Mass exodus

150 Mormons left the church yesterday in one mass resignation ceremony. I fully understand the need for each human on the face of this earth to act according to the dictates of his or her own conscience. That's what these people were doing in asking for their records to be removed, exercising their right to choose a path for themselves. In this case, they formed a kind of brotherhood of disenchanted members to buoy them up in following through with their decision. It's also ok for me to admit that I feel sad about their choice.


Each time a person close to me has experienced feelings that lead them to leave or distance themselves from the church, it's feels to me like a limb has been clipped from my body. It's this feeling that makes reading Corinthians 12 all the more meaningful. Each member of the church is part of a larger body. Metaphorically speaking, some are the eyes, some the ears, some the hand, some the foot - but all have a place and are equally important.


When someone chooses to leave, it affects the whole body of the church. So even though I don't know anyone who was a part of the mass exodus, I still feel the loss.


I cannot and will never deter someone from acting according to their conscience or dispute their right to do so. But also, I cannot claim to rejoice at a decision that leaves so much sadness behind.