I'm pleased that unseen readers seem to benefit from RfM posts. I'm also curious if anyone else is willing to share why they do or don't post.

I always appreciate posters who come from seeming nowhere to post exceptional examples on subjects at hand. There have been many times when I've been at a loss for words and a brand new poster will step up to help me. It's exciting that they seem so aware of what's happening here when they've seemingly never spoken up for any other thread.

I *actually* signed in for this.

I sometimes post, but usually just lurk. I sometimes come up with a zinger reply, only to find someone else did better.

I originally came here, from a google search of *LDS kilt*. A family member stated that my kilt should cover my knees.

*Why?*

RfM has allowed me to, somewhat accept who I am, to myself.

I *have been out*, sort of, for almost 30 years. *Tried* to go back a couple of times.

(in EQ) *Bro Aquarius, would you like to say opening prayer?*

(I was *always* the outcast, the last guy picked. I tend to stay in the back, because of this.)

(to myself) Way to *reactivate someone, idiot!!*

RfM has allowed me to say, at least to myself, go fridge yourself TSCC!

aquarius Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> I originally came here, from a google search of
> *LDS kilt*. A family member stated that my kilt
> should cover my knees.
>
> *Why?*
>
Errr.... is your family member Scottish?

A kilt that covers the knees is commonly known as a skirt!

As a nevermo, I enjoy reading through some of the threads especially with the stories about dealing with missies, garments, and random petty things. I actually happened upon RFM a couple of years back because I had an interest in what the mormons believed and how their believes were different from other religions and just by reading through some of the threads, I pretty much learned to stay clear of mormonism altogether.

I do post from time to time on different threads if I feel that I have something that I can contribute to the conversation. I normally do not start threads unless I feel that it is necessary or if I have a question that I would like to ask.

Cheryl, do you (or anyone else) have a link to the original thread?

Thanks, Shummy!

Well for me I've been fascinated by cults for as long as I can remember,especially Mormonism.I don't know any Mormons and am a young NeverMormon.

The reason I didn't post for many years is cos I just thought hell,what would anyone on here care about my contribution but now I just think Why not comment.

I've read so much on Mormonism over the years I even start my own threads now sometimes-yay!

Well before I registered I decided to quit lurking and try my hand with the handle shumwunwholurks.

First shot out of the gate I told my Gordo B mission rejection story and wouldn't ya know some snarkster immediately jumped on my story because I hadn't realized GBH was not just any young GA but a gawddamn twelvie who I had named in my story.

It's been all downhill ever since that initiation by flame.

It was rather rough and tumble back then as Cheryl and Winey well know.

New posters wouldn't believe how rough and tumble RfM was in those days.

I've been here since 2004, when I got Internet in my computer and the first thing I googled was "exmormon."

I don't post much, because I don't have anything special to say here that hasn't already been said. I could vent my anger at the mormon church, but there are enough people doing it here, and the truth is, it is my fault that I joined the church as an adult, the most stupid thing I have ever done.

I am not torn between mormon culture, mormon family etc. Culturally I have never been a mormon, no members on my side of the family. So, leaving the church has NOT meant losing cultural identity, family and friends. I am married to a TBM with large TBM family. They know I am inactive, but they are still nice to me.

I live in Germany, I am European but not German. English is my second language, German my third. And I am also kind of shy. So I prefer to just read here and there, and keep up with what is happening in the church, sometimes finding out things that my TBM German relatives have no idea are happening in the church.

In the thin mormon landscape of this country I I have reasons to be careful about what I could write here. I can't hide in a mormon crowd like in Utah.

I would like to suggest "ill-informed" thing you have ever done instead of "stupid" thing.

I know English is not your first language, so maybe it is translation too.

The chances are you did not receive full disclosure and were likely deceived on purpose because of an agenda that was not in your best interest.

If you had been given full information about maybe you would not have joined. I will agree that for an adult to join Mormonism there is an absence of critical thinking, but religion and groups are not necessarily intellectual concerns, they are social and emotional.

I hope you are doing much better away from Mormonism!

I've been lurking for a couple of weeks now, and I find the discussions fascinating. I grew up as a fundamentalist Church of God type (my father was a follower of Herbert W. Armstrong) who is evolving into atheism as I grow older and listen to my children. I realized recently that I didn't really know what Mormons actually believe, so I started researching (I just love learning new sh*t) and stumbled across Mormonthink, where a link led me to you nice folks. Cults are the same across the world, aren't they? Thanks for letting me eavesdrop.

I'm nevermo- got interested because this forum gets into the topics of brainwashing, groupthink, culty behavior, cognitive disonance, and personality disorders/mental illness. Learned a lot here just lurking.

Nolds4me had it right- anybody who's been in a "high demand group" can relate to the posts here.

*please, no offense* the forum seems dominated by atheist, science-has-all-the-answers, kneejerk liberal viewpoint. If you don't agree- your viewpoint is dismissed. That made me hesitant to post.

I've been around for about 4-5 yrs. I used to post occasionally under a different name but had to change it for personal reasons. I haven't posted since then.
When I was first leaving the church I was obsessed with reading posts here. This site was a refuge for me & the people here helped more than they could ever know. I kind of moved on & the church was in my thoughts less & less. I do still come back & lurk when I need a dose of sanity (I'm married to a believing spouse & most of my family is TBM).
The last year & a half I have been extremely sick with lyme disease to the point of being basically bedridden. Ironically I was bitten by a tick at LDS girls camp. After years of strange health issues I finally have answers, I'm getting treatment, & I'm on the road to getting better. My family has been helping me out with my kids etc. I am grateful for their help, but being around them so much & the TBM mindset is hard. I find myself coming back here more often now just to read & know I'm not alone. It takes too much energy to think strait & try to type anything so that is another reason I've just been lurking.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2015 12:56AM by mahana.

Thank you!

I'm Still Lurking. I post every once in a bit, but I prefer to read what everyone else writes.

Once while here, something funky happened to this board, and it was down for awhile. I don't exactly remember what it was that I was doing, but it was different than just my normal lurking, and I thought it was my fault that the board had gone haywire.
So I sent a message to Susan I/S and apologized for messing things up, and also told her how important this space had been to me on my journey out; thank-you everyone.

I was reassured that I hadn't done anything to mess up the board, and that things should be all fixed in a short time, which it was.

I was a lurker for about 3 days.
Now I can't shut up.

Pandora's Box.

Thanks, gentlestrength, "ill-informed" is surely more appropriate.

Let's say that because of my personal history, I was used to put uncomfortable issues on the famous shelf long before I met mormonism and never had the courage to ask the hard questions.

At the time I met the missionaries I was an unhappy single looking for direction in my life. The missionaries were friendly and funny and they looked so wholesome. And I was the "cool" investigator who would speak English to them. It was a good time (apparently), and they broke many missionary rules with me.

In the moment I found RfM I became aware that the church is not what it claims: I just had to read some of the short topic to find so many people who had had my same questions and doubts, the problems I had with the church weren't caused by my lack of faith... But it has taken another 9 years to become inactive (I haven't resigned, yet), because I had important reasons that kept me involved, though I always did the minimum just to keep my recommend.

I am doing better now, but there are still some consequences. And of course there is TBM DH, not of the Utah kind, but rather of the stubborn Teutonic kind, which is very straining.

I would like to close the chapter "mormonism" forever, in my life, but because of this, I cannot. And I am living here, which is not even my own country.

Also, I have two teenage children who fortunately are not baptized.

Well you must have missed it Cheryl but last nite some deranged soul started a thread attempting to besmirch Bona Dea.

It was epic troll fare that ran two pages before it was pulled.

Thing is it had the opposite effect on BD's reputation as the best laid plans of another troubled troll went awry.

God how I love RfM.

I lurked for a very sort time before posting.

My husband was an atheist from a family of jack mormons. I think at one time he really believed and prayed. When his prayers weren't answered he decided there is no God. He would never discuss it but whatever happened was extremely important to him.

Some of my friends think that I am obssessed but really I'm just obsessed. lol

I have been lurking for a couple of years. I have been a member of the church for 12 years. The more I learn about the church the more angry I become. I feel used and lied to. I have not removed my name from church records yet to keep peace at home. I'm shy so I don't post but I find reading the posts helps.

I'm a lurker. I think I've posted twice but I've been reading for a while. Honestly I just have an extreme case of impostor syndrome and I feel like if I post everyone will see how uneducated I am and realize I'm not on the same level.

I'm very hard on myself and doubt I have much to offer that isn't already present.

I have the basic story of a TBM family with an absent father (parents are still together though, dad was just always gone or watching TV) and an abusive mom that had way more kids than they should have. I'm 5 of 6, but they really shouldn't have had any. One of my TBM sisters dresses in all black and wears Harley Davidson boots and skull tshirts to church and is married to her husband of almost 8 years that raped and drugged our youngest sister in their fourth year of marriage. They both go to the temple often. And that is just an example of the type of family I come from.

No wonder I have issues, hah.

Thanks for sharing. I’m sorry to hear about what happened to your sister, that’s really horrible. I hope she’s ok. And you know what; you are on the same level as anyone else here … you’re a human, just like any of the rest of us. This is a good place to deal with your self-consciousness … because it’s anonymous, and we’re really just words on a page here. It doesn’t have the repercussions that real life can have. So, post away ... and maybe you can work through that fear a little bit. But lurking is certainly ok too. I’m glad you posted.

Please post anytime you feel you have anything you want to say. This site isn't about education; it's about a shared common experience or interest. From your post I would say you have a lot to contribute. There are no levels here.

I've been around for a while, but don't post a lot, partly because I'm a nevermo and usually feel like I should just observe unless I have something useful to add to a conversation. When I do, or when I've posted about an issue of my own, I've often done so under an "anon" name for fear of giving away too much IRL info that TBMs I know, whom I suspect lurk here, would recognize.