Suddenly Strangers by Brad L. Morin, Chris L. Morin
from the publisher:
The news of our unthinkable fall from grace fell hard upo the ears of those who knew us best. "What has happened to Brad?" one baffled friend asked another. "You have no idea of the seriousness of this," said someone of Chris’s transgression. "That is a more serious offense in the sight of God than murder or adultery�you don’t understand that." In surrendering our gods and spiritual heroes, we induced severe anguish and fear in family and friends. The reaction was anticipated but still genuinely troubling to us. Quite suddenly, many of those once close to us ceased to recognize the essence of who we were. Added to that was an inner turmoil that ruled and haunted our every thought. As we continued on our startling journey, we struggled with the loss of our exalted place in time and space, lamenting the disarray of our once well-ordered universe.
We are brothers who consider ourselves well brought up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormon Church. Casting off the faith of our venerable ancestors had once seemed unfathomable. Yet, the day came when nagging inconsistencies caused us to step back and take a careful look. As Mormons, we once believed that all apostates from our faith were inspired by dark desires�to be feared, to be shunned, to be spoken of in hushed voices. Now, one forbidden look began our journey into the false and damning shadows that we had once so discreetly cast upon others.
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 unsettling disorientation which may follow. The narrative of this book is that rare instance where two brothers of deep moral conviction and intelligence summon the energy and conviction to see this ordeal through to its conclusion. The end result unmasks insights of enduring power. This book has the appeal of a good mystery, and I had the same sense of satisfaction of a mystery being solved. �Heather Ashton-Summers Portland, Oregon
Chris and his wife, Connie, live in Carlinville, Illinois with their four children; Carissa, Cami, Casey, and Carly�and Cowboy, their dog. Chris is head of the Mathematics/Computer Science Department at Blackburn College, where he has been since receiving his Ph.D. in mathematics from University of Texas in 1993. He enjoys teaching, reading, and playing Go. His favorite activities include coaching or playing soccer, playing card games, chatting at the dinner table, hiking (in 2003 he went with Casey and Cami on a five-day hike into the magnificent Grand Canyon), or just about anything else that is time spent with his four exuberant children whose ages range from nine to sixteen years.
Brad left teaching in 1995, having spent time on the mathematics faculty at Brigham Young University, Northern Arizona University, and Utah Valley State College. Since then, he has kept busy in his home-office with his own software creation ProIndex, a software search engine. In 1996, at age forty-five, he married Cathy. Four years later they had three young boys. Brad’s serious interests include political and social issues, history, Go (Chris being his favorite opponent), and science. He assists with the chess club in the neighborhood elementary school, a club and school which his six-year-old son attends. Brad’s principle entertainment involves chasing around the house, yard, town, mountains, and country with his wife and three curious, active young boys.