Posted by:
Tyson Dunn (not logged in)
(
)
Date: December 10, 2017 06:28PM
I agree with the BICs chiming in, that growing up in the faith was bad, but to be honest, I think it had to be worse for those of us dragged along with our convert parents.
Nominally, I had a choice to join, but as a well-behaved son, was I actually going to contradict my parents? I think not. Worse, I didn't understand the curious feelings I was having for the missionaries as a gay boy, but they weighed in heavily too.
Once we joined, I never felt anything other than second class. My parents, being converts, were never considered for meaningful callings (bishop, Elder's quorum president, Relief Society president, etc.) and their stigma carried over to me. I was relegated to the secretary position in each Aaronic priesthood quorum; I was passed over for leadership roles in Scouts. Frankly, it was never hard to see that being BIC was a primo advantage when it came to being in the Church.
But then, I had the whiplash of also being baptized young. I grew up in the faith. I had a public school teacher in fifth grade ask me to prepare a talk for my class about Mormonism and the westward migration. I prepared by ingesting a Marvelous Work and a Wonder and proceeded to keep my classmates rapt for two hours one afternoon. I was that kind of kid. I drank deep from my new religion and believed in it heartily.
It wasn't until I got older that I realized that I was doomed to the double stigma of being a convert and gay, and even then, as an adult who served an "honorable mission", I still took several years to finally extricate myself from the brainwashing, in spite of my brains and talents.
And naturally, I still have family who believe anyway.
So, while I agree in general that the BICs have it the worst, it is possible for those of us who converted to get slapped more than one way by our association with Mormonism.
Tyson Dunn