Welcome and Introduce Yourself / Bienvenido y Preséntate
Join the Community and Share Your Journey (Únete a la Comunidad y Comparte tu Viaje)
Here are some questions to get started. Feel free to copy and paste in to the comments. Share as much or as little as you’d like.
What’s your name or pseudonym?
Hi, I’m Eva Rebollar!
What is one thing that made you decide to leave LLDM? (I know it’s complicated)
I left LLDM originally because my health was deteriorating in trying to be/do everything that was asked of me. What I contributed never seemed to be enough. I never seemed to be enough.
What’s one rewarding part of your journey so far?
The most rewarding part has been learning some things humanity knows so far about the world and universe.
What are some tools or resources have helped you?
Reading, re-defining family, and therapy has been incredibly helpful for me.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before leaving?
I wish I knew there is great pain in the process and it’s ok to feel pain.
How do you spend your free time now?
I enjoy reading, gardening, going on nice long walks in my free time.
What are you looking forward to in the future?
I’m looking forward to experiencing what I’ve yet to experience. In other words adventures I can’t even imagine yet.
What advice would you give to someone considering leaving LLDM?
My advice is all the magic you have experience so far is yours to keep. You can and will bring that with you into you next chapters.
What’s one thing you’re proud of since leaving?
I’m proud of completing my bachelor’s degree over two decades from my high school graduation.
Aquí tienes algunas preguntas para empezar. Siéntete libre de copiar y pegar. Comparte tanto o tan poco como desees.
¿Cuál es tu nombre o seudónimo?
¡Hola, soy Eva Rebollar!
¿Cuál es una cosa que te hizo decidir dejar LLDM? (Sé que es complicado)
Originalmente dejé LLDM porque mi salud se estaba deteriorando al tratar de ser/hacer todo lo que se me pedía. Lo que contribuía nunca parecía ser suficiente. Yo nunca parecía ser suficiente.
¿Cuál es una parte gratificante de tu viaje hasta ahora?
La parte más gratificante ha sido aprender algunas cosas que la humanidad sabe hasta ahora sobre el mundo y el universo.
¿Cuáles son algunas herramientas o recursos que te han ayudado?
Leer, redefinir la familia y la terapia han sido increíblemente útiles para mí.
¿Qué es una cosa que desearías haber sabido antes de irte?
Desearía haber sabido que hay un gran dolor en el proceso y que está bien sentir dolor.
¿Cómo pasas tu tiempo libre ahora?
Disfruto leyendo, jardineando y dando largas caminatas en mi tiempo libre.
¿Qué esperas del futuro?
Espero experimentar lo que aún no he experimentado. En otras palabras, aventuras que ni siquiera puedo imaginar.
¿Qué consejo le darías a alguien que está considerando dejar LLDM?
Mi consejo es que toda la magia que has experimentado hasta ahora es tuya para mantener. Puedes y llevarás eso contigo en tus próximos capítulos.
¿De qué estás orgulloso desde que te fuiste?
Estoy orgullosa de haber completado mi licenciatura más de dos décadas después de mi graduación de la escuela secundaria.
What is one thing that made you decide to leave LLDM? (I know it’s complicated)
I left LLDM because I became more aware that my values did not align with what the church stood for. My sexuality is not accepted but more than that I felt like I didn't belong and I started to see the world with kinder eyes. This practice allowed me to see that LLDM was damaging me and I had to leave if I was to survive.
What’s one rewarding part of your journey so far?
How much I am discovering about myself.
What are some tools or resources have helped you?
Therapy has been helpful. I did need medications at some point for some period of time. I am proud to say I have worked through most of it though it was not easy.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before leaving?
I wish I knew more about mental health. The church dismisses mental health illness as does Latino culture. Had I known what I was experience was a mental health crisis, I would've sought help sooner.
How do you spend your free time now?
I am learning ASL, I practice gymnastics as a hobby and I play in a Volleyball league.
What are you looking forward to in the future?
Launching a new career and a commitment to lifelong learning.
What advice would you give to someone considering leaving LLDM?
Make the leap. You will feel so empowered after you exit.
What’s one thing you’re proud of since leaving?
Practicing building healthy relationships.
Hi, Epistemic Amoeboid here.
I left LLDM in 2019 when, for the first time in my life, I allowed myself to acknowledge the doubts I had accumulated over my life in LLDM. And through this time of reflection, I found that I (personally speaking) didn't have enough reasons to believe in God, let alone LLDM's doctrine.
My advice for your post LLDM journey is:
1) Leaving LLDM (or perhaps even Christianity) might give you the impression that you no longer know what is right and wrong, good and evil. But I believe you don't need LLDM's doctrine per se to educate yourself on what's right and wrong. For the vast majority of ethical issues, I believe you can trust your gut, your intution, your feelings. So would you, an exLLDM know that stealing is wrong or that helping other is good? Yes. You just know, your concious if you will, your human intution tells you so. So you're not as lost as you might feel. You'll still need more education, but you do know the basics.
2) When you leave LLDM, you get the urgency of telling your family and friends LLDM is not the real deal, to put it mildly. And you might even want to begin unveling LLDM's fallacy by pointing out Naason's case. But I would suggest you not do this. Knowing that LLDM is not the real deal might have made you forget that presenting any adverse information or content against the "servant of God" is seen as a threat. So when you begin to tell your family and friends LLDM is not the real deal and present them the damning evidence against Naason, they'll likely see you as a threat. Or worse, they might just disown you. My advice is to play the long game: Show your friends and family that a meaningful, purposeful, life, a life worth living is possible outside LLDM. With time, and some work, if they're ready to question LLDM, you'll be there for them. So rather than pushing them out, show them the way out of LLDM.
I'm looking forward to hearing more from others and their journeys, and seeing us forge a better future.