Posted by:
Ex-CultMember
(
)
Date: January 28, 2014 09:31AM
Unless you absolutely want to experience mission life for some reason I see know reason for you to go at this point. To me you are only procrastinating the inevitable. Not only that, but you are now going to make dozens of new church "friends" on your mission who you are going to have to leave too.
I would think leaving a mission early is far more dishonorable than not going at all. I would just tell your Bishop and parents you decided you were not ready and had serious doubts about the religion in general. The temple ceremony would be the perfect excuse since you just went through and it IS very troublesome even for most Mormons! They just don't express their doubts to each other because its supposed to be so "wonderful!"
I would tell them
1) You can't reconcile the fact that it appears to be plagiarized from the Masonic ceremony (which Joseph Smith joined just 2 months before he introduced the endowment ceremony)
http://packham.n4m.org/mason-endow.htm2) It's seems weird and cultish and felt like a clubhouse or fraternity ceremony.
3) You have a hard time believing it came from God and you did NOT feel the spirit there.
Tell them your decision not to go is YOUR choice since your are an ADULT. Tell them you don't "feel" right about going on a mission.
Tell the you have PRAYED fervently and in none of your prayers do you FEEL good about going on a mission.
If they keep pushing tell them you thought the church was a volunteer organization and that they don't force people against their own agency. It's YOUR life and OTHER people don't get to choose it for you!
Tell them you need a little time and then I would move out and rent a cheap, shared house or crash at someone's place so that you can get away from all that drama and pressure. Once you do you will feel so much more free and be SOOOO glad you didn't give into the pressure to go on a mission. Make some non-member friends to be your new life and support network.
Start a new life outside the wacky little insignificant Mormon bubble.