Posted by:
Henry Bemis
(
)
Date: June 20, 2019 04:01PM
"Please remind me of the best ways to get them to GO AWAY."
COMMENT: First, every person who is on the membership roles of the Mormon Church at some point either voluntarily joined (convert), or became a member at the instigation of their parents or guardians. In either event, such joining involved a formal commitment as memorialized in a voluntary ceremony called baptism. This practice of voluntary membership in an organization is not unique to Mormonism, it is part of our social structure, and involves membership in any organized group; political, social, or religious. People join; They commit to some cause; They sign up!
Disassociating oneself from a group or organization that one had previously voluntarily joined usually involves a formal written directive, i.e. some notice of one's intent to withdraw from the group in writing! That is the way it works. Until then, as one remains on the books, any organization, including the Mormon Church, has a right to assume that you have some level of commitment to the group and desire to remain a member, regardless of your activity level. So they keep showing up, usually wanting your time and/or your money. There is nothing malicious about this. It is how our society works. After you sign up, you are a member until you resign or are kicked out.
People refuse to formally resign from Mormonism for a variety of reasons, including, first and foremost in my view, a psychologically persistent uncertainty that Mormonism is in fact false, and a desire to "hedge their bets" by remaining a member. Other reasons are often equally lame. If you don't believe it or think it is evil, distance yourself from it; resign--regardless of what the spouse thinks, the mother thinks, the children think, the dog thinks, or any other person or animal thinks. It's your life, just do it. (As they say.)
So, to answer your question, your husband needs to man up. Otherwise, Mormons will rightly think he still has some level of commitment, which is implied by his remaining a member. As such, they will continue to stop by from time to time to try to rekindle the fire. In other words, in this case it is not the fault of Mormonism, its the fault of your husband! If you want them to go away, he needs to resign.
In case it is not already evident, I personally find it offensive when people on the Board complain about their interactions with Mormons, while dutifully inviting such interactions by remaining a member. Many of us here resigned at extreme sacrifice; loosing spouses, family members, friendships, etc. I have little patience for people who constantly profess their knowledge of the falsity of Mormonism, and its evil deeds, while maintaining their membership; supposedly for some ultimate "good". Some might call this hypocrisy.