If I had just been given some guidelines like this growing up, I would not be in the mess I am in today. I joined the cult in the early 70s along with some good friends. The world was becoming scary liberal and we made the turn to conservative religion. One of us had a sister who died of a drug addiction, and I had a cousin who found herself preganant at age 16. We thought we could avoid trouble by joining the Church. Instead, we found a different kind of trouble.

Now I am 58. I am the mother of three daughters. Two of my daughters are not in the Church and are doing fine. The one in the Church is having a rough time. In spite of keeping all the commandments, inspriation has not come to her. She had a long-term boyfriend but did not feel like marrriage would have been a good idea. She went with him for 5 years and now finds "slim pickings."It is hard for me to give her advice.

I quit attending last year. It has not been easy, but I would never go back. It isn't even tempting when I think about the doctrine. I miss some very good people.

in a lame way.....

In your words I hear you lamenting that you were not privy or given the vital information you now know. I remember myself doing that years ago and was given these words of advice by a trained counselor. He said that now, with continued learning, I had the chance to improve the next generation and give them what I failed to have given to me.

His words helped me tremendously. It did take me some more time to work through the anger I felt, plus the hurt, of not being one of the lucky ones who had good parental guidance, but I was warned this was also to be expected.

Perhaps, his words will help you. Wishing you well, and do keep posting.