this I used to believe

I while ago I read this blog post on The Mormon Child Bride and it sort of stuck with me and today I thought I'd add my demons and misconceptions to the list. 

1 - I used to believe that if I died in my current single state, the only way I'd make it into to heaven* was through an arranged polygamous marriage.

2 - I used to believe that my divinity was tied to my fertility.

3 - I used to believe a man could never love me unless I was both perfect and subservient to him.

4 - I used to believe that women were better than men - more spiritual and incapable of going to hell. And that men were less spiritual, somehow accountable for "the sins of their generation" and yet inherently smarter and better suited to leadership.

5 - I used to believe that if I was good enough and loving enough that I would be blessed with the perfect life that I wanted.

6 - I used to believe that capitalism was ordained of God.

7 - I used to believe that the Church welfare program was perfect and that all government welfare programs were inherently insidious and corrupt.


Like Nephi said, "I don't know the meaning of all things" (1 Nephi 11:17) but there are a few things that I know for sure and I build on those. Some of these have cultural bases and others doctrinal but to my knowledge are found nowhere in scripture and the result of misinterpretation and speculation. If the devil teaches us the philosophies of men mingled with scripture, I think that these qualify as such. And I document these fallacies here to remind myself of that these are ideas to be questioned, not relied on.

What lies have you carried around?


* I use the terms heaven and hell quite loosely here, as we Mormons have an incredibly nuanced of view of the afterlife that I make no claims of understanding fully.