Posted by:
SusieQ#1
(
)
Date: September 19, 2018 06:10PM
As a convert, I've often said that I could never learn to think like a "born in the bed" Mormon. Naturally, my efforts to live The Gospel aka The Commandments, were more about using good sense, or it seemed to me. If something sounded outrageous and ridiculous, I chalked it up to being a little too strict and ultra religious and fanatical. And,I remember plenty fanatics. One of them was Bruce Longo who was our Home Teacher at one time at a married student ward in about 1983. Knew his wife and we were at the blessing of his son who he blessed to be a prophet, or words to that effect. Some of you may remember him and what happened to him and his family.
In talking with my kids, now days, we were more liberal in how we lived The Gospel. My husband and I kept the Word of Wisdom, kept Sunday as Family Day, didn't shop on Sunday,(many places were not open anyhow,) and were OK with the kids not dating until 16. We went to the temple regularly. He was more orthodox than I was as he was born into it from generations going back to the early days of the church. We didn't have early morning family prayer and singing, like some did - which I considered a bit fanatic.
Fortunately, when I recognized that JS Jr made it all up, and the BOM was about imaginary people, places and things, and plagiarized other works, and got away with it, it struck me funny. After the shock wore off, I knew I was OK. I tend to see the humor when other's don't and I could laugh at myself, consequently, while leaving was a difficult process, I did it with my self esteem and self respect sent on high as well as a lot of snickering and laughing.
Some of our extended family could be considered a bit fanatic. They wouldn't miss a meeting even to attend a meeting in our town (down the road a bit) for the blessings of our babies. We considered that over-the-top fanatical and weird. I know of many more. There was a little joke in the family about one husband and wife who we claimed "laid awake nights thinking of ways to be more righteous."
I have often said that there are as many kinds of Mormonism as there are Mormons. People live the religion very differently, especially in different areas of the US and other countries.