Mine include sneaking in through the bishops office one night so I could haunt around the church alone. Another is joint mutual activities with the YW, where we played capture the flag and once I went off into the bushes with a miamaid. ;-) Just innocent kissing, but...

The pranks I pulled as a YM--putting tobasco sauce in the sacrament cups, doodling jokes on the chalk boards, changing the hymnal numbers on the markee (sp?), and messing with the microphone wires on not-so-Fast Sunday.

My best memories are when I was giving LDSinc a wedgie. Funny thing is, even as a TBM, those were still my best memories. Not some spiritual lesson or tearful testimony.

Uuuuummmmmm......
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I'm drawing a blank here.

As with all of life it's: The Good The Bad, The Ugly: Positive experiences and Negative experiences.

Good memories - a few general categories:

fun times with friends: picnics, dinners, dances, etc,
teaching classes,
performing,
conducting music (one of my great loves is music),
getting to know more about Utah, hiking etc., (I am an Oregonian) when I got married and lived there for awhile,
getting to know hundreds of people over the years, (yes, some were very difficult, and I used what I learned at work as there were difficult people there also),
and most of all -- my family (husband and children) are the result of joining the LDS Church.

I am no longer a member because I changed my mind about what I wanted to believe in. I could no longer believe in the claims of the LDS Church. Living the religion was no longer working for me.

I have no regrets. The religion is for other people now, not for me.

I do believe in universal kinds of truths like what's not to like about Love One Another.
And the Golden Rule: treat people the way you want to be treated.

Just a couple of weeks before I realized the church was a sham I sat in on a discussion with the missionaries, and I remember bursting at the seems to give the investigators all the details about how awesome the Joseph Smith story was. In my ignorance I enjoyed it until the day I left, but the truth is the truth.

Feeling the spirit at EFY, BYU, and the MTC contain my very best mormon memories, though I now see how incredibly deluded I was.

I actually don't have any BAD memories about church, maybe some uncomfortable and sad ones, but for the most part everything was positive.

I was a member of a singles ward, where I met my husband, and had a blast during that time. I dated a lot, was more social then I'd ever been, and came out of my shell a bit.

I had myself thoroughly convinced that I was part of a huge,loving family who "had my back" and would always support me. I imagined, when I walked into the chapel to find my seat, that everyone with whom I made eye contact cared for me and respected and loved me. I imagined that my testimony was powerful and had a profound effect on the members of the ward. I imagined that if I ever left the church, the members would be pounding on my door to try to bring me back. I imagined that the Book of Mormon was true and that Joseph Smith was one of the most Godly, honest men that ever lived.

Dang, and then I woke up.

My friends and I would ditch church to play pool and video games.

Then we'd sneak back to sacrament meeting.

Those were good times.

We were definitely that scout troop that had irresponsible leaders. We took our guns every time and we'd barely ever see the leaders. It's a miracle we never burned down the forest. Pine needle bonfires were our specialty.

LOL Kolobian! When I was younger and going to Primary, I always thought all the kids were so pure and perfect. Glad to hear I was wrong!

My favorite scout trip: What was supposed to be a week-long trip in the Uintahs -- hiking across dead-horse pass and zombie walking 50-miles to our stake camp grounds in less than 30 hours. Why?

Because girls camp was there the days before we were scheduled to take over the grounds.

:-)

While I think a few of them are now fairly TBM, we used to have a lot of fun during activities and hanging outside of church.

We'd hang out in parks, Garden of the Gods, Gold Camp Road and very little church talk. We also played games like Kissing Rugby and Truth or Dare, which are not exactly TSCC approved activites. Some of my YW leaders were kind and easy to talk with.

I finally thought of something-living in Germany for 16 months was pretty cool. Knocking on doors all day pretty much sucked, but at least we got 8 hours off once a week.

I loved dressing up in pioneer outfits and having parades in primary as a child in Montana.

I loved the comforting feeling knowing I was in the chosen true church as a child.

My grandma was always in charge of the road shows and when I was little she still did some and I got to be on stage in outfits she had made.

I also thought everyone loved everyone and you could see the light in people's eyes. They have a lot of hope...cause they live in a fairytale...middle earth.

I would get kicked out of YMs for laughing too hard with my cousin or the leader would say is there something you want to tell us girls? My leaders always did it in a loving way.

Girls camp and being a good role model to the younger girls.

Going on dates and never having the pressure to put out. I feel bad kind of looking back that I went out with guys that I knew I didn't like(just friends). I liked one guy in HS but he couldn't be my long term boyfriend... therefore looking back I become slightly depressed and have a lot of negative feelings towards that time in my life... we wrote each other his whole mission but when he came back I didn't know that person at all. He was a fraction of who he was and had gained like 50 lbs. He never opened up to me after his mission and we parted ways. Twilight Zone now I tell ya.

I loved the bond that church brought people together immediately. It's like having a dog and having to go outside and walk it makes you be social and brings that brightness of love into your life. I know the people that live by me that have dogs cause you have some common ground.

Giving love as in serving in your church callings is far better than receiving it. I see the correlation and comfort that many people miss and I wish there was a possible way to start community gatherings that promoted similar things found in the church. Would people come? I for sure miss the social aspect of being Mormon but my internal compass was like NO!! Stop living a lie!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2011 02:13PM by holistic.

It sounds kind of nerdy now, but I was greased lightening at "Scripture Chasing". I enjoyed listening to all the gasps and startled muffled sounds as I stood up 1/2 second after the word, Chase! If only there was NSCL (National Scripture Chase League)......

Some of the best memories were the Christmas parties, when they used to have a good meal, some good music and everyone dressed up for the ocassion. Now is just a dinner and everyone needs to leave early for church the next day.

I also loved the sports days which we had often, now they are gone.

I enjoyed meeting people, attending dances, conferences, girls camp, feeding the missionaries, helping with the zone conference lunches, and much more. I loved serving and helping others within my callings.

I loved learning about the church and the culture. Loved all the callings I had. And I liked the sense of belonging to something special.

D

Baptism in the SLC tabernacle---kind of embarrassed, didn't feel any spirit.
Helped "build" our new meeting house. Actually got to nail some nails into the floor. The good old days. Many things about the church were a little better then.
Teen-age sunday school class was taught by young intellectual who was an excellent teacher. He had all the kids coming to class. Was eventually released because he wasn't sticking to the manual enough.
I loved washing dishes with my friends for ward budget dinners (held once a month). Those were good times.
Baptism for the dead for relatives, entered baptismal room where the baptis-er was making incantations, giving the same prayer over and over--wondering why we had had lessons against repetative prayer.
Temple marriage in SLC Temple---kind of embarrassed, didn't feel any spirit.
Enjoyed preparing homemaking and music lessons for stake and ward meetings. That was quite fulfilling.

When I was really little my friend and I used to roll our sacrament bread up and take it as a pill with our water. She's an exmo now too which makes the memory sweeter.

And in Mutual, we had some really great dances and plays and hayrides that were great fun.

I always found a way to get in on the lunch at the Relief Society quilting bee. Small old pioneer town and those ladies could cook.

When anyone was building a house or a barn, all the guys just showed up and worked on it and the ladies brought food. It was't organized through the church, but everyone knew each other better because of it.

I wish my list of bad stuff was as short as this one.

Yes, for me as well the good memories have almost nothing to do with "the gospel" or churchy stuff like fasting and praying. Ugh.

I have fond memories of Camp Nauvoo, the church owned campground in the Sierra foothills. Also of attending Road Shows and the stake Musical every year. Do they still do that? I remember Music Man and Carousel.

Seeing the Dance Festival in Oakland for all of northern California at some big stadium.

Johnny Lingo.

Visiting relatives in Utah.

Christmas lights at temple square.

I was going to say something about the same, when I was investigating TSCC, all the good times revolved around breaking the rules. Even the Mormon night at Disneyland, the fun part was sneaking drinks from the flask we brought in (yes, I was corrupting the single adults of the ward) and getting drunk among all the Mormons.

Stealing a salami at church camp. Sliding down a mud slide until the cheek of my pants wore out....exposing my buttocks. Making out with out of state boys at EFY....I got a thing for out of state boys :). I loved church ball.

My childhood growing up in the church I just can't really find much to complain about. I had friends and activities and a sense of community.

It got a little more intense in the teen years when the perils of immorality started being thrown at us from every direction. We mostly ignored it anyway. Mostly.

It was when I first went to the temple just before my mission that I had my first WTF moment. The church I had grown up and loved suddenly seemed a little sinister. My mission gave me the gift of seeing the man behind the curtain.

After that it was a slow trip out to the Apostacy Hotel.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/2011 03:41PM by kookoo4kokaubeam.

I was only there 6 months as a new convert. I don't miss anything.

Actually, I was relieved to find out the truth so soon and leave with a clear conscience. Also I missed some of the things from my Methodist church upbringing that I could reclaim: the Lord's prayer, wine/grape juice Communion, church organ and paid organist, not having to pay 10% if I couldn't afford it, Sunday afternoons...

My best memory was the feeling I got at the last amen at the last meeting on sunday. That feeling that it was finally over for the week and I didn't have to be back for another week.

This reply might sound sarcastic, but I'm being dead serious.

I was the organist for a year so I had a key to the building. I would often go there in the late evening to practice and blast that organ at full volume.

I'm with misfit. Drawing a big fat blank.

The ceiling was vaulted hardwood, and the acoustics were incredible.

...then they banned Bach and the other Great Masters, along with all that wonderful Catholic and Protestant organ music, and I was forced to use that "stick with the manual" hymn book for the preludes and postludes. I used to enjoy singing, too, but some of the best hymns were eliminated in the new hymn book, and others were simplified, lowered in key, and slowed down to funeral tempo.

I liked the stake YW/YM ski trips--but that wasn't anything like church.

Sperco is serious. I liked that sense of relief when Sacrament was all over with. I loved the free, happy, love-of-Christ feeling when I told off the bishop and walked out of the Mormon ward house forever.

My favorites included getting home and changing out of church clothes or going to a friends house between meetings when they had hours between them because my friends could play out side and watch TV on Sunday.

I have no fond memories of "church"....I always hated it right from the start and started "rebelling' against the forced institution of the mormonism as a child.

I had no choice in the matter....and I knew that was wrong at 6 years old.

I loved youth conference, gold and green balls, youth dances, youth fundraisers for youth conference (I particularly remember spaghetti supprs), the way Mutual really helped me during my high school years by being a source of support, having a great Laurel advisor who did a lovely presentation about dating when I was 17, the fun lessons in Relief Society where we actually studied different cultures, art, etc.

Now it's just lesson after lesson and BORING AS CRAP!

...at sacrament meeting, on summer evenings, with the windows open (back before air conditioning, back when the chapels still had windows). I have fond memories of the excellent choirs and of a fantastic organist who played at the correct tempos and really worked the pedals. I looked forward to the dances, roadshows, and bazars.

Great thread.

TBM lurkers who want to know "why are they determined to 'kick against the pricks' these anti-Mormons?"

It's because the church is a fraud and a big portion of our lives was gutted and taken from us, to include our childhood memories, our villages burned, and our otherwise innocent yet naive view of the universe wrecked by a lie (or two or a hundred.)

And I am heart broken because my clan is defunct.

On a lighter note: I brought my entire 20 piece drumline into the ward house for practice 21 years ago and I am still deaf. Oh and I made out with 2 super cute sisters on one night on church property.

I have very few and far between good memories of going to church in this building in my childhood.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/Wellsville_Tabernacle_of_the_LDS_Church.jpg

I no longer believed when I was about 11 years old.

Overall had a good time at various activies. Learned to dance,,give talks,,camp out,,helped a lot of other people. Had a good close family. I was never a total believer so just went along to get along. After I beat the bishops son and put him in the hospital,,and I got out of jail,,was asked not to come back. Maybe that was the best memory of all. Life can be good,,