Hi all, my new article:

https://open.substack.com/pub/chumark54/p/have-we-become-better-peopleafter?r=1rk5hn&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

And sorry, I didn't realize that you would be led to "subscribe." You should be able to ignore that and go straight to the article, it's my channel but I open it to everyone. Sorry for the confusion; if you subscribed and didn't want it, you're more than welcome to unsubscribe.

Thanks.

Absolutely!!


MoMism culture ignores or dilutes or sidetracks what attitudes & habits bring out the Best in individuals:

Honesty, Kindness, Respect of other persons & their lives - life choices & lifestyles; those nearly always have to be discovered & nurtured elsewhere.

xxx
xxx


THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! It means a lot to me, I sincerely appreciate it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/2025 07:50PM by Maude.

If by better you mean, "calling your own shots", then yes.

And to echo GNPE---I don't consider if I am better or worse. What matters to me is just continued exploration with no entity--Mormon or otherwise-- dictating what that should be or making judgement calls. I am hard enough on myself.

And when I do something I'm proud of Heavenly Father is not getting the credit.

Yup.

And your last sentence is refreshing. If there's really a god (gods maybe?), I don't believe they want to take the credit either.

I was already a good person during the time I was an active mormon so leaving it didn't make me "better."

Leaving mormonism did make me a happier person though.

In my experience, happier people generally are "better" in the sense that they are less angry, more patient, and more likely to give others the benefit of the doubt.

Now, there are exceptions: I know, for example, an elderly gentleman who was once an AP. . .

Well, you must not be feeling very happy today!

And memories of being an AP is my happy place.

Now about that elderly comment.......

One day I'll be old. . . but I'll never have been an AP.

:-(

I'm 64 now so I guess the question is....will you still need me? Will you still feed me?

Actually I'm twice an AP. When I was in the MTC I was called to be the AP to the branch president. When I was in Barbados, I was called to be the AP to the mission president. I know that's a big mantle to carry, but I have big shoulders.

2XAP...sounds like one of Elons kids names:0

> Actually I'm twice an AP. When I was in the MTC I
> was called to be the AP to the branch president.
> When I was in Barbados, I was called to be the AP
> to the mission president.

So you've had your second anointing?


----------------
> 2XAP...sounds like one of Elons kids names:0

That's been obvious since Roy G Biv.

"So you've had your second anointing?"

More like second Appointing. My second annointing would have happened if I would have accepted the offer from Bob Marley's mom to smoke a spliff when I met her in Jamaica.


"That's been obvious since Roy G Biv."

Roy G Biv was just a Jonny the Smokescreen.....but it appears that you see my true colors.....like a rainbow.

> My second annointing
> would have happened if I would have accepted the
> offer from Bob Marley's mom to smoke a spliff when
> I met her in Jamaica.

Not being quite as foolish as you, I would give almost anything to have had that opportunity.

Missing that opportunity is truely one of my only regrets in life. Having been very familiar with the customs and ways of the Rasta sacrament before my mission (and after) it would have been a highlight in my life.

I sometime wonder if I did it, and the mission president found out, I could have use the excuse that I was merely honoring their religion and partaking of their sacrament as an act of respect. I took no pleasure in it, no, no, no...just being a good missionary.

My dad actualy told me before I left that he would rather I came home in a pine box (dead) rather than dishonorably....gee thanks dad.

My mission prez. was really cool so I might have been able to get away with it.

AP, Second Anointing, a toke with Mama Marley. . .

I believe that's called a "hat trick" north of the border.

A trick in the hat is worth two in the bush.....or should I say buds?

Of course I’m not an impartial judge of myself, but I honestly feel that I am:

Kinder,
More generous,
More empathetic, and
Less judgmental than I was as a member.

Please make that VERY clear every time you link. If something requires ANY kind of subscription or collection of info it will be pulled and banned.

If by ‘better’ you mean less of a self righteous a$$hole, then yes.

The mind reels.

Unquestionably, I'm a much better person after leaving my "cult of origin," Christian Science.
Not only that, I'm much more humble.

No..........I admit I am a worse person. Horrible. Really bad. Not just because I have disavowed Mormonism, but, because I felt it was the needed thing to make it right.

Like, "Hey, NOW that I know I have been lied to, I can be the jackass I always wanted to be!".............YAY!

"Hey, wanna' buy this used Yugo?"........

I think the thread premise is something of a non sequitur. People don't leave Mormonism to become "better" (whatever that means...). People leave Mormonism because Mormonism is false, and TSCC is a religious cult. Those realities impact members directly and indirectly in any number of ways, from innocuous to extremely toxic and harmful. Ideally, leaving will improve the former members' life circumstances, but it doesn't necessarily improve the people. There are "good" and "bad" people both in and out of TSCC. We shouldn't expect more of those who choose to depart (nor less of those who don't).