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Show BY STEFANIE AREVALO /STAFF WRITER PHOTO PRESTON ZUBAL ale Thorne III knew he was ready to leave The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "I realized one day that I was so bored with being Mormon, that I had lost any faith I had," he said. "For me, the church was no longer true. I needed to find out who I was away from being Mormon. I needed to find my own faith and be the person I wanted to be." Postmos, a support group in Salt Lake City, helped with Thorne's transition out of the LDS Church. The group hosts Sunday socials at Kafeneio Coffeehouse, as well as a number of other events, directed to those leaving the LDS faith. Meetings are intended to be an open space in which former members can discuss the LDS Church and other topics, as well as to have a support network of individuals in a similar situation. "I wanted to be able to share a similar experience with a group that understood the background I was leaving," Thorne said. "We have talked about everything from God, to government, to drinking. And there is no topic we can't discuss." Devout members of the LDS Church adhere to a standard of health that prohibits the consumption of alcohol and elicit drugs. Natalie Smith, a freshman in psychology, was similarly shocked at the culture in Utah. Having come from another state, she said the difference is like "walking on eggshells," especially when it comes to alcohol. "In one of my classes, I was talking about how excited I was to turn 21 and go to a bar for the first time," Smith said. "Several people in the class, who I later learned were Mormon, gave me the worst looks. I felt like I was such a bad person for wanting to go out and drink." Kalem Brayley moved from the California bay area to Utah while transitioning out of the Mormon Church. Brayley didn't use a support group like Thorne did with Postmos. "I left the church because there were too many things that required my questioning," he said. "There were too many loose ends that I could not find straight answers to." Brayley now identifies his past self as a "Peter Priesthood." His family remains involved in the LDS Church, and he said he was expected to follow suit. "In a way it was an expectation for me to serve a mission, marry in the temple, have children and grow up to be just like my dad," Brayley said. "Unfortunately, following this path makes it harder to leave the church." Brayley and his wife left the LDS Church at the same time. He said this makes him lucky. "Our marriage may not have survived if she had thought differently," he said. "Most marriages are not strong enough to endure such a huge change like that." Thorne's marriage, however, ended because of his dissolution with the LDS Church. "It puts a lot of strain on a relationship when you end the `eternal' part of a marriage," Thorne said. Kevin Whited, who lives outside of Salt Lake, travels to the Postmos meetings to discuss his feelings of the transition in his faith. "I feel like I was suffering from `True Believer Syndrome' and that whatever the Mormon faith told me was true, I believed," he said. "Doubt and questioning is so important to finding who you are." Thorne's experience in Postmos, like Whited, ultimately helped him find a new sense of self. "When I left, I had to reevaluate my life away from the church," Thorne said, "and come to a position that was purely my own." s.arevalo@chronicle.utah.edu @ArevaloStefani G 8 { THECHRONY I NEWS I OPINION I ARTS I SPORTS I WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1 2014 } old Gruttig Tatilebrat ktly GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH FINDING DIVERSITY PHOTOS PRESTON ZUBAL Although those new to Utah might first notice the prevalence of LDS Church buildings dotting suburban street corners and popping up on city blocks, Salt Lake City is home to many religions. Take a look at the architecture of these cathedrals, because they are integral parts of Utah's history and culture. The Cathedral of the Madeleine (middle) was finished in 1909, the Holy Trinity Cathedral (top) was built in 1923, and The First Presbyterian Church of Salt Lake City (bottom) was formally dedicated in 1906. STARTING A CONVERSATION BY KYLEE EHMANN /STAFF WRITER PHOTO COURTESY OF ORDAIN WOMEN I he words "Ordain Women" covered the front pages of newspapers in June and July. But even with summer fading, the group hasn't cooled its efforts. Ordain Women, an organization advocating for gender equality in the priesthood of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gained national attention this year after its founder, Kate Kelly, was excommunicated in June. Kristy Money, chairperson for Ordain Women's Community Support Committee, said she is surprised by the amount of support for the group, especially after Kelly was excommunicated. "Kelly galvanized people who were on the fence': Money said. "A lot of people didn't think it was fair, what happened to her." Eric Gutowski, an undeclared sophomore and a member of the LDS Church, said he knows the basics of the Ordain Women group but hasn't formed an opinion yet. "I definitely need to do more research and read more articles:' Gutowski said. "But for me, personally, I'm a feminist, and I definitely support girls doing their thing:' The Ordain Women group has grown since its inception and launched an international platform earlier this month. However, some say Ordain Women is an apostate group, meaning they disobey cardinal gospel teachings. Money has felt this opposition firsthand. She said many in her family have not been supportive of her decision to align with the group. But she believes gender equality is not incompatible with the LDS Church. "I believe that feminism is informed by my Mormon upbringing," she said. Despite the stress of losing familial relationships, Money said the movement has been worth it. "The most rewarding aspect of it is the hope that the movement has instilled in me that Mormonism will be more inclusive for my daughter': she said. Money said people are taught different things about gender roles in the LDS Church but should ultimately do what is "healthiest" for their personal values. "Hold true to the values you're taught as young men and women and hold in there': she said. "I haven't had to abandon older values, and I've been able to utilize them for standing up for what I feel is right." Sarah Bowers, a freshman in political science and international politics, said she is no longer an active member of the LDS Church but was raised according to the principles. "I definitely think that women should be equal; she said. "But the LDS religious doctrine is very patriarchal, which I really dislike': Ordain Women plans for its members to watch broadcasts of the priesthood session of the LDS Church's General Conference this Saturday at local stake centers of the Mormon Church. The priesthood session is one of six segments of General Conference and is specifically aimed toward men. The group is focusing on this session because women can't hold the priesthood or attend the men's meeting in person at the Conference Center on Oct. 4. They will tweet and Instagram the event. "For me, personally, I want to demonstrate my readiness for the priesthood:' Money said. In addition to pushing for the priesthood, Money said, the group is also working on race and culture issues. They plan to start with discussions. k.ehmann@chronicle.utah.edu @Ehmannky 9 |