[arconis987]

I suspect it’s better with most Christian religions, but when I left Mormonism, I felt a huge burden lifted.

It is difficult to be obedient to every last commandment in Mormonism. I would feel guilty for a multitude of small things, like forgetting to read religious texts one day, forgetting to visit my assigned home teaching family one month, simply thinking of a swear word, drinking soda with caffeine, and many other insignificant foibles. I also felt tormented by the fact that my conscience did not align with what I was told God thought was right, particularly regarding the treatment of LGBT people in Mormonism.

I became an agnostic secular humanist. My mind no longer considers my prior thought patterns healthy, and I practice mindfulness meditation to stop unnecessarily negative self-talk.

Now that I don’t have to be perfect, I can be good.