Because sadly, the first thing I think of is "I DON'T want to be like that." I could list a number of Mormons I think are just darling and would love to retain as friends but unfortunately, they are the overwhelming minority of the Mormons I know.

- I don't want to be like our angry, abusive, white trash bishop
- I don't want to be like the faded, worn out baby voiced RS sisters
_ I REALLY don't want to be like the snotty, judgmental, emotionally-stunted-at-junior-high-level RS sisters
- I don't want to be like those who waste their lives consumed with busy work, accomplishing no real good in the world
- I don't want to be like those spiritually starved members
- I don't want to be like those so wrapped up in their pride and religion that they will hatefully destroy anything or anyone who threatens it.

Mormonism acts like it's the ideal when so often, it's less than ideal. Some people survive Mormon teachings but many more are destroyed by them. And I don't want to be like that.

Shunning!!!!

You said it all with your phrase:

"I don't want to be like those who waste their lives consumed with busy work, accomplishing no real good in the world"

If that idea could be transformed into a feeling, it is the queasy, wasted sensation in the pit of my stomach when I hear "Mormonism"

Colonoscopy. All up in your ass with a flashlight and camera checking on you 24/7.

Ron

Now that is a new way to look at it. That cracks me up!(no pun intended)

Mostly I have lived far from the Morridor. When Mormonism came into my life, all I knew about it was a vague memory from a history class of some very creepy-looking man (BY) and a whole bunch of wives going off to Utah. I certainly had never, ever heard of Joseph Smith!

When I first began to learn about the church, I was assured that polygamy had ended over 100 years ago and the church had nothing to do with it now.

Fast forward to my having been a member for at least two or three years, only to discover that polygamy is not only alive and well in Mormonism (if not currently practiced due to its being illegal) but is absolutely *commanded* as a practice by God, according to CONTEMPORARY Mormon doctrine (D&C 132.) Then I learned that in the case of widows and widowers, a man can be sealed to more than one wife while the reverse is not the case. Furthermore, a man must sealed to at least three wives in order to get into the celestial kingdom.

Then in post-Mormon days, I learned that there are at least 200 offshoots of Mormonism, of which many practice the polygamy that Joseph Smith taught, to an extent that involves (one estimate) 30,000 people!

So what is *still* the very first thing I associate with Mormonism? POLYGAMY!!!

*************



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/2011 08:04PM by WiserWomanNow.

@wiserwomannow--I have never heard about the man having to have three women sealed to him to make it to the celestial kingdom. Do you remember where you came across that?

It took 13 years for me to find out JS was a polygamist, which many life long members thought I was misinformed--that he wasn't.

... and I cannot direct you to the exact source for an answer. Let me begin a new thread with the question so we both can obtain more information.

Glenn Beck worshippers

Green Jell-O. Well OK seriously. I picture a fort stockade with people inside staring over the top glaring at you because you are not welcome. Us vs them mentality.

The Elect of god. BWWWWHHHHAAAA!

A damn system of the philosophies of men mingled with scripture, which I absolutely detest. I want to follow the REAL gospel. It's so hard to find in TSCC these days.

Yeah, when they say they have the TRUE gospel it makes no sense. When the words are "made correct" by Mormons how is that the truth? I dismiss all their claims.

Mentally living in a golden past that doesn't exist anymore. Trying hard to make their own brand of culture and happiness, and pushing it on the masses.

Boy that's true with Tomato Monsoon and Mr. Scott trying to shove marriage down the young men's throats without saying anything about preparing oneself beforehand, especially financially. And they wonder why the rate of divorce and cancellation of temple sealings is going through the roof!

How do I cancel temple sealings? I know it is made up and lies, but "temple divorce" would send the message I really want to send, i.e., WE'RE DONE!! DON'T WAIT FOR ME AT THE CELESTIAL GATES!!

liars,hypocrites and pharisees.

and a jacked up vile past that show what mormonism is all about.

The most agony, pain and suffering emotionally I have ever experienced.

Uptight people wearing uncomfortable underwear.

Young, naive and hot mishies. I won't say what I think about next, but you can probably imagine... :-)

A bastardized American version of Christianity with potent memes that hinder reason.

WOW--I got done saying that realized all the exposure I had to mormonism yesterday.

I went to see my disabled brother (disabled at birth--he lives in my parents' home). He was ranting and raving about my older sister, who is the executor of the will--and thinks she is boss, but isn't. Anyway, he says, "She is female. She doesn't have the priesthood, so she can't be the boss." Amazing how distorted someone even slightly disabled can make mormonism.

Then I went to see my other disabled brother (had a stroke at age 42 and is now 57). He is not active mormon and only had a brief stint at being active mormon after his stroke. He drinks a lot--and was sleeping off a binge. (Many of my siblings drink too much because of mormonism issues.) He was talking about the person buying our farm and our cousin (who isn't active mormon now) getting this person active in the church . . . my EXTREME TBM aunt told me that the other day.

It amazes me HOW TWISTED even the jackmormons can make mormonism.

THEN I got an e-mail from said EXTREME TBM aunt last night about the resurrection and talking about our parents--who died 2 years ago and how we'll see them again because of the teachings of the church.

I was SICKENED by that e-mail. It was just MORE than I could take. I had "nightmares" all night yet again about my parents being dead--selling my dad's farm has brought up a huge sense of loss on top of other things right now.

Mormonism and it's twisted view on reality makes me BEYOND WEARY.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2011 12:20PM by cl2.

I agree. I don't want to be like that. I don't want to live like that.

I was going to say "Boredom" but I like "BEYOND WEARY."

For me, personally, Mormonism also means "abuse."

My visual of Mormonism is that big white wall around the Salt Lake Temple--shutting out those judged as being unworthy to enter. Intstead, they are shutting themselves IN--away from love, beauty, truth, creativity, and laughter. I used to have a recurring nightmare about that wall, and I was running around and around it, looking for an entrance, and having scowling old men lie to me that the entrance is just over here, just over there--then finding out they won't let me in at all.

This is very much like Unworthy's stockade image!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/2011 01:06PM by forestpal.

I said something the other day about visiting a friend (a gay friend) who actually lives in the Zion condos behind the great and spacious building. You look right onto the top of the conference center and the terraces behind it with trees--off in the distance is the angel moroni (which he can see from his bed). Odd thing is that the temple is VERY MUCH over-shadowed by the two office buildings to the sides of it.

BUT talk about oppressive looking--all those walls of stone that he can see from his condo. It isn't an attractive view IN THE LEAST. Even as a TBM, I could not have tolerated having that view from my front room and bedroom windows.

The first thing which came to mind when I read the subject line was simply the name, "Joseph Smith," and how it's really Joseph worship, rather than Jesus or God worship, and what a con-man the guy was. He pulled off a doozy with that one.