Is this the latest Mormon fad?

I found out about this while having lunch with some friends in Provo, but I'd like to know if this is a trend. My TBM friend’s sister is a primary president (one of those fanatics who doesn't allow TV, radio, video games or non-Mormon friends for her kids), and she told her children, from the very beginning, that there is no Santa Claus. The sister says that most of the other parents in her ward are doing the same thing. Our conversation went something like this:

I asked, “Why?”

My friend said, “Because when the kids find out Santa is a lie, then they won’t believe anything else the parents tell them.”

(Blabbermouth that I am) I said, “Like the Joseph Smith story.”

My TBM friend looked shocked, then said, “Well…yes…my sister is afraid her kids might not believe what they tell them about The Gospel, God, or Jesus…. It really is not right for parents to lie to their children.”

(Blabbermouth again) “But they tell their kids the golden plates story and the rock-in-the-hat story.”

My ex-Mormon friend let out a huge guffaw, then said, “Seems like the Mormons are getting more and more desperate about kids finding out the truth—ha-ha! Killing off Santa Clause, so kids will blindly trust their parents—that’s just mean.”

My TBM friend said, “My sister says they want Christmas to be more spiritual.”

Blabbermouth said, “But the Mormons don’t have a Christmas church service.”

TBM Friend, “No, but my sister’s family have a candle ceremony with the grandparents (both TBM BYU teachers), where they come down the stairs with candles, and the grandmother wears candles on her head, and the grandfather says a prayer, or something. We’ve never been invited. It’s just the immediate family.” (This sounded like the Scandinavian ‘ceremony of lights’ to me)

Ex-Mormon friend, “That sounds boring.”

My Mormon friend said, “All I’m worried about is that my nieces and nephews are going to get the CRAP beat out of them, when they start telling other kids there is no Santa Clause! My sister is going to get phone calls from irate parents!”


Yet another buzz-kill for families, courtesy of the COJCOLDS.

With that kind of mindset, I believe that it is now fair game to tell her children that the whole Mormon church is a lie.

I mean, right? They can't have their kids lied to for any reason. It's just wrong.

So.....spread the "real gospel."

Sorry, Timmy, no Santa. And also, Joseph Smith was a horny con man. Tough shit, little guy. Life blows.

The spirit of Gawd like a candle is flickering.

Euww!

Here I thought my mom's old boyfriend's froggin hat with this big old spotlight on the brim was silly-lookin. Least it wasn't no fire hazard!

Hole song lyrics: 'I don't really miss god, but I sure miss Santa Claus...'

But not until they asked.

It was in the summer, they were 4 and 5 years old and read some story with witches or fairies or something like that. So the conversation about whether or not those things exist morphed into the question about Santa Claus. I just couldn't lie to them. I made it a habit to tell my children the truth (as I knew it to be) all the time.

Of course the funny thing was that when winter rolled around my children told me they didn't want to know about Santa Claus. I laughed and assured them that Santa would leave them presents this year too. ;)

Kids eventually figure out for themselves that Santa's a myth even if no one tells them. Too bad they can't do the same about the myths they learn in church.