In my Ward a teenage girl, in high school, was just kicked out of her home. I know she is an exceptional student, potential Validictorian. My wife is in the Relief Society Presidency. She told her parents she does not believe Mormonism despite being raised in it. According to my wife they told her that she had to attend church and attempt to recover her testimony or she would be deemed not following their rules. She refused and they kicked her out. Fortunately her bio parents divorced and bio dad is willing to take her in a nearby state. He is also a non believer. Clearly no drugs involved. Perhaps there is some other rebellion going on. Regardless, the child has above a 4.0 and clearly has her stuff together. Sad part is, a decade ago I would have found this acceptable, now I find it alarming.

Jeeez...this HURTS to read.

I still don't understand how parents can do this.

:( :( :(

tevai Wrote:
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> I still don't understand how parents can do this.


I do. The kid failed to give them power in their priesthood and joy in their posterity.

families are forever....what a sham.

hopefulhusband Wrote:
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> families are forever....what a sham.

This. +1 but so disgusting and sad.

I seem to remember hearing at some time or other that Mormons place great value on family, and even desire eternal families. But I must be remembering incorrectly.

"....they told her that she had to attend church and attempt to recover her testimony or she would be deemed not following their rules. She refused and they kicked her out."

Hmmmm, wasn't that Satan's plan?

Terrible. But, perhaps she'll be better off with her non-believing Father.

It's interesting how many Mormons seem to prefer "Satan's Plan."

Indeed. By this perfectly reasonable logic, we can only come to the conclusion that it was Satan with the burning sword that told Joe to get busy with the ladies. Makes sense actually.

A CES Institute Director pulled a similar stunt sending one of his kids to my house. Not sure if he was a minor though.
I was not happy with him, (not the first time) so he got an ear full from me!

Daddy needs to get this custody arrangement legally done, especially if there are other kids or child support involved.

Ouch. She sounds like the kind of kid non-crazy parents would be proud of.

Glad the father was willing to take her in.

I have to wonder if mom kicked dad out of the house for the same reason. That mother is a wack job an shouldn't have custody of any child.

Homeless teens happen more than we like to think. I try to imagine what that must feel like and be like. I really cannot.

At that age, and I know this is relative, that kids differ in where they are in development both emotionally and physically, but it is just so, so wrong and cruel.

What, you think you are attracted to Jim when you should be attracted to Jill? Well, it is wrong. Wrong do you hear us? Leave, just leave.

What, you think that you know better than us your parents who are older, wiser, and smarter, that Mormonism has lots and lots of problems and you don't want to attend church? Out, just get out.

I seriously, as a teen do not know what I would have done. Things were horrible where I lived. I was not happy or given any good self-esteem. But still, I had food, and a fold out bed, and a roof to keep out the rain and snow.

And, someplace to come home to.

Take a stroll on South Temple across from Temple Square and the next couple of streets south and you will not believe the number of kids on the streets from GOOD MORMON FAMILIES.

A number of years back we had two Mormon Boys on San Diego TV, they were gay, thrown out of their homes, selling themselves, hoping to save enough money to rent an apartment so they could maintain their family of two. GOOD MORMON FAMILIES!

My heart broke when I saw the kids on TV and when I saw the kids on the streets in SLC. Darn it! Families are forever.

My father tried to place me in foster care for bringing Satan into the house. I didn't believe in Mormonism. The foster care didn't work, so he had me sent to a boy's ranch when I was fifteen. I spent six months there.

Oh there's one who smiles on high
When there's love at home
Love at home, love at home
Oh there's one who smiles on high
When there's love at home

I'm sorry, Don.

How do we help these kids?

It happened to me at 15. I was a 4.0 student, had never done drugs or drank alcohol or had sex....was involved in many clubs at school.....but I looked weird apparently. My lack of faith & that alone got me thrown from my home.

I moved away from Mordor & lived with my Catholic aunt & her sexy, bleeding Jesus in Sin city, got accepted into limited entry art magnet school, & never looked back....

My mother blames the art school for how I turned out.

Maybe she also told her mom she wanted to have a career and not do the whole motherhood thing? That would be the worst sin of all!!!!

HMMM, there probably is something to that. While investigating which high school to encourage my son to go to (we can choose here) a family member of this girl told me that this girl is uber goal oriented, is driven, and has a 10 year plan to become some sort of surgeon. Mom is a stay at home.

"Love at home" people.... its all about "families forever",

unless one of the kids is gay or lesbian or transgendered

or won't do what the parents want them to do.


It makes me want to vomit.

I'd be interested to know the State laws regarding neglect. In my State, not great regarding child welfare, but they'll lock you up in a heartbeat for abandonment.

This may be a good opportunity for the girl to live freely - personal choices, boys, college. May turn out to be the best thing her (worthless) mother ever did for her.

If dad is capable, I'd make sure "mom" could see pics of my bare shoulders and long legs, while holding hands with my bff, sweet thing that she is. Whatever solidifies for "mom" that Satan goes with me, no matter where I am.

I don't think I would have ever found it acceptable.

My Dad would have given that parent a lesson on how to love their children.

RB

When my DD was 16 she announced she wanted to join TSCC and we refused permission. The parents of her friend offered to let her live with them to escape the evil anti-Mormon influence of her parents. She said she wanted to go live with her "real" family because they loved her more than we did. But when she realized she would have to share a room, have no money for new clothes, no car, etc she changed her mind.

The Mormons are quick to break up their own families and even quicker to break up other families when it suits them.

Her parents have a LEGAL and PARENTAL right to raise their daughter. It's one thing if she is breaking the law, but in this case, she clearly is not...

Glad to hear that she has a place to go, but the parents should be prosecuted for neglect..


I would counsel the daughter to "get along to go along". Their house their rules...UNTIL she turns 18..

"Go along to get along." That's the counsel of old people. Young people have a tremendous sense of justice. That can't accept the comprises that the oldsters can. That's why youth are progressive and move society.

This girl understood that according to "real" rules--that govern society--she was following the rules, explicitly. Her parents wanted her to conform with unjust rules, the rules that govern belief. Modern civil rights understands that beliefs cannot be coerced by authority. That's an abuse of authority. As a minor, her parents can insist she follow their rules. But by sixteen, her moral authority is mature enough to allow her to perceive wider civil rights. Mormonism cannot get its mind around religious freedom because it's a fraudulent religion. It can't let anyone out because it can't legitimately get anyone back--or anyone new, in. So it behaves like a cult.

How many families has this young girl seen in which a believing spouse righteously divorces a non-believing spouse, upending the family, because of overweening, self-righteous ego? How many children of such families has this girl commiserated with? If she's seen the evidence we have that TSSC's a fraud, I wouldn't be surprised if she's infuriated--especially with the disgusting Helen Mar Kimball saga. I wouldn't be surprised either if she'd not be willing to "go along to get along" in this matter of faith. One thing about a girl with a better than 4.0 and a 10-year plan, she's no shrinking violet.

If she is a senior she could already be 18 and graduating now. My son is and graduates next week. His dad doesn't have to pay child support anymore after next week.

My son didn't want to follow house rules whwen he turned 18. I told him he can move out if he wants. he didn't. But I would never abandon my kid for religion or sexual orientation.

"House rules" are such a bs excuse, even for minors. Religion and sexual orientation can't fall under house rules unless someone is deeply immoral. Also, even if she were doing drugs or drinking or otherwise breaking the law, the mother's parental responsibilities are not exactly rescinded.

Parents divorce. Teen daughter is not getting along with custodial parent, moves in with other parent. Those are the facts.

That sort of thing happens all the time. Often it is a bumpy ride.

Everything else in the OP is either hearsay, or pure speculation, yet a lot of posters seem willing to accept the entire story at face value, or add their own layer of totally unsubstantiated speculation about what happened and what should be done.

Maybe DD was just dumped on street by Evil Mother, but I suspect the story is both more mundane and more nuanced. That's my speculation.

The message that needs to be taught, and get through, to such parents is simple:

Shunning/kicking out your child will NOT get them to come back to the fold.

Parents very often take such actions because they think such actions WILL get their kids back in line. It won't, at least not with any regularity. More often it results in the kid hating the parents, leaving their influence completely, and there not being a relationship in the future.

The church, and other groups, preach that this kind of "tough love" will get their kids back on track. If they knew ahead of time that it *doesn't* accomplish that goal with any regularity, they might not act that way.

Any parent who kicks a teenage child out, for not agreeing with them on religion, or because of their sexual orientation, should be in prison. In fact, there are even laws that would allow the states to do exactly this, but as far as I know, none do, because District Attorneys are elected officials, and no one wants to piss off the churches.

If she is as smart as you say, she may have engineered this to a degree. Teenagers of divorced parents get a say in who they live with. It sounds like she may be better off with her father.