Apparently I am still on the distribution list for the stake.

I received my copy of a mass email sent to the members by the stake president.

He instructed that no one should view the current lack of meetings as a vacation from church. Instead, it was a chance for us to practice what we believe and be stronger.

hehehe lmao rofl

They never give up.

Like other posters here, I imagined that a little time away would help create some immunity from the mental illness that is mormonism. But they are not going to give up easily.

Given their so-called inspired programs of self-study and ministering, they are going to be as intrusive, demanding, and annoying as ever.

I am bracing myself for the inevitable call to start taking sacrament into homes with no priesthood. The larger meetings will cease but the contact will continue.

Two weeks in quarantine helps starve the covid19 virus. I think the mormon mind virus will take a lot longer.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2020 03:13PM by Lowpriest.

I didn't learn about this until 2-3 years after my Dad had passed on. Due to his decline in health, he stopped attending church. So I asked my Mom if sacrament was being administered at their home. And she related the story that they rarely came, perhaps once a month for 2-3 months. The visits suddenly stopped.

So I asked her if she addressed or requested the bishop for sacrament to come and she said. "The bishop thought it over and decided that it wasn't worth wasting the limited time and resources of the church."

Yes, it pissed me off to learn that.

The second story involved receiving permission to attend scout camp on Saturday night, with the promise to observe and worship on Sunday in the mountains. For me, that might have been the greatest church-sponsored worship of my youth. No stupid lessons from a correlated manual, no forced 3 hour testimony meetings about Crappy Smith.

No, just quiet meditation while sitting on some granite stones in the Sierra Nevada after blessing crackers and some canteens of water. Very simple.

The following year in scouts, we made the same request, but now there was a new stake president and ward bishop. Not only were we restricted from going to camp on Saturday evening, but he refused to permit the sacrament to be administered outside of a church building. Moreover, we were not allowed to travel on Sunday after church. So we ended up going on Monday morning and getting the most undesirable camp site. The other non-member troops arrived on Sunday and chose the best spots. Instead, we were rewarded with a camp site choked of mosquitoes and down wind of the pit toilets.

Get a noticeable tattoo, grow your hair long with a beard, wear colored shirts, and it will leave you alone.

It's like walking around with your fly open.

No one knows what to say. They obviously notice and it makes them uncomfortable. I love it.

Of all the things to talk about, a little facial hair has been the biggest topic.

"So, no shave November?"

"It looks very *gulp* distinguished."

"Are you going to buy a motorcycle now?"

"How does Sister Lowpriest feel about it?"

And on and on.

I think you are always on someone's list until you officially quit.

Meanwhile members of the mormons are like HBO - no limits.

I've been left alone for a little while now. My aunt hasn't even been bugging me about the church. But I resigned quite a few years ago and I still get asked to church activities and I had ministers until I told the bishop (who lives next door) that I had resigned. He didn't know. The last bishop told me he wasn't going to tell anyone except could he talk to my daughter. I said he could. When he changed, I started getting bothered A LOT again, but then it never did stop.

The beard is pretty funny considering how many mormons in Utah have them now. My SIL has one and I don't see him shaving it off any time soon. He loves his beard. There are SO MANY mormons with beards.

I do make sure that I do things that mormons would never do like have a boyfriend and live with my gay husband. We don't hide that he is gay. I'm not divorced, been separated a long time. He just moved back downstairs some years ago. I make sure I carry in the brown bag even though I don't drink much. I shop on Sunday and carry the bags in. We go to movies and with our Megaplex bucket and mugs, it is obvious where we are going. I walk with my dogs by the SC on Sundays quite often rather than drive to other places I walk them, but that just makes it easier so I can get their walk in and still go with my boyfriend. My son smokes out front. I have anyone who smokes smoke in the front yard. I'm pretty much a huge heathen. Oh my boyfriend and my husband both lived here at the same time for 6 months.

I'm fairly certain that I'm quarantined from the mormon virus.

We have mormons with beards here, too, but it's not as common as in your area. Also, no one in a leadership position has one.

It's like sending a signal.

When they knock on the door...answer it nekid and say, "What is wanted?" They will never come back.

With a 100 billion on the line and the thought they may have to work real jobs. They won't go down easy. No sir.

Maybe the leaders can use 100 billion one dollar bills for TP.

Not Benjamins?

I guess a benjamin is equivalent to a penny to those guys. That kind of money probably could have prevented this virus in the first place and a whole lot of other things in this world.

Since we can't control the Mormons, our only option is to self-isolate. I do something I swore I would never do, because I want a home that is warm and welcoming, but I do the crass thing, and open a side window and yell, "Who is it?", and I never open the door, unless it is someone I know. It's usually a Mormon stalker, pestering my grandchildren, by delivering advertising flyers or treats and bribes. Since their new ministering program, they come to the house more than ever.

I treat Mormons like they have a virus. I like the rule of keeping everyone 6 feet away. I might do this forever. No handshakes, no garment feel-ups, no fake hugs.

Wear obvious earbuds and a face mask (if you can find one), and no one will approach you. Add a hat, and no one will recognize you.

forestpal,

I think that part of the problem is on my end.

I like people in general, as long as they are not being a bother. Most of the mormons who I count as friends I enjoy being around most of the time, but I think I am sending out a mixed message. If I treat everyone the same way, attempting to show kindness and respect, I seem to open the door to a never-ending onslaught of attempts to bring be into the fold.

The best experience that I had was with the bishop of the ward that we moved into about seven years ago. He almost immediately called me to be a counselor in the Sunday School presidency. I explained that he should really think about calling someone else, because I did not believe this any more. I mostly participated out of respect to my wife. He actually backed off a bit and treated my normally when I would show up with my wife to something.

I gripe a lot, but I wish I did not need to be guarded all the time. I am not kidding about the mormon religion being a mind-virus and a mental illness. I think it is dangerous.

Just like you, I have tried to distance myself. It's too bad, but it seems to be the only option for me.

As with all potential friendships, it’s important to be one’s self. TBMs who know me well know that I like to cuss, laugh, and engage in serious conversations at times. True friends accept those things in me.

For my part, I refrain from using language that I know would make my friends uncomfortable. However, many TBMs also tend to cuss a lot around me because I’m safe. One time while I was a grad student at the Y, my department chair walked into my office, closed the door and said, “This is a bunch of bullshit! Don’t look offended, Boner, because I know you’re not!”

I do wonder if I have double standards with who I am in real life, vs the on-line me. Both enjoy good laughs, bad language, and long talks. My real self is a lot more serious, but compared to some wanna-be TBM friends, I’m way too flippant.

As a TBM, I hated myself and others. Once I figured out that I wasn’t a “bad person” I became more comfortable with just being the wanker I am.

For you, Lowpriest, I think the way you explained things was perfect. You were honest and didn’t represent yourself. My experience with TBMs is that often they are envious of those of us who lead good lives and who can say fuck, drink coffee, have a beer, and laugh a lot without feeling guilty. These are very simple pleasures, but denied to members of the Morg.

My hate was definitely multiplied by a hundred in that operation thats for sure. I am definitely a lot kinder. I think a lot of my fathers anger and hate i just emulated thinking it was the way it was supposed to be.

DEFINITELY no handshakes. Thats probably why they are so afraid of this virus. The transfer through handshakes.