Recently returned from a 2 day business trip where this ex-mormon had the "opportunity?" to have a few conversations with a Big Time Mormon (BTM)...

Here are a few of the ideas the BTM shared with me. I would be interested in hearing how you all would react to these statements. Obviously, the context or background to the reasons he would say such things is too much to share.

BTM stated:

"Being in the church isn't easy."

"Just because you go on a mission, God doesn't make your life easy."

"Did you go on a mission because you were pressured?"

"Satan is trying to eliminate the gospel from the earth by making a one world government to take away our freedom of religion."

A few things I shared with him are which was received by a "disappointed in you, sanctimonious, negative nod":

"My mission was 18 months, so one of the reasons I am no longer be mormon is because I didn't get that last 6 months of brain washing."

"One of my facebook friends is a lady that I baptized. I apologized to her for getting her into the church."

His statements are not about you. They are about him, and his truth, and where his head is at. When he talks about how his life or being in the Mormon church is not easy, I would just listen and nod and say, "Okay." When he talks about his freedom of religion being taken away, I would ask him about what specifically is making him feel threatened in that regard. Don't let him fall back on the "one world government," or some vague future forebodings, make him spell out what is bothering him *right now.*

Let him tell his truth, but make it clear to him that his truth is not your truth.

Being in the church isn't easy. Agreed. Worthwhile things are often difficult, but that doesn't mean that everything that is difficult is worthwhile.

Most people who go on LDS missions are pressured.

Yeah, right. The black helicopters are bringing gay waiters to force coffee down your throat.