Young Mor(m)ons

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My experience with "public" Mormons is the same as most. I find them happy friendly people.

But my experience with religion and other groups with a bureaucracy has shown me there can be two sides to the coin.

This link http://www.mormoncurtain.com/topic_moun ... sacre.html mentions ugly deeds perpetrated by officials of the Mormon church. It's incomprehensible to me how people who call themselves religious could ever think of doing such a thing, but this was the thinking of the "elders' and the rule was you must obey the elders.

This may sound like ancient history but as your lifetime moves into an area between a half-a-century and 100 years you approach recent history with a different understanding; it really hasn't been all that long and I wonder how the policy of the bureaucracy of elders has changed toward perceived threats to their beliefs; they are quite "strong headed" when it comes to certain things.

Mormonism is a better experience from the outside. If you're in, you can kiss your sundays goodbye; they'll saddle you with a "calling", which translates to an extra, unpaid job. If you're born into it and play by their rules, you'll be so wound up and lovesick by the time you finish your mission, that you'll marry anyone just to get to the consummating part. Of course, I'd tell you the premise of most religions is depressing; obey their rules long enough to die a good person.

If you're not a mormon, you'll notice that mormons are friendly and accommodating. I'll bet any of you could get help moving from your local missionaries free of charge, which is a great deal as long as you're not one of them.

We have the Mormons, in addition to members of local churches, come around this neighborhood from time to time. I'm not rude to them but I kindly tell them I'm not interested and will not become interested in the future. Personally, I don't put much stock in any church that thinks it has to peddle itself door to door like girl scout cookies. If I decide to join a church I'll find one on my own.....

On point

ruveyn

Nothing wrong with Mormons or any other modern peaceful and religious people. They can knock on my door and I don't care. I just don't answer it.

(Atheist, but that's me.)

I like talking to the Mormon missionaries. The first time I did, I was painting my porch in Birmingham and they rode by and waved, I waved, they came up in the yard and asked if I needed help. I told them I can't pay them, but if they wanted to help sure. I wasn't stupid, I knew it was a way to get a foot in the door to talk about their beliefs, but I love talking about religions and learning about them, and I love to paint, so I ended up having a great day. I told them up front, I was Catholic and not interesting in converting but I respect their faith and think they do a lot of good, and I love their commercials and I would love to know anything they could tell me about it. I also told them up front that I can't do bible studies afterwards because I'm just so busy. I honestly would have liked to do it, but had no time, with three little kids and one in school.

They were respectful and they said they appreciated my listening to them and asking things because it gave them a chance to practice for when they were talking to somebody else who might want to convert. We had a nice time.

I want to go to those classes on food storage and stuff they have for the women. I'd listen to their evangelization during it. In fact, I'm interested in it. Very much. Not to convert though, I'm also just as interested in Judaism (especially Hassidic), Islam, Hinduism, and the protestant denominations that are Signs Following (snake handlers). I used to be interested in Greek Orthodox, Maronite, and Byzantine, but not anymore. I found out everything I wanted to know about them.

Oh! And Amish! I'm interested in them too. And the Patriarchy sects, like the Independent Baptist Home Churches that have the Quiverfull families. And Mennonite. I think that's all but I may think of another one soon. I probably will and just wont bother to come back and edit.

But, if anybody here is a member of those and wants to talk about it with me, feel free to PM me. I certainly won't criticize or put you down, even though your opinions on some things are very different than mine. You'll be the one doing me the favor by answering things about it and telling me about it, so why would I want to be rude?

Oh, and I'm somewhat interested in the FLDS too. The polygamous sect which I'm sure is NOT like the show "Big Love".

There are a few ballsy Mormons here.They don't go door to door or ride around on bikes in this area.The Mountain Meadows Massacre wagon train left from here.People are still grumpy about it and like to leave an occasional pipe bomb at the tabernacle.
The ones I've known have been nice.We also have a group of Mennonites,they have great food at their bakery.Wonderful cheeses and deli meats from Amish farms.If you go up into Missouri a piece there are Amish,you can see the horse and buggy signs that say share the road.Its cool to see a horse and buggy heading down the road and their farms are so tidy and well kept.

That reminds me of a scene in the movie Hustle and Flow. The guy wanting to be a rap singer is a black guy who sells pot and is a pimp and is in a bad neighborhood in Memphis. He has a friend from high school who does stuff for his church's music and that guy knows a guy who is really good at making beats for rap. The rapper hasn't met the beat guy yet but he assumes that like him and his friend, he's going to be another black guy from that neighborhood, around their age too. One day he is called to the door by one of the hookers whose answered it and it's a short, skinny, nerdy looking white guy wearing a white shirt and a backpack. He's about 17 or so. The hooker said she tried to tell the kid that he was busy but he insisted on seeing him. The singer looked at him and said "Damn, you Mormons sure are brave!" then the kid stuck his hand out to shake and introduced himself as the kid who is going to make the beats.

(Oh, stop it! It's part of a MOVIE and it was FILMED TO SHOW IT LIKE THAT TO BE FUNNY! I'm NOT racist!)

Anyway, it's a good movie and I won't tell you how it ends, but when you said ballsy Mormons, I thought of that scene. I should watch that movie again today, it's been a while since I've seen it and I really like it. I didn't recognize the skanky white hooker from Son's of Anarchy and also Orange is the New Black, but her voice was familiar. I Googled her. Watch it and see if you like it.

That is a good movie.I've watched it a couple of times.
One thing I always chuckle about is how prim and proper the Mennonite ladies look on the outside,but I've seen them buying really racy underthings on several occasions.They are wearing thongs under those outfits.

While I don't think I could live without beer or coffee, or with being saddled with the homophobia from the top of the Mormon church, the Mormons I've known have been pretty decent, friendly people. I once dated a Mormon girl briefly who was very intellectual - but she backed off when I came on too strong . Since then, we've had neighbors who have been Mormons, all who have been extremely friendly. I personally think Joseph Smith had been a sociopath con man, but the religion he spawned has produced some really nice people (not including Mormon fundamentalists, that dick Glenn Beck, or Mitt the plastic Mormon).

By dictionary definition, all christian denominations are cults
cult [kuhlt] noun
1. a particular system of religious worship, especially with reference to its rites and ceremonies.
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, especially as manifested by a body of admirers:
3. the object of such devotion.
4. a group or sect bound together by veneration of the same thing, person, ideal, etc.
5. Sociology . a group having a sacred ideology and a set of rites centering around their sacred symbols.

I just ignore the Mormons. A bit too kooky for me, personally. I know enough about the Bible and I don't wish to join them.