You May Already Be A Reform Mormon

Does any of the information you've read about Reform Mormonism make sense to you? If so, let me be the first to welcome you as a Reform Mormon. It may come as a surprise to you to be called that, and you may reject it; that is your choice. However, as you consider what it takes to become a Reform Mormon, you will soon see that you may very well already be one. You can become a Reform Mormon regardless of your present religion. It doesn't matter if you are Mormon, LDS, Christian, Pagan, Muslim, Buddhist or Jewish. You do not have to give up your present religion to become a Reform Mormon, or any of your ways of thinking or traditions. There is no ceremony that you must participate in to become a Reform Mormon. The process is one that occurs within you, between you and God. While you may choose to congregate with others who share your religious views, or to experience Reform Mormon ritual, you do not have to. You do not have to renounce anything. You do not have to leave anything. There is nothing to give up, or to stop doing. There is nothing you must start doing. There is no oath you must take, and there are no promises you must make. Reform Mormonism is about thinking. You are a Reform Mormon when you think it. You don't even have to say it. You might think it and never say it; that's OK. For those who are LDS who think they are Reform Mormon: you might be afraid that the LDS church will excommunicate you if you were to "come out" as a Reform Mormon. That may be true. Keep in mind that Reform Mormonism does not require you to leave the LDS faith to become a Reform Mormon, but the LDS church acts with their own reasoning when disciplining their members. If you have read and understood the ideas behind Reform Mormonism, you know that regardless of what they may do, they do not have the power to come between you and God. No one has this ability. The great news is that, for thousands and thousands of people who felt disfranchised by orthodox Mormonism, who felt they were disconnected from it, or that it was disconnected from them, who felt that it no longer was in harmony with what they believed to be important in life, who felt it had no more to offer them, who felt it had rejected them, who felt it had hurt them - to all of these people, the great news is that it's OK to be Mormon again. Here is a Mormonism that will not hurt you, will not judge or reject you, has much to offer you, wants you to experience joy in your life, and, most importantly, wants you to progress and connect with God. And that God is within you already. Welcome home. There are thousands and thousands of Reform Mormons in the world today. Some of them will tell you that they are; others will keep it to themselves. No one knows exactly how many there are, because there is no reason to tabulate that. Reform Mormonism doesn't "keep records" on you like the LDS church; your Reform Mormon record is in your mind, it is your record of your progression with God, and it goes with you, wherever you go. You don't have to "send" for it. It is intimate and detailed. It is full of great things. Its future is overwhelmingly bright and full of joy. It belongs to no one but you. It's possible that you have many, many more questions about Reform Mormonism. Pursuit of those questions is one of the purposes of life. Pick the questions that you must follow as part of your progression. See where they lead you. Some of them may lead you to share what you find with others; if this is the case, pursue those avenues. Reform Mormonism is not an evangelical movement, but all things that bring good into people's lives ultimately develop a way of getting around. Feel free to write about what you find, and to publish it for others to read. If asked to speak about it, do not be afraid to represent it. You are as powerful an ambassador of Reform Mormonism as any other child of God; use the power within you and do what you are called to do. Others who discover the joy and restoration found within it will thank you for your efforts. Remember to do so only with respect, and when knowledge is requested. Reform Mormonism is not out to convert the world. There would be no purpose in that; it would eliminate many of the important opportunities for growth that lie before us. We share our point of view as a path for those for whom it has appeal. We do not seek to divert others who are happily on other paths. All paths lead to God; our path is one we have carved for ourselves; we cannot share our individual path to God, but we can share ideas about how to explore paths to God, and how to have joy in the process. There is still much to learn. Perhaps the time has come for you to begin to explore, to discover new truths, to carve your unique path in life. This path will focus on you, but will also involve other people. Remember that our role with others is always to assist; never to control or dominate. If you are able to assist your fellow man, then do so. The existence here is short, and it can be very valuable to you. Resist the urge to turn control over to others; insist upon developing your own ability to think and learn; explore idleness only occasionally; impart love to others, and to God - to yourself. Your destiny lies beyond this experience, in a place where your knowledge and faith combine to form an unimaginable creative power. Use your time here to learn how to gain knowledge and faith, and, thereby, experience joy. That is the agenda. That is the plan. That is why we are here. This is not news to you. Nothing being said here is new. It is old, and you are merely returning to it. A marvelous work and a wonder is occurring - you are experiencing a restoration. We enjoy the feeling that restoration brings: the sense of completion and harmony, the nostalgia of return, the joy at observing the process play out.