Our lives have been one big spiritual journey! We’ve grown more through travel, entrepreneurship, and raising a family, than anything else we’ve ever done. Our beliefs about who we are, about the nature of reality, and about the purpose of life have shifted dramatically since we began traveling; and they continue to evolve as we stay open to new experiences and ideas.
We know better what makes us happy, helps us feel fulfilled, and fosters a sense of meaning, connection, and contribution in our lives. Through difficult experiences, we’ve strengthened our abilities to rise above them. And we’re learning to appreciate every moment for the miraculous gift that it is.
A Change of Faith
We were raised as devout Mormons in Salt Lake City, a unique and tight-knit culture with firm and strict boundary lines defining what’s good and bad. We grew up believing with all our hearts that the LDS church was the only true church on the earth, just as we were taught, and that every spiritual feeling we had confirmed this truth. We “knew” beyond doubt where we came from, why we were on the earth, and what would happen after we died.
A short six months into our travels, while serving in a church leadership position and pursuing spiritual growth with even more vigor, we began to realize that our measuring stick for absolute truth could be easily misinterpreted. We began a thorough reassessment of our beliefs, and soon came to the difficult conclusion that it no longer made sense to us. This led to us eventually abandoning the church of our childhood, which had both tremendously positive and negative consequences. You can read the details of this journey, how and why we made this choice, and where it’s led us, in Brandon’s popular document:
