To my fellow Mormons—nearly four years ago I experienced a faith crisis. It was an experience I neither sought out nor desired. A challenging time and probably one of, if not the most, difficult in my life. As an orthodox believer of 35+ years (one of my nicknames in high school was ‘Mormon’), to suddenly have your worldview turned upside down is quite terrifying. It’s an experience I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
I’m not sharing this to get sympathy, praise, or Facebook likes, but rather to help others. Sadly, this is something we often avoid discussing. During my faith crisis I had only three people supporting me. I felt nearly all alone. And I had a partner who was not only tremendously supportive, but also relatively on the same page as me. Many are not this fortunate; they are often all alone and feel hopeless. I’ve seen this firsthand on multiple occasions as people reach out to me looking for help and comfort. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s often people you don’t expect. People who never like or comment on my Facebook wall, but discreetly message me to talk about their challenges.
For anyone reading this who has gone through this difficult experience, I want you to know (1) Feel free to reach out to me as a listening ear & supportive friend and (2) Know that you are loved & have hope brighter days are ahead. I’m grateful for where this transition has taken me and hope you can also find your best journey.
