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Wow, I can totally feel for your wife. Leaving the LDS faith was one of the hardest things I have ever done. My family thinks it is because I love sin, that I’m a drinker or something perhaps sexual- it’s just too hard for them to think I don’t believe Mormonism.

My family still loves me, and two of my sisters have also left Mormonism as well as several nieces and nephews. No cousins or aunts and uncles have left that I know of. I am still included in family events at Church or family reunions, but I am an outsider. My family has been pretty great when compared to others.

Then their is the issue of community. In Utah, especially Southern Utah and parts of Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, Nevada, the LDS Church IS the community. It helps if you can become involved in School events or sports. My husband and I became really involved in baseball. He was the President of Babe Ruth Baseball and I was secretary and served on the board for many years. We have also been highly involved in competitive archery. Still, I had a longing for my family of worshippers. I truly didn’t find that home until I became Christian, and even then it took several years to find a congregation where I was comfortable and belonged. Coming from Mormonism, the rock music and casual dress of contemporary worship had to grow on me, but it finally did.

The biggest change - and the most important change, is the heart change that happens when you admit that you sin and that you are incapable of NOT sinning. You’ve made a mess of your life, and you can’t really blame anyone else. You cry out to Jesus in longing to be free of sin. Many Mormons cannot readily admit that they sin, but we ALL do!

Once you realize that you can’t be perfect, then you can truly cry out for forgiveness. I didn’t have a perfect understanding of Jesus Christ when I cried out for forgiveness, but I knew that He had died on that cross, and that his death meant something really important. Millions of people have givin their lives to Christ because of that cross. He took their sins upon himself and because of His sacrifice your sins were removed...forever....if you have faith.

The very instance I recognized that I was free of the penalties of sin and I owed it to Jesus Christ, I turned my life over to Him. My main goal in life was to live a life in honor to Him - Not for what it would gain for me, but becasue I loved Him so much I couldn’t even fathom hurting Him by turning my back upon His sacrifice for me.

Of course sometimes I fail. He knew I would, yet He made a way to show us His perfect love and also to satisfy the justice that our sins demand. My life has changed. My life in Christ is worth more to me than family, friends, FR or conservatism or even my country - even though I love all those things - my love for the Savior who died to set me free has chained me to Him in devotion.

I no longer think of what I will gain if I am good, but I think of how HE will be glorified by my acts. I feel complete joy in knowing He loves me, and that I am in His Kingdom right now, for all eternity! Now THAT is my faith!