Why I Left Mormonism (Mind Control Tactics) 

I understand so much of this. Left 5 years ago. Had a realization in singles ward. Bothered by the temple. Bothered by the nature of God the way it was taught in the mormon church. Thought maybe I'll go back someday. And then I learned about the CES letter, down the rabbit hole I went, and now I have plenty of reasons to never go back. Thank you for sharing your story.

I like that you pointed out a cult doesn’t have to be religious. People are not really conscious of that.

How anyone in the Mormon church can find your content offensive is a mystery to me, but what you are saying and how you are saying it is extremely powerful. You are helping many people to break free from destructive cults.

Sometimes I really wish I left as early as you. I left 4 years ago at 33. Did the temple, did the mission, temple marriage, did the “provider” education and career path and had kids young. I have no regrets about leaving. Thanks for sharing your story. I also love the intellectual and spiritual freedom that has come from leaving. It’s great to not feel shame about being curious 😅 now I am really making up for lost time and having a blast.

I'm currently stepping away and it has been very isolating. My family is still under the belief that I am a selfish sinner for leaving and that has been very difficult for me. Thank you for sharing your story. Its comforting to know I'm not alone.

I finally left at 60! I was mentally out for years and years after finding out the true history of the church and the manipulation in talks ect! Good job getting out. I feel your story and I’m so glad my kids are out young 🙏🥳. And they are amazing beautiful wonderful people. The church is the wolf in sheep’s clothing!

My wife was 20 when we got married. The Marriage lasted 15 years and 4 kids later. For at least 14 of those years I knew I had not made a good choice, but at the time it was pretty much the only way I could have sex. My libido is pretty high. This is what damage the purity culture does to members. I then had kids way too soon as I was just a student at college hence I never really did have enough money to support them all. So much pain came from following the prophets advice. Now I am out of the church bringing up my kids on my own and it is soooo great. I can now have quality time with my kids and my relationship with them is so much better because of it because I am actually there for them.

I lost so many lifelong friends when I left the church, even though they had been my friends when I wasn't a member before joining. I felt like their friendship had been a means to recruit me. Yeah, they considered it "saving" me, but still...

My mom (3rd gen mormon) had me convinced that every single person who wasnt mormon was leading a more miserable life than we were simply because they weren't mormon. Like our shit was bad, but leaving held a threat of it being worse. It held me to it in fear a very long time after i knew that i wanted no part in the religious side. Its very hard to overcome the thought loop that breaking the rules has caused every bad thing thats happened to me since i left. Mormonism bestowed me with severe ocd 🙏 thank you god

Hey I started binge watching your podcast interviews a couple days ago and I'm genuinely so proud of you for getting out and sharing it with us. I have to admit tho, that when you started talking about the holistic kin that helped you "recover" trauma memories. Then you talked about the coincidence with the Gaia documentary and ending up being picked. And seeing it as divine timing.... I gotta be honest, I feel like the whole new age spirituality / holistic healing industry is kinda like a cult itself. Be safe ❤

I remember the blood oaths as part of the temple ceremony. 20 years later I started to wake up and requested my name to be removed. Thanks for your important work and clarity.

Thank you so much for sharing your story. I have recently left the Mormon church and everything you have said resonates with my story so well. Especially the push for perfection and never feeling good enough. This video had me in tears because of how much I relate. It’s so nice to feel validated in my experiences.

The BITE Model of Authoritarian Control: Behavior Control Information Control Thought Control Emotional Control Though the Mormon Church does all these they still claim to not be a cult.

I'm pretty old, but had a unique Mormon experience. I was born up in Wyoming where Mormons were active, but my parents were not rigorous, and neither were others in the sparsely populated area. Many just went to church on Sunday and the bar on Saturday. I was always a skeptic, yet gave it a hard try. It never took. I'm a naturalistic and skeptical person.

Omg! The temple penalties were the final blow to my shelf too. Soooo culty. Soooo culty.

I've been hearing about psychedlics for years and how they can heal trauma and PTSD. I really appreciate that you shared your story about ayahuasca. I heard that California may legalize psychedelics. Imagine how many people could be helped. Thank you for doing this podcast. You have a peaceful presence that I appreciate.

Thank you for sharing your story! Going through deconstruction myself, so very relatable. You are so courageous! You have a pure, beautiful soul! Very inspiring!

New to your podcast, every episode I have watched so far is fantastic! I am thrilled to have your podcast as a helpful resource in my faith deconstruction. Thank you for your time and efforts in producing such beautiful episodes!

The authenticity and sincerity with which you portray your life’s journey has to be beneficial to so many. I have been following your channel for only couple of months but just now found this beginning episode where you explain the details of your own personal journey. You are an exceptional communicator and are presenting some extremely important and relevant content. Thank you for the work you do and for your channel!

I have no idea how or why this video popped up on my feed, but I watched the entire thing. This is a very interesting and inspiring story, and I am glad you shared it with us. Thanks!

Shelise, I really enjoyed the introduction to your new podcast. I am all in when it comes to being a listening participant to your upcoming episodes. It sounds extremely fascinating. I too was a part of the same church you spoke of. Working on deconstructing the mess.

FINALLY!!! I watched your first podcast. Love it!! Congratulations on your rebirth and success in your show, which helps so many people!!!

Your story is beyond inspiring. Thank you for sharing! ❤

Best of luck with your new channel! It's already growing so quickly! I really enjoyed hearing your story and also appreciated your vulnerability!

Thank you for telling your story. It helps others who are struggling with the same thoughts about their own beliefs. Blessed be.

Thank you for sharing your story!! You are helping so many people 🤗

hi Shelise, I have listened to some of your interview podcasts and today I listened to your own experiences. Thank you so much for sharing, some things resonated with me and also what you said about not being the trauma that you have had.Thankyou for your openness and honesty.

YESSSS!!!! This is just so ... YOU!!!! Sola is spreading her wings solo and it just feels so right 💜

So glad I stumbled on to your channel. You are such a bright light!

You are a very brave and secure woman to speak of this in such a self disclosing manner. Thank you, it takes courage to talk about what you may see as errors in your life. Most of us are too proud and lack the self assurance to admit we led lives where we fooled ourselves.

I love this journey you’re on! It’s exciting to see!! Thank you for sharing!! 🙏🏽🫶🏽☺️

Powerful!! What an amazing story!💞 You are a beautiful soul💜Love your podcast!

Recovering Baptist here. You are a beautiful and articulate woman. Thank you for your work. Please keep doing you.

thank you so much for sharing your story, Im from south america, even when my life has been very diferent to yours, I relate to a lot of those feelings you experiencied (guilt, feeling like dirt, not listening to intuiton). I really wish that I could help other persons to get rid of religion and learn how to really know themselves.

I came to your channel through some other of your videos about Why I left M. And I can tell hearing your story made me feel happy about how you found your way out.

Commenting for visibility, as I really love what you’re sharing on your channel! Looking forward to hearing much more! Love & Light🫶🏻

i love your content but, you re so soothing, relaxing voice, inspiring, heartful, patient, caring, intuitive, right into the point but with love, you re as a person in itself an inspiration for me. thank you❤. love from barcelona

My favourite Anthony Bourdain quote is "Your body is not a temple. It's an amusement park: enjoy the ride!" Love how your channel is evolving.

Amazing story. Amazing Channel. I am learning a lot. Beautiful lady. Thank you for sharing your story and having a platform for others to share their stories. 🦋🕊️

I felt alot of this! Thank you! Finally breaking free was a great feeling but I also felt horrible and i am finally able to express myslef and have ups and downs still but glad i have made it.

Great job! I’ve been enjoying the channel but just found this 1st episode, now I like you even more 😊

Finally! I have waited so long to encounter such a kindred spirit! I saw you on a live chat with @ubermormon . I’m very excited to watch more of the channel. I am so pleased with your work to promote the use of plant medicine to break through lifetimes of conditioning and trauma! While I have not yet been presented with an opportunity to participate in the Ayahuasca ceremonies, I have found other plant medicines that have helped me achieve significant breakthroughs in that solid steel fortress that was once my traumatized and fragile ex-mo ego. While I continue to do my own work, I’ve recognized that one of my purposes in life is to share the knowledge of these other avenues, the ones that “god” actually did give us: the plants! (not books, or anti-depressants, or temples) So I’m deeply thankful to know I’m not alone. Thanks for putting yourself out there, and please keep it up. You are doing greater work than you could even fathom.

GIRL YOU JUST CHANGED & HELPED ME TY TY ❤❤❤❤

Just came across your podcast and I’m binge watching! Love it!!

I'm so glad I found this. I feel seen, but not in an uncomfortable way.

Found you recently and have been watching many videos. After hearing you mention being molested by your father, I had to go way back to watch your first video and hear your story. This was so powerful and congrats on 50k! 🎉🎉🎉

Incredible story of your life . I’m so happy for you. Keep helping others.

Hi! I’ve been watching your channel for a while and realized I hadn’t seen your story. Thank you for sharing!

Thanks for sharing. I have listened to a few "why I left the Mormon church" videos and such and it's shocking to hear how similar the experiences are of guilt tripping and feeling unworthy to be in the church. I myself am Mormon (slowly becoming inactive, but I can't become fully inactive as I'm still a minor living with their parents) and find the gatekeeping of information astonishing. One of my final straws with the church was my first year of seminary (my mom made me take it, I had no intentions of taking it) when my seminary teacher said "don't look at outside sources and only use divinely appointed ones." as a way to continue gatekeeping information. Another one of my final straws with the church (I guess specifically this woman) was when one of my young women's leaders said that girls should not wear revealing clothes (i.e. no shoulders, no cleavage, etc. Thank god we're allowed to show out ankles wtf) because "boYs CaN't cONtrOl thEir tHouGhTS," as if we're the ones who should be responsible for that. The purity culture is insane and frustrating and sold under the guise of "modesty". This last bit, while not final straws, but rather grievances and frustrations with the church. The lack of a clear answer regarding why women cannot hold the priesthood. I have asked several people why that is and the answer is always "we don't know, maybe it will be revealed sometime in the future." It's so frustrating because I feel like they know there's no good reason to it other than misogyny in the church. I'm not a hardcore feminist and I hate using the word misogyny, but the church definitely, *definitely*, would count as misogynistic imo. The role of women in the church is very traditional leaning where we are encouraged to get married young, have lots of kids, and stay at home and do woman-y things ig. I don't denounce women who have traditional roles in the household, it's just what's encouraged for women to be and as someone who has never wanted kids, it just rubs me the wrong way and makes me very uncomfortable. Also, they've recently begun, I'd say, sort of brainwashing the youth (meaning 11ish-18) with Nelson becoming the prophet. Honestly, I can't really describe it without other people having experienced the youth program in recent years. Yeah, it's bad. Be careful joining the church and know that they are really tightening their grip on teens. It's creepy and they know exactly what they're doing. The last thing (finally), would be the overbearing encouragement of young men to serve missions. Not all young men want to serve missions. They say it's okay if you don't, but I know that the judgment and shame of young men choosing not to serve a mission is real and I feel very real passion about not encouraging them to serve a misson. It should be a choice and not some peer pressure to serve a mission. I haven't really heard it (because I'm not a man), but I know that older folks in the church ask young men (meaning 18-20, about the time they serve missions) "so when do you get your mission call?" I know it's with good intentions, but it really furthers the pressure to serve missions. Be in the church if you want, more power to you i guess, but know that you won't ever get straight answers from the church as well as the overbearing culture to be perfect and worthy 100% of the time (it's really bad here in Utah, I just notice it more since I've only just recently lived here).

You had a great life experience. One of personal growth and charting a path to enlightenment. Getting off the LDS train was an important move. It’s sad, because there are some great folks I know who are still stuck on that same course.

I truly enjoyed my time listening to you. Wishing you the best!

Look at you!! Such a new podcast baby!! I’m so proud of you!! ❤

Just watched episode 1. I just want to say thank you for sharing your story. I was amazed at how similar my experience is to yours. I'm 54 and currently peeling back the layers of my own mormon life. I, too, grew up in a small, mormon community in Northern Utah. I was a seminary president in high school. I served a mission to Chile. I never strayed very far from the church until I was "kicked out" of the single adult ward at 31. Lost my virginity at 32. My life from my mission to just recently had been a whirlwind of challenging events, to say the least. I'm a high school teacher and coach. I taught for 20 years in Utah until I was forced out... by the "powers that be" in my own hometown, where I had taught for 12 years of my career. I applied for jobs in 10 different states, but wound up in Oregon. What a difference making that move has been for me! Living outside the bubble and realizing all of the things that I've had to deal with in my life are things I want no part of anymore. I, too, have always been interested in ghost stories and the spiritual realm. I bought myself a tarot reading for Christmas this year and it basically predicted a complete change and view of how I would proceed in life. The medium sensed a huge conflict in me that I needed to confront and deal with before I could move ahead in this whole, completely new existence in my near future. I have come across a whole network of people like me via RU-vid, tiktok, podcasts, etc. that have had stories I've needed to hear. Again, thank you for your inspiring words.

Thank you for sharing your story. I’m a never Mo, but can relate to it having grown up in the evangelical Deep South. I wasn’t forced to go to church but pressure to agree with the prevailing mindset was strong. I gradually went away from it, finally embracing the atheist label 11 years ago (I’m 50-something). I still live in the deep south but our non-believer/non-religious numbers are growing even here. Also there are more progressive denominations for those who wish to stay Christian. With demographic changes, we also have Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, and others. Welcome to intellectual freedom, and so much joy and wonder at life as it is rather than by ridiculous tales shoved down our throats 👏👏👏

Enjoy your RU-vid. Pleasant to listen to and very educational. Keep doing what you’re doing!

Shalise I've been watching your channel for about 6 months, because of your interview with Chelsea Goodrich, I came to find your story. I left Mormonism behind in 2012 officially- I was in & out prior to this after having been raised in this cult! Glad you got it, blessings to healing. Blessed be.

Hi, Shelise Ann. Thanks for your good work. I left the following on another RU-vidr's channel, a courageous person who left the LDS, this week. I thought you might like it. Please keep offering your insight, for the world needs it. . . . ~KM "Thank you for your courage. I am one who appreciates what it takes to journey outward, leaving behind ties both familial and religious. I'm an American, 60, living in Southern Mexico (Villahermosa, Tabasco). Every few weeks, I meet LDS missionaries traversing on my little street, and occasionally I say hi, just to reacquaint myself with English and American culture. Their Spanish is better than mine, but my knowledge of Mexico and Mexicans greatly exceeds theirs. Most are from Utah, but a few, from elsewhere. They seem drawn to my American openness, but of course, that always leads to my politely telling them I am not interested in the Church of Latter Day Saints. I say a few things so they know I am not ignorant of the same. "And after 20 minutes of chatting about American football or whatnot, and maybe about good deep dish pizza, they move on. But here's my story -- I'm from San Jose, California. In 1980, I took an LDS girl to my junior prom. Let me tell you, she was beautiful; smart too. I was quite attracted to her. Before our prom date, I went to her house to meet her mom and dad. Her mom, who was from Sweden, was staunch LDS and immediately probed me about my receptivity towards Joseph Smith and the church. Her father was an elevated member who assisted the High Council in Salt Lake with projects or business interests. Anyway, these were upper-echelon Mormons -- not rich, but devout. The girl and I never had a second date. "About 18 years after our date, I ran into her in a grocery store in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was of course married by then (with three beautiful children), but she invited me to her house, and we reconnected a little. Her husband was a successful computer engineer. I was going through a divorce at the time, and she even brought a gift basket over to my house for Thanksgiving and sat with me in my living room for an hour. But, she eventually realized that, no matter how kind she was, I wasn't interested in LDS. So, she disappeared again. Another 15 years slipped by. By then, I was in Mexico, but I was still in touch with one of her brothers (she had seven younger brothers -- she was the eldest and the only girl in the family). This brother was now a philosophy professor at a prominent Eastern university. I asked him how her sister was. He didn't say much but said she was OK, now a grandmother. "My life's hobby is philosophy, so I threw from my armchair a few things out at him about epistemology. And what I got from him was something similar to what this video is about -- all through his life, he has humbly gotten on his knees to ask God to tell him if the LDS church is the true church. (We know the answer he got.) This is a professor at a prominent university. Yet his epistemology is nonetheless sophomoric, embryonic, fragile. I realized the LDS church relies on this kind of faith, and a kind of brainwashing. We are talking about a smart person here, yet it doesn't matter. The people who never leave are the folks who don't have the courage or strength to ask real, penetrating questions about what the truth is and how we know it. It's much more comforting for some to relinquish questions and just "have faith." In so doing, they surrender their rational selves for a life of belonging. "This guy (and he's a nice guy) was glad I was happy and told me he'd pass on my well wishes to his big sister. And you know? I'm glad his sister has done well. Yet the young woman I knew in 1980, whom I took to the prom, was a thoughtful, probing, even intellectual woman. A true genius. She gave all her questions up to "belong" and raise a good, God-fearing family; to have a "safe" life that was approved of. She hasn't wanted to connect with me on Facebook -- I post too many things that are "controversial," borderline atheistic. OK, but she was still my prom date. I couldn't help feeling it was all such a huge waste. What a mind. What a heart. Yet the doctrines and security of the LDS Church were too inviting. Conformity and giving up free thought were such small prices to pay, so she believed. This young woman, in 1980, could quote Shakespeare by memory and was familiar with David Hume and Descartes. Now, she lovingly prepares gift baskets and tells the elders which homes to visit. "I still care about her. I'm glad she's safe and well taken care of. But the disjunction haunts me a little. I knew her when she was 17. Now, I see an empty shell to an extent -- an automaton, a "perfect wife" and grandmother. But in the 70s she could think; she could reason. . . . A life of reason and self-cultivation isn't easy -- no free comforts, very little familial or institutional bulwarking. Yet the freedom of thought is worth it -- the opportunity to be oneself and follow one's interests; to believe what seems reasonable and nothing more. This lovely young woman was never able to leave her cocoon. She was a beauty that never became a butterfly. Yet she would say of me that I have left God to become a heathen, an apostate. "Oddly, I feel I am closer to God than I might have once been, yet my God is nebulous and harder to define -- not able to be put in a box. Many need a boxed God. She needed one. And she's content, but perhaps it's the happiness of an unrealized life (as Jung would say). She is an unknown woman to all but especially to herself. My words now are for those like you and me who did not need the structure of a box. I wish C. well. She's now 60 too, like me. She did everything right. She was perfect, a perfect wife and LDS saint. But she didn't look within where all the truth lies. And life, in the end, is too short to waste on believing other people's ideologies but not delving into the essence of the self, the mind, and the true soul. And digging in the dirt while you're at it." ~Kherry McKay, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico, June 2nd, 2023

Gracias por compartir con fundamento lo que hacen y causan los cultos, grupos o sectas en la vida de las personas. He pasado por distintas religiones y sectas y debo decir que, lo que compartes es real, porque todos lo hemos vivido de algún modo. Pensar distinto o cuestionar o preguntar más de la cuenta es imperdonable, también soy SUD como tú. Saludos de Chile 🇨🇱

You are amazing!!! I found your channel a few days ago and I am fascinated.

You are a very articulate young woman and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for sharing your story. I look forward to watching your other videos. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Yep. Fear, shame, guilt, and extortion. Pay up or never see your family again.=Mormonism...

“I didn’t realise how much I was suffering until later in life.” 🔥🔥

Oh I'm glad you shared you story. I'm just now finding it

Wow! What synchronicity. I just signed up for my first ayahuasca cermony. I was not expecting this to come up in your video.

The best take away from this was "You hold all the answers within you. You hold all the power." This is SO true and I hate to look around and see so many people not realise that. Great video.

I always love listening to stories of others who've left the Mormon church, because it makes me feel like I wasn't crazy, that is what I was taught as well. I left the Mormon Church when I was 13, and even now after 12 years I still find myself getting confused by things because it was just so ingrained into me. Every time something wouldn't make sense to me when I was Mormon and I'd ask my Sunday school teachers about it, they'd always either tell me to "just have faith" or "just believe" and that frustrated me to no end because I need evidence and proof so when things don't add up, I start doubting like no tomorrow. One of the bigger things that didn't add up to me was that where I grew up in Wyoming, I was told that the first vision Joseph Smith had after kneeling and praying in the forest was of God (Heavenly Father) and Jesus appearing to him, but when I went to a small town in Nevada and went to church with our family friends there, they taught that Joseph only saw Jesus, which confused me to no end. I thought it was funny that you said people would ask you if you have more than one Mom because it wasn't until the first season of sister wives was being aired on TV that I learned what polygamy really was (I thought it was incest - and while it can be, they're not the same thing). I always get asked if Mormons do believe they can become gods of their own planets, the magic underwear, why Mormons don't drink coffee (and why I still don't - it has nothing to do with what I was taught and everything to do with the fact that coffee is disgusting in my opinion), and if they really baptize the dead (which they are the only religion that does that). I'm glad you were able to find peace and healing. Thank you for sharing your story. Also, I just feel I need to say something else because some of the comments are annoying me (I don't feel like commenting on their comments because I don't want to argue with them but I do feel I need to say something) - I personally believe in the loving God who gave us all free will to choose if we're going to believe in Him at all or not. I also believe that He takes into consideration the fact that some horrible people out there have used God's name in order to hurt vulnerable people and He has mercy for those victims who may not want to believe in God anymore and will turn to anything else other than Him. You do and believe whatever you need to in order to continue healing and being happy, and don't let anyone try to tell you that you have to do something in order for you to be loved by God because that is most definitely not true at all (which is something the Catholic Church has spent years helping me to understand because of the things I was taught in the Mormon church - God loves us no matter what we do or where we go in life, and we don't have to be perfect before He'll love us). It sounds to me as though you'd never be happy giving the LSD church another chance - oh, sorry, I meant the LDS church. Also, calling the most plagiarized and world-famous fanfiction on earth 'scripture' doesn't make it Holy, it just makes it a joke - also known as the Book of Mormon (if you don't want anyone calling the LSD (sorry, it's a typo - I swear 😇🤪) church the Mormon church anymore, tell the church leaders to change it or shut up about people calling it Mormon.

Hi there, all the way from South Africa. I’ve subscribed to your channel and I’ve watched many of your videos. I think I’m addicted to your channel 😂. Yay for all this beautiful content. Well done. You’re amazing. Love your stuff. Keep it up ❤

Thanks. Excellent presentation. Helpful.

One snake oil thing to the next, then the next and the next and the next.

"You're not being a good influence on your boyfriend." That made me angry! That is so damaging and toxic, and frankly misogynistic! Blame the woman and don't take any blame for the man (not that there was anything to be blamed for in the first place, of course). Those worthiness interviews were embarrassing as all hell, having to tell a person who'd known me since I was born the most private and things that nobody else had any right to know.

thank you for this! i've never been mormon but its one of my interests, and i've really been enjoying the episodes of this that i've seen. side note, i love the way you say coffee! i haven't heard it like that before

I just found your channel and am working my way through your videos. Just want to say that you are so beautiful and brave and thank you for sharing your story.

This is the video I needed to watch before I made a comment(s) on your podcast. I am glad you are helping to get people to consciousness. Agreed, people are responsible for their own choices, yet mind control affected me greatly. In my twenties I was afraid of having sex because of getting kicked out of the church. Although Mormonism is my 2nd religion. I was having trouble with self exploration. My parents were encouraging me to have sexual relationships since I was in college.. I had a bishops that were lenient. I always believed that God would still connect to us no matter what. I had and do have spiritual experiences outside of church. As you know, you may have heard in church, "you can't have the spirit with you if you don't keep all the commandment." By the way I really like James Van Prog and what he shares. I knew that what the church was saying was false about not having the spirit. I got mad. I knew it was guilty trip stuff. That was the wedge eventually led me to leave. Also, I remember the first presidency wrote a world wide letter about a program called, "Impact training" out of Utah? It was read to my congregation. Years later I went to that program while I was reading Men are from Mars Women are from Venus. I dropped. I went to this Impact training because a friend suggested it. I called it a psychological training because it gives tools to assist people to live their life in a healthy way. The church doesn't want people to hold leaders accountable for their lies, lack of integrity, etc. The church is what 2 Tim. 3:5 says..... having a form of godliness, but deny the power there of. Members are like Jewish rabbis and philosopher's is what I see now. I am Jewish and served a mission. I was glad to hear you connect with ghosts. That is pretty cool.. I can feel their energy, but no real communication like you. My mom use to do automatic writing. She stopped like you because the church told her to stop. She is now getting back into it. She does energy work and stuff like that.....Automatic writing is something I want to try through Kaballah. I am in the film industry myself. I am thinking of writing a book about spiritual experiences. When is your book coming out? Thanks for sharing. I really liked hearing about your journey. I see I didn't need to be concerned about you with your interview with John D. He was one of your experts. I got it. I'm looking forward to watching your other podcasts. I really like that bit you read in the beginning........ "your tag line". (trying to be funny here). It's perfect.

When I was in my early 20’s I was converted in. Not to happy to give up coffee and beer. But after I heard that “black people were not allowed in” before 1970’s I was like. Nope. Not my God. Who would do a thing as to not allow humans of any in. We are One. From source. Our path is ours. And I believe we grow on each journey here until we reach our highest. Great vid. Keep going.

I don’t know how long you’ve been at this but great work. I just listened to your story. That’s the only thing I’ve heard because I just found you. Anyway, I’m so happy that you were able to figure things out at such a young age. (I would encourage anyone leaving to get a good therapist 😜) it took me til my 50’s. Imagine how much damage a cult can do to your psyche in 50 years. People leaving cults need a community like this for soooo many reasons. Thank you for creating a space for me.

Wow so much great I info. Thanks for sharing

I was raised a catholic and this description fits perfectly for the catholic way of life.

Thank you so much for your story. I recently dated a man who is Mormon. I had to end things though because the more I learned the more I knew that was a big nope for me . A absolute wonderful person and we are still friends. Your video made me see that I made the right decision .

Just watched your podcast/your story on Mormon stories, and realized I haven’t watched your first video. ❤ 😀 didn’t grow up in a cult, but I find this channel very informative. ❤ learning more information about possible cults.

Absolutely LOVE your story! I have a very similar story to yours, but I did go through the temple and was married there. I never did feel whole, or good enough. Once I went through a divorce, I was shunned by my entire ward - and we had a very civil, kind divorce - 13 years later we are still best friends. That was when I totally shifted and really dove in to the history and reality of Mormonism. I now I'm immersed in energy work and mediation and have never felt more 'at home.' I would love to have you on my show one of these days. I would also love any information that you have on these retreats - i feel like its the final piece of the puzzle to finally work through the 'dark night of the soul' and really heal and purge my childhood trauma (abuse, abandonment, etc). Thank you for being so raw!

I grew up in it. I started veering away around 16/17. My mom was probably one of the kindest people I've ever known, and everyone that knew her agreed. She had a difficult time in the church being a single mother, but she kept her faith until she passed. She never judged me or my sister for not believing. I feel like my mom was a rarity in the church. She never tried to force us to any of it. She respected us and our decisions. We weren't bad people or kids, never been in legal trouble, never did anything considered bad in society either. Never got hooked on drugs. Drank some, but weren't alcoholics. My sister recently passed away and it's been messing with me a little bit. I believe in a God. I never got back into religion. Losing family members that were so close to me has made me reflect toward religion. I feel I'm susceptible to cults b/c of growing up that way and now this happens. I really appreciate your view points on all of this and your story as it helps me remember why I left in the first place. I've started going down the rabbit hole of everything and have learned things I never knew about the church that makes me question how so many people fell victim to this in the first place, but then realized, blind faith has caused this.

I was a child attending the mormon church. What got me out was my parents' divorce. I was too young to be baptised (thankfully) and was raised as a true christian baptised, confirmed everything! My father stayed but wasn't really serious until later on. He married twice more (no polygamy in Australia) and had another daughter. He decided to disown me and my sister but we received a wedding invitation to his third wedding - apparently they went to the temple. He got sick and wanted to know if he was a grandfather (we didn't disclose this to him because we knew that he would try "baptising" them the mormon way so they can "live forever") He died and I attended his very weird funeral where my baby sister (who was an adult by then) refused to speak to me and all the mormons stay on the other side of the room. I have no relationship with my sister and her mum and they do not have anything to do with my children. I went to school with a few kids who were mormon. I've had some exposure growing up but I was lucky to escape as a 4 year old.

Cults to Consciousness is a brilliant title for your podcast! It tell the story perfectly!

Just listening now to get a refresher because I was a JW many years ago and was disfellowshipped and I never returned and have been living in Northern VT for many years now. We have just recently had mormons move in a couple of houses down on this rural dirt road and I just knew it was odd. I was in a cult for some 20 years and being 64 now I'm so glad I left at the age of 35 but, it was scary for sure and I had a lot to learn. I now regard myself as infinite awareness having a spiritual experience here in the 3-D reality. I haven't met these folks yet and i'm sure they will stick to themselves as the rest of us would be considered worldly in their view. Thank you

Who am I? That was my main question after I left. Thanks for starting this, I listened to your other podcast and love how you interview your guests. You are someone who inspired me to start my own podcast. Would love for you to be a guest on mine if you are ever interested!

I remember when I first read the BITE model my first thought was "this describes the church so well that it must have been written by anti-mormons to attack it". That was the precise moment I realized I was in a cult.

You are such a powerful woman! I've been binging your videos the last few months and I'm glad I got the badass "origin story". Shelise (sorry in advance about spelling) you are so inspiring! I dont agree with all the methods, but everyone is entitled to therir own life and ways, and I'm so glad to hear how you found yourself.

Very interesting and informative thank you!!

I am interested in your journey so will follow along by subscribing! I am curious about your infant trauma. Was your mom able to verify that you had indeed had trauma- I guess I am assuming it was SA of some kind. Personally, I'm afraid to open my own mind to such techniques. I'd be afraid there would be no coming back from the abyss!

I stopped going ten years ago at the age of 20. I felt extreme pressure to go on a mission while suffering from severe anxiety and trauma, it was bad. There was no way I wanted to spread the gospel and there was no way I was going to be able to do public speaking and approach strangers. I have similar stories surrounding the shame and embarrassment they pile up onto people surrounding their sexuality and normal human life/emotions. I now play a delicate balance with my family, who are all still very much in the "doctrine". I love them very much but its hard. I think they spend less time with me because I have made it very clear I am not coming back. Now my brother and sister in law are having a baby and I feel like they are just going to try to keep me out of their kid's life as much as they can.

Your awakening is really beautiful.

Thank you,i needed to ear this

Great account as to what happened to you,and why you left. Well done. It does take some time for so many of us. My ascent from this cult was after being a believing member for 47 years. Throughout that time I had accumulated questions and doubts, of which I had shelved and being so obedient to the deep indoctrination of the leaders to never allow these things to see the light of day. I was baptized in 1970 as an 8 year olde. In an era if you said ( or ever knew )that Joseph Smith used a rock in a hat for translating the B.o.M , you would be an apostate anti-Mormon liar. As the decades passed we now learn that yesterdays anti-Mormon lies are now Church approved Essays. Took me 47 years to finally send a resignation letter to Utah from my home country New Zealand 5 years ago. My study of the Church history , experiencing the perpetual flip flopping of Church leaders regarding doctrine and policy, the problematic truth claims, and Joseph Smiths philandering caused the connection of dots to all my questions and doubts. I view the Church's tithing policy as extortion on a major scale. . I view the leaders as blatant liars perpetuating a deception to justify aggrandized positions of power over blinded masses. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is naught but a Corporate Cult operating in today's world. May more become awakened from this immense fraudulent religion....and leave.

I kinda of stopped around the type you start speaking about holistic stuff. While I believed in some factors of that, it became a big hole in my gut, since my mom had ALS and holistic doctors kept insisting they could help her. So much money lost, so little that even helped. Keep in mind, even if it did nothing to help her i don't think it made anything *worse* necessarily. It was about her comfort really. But she died, at the time that they said she'd die, within three years. If she had taken the actual medication prescribed to ALS patience she could live a potential 10+ years or more, but she didn't wanna live the way she did... so it was her choice... But yeah, holistic care was expensive, didn't do anything, and it made her tell me things like "YOU are the one who is trying to kill me. You won't let me be cured." because she was so exasperated by my exhaustion, by inability to cook things holistics recommended that she couldn't even swallow...ext ext ext I'm sorry for saying all this but you're so cool, you do seem to care about understanding belief systems. Now i won't say holistic is bad entirely, it's helpful, it can help in many ways, but a lot of it is just... schemes for oils, schemes for elixirs or liquids that can cure any disease, and it's not true... I had to suffer that directly. But eating the way they do CAN help in the long run. Spiritual stuff is so healthy and fun, plants and gems and whatever it is that doesn't hurt anyone is fun. I love tarot so much for example, but i won't claim it's immediately real tho to me it is. I'm not trying to remove the comfort of holistic from u and if you mentioned smthn else later ima keep watching the video i just couldn't handle the triggers haha

Wow!!! What a journey. Some of your story resonates, some doesn't. I grew up in the church in Washington state and Kansas. Went on a 2 year mission. Paid for half of my brother's mission. I got married in the temple and was happily Mormon until the age of 48. I had a couple of spiritual experiences just before that made my decision to leave the church easier than it would have been. My perception of Heavenly Father being this perfected human tallying up everything I did or didn't do, ready to go over the most painful moments in my life, to show me just how unworthy I was of anyone's love, switched to the perception of a wise, understanding and good humored being that only wanted me to choose to be happy and to understand that I was worthy of love just by existing. Not long after that when I came upon the strange aspects of the church that had been hidden or distorted, it was easier to let go. I resonate with you experience with the music. I had decided that I didn't need to go any church or religious community. The NEXT day I stumbled upon the center for spiritual living in Salt Lake City. I wanted to learn how to meditate better. When I saw their stage with drums and electric guitars and keyboards, a harp and big gong, I remember thinking "I thought this was a religious place". Later, when I came back for the meditation it was the music that touched heart and still does. Thank you for sharing. Your courage makes the world a better place to be

you are Wonderful Shelise!

Im a multi generation Mormon. Born and raised in the church and all my friends are Mormon. I’m turning 18 in less than a month and I want to leave the church. Too much blackmail, cliques, hatred, judgment, racism, abuse, covering up crimes, taking money that only goes straight to the leaders, etc. It’s a cult in my eyes. The problem with being able to leave lies in my housing and relationships. My family has never had money. We have lived with my grandparents since I was 4 and without them we would be homeless. If I leave the church I might get kicked out. My grandparents would freak on me and my parents and it would create such a hostile environment. All my friends are Mormon. If I leave I’ll more than likely lose even my best friend. I don’t think I’d be able to cope and would have to check myself into a hospital so I won’t end it. I am very medically complex. If I don’t have my parents insurance I will be THOUSANDS of dollars in debt within the first YEAR. No I cannot get a job now to save either. If I get a job my whole family loses their insurance and they’re all medically complex too. Without the church I don’t know what id do. My whole life is built upon this. I already have suicidal thoughts and have almost made attempts before. I’d probably literally kill myself without being ensured I won’t lose everyone and everything I love. Fucking hell, for a god that supposedly loves me so much he’s really a controlling asshole who lives to see people who loved him, suffer. If there is a god, I tried. I devoted my whole life. This doesn’t seem true to me. This doesn’t seem right. Mormons have dangled the 7 miscarriages my mother has had right over hers AND my face telling us that we won’t be able to see them ever again unless we conform to the group. That’s so FUCKED UP. If you really loved me and this church was true, NONE of that shit would have happened. I’m so fucking done with living, and living this lie.

The saddest thing I ever heard was my sister-in-law telling me how it makes her upset knowing her husband (my Brother) will have multiple wives in Heaven (according to the Mormon beliefs). I'm sure most men would hate thinking about their wife having multiple partners in Heaven too. Big time CULT....run!!!

Wow, I wasn’t expecting THAT ❤

Awsome sharing. Its Oct 2023 ive bee. Following you almost a year. This popped up today. Wow, how your journey has grown! You've touch the lives of many. ❤❤🎉 🎉 what a "Linda listen moment" 😊 for real!