Suddenly Strangers

By Brad L. Morin

The ideal of being a rational person is to, at some point, critically examine one's own inherited beliefs. Yet, few who do take up this challenge are equipped to withstand the self-doubt and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1593301111
• ISBN13: 9781593301118
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Aventine Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Sincere, Honest and consistent with my experience

I knew nothing of this book when I picked it up, and I must say I couldn't put it down. I left the Mormon church more than 20 years ago and yet, until the last few months, had not looked closely at the reasons why I am no longer a believer. I must say my initial exodus was mostly due to an overwhelming sense of unrest and distrust. I couldn't put a finger on it, but something wasn't right ... something felt dishonest and deceitful. A few months ago a dear friend joined the Mormon church, and I subsequently lost the friendship because I am an "apostate." This loss prompted me to study and learn more about the patently absurb genesis of the religion and the contradictory teachings of its own leaders over the past 175 years (these contradictory teachings are well-documented in this book). In "Suddenly Strangers" the Morin brothers give voice to my feelings of loss and betrayal; my grief at the loss of what I believed was "the truth", and the loss of esteem of beloved friends and family members. My own dear father, a devout Mormon and a truly good man for 86 years, passed away December 30, 2005. His funeral service, held this past week, left me with a profound respect for the genuine goodness of most Mormons and their deeply-held beliefs; however, I also feel a profound sadness that these beliefs are illusions conceived by a charleton and propogated by false prophets. I only hope that my life journey will result in the peace and resolution that the Morin brothers seem to have found. Thanks for an excellent and extremely well-documented book!

Read it - if only to understand....

In the six years that I've lived in Salt Lake City, I've been struggling to figure out what motivates Mormons to act the way they do - their bizarre behavior - especially toward people who are not of their faith. This well written, fast reading book gave me insight that I haven't been able to glean from a number of similar books (mostly because they were written with what I felt was a bit to much bitterness and exaggeration). "Suddenly Strangers" has a great mix of personal history and well researched Mormon history that I think anyone wishing to just understand the Mormon behavior and thought process will find valuable.

A common story that many faithful will nevertheless deny

Think, for a moment, of your closest confidant, kindred spirit, and soul mate. Now imagine waking to find they no longer know you. They hardly recognize your face, no longer understand what you are thinking, or share your deepest feelings and greatest fears. They look at you - no, they look through you - as if you are a stranger. Though you might never guess it from the slick, family-centered commercials they air, this is the all-to-common heritage for thinking members of the Mormon Church, who take the difficult road to intellectual apostasy. "Suddenly Strangers" is the story of two brothers who were raised in Utah, in an "all-American family" complete with doting mother, devoted father, loyal siblings, and a deep attentiveness to their religious faith. It's hard to think of a more fitting picture than sun-speckled boys and girls working the family farm during the week while attending their deep religious Mormon faith, members of arguably the most successful and fastest-growing American-born religion. Theirs is the story of courageous intellectual strength resulting in their eventual departure from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and subsequent journey into that realm where family and friends became, suddenly, strangers. Few religions castigate their apostates as viciously as does the Mormon Church. Those who dare leave discover siblings and once-close friends who now view them contemptuously as misguided at best, and lost souls, or Sons of Perdition, at worst. It is a legacy of shattered familial relationships and lost friends. Parents grieve with despair at the thought of spiritual consequences darker than death. Local congregations whisper quietly while busybodies speculate about the cause of such wickedness in their mists, and wonder in awe at what great sin (was it adultery or fornication?) lead the apostate to lose his way and succumb to the temptations of the devil. It's a tale as old as the church itself, but this story loses its effectiveness in the abstract, antiseptic environment of statistics and detached descriptive verse. This is a story that truly can only be lived. For everyone else there are the heart-felt stories of people like Brad and Chris who, through their engaging accounts, have offered us a the opportunity to see life through the eyes of just two of many fine and honest intellectuals who finally found the courage to say "No." "No" to the lies, and "no" to the deception. In reading this book, you will experience the early exuberance of being a member of the "only true church," content to accept without question whatever your leaders tell you. You'll follow the metamorphosis from unquestioning sheep to thoughtful and critical explorer. Through these pages you will experience the simultaneous despair of learning a lifetime of indoctrination was based on lies, while at the same time learning the un-paralleled exuberance of finally being free to let your intellect soar. And through it all you will see t

Clear, competent, articulate -- a masterpiece.

Among books on Mormonism, this would rate six stars if that many were available. The two brother-authors take you inside Mormonism, present and past, from two honest and intelligent viewpoints. You'll live with them through their upbringing, family life, missionary years, rearing of children. They'll walk you through an unusually masterful presentation of inconsistencies, contradictions and conundrums within the Mormon world (which I know well, having been in it from birth, still a member of record active on an infrequent basis).Though the church's astonishingly massive lying is clearly and accurately exposed, it is done with understanding, not rancor or bitterness. Sordid reality is documented alongside of the wonderfully enchanting positive side that so many Mormons experience and that most public-relations descriptions feature.This is poignant, powerful, lyrical writing, not ordinarily to be expected from a couple of "numbers-people," not "word-people." That is, an experienced reader would guess something other than math & science as the academic training of these surprisingly gifted writers.For those who want a candid and clear view of the best and worst of Mormonism, there is no better book. This spectacular presentation is, without exaggeration, simply in a class by itself. (And, no, I've never met them and have no connection with them.)

Apostates?

Disclaimer: I am a friend of Brad and Chris.We Mormons have an image of apostates. It is not very flattering. One of the main ingredients in being an apostate must certainly be sin. Surely, anyone who leaves the Church must either be currently involved in serious sin or desire to be so. This will sufficiently darken his mind that he will either lose his testimony of the Church (if he ever had one), or he will become so depraved as to fight against the Church even while continuing to know that it is true, thus "denying the existence of the sun at noon day"."Suddenly Strangers" challenges this notion. It gives us an example of two brothers growing up in a large Mormon family that is totally devoted to the Church. Through the influence of their parents, siblings, the Church, and their own innate characters, Brad and Chris learn to love that which is good and right and true. At the age of 19, they serve two-year missions for the Church teaching others about the Gospel. For years thereafter, they continue to serve the Church in various "callings". Sometimes questions about the Church emerge, but they are never thought to challenge the truthfulness of the Church. Perhaps there are things we just can't understand right now about the Gospel and the actions of our leaders. Eventually, however, the shelves and shelves of unanswered questions become too full and must be faced head on. This leads to an unexpected journey through confusion, doubt, and pain.When Brad and Chris eventually tell their families and friends of their decision to leave the Church, they find themselves "suddenly strangers". Some who have known them all their lives and respected their goodness suddenly see them as evil; hide your women and children, here come Brad and Chris. It is decided that they must be evil, wicked men based not on any evidence whatsoever to that effect, but merely because they have chosen to leave the Church. And surely that is proof enough that there must be something terribly wrong with them.Over time, some of these initial reactions have begun to soften. If there was a sudden darkening of minds, perhaps it was not those of Brad and Chris, and perhaps, now, light is beginning to return.In my opinion, Brad and Chris Morin, by providing a glimpse into their own lives, have given us important insight into the lives of many others who have left or will leave the Church.