So, last Saturday, my ward was in charge of the stake's program for the new baptismal covenants. We have a tradition in our stake that one of the ward's youth takes over the program for the poor eight year olds. There's singing, talks, the like. Frankly, the whole situation was rather awkward for me. I had to bite my tongue to keep from yelling out, telling the three girls not to do it. Not to go through with it. They didn't deserve a life full of this shit.

Anyway, the meeting was long and the speakers droned on and I wanted to shoot someone by the end of it, but anyway, back to my main point. One of my young women's leaders drove me home. I was in the car with a few of my friends, and a few younger girls. While we were stopped at a light, there was an older gentleman, in a wheelchair, with a sign that said 'Unemployed, Disabled Vet, Help Appreciated.' This older man looked gruff, sickly, and like he'd been through hell and back. I felt so bad for the poor man, and before I could express my sympathy for the individual, my young women's leader, a woman I once admired, started off by saying.

"What is THAT doing here? This is a nice neighborhood. We don't need free-loaders looming around. He should go back to wherever he came from." The other girls agreed. Some of them looked at me, expecting for me to voice the same opinion, but god, did I want to punch all of them in the face.

I merely just looked out the window, wishing that I wasn't such a coward. Wishing that I had been brave enough to get out of the car, tell them how ignorant they were, and go and thank the man for serving my country. I wish that I could get out of the cult sooner, have enough courage to finally tell my parents enough is enough. I wish that Mormons weren't so judgemental, if they even notice that they are. I wish I was strong enough to leave at the moment, but I don't want the grief that I know my family will force on my head.

How do you cope with such idiotic people? These were people I once admired, thought of as friends and someone I could turn to. Why do they seem so... Foreign now? I feel like I am living someone else's life, and I hate it.

Your last sentence is the most important:

"I feel like I am living someone else's life, and I hate it."

Even though you are under 18, there's a lot you can do. Young people are expected to ask questions, so why not ask some really good ones.

It might be something you can even enjoy! Put those other people on the spot with your simple, honest, direct questions. In the example you gave, you could ask your YW leader how people can develop compassion in their hearts if they only help the poor indirectly through tithing.

Keep your questions short and you might enjoy making up a list and getting some of the posters here to give you even more.

My top one would be, "I was wondering if Joseph Smith always described the First Vision the same way or did he progress in his understanding as he grew in the gospel?"

Lordy, a few of these zingers and they will feel a jolt when they see your hand up!

Keep smiling - childhood is short and it pays to use humor if you can.


Anagrammy

That made me want to cry.

I've been harassed by Mormons for my economic status, too. I'm not homeless, but college-student poor and can't afford to drive or have nice clothes. I've had Mormons heckle me from the Institute building and on their way to and from church.

Makes me angry because of their self-righteous, ignorant hypocrisy and bigotry.

That's sad. One time before I moved back here to Utah, I came out to visit my TBM parents. They took me and my daughter to downtown SLC to visit various landmarks. We took the frontrunner, and as soon as we got off the train we were walking around downtown. It didn't take more than a few mins for a few homeless people to ask my dad for money. My dad started to pull out his wallet to give them some change and my stepmom yelled out "No!" She grabbed him and said "President Monson said not to give money to bums because they'll just spend it on alcohol"

She said this right in front of the person asking for money. I was SO embarrassed. My dad just said "okay" and put his money away and we all walked on. I felt HORRIBLE. I don't know what talk from Pres. Monson she was referring to btw...

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/16/2013 11:42PM by josie.