I am a nevermo. My first husband was also a nevermo, but grew up in Utah. I met him after he moved to California, where I grew up. We moved back to Utah during the marriage, and I was miserable. I literally thought I would go crazy or kill myself if we had to stay. During the divorce, he converted to Mormonism. This was really weird, because he was pretty hateful toward them the whole time we were married. I have a Master's in Social Work, and held a License in Clinical Social Work for about 10 years. In that time, I learned a lot about cults, and hyper-religiosity. I have been a lurker here for a long time, and want to come out of hiding so...hello!
The most I would do is speak up if I saw something that made me think the person would benefit from professional services, and make suggestions as to what steps to take next. This board has helped me so much, and I look forward to contributing!
Welcome, JenMikell! Please do contribute often to the board with your perspective re: cults and hyper-religiosity. I can't wait to read your future posts! Thanks for being here. You will be accepted and valued here. All the best, -ed
It's good that you're a nevermo, but to be able to have enhanced insight you'll want to duplicate the "Mormon experience" as much as possible. Fortunately, I'm here to help.
Just because you're not a Mormon doesn't mean you can't know what it feels like to tithe--to give up 10% of your earnings to the church. Instead, just send that 10% to me, getbusylivin. You'll get up to speed on the whole lighter-wallet feeling in no time!
Please send your 10% faux-tithe to:
getbusylivin c/o Celestial Kingdom Storage Units and Tapir Rendering Unit 32G Frontage Road 6 Moroni's Armpit, UT 84066
Please add 5% shipping and handling. U.S. currency only--no cards, checks, bitcoins, or post-dated two-party out-of-state IOUs.
"getbusylivin: Helping Nevermos Get That New Mormon Smell Since 1830"
Now that I've finished channeling my southern grandmother, thanks for the laugh. :-)
Another part of my story is that I am not presently working. I am on disability for complications with Cerebral Palsy, and was also diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder about 2 1/2 years ago!
I feel that I have a unique perspective on mental health, now having been on both sides of a locking door. -Jenna
JenMikell Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > LMAO!!! and was also > diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder about 2 > 1/2 years ago! > >
Living with/near mormons does seem to have that effect on many :)
getbusylivin Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It's good that you're a nevermo, but to be able to > have enhanced insight you'll want to duplicate the > "Mormon experience" as much as possible. > Fortunately, I'm here to help. > > Just because you're not a Mormon doesn't mean you > can't know what it feels like to tithe--to give up > 10% of your earnings to the church. Instead, just > send that 10% to me, getbusylivin. You'll get up > to speed on the whole lighter-wallet feeling in no > time! > > Please send your 10% faux-tithe to: > > getbusylivin > c/o Celestial Kingdom Storage Units and Tapir > Rendering > Unit 32G > Frontage Road 6 > Moroni's Armpit, UT 84066 > > Please add 5% shipping and handling. U.S. currency > only--no cards, checks, bitcoins, or post-dated > two-party out-of-state IOUs. > > "getbusylivin: Helping Nevermos Get That New > Mormon Smell Since 1830"
I am glad to hear you have disability, sorry to hear about the CP complications. Like everyone else, I look forward to hearing whatever else you have to say.
First, we were living in his parents' basement. His parents lived in Tooele, so we were kind of isolated. We also had trouble finding jobs. We both ended up getting hired at Convergys, a telemarketing company in South Jordan. We were on the DirecTv account, so customer service. People are mean to customer service reps, and seemed to feel my speech impediment gave them license to call me horrible things. At the time, I only had my Bachelors of Social Work, and desperately wanted to go to graduate school. Admissions is competitive, and they look heavily at experience in the field. I couldn't find a job in anything remotely related that I was going to be able to do. I WAS offered a position at the special needs preschool, but it never would have worked with the CP. We also had a really hard time making friends. I actually liked some of the people on our team at DTV. But because we weren't Mo, those relationships fizzled quickly when they discovered we had no desire to convert. So, I was isolated, no friends, living in in-laws' basement, no feasible way to advance career/educational goals. *Reads post over* Yep, that pretty much sums it up!
Jenna
Oh, and coming home from my first day of job training and falling flat on my bum because of slippery ice really broke the illusion of beautiful winter snow!
Ick. Living in your in-laws basement. I can relate to that all to well. That is enough to hate existence, let alone Utah. Not being mormon in a house full of them is an awful situation. I know that part of your life is passed but my condolences.
Welcome to the board! I am excited to hear your position. Especially on cases of abuse.
Just a random question though, you didn't happen to do any teaching at colleges did you? Like say at Dixie?
What people do around religion doesnt make sense so often. Someone converting, saying God loves people, and they believe in love, compassionate service all the while acting in an unloving, judgmental, angry way seems such a contradiction.
To hear the movies tell it, a midlife religious conversion looks like someone in a white robe gking off to tibet, so ekne jn a white robe going to live among religiois at a retreat center, calm non agressive, sitting quietly, im medatitive poses. Ok and you can kind of imagine the airplane floatimg over the clouds, only to find that at 16000 feet their bones ache, and they can't breath well.
I stead he converted to mormondumb, and descended to the concrete developmental level of a two year old I am right. The great right. Me me me God says Im right.
Thanks painting. Yes, it's amazing what religion can do to some really great people. He has since seen the light (ha!) and resigned, but he really had me shaking my head for a while.
I have a dear friend who recently left a religious cult. It's horrifying to see what they did to her. She is lovely, bright, fun, compassionate, loyal...everything you want in a best friend! I watched her shrink away from herself every day for two years, and it broke my heart. Now that she's out, she's rebuilding, but it's so hard. I don't personally believe in the judeo-christian idea of God. If he is real, however, I don't believe for a second her life in the cult is the life he would want for her.
Was it the Dali Lama who said Christians are so unlike Christ? I think he's on to something.