Went to church Sunday for sac meeting only. Exmormon and total nonbeliever since 2002. Wife is Primary President and from dedicated Utah Mormon family. 10-yr old son in primary.

At 11:01 the counselor started meeting (bishop out of town). Attendance at that time 44 people (many were children). The priesthood guys had not yet started the sacrament prep. I was told that most of the ward is late every single Sunday. It’s a full strength ward surrounded by other wards in the stake. Out of the hundreds on the list, a mere 44 are on time for the thing. Numerous people wandered in during announcements and opening hymn. When it was time for sacrament, they still didn’t have the water cups filled, so they delayed a bit and some still arriving.

SACRAMENT – not enough deacons, not enough priests. Old folks had to help bless and help pass. Too many inactives who simply don’t show up. This is a full-size ward! One deacon with “a bad attitude” untucked his white shirt, undid his tie so the knot was about a foot below neck and wore fancy tennis shoes. Nobody did anything, and the mom didn’t do anything. The Dad used to have some callings, but suddenly went totally inactive. Probably too much internet searches about Mormon history.

After Sacrament, a whole wave of people and families wandered in really late. Normal, I was told. First 2 speakers read the entire talk from printed pages. Ultra-boring.

The primary kids sang for Father’s Day and part of the song was “want to grow up to be just like Dad”. For my son, that would be total nonbeliever after extensive research of Mormon history and the full details of JS’s escapades and fraud and deceipt.

The final speaker was not there - - “hurt his back yesterday”. Coincidentally I hurt my back also Saturday and was taking pain pills & multiple hot baths and was in pain, but went to church anyway. The counselor babbled about nonsense for a while, then told the congregation to “sing slow” to fill up the time.

One time while a speaker was speaking, a weird guy who is old with ponytail and giant oxygen container moved up a few rows to chew out some 8 yr old kid for misbehaving. The mom did nothing but just sat there. The guy is a convert from a couple years ago, and is not really “all there” mentally. He’s a weirdo, and that’s the kind of converts they get.

Home teaching in this ward - - - hardly ever done. Our home teacher is the bishop himself. His companion has never joined him to visit us in 5 years. Comes about 3 or 4 times a year. Some ladies do visiting teaching, but they don’t even come close to trying for 100%. Just go around every once in a while.

The young men & young women are a tiny group because of so many becoming inactive. They have to combine with other wards to have a group big enough to do things. Hardly any boys go to scouts. It’s good that a few go, but more of the boys should go.

I saw a 10-yr old boy wearing shorts and sandals. (in the old days, only babies and toddlers wore shorts to church). A girl about 8 or 9 was wearing a bright purple mini-skirt, and I mean it was really mini. She was not just a little kid.

I guess missionaries are trained to discuss possible baptism on the 1st or 2nd or 3rd meeting with people. Since they never have multiple meetings with “normal people” they at least get to talk about baptism, although it’s obviously inappropriate since investigators know virtually nothing about the wacky religion.

One convert was baptized because Mormons regularly visited the jail where he was being kept. He had serious alcohol problems, and joined the church so he could try to stay sober. It worked because he gave up drinking for many years and stayed out of jail. The guy was really nice, and probably didn’t care a bit about the wacky teachings – he just wanted to stay sober and have some good people for friends.

All is well in Zion – except that the LDS church is slowly but surely crumbling and in 50 years things will be very different. In 100 years the church will still exist, but will probably be struggling to survive just like the RLDS church struggles and could disappear from the map at some point (now “Community of Christ” or something)

Another Utah prediction: in 100 yrs (or 200yrs) the Mormon influence in Utah will be minimal and active Mormons in Utah might be down to 10% or 5% of the population.

That’s all – over and out from Colorado

Well, that was pitiful! I wonder how many wards are like the one you attended. Late, uninterested, not enough priesthood. Bet it is going to be combined with another ward soon.
Not very spiritual!

Yeh, pitiful. That was the word I was looking for. I can almost picture it. Their hearts are just not in it.

What a nice report!

I'm so glad that it's crumbling. It really reminds me of how there was no middle ground when it came to their stupid rules and policies. Back in the late 80s, there was a Saturday youth conference at Lake Tahoe that included seminar/workshop meetings in the morning. In the afternoon, there were service projects to clean up a community park. Then there was a youth dance and we all had to follow their dress code; slacks, white shirts, TIES and dress shoes for the YM. The YW had to follow their guidelines too.

Well, a guy from my ward forgot his tie and the asshats wouldn't let him inside for the dance. Nor would they let him go down the street to one of the many boutiques and thrift stores to buy a used tie. So he dodged cars on a busy 2 lane highway to cross the street in order to use a pay phone to call his mom to pick him up. I don't think he ever attended church after the fiasco.

It sounds like a shell of what I remember growing up.

When visiting in Utah last month, my last couple of days was spent in downtown SLC. I visited the City Creek Shopping Mall, and while there I had a futuristic vision of it being empty, closed, and abandoned. Like some of the shopping centers in suburban malls these days when they go belly up, or replaced by newer, bigger, and better shopping centers to draw people to.

It was fleeting, but I could see a little into the future with that introspection of a closed and vacant City Creek Shopping Center. It was desolate! Seeing that picture in my mind made me stop and wonder what that might portend for the church's future? It wasn't a pretty picture!

Many church officials were milling about while I was there, some with name tags, some not. One looked like a clone of Tommy Monson, only slightly younger version. All seemed to be delighted with their shopping center as they milled about. Not too many shoppers though. Security was tight; minorities seemingly not welcome as they would wander in, security was all over them.

You can't run a store without customers. Likewise, a church without a people.

Little boy in shorts and sandals? He sounds like a breath of fresh air! A little girl in a mini-skirt? Sheesh, where I worship seeing young women in mini-skirts, some very short, is not discouraged or frowned upon. They're treated with respect and dignity. Compare that to my childhood. Anything higher than 2" above the knee and we might get sent home. From [Mormon dominated] public school as well as church. The dress code was very restrictive.

I wonder how many of those folks wandering in *after* Sacrament was passed were ex-communicated or disfellowshipped members? They can't partake of the sacrament. Maybe they abstain from showing up on time because that way it draws less attention to their plight? LOL, poor souls.

Meh. :/



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2016 06:40AM by Amyjo.

This reminds me -- every now and then someone will post that they don't like being around so many Mormons but they love Utah because of the scenery and outdoor activities. And I think, "Hmmmm, unless you're REALLY into the red rock country of southeast Utah, or the Salt Flats, Colorado has everything Utah does, and, in some cases, better examples of it. And Mormons are essentially invisible."

I've lived in both states, and I think they have their own beauty. I think the red rock country in Colorado is just as beautiful as the scenery in southern Utah, though there are some very unique areas in southern Utah. I think the mountains are far more beautiful in Northern Utah than the mountains in Colorado though...and much more accessible.

Not sure which part of Colorado the OP is from, but the ward where I used to live sounds very similar. Attendance was far higher 8-10 years ago than it is now. Some members have moved away, some have left the church, and many have moved to newer developments farther south. The church may be "growing" (it's really just relocation) in some of these areas with new development, but the church is struggling in well developed areas.

In rural Ward I attend there are no youth to speak of but a small group of high schoolers who can't wait to leave. Multiple callings are the norm- something I have resisted and am no longer asked. If you should attend and look carefully around you will think the nursing home is on a field trip or the AARP editorial board got lost. A few years of funerals and we'll be demoted to a branch.

Gatorman

So few active YW that they meet in a few chairs in the library. YM meet in what was the nursery (no very young children attend any longer).

65 members in attendance last Sunday. Not enough deacons, teachers, nor priests to pass the sacrament. Full-time missionaries bless the sacrament.

The same people are rotated in and out of the same callings. In 10 years, the majority of the slave labor will have passed on.

Man, they're rockin' the Gospel in the Mile-High State!

I like the part about "singing slow." Every Mormon hymn I've ever heard has been sung slow, or at least it felt that way. This is like asking garden snails to hit the brakes before they crash into somebody.

MRX,

I respect that you probably want to keep your location secret, but could you at least give us an idea of what your area is like?

Is it:

1. Part of the sprawlopolis from Colorado Springs to Ft. Collins
2. In a smaller city like Greeley, Grand Junction, or Pueblo
-or-
3. In a small town like Alamosa or Sterling

Your description of the ward wouldn't surprise me in categories 2 & 3, but would make me delighted if it was in 1. I'm legitimately curious as to what TSCC is like here in CO since I stopped attending long before moving here.

I'd be thrilled to hear it was the Highlands.

Seems as strong as ever, although I haven't been attending since I got the boot. There are a few hints, though, that there may be a slight weakening but that may be due to people moving out as oil lessens in its ability to provide jobs.

where in colorado ?

I'm in the springs.

No wonder the bishop was out of town...

Shout out to the ole' Denver 13th Ward.

There was something I wanted to post on here back in February but I got too drunk for a month celebrating and then forgot b/c of work.

Denver owns the "50"! Broncos Nation Rules! SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS!

If there is a Deity, then that Deity is a Broncos fan. Why else are sunsets ORANGE. :)

Some blue in there too which makes Diety a florida gator.

Gatorman



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2016 03:56PM by gatorman.

Boulder stake

i'm in Colorado, I know the wards here have been combined a few times, people just don't come, or maybe it's marijuana !!!

Frankly, frankie, I blame the internet.

I was just talking with someone at work today who is a closet mormon in the Parker Stake who asked me if I heard about the peep stone being compared to a cell phone by Urch-dork (or however you spell it). I was like, yeah, I heard it on a thread on RFM.

Maybe that's why the cult is pushing so hard against weed here - it's way more fun than going to church on Sunday.

Good news to be sure. Thanks for the report. I'm sure I'm in the minority here in thinking that mormonism can't die fast enough.
<he says deadpan>