Found this on another exmo forum, it just reminded me of the arrogance that is so rampant in TSCC. Sort of makes me mad!

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When I spent an hour visiting with Whitney Clayton last year (he's a family friend and I was already out of the church), he looked me straight in the eye and asked "Are you really happier outside the church?"

I smiled and said Oh yes, absolutely, no question about it. He half-smiled and said "It won't last."

Edit: Whitney Clayton is a GA, Presidency of the 70



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2014 01:18PM by Hold Your Tapirs.

I would just say, "Well call me when you Mormons stop snarfing down the anti-depressants and have your suicide rates for the youth under control."

"Experience and observation shows that happiness doesn't necessarily last inside the church either."

Might explain why a large majority of the converts abandon the faith within a year.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2014 01:29PM by crom.

squeebee Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Experience and observation shows that happiness
> doesn't necessarily last inside the church
> either."

Exactly.

Of course it won't last. Life has its ups and downs whether you're part of a religion, or not.

This is something my TBM friends and family cannot comprehend. 1) That I was miserable for many years IN the church and 2) I've never been happier since I left.

The problem is they give so much (time, talents, money, pay, pray, obey, etc etc etc) to TSCC that they convince themselves it HAS to be better than anything else in this world. It just HAS to! I've noticed that they cling to TSCC harder around me because they see my happiness and successful life OUTSIDE TSCC and think it just couldn't be! So sad.

On the other hand, since when does the 'Happiness Meter' determine what is factual, true, or good for you??? I can't stand the taste of kale and eating it does not make me happy, but it's still factually very good for me. I love the taste of Pepsi and drinking it makes me happy, but it's still factually very bad for me.

Whether or not you belong to a false religion, you will sometimes be happy and sometimes not. It's really a silly concept that TBMs are brainwashed to focus on.

"Yeah you're right. (Long face) I'm already getting sad" (guffaws of laughter)

Truthfully, for what it's worth, I'm not happier yet. Things are more stressful particularly with my wife and family.

I'm a bit obsessed with researching the church, and have been for a year at this point...

That's really just me though. I've been having a great day today, because I'm choosing to be happy and friendly.

first of all, relative. You can be happier outside the church, but still have the damage you incurred during your time in church activity (ha captivity) and so, you can appear unhappy still, even tho you are happier to be out of the church.

second of all, you can be happy with certain aspects of your life, but unhappy about others. Example, happy in your marriage but unhappy in your job, happy with your children but unhappy with your living arrangements. And...there's alot of aspects about life that are totally neutral, that I can't say I'm happy or unhappy about.

Third, it's not black and white! Mormons talk about happiness like there's some kind of switch you throw. Unhappy bam happy bam unhappy! Gaining happiness is a progression.

I really hate when mormons us any form of the word Happy because they don't even know what it means!

I know my relatives are thinking the reason I lost my job was because I am a sinning apostate. In reality, my change of jobs resulted in the company paying off stock options at an inflated price (because of an acquisition) and 9 months of severance pay. I quickly got another job and have had two paychecks for the past 8 months. All in all I figure losing my job gained me close to $200 K. God is smiling on me, right? Oh, and yes, I’ve never been happier since leaving the cult behind.

Right. It's not going to last, because in the end you'll be wandering the streets, begging for food, with festering sores all over your body -- just like Korihor. That right there is a major reason why I could never internalize Mormonism. I don't believe in magical thinking, and I can't believe in a bogeyman god. You fail.

Exmo happiness won't last?

Interesting. I've been enjoying life away from the TSCC for almost 30 years now. More than 4 times as long as I was a member.

That was over forty years ago, and I have not regretted it for a minute.

My life has been a delight because of my decision to leave. I hope everyone is as delighted as I have been.

My only regret is the damage done in my earliest years. Thankfully, I was able to recover and prosper since my bleak and hurtful mormon childhood.

1. You wish
2. I'll take my chances
3. Quit projecting
4. How Christian of you
5. I didn't say I was going back to church
6. Have you always been an axxhole or were you born that way?
7. If you left the church too you wouldn't say such a thing

Why would anyone say such a thing except out of spite or hate? Who wishes misfortune or sadness on someone? If someone said that to me, I would never want to associate with him or her again. I also wouldn't care if they had the hope for me that my happiness wouldn't last because I would know better. And being out of and away from church has given me immeasurable happiness that going back would feel like a death sentence.

Love the comebacks! And yes, we all should stay as far away as possible from people who wish us ill, which includes lots of TBMs.

I've had more happiness and peace since I left than I had in the previous decades. There has been sadness about having dedicated most of my life to a lie, and anger about how I've been treated, but those are residual emotions based on past events. The present is great!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2014 03:34PM by stbleaving.

Mormonism took my childhood, and I took my adulthood. Guess which part of my life has been happier.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2014 05:30PM by donbagley.

(reply to the first post..)

Being an exmo has nothing to do with it. All lives have challenges, sooner or later; that is the whole point of it! Why would God intentionally fix such challenges when that is why we're here in the first place?

Eckhart Tolle: »The many things that "go wrong" in your life are actually the greatest things, in a way even greater than the beautiful trees, because they can take you deeper. And so, to a large extent the world is here for you to experience things going wrong.»

I like that line of thinking.. it's all about how we face those challenges. Praying may comfort oneself (and, indeed, in a spiritual way), but I very much doubt that someone would intervene to fix a situation via 'miraculous' means.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2014 05:57PM by Facing Tao.

There are many, many people in this world for whom happiness is an unreachable luxury.

There are some who see happiness as a fantasy, a veil over the ugliness and horrors of life.

I'm not happy, and I wasn't happy when I was Mormon. What I am, though, is more accepting. I accept life for what it is, both good and bad. Happiness is no more character trait than any other emotion; sometimes we are comfortable and content, and sometimes we are agitated and miserable.

Like the American Dream, Perpetual Happiness is a lie. It doesn't exist. It is an unattainable goal. It's a worthless endeavor. As an ideal, the pursuit of Happiness might be, ultimately, damaging to the self, unfair to life, and socially irresponsible.

Too bad people are such kill-joys!
If it's our decision that works for us, it will last.

I was an exmo in my heart long before I resigned. Been happy as a clam since I got married to my favorite Catholic 40+ years ago.

Ron Burr

Well you might be unhappy at points. Life is what life is. However I laugh at mormons who point to someone who is an exmo that is unhappy and say the reason for their unhappiness is because they left the church. How often do those same people point to current unhappy mormons and blame the church for their unhappiness? I have had times being happy and unhappy as we all have, we our human. The church played a very little part. Also if you know it isn't true, how could you possibly be happy living a lie?

If he's right, I'd love to see data to support that.

And more, if that's true one would expect a stream of exmos asking to be rebaptized. That's not happening.

Brain biology - when you are brainwashed as per TSSC you still have those brain structures when you leave. It takes either active work or time (or both) for those structures to be changed so happiness is not always the first result. However, I have found that the farther I am away from the TSCC and the more I am with normal people, the more happiness I feel.

It is a matter of intent.

It won't last...if by "it" you mean your smugness, I agree, you are much too kind to persist in such unrighteousness.

It won't last...I agree. At some point I will graduate to pure, unadulterated JOY.

It won't last...Please articulate exactly HOW you KNOW this?