I've been poking around here for the past couple of months, and I knew even a while ago that I was pretty much done with the church. However I've still been going for several reasons:

1. My parents have been helping me money wise. I went on a trip in the summer and I am graduating (hopefully in Dec.) so I want to try to find a full time job or another part time to add to my current one. They helped me pay off my car and such too. My parents have helped me, and they do it even though they are dirt broke too.

2.My brother. He's 6 years older than me (I'm 27 btw), and while I can be a bit...socially awkward, my brother has many issues. Severe social aneixty,mild cerabal palsy, and aspergers. In many aspects, I feel like I had a hand in raising him. Espcially in later year, if I'd go out with him and he started to get up set, it fell to me to stand up for him. As such, I started going to singles ward when I was about 21-22? He came with and yeah, lots of fun. I'm not even sure why he goes because seriously all he does is sleep. I thought I was bad, but he seems to be insistent on going. Not as bad as my TBM parents, but when I can't take him for a while (since I'm pretty busy with school and such) he mentions it. I feel bad for him. Despite issues, he is the sibling I am closest to, and I love him to pieces. He's a good guy in a terrible situation.

I didn't go to church today to help take a friend to the airport. My dad tells me "You going to church next week? If you don't keep going they are gonna make (mybrother) go to the family ward and he isn't ready for that yet.

I said yes, but this is all seriously frusrating me. I don't think my brother needs to go to the single's ward or church period actually, but while I haven't had the heart for said reasons to tell my parents how I feel about the church, I'm beginning to think they are putting two and two together. However, I think in regards to the situation with my bro, they are just being lazy parents like they usually have been. Any advice or encouraging words or anything? I'm sorry if none of this makes sense. I'm not very good at this kind of thing but I'm under a lot of stress from work and school and this is the icing on the cake.

PS: I don't live at home atm. I live with my two nevermo roommates.

All I can say is hang in there. Hopefully you can land a good job after graduating and allow yourself complete independence if that is what you are looking for. Most of us on here enjoy a good hard drink at times, so that's my recommendation :)

It sounds like your parents are relying on you to take care of your brother. That's not your responsibility and should be a choice you make yourself. Best of luck!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/09/2012 10:40PM by ballzac.

Talk to your brother, several times. Let him know about your feelings and let him know you can't attend anymore. Ahead of time. Let him know you will always love him even if he is always Mo.

Stupid Mormons, rejecting the differently abled is sooo 1951. Let your awesomeness so shine before your weeping family that will see your strength/truth, and glorify your independence from moronic cults.

Wait until after you graduate, it's too difficult to handle too many problems at once right now.

December will roll around before you know it, and with the new years comes your opportunity to start a new life.

By January you should let your parents worry about your brother.
He is their responsibility, not yours.

You are not obligated to babysit your brother forever. Whether or how much your parents helped you financially does not change anything.
All good parents help their kids.

If you make a ton of money later on, you can always send your parents a nice little check for their holidays or birthdays to pay them back.

But do not offer to take on your brother's care, or this may well ruin your life.

These are questions I'm asking for you to ask yourself.

How much do you really believe it is helping your brother? How much difference does it make to him that you are his ride?

How much danger is there that your financial help from your parents will dry up?

You are the one in your situation and it's hard for us to know what the best choice is. You can't throw your whole life away doing things you don't like. However there can be reasons that continuing to attend church, especially temporarily can be worth. Where does all of this fit for you?