Much of the discussion we have here is centered in how the church damaged us in one way or another. I, personally, wasn’t damaged that much but I will forever wince at how gullible I was. I swallowed the whole of Mormonism hook, line and sinker. My experience, however, wasn’t as damaging as many of you indicate. Apparently, I got off easy.

In examining the twists and turns in my life I find that many good things came from being a convert. I grew up in the Detroit area and led a lower-middle class life as a kid. Neither of my parents got out of 9th grade, so studying wasn’t a priority around the household. Sports were held in high esteem, and I excelled at that, but I barely graduated from high school. Of 257 students, I ranked 212 with a 1.97 GPA. 17 Carnegie Units were required to graduate and I finished with 17.5 (many had more than 30). High school for me was girls, beer and sports.

I got busted selling pot in 1971 and ended up in the military. While there, I was adopted by a young adult Mormon group in New Hampshire. Baptized in the Atlantic Ocean, I was full of piss and vinegar and raring to be as Mormon as possible.

After I mustered out of the military, I attended BYU for the summer semester. How I got accepted is still a mystery to me. HS GPA of 1.97? Must have been the veteran’s status or something because I never took the ACT or SAT. I received my mission call while attending during the summer and left in October for the MTC at Rick’s College.

Here’s what happened after that:
1. Served 2 years in the Netherlands.
2. Went back to BYU and graduated with a BS in Soc/Econ 3.75 gpa.
3. Got married, had three wonderful sons.
4. Went to grad school and got an MBA in Arizona (3.88 gpa).
5. Got an entry level job with large regional bank in Dallas.
6. Left the church and got divorced.
7. In my 30th year of oil/gas finance.

So, what can I say? My conversion woke me up to a whole new world. I’d never really been West of the Mississippi until I joined the church - probably had no chance of getting into a university with my credentials (or lack therof) and certainly wouldn’t be tri-lingual. Something good did come from my stay with the church. It wasn’t all bad and, no, the bad doesn’t outweigh the good in my experience.

I don’t know that anything can be learned from this other than that some of us had life altering experience due to the church. Some good, some bad. I hope that there are more of us that extracted some good from it.
Just sayin’…


Ron

way to go Tabula. You have also proven all teenagers wrong... You got smarter with age, contrary to what they would like to believe.
Really, that is quite an accomplishment, I work full time and getting a degree via night courses. Very hard.
Like your point of view as well. I also had quite a lot of good come from my upbringing in mormonism that I would not change. Left anyway as I am not good at pretending. There are it's bad points, but there was some good. However, in my case, I believe that good could have come from any other religion.

Spanish? figure you be around Houston so .... prolly so eh Pinche way? hehehe...course thats Mexican not Spanish...:) ya done really good Ron.... even though you are one UGLY sum bitch!! :)

I think its english, dutch and mormonese.

Probably English, Dutch and Cunnilingusese. ;-)

Yes, I'm a cunning linguist too. But this isn't about me. ;)

Besa me culo, pendejo! :) Yes, it's Spanish, Dutch and English. Pinche mormones!

Ron

esta anohado con mego?? :) i like knowing how to speak Spanish.... i just dont want to HAVE to!! :)

i know a bit of Mayan too!!
just bad things though!! :)

There are those of us who consider the spiritual ramifications of swallowing a false Gospel to be completely unmitigable by anything Mormonism has to offer.

Tab..

I may have been to your baptism...

Portsmouth NH branch ? I was there in 71

That's the place. Bishop Ellsworth? Lot's of USAF kids from Pease? There's still a grease slick out in the ocean off Salisbury Beach. I was baptised in '73, I think. Couldn't find my nads for a week!

Ron

Do you remember any missionary names at that time.

Paul Dunn had just left and a new MP was in place.

I only remember one. Elder Black. He had a lot of FLDS family (extended).

Ron

Interesting background Ron. I'm not sure I knew you were a convert. So we have something major in common. I'm with you on the "what was I thinking" front.

Interesting take, also, on the "good" that occurs even within Mormonism. I don't think it can be denied that some people's lives would be worse without some church influence, even Mormon, with regard to role models, perhaps, or at least following some kind of positive life guide. I know a lot of people who were drug or alcohol abusers who have been positively influenced by involvement with a church at some point. Undoubtedly there are positive non-church influences too. It's just a case of what a person finds, and where, that resonates with them.

As big said above, I'm the ugly. As a side note, the language thing has been particularly beneficial to me. I've worked at a Dutch bank, a French bank and sat the Mexico desk at a third bank.

Ron

A lot of people had their lives changed for the better in the military. If the Mormoms hadn't got you then, your life might still have led to positive things -- just different.