My church resume (as I shall call it) is absolutely Siiiick.
Both of my parents have held every ward and stake level calling under the sun: Stake President, Stake Executive Secretary, Bishop, Seminary teacher (for 13 years!), Stake Relief Society President, Relief Society President, Young Women's President, Primary President, Gospel Doctrine Teacher, just to name a few. My grandfather (dad's side) was the Stake Patriarch for my whole life until he died. My dad's parents also held just about every local leadership calling.
I'm pioneer stock. My ancestors crossed the plains in the snow. Those mormons that went and settled the western United States are my great great greats. Heck, one guy in my family tree was the carpenter for the first odometer so pioneers could track how fair they traveled. I did a handful of middle school history projects on them and one or two on major early church leaders.
I've held callings as class president in nearly every class, served as the dreaded ward chorister, and even spent some time in the Young Women's Presidency. I somehow managed to dodge working in Primary as a young adult. (We all know that I needed the practice working with children, since my main purpose in life should be to get married, rely on my husband for all forms of sustainment, and raise kids.) I received my Young Women's medallion in high school. My mom helped me do some pretty awesome projects for it.
My sister also has her Young Women's medallion, has participated in just as much as me, and served in stake level YSA (Young Single Adult) callings. Both of my brothers are Eagle Scouts, returned missionaries, and married in the temple. All of us kids graduated with at least an average of 95% attendance in Seminary.
Being an active Mormon my whole life also means that the minimum amount of time I've spent at church on a Sunday is 3 hours. Add on the youth firesides, weekly youth activities, 6am seminary every day of high school, youth dances, summer and winter youth conferences, youth temple trips, ward parties, yearly week at summer girls' camp, institute classes, Church Educational System firesides, YSA family home evenings, YSA conferences, YSA dances (*eye twitch*). Throw in some service projects. Sprinkle on a fairly large amount of personal study. Tack on some leadership training for a few of my callings. General Conference adds up to be 10 hours over the course of a weekend. (GC happens every 6 months.) We're talkin' about a serious amount of my time here. So much time and energy has gone into making me a world-class Mormon.
Despite all this, I'm leaving.
So why leave? Well, the answer is not simple. There is no singular incident that has caused me to ignore all the things I've listed above. I'm still formulating that answer in my brain.
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he shall not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
My poor father. He has been a faithful member his entire life and did everything he could do to teach me to be one too. I'm sure he feels he has failed somehow, but he shouldn't. I am a smart and successful young adult, and I'm starting to realize that I've got a few good things going for me. I know he's still proud of me. I know he still loves me, but sometimes I sense a certain sadness beneath it all.
--Lady Jae
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