As an exmo living in Washington, I often travel through SLC to reach other destinations.

I can usually tell those who are momos, mostly through their awkward or quirky behaviors. But it isn't always hard to tell. Unfortunately, there are plenty who are loud and obnoxious.

I recently traveled to Texas and was waiting for a connecting flight in the SLC airport. At the gate there were several newly minted mishies also waiting. I soon knew way more than I ever wanted to about each and every one of the annoying little sh!ts. They loudly talked about their pending missions, their families, and other things left behind. They traded places at the pay phone where each one treated the entire gate audience to their absurd, and loudly shared farewell conversations.

On the return flight, I sat in front of a couple of BYUbies at the gate, and heard them talk about everything from dating RMs to how they felt about other insane things. If the word "like" were removed from their vocabularies, they'd have no ability to communicate.

I had the mistfortune to sit next to a big guy on the plane who also was momo. He made an awkward comment about big guys and airplane seating and proceeded to dig his fingers in his nose the entire flight, apparently in search of a gold nugget or some elusive booger he hadn't been able to capture.

As I drove home, I could only shake my head and wonder how this whole sub-culture had developed and if it would ever change. Sadly, I notice this behavior getting worse with passing time. I'll concede a good portion of my disdain comes from my hatred of anything LDS. I have to guard myself against immediately writing a Momo off as an idiot the first time I meet them.

I am also fascinated by this.

LDS Inc, even I will admit, does promote some good life skills such as public speaking and skills at organizing people.

However, so so so many Mormons are simply incapable of the most basic social skills.

Many Mormons are so awkward in people skills.

This must really create a lot problems with freshly minted missionaries.

When the offended have left, the offensive are left.

When I came home from my mission many years ago, I found myself without the ability to have a normal conversation with people. The only topic I could converse about was "mormonisn". I felt so sheltered, so in fear of the real world, that I thought at 21 years old the only job I could ever manage would be a "Church" job, one where I worked for the LDS Corp, that way I would surround myself with mormons. I could not speak to a girl (non LDS ones) without embarrasing myself and bringing up the church. It took me two years before I felt comfortable even being with non LDS people. What a mind-f**k the church is.

A lot of us have had the same experience. Sadly, I have very little in common with my siblings and parents. My parents and older brother visited recently. It was nice to visit with loved ones but it was pathetic how they couldn't chat about anything that isn't church related. Try as I might to talk about something other than the church, one of them would always move the conversation back to church topics.

This is one of the traits that really stood out to me when I was first getting to know my mormon neighbors. The thirty something male is painfully awkward socially. He is incapable of normal conversation and carries himself in a way that makes him seem nervous all the time. I remember when my mother first met him. After he left, her comment was "Poor thing, he is a bundle of insecurities."

When they do converse, it's usually something negative about life. Always ending with these phrases, "Life is good" and "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Creepy

I suspect it has something to do with:
1. Being made to feel shameful and inadequate all your life.
2. Isolation from non-mormons.
3. Not really knowing yourself

Did you see the youtube video recently posted by MOI? (To be honest, I couldn't tolerate the whole thing.) But yeah, I've seen more maturity from elementary school students' presentations.

i also have seen this a lot with my momo friends. i feel bad for them that they are "trained" to be like this without knowing it. I just dont understand why a church that pushed family values and everything like that produces such socially awkward people outside of the close circle of the church.

Good laughs with the reminder of parting words of socially awkward mormons - "Is there anything I can do for you?" and "Life is good". No one waits to hear if there is something they can do for you. Course I think that is planned.

Another parting phrase that bothers me is, "May God bless you." I find this rather arrogant. I mean if they really cared about me and my needs, they could actually do things to show it instead of muttering words that sound like they think they are the Pope himself as they are running out the door.

There are dozens of little groups of religious sub-cultures in our country and everywhere else in the world. Mormons are not the only ones, not by a lot shot.
We are usually turned-off by what we have determined is something we don't want in our lives. Usually it's a love that went sour along the way.

I'm just glad we can have hundreds of sub-cultures and hopefully learn to get along, accepting that it's Ok to be different than we are. Children get this at a very young age.

I was flying with my wife last year. Sitting in the airport waiting for a plane (LAX).

A guy in a business suit came in and sat down next to us. Smiled and said hello, we said hello back. He asked if we'd watch his briefcase for a minute while he went and got a drink. We said sure.
As he got up, I said to my never-mo wife, "He's a mormon."
"How can you tell?" she asked.
"I just can."

The guy comes back. Thanks us for watching his briefcase. He's sipping a lemonade. After a few moments, he turns to us, and says, "You aren't LDS by any chance, are you?"
I smile.
"Nope," I say, "but I used to be. Left 30 years ago."
"Oh," he says. Then shuts up.
I wink at my wife. She's astounded.
Both at my ability to pick him out, and his ability to notice *something* about me that made him think I was a cultist, when I'd left over 30 years ago.
Mormon radar. Go figure.

They're the only ones who seem to care what religion a person they just meet. I've met many who have asked what religion I am. I tell them none. Then they ask me if I've ever heard of "the LDS faith". That's such a stupid question to ask somebody in Utah. I've never had another religious person ask me right away after meeting them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2014 06:40PM by 48erhater.

Brainwashing by the Cult is universal and throuogh. Everyone is conditioned to ask if you're Mormon. I once had a guy pull down my t-shirt to see if I was wearing garments. I should have punched him.

I go to conferences for work that are usually around 300 people. The mormons on day one will send out their modar signals, and will ping around the room for a while until by the end of day one they have identified everyone who is mormon and they hang out together for the rest of the week.

I also teach smaller groups and I look over the group in the first hour, and then have a friendly wager with my co instructors on if I can spot the mormons. I am right 99% of the time. They are amazed, but its easy when you know the tells. Tall, white, pale, smug self righteous, or overly nice and polite, married, and they don't talk with anyone else in the group.

Mormons are so easy to spot, and so hard to be around.