It's been awhile since I posted here. We live in Utah County. My husband is still active in the church. My two kids and I have been inactive for some time.

Imagine my surprise when the bishop sent a missionary couple to my door on Sunday. My husband wasn't home--he was still at church. The couple, a very sweet husband and wife pair, who looked to be in their 70s, said the bishop had suggested they come visit me and the kids.

Here's where I'm just dismayed for the couple and for me. The bishop, who has known my family for some time, didn't give them all the facts. THey thought I was not a member! (I asked them why they had come.) They were surprised when I told them I was a member of record and that I was a BYU graduate. We talked about their previous mission to a foreign country, how our part of town had changed, etc.

They knew my husband, or claimed to know him because he teaches Sunday School. They asked if I went to church with him. I said very matter-of-factly that the children and I were inactive and did not attend. "And that's how it is," I said.

They looked so dismayed. It was so awkward. I felt bad for them.
I told my husband about it and he said he didn't know them and not to feel bad for them, that being a missionary is getting used to rejection. I thought about emailing the bishop, but I think it would not do any good.

When my youngest is 18 in two years, she and I plan to resign together. My older child is considering it. Overall, the ward leaves the kids and I alone and when I do interact with members, it is generally positive and friendly.

Not sure why I'm posting this--I suppose I want feedback on what I should do. In the future, I will politely say right away that we do not need/want missionaries and to have a good day and then politely close the door in their faces

Glad you posted.

I posted this.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1496913

It really galls me that missionaries are used as an inactive collection agency.

My cousin is on a senior couple mission. She told her sister that they visited 120 inactive families and NO ONE was one bit interested in returning to the church. Rejection X 120. Sheesh you'd think she might catch on.

Damn! I would say yeah right, she should catch on except....don't Mormons baptize dead people? Like they care about being members? Obviously if Mormons think the dead should care the living should be attending church is droves....

Every time they give me the opportunity I will tell them the truth about their Cult, I'm an ex member because it's NOT TRUE,

Joseph Smith didn't get a revelation and did not restore the Priesthood and their is no Profit on earth today

What is true is that LDS Inc. is a very profitable company and they sell religion and I'm not buying it.

Anything else you want to know about me?

Because after that, I'm still a great parent, a good worker and support myself, my family and am a good citizen. I still a million things to talk about besides religion.

If people are "inactive" there is a reason they made that decision. It means they do not want to be there. I don't understand why this is so difficult to comprehend.
People who want to be there (or at least, go for some reason) will be there. Otherwise, it's as clear as the nose on your face, if they are not there they don't want to be there. The reasons don't matter.
Sometimes a bishop "gets-it" and even sends someone to have them verify they want to have their names removed from the records and it's a done deal.
There is no reason to contact people who do not want to be contacted. Seems simple enough to me.
Bishops: stop it. Leave people alone. You're just digging the hole deeper in many cases.

If you are contacted again, you can head them off at the door!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2015 02:04PM by SusieQ#1.

The ward did not send home teachers or missionaries to me they tried to have an ex stake president in the ward, call to "check up on me".

I told him the church was a scam and I cannot have anything to do with it as I have some integrity. I was sorry that he and people like him were responsible for scamming so many in our area as a stake president and told him he should definitely repent!

At the conclusion of the discussion he said he really enjoyed talking to me and would probably call each month if it was ok. I said that would be great.

That was the first and last call I ever got from him ----- did I offend him??? I just hope my conversation didn't give him a heart attack as he was pretty old.