As a former primary president, I helped indoctrinate many children. I often wonder how small chldren and/or young teens feel when they are suddenly removed from their friends and the teachings. We really didn't give our kids much explanation (we left in the early 80's), but like a dumbass I went back again in the 90's. Though our kids are all grown up now I wonder how all that shaped their lives. Anybody else wonder?

My own children were not affected as they were aged 5 and 3 when I left the church.

I"m sure you did shape the lives of your children. But you did what you thought was best at the time. If they can see that, they won't hold it against you I'm sure.

when I told them what I knew about the church two years ago. I love history and even when the kids were little, the stories I told them were usually true history stories, made interesting. So I told them first about the Mormon historical weirdness, talked about other mind-control stuff throughout history like in Nazi Germany without mentioning Mormonism and talked to them about whether things were "logical". Someone here on this board recommended I ask my KIDS what they thought so I often said "What do you think about this or that?" and let them tell me instead of me telling them what to think.

My son once said "It's weird, I just a while ago I was on the fast track to success as a Mormon, just got set apart as a deacon, was 1st counselor in the quorum, working on my Scouting going toward my Eagle and now I'm like on the outside." I told him if that bothered him I'd take him back but he assured me he didn't want to go back. Seeing how fast the other boys wrote him off and how rotten the ward sisters treated me, he is really glad to be free of Mormonism. He also has always hated the idea of being manipulated and has discovered for himself how Mormonism is a hotbed of manipulation. He's very glad he doesn't have to get up early for seminary or save for a mission. He's made new friends and while he worries a bit about what his Mormon grandparents think, he's mostly OK with it.

Daughter had a bit harder time because she has a relatively large number of Mormons in her class, including the bishop's daughter and another friend has a dad in the bishopric in his ward. She has a much better time at the local Christian church we go to sometimes but also wants to still go to the fun ward activities. Since she's playing both sides of the fence a bit now, she doesn't worry as much about what the family thinks but it really, really bugs her that she can't be honest with her friends about her doubts and disbelief. She has to pretend with them and not talk about it, but she doesn't want to dump them either. I'm really hoping she'll make new friends next year at Jr. High and am very glad she has non-LDS friends in her after school activities and hope she makes some at the Christian church. (So far we've only gone to Sunday Services, which she thinks are way better than Mormon ones - she want to go to the youth group there this week.)

Anyway, I hope that I've taken the Mormon mind game and used it against them as an illustration to my children how important it is to think, reason, figure things out for themselves. I hope I've spun it into a positive thing. I guess time will tell.