Has anyone else realized this?

Yep.

My wife literally claims that she has only positive thoughts, experiences and feelings associated with the church. She honestly can't think of a single thing that could even remotely be described as negative.

I'm guessing there are probably a sum total of about 3 people in the history of the church who could claim such a thing. I just happened to be so lucky as to marry one.

They say you need two things to leave the church; you have to know its not true and you have to dislike it. I think my wife is close to the first one, but light-years away from the second.

Lucky, lucky me...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2013 08:01PM by anothercasualty.

Of course we had more fun other places but she made church a little more tolerable.

There used to be parties in primary and mutual a few times a year and some of them were fun, not as much fun as good times in other places but still fun.

My ward was lots of fun when I was a kid. They were my extended family, my own small town. We were seen eye-to-eye by the adults.

Church itself was always boring, but I genuinely liked seeing all the same people every Sunday. It was the activities that I remember fondly.

And I still have a weakness for the prettier temples.

And General Conference is a great way to fall asleep. Grandpa drones on and on and on with his boring stories... Like magic.

Sorry to hear your experience was not the same. It would be a pity not to remember anything pleasant.

Thanks. It's just that even the memories that should be good, are heavily tainted.

It may depend on how long you've realized that it's all bullsh*t. Maybe you just need to give it some time.

I had a lot of friends claim only the most positive experiences nothing bad or negative ever happened. I always felt that just made them the enemy in a sense, they saw me and others being abused and mistreated by people in the ward with "power" and it didnt strike them as negative? Either they had no conscience or they are liars.

The ability of people to justify and categorize what they see is infinite. Especially if they do not want to deal with the ratifications of what they saw happening.

People are amazingly good at self-delusion, especially when acknowledging it will be painful.

Nope, me either. Good call, being LDS does not make a person good, despite the beliefs of many TBMS I know.

i was raised in a very wealthy ward in so california. as long as we were not having sex, using drugs or getting drunk, the youth could do just about anything we wanted. we were deliciously spoiled! trips, dances, parties at the beach, it was pretty sweet. of course, because i was gay, i lived in a parallel world of guilt, self hatred, shame and fear. the older boys had a thing for bashing the local gays in town WITH the full knowledge and tacit support of the ward leadership. i was terrified of what they would do if they ever discovered my true nature. so i had schizophrenic upbringing basically. the golden-boy with the hidden secret.

That is AWFUL! I can't believe you were exposed to that. I only ever heard gay jokes and felt threatened merely for being a wimp. I can't imagine being around people who were violent. I sure as hell hope you're good and righteously angry about that.

thanks Mr.N! it was a long time ago, but i still rail against the torture that the mormon cult puts gay kids through. it's child abuse, end of story. i get furious when people characterize the cult as benign, or a good way to raise kids, and i let them know it!

But I remember some activities - particularly cooking Mexican food as a mutual activity. Actually, any activities that involved preparing (and eating) food (I remember another one where we made cream puffs).

I remember making barettes and bows and learning how to tie knots. Also different ways to start fires. I'm still good at tying knots and starting fires. And I'm not a bad cook.

Oh - and there was an article the other day about unknown bible stories - and I knew them all! I don't know that my useless bible knowledge has been positive, helpful or not...but I've got it.

There was plenty that was good for me and more that was bad. There were terrible parts as well.

It was a mix. Living that way made no sense though and so I got rid of all of the crappy parts of my life and turned it into something that I wanted.

In the end I was devoid of religion, open to spirituality (though skeptical) and devoted to spending time with the people I care about. My life has gotten infinitely better, though some of the good things in my life now I am reluctantly forced to attribute to being a Mormon earlier in life.

Unfortunately, I can see many things, instances, moments in the church that made me very unhappy and literally took away the choices in my life that would lead me to the reality that I wanted. This despite all the many times of being told that my only way to find happiness was through living the gospel. pffftttt!!!! I think they meant to say devoting all my life, time, and money to "filling the pockets of the GA's with more money! But, that is another point entirely.

So is it like waking up from a bad dream ?