Page 1 of Living for Truth (Broken Shelves #2)

“Broke My Shelf”: A term used primarily in the ex-Mormon community that describes the final event or aspect that made them want to leave the religion.

“Watch” List (Bishopric): A list of members who are inactive or members the church is concerned about. Oftentimes, this includes people who aren’t actively participating in discussions or people who don’t fit the “standard” for Mormon members.

(Church) Records: A demographic data study of the members of the church.

(Temple) Recommend: A special card which grants you access to the temple and the rituals performed there. In order to receive the recommend you have to go through a temple interview.

FLDS Church: The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, a religious sect of fundamentalist Mormonism whose members still practice polygamy. They claim to not be connected to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Holy Ghost: One of the three members of the Mormon Godhead (known as a Trinity in other religions). The Holy Ghost is supposed to act as one’s conscience and is given to someone after they have been baptized.

Mission Call: An assignment to a specific area where the person will travel and share the religion’s basic teachings to people who haven’t heard of it before or are interested in learning more.

Mission President: The leader assigned to a specific proselytizing area. Most mission presidents are wealthy, and all of them are men. They are in charge of the missionaries in that area.

Missionaries: Generally, 18-20 year old men and 19-21 year old women who are sent to specific areas for 18-24 months in order to proselyte and increase membership numbers.

Missionary Training Center: A center where missionaries are sent to learn how to be missionaries before they’re sent to their assigned areas. There are nine locations throughout the world, but the largest is in Provo, Utah.

Priesthood: The power to act in God’s name on the earth. Given only to worthy men, starting at the age of twelve.

Remnants Movement (Snufferites): The Remnant movement is about establishing a more grassroots experience of the Restoration than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offers.

That means less leadership and organization and a bigger emphasis on individual expressions of revelation.

Receiving personal visits from angels and Christ is an important part of Remnant beliefs.

The name "Remnant" refers to their idea of remaining in the full covenant, i.e.

, not the misled state they believe the Church of Jesus Christ is in. ( www.mormonr.org )

Sacrament Meeting: An hour long meeting where members eat bread and drink water to renew the covenants they made during their baptism. This is also where most ward business is announced.

Sealing Ceremony: Usually happens on a wedding day but can be performed later. It’s a ceremony that bonds people for time and all eternity.

Second Counselor in the Bishopric: All organizations in the church are made of three members, with a president, first counselor, and second counselor. The Bishopric is the head entity of the ward and holds more power than other ward members but less than the Stake Presidency.

Spiritual Giant: Someone deemed to be more spiritual than the average member. This person has held many high profile callings and is usually listened to more than others.

Stake: Each area is broken up into different sections. A stake is a larger collection of wards and branches (branches are smaller wards).

Stake Patriarch: A man given the power to give a patriarchal blessing in order to “guide” the recipient in future decisions (essentially a fortune teller). Once a man is ordained as a patriarch, he’s a patriarch for life.

Stake President: The leader of the Stake Presidency.

Temple Interview: An interview of worthiness where the bishop and the stake president determine whether or not a person is eligible to receive a temple recommend.

Temple Sealer: A man authorized to perform a temple sealing.

Ward: A congregation of members led by the bishop.

Zone Leader: A missionary appointed by the mission president to lead all of the missionaries in a specific area.