I'm sure everyone knows that there are good and bad people in Mormonism just like the rest of the world, but this board focuses understandably on a lot of the negative experiences we have had with Mormonism, so I wanted to add a positive one. I have a really good friend who lives right by me, and I was afraid when I resigned as RS president and stopped going that she would stop being my friend. We are pretty open with each other, so I just brought it up one day. I didn't want her to have to ask why she hadn't seen me at church, so I just told her. And though she is totally TBM, she was cool. She said we would be friends no matter what and she meant it. We talk almost every day, and its just the same. AND my mom who is very TBM as well is pretty cool about it. I know it stresses her out, but she doesn't bring it up. Just hugs me when she sees me and we talk as normal. So if you are afraid to talk to family and friends, it may not be quite as bad as we sometimes imagine (though there are plenty of those experiences out there too).

My friends and family are okay with it too.There are lots of good TBMs out there.

I always wonder if this means that they also kind of know that it's all crap.

Thanks for sharing. The negativity here towards the Mormon people is way overdone imo. Refreshing when people are secure enough to share good feelings towards the Mormon people even if they are done with the Church.

Much of my circle is still tbm. Good people. Human beings with doubts, fears, beliefs, hopes, etc. just like all of us.

Thanks again for rising above the negativity!

So tired of people lying in wait to bring to light every Mormon folly out there. "I got ripped off by a Mormon". "I heard a Mormon beat his wife". "I saw a Mormon buying coffee"......

Yep. Pretty well established. There's a lot of messed up Mormons............and Catholics, and Jews, and Protestants, and Atheists, and Blacks, and Whites, and Mexicans, and Asians. You get the point. The Human race has a few issues.

So sophomoric, delighting in other people's failures because of a group that they belong to. So telling about the character of the person who takes such delight.

How cool when someone stops to focus on the positive. Well done!

I agree. Everytime there is a story of some atrocity such as a sex crime/murder of a child, someone here automatically asks, "Was he a Mormon"? Mormons are people like veryone else.

Thanks for the responses. I hope I can find a balance and remain a positive person. Realizing humanity has such a great tendency for self-delusion is kind of depressing, but I hope that mutual respect will overcome differences. We have yet to tell some of our family we don't believe.

Most people here love a Mormon, believe it or not. But usually the flaws are what people report on; that's true.

Yeah it is sometimes overdone. I, too, can point to a few very wonderful, exemplary TBM acquaintances.

I think the sarcastic tone is partly a reaction to the excessive mormon-bragging by the church and the TBMs.

A politician and a mormon!

A doctor and a mormon!

A football player and a mormon!

GAG!

There are famous mormons............and Catholics, and Jews, and Protestants, and Atheists.

You tell me which group ALWAYS has to tack on the "and he/she's a mormon! bullshit. I would venture to say that people would be considerably more tolerant of a group that wasn't always incessantly pushing the cult association.

The negative vibe is sometimes overdone, but the negativity is well deserved. It isn't personal.

I'm sure there are very nice Nazis and pedophiles and ax murderers, but Nazism and pedophilia are still vile, disgusting and obscene by definition.

Good Point.

When we are critical of Mormons, many of us are criticizing our former selves to a large degree. I think a lot of us are uncomfortable facing the fact that we were the naive/gullible/deluded/closed minded Mormons that we are critical of now. At least in my case, one of the most difficult parts of my "recovery" is coming to terms with my former self.

My experience with Mormons as people is that they are as good as any.

I live with and love people who happen to be Mormons! :-)

They are just like me, just have a different belief system, which is a non-issue on our lives.

I think it's important to treat others the way we want to be treated, regardless of their religious views, with unconditional love, acceptance and respect. The greatest power is compassion.

I learned something many years ago that has been true for me for decades: we have friends in spots (in our lives.)
Some are very long friendships, some are short. They are all of value, in my view.

It's a constant goal of mine to focus on the positive! Sometimes it's hard, life throws us some big curve balls, but no matter what is going on in our lives, we can get through it all with a can-do attitude.

There are very big problems in our lives, religion is never going to be one of them in my life.

At our age, our 24/7 severe health issues can seem insurmountable and extremely stressful. That is a much bigger issue than some minor difference of opinion over religious beliefs.