A young relative confirmed to me yesterday that she had walked away from the church. She also divorced her husband of less than two years. So much for the bonding magic of temple marriage. She said her two younger siblings also no longer believe but have kept quiet about it because they're still minors living at home.

A few months ago one of my sisters confirmed three of her five children no longer practice. Add those to another sister with a pile of adult children, most of whom have quit.

It looks like my family is improving.

Agreed! Bravo.

I had a talk with my 22 year old daughter this year....turns out she opened up and said, "Yes! It's a total cult!" Wow, until we talked about it, I had no idea that she was that disgusted by it.

Talked with my 13 year-old about the church just a couple days ago. Told her that--as she knows--people bear their testimony of the truthfulness of the church and that's OK. And we're expected to listen and respect it. Well, I told her, I have a testimony too and it's that this is a whole big scam started by a pedophile. She essentially told me she wants nothing to do with the church and can't wait until she doesn't have to go anymore (her mother makes her.)

Not getting married in the temple. She said, "My sister didn't and she's happy, right??" Thank god.

She hates girls camp and personal progress. (Girls camp this year was at a condo this year with running water...but the girls were told not to shower, to "make it more like camping and a real experience." WTF?? Control, control, control.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/22/2017 09:03PM by txrancher.

Funny but I don't know of any apostates in my family but many of my friends and their family members have bailed and with gusto. It's definitely a thing. How do I feel about it tho? I'm ambivalent because I assume others suffer and struggle as much or more than me. I await word of someone in my extended family to fall. I want to see it.

Stray Mutt Wrote:
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> A young relative confirmed to me yesterday that
> she had walked away

My two brothers are both out. That makes 3 of 4 kids who are DONE with this scam.

Congratulations, Stray Mutt. I'm glad to hear your family is figuring out the church for what it really is. Are you guys from Utah?

Most of them are in UT. I'm not.

Many of the missionaries and regular church members think that very few if any non-members know what the church is about. If they actually knew the truth of what many average people in our society know about their mormon religion, they would be ashamed, just by association.

Many people like your apostate family members and my apostate family members know when the see the missionaries, exactly what they represent. But the missionary themselves, only see a world with relatively few members and many non-members, the whole time not knowing what people really know about them and their religion. These young missionaries would probably be creeped out if they know what the people around them do know about them and their church. It's like you attend a party and find out afterward that everyone present knew that you have a criminal history but you didn't know at the time that anyone else knew. I guess ignorance is bliss.

I call this 'the Amway affect'. The poor sucker that's trying to talk you in to 'attending a company briefing' doesn't know that you still have a garage full of product that you do not know what to do with, nor really why you aren't interested in attending, because you don't want to talk about it. So (analogy aside) while the missionary is thinking "here is a new potential convert", you're remembering the pain the church caused to you and thinking "what's the quickest way I can get these guys out of my life permanently without even wasting time talking to them?". Is it any wonder that the conversion rate is so low?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/2017 11:43PM by azsteve.

Drdad and I just returned from a visit to his formerly LDS siblings in Idaho. Not one of his parents' offspring are even on the roles any more.

That is awesome. I am hoping that when I finally leave I will find family members approach me that I didn't know stopped believing. Right now, on my moms side, I have like 50 cousins and a dozen aunts and uncles that are all active in the church.She has a huge mormon family. Litterally no one on her side has left or gone inactive, at least not yet. All of the guys, and even most of the girls have served missions.