1) Yesterday in F&T meeting this idiot http://mormon.org/me/57CT/ was conducting (Yes he's in the bishopric. Shocker.), and he made the statement, "When people ask me what my favorite TV show is, they're always surprised when I say General Conference." Then he went on to declare that everyone of the questions he had were answered by the speakers this conference. And he had his investigator friend do the same thing, and (sniffle) he wrote down some poignant questions and HIS WERE ALL ANSWERED BY CONFERENCE TOO! (dabs eyes with kleenex).

Of course, we are in a ward where many member don't have TVs in their homes because they are trying to avoid any worldly influences. They do not understand even the most basic cultural references. Do you know how many adults here have no idea who Jerry Seinfeld is? I mean, seriously, that show was on for 9 seasons. Little do they know that their teens come to our house and watch all kinds of things they'd never approve of--The Office, The Walking Dead, Seinfeld, 24,The X-Files, and several R-rated (gasp!) movies. It's not surprising that we're the favorite hangout. The parents would have an aneurism if they knew. I have to say, I get a bit of satisfaction out of that.

2) The EQ president's family that only take vacations to church history sites. He told my husband once that he'll never take his kids to Disneyland. Going to Nauvoo was SO amazing; his kids just loved it. Uh, great for your kids, but why ya gotta knock Disneyland?

3) The fact that being a mormon makes you have to qualify/justify everything you like. You can't just say you like a book or movie. You have to point out all the things you don't approve of (or think they won't approve of). "Yeah, it's good, except for that one small scene..." You don't want anyone to think that YOU think it's okay, because what kind of mormon would that make you?

They just gotta act like they're so fucking righteous ALL the time, don't they?

It's not an act, but the word is "self-righteous."

It reminds me of when I was in senior high, & was assigned to read Ken Kesey's 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' for English my junior year. I had the same English teacher the next year when I was a senior, & he assigned the same book for incoming juniors. Anyway, this younger girl I knew from my stake became very agitated, & said she wouldn't read it on moral grounds. It was in between classes, & I stood there while our Catholic English teacher explained to her that it was just a book, & it would be OK if she read it. She still refused. Personally, it made me very upset, because this girl was trying to project onto me that I was wrong & had sinned for having read it.

Later that day, I was in the car with my mom, & I was very upset. I told her what happened, & I told her that here this girl was saying it was wrong to read this book I had already read, but that I knew I had done nothing wrong.

I wonder if the church would air an "I'm a mormon" commercial done by these folks?

I love your third point there. So true!!!