I was an active Mormons during the 1980s, when we were told:

*The Brethren don't make mistakes.

*Negroes are the marked inferior children of Cain, but the Lord has forgiven them and now they can worship with their superiors.

*God the Father "stepped down from his throne" and joined with Mary, his spirit-daughter, and begot Jesus in the same way any mortal man begets a mortal son.

*Elder McConkie's "Mormon Doctrine" is Scripture just like the epistles of Paul (not true,but I was repeatedly told that).

*The LDS Church is the fastest growing religion on Earth (that never true, never even close to being true, but heard it all the time).

*The Living Prophet speaks to God (and/or Jesus) in the Upper Room of the Temple, as one man speaketh to another (also false).

*etc., etc., etc.

How would I liken the Church during the 1980s?

I would liken it to this: I grew up in Palm Springs California. The sun shines there all year long except for a week or two around Christmas/New Years, where it rains like Noah's flood. The Summer s there are quite toastee, with 115 to 120 degrees not being usual for a cool Summer day.

My brother and I played Little League in Palm Springs, next to the California Angel's "Spring camp". Before "The Angels" realized it was too f***** hot in P.S. and moved their Spring camp to Florida.

Anyway, some "really bright" person who was in charge of providing the benches that we (the Little Players) sat on during games, decided "why" waste money with wooden benches? You have to pain them. Wood rots in that 0% humidity almost no rain Palm Springs weather. So, they decided, to put in "fiberglass" benches. This is 1960s technology fiberglass! Of course, the benches "exploded" after a few months, an we had to sit on fiberglass benches were the "fiberGLASS" was exposed and sticking out, and would get into our skin on our backs and our butts! We went home with our butts filled with inchy painful 1960s fiberGLASS. Do you KNOW what that feels like?

All because some IDIOT decided that fiberglass would be better than painted wood. Yes. THAT was the LDS Church in the 1980s.

It's too dang bad your parents or some other adult in your group didn't have the common sense to bring a tort action against the church corporation back then because it was really injurious to you and your peers.

Unbelievable.

Welcome to RfM.

Palm Springs sounds nicer in the winter for sure, minus all that rain!

I was actually looking at Palm Springs and some of the surrounding towns as possible retirement communities because they're outside of the Morridor. How would you describe them today, with or without Mormon influence?

The hot summers I could do without, but it's not that much different from southern Utah because it's part of the same desert range.

Albeit I'm still partial to southern Utah because of its gorgeous red rocky vistas as far as the eyes can see. It's like a little bit of heaven on earth.

Some of the non-Mormons there tell me it has changed quite a bit since they moved there, for the better. It isn't as Mormony as it used to be.

I can't imagine Palm Springs being anywhere near as bad as there, but from what you described of your childhood in the 80's it does sound like at least the Little League was run by TSCC.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2019 11:05AM by Amyjo.

Huh ?

Me thinks dry heat would turn it into tinder in no time.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2019 11:58AM by Amyjo.

So the kids' keisters would just get different splinters.

The solution would have been a quality penetrating wood preservative. Maybe steel benches--cook those young tushies?

This is perhaps the most extravagant metaphor I've encountered on this board!

That was church sanctioned child abuse.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2019 02:38PM by Amyjo.

I lived in P.S. from '79 to '83. You must know my sister, she's been there since the 70's.

I went to one of those Angels spring training games, it was fun.