I have no idea what the chronological average age is here, but it is really important to keep in mind that (regardless of average age) we welcome EVERYONE...
...from the growing-up years (we welcome young kids, who often come here because of Google searches)...through adolescence... through the years of young adult experiences...and then, through the varied years of adulthood as they unfold.
One of the goals of RfM is to be a "home" for everyone, regardless of any given person's chronological age.
I'm in my late forties. My guess is that many of us are close to forty and older.
My experience is that when you hit middle age, you all of the sudden realize how quickly life is passing and that it's all going to be over sooner than you thought. You start to question how you spend your time and what is really important in life. It might lead you to question all the time and money you spend on the church. That's what happened to me.
I'm 68, having a 50th high school reunion at the end of August. Still don't know if I'm going.
I had a coronary bypass at age 42, the surgeon said it was way past time. He also said that he would give me 25 years on the work he did and I'm already passed that.
I mentally left the church about age 35ish. Still attended and was the ward clerk for 4-5 years at the end. I liked that job since I could sneak out after sacrament and spend the whole 3 hours doing my job and not have to go to SS and Priesthood meeting.
Oh, wait. YOu just wanted my age. 68. My mom died at age 69.
memikeyounot Wrote, in part: ------------------------------------------------------- > > > Oh, wait. YOu just wanted my age. 68. My mom died > at age 69.
My guess is that a majority of us here remember taking part in the old temple ceremony with the death threats, and the five points of fellowship, pay-lay-aile, and satin convincing a protestant preacher to preach for money.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2017 08:59AM by azsteve.
I have several ages running in my head. The age I think I am, mental abilities, etc. which is 49. Ya. I was 49 for a very long time! Now the chronological age which is 75+. The problem is that my body is playing games and won't act like 49 anymore! Very annoying!
I left the Mormon Church - in my late 50's, took me four years to get to the point I could resign my membership and keep my marriage, family and relationships.
Average age of RFM poster is probably early 40's or younger. Many are younger, and many are older, of course.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2017 02:21PM by SusieQ#1.
I met a new 80+ exmo at a conference. She was in front of my in the free drink line and said it would be the second alcoholic drink of her life. We discussed what she might like and decided a strawberry frozen daquerie would be a good option. Sorry I can't spell it. She said she loved the freedom of not attending boring meetings and she enjoyed the extra dollars on not paying tithes on her limited income which hadn't seen a raise in many years. I'll never forget that bubbly very positive little lady and I respect her for leaving.
I used to buy two pair of Levi 501's for $4.99 a pair every fall for school. ( Brook Shields would not love her Calvins for many years to come.) The 501'S made your legs blue the first few times and then started to soften and by spring molded perfectly to your body. Then hauling hay during the summer and working on a ranch,they became the palest blue and the white threads hung over worn holes and tanned knees.
Because of this I am sickened by a society that buys, artificially aged, artificially distressed, and now artificially "destructed" (latest advertising word gimmick) so that the elite of the world can look even half as good as I used to.
Forget cultural appropriation. I want the worn jeans appropriation to stop. No one wants to earn anything anymore.
That's how old I am. Oh, and when I was a kid we still had the black box phone on the wall. No dial. You just rang for the operator. She was Mormon too.
My brother grew up to be a wise man. As opposed to earlier years when he was just a wise guy.
He has an absolutely beautiful HO train set-up in his basement. It's an entire little town. Working traffic lights and RR crossing gates and little tiny people and cats and dogs, and...! I told him how great I thought it was.
His reply: "Well, our childhood sucked, so now's our chance to do em over, and get it right this time!"
This is completely anecdotal and from my impressions of the many folks who have been here or who I have met over the years. If there were a bell curve, the peak years for those who were active Mormons and now comprehend the fraud falls between the ages of 36-42. There are of course teenagers who thought this through much younger and people leaving at all ages, especially in their 20's. It seems 36-42 is a critical time in life in evaluating life and life's goals. There is a great deal of life's experiences by that time to reflect on to finally accept the Mormon church simply does not make sense.