Back when I was Mormon, when facing problems or emotions, the best thing to do would be to read your Book or Mormon (it's more "holy" than the Bible, and therefore you're more likely to get an answer out of it. My mom actually flipped to a random verse that said something about disobedient children, and then angrily asked me what I'd been doing wrong. Like the Book of Mormon actually is some Magic 8 Ball that told her my wrong doings.) or you could give prayer a try.
It never helped me. I'd just get angry that no answer would come, and therefore send my emotions into further turmoil.
So I've tried finding things that help me calm down instead of prayer and religious texts. I like doing some light exercises/stretches before bed. If you're interested, I'll type up a quick list of what I do.
CRUNCHIES
feet in air : 40 times
left foot 1/2 bike: 20 times
Right foot 1/2 bike: 20 times
feet in air: 10 times
feet on ground: 10 times
leg reaches: 10 times
leg lifts: 10 times
Cherry Pickers: 40 times
Row Boats: 40 times
Push ups: 30 times
Feet-in-air -40
lie on your back, put your hands next to your ears. Don't actually touch your neck or ears (except you could just barely touch your ears for a little balance, but don't push up with your hands at all) lift your legs up and cross them at the ankles. the knees should be bent. Then just do a regular crunch, bringin your elbows/forehead area right next to your knees. Do Forty of these.
Left/Right foot 1/2 bike -20 each
lie down again, hands again near the head. let one leg lie flat on the floor, but bring the other up, reaching the knee towards your forehead area. If it's the left leg you're lifting, twist it slightly across yourself, so your right elbow and left knee meet. It's the opposite for the right leg. do 20 of each.
Feet-in-air - ten
don't complain that you've already done forty of these. do ten more! now!
Feet-on-ground - ten
your typical crunch. Don't lift from your neck. Focus all your energy into your core area. start lifting your shoulders first, not curling your head forward first. Do ten of these
Leg-Reaches - ten
lie on your back again. this time, lift your legs straight up in the air, so they're at a 90 degree angle to your back/upper half. curl your upper half forwards, reaching for your toes with your hands. these can be tough at first! Do ten of them!
Leg Lifts - ten
lie on your back, as usual. put your hands flat on the ground, running parallel to your back. lifting from your hips, with your legs straight up in the air, lift straight up. the only part of you that should be on the ground is your head, shoulders, upper back, and arms. keep your legs straight and perpendicular to the ground. do ten of these!
Cherry Pickers - 40
finally something unusual! For these, begin by sitting with your legs crossed at the ankles. lift your ankles up so they're just slightly above the ground. lean back. You will be balancing on your rear end ;) . the farther you lean back, the harder it will be. now, notice that by sitting with ankles crossed, you have created three sections: one of the left of your left leg, in between the two legs, and right of your right leg. take your hand and pop it between each section, "picking cherries", and when you go from right to left (or left to right, your preference) all the way one time, that is one cherry picker. you can count it like ---- 1-2-3- one cherry picker 1-2-3 two cherry picker. try going through without letting any part of you, except your rear, touching the ground. if you can do that, lean farther back. do forty!
Row Boats - 40
for this, you need to be in the same position as cherry pickers, except don't cross legs at your ankles. Again, you are balancing on your rear. Bring your knees up to your face, with your arms out like you have oars in your hands. then you just have to row like they do in the big rowing boats!! Push your feet forward until they're perfectly straight, and while you are doing that, lean back until you're almost 150 or 160 degree. then bring it back up to the starting position, with the knees almost at the face. that's one row boat. Do forty!
Push Ups - 30
I don't care if you do girl push-ups [on your knees] or guy-push ups [knees in the air] but make sure you are really straight through out your back. if you need to take a quick break, do, but make it only a few seconds. if you start relaxing, the push ups are kinda pointless.
squats - 20
stand and then bend your knees so your thighs are perpendicular to your calves.
SIDE LEG LIFTS- 30 each leg
lie on one side. balance as best you can. lift the leg "on top" up, stretching the muscles.
There's my "quick list"...
What do you guys do to calm down when prayer and reading "holy" texts doesn't work?
Friday, July 20, 2012
Why I left the church
The list of reasons of why I left the church could go on and on. I'll forever be editing this post to add more and more, but let's just start with a simple list. Some reasons are more juvenile than others. Some are very serious. But all played their part in me leaving the church.
1. I was absolutely miserable when I did anything relating to the church.
~ Going to Sacrament Meeting, Girls' "Camp," Mutual, Sunday School, charity events.
2. I had no choice but to do these things that made me miserable.
3. God apparently despises anyone that isn't Mormon, especially the gays and the blacks.
4. I have to pay 10% to get into heaven. Seriously, what's god going to do with 10% of my money? (Besides build five-billion-dollar shopping malls in Salt Lake City?)
5. All my choices, even insignificant ones like what I could wear, were taken from me.
6. Mormonism (along with many other religions) actively campaigns against being an intellectual.
7. My job as a female was to bear spirit children and then raise them to be god's little soldiers. That's it.
8. Many Mormons have superiority complexes. Combine that with faith in a divine that supports those superiority complexes and it's quite a headache to be around most Mormons.
9. The church lies about many things.
10. The church actively tries to silence those who protest against it.
11. The church is extremely sexist, racist, and otherwise bigoted.
12. The church covers up the ugly aspects of its history.
13. God does not exist.
14. Being a Mormon made me a bitch towards many non-mormons who were actually quite decent people. It took a long time to deflate my ego.
15. The church comes first. I will never have easy-going, honest relationships with any of my family members because they find me and my lifestyle "saddening" and regularly talk about how "lost" or "misled" I am.
And the list goes on and on. What are your reasons for leaving the church?
1. I was absolutely miserable when I did anything relating to the church.
~ Going to Sacrament Meeting, Girls' "Camp," Mutual, Sunday School, charity events.
2. I had no choice but to do these things that made me miserable.
3. God apparently despises anyone that isn't Mormon, especially the gays and the blacks.
4. I have to pay 10% to get into heaven. Seriously, what's god going to do with 10% of my money? (Besides build five-billion-dollar shopping malls in Salt Lake City?)
5. All my choices, even insignificant ones like what I could wear, were taken from me.
6. Mormonism (along with many other religions) actively campaigns against being an intellectual.
7. My job as a female was to bear spirit children and then raise them to be god's little soldiers. That's it.
8. Many Mormons have superiority complexes. Combine that with faith in a divine that supports those superiority complexes and it's quite a headache to be around most Mormons.
9. The church lies about many things.
10. The church actively tries to silence those who protest against it.
11. The church is extremely sexist, racist, and otherwise bigoted.
12. The church covers up the ugly aspects of its history.
13. God does not exist.
14. Being a Mormon made me a bitch towards many non-mormons who were actually quite decent people. It took a long time to deflate my ego.
15. The church comes first. I will never have easy-going, honest relationships with any of my family members because they find me and my lifestyle "saddening" and regularly talk about how "lost" or "misled" I am.
And the list goes on and on. What are your reasons for leaving the church?
July 20, 2012
My name is Stephanie.
I grew up in a very religious, very devoted Mormon (LDS) family. I left the church for many reasons. Some are emotional. Some were more rational, but they all boil down to why I left.
I guess I wanted to write this blog just so I'd have somewhere to talk about my thoughts on the church and how it's affected all aspects of my life.
I grew up in a very religious, very devoted Mormon (LDS) family. I left the church for many reasons. Some are emotional. Some were more rational, but they all boil down to why I left.
I guess I wanted to write this blog just so I'd have somewhere to talk about my thoughts on the church and how it's affected all aspects of my life.
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