once indoctrinated into a set of beliefs, only 5% are able to break free of that indoctrination. For that 5% open to examining the foundations of their religion, I ask the following questions for which documentation is easily obtained on the internet from hundreds of sources. A gentle and balanced starting place is here: trialsofascension.net/mormon

Since the Book of Abraham is a fake translation of common Egyptian funeral papyri dated centuries after the time of Abraham, why does the church hide this fact from its members and continue to claim that the book is of divine origin when it has been known otherwise since 1966 when the papyri were found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City? "Catalyst for inspiration" and Hugh Nibley's Sen-sen defense are not supported by the evidence. irr.org/MIT/Books/BHOH/bhohintr

When I was a missionary, I taught that Joseph Smith was visited by God and Jesus. Now I learn there are at least three additional contradictory Smith versions of the First Vision where only one angel appeared, or only the Lord appeared, or many angels appeared. If I were visited by Deity, it would make such an impression that I would remember by whom and how many. If God and Jesus appeared to Joseph Smith and told him none of the churches were true and to join none of them, why did he join the Methodists? After Alvin's death in 1823, why did Joseph pray, "if a supreme being existed" since he would already know? Why does the church teach a religious revival started in 1820, when it was actually 1824? Why is there no evidence of Smith's "persecution" in 1820? i4m.com/think/lists/mormon_questions

Why was Angel Moroni called Angel Nephi by Joseph Smith and his mother Lucy? If I'd been visited by an angel, I think I'd get the name right. utlm.org/onlinebooks/mclaims1

Why did Smith marry and have sex with 11 women who were married to other men at the same time, some of whom he sent away on missions before marrying their wives? Why did he marry young teenagers, including 14 year old Helen Mar Kimball, who had both parents and didn't want to be married? signaturebooks.com/excerpts/insacred

Most of these are documented on the church's own genealogy website at: familysearch.org (enter Joseph Smith, 1805 birth). Why did Smith practice polygamy in secret for 10 years before the D&C 132 "revelation" which was to get Emma off his back?" i4m.com/think/history/joseph_smith_sex Why did Joseph marry Fanny Alger in 1833 when the restoration of sealing power by Elijah didn't happen until 1836? In Europe, why did John Taylor say accusations of polygamy were lies when he already had multiple wives back in the USA? utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech9c

Why did the church teach me that Smith was tarred-and-feathered by anti-Mormons because Satan was persecuting him, when the reality was they were Mormons avenging their young sister towards whom Smith had made sexual advances, and Dr. Dennison was brought along for castration? Why LDS Members Tried To Castrate Joseph Smith In 1832

Why did the church teach me that polygamy was for the support of widows and surplus single women, when there was actually a shortage of women? i4m.com/think/polygamy/utah_census Then why didn't Smith provide support for his 33+ wives? Why did General Authorities keep sealing new polygamous marriages for at least 16 years after Wilford Woodruff's Manifesto? xmission.com/~country/chngwrld/chap9c

For restoration, why would God choose a man who was a money-digger, glass-looker, treasure-seeker, and was convicted as such in court in 1826? "He was only human," but why didn't God at least choose an honorable man? xmission.com/~country/reason/ny_js and utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech4

Since I searched extensively, why couldn't I find any science supporting The Book of Mormon? Why is there no Israelite DNA evidence of Lamanites? I've studied the weak apologetics of founder effect, genetic drift, swamping, and the apologist articles here: lds.org/newsroom/mistakes/0,15331,3885-1-18078,00, but the fact remains that there is no Israelite DNA, only excuses for the lack thereof. Where are the Lamanites, and what happened to BYU's "Lamanite Generation"? Why does the morphology, anthropology, and archaeology all point back to Siberia? exmormon.org/mormon/mormon440, mormonscripturestudies.com/bomor/twm/lamgen and postmormon.org/exp_e/index.php/magazine/feature_article/2004/09/22

We have physical evidence of Mayans, Incas, Aztecs, Olmecs, Toltecs, Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Norse in Greenland, and hundreds of other civilizations. Where is any evidence of the civilizations of millions of people in The Book of Mormon? As far as "someday science will find," science has expanded exponentially, especially with ground-penetrating radar and aerial surveillance, but the increasing finds of science all contradict The Book of Mormon.

In lake sediment cores, where are the durable pollen grains of wheat, barley, figs, grapes, or flax, or evidence of these plants in middens? Where is the evidence of metallurgy, steel swords or slag heaps, or coins and silk, chariots and wheels, or horses, elephants, asses, goats, sheep, pigs, and cows? Why is there impossible population growth in The Book of Mormon? josephlied.com/population Where is the geologic evidence of a global Noachian flood, or geologic or dendroclimatology evidence of the physical upheavals in 3rd Nephi? irr.org/mit/bomarch2 and irr.org/mit/smithson

Why is there no linguistic evidence of ancient Hebrew or Reformed Egyptian? Since languages have evolved for tens of thousands of years, why did the Jaredites come from the Tower of Babel which never existed? Jaredite barges are not functional reality. faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt and home.teleport.com/~packham/ships

Why are there hundreds of anachronisms? Why does The Book of Mormon quote Isaiah before Isaiah was written? Why does it mention the Bible a millennia before the Bible even existed? Why has The Book of Mormon preserved the errors in the King James translation such as "virgin" for "young woman"? Why is "Christ" used when it is a Greek word, not the Israelite word Messiah? infidels.org/library/modern/curt_heuvel/bom_bible

Besides there being no evidence for things mentioned in The Book of Mormon, why does the book not mention things that really did exist in Mesoamerica, such as yams, beans, squash, llamas, sloths, jaguars, and monkeys? I went to a museum in Lima, Peru, and there were thousands of artifacts of jaguars, monkeys, and llamas, but not a single horse, cow, elephant, or sheep!

Why are core doctrines such as three degrees of glory, pre-existence, eternal family sealings, and baptisms for the dead not included in this "most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion"?

The Book of Mormon is a work of fiction with 19th century milieu stamped all over it. "There's a difference between faith in an area where the evidence is lacking and denial in an area where the evidence is copious but against you." - Baura lds-mormon.com/bomquest

Why was I taught Smith "translated from the gold plates" when the reality is that he had his face in a hat and never used the plates? irr.org/mit/bomwit1 Why did Smith use a Seer Stone instead of the Urim and Thummin? mormonthink.com/transbomweb

Regarding Charles Anthon, why didn't I learn that he called the characters a hoax and a scheme? utlm.org/onlineresources/anthon

Why were priesthood restoration accounts created retroactively? Why did the priesthood need to be restored by Peter, James, and John when the Three Nephites had it? signaturebooks.com/excerpts/insider's.html#chap7

Why did Smith start a "translation" of the fraudulent Kinderhook plates? utlm.org/onlineresources/kinderhookplates

Why did Smith smoke and drink after giving the Word of Wisdom? Why did he have a bar in his own home? Why did he copy the teachings of the Kirtland Temperance Society? Why didn't he include in the Word of Wisdom the simple instruction to boil water to prevent all the deaths from cholera and dysentery? utlm.org/onlinebooks/changech18.htm

Why did Smith make so many erroneous "prophecies" such as selling the sacred Book of Mormon copyright in Canada? Why was "war starting in South Carolina" common knowledge, and didn't refer to the Civil War? 4m.com/think/history/sell_BOM_copyright and home.teleport.com/~packham/prophet

Why was I taught about "milk strippings" as a warning over trivial things, when the reality is that story was spread decades later by George A. Smith, and that Thomas B. Marsh actually left due to Mormon plundering of Gentiles property? groups.google.com/group/alt.religion.mormon/msg/9d864ad0a6177ac3

Why was I never taught about the Mountain Meadows Massacre or that it was connected to the blood atonement covenant in the temple and the killing of Parley P. Pratt for stealing another man's wife and children to add to his polygamy? religioustolerance.org/lds_mass and aml-online.org/reviews/b/B200242

Why did I never hear that Prophet Brigham Young preached Adam is God, Blood Atonement, Slavery, or that he petitioned to get the Mormon Battalion, rather than it being conscripted as I was taught? Why does the church teach in the lesson manual that Brigham only had one wife and hides his 55 wives? lds-mormon.com/byoung, irr.org/MIT/byadamgd, and aksite.co.uk/atozelph/racism Why did Smith and Young say six-foot people lived on the moon and dressed like Quakers? watchman.org/lds/moonmen

Why was the temple ceremony plagiarized from Masonry weeks after Smith became a Mason, and is not what was practiced in Solomon's temple? mormonismi.info/jamesdavid/masendow , utlm.org/onlineresources/masonicsymbolsandtheldstemple and phoenixmasonry.org/duncans_ritual/table_of_contents

Since Smith taught that temple covenants and ordinances are eternal and unchangeable, why have they been changed multiple times, and at least twice in my lifetime, including removal of the death oaths in 1990? Why were men sealed to men? i4m.com/think/temples/temple_changes and lds-mormon.com/whytemplechanges Why does this family-oriented church split families by excluding from temple weddings, which no other church does?

Why did the church teach me about the martyrdom as "a lamb to the slaughter," but not the fact that Smith had a smuggled revolver and fired six shots into the crowd, and Hyrum had a smuggled pistol? Why was I not taught that Smith was rightfully arrested for the destruction of personal property including the Expositor, which was going to expose his polygamy/polyandry about which he had repeatedly lied and denied? Why was I not taught that Sidney Rigdon was the first to mention "war of extermination" in a speech, and not the "gentiles"? lds-mormon.com/tmpc and History of the Church, Vol. 6, Ch. 34, p. 618.

Since Joseph's 13 Articles of Faith state that we believe in "obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law," why didn't he? Why did he contravene the law with his illegal marriages, counterfeit money, and illegal Kirtland Bank that wiped out the life savings of those who believed Smith's prophecies about it? Why didn't I hear about the Danites and the Council of 50? groups.google.com/group/alt.religion.mormon/msg/798763798680fb17 and trialsofascension.net/mormon/lying

Why does the church continue to claim it is the fastest growing religion when statistics say otherwise, and the Internet is blocking its growth? home.teleport.com/~packham/growth

Why does the current film "Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration" give false impressions, i.e. regarding healings, Smith's happy monogamous marriage, parental encouragement of Emma's marriage when the reality is they were furious at the elopement and that Joseph had stolen her away? wivesofjosephsmith.org/01-EmmaHale

Regarding our core belief and Snow's couplet "As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become," why did President Gordon B. Hinckley say that "I don't know that we teach it?" home.teleport.com/~packham/gbh-god Why did Hinckley say polygamy is "not doctrinal" when it is in D&C 132, will be practiced in the Celestial Kingdom, and is currently practiced in temple sealings? ds-mormon.com/lkl_00 Before two people were killed, why didn't Hinckley, Kimball, and other church leaders receive revelation and be able to discern that Mark Hofmann's documents were forgeries that they were buying to hide in the Church vault? What has Hinckley prophesied or revealed as "prophet, seer, and revelator?" xmission.com/~country/reason/hof1

Why are women taught to be subservient and are less valued? Why did the church oppose the ERA? In our stake, YM have four times the budget as YW. There are yearly father-son sleepovers, but women were banned from sleepovers after one activity. Girls camp is once a year and always at the same place, while Scouts have multiple camps at multiple distant places. Why are there church boy scouts, but not girl scouts? Why ask men before giving a calling to the wife, but not ask women before giving a calling to the husband? Why can't women have more leadership callings such as financial clerk or Sunday School president? I remember when women were finally allowed to give prayers in Sacrament Meeting in 1978. Thankfully, multiple "women obey your husbands" were taken out of the temple ceremony in 1990. feministmormonhousewives and i4m.com/think/comments/mormon_women

There is so much more, but I'll stop now. home.teleport.com/~packham/101, realmormonhistory.com and utlm.org/newsletters/no107

Other than "feelings," what evidence is there the church is what it claims to be? Feelings are not a reliable test of truth, as anyone knows whose feelings have turned out to be wrong, such as feeling good about an investment which failed or a marriage that ended. If feelings equal truth, then Islam, Catholicism, Buddhism, and all other faiths are also the one true religion because their members also have a witness. Regarding faith, belief, witness, prayer, testimony, burning in the bosom, and other such feelings, many get those same inspirational feelings watching Phantom of the Opera or Les Mis. Does that mean they are true? Many get bad feelings learning about the Holocaust. Does that mean the Holocaust isn't true? Most spiritual experiences can be scientifically explained within the brain. watarts.uwaterloo.ca/~acheyne/S_P, religioustolerance.org/vis_brain and dreamsnightmares.com/luciddreaming

Faith cannot be sustained on falsehoods and deception. Faith is not sufficient when all tangible evidence contradicts the church. "Faith, as well intentioned as it may be, must be built on facts, not fiction--faith in fiction is a damnable false hope." -- Thomas Edison

My testimony is based on evidence, facts, historical research, and feelings, and I know that the church is not true, Joseph Smith was not a prophet, and The Book of Mormon is not the word of God. fortunecity.com/emachines/e11/86/dawkins2

There are hundreds more books to suggest, but these are excellent for consolidated reading:

Church history- An Insider's View of Mormon Origins by Grant Palmer (active Mormon, Institute Director)

Science- Farewell to Eden, Coming to Terms With Mormonism and Science by Duwayne Anderson (resigned Mormon, scientist)

Polygamy/polyandry- In Sacred Loneliness by Todd Compton (active Mormon, historian)

Spiritual experiences/how the brain works- Don't Believe Everything You Think by Thomas E. Kida

Sincerely,

Dianne Chryst Ormond
MormonThink.com
Address, Orem, Utah

Cc: Husband, Address, Orem, Utah

President *****, Address, Orem, Utah

Gregory W. Dodge, Supervisor, Members and Statistical Records Division
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
50 E North Temple, Room 1372, SLC, UT 84150-5310

Date of resignation: November 21, 2006

This is all very sad, Dianne Chryst was a missionary in england and taught me the gospel, she has a wonderful family who I believe are still active in the gospel - 04/02/2009 - anon (but actually Lynne Baker)

Dianne Ormond converted me, I am still very active, happy, as are some of her other converts - 08/15/2009 - happy (but actually Lynne Baker)

She never wrote to me, I am still very active in the church, attend the temple and find much joy and happiness from living the standards of the church - 08/15/2009 - England (but actually Lynne Baker)

UPDATE - 04/16/2009 by Dianne Ormond

Dear anon,

After resigning, I wrote to all my converts for which I had contact information and apologized for unintentionally bringing them into a fraud. (As Hinckley said, "Each of us has to face the matter- either the Church is true, or it is a fraud. There is no middle ground." - President Gordon B. Hinckley, April Conference, 2003.)

All of them wrote back saying that they were inactive, told their own sorrowful stories, and said they knew I had a good heart when I converted them.

If you have the courage to leave your name and email address, I will be happy to write to you also.

Yes, my family is wonderful, and also smart. In the 2 1/2 years since I wrote this resignation story, the majority of them have become informed, and are in various stages of disentanglement from The Fraud, including some having resigned. I'm happy with the progress I'm making with my family.

Best wishes for your continuing research and learning, with a suggestion to read www.MormonThink.com which is by active church members.

Thanks, Dianne

P.S. I learned from a missionary in the neighborhood who just returned from my mission that they have split my mission and combined the halves with other missions. In other words, 3 missions have now become 2, so they are consolidating. YES!! If they are consolidating missions, they are losing ground. Hallelujah!

UPDATE - 08/15/2009 by Dianne Ormond

Hello Lynne Baker,

As I stated in my original response, I wrote to those for whom I still had contact information. I do not have your contact information, and since you are so happy, happy, so happy that you need to keep following me all around the internet anonymously without giving your contact information, I suppose I'll keep responding on the public internet.

Since you mention my "other converts", I seriously doubt that you know any of my other converts, so I'm assuming you made both of these posts. Of course you could prove me wrong by giving me specific names instead of innuendo, since by now you know I value evidence. Here is my email address, in case you missed it on the other sites: ******@hotmail.com

Aren't you learning anything from these sites where you stalk me? I learned from the Elder you met at the London Temple, who told you I'd resigned from the church, that my mission area is dissolved and consolidated into other missions. Doesn't the fact that the Church is shrinking in England give you a clue?

It would be appreciated if you would stop stalking my children's blogs as they are no concern of yours. You've probably noticed since your posting that some of them are going with private blogs now.

Best wishes on your continued reading and learning.

Well done, Dianne! Good job, too, on your family. That would be a dream come true in my situation!

Your letter was explicit and thoroughly researched; and more importantly cites Mormon leaders and scriptures at their very best. None can accuse you of "anti-Mormon" sentiment. And even if they do, huge loss to them.

I'm sure you're aware that your, and everyone else's, 'ecclessiastical' leaders never really take anyone's reasons for leaving seriously. In their minds the see only 'sinnner needs repentance'. Too bad for them. - 11/01/2009 - Buddhist Punk

What a journey and honesty. For so many years I thought I was alone. Still when all is said I share no anger. The reasons for religions- and they are all frauds some just further back in history so impossible to show the lies and misrepresentations-are the anxiety over death and the lack of existential meaning. That makes victims of everyone, Joseph, as well as other leaders and followers. You place a high value on honesty, but that will no more than lies buy you a place in paradise. - 10/25/2009 - James Jones

Man I thought I researched through all the lies and crap. I don't know how anyone can read your letter and still believe. I discovered the DNA lies and then it just snowballed from there. No way I could believe in it now. Sending letter off soon for my whole family of 6!!! I'm out soon after 43 years!!!! I'm glad I found out before sending my son on a mission. He is 15.5 years old. - 09/09/2009 - Trish

God bless you Diane. Wow, you've summed up most of my sentiments in your letter. It's perfect!

I was an active member for 44 years. Full tithe payer, temple endowed. Still have a very happy marriage.

Went on a mission to Panama in 1981-1983. Spencer Kimball could not have been inspired to send us there at a tumultuous time. I've suffered PTSD and severe migraines for 28 years. 2 years ago I had a heart attack from too many anti-migraine meds and too much stress and guilt for not measuring up to perfect church standards.

I left the church and 4 months later my stress and migraines went away. My father tells me very often that I'm going to hell and taking my family with me.

I'm moving away from the Rexburg, Idaho area because of family and friends(?) persecution. My wife and family already moved to Oregon to start a new life for us. I will join them as soon as I wrap up some loose ends.

I had my membership removed and was threatened with excommunication from my bishop. I told him that I had done nothing to merit this and would certainly sue the church for defamation of character.

Thank you Diane, - 08/20/2009 - Larry Angell

Dianne - Which missions were consolidated? I'd love to know. Cheers - 08/15/2009 - Grey

I was in England Southwest, which is no more. It included Bristol, where I served half my mission, Salisbury, Southampton (sp?), Cardiff, Bournemouth, Poole, etc. Bournemouth is where I met L.B.

The RM told me the eastern half was joined with the London South mission, and the western half was joined with the mission to the west. Would that be Wales?

I noticed with interest that you mentioned the joining of two different missions farther north, so membership in the whole country is diminishing. - 08/16/2009 - Dianne Ormond

Yes, empty McChapels are dotting the Uk landscape

The list is too long to cover.

Drumchapel = Sold to a drug charity, where herion addicts shoot up

Springboig = Burned down and never re-built

Glasgow stake centre = virtually empty (was packed when newly built in the 70's)

Johnstone = Closed until further notice

A multitude of branches closed.

I'm not aware of a single whole-family, i.e. mum, dad, and children, which has joined the Cult in the UK in the last 30 years. Futhermore, I don't know anyone who does know such a family.

I have lost count of the people in the Uk who have figured out the fakery, and left the morg.

All the best to you.

Kind regards, 08/16/2009 - Grey

Honor - she has it. In spades. :-) I wish her all the best as she helps her family deprogram themselves from the Fraud of mormonism. - 08/15/2009 - Tiphanie

Shows great honor and courage. What an example! - 08/15/2009 - SisterExMo

The mish who baptized me apologized too.

He and I have stayed in touch for years. Neither of us knew that the other had left the church until DH and I were staying with the mish and his wife while on vacation some years back.

I told him, with some trepidation, that I had left the church. I thought he would be upset. Instead, he lit up like a Christmas tree and said, "ME TOO!! Let's drink to that!" So he poured some wine and we toasted each other upon recovery! - 08/15/2009 - Undercover Anon

That takes big time courage!

Most people would just walk away and say, "Well, it's the convert's problem now."

But to find out that most of them are inactive is priceless. Of course, they will still be on the rolls until their 110th birthday.

I wonder how many other converts have the exact same experience. I loved going to church in Japan. I loved the people. They seemed genuine. But when we got to Provo, the people were horrible. Church was a grind, and it was all very elitist.

Since I didn't go on a mission and we weren't married in the temple with a whole ton of kids, people didn't want anything to do with us. They just didn't know how to relate at all. Way too one-dimensional.

I shared this with a few friends and even our bishop, but they didn't seem to think it was a problem that we were treated like second-class citizens.

"Well, once your wife gets baptized that will all change." In other words, it's all your fault that you don't feel accepted at church. - 08/15/2009 - T-Bone

Just read the resignation letter. WOW!

That about covers it all. I sat next to Diane working the greeting table before ex-mo conference a couple of years ago. I had NO IDEA she had all of that knowldedge and research packed away in her brain! Powerful stuff.

Follow her links, doubters. It's all there. - 08/15/2009 - Shannon;o)

Dianne is so damned smart and she is one of the kindest Exmo people I know. I'm grateful to know you Dianne. I did not know that you had sent letters of apology to converts in England. I did a similar thing with the students I "converted" in cemetary. I was surprised by the number who had left, but more surprised by the number who had not left.

If you are considering the ExMo Conference in October, seek out Dianne and introduce yourself. You will be impressed with the intellect and graciousness of this wonderful woman.

I thank you once again for your example! Take care. See you on our next email exchange!!! - 08/15/2009 - ken

I love Dianne's approach.

She gives the church (and everyone else) some concrete reasons why she left instead of having them speculate. Plenty of references so people can study themselves if they wish. Excellent approach. - 08/16/2009 - SpongeBob SquareGarments

Dear Dianne,

Hello. My name is Lita and I just read your resignation letter to the LDS church. It was incredibly moving. You see, I haven't gone to church since I was about 16 and I'm 25 now. My parents raised me in the church, baptized me, and MADE me go every Sunday. I hated going to church. Not because I didn't believe it, I just hated getting up early, getting in a dress, and not relaxing on Sunday. Finally they stopped making me go when I was 16.

Looking back, the church had a very negative effect on my teenage years. If I said a swear word or tried a beer, I would literally make deals with God as if He were an evil debt collector. What kind of way is that to grow up?

Even though I hadn't gone to church for years, it wasn't until I was about 21 I really started to not believe the church and realized how discriminating it was. Recently I started feeling very passionate about getting my name off of the member's list. So I started researching the internet on the subject. That's when I came across your resignation letter. I can't tell how greatly appreciative I was of it. I plan to use the link you've posted to help me go about what I want to achieve.

Thank you so much Dianne. I wish you and your family the best. - 07/01/2009 - Lita

Dianne, it takes _some_ gumption to stand up to a white-knuckled cult that demands Conformance, Compliance, Control, and Coinage. If indeed we are the product of a Creator, mormonism must surely turn his stomach, as it does ours. - 07/01/2009 - Diogenes

Right on sister! Way to use your brain. I feel elated for you. I am so happy when people use their own experience to enlighten others. Congratulations and thanks for sharing your story. I hope it will give other blinded-fear based mormons to investigate with clarity and honesty. Blessings To All !!! - 03/31/2009 - gatita

Dianne:

Thanks so very much for your wonderful insightful letter. You have more courage and guts than I have. Your indepth study shows super integrity and industry. I admire and respect you very much. - 03/26/2009 - Al Fleming (Arizona and Alaska)

There is nothing to tell you, Dianne. You've made up your mind. As for me, I believe Joseph Smith to be a prophet. I believe the Book of Mormon to be true. I believe happiness is in repentance from sins through the savior Jesus, and serving others brings all these into perspective. - 03/12/2009 - Sam B.

wonderful. thank you Dianne - 12/03/2008 - edward