Out of Mormonism: A Woman's True Story [Paperback]

Judy Robertson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2001

When Judy and Jim Robertson felt a spiritual void in their lives, they found ""the finest people in the world"" to embrace them and a beautifully packaged religion to entice them. Once drawn into Mormonism, they quickly climbed to leadership positions and became worthy temple Mormons, only to become disillusioned with the teaching and demands of the LDS church. From her unique insider's viewpoint, Judy shares her life as a Mormon woman, her rediscovery of the Jesus of the Bible, and how she and Jim found freedom as they left the LDS church in the face of persecution and confrontation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Balanced and nonoffensive... recommend it as a conversation starter with Mormon women as well as a ready reference for readers." -- CBA Marketplace, Aug. 2001

"thorough analysis of Mormon teachings versus Christian truths…useful resource for witnessing to others in need of guidance." -- Christian Retailing, Aug. 20, 2001

About the Author

Judy Roberston is an author, speaker, teacher, and cofounder of Concerned Christians, an outreach ministry to Mormons and an equipping arm to the body of Christ. She and her husband live in Arizona.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Bethany House; Reprinted edition (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764226045
• ISBN-13: 978-0764226045
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #311,407 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

150 of 170 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a very important book!, March 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Out of Mormonism: A Woman's True Story (Paperback)

I feel like I have a very legitimate perspective from which to post this review. I was born a Mormon woman to extremely orthodox and true believing Mormon parents. The Mormon church was my life. I married in a Mormon temple, bore children very quickly and participated in every way a Mormon woman can. I held almost as high a position in the Mormon church that a woman can.

I related to this book so much. It helped me re-examine my life as a Mormon woman and the feelings of inadequacy I had. I felt controlled, put down, patronized, etc. However, I kept smiling and playing the game. I eventually began to study and see things for what they really were. I made a very hard and gut-wrenching decision to leave the church. I lost my family. I lost my friends. But as I made the transition, the light started to come on. The sun came out. The beauty of life that I'd missed for 40 years came through.

I've seen it from both sides, a place most of the reviewers of this book have never been. I remember the persecution complexes I had when I perceived people as "bashing" the Mormon church who were only trying to point people in the right direction.

Please read this book if you are really interested in what it is like to be a Mormon woman.

102 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting journey into, through, and out of Mormonism, January 14, 2005

By 

Arthur Digbee (Indianapolis, IN, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Out of Mormonism: A Woman's True Story (Paperback)

This is an interesting personal story of a woman's experience entering and then leaving the Church of Latter-Day Saints. It is not hate-filled or anti-Mormon, though I suppose some Saints will inevitably view it this way. I would say the tone is more one of sadness, as Robinson has become an evangelical Christian who believes that the LDS Church is seriously wrong. Some readers will find Robinson's current religious beliefs unnecessarily intrusive or "preachy," though they play an important role in her personal journey.

Other authors do a better job talking about Mormon history or theology, so I wouldn't read this book as an "expose" or as an analysis of LDS doctrine. Instead, read it as a valuable first-person account of an experience with the church and its members. Robinson is only one person, so her experience may or may not be typical.

First, Robinson provides a very interesting narrative of how she was attracted to Mormonism in the first place. It's interesting to see a first-hand account of how the LDS Church moves in on people who express interest in their faith, and who share the kind of family values that the church emphasizes.

Second, Robinson provides an interesting introduction to the LDS Church as experienced by a new member. One of her legitimate frustrations, and the start of her doubt, was the extensive use of secret rites. As a result, she felt that she was subject to social pressure to go along with beliefs that were first presented as part of a "public" (in the temple) rite. She also describes some Mormon rites that I found theologically shocking; some of these rites have since been changed, though it's not clear from this book whether the underlying doctrines have been changed.*

Third, she tells us how she and her husband left Mormonism, and the hostility that this produced in their former friends. It would be nice if the LDS church could reflect on its attitude toward those who feel they must leave the church, it would reduce the bitterness that many ex-Mormons feel. Again, Robinson's account is valuable and it does not seem that unusual.

In short, this is a good personal account of a journey into, through, and out of Mormonism. I think both insiders and outsiders will find it interesting and worthy of reflection.

--
*Addendum in January 2008: I was coy in the original review, but one of these secret rites includes a play in which Jesus and Satan are presented as brothers, an issue that Mike Huckabee raised in the presidential race. Perhaps some LDS members can tell us whether this is (or was) part of the baptismal ceremony, as Robertson reports.

168 of 210 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Resource, September 5, 2001

By 

mjanke - See all my reviews

This review is from: Out of Mormonism: A Woman's True Story (Paperback)

OUT OF MORMONISM tells the autobiographical story of Judy Robertson's experience in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The book exists to lend a personal face to the plethora of Mormonism resources that are out there.

Robertson's story is worth reading. She grew up in the (orthodox) Christian church but because of a lack of Biblical grounding she found herself drawn into Mormonism with her family, thanks to the LDS's emphasis on family and morals. At first it was a blissful life, but things began to sour when some of the deeper truths about Mormon doctrine were learned, and when her and her husband were sealed in the temple ceremony (an experience that shocked her to her core). Eventually she became so disillusioned with the discrepancies between Mormon doctrine and the Bible that she found the courage to leave the church, and she now runs and outreach to Mormons with her husband.

If you know someone who is struggling with some of Mormonism's teachings, this might be a good resource to give them. It's pretty even-handed and not antagonistic (unlike some other books on this church). The only issues I take with it are literary. Robertson isn't the best writer and as a result her story, which should've been profoundly moving, seems a little forced and impersonal. It's a powerful testimony, but it could've been told better if a different writer would've handled it. A similar book, BEYOND MORMONISM, by James Spencer, I found to be much more effective, personal, and moving. I would look for BEYOND MORMONISM first, if pursuing a book of this nature, but OUT OF MORMONISM is not a bad choice by any means. It speaks the truth and does so in a straight-foreword and loving manner, and hopefully it will be a powerful tool to reach the lost for Christ. THREE 1/2 STARS.