Posted by:
anon
(
)
Date: September 18, 2010 08:31AM
am certainly not complaining- just relaying my unique experience. I was first introduced to the Mormon church about a year ago after the missionaries knocked on my door, I let them in, and became intrigued with what they were teaching. I eventually went to church, and unlike what many of you write, people were not friendly to me at all. No one even said hello. I went back a second week and remember clearly saying hello to someone, and that person stared at me and turned the other way without responding. I had never been in a place where people were so rude! I quickly also learned I was quite the misfit being a 30 year old single, career driven female with two master’s degrees. I stopped going to the church and was honest with the missionaries. They apologized, continued visiting, and I expected people from the church to start their “love bombing” to no avail. Again- not complaining- just stating a fact! The missionaries continued visiting for about a month and then stopped.
About 6 months later, the missionaries showed up again and invited me to church. I told them about my experiences before. They continued to come, and I was shocked they never brought anyone from the ward with them. One, I knew they should not be visiting with me, a female lone. Secondly, I knew they were well trained in addressing investigators’ concerns, and since my number one concern was not feeling like I fit in with people at the ward, I thought the obvious step would be for them to introduce me to others. But, they didn’t. Yet, I foolishly agreed to visit the church again. Although people would say hello, after 4 weeks, I still did not know anyone’s name nor did I have a “real” conversation with anyone. I found myself in the hospital for two days, and although the missionaries called, no one from the church did. I obviously quit going to the church because it was important for me to be a part of a church with people who I could call my friends. Needless to say, no one from the church bothered me when I suddenly quit going.
Again, I am not complaining. I just am still so surprised how different my experience was compared to what is often described on this board. I did not find anyone friendly. Thankfully, I was not harassed. In fact, the missionaries were so respectful when I told them I would not be coming back to church and I thought it was not in anyone’s best interest of time to continue meeting. They did call about 3 weeks later to see if they could stop by for a quick visit but quickly stated in their phone call they did not want to talk about church- just to say hello. . .and they stuck to this agenda, and although they asked if they could stop by again, it’s been 3 weeks even since that visit--- definitely not harassment. I don’t really care what people from this cult think nor do I need to gain my identify from them. It does make me wonder, though, why they weren’t “after” me!!